This might be of interest..
The Open Day is intended for all those who are new to the information professional - whether students, graduate trainees or first jobbers. Information Professionals from all parts of the workplace sector will speak about their working day and offer tips on finding jobs in their area.
http://www.biall.org.uk/events.php?action=event&id=365
cpd25 Applying to Study Library And Information Science 28th October
The cpd25 'Applying To Study Library And Information Science' event is coming up on Friday 28th October 2011. This is a great opportunity to meet other trainees and find out about the process of applying to study library and information courses. Also look out for other events and visits on the cpd25 site:
http://www.cpd25.ac.uk/forthcomingevents.
See this blog post for a summary of last year's event.
http://www.cpd25.ac.uk/forthcomingevents.
See this blog post for a summary of last year's event.
Welcome to 2011-12 programme
Welcome to trainees who have just started their 2011-12 trainee year. We are holding a welcome party for our trainee programme on 11th October 3pm. The programme started out for trainees within the School of Advanced Study Institute libraries, now part of Senate House Libraries, and has extended to include trainees from other London libraries.
We visit a diverse range of libraries, including some training sessions, and trainees get the opportunity to find out about different sectors and network with fellow trainees and librarians. Highlights from last year's programme were visits to the Wellcome Library, Courtauld Institute, Westminster Reference Library, Istituto Marangoni and a training session on Web 2.0 technologies. People will have the opportunity to suggest places they would like to visit, and we hope that people will use this blog to stay in touch. Further information to follow...
We visit a diverse range of libraries, including some training sessions, and trainees get the opportunity to find out about different sectors and network with fellow trainees and librarians. Highlights from last year's programme were visits to the Wellcome Library, Courtauld Institute, Westminster Reference Library, Istituto Marangoni and a training session on Web 2.0 technologies. People will have the opportunity to suggest places they would like to visit, and we hope that people will use this blog to stay in touch. Further information to follow...
Trainee Profiles 2010 - 2011
Hello, my name is Erika and I am the graduate trainee at the University of Surrey. I am originally from Belgium, where I obtained my degree in English and Dutch Literature and Linguistics. After a three-year stint as an English Teacher, I decided it was time for a career change and a change of environment. Whilst searching for jobs in the UK I came across an advertisement for a Graduate Library Trainee post. Somehow I had never considered librarianship as a career before, but the description of the post sparked my interest. I read up on the library and information field, and I visited one of the subject librarians at my local university to gain more insight. I soon became convinced that this was the right career for me. After applying for several graduate trainee posts and attending numerous interviews, I was thrilled to be offered the Graduate Trainee post at the University of Surrey.
During my trainee year, I gained tremendous insight into how an academic library operates, as I have been part of every step involved in adding an item to our collection, from the time a book or a journal is ordered until it appears on the shelves or on the website and reaches students and staff. I worked in every department (User Services, Journals and E-Resources, Cataloguing, Acquisitions) and was also able to assist the Academic Liaison Librarians at their information literacy sessions, attend meetings and work on the Library website. Everyone at the University of Surrey has been very helpful and supportive. I especially appreciate the flexibility of the traineeship programme. As my interest lies with rare book librarianship, I was given the opportunity to catalogue a few 18th and 19th century books, and I arranged to work at the EH Shepard Archive (which is housed in our library) one morning every week to learn more about preservation and to gain experience of handling old and valuable material. I have also attended several library visits, training sessions and CILIP events, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed.
So what’s next? I am going on to UCL to study for an MA in Library and Information Studies, where I will focus on rare book librarianship. I am very much looking forward to it, although I am a bit apprehensive about returning to university after four years! However, I could not have wished for a better preparation for the course.
Institute of Historical Research Library Geri van Essen
My name is Geri van Essen. I did an MA in Celtic Studies in Utrecht, The Netherlands. While studying and afterwards I have been in a few temporary library-type jobs. My graduate traineeship at the Institute of Historical Research is my 7th library and information services role.
Working in the IHR library is enjoyable because it is a small team, which creates lots of opportunity for the trainee to get involved in all tasks. The relocation of the library during my last weeks as a trainee has also been very educational for me.
