Building Your Network

Posted on November 28, 2022 by nmrtsecretary

By Laura Birkenhauer

Social mixers and elevator speeches may be where your mind goes when you think about networking. And, if you’re attending a professional conference or networking opportunity, it never hurts to brush up on the traditional networking tips: bring your business cards and prepare to schmooze by brainstorming engaging questions, perfecting your pitch, and researching registered attendees (Sweeney, 2014). But, there are many ways to connect with others in libraries that fall outside of the conventional wisdom.

The NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee asked NMRT members to share creative strategies for forming meaningful connections within the LIS community and networking tips for those brand new to libraries (Birkenhauer, 2022). Members shared the value of volunteer work for networking and also suggested the use of social media as an alternative to in-person networking opportunities.

Volunteer

Volunteering your time and participating in committee work is a great way to get started in collaborating with library colleagues across the country and meeting others in the profession outside of your organization.

If you’re unsure where to start when approaching networking at large conferences or other professional events, joining a committee may give you a concrete starting point. “[A]s a committee member I automatically had purpose and a place to be.” (Brickey-Jones, 2022). For example, ALA committees and discussion groups often host meetings at the ALA Annual Conference, which you can join as a member. Violà, a networking opportunity. 

Serving on committees relevant to your job duties will help you find professionals in similar positions or with related interests. Keep in mind that some committees lend themselves to networking more than others, depending on factors such as committee size, charge, and regularity and modality of meetings. While some groups may meet exclusively in-person, some committees’ activities take place primarily online, on Zoom, via email, through ALA Connect, and the like.

If a committee is too large to facilitate significant connections, seek subcommittee work. Serving on a smaller subcommittee often allows for the opportunity to get to know a few familiar faces. Additionally, starting small with volunteer work for a regional organization may be a less overwhelming approach to networking, as state and regional groups attract a fraction of the memberships of national and international organizations.

Social Media

While a variety of social networking platforms offer virtual networking opportunities, Twitter is a favorite for LIS professionals. A 2016 study focused on #medlibs found that Twitter served as a space for medical librarians to network with colleagues (Ford and Tolmie, 2016). A recent article in Medical Reference Services Quarterly presented case reports of health sciences librarians’ use of Twitter, maintaining that use of the social media platform can professionally benefit librarians (Danquah et al., 2022).

If you’re hesitant to jump immediately into online networking, Twitter allows for participation as well as observation. Users can follow others in the field, monitor hashtags like #librarytwitter, participate (or lurk) in Twitter chats like #critlib, and keep an eye on trending topics.

Twitter also allows for the sharing of knowledge gained from professional development opportunities. “I have found that Twitter is particularly valuable for not only networking, but just learning about opportunities […] I’ve learned about two different conferences from just being in the LIS twitter space.” (Zerrenner, 2022). Conferences often assign an official hashtag, which allows users to monitor tweets with that hashtag for conference updates. Conference attendees might tweet about breakout sessions attended, new insights gained, or other conference happenings, opening up the opportunity for Twitter users to interact with their tweets by replying, retweeting or liking.

After the October 2022 acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk, many are uncertain about the future of the company (Fung, 2022) and, by extension, the future of Library Twitter. Potential alternatives include Discord, Reddit and Mastodon, a decentralized platform featuring LIS-related servers such as Glammr.us and scholar.social. For those looking to join Mastodon, Twitodon allows users to identify and follow those you’re connected with on Twitter on Mastodon.

Keep in mind that ALA Connect and listservs also function in much the same way as our favorite social media sites, in that they connect people with similar interests. Conversations with others in the LIS community, like those hosted by the NMRT Online Discussion Forum on ALA Connect, are happening online in these spaces. Join the discussion!

While some of the above suggestions relate to conference attendance, neither networking approach necessitates in-person participation, funding, or travel. Are there other accessible approaches to building a network that you’d like to recommend to those new to the field? Leave a reply below.

