The Library & Information Science Professional's Career Development Center

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by Kate Sinclair

Network, network, network! 

That’s the mantra that new librarians hear when they first graduate. 

Join your professional association.  Attend meetings.  Join a committee.  Get involved. 

This is some of the most valuable career advice you will get.  It’s the advice I received as a new graduate four years ago, and it is the first thing I tell anyone who asks me for professional guidance. 

But sometimes, new librarians find themselves in situations where it is difficult to do any of these things easily.  Maybe your professional association is not that active in your area.  Perhaps you live in a remote region, physically isolated from other members of the profession.  As a new graduate, you may not feel you can afford the membership fees of an association.  And occasionally new librarians in their 20’s may find it difficult to “fit in” with networks of established librarians who have different personal and professional concerns.  Whatever the reason, there are many library graduates who never enjoy the wonderful benefits of networking. In recent years, statistics in Australia, the United States and Great Britain all show a decline in association membership, particularly among new graduates.[1]

As a new librarian, how do you overcome such obstacles? 

When I graduated, I experienced some of these challenges. I studied externally, so didn’t have a real opportunity to form social or professional networks with my fellow students.  I worked in a library while studying, but at a library assistant level.  The only professional contacts I had were my colleagues, few of whom were actively involved in library association work.  In my graduation year, the Australian Library and Information Association went through an organizational restructure, which meant there was a hiatus on local association activities during that period.  There was also a perception that some industry events consisted of social cliques, which was quite daunting to a graduate new to the industry and to the workforce.   

All of these things combined to limit my initial enthusiasm and confidence for networking.   Now, four years later, my personal and professional networks stretch across the state, Australia and indeed the world.  I am very active in both my professional association and in other library groups, and at a recent conference my friends nicknamed me “a networking queen”! 

How did this happen?  Here are some of the steps I took on my journey from isolated new graduate to confident networker. 

Create your own networks

If there are no active library groups in your area, or the available networks don’t meet your professional and social needs, the solution is simple.  Take the initiative and form a new group with friends or colleagues. 

In 2001 my friends and I formed a social networking group for graduates like ourselves - the “new generation” of library and information professionals.  Three of us had been meeting regularly for lunch to discuss our professional hopes and frustrations, drawing support and encouragement from one another’s experiences. The South Australian Library and Information Network (SALIN) was created in response to our personal need to take an active role in our own professional development; to combat the frustration we faced with the stagnant job market; and to connect with other new graduates beyond our work environment.  We advertised by word-of-mouth and our first event was social drinks at a local pub, followed later that year with a low-key program of professional development seminars, forums and social events.  As SALIN developed we established an electronic discussion list, printed marketing material and invited high profile industry speakers to events.  Membership was free and open to anyone who wanted to join, rising from 30 in the first year, to over 100 in 2002 and now almost 300 in August 2003. 

It is a well known fact that involvement in professional groups will give you valuable skills in areas outside librarianship – event management, organization, chairing, public speaking, marketing.  I have gained confidence in these skills and more from my involvement in SALIN.  In addition, SALIN is our own initiative so we have all learned a lot about project management, responsibility, compromise and self-motivation. In this sense it has been a steep learning curve fraught with trial and error, but also the satisfying reward of seeing the group develop and expand beyond our wildest dreams. 

Recently, I have perceived a similar sense of satisfaction and pride from the participants on the newly established NEXGEN list.  It’s exciting and rewarding to initiate something that obviously strikes a chord with other like-minded people and gains a life of its own.  It also demonstrates initiative and entrepreneurial skills, should you wish to highlight these qualities to a manager or potential employer.  My involvement in the founding of SALIN was a turning point in my professional life, giving me the confidence and experience to network in a wider arena. 

Be active in your professional association

Networks such as SALIN and NEXGEN were established without affiliations to any professional association.  However, there is plenty of scope to develop or join networks within an established organization.  If there is an active committee in your area, contact the chair or convenor for information about how to get involved, or apply to form a brand new group under the Association banner. 

As SALIN began to develop, I joined the committees of two local ALIA groups. I had gained a job in a one-person library and recognized that for my own development I needed to proactively seek the professional networks I once took for granted in a large workplace.  It was easy - I just emailed the convenors of each group and expressed my interest in becoming involved.  In Australia, grassroots volunteers are welcomed with open arms and most local ALIA committees would be thrilled to hear from interested new graduates.  

On those committees, I met librarians and library technicians of all ages, backgrounds and career paths.  I gained a greater knowledge of the local industry, current awareness of the critical issues in the area, inside information on jobs that were available, and a hotline to all the current gossip!  I also demonstrated a willingness to volunteer for anything, which led to further responsibility as I accepted the role of Group Convenor and represented my group at the state level. 