After the summer I will hopefully be doing the MRES History of the Book (at the Institute of English Studies) and write a dissertation on 19th century publications in the Irish language, while working part-time. In a library of course!
City University Library Matthew Seddon
I graduated in 2007 with a degree in Economics and a burning desire to enter academia, two years, one very dull secretarial job, and a MSc Economics later, I realised that academia was not the place for me. I had probably spent more time in university libraries than anywhere else from the age of 18 and I decided that I wanted to stay there. Yet finding an entrance into the profession was not easy: library jobs required library qualifications and library qualifications required experience. Late one night I stumbled across a page on the CILIP website about graduate traineeships by accident; a placement for graduates that required little or no experience and provided training was pretty much exactly what I was looking for. In the mean time I had started voluntary work in a community library and by the time I arrived for the interview I had developed a basic vocabulary to talk about what it was I wanted to do.
I got the placement at City University and started in the main library at Northampton Square in September 2010. Subsequently I have learnt a great deal. The City traineeship is split in two: six months in the main library, working as part of a large library team, and six months at the business school, working in a small specialised library. The work at the main library has allowed me to gain insights into specific jobs – acquisitions and inter-library loans – while the business school library has given me an overview of a specialist collection with its idiosyncrasies, in this case the complex world of financial databases. My jobs have varied from processing books, through to ordering, adding, and withdrawing books, dealing with other libraries throughout the world, as well as investigating web content and other technical innovations. On top there have been external training events and library visits.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. I have enjoyed desk and enquiry work much more than I thought I would, which is handy because interaction with library users is key. I am also excited with how libraries are embracing technology and have left knowing rather more about computers than when I started.
For me, entering the library profession was not an accident of circumstance but rather a proactive decision to change my career. The world of libraries is changing and in the current climate you need to be committed before entering such a turbulent environment, the traineeship is the perfect opportunity to see whether the profession is the place for you. I will be starting the MA programme at UCL in September and hope to work in special digital collections after I graduate. I am looking forward to the day when I can finally call myself a qualified professional librarian.
I am Alice, and for the past year I have been working as a trainee at the Institute of Classical Studies Library.
I graduated in 2009 with a degree in Classics, and I wanted to do my traineeship at a library in which I could use these skills directly (there’s not much more you can do with Ancient Greek and Latin!) though in my experience, your degree subject won’t matter too much unless you choose to work in a predominantly very specialised library.
I don’t remember how I came across the job ad, but I ended up applying to see if librarianship might be the career for me. I had done a bit of work experience at my department library at university, but I don’t think this taught me all that much, as the library consisted of only one room in which books were displayed behind locked glass doors, and could be requested by students and checked out using pen and paper!
So when I turned up to the library in August 2010, I didn’t really know what to expect. It’s true to say I have spent some of the year doing all of the usual library assistant and administrative duties: shelving, desk duty, membership, answering enquiries and dealing with postal loans. But I think your traineeship is largely what you make of it, and I chose to push my role a bit further into areas such as visual design (of library plans) and web development.
I’ve really enjoyed the traineeship, and I will be sad to leave, but I will not be going on to do the MA in Library Studies. I think one of the best aspects of any of the library traineeships is that they can help you decide whether you’d like to take it up as a career – and in my case I decided not to. I am keen to pursue a career in book publishing.
Foreign and Commonwealth Legal Library Merrine Whitton
My name is Merinne, and I am the Graduate Trainee Librarian at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Legal Library, providing services to about 50 lawyers working for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Because of this very specific user-base, the Legal Library is small (but perfectly formed!), and its collection consists mainly of core texts on UK, international and EU law and a number of legal journals, as well as an ever-expanding collection of treaties, primary and secondary legislation and other government papers. Space is at a premium, and keeping the collection to a useful minimum is therefore a constant preoccupation. The library also has access to various essential legal databases via the government’s Legal Information Online portal (LION), and is supported by the eLibrary, a general library service for the wider office.