References

Birkenhauer, L. (2022, October 3). Online Discussion Forum October 2022 Topic: Building Your Network. Message posted to https://connect.ala.org/nmrt/communities/community-home/

Brickey-Jones, M. (2022, October 5). Re: Online Discussion Forum October 2022 Topic: Building Your Network. Message posted to https://connect.ala.org/nmrt/communities/community-home/

Ford, C. & Tolmie, D. (2016) Breaking the limits of time and space: How Twitter is helping #medlibs collaborate and communicate. A descriptive study. Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 16(2), 116-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/15323269.2016.1150737

Fung, B. (2022, November 11). A day of chaos brings Twitter closer to the brink. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/11/tech/twitter-chaos-musk/index.html

LaVentra, E., Danquah, M. B. B., Lopez, B., Justice, A., Sikora, L., Grooten, T. M., Haygood, L. (2022). Trends in… Adoption of Twitter by health sciences librarians. Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 41(4), 397-407.

OpenClipart. (2021). New logo for Mastodon Social [Online image]. Free SVG.https://freesvg.org/mastodon

Sweeney, P. (2014, December 1). Schmoozing for beginners. Library Journal, 139(20), 1.

Zerrenner, E. (2022, October 4). Re: Online Discussion Forum October 2022 Topic: Building Your Network. Message posted to https://connect.ala.org/nmrt/communities/community-home/

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CALL FOR APPLICATIONS now until December 28th: The NMRT Professional Development Grant Award!

Posted on November 15, 2022 by nmrtsecretary

Would you like to attend this year’s ALA conference, but don’t have the means to do so? Apply for the NMRT Professional Development Grant award by December 28th, 2022.

The award offers $1,000 to one person to offset costs and expenses to attend this year’s Annual Conference in Chicago, IL on June 22-27, 2023. You must be a current ALA and NMRT member to apply. To join, visit the ALA website and follow the “Join ALA” link. To apply, please visit https://www.ala.org/rt/nmrt/initiatives/applyforfunds/applyfunds. Applicants will be notified in February.

For questions, please contact the chair of the NMRT Professional Development Grant Committee, Julie Gabb at jamygabb@gmail.com.

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What Hooked Me on a Career in Libraries: Some Stories Shared

Posted on October 31, 2022 by nmrtsecretary

Caroline Akervik, Eau Claire Area School District, Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Librarians tend to be an eclectic bunch who enter the field having made forays into others. However, there does tend to be a shared thread in many librarian origin stories. That is, there is generally a person or library that hooked the future librarian on the career path. For me, that person was a school aide who also happened to be a nun. When I was in fourth grade, Sister Dorothy welcomed our class into the library once a week. Once there, she read to us. I remember she read the entirety of C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. At that point, I became a reader. Though we moved several times throughout my childhood and I attended schools in different states, I do have fond memories of the libraries of many of those schools, of curling up in a chair or even on the floor and reading a book. I was well and truly hooked. Decades later, I became a school librarian, and I continue to serve as a school district library coordinator.

I asked other librarians to share what inspired them to enter the field. Three unique stories that  I received are below. May they inspire and motivate you in our shared craft.

Jessica Gliniecki, Putnam Heights Elementary, Eau Claire, Wisconsin

When I was growing up, my mom would take me to the public library once a week. The ladies that worked there always greeted me by name, were friendly, and they loved hearing me talk about my favorite books. When I got to middle school, I became a library helper and found out that I loved spending time in the library helping people. In high school, I joined the library club and became president. I took on a role where I created displays, organized contests, and helped to raise funds for literacy programs. It’s easy to say that libraries were always a part of my life.

I always thought I wanted to be a teacher and work with kids when I grew up. I remember the day my high school librarian told me that I could go to college to be a librarian. I knew that this was my passion and what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. If it wasn’t for all the amazing, friendly, and dedicated library staff I spent time within my youth, I would not have gotten into the field. I hope to make an impact someday on one of my students just like the librarians of my childhood did. 