Market yourself

Be prepared to market your skills, strengths and successes in a networking situation.  If you have achieved something you are proud of, tell people!  Better yet, tell people who have an acknowledged interest, expertise or stake in that particular area.  You never know what might happen. 

Marketing can encompass a range of activities.  Publish a paper or make a presentation about your successful idea, or get publicity or promotional material printed.  The SALIN committee made up flyers and business cards for the group in eye-catching colors when we attended a recent conference. 

You can also talk to people! At the inaugural ALIA New Librarians’ Symposium 2002, I identified the members of the ALIA New Generation Policy and Advisory Group , a national committee newly established to advise the ALIA Board on services for new graduates.  I felt that we could share our experiences for the mutual benefit of both groups.  Much to the amusement of my colleagues, I specifically searched for these committee members by walking around looking at delegates’ name badges.  When I found them, I introduced myself and talked about our group’s success in South Australia and how it might correlate with their initiatives.  The week after the conference, I received a phone call inviting me to join the NGPAG committee.  So don’t be shy about introducing yourself to a committee member, speaker or industry leader you admire – it may be the first step you take towards a new professional opportunity. 

Think virtual

The web, email and discussion lists offer a variety of ways to network in a virtual environment.  This is especially useful if you live in a rural or remote area, are a stay-at-home parent or are otherwise physically isolated from other professionals.  Discussion lists are also a great way to dip your foot into library association waters without getting financially wet.  If you don’t feel you can afford association membership fees, there are several lists you can join without paying any fees, but still enjoy the discussion and information sharing.  Lists can act as virtual networking tools, duplicating face-to-face discussion. The “new generation” lists such as ALIANewGrad, NewLib, NEXGEN, NMRT and SALIN are commonly used as forums for graduates to air questions or concerns and receive advice about workplace, career and employment issues. 

Email is also a wonderfully informal way to make contact with people whom you have only met briefly or not at all.  After a conference or workshop, I always try to make email contact with some of the new people I met.  It is a friendly way to keep in touch with interstate and overseas librarians whom you may meet again later in your career.  I also feel comfortable using email to ask questions or make proposals to authors or speakers, via contact details listed on websites, papers and articles.  Don’t be too formal – aim for a polite but relaxed tone that suits your personality. 

Recognize the power of peer support

I owe much of my professional growth over the last three years to the support and inspiration of my peers. The new generation networks I’m involved with are all overwhelmingly nurturing, positive and fun environments.  My peers encourage and motivate me with their achievements, so that instead of thinking “She’s so much older/experienced/qualified than me, I could never do that” the success of a peer can make you think “If she can do it, well, so can I!”  My graduate friends in the library world have challenged me to do things that a traditional mentor may not have advised.   Most established librarians I know began their careers in the 1970s and 1980s, when library jobs were comparatively abundant and budgets were healthy. While they are wonderful mentors, their development was shaped by a very different work environment and it is sometimes difficult to apply their experience to my own career planning.  In comparison, I have watched my new generation peers develop professionally, take risks and achieve promotion in a difficult and hostile employment market.  The new graduates I know are creative, brave, innovative and ambitious. Together we have swapped resume advice, shared interview experiences, helped one another with tricky selection criteria and talked each other through work crises and career decisions.  Most importantly, we have forged some strong friendships through new generation librarian networks. 

The next couple of years will be a very exciting time for Australian new graduate librarians.  The ALIA New Graduates Group has recently been formed, creating an Australia-wide network for recent graduates. The New Librarians’ Symposium will be held biannually as a focal point for new librarians to meet, have fun and plan for the future. The ALIA New Generation Policy and Advisory Group will continue to work on recommendations for new graduate services. With all these initiatives, new librarians in Australia will have the opportunity to build strong networks that will last throughout our professional lives.

About the Author: 

Kate Sinclair is Liaison Librarian for Law and Legal Studies at Flinders University Library, South Australia.  She is a co-founder of SALIN, the South Australian Library and Information Network, Co-Convenor of ALIA SA and Convenor of the ALIA Special Libraries Group (SA).  She is also a member of the ALIA New Generation Policy and Advisory Group, a committee that advises the ALIA Board on services for new graduate members.   Most recently, she has taken on the role of Convenor for the 2^nd ALIA New Librarians’ Symposium which will be held in Adelaide, South Australia in December 2004. 

Article published August 2003

Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in LIScareer articles are those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the LIScareer editors.

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