The New Professional's Toolkit

Customers outside of North America (USA and Canada) should contact Facet Publishing for purchasing information.

ALA Member
$71.09
Price
$78.99
Item Number
978-1-85604-768-5
Published
2012
Publisher
Facet Publishing, UK
Pages
192
Width
6"
Height
9"
Format
Softcover

Primary tabs

You don't need to be an ALA Member to purchase from the ALA Store, but you'll be asked to create an online account/profile during the checkout to proceed. This Web Account is for both members and non-members.

  • Description
  • Table of Contents
  • About the author
  • Reviews

It has never been a more exciting time to be a new professional in the information field. This practical book will guide you to success as you begin your career in this rapidly growing sector. Full of advice from rising stars in the information profession, as well as numerous examples, it will give you the tools you need to thrive in libraries and information organizations. Topics include:

  • Adapting to your new environment and assessing and developing your skills
  • Getting involved in professional networks and promoting yourself
  • Project planning and management
  • Meeting your users' needs and measuring success
  • Using online and social media tools
  • Marketing your service
  • Developing technical skills
  • Information ethics and IP
  • Working with stakeholders
  • How to generate funding for your service
  • Writing and speaking, conferences and professional organizations
  • Further qualifications, mentoring, and moving on

This is the ultimate resource for all new professionals across the information disciplines, and internationally, whether in archives, academic, public or special libraries. It's also an ideal introduction to information work for LIS students who want to be prepared for the world of work.


Check out this title's companion website!

1. Project management

  • Introduction
  • What is a project?
  • Finding project work
  • Methodologies and tools
  • Conclusion
  • References and further reading
  • Over to you  

2. Teaching, training and communicating

  • Introduction
  • Effective communication
  • Teaching and training
  • Further qualifications
  • Getting your users involved with learning
  • Presenting to professional peers
  • Writing
  • Conclusion
  • References and further reading
  • Over to you  

3. Meeting your users' needs and measuring success

  • Introduction
  • Evaluating users' needs 
  • Encouraging user participation
  • Tools
  • Using your figures 
  • Measuring success internally
  • Conclusion
  • References and further reading
  • Over to you  

4. Marketing your service and engaging stakeholders

  • Introduction
  • What is marketing?
  • Plan your marketing
  • Quick-response marketing
  • Conclusion
  • References and further reading
  • Over to you  

5. Using technologies

  • Introduction
  • Technology for the non-technical 
  • Introduction to digital preservation
  • Repositories 
  • Conclusion 
  • References and further reading
  • Over to you  

6. Getting and staying online

  • Introduction
  • Creating effective descriptions of archive collections for an online environment 
  • Social media
  • Conclusion
  • References and further reading
  • Over to you  

7. Generating funding and doing more with less

  • Introduction
  • Demonstrating value 
  • Finding more funding
  • Conclusion
  • References and further reading
  • Over to you  

8. Managing money, budgets and negotiating

  • Introduction
  • Budgets
  • Negotiating 
  • Conclusion 
  • References and further reading
  • Over to you  

9. Information ethics and copyright

  • Introduction
  • Information ethics
  • Copyright
  • Conclusion 
  • References and further reading
  • Over to you  

10. Upskilling and professional development

  • Introduction
  • Bodies of Professional Knowledge
  • Training and development 
  • Mentoring
  • Conclusion 
  • References and further reading
  • Over to you  

11. Networking and promoting yourself 

  • Introduction
  • Branding and marketing yourself
  • Networking
  • Supporting yourself 
  • Conclusion
  • References and further reading
  • Over to you  

12. Professional involvement and career development

  • Introduction
  • Conferences 
  • Unconferences 
  • Professional involvement
  • Career development and planning
  • How did we get here? 
  • Conclusion
  • References and further reading
  • Over to you  

13. Conclusion 

  • Appendix: Budgeting example spreadsheet

 

Bethan Ruddock

Bethan Ruddock is Content Development Officer, Library and Archival Services at Mimas, the University of Manchester, UK. Previously she was at the John Rylands Library at the University of Manchester. She is Co-Chair of the Early Career Committee and Chair of the Awards Committee at SLA Europe, and a member of Voices for the Library, a public library advocacy group.

"Would I recommend this text? Yes, because of its stimulating approach, common sense and good examples. The sources listed will certainly provide a good platform for further enquiry and the ideas for development will greatly assist a newly-fledged professional. I would also recommend it to more seasoned practitioners as a means of reviving interest or for getting back into the profession after some time away ... Bethan Ruddock is to be congratulated on a fine piece of work that should continue to have influence for a long period."
--Journal of Librarianship and Information Science