The traineeship has been an excellent experience for me, and would be for anyone with a special interest in either legal or government libraries. As an important part of a small team, I have had a very varied experience of information work, for the usual day-to-day business of cataloguing, shelving and ordering stock to conducting in-depth research for the lawyers on a variety of interesting topics. It is always a thrill when you see an issue in the news the day after you have done some work on the same subject for a lawyer. Moreover, the lawyers at the FCO truly appreciate the services provided by the Legal Library, be it research, current awareness alerts or simply finding an elusive document, and the working atmosphere is second to none. I joined the library at a time when there is ever-increasing co-operation and contact between government departments; participating in regular meetings of the Government Legal Libraries Forum has given me an insight into how, in the face of the new austerity measures, collaboration and shared services can help librarians maintain a consistent level of information provision.
I have also had the opportunity to work independently on a number of long-term projects at the Legal Library – most particularly, I have been reorganising the FCO’s collection of Overseas Territories legislation, and creating a searchable database to replace the existing card index. Having the opportunity to complete a long-term project like this, the fruits of which will remain in place and in use even after I have gone, is what makes this traineeship so special. I am now looking forward to commencing the MA in Library Studies at UCL in September, and think that my traineeship will stand me in good stead to advance in a career in information. The visits and socials organised by the SAS/URLS trainee group have been just as worthwhile, both as an opportunity for networking and as a way of discovering hidden library gems in London – the visit to the Warburg Institute was my stand-out favourite.
City University Library Oliver Henderson-Smith
I am Oliver, and I have been one of two Graduate Trainees at City University London. Each year, City takes on two trainees, with one working for six months at the Cass Business School Learning Resource Centre while the other works at the Main Library; after six months the trainees swap over. I graduated from my Divinity degree in July 2009 and applied for the job after reflecting on my own university library experiences and realising that librarianship sounded like a career that I would be well suited for.
I began my traineeship at Cass Business School LRC, which was a fairly small, subject specific library. Starting in the smaller library was a really good way to get started, because I hadn’t got much library experience previously. Before I started my traineeship I had only worked in a library for one month, when I did work experience at a private members library without a computer system! My role was predominantly public services focussed, dealing with hold requests, membership applications and a lot of time on the enquiry desk, as well as numerous other information assistant duties such as location changes, searching for missing books and other specific projects. In March, I went to work at the Main Library in the bibliographic services department. I have been working in acquisitions and interlibrary loans, and being attached to two different sections has given variety to my roles. I came to my traineeship without altogether knowing what to expect and I learnt a huge amount, very quickly. Additional add-on’s to my day job have shown me so much more too, these include the ULRLS trainee group, Chapter One, the 23things project at City University and one-to-ones with various librarians at work.
My traineeship has shown me that librarianship is a career I want to pursue and I have a place to study part time on MA Library and Information Studies at UCL from September. I applied for part time study because I was mindful of my currently limited experience and wanted to earn while I studied. I am going on to work in a very different information environment, as I have been offered a job in the Information Unit at a bank for 9 months. While everyone who works there is an information professional, they wouldn't describe themselves as librarians; this will be a very interesting change after a year in a university library.
Courtauld Institute of Art Library Tamsyn Bayliss
I'm Tamsyn, one of two Graduate Trainee Library Assistants at The Courtauld Institute of Art book library. I came to this traineeship in a round about way, having already completed the MA Information and Library Management course at Loughborough University in 2010. I had previously graduated with a BA degree in Creative Arts in 2000, and spent time working in bookshops, travelling and working abroad until deciding to pursue a career in librarianship, which was something I had always hoped to get into after following some others dreams first.
I didn't have much luck getting onto a traineeship when applying in 2009, however with my previous experience of bookselling and working in a public library, I gained a place on the MA course at Loughborough, which I can highly recommend. During my course I found it appeared possible to specialise in art librarianship, and I attended some courses and the annual conference of ARLIS (Art Libraries Society) and wrote my dissertation on the future of art libraries.
