I’m currently working as an academic librarian and have held the position of Campus Librarian for Endeavour College of Natural Health since 2015. I also possess a wealth of experience as a paraprofessional library technician, and as a casual library assistant, in both academic and public libraries.
Continuing professional development (CPD) is important for every professional. It’s always necessary to reflect upon and evaluate professional practice, and continually work to evolve as a professional. For information professionals, CPD is even more important. As an industry highly dependent upon technology, actively pursuing continuing education in technological developments is necessary. As a service industry, it’s important to continually adapt service provision to ensure that all clients are treated respectfully and receive equal access to services.
Professional networking, both formal and informal, is important in the information industry. Many formal systems of networking have been developed, such as Document Delivery and Inter-library loans. Reciprocal services improve access for everyone. Similarly, being able to collaborate with peers, to learn from their training and experience, is incredibly important. Also, networking creates opportunities to learn and grow in one’s career; the adage “it’s not what you known, but who you know” holds true.