Thing 6: Reflective Blogging

This does indeed sound like a good idea. I am a person who is particularly bad at being self-aware and when I do blog I write it straight out, never re-read it or check that its in any way reflective. I don't think enough about what I write. This detatched attitude probably has something to do with the fact that I think I don't have much interesting or amusing to blog about, the time to write something more than basic and I don't think too many will read what I write. There, there's some reflective thinking :P




The first post, however many times I reflected on how I got here, was enlightening still as I realised I haven't really spoken to people that much about the hard part, particularly probably because the number of my peers who are actually working in the field isn't that high. I usually focus on the 'I am lucky' part rather than 'it took a lot of me to get here and I worked hard for this'. In this economy there can often be the feeling that anybody with a job is lucky to have it rather than they deserve it and they did well in the application process. To some extent, its luck that gets your CV seen before others, but theres more than luck to it.




I did expect more reflective stuff on this course, about all our roles and about our day to day lives. My day to day environment was quite slow for a while as we only really had evening students in the summer. There was lots of students in, so some help with printing, loaning books etc, but the admin side of things slowed down. I did find that I was well able to productively occupy my time when I put my mind to it, but it's a little better now since I've feedback forms to design and other little tasks to keep me ticking over. I don't necessarily feel empowered or driven every day but I do enjoy my work.


Reflecting on the course so far, it has been interesting to see where we can connect in the profession and keep professionally developing. But it's fair to say that LinkedIn groups are more than enough to be dealing with, and maybe some Twitter stuff. Information overload does not help me professionally, so its about finding what works and  simplifying your source so that its streamlined to bring you the information you want and eradicating any areas that are of no interest.






Reading other people's thoughts on each of the tasks was interesting. People on the course come from all types of backgrounds, from librarian in training to people working in a different industry requiring the same skill set. It was nice to see others who also found that using one or other method of social networking for career was best. It's also interesting to see the varying opinions on Google+ - they range from it is useless to it is better than Facebook (which I can't say I agree with haha). I guess it was nice to know I have the rare experience of finding my Google results as being positive, though this may be down to some Google watching me situation - It seemed a bit too convenient that the first Niamh Ennis was me. It was also nice to find out I wasn't the only person with the graddip - my whole class were Masters students when I did it and I felt a bit inadequate! I am also not the only one falling behind or terrified of the Podcasts module, so that's good! Finally, I think it's reassuring that not everyone on this course was a born Librarian or came to it after years of yearning to be a Librarian.

Thing Two: Why I became a Librarian

I completed a similar blog post to a British blogging-your-job incentive a couple of months back (I'm the fourth one down) when I was greener in this role. I'm happy to say I'm a little more confident that I know what I'm doing, thankfully, but as with any librarian role, there is always a learning curve as it's an evolving job.




I got into Librarianship by accident. I've loved books since my tweens but its not a career move I thought much about. Like most people I didn't realise it was a qualification. I had great plans of back-dooring it into St Pats when I didn't get the points required to go directly into primary teaching. The day I failed miserably at that interview was one of the worst days in my history although the worst was yet to come when I realised the other avenue at teaching, a PHD to lecturing was very expensive and in Maynooth they were looking for first's to be even considered.




I was unemployed and not in college for nearly a whole year and horribly depressed when I decided to try and at least do work experience somewhere as I wasn't getting a job.


Lots of places weren't willing to take the risk on me but the beyond words kindness of the women at Westmeath County Council library is what saved my future in a way. They of course asked if I was looking for experience in conjunction with doing the course at UCD, which I didn't have a clue about but to appear ambitious I said I was thinking about it.




The following six weeks were some of the most fulfilling of my life. Volunteering at Oxfam previous to this gave me some sense of purpose but it was only 8 hours a week and this was like a proper job. I wasn't getting paid but my God I didn't care. I realised nothing was better than helping people borrow books. The social aspect I loved in Oxfam was made 10 times better. Especially when the school children came in, which was the highlight of my week. I realised that I could find my own little things to do and I was encouraged to make my own projects. They were nothing ground-breaking- a display on gardening books, keeping the Teen section in order with relevant books on display - but I felt like I was contributing to the place. I enjoyed knowing I'd helped someone find what they were looking for. I especially loved directing young children to their first book, particularly if they were Harry Potter reading age!




The next step was the hard one. I had savings my Dad had set up for me to afford the cost, but the idea of doing a €6000 course on how to be the grumpy lady who stamped your book at the library didn't go down well. I wasn't told an outright no, I was an adult and it was put by for me, but I was sighed at and told IT was the future and I should do something there. I eventually gave in to that idea half way through my Information and Library Studies course and did a certificate in computing science, but I can say with feeling that coding is not for me!




Two years later I came out the other end with the GDip LIS and thanks to some friends' advice about volunteering one evening a week at IBAT, I was on the road to where I ended up - as a Librarian after only two years as a library assistant. To be fair, the support I didn't get at the start arrived soon enough after. I wouldn't be where I am without the support and love of my family and friends.

This was supposed to be a post about my job, what I love about it, what I do, but it became about the road. I'm sure I can bore you all with a post about all that soon though.