The document discusses alternative careers for librarians and information professionals. It outlines various career paths outside of traditional librarian roles that still utilize important skills, including working in different sectors, jobs, or industries. Examples are given such as technology roles, research, communications, and more. The document provides advice on exploring alternative careers, including skills audits, networking, tailoring applications, and believing in one's abilities to find new opportunities.

1. Alternative careers
SLA LMD webinar series, Jan 2012 #lmdcpd
Bethan Ruddock, Mimas
@bethanar bethan.ruddock@gmail.com
http://www.slideshare.net/bethanar/alternative-careers

2. Bethan Ruddock
Content Development
Officer, Library and
Archival Services, Mimas
The University of Manchester

3. Bethan Ruddock
Copac Challenge Fund
Support Officer, Mimas
The University of Manchester

4. What is ‘alternative’?
• Same job, different sector
• Same sector, different job
• Different job, different sector
• ... anything you want it to be!

5. What is ‘alternative’?
• Might not be called ‘librarian’
• Or archivist, records manager,
knowledge manager
• Might not be in a library
• Will use your librarian skills
• And require you to learn new
ones
• Might be in a library
• But a different sort of library
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6. Image used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/id-iom/2879070702/

7. Technology
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8. Research
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10. What do we do?
• Take in data from major UK libraries and archives, and
make it searchable from a single interface
• But not just the major libraries/archives!
Specialist/underused too, eg:
St Paul’s Cathedral Architectural Archive; the Freshwater
Biological Association; the library at St George’s Chapel,
Windsor Castle; the library of the Royal Botanic gardens,
Kew, and the archive of the Royal Botanic Gardens at
Edinburgh; the Met Office; the Scottish Brewing Archive;
the Royal College of Surgeons of England; the library of
the Society of Friends; the archives of the British Postal
Museum.

11. The techy stuff

12. The techy stuff
• HTML
• XML
• XSLT
• UNIX
• json
• Javascript
• Linked Data
• Learning to code with CodeAcademy codeyear.com

13. Linked Data
WasWrittenBy
Charles
Bleak House
Dickens
Wrote
Subject: Bleak House
Predicate: WasWrittenBy
Object: Charles Dickens
Subject > Predicate > Object

14. The people stuff
• Teaching/training
• Archivists
• Archive students
• Conferences
• Working stands
• Attending as delegate
• Giving presentations
• On panels
• Giving posters

15. The people stuff

16. Communication
Since joining Mimas, I’ve:
• Given 5 conference presentations
• Been on 4 conference panels
• Given 2 conference posters
• Authored/co-authored 11
journal/magazine articles
• Written regularly for 5 blogs, and
guest-blogged on others
• Written a book
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17. http://lisnewprofs.wordpress.com/
UK release April 2012
http://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/
title.php?id=7685
US release May 2012
http://www.neal-
schuman.com/the-new-
professional-s-toolkit

18. The traditional stuff
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19. My job requires me to be...
• A good communicator
• Face to face
• In writing- various styles
• Teach & train
• Technically literate
• Enough to know what can and can’t be
done, and work with programmers
• Flexible
• Work on different projects & need to switch
quickly
• Willing to learn
• Don’t be scared of trying new things –
always ready to have a go
• Proactive
• I need to identify and take opportunities
• An expert
• And willing to use that expertise
Image used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicafoley/4270697958/

20. Finding an alternative career
• Decide what you want to
do!
• Skills audit
• What can you do?
• What do you enjoy
doing?
• How can you do more
of the stuff you enjoy?
• Tools:
http://www.sla.org/content/
learn/members/competenci
es/index.cfm
• http://www.sla.org/content/
resources/toolkit/index.cfm
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21. Finding an alternative career
• Look beyond “librar*”
• Information
• Communication
• Research
• Training
• Data handling
• Outreach
• Support
• Metadata
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23. Where to look?
• Job sites
• Library/information-specific
• Sector-specific (eg Higher Ed, Legal)
• www.libraryjobpostings.org
• http://infospace.ischool.syr.edu/2011/12/23/61-
non-librarian-jobs-for-librarians/
• http://www.wearelibrarians.com/
• Recruitment agents
• Your network

24. What to look for?
• Think about your skills
• Think about your interests
• Where would you like to work?
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
• Disney Animation Research Library?
• San Diego Zoo?
• The Pentagon?
• Eton College?
• What would you like to specialise in?
• Manga?
• Film?
• Orchestral music?
• Botany?
Image used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/ztil301/2104379281

25. Use your contacts
• Build good professional
networks
• Be generous – give and
receive
• Ask them about their
workplace
• Make new contacts
• Talk to people at
conferences
• Talk to vendors in the
exhibit hall
• Talk to friends and family
Image used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobbygreg/168206195

27. Get that application right
• The application is your chance to show how flexible,
adaptable, and knowledgeable an info pro can be
• Use all of the information you can find about yourself
and the organisation
• Include as many examples as possible
• From whatever source
• Don’t use librarian/info pro/sector jargon!
• Prepare to be Googled
• Have a good online reputation that showcases your
professional skills

28. Get that application right
• The application is your chance to show how flexible,
adaptable, and knowledgeable an info pro can be
• Tailor your application to that job.
• Speak the language of the organisation – align yourself
with them
• Address all essential requirements
• Address as many ‘desirable’ requirements as you can
• Be explicit, not implicit.
• Don’t expect them to make the connections between your
experience and their needs – lay it out for them.
• Be brave! A job application costs you nothing, except a
little time and effort, and the rewards can be huge.

29. • Soulla Stylianou
• BSc Hons, Information Science
• Client Director, Daden Ltd
• Virtual Worlds and AI solutions provider
• Virtual Library of Birmingham in Second Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11SPISd1qUI&
• HR/management
• Proposals/press releases/social media
• Account management
• Negotiation
• Skills:
• Research
• Finding resources
• Using Boolean logic
• Writing copy

30. • Jo Alcock
• MScEcon Information and Library Studies
• Evidence Based Researcher, Evidence Base, Birmingham
City University
• Research
• Evaluation
• Consultancy
• Project work
• Funding/bids/proposals
• Skills
• Project management
• Research skills
• Technology/software

31. • Wendy Padley
• MSc Library and Information Skills
• Academic Research Assistant, Health and Life Sciences
Faculty, De Montfort University
• Information gathering
• Information synthesis
• Bid writing
• Data management & storage
• Clinical systematic reviews
• Skills
• Information handling
• Analytical skills
• Writing skills
• Data handling

32. And finally...
• Keep an open mind
• And a wide field of view
• Talk to people
• Be polite and generous, and
they’ll want to talk to you
• Align with the organization
• Speak their language, refer
to their values
• Don’t be scared!
• Believe in yourself
• Take a chance
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33. @bethanar bethan.ruddock@gmail.com
bethaninfoprof.wordpress.com lisnewprofs.com
http://www.slideshare.net/bethanar/alternative-careers
Image used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/theilluminated/5386099858/

34. Thursday, February 23, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST
• “Content Negotiation” with Barbara Hirsch”
Thursday, March 29, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST
• “Mining Enterprise Assets: Another Role for Info Pros”
with Deb Hunt, SLA President-Elect
2012 Virtual Professional Development Series