I was very excited to apply for the position at The Courtauld book library, as the year has been tailored to art librarianship as the library focuses on supporting the study of art history. I have found it an excellent experience for consolidating previous library skills and putting some of the theoretical knowledge gained on my course into practice. It as been quite a structured and varied year, where we have held responsibility for various aspects of the service, such as interlibrary loans and accessioning books, exhibition catalogues and serials, and have undertaken further cataloguing training. A highlight has been being able to attend many external training workshops and library visits which has aided with professional development, and also working in such an interesting and attractive library with fantastic, supportive colleagues.
I will miss working at The Courtauld, and I am lucky to be moving to a new role as Library Cataloguer at the National Portrait Gallery in September.
2011-2012
2009-2010
2008-2009
2007-2008
Lambeth Palace Library
On the 6th of July I was one of a group of four library assistants who paid a visit to Lambeth Palace Library. For a long time I had wanted to visit the library and now I was lucky enough to have the opportunity. We assembled outside the gate in the old palace wall; a spot which offers a view over the river and Westminster on the other side. Upon ringing the doorbell an archive assistant let us in and we were taken first into a little kitchen area, then through a court yard and finally into the main part of the building. The current library trainee, John Boneham took us into the Reading Room. This room serves users of the archives and manuscripts collections as well as the book collections. John is mainly responsible for fetching books from locked shelves, opening the door and copying service. He showed us upstairs to the strong room where we had the privilege of seeing the Bible used for Queen Elisabeth’s wedding ceremony.
Speaking of Bibles, we were allowed into the exhibition hall for free and learn how the King James translation of the Bible came into being, with many old monumental Bibles on display. But before this, John took us up into one of the two towers of the palace which are used as library stores. Three flights of spiral stairs up we came upon an impressive meeting room lined with bookshelves and a round table in the middle. The library and the towers are the oldest part of Lambeth Palace and I think the foundations are from the 14th century but I cannot remember for sure. It was also in the tower that we visited the two conservators of the library and archives in a room overlooking Westminster. The two ladies were working on cleaning parchment. This visit has been very interesting and as you can see I even remember most details more than a month later!
Geri Van Essen
Institute of Historical Research
Speaking of Bibles, we were allowed into the exhibition hall for free and learn how the King James translation of the Bible came into being, with many old monumental Bibles on display. But before this, John took us up into one of the two towers of the palace which are used as library stores. Three flights of spiral stairs up we came upon an impressive meeting room lined with bookshelves and a round table in the middle. The library and the towers are the oldest part of Lambeth Palace and I think the foundations are from the 14th century but I cannot remember for sure. It was also in the tower that we visited the two conservators of the library and archives in a room overlooking Westminster. The two ladies were working on cleaning parchment. This visit has been very interesting and as you can see I even remember most details more than a month later!
Geri Van Essen
Institute of Historical Research
Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Library
On Tuesday 8th February a small group of trainees gathered for a trip to the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS). Our visit began with a tour around the library, our guide being Gerry Power, a member of the Academic Services team. We made our way to the entrance of the library which can be found, somewhat confusingly, on the fourth floor of the building, with the rest of the library following on the floors below. The institute was founded in 1947 and started its life in one of the houses on Russell Square, moving to its current home in the mid-seventies. IALS was founded with the aim of facilitating legal research throughout the UK. As a result the Institute allows free access to all academic researchers in the country. Legal practitioners and law firms are also welcome to use the collections, however a fee is payable for the privilege, with the size of the law firm reflecting the size of the charge. Undergraduates and taught postgraduates are generally not eligible to use the library, unless they are studying towards a taught postgraduate law qualification at the University of London. Members of the public may purchase a £25 day ticket to use the library. Gerry explained that they charge this amount because they are providing access to the best legal collection in the country.
In terms of stock, the library’s priority is to collect primary materials made up of books, journals and e-resources. The library doesn’t stock many textbooks or manuals as their focus is academic research, rather than learning. The collections cover law in the UK as well as law from commonwealth countries, individual European jurisdictions, USA and parts of Asia and South America. The collection is therefore very large and as a result space is fast becoming an issue. Gerry explained that there are future plans to extend the library into the space next door - a plan which IALS feel is a necessity as they have now reached capacity. To help alleviate the problem of space a separate store in Surrey is used to house old and little-used materials.