Danielle Brannan, Mukwonago High School, Mukwonago, Wisconsin

I’ve always been a reader. I used to read to get out of doing chores. As an undergraduate student, I studied English and Education and planned to eventually become a college English professor who wore cardigans with elbow patches. I worked my way through college at three different bookstores (college is expensive), and I both loved it and was good at it. I had a knack for recommending books to folks. 

Eventually, I graduated and needed a job. When no one wanted to hire me as a teacher (because there wasn’t a teaching shortage and I didn’t have any experience), I got a job at a college bookstore in Milwaukee. I told a new coworker my story and he said, “Why aren’t you a school librarian?” That career had honestly never occurred to me before that moment.

I looked into it and discovered I lived minutes away from a stellar library school (UW Milwaukee SOIS). It was fate! I enrolled and as I sat in my first class, I felt like a light was shining down on me because I was where I belonged. Everything about the program felt right. I was destined to become a librarian and now I’ve been working in my dream career for thirteen years, AND I can totally rock a cardigan with elbow patches! 

Josh Rageth, Horning MS, Banting ES, Heyer ES, Summit View ES, Waukesha School District, Waukesha, Wisconsin

For the last nine years, I was a dual language bilingual teacher in 1st and 4th grade. This last summer we had two librarian positions open in our district, and the LMS from my school encouraged me to think about applying because in a district with 10 bilingual schools, we had no one in the library, LMS or aide, who was bilingual. I chose to become a librarian for my district because it would allow me to impact my entire district by providing opportunities to advocate for the bilingual program, evaluate Spanish resources, and provide library programming in 2 languages. Now, I work in 4 buildings, and I love having students see, for the first time, someone in the library who speaks their language! Most have also never seen a man in the library either.

Our paths to our libraries are different and unique. Our work is rewarding and demanding. And, yet reflecting on the why we entered the field does help one persevere and handle the day-to-day challenges of the library life.

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NMRT Nominating Committee–Call for Nominations

Posted on October 21, 2022 by nmrtsecretary

The NMRT’s Nominating Committee is looking for nominees to run on the 2023 spring ballot for the following offices: 

  • Vice-President/President-Elect
  • Secretary
  • Member Services Director
  • Leadership Development Director

For more information on the positions visit https://www.ala.org/rt/nmrt/oversightgroups/comm/nm/officerposition

Help lead NMRT into an exciting future!

Nominations are now open and close Tuesday, November 15, 2022. The nominating committee will select at least two nominees for each position.

If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, go to https://divrt.directnominations.net, log in and choose “New Members” (#72). f you are nominating someone else, they’ll be contacted to complete the form.

Any questions? Please send to danicook@ucsd.edu (NMRT Past President)

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NMRT Shirley Olofson Memorial Award

Posted on October 19, 2022 by nmrtsecretary

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Shirley Olofson Memorial Award! 

Are you a NMRT member looking for financial assistance to attend ALA Annual in Chicago, Illinois this year? Apply for the Shirley Olofson Memorial Award!

The Shirley Olofson Memorial Award is presented annually in honor of Shirley Olofson, a well-respected former NMRT President, who died during her term in office. The award, which is intended to help defray costs to attend the ALA Annual Conference, will be presented in the form of a check for $1,000.00 during the 2023 Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. The winner will be notified in February 2023. Apply by December 16, 2022 at https://forms.gle/zCPb7vwcAhaArHDs7.

Applicants must:

  1. Be a member of ALA and NMRT
  2. Be active in the library profession
  3. Show promise for activity in the area of professional development
  4. Have a valid financial need
  5. Have attended no more than five ALA annual conferences

Application deadline is Friday, December 16, 2022. 


Please contact Committee Chair Michelle K. Mitchell (michellekrismitch@gmail.com) with questions.

