tailor-made and weather-proofbuilding and maintaining New Professionals

groups as an important part of early career development

New Professionals Special Interest GroupBOBCATSSS 2013, Ankara, 23 Jan 2013

New Professionals Special Interest Group

open global network for LIS students / new librarianssessions and workshops at IFLA Congresses and other conferences

virtual meetings and online collaboration

15-16 Aug 2013, Singapore

free quarterly webinars

check out:about.me/npsig

networks and networking

a short theoretical approach

network theory

• Fishnets as a metaphor for social networks• The exchange of information works through

nodes, ties and flows, and this is essential for a well functioned network.

• Networks can be divided into formal and informal networks

six degrees of separation

• Stanley Milgram, 1967, USA:– An amount of people were each given a package.– Every package had the same unknown receiver somewhere else in the

states.– Everyone was to give the package to a person in their network whom

they believed would be the one to most likely know the receiver or have someone in their network who did. They where not allowed to mail it.

– Many packages disappeared, but among the packages that made it there had been an average of six links from the first receiver to the final one.

– The experiment was repeated several times with the same result.

networks and networking• Networking:– To create results and achieve goals– The objectives may vary from pure business to more

professional networks• A network can have different levels of formalization,

and sometimes as many organizational elements as an organization.

• The main difference between an organization and a network is that a network is based on being something more than receiving invitations to different happenings and passive presence.– You have to give to gain

a well functioned network

1. one sees the benefit of participation2. the participation requires active contribution

from “all the nodes”3. every participator needs to be positive and

willing to share knowledge4. the cooperation needs to be build on ethics,

honesty and trust – no hidden agendas

communities of practice

• formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning within a shared domain, characterized by three dimensions:1. a shared domain of interest2. mutual engagement in joint activities and

discussions to help each other and share information

3. a shared repertoire• Incoming and outgoing paths of participation

structured with official posts

completely informal

on-site

online-only

part of a library association

affiliated with library association

independent

groups for and by New Professionals

areas of interestmission and goals

structure of the groups management of the groups

activities of the groups passing on knowledge

status of the groups withintheir library associations

research questionspractices?challenges?solutions?

research objectNew Professionals groupsin national library associations

a few practices shared by all groups

common themes in mission and goals statements“New Professionals” preferred term for target audiencesimilar types of eventssubstantial use of social media for online outreach

a lot of individual solutions!

details

4 important dimensions

the level of structure

the effects of online and on-site

the direction of activities

short-term activism and long-term goals

the bigger picture

how might you design communication in a national New Professionals group

3 types of brainstorming:

ideal (the ideal state, what you dream of)

negative (what you dislike, not working for you)

crazy (unrealistic, no limitations)

question

brainstorming (20 min)ideas (5 min)consensus (5 min)refinement (10 min)

presentations (25 min)3 min per presentationgo visual!

timing

see you soon!about.me/npsig