A large part of the IALS library collection which does not demand physical space on shelves is their electronic resources, which are freely available to users. IALS also hosts BAILII (The British and Irish Legal Information Institute), a digital database which provides free online access to primary legal materials. The library at IALS contributes to the BAILII database to help make law quickly available on the web for anyone to access.
Because of the increasing importance of IT to the library, IALS information services now have three dedicated computer services librarians to organise and manage computer services. There is also a busy document supply service which is heavily used by customers throughout the country.
The library is large and is organised using an in-house classification scheme, developed in the 1940s. To help reduce confusion for users when navigating their way around the collections, the library runs induction classes and individual teaching sessions. These classes not only help people to understand the layout of the library but also encourage users to search the catalogue themselves for materials.
After our tour of the library, we were met by Katherine Read from Academic Services for a session on website evaluation. Katherine explained that since the rise in computer use, there has been a reduction in information literacy skills, particularly in younger people who often rely on the internet for information. We were given a very interesting presentation on how we can educate users to evaluate websites and ensure the information they are finding is reliable.
All in all, our trip to IALS was a valuable one. It gave us an interesting insight into how a large, specialist library is organised and managed, and how they cope with ongoing challenges such as space and access.
Amy Bush
City Law School Library
In terms of stock, the library’s priority is to collect primary materials made up of books, journals and e-resources. The library doesn’t stock many textbooks or manuals as their focus is academic research, rather than learning. The collections cover law in the UK as well as law from commonwealth countries, individual European jurisdictions, USA and parts of Asia and South America. The collection is therefore very large and as a result space is fast becoming an issue. Gerry explained that there are future plans to extend the library into the space next door - a plan which IALS feel is a necessity as they have now reached capacity. To help alleviate the problem of space a separate store in Surrey is used to house old and little-used materials.
A large part of the IALS library collection which does not demand physical space on shelves is their electronic resources, which are freely available to users. IALS also hosts BAILII (The British and Irish Legal Information Institute), a digital database which provides free online access to primary legal materials. The library at IALS contributes to the BAILII database to help make law quickly available on the web for anyone to access.
Because of the increasing importance of IT to the library, IALS information services now have three dedicated computer services librarians to organise and manage computer services. There is also a busy document supply service which is heavily used by customers throughout the country.
The library is large and is organised using an in-house classification scheme, developed in the 1940s. To help reduce confusion for users when navigating their way around the collections, the library runs induction classes and individual teaching sessions. These classes not only help people to understand the layout of the library but also encourage users to search the catalogue themselves for materials.
After our tour of the library, we were met by Katherine Read from Academic Services for a session on website evaluation. Katherine explained that since the rise in computer use, there has been a reduction in information literacy skills, particularly in younger people who often rely on the internet for information. We were given a very interesting presentation on how we can educate users to evaluate websites and ensure the information they are finding is reliable.
All in all, our trip to IALS was a valuable one. It gave us an interesting insight into how a large, specialist library is organised and managed, and how they cope with ongoing challenges such as space and access.
Amy Bush
City Law School Library
Applying to Library School… and Receiving an Offer!
After you have decided that librarianship is the right career for you, applying to library school is probably the most important thing you will do during your year as a graduate trainee. As I recently received an offer for a place on the MA Library and Information Studies at UCL, I thought I would use my experience to give some advice to those considering going to library school. As I only applied for the UCL course, this post will necessarily be limited in scope – I suggest that you also have a look at the relevant pages on the Cambridge and Oxford library trainees’ websites.
First of all, it is important to decide which course is right for you. You will find that all courses emphasise different aspects of librarianship. For instance, the course at UCL is known for its traditional content, whereas City University and Loughborough are known to put more emphasis on the latest technological development. Ask yourself what career within the library and information field you are most interested in and choose your course based on those interests. UCL and Aberystwyth run optional modules on Rare Book Librarianship, City offers an Msc in Health Informatics, Sheffield runs optional modules on Government and Media Librarianship, etc.