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NMRT Committee Volunteers

Posted on July 13, 2022 by nmrtsecretary

Find out more about NMRT committees and sign up at this link: https://www.ala.org/CFApps/volunteer/form1.cfm

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2022 NMRT President’s Program at ALA Annual

Posted on June 18, 2022 by nmrtsecretary

Mark your calendar! Less than 1 week until NMRT President’s Program: Finding Your Way in Library Land. Join us on Saturday, June 25 at 11:00am – 12:00pm in the Washington Convention Center, Rooms 159A-B.

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2022 ALA Annual Conference DC Points of Interest

Posted on June 10, 2022 by nmrtsecretary

The 2022 NMRT Local Information Committee created a Google Map for members to find restaurants and points of interest during the ALA Annual Conference in DC. You can click on a blue point/circle to learn information about each point of interest.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=15_folHaU9dV7HpGA6sOLojMeWMKMWpPF&ehbc=2E312F

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NMRT Committee Volunteers

Posted on June 10, 2022 by nmrtsecretary

NMRT is looking for committee volunteers! Committee appointments last for one year, beginning at ALA Annual (June/July) and ending at the next ALA Annual Conference. You must be a dues paying member of NMRT to serve on a committee.

If you’re interested, please complete the form at this link so that we may capture your interest and assign you to the appropriate committee. https://www.ala.org/rt/nmrt/nmrt-committee-volunteer-form

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NMRT Annual Conference Professional Development Attendance Award–Award Winners!

Posted on May 31, 2022 by nmrtsecretary

The NMRT Annual Conference Professional Development Attendance Award Committee is thrilled to announce the award winners for 2022! 

In the spirit of ALA’s New Members Round Table (NMRT), this award fosters active involvement in ALA through various special events at the Annual Conference.  The Annual Conference Professional Development Attendance Award is presented to two NMRT members each year.  The award provides professional development and networking opportunities to NMRT members by providing a ticket to attend any ticketed event of their choice.

Addie R. Holloman

Addie R. Holloman (she/her) is a Library Services Assistant at Roanoke Chowan Community College, in Ahoskie North Carolina. She has received a degree in Business Administration/Market, and certificates in Accounting, and Library Management. Enrolled at Central Carolina Community College, Addie is majoring in Library Information and Technology and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. (an alternative student majoring in Library and Information Technology, already has received. Some of her memberships include Phi Beta Kappa (PKT), American Library Association (ALA), New Member Roundtable (NMRT), North Carolina Community College Library Association (NCCCLA, North Carolina Library Association (NCLA), North Carolina Library Paraprofessional Association (NCLPA), Round Table for Ethnic Minority Concerns (REMCo), Leadership, Administration & Management (LAMS), Business Librarianship in North Carolina (BLINC), Association of College and Research Libraries-North Carolina Chapter (ACRLNC), Community & Junior College Libraries Section, and Film and Media Round Table (FMRT).

Addie R. Holloman will attend the 53rd Annual Coretta Scott King Book Awards Breakfast as her selected ticketed event.

Kristy Browning

Kristy Browning is the Business Manager at the Cabell County Public Library (CCPL) in Huntington, WV, and a first-year MLIS student at Louisiana State University (LSU). She has worked at CCPL for 11 years and hopes to remain in public libraries in some capacity for many years to come. Kristy handles accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll for six library systems and has managed the funding for the construction of two new branch libraries as Business Manager at CCPL. Kristy has earned Library Financial Management Certification from the Carl Vinson Institute of Governmental Accounting at the University of Georgia. She is the 2022 recipient of the SLIS Frank & Margaret McAfee Travel Award Fellowship at LSU for travel to the 2022 ALA Conference. Kristy enjoys knitting, reading, and visiting local craft breweries with her husband in her free time. She also has two dogs, Franklin & Eleanor, and a cat named Betty.

Kristy Browning will attend the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction Ceremony & Reception as her selected ticketed event.

Join us in congratulating our 2022 NMRT Annual Conference Professional Development Award Winners!

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