As I am interested in Rare Book Librarianship and I believe that a balance between traditional skills such as Cat & Class and modern technology is the best foundation for the career I have in mind, I applied for the UCL course. UCL has the earliest closing date for applications, 1st December. It is important that you give yourself enough time to contact your referees, write and rewrite your personal statement, fill in the forms and collect the necessary documents. I started working on the application in the middle of October, and I asked the Director of the University of Surrey Library and the supervisor of my MA dissertation for a reference (remember that you need to give your referees a few weeks to write their references, so contact them in time!).
The hardest part of the application is writing your personal statement. Make sure it conveys your passion about librarianship, demonstrates how your experience as a graduate trainee has allowed you to develop insight in the library and information field, as well as stating what sort of career you are interested in and why you are interested in that particular course. Remember, you are not writing an application letter for a job, so rather than stressing skills and qualities your letter should convey your enthusiasm for the course and librarianship in general.
I heard back from UCL at the end of January. I was invited to attend an interview at the beginning of February. I spent a lot of time reading up on the latest issues and developments in the information field, but at the interview it turned out that this had not been necessary (although it did make me more confident!). The interview was informal, and most questions centred on my personal statement, my interest in rare book librarianship, how I imagined my future career and funding. I talked about what I had learnt so far during my traineeship at Surrey, the events and workshops I had attended and my work at the E.H. Shepard archive. They also gave me the opportunity to ask questions about the course, and told me I would hear whether I had been offered a place a few weeks later.
I was offered a place a week later, and I am very excited about starting my course! If you use your time as a graduate trainee to deepen your insight into the library and information field by attending events and workshops, by visiting libraries you are interested in and by talking to the librarians in your institution, I think the confidence and passion you have developed will show on your statement and during your interview, and will secure you a place at the course of your choice.
Good luck!
Erika Delbecque
University of Surrey
First of all, it is important to decide which course is right for you. You will find that all courses emphasise different aspects of librarianship. For instance, the course at UCL is known for its traditional content, whereas City University and Loughborough are known to put more emphasis on the latest technological development. Ask yourself what career within the library and information field you are most interested in and choose your course based on those interests. UCL and Aberystwyth run optional modules on Rare Book Librarianship, City offers an Msc in Health Informatics, Sheffield runs optional modules on Government and Media Librarianship, etc.
As I am interested in Rare Book Librarianship and I believe that a balance between traditional skills such as Cat & Class and modern technology is the best foundation for the career I have in mind, I applied for the UCL course. UCL has the earliest closing date for applications, 1st December. It is important that you give yourself enough time to contact your referees, write and rewrite your personal statement, fill in the forms and collect the necessary documents. I started working on the application in the middle of October, and I asked the Director of the University of Surrey Library and the supervisor of my MA dissertation for a reference (remember that you need to give your referees a few weeks to write their references, so contact them in time!).
The hardest part of the application is writing your personal statement. Make sure it conveys your passion about librarianship, demonstrates how your experience as a graduate trainee has allowed you to develop insight in the library and information field, as well as stating what sort of career you are interested in and why you are interested in that particular course. Remember, you are not writing an application letter for a job, so rather than stressing skills and qualities your letter should convey your enthusiasm for the course and librarianship in general.
I heard back from UCL at the end of January. I was invited to attend an interview at the beginning of February. I spent a lot of time reading up on the latest issues and developments in the information field, but at the interview it turned out that this had not been necessary (although it did make me more confident!). The interview was informal, and most questions centred on my personal statement, my interest in rare book librarianship, how I imagined my future career and funding. I talked about what I had learnt so far during my traineeship at Surrey, the events and workshops I had attended and my work at the E.H. Shepard archive. They also gave me the opportunity to ask questions about the course, and told me I would hear whether I had been offered a place a few weeks later.
I was offered a place a week later, and I am very excited about starting my course! If you use your time as a graduate trainee to deepen your insight into the library and information field by attending events and workshops, by visiting libraries you are interested in and by talking to the librarians in your institution, I think the confidence and passion you have developed will show on your statement and during your interview, and will secure you a place at the course of your choice.
Good luck!
Erika Delbecque
University of Surrey
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