Ned Potter @theREALwikiman New librarians:…
This is your Time!

Talk for the University of
Latvia’s Information science students April 2012

librarian?

physically I‟m here Harry Fairhurst
Building, University of York Library

but I‟m virtually everywhere I
am stronger (and more useful) because I am connected

When this came out, the
world‟s population was less than half was it is now.

Now every day 350,000 babies
are born - into an…

New technology has never been
so focussed on access to and use of information

(In development terms, we think
we’ve gone from here… to here) (When actually we’re still here…)

Take a look at
http://www.worldometers.info

4 billion

We used to be scared
of Google, dismissive of it- then we accepted its value but said „but you still need libraries!‟ But really we should be confident in our own value, and just tell people how we can help them use Google better.

Because we live in a
world of INFORMATION OVERLOAD

If we’re to generate more
unique information this year we Than in the previous 5000 YEARS put together

Then now more than EVER
the world needs information professionals to sort, assess, collate and present information

For a lot of people,
trying to get good information off the net is like trying to drink from a waterfall

information professionals have never been
so vital

TOO MUCH
INFORMATION

is as bad as too
little

Your job is to help
people with either.

Librarians are no longer the
gatekeepers of information

The gates are wide open.
Our job is to light the path for people once they‟re through.

We used to be the
information vault

We are no longer defined
or limited by our library buildings

The embedded librarian. (Independent, roving,
or just online.)

People want to choose their
own tools – libraries will position themselves within the technological landscape

MOBILE
MOBILE
MOBILE

Programmes not collections, services not
content It used to be just about information, now it’s about leverage: turning information into knowledge

Most of all, though, we
will be the guide

Most of all, though, we
will be the guide (We don’t own the mountains; we just take people where they need to go because we’re experts in the terrain of the information landscape.)

And we still have, you
know, books, too.

We’re changing to suit people.
But it isn’t easy – it’s hard to attract new demographics whilst retaining the old ones.

In 2010 a UK survey
asked What would most encourage you to visit the library more?

In 2010 a UK survey
asked What would most encourage you to visit the library more? The winner, with 32% 

In 2010 a UK survey
asked What would most encourage not you to visit the library more?

In 2010 a UK survey
asked What would most encourage not you to visit the library more? The winner, with 23% 

MODERN LIBRARIANSHIP IS AWESOME Almost
whatever you like to do, you can tie this in with librarianship. Helping people, inspiring people, design, social media, writing, community, speaking, research, –and anything else you can think of. Pursue your passion via the information profession.

LIBRARIANSHIP IS ALL ABOUT PEOPLE
“...people, people, people, you wouldn‟t believe the amount of interviewees who sit before me talking about books and procedures who never mention people, interaction or users/patrons once. Its a big giveaway to me that they don‟t understand what librarianship is about and aren‟t right for the profession.” – Andy Priestner, University of Cambridge

IT IS ALL ABOUT TECHNOLOGY
“Libraries should wake up to technology” – David Cameron Guess what Dave, WE ALREADY DID.

THE COMPETITION IS TOUGH More
people qualify in librarianship each year than retire.

YOU NEED TO BE READY
TO FIGHT “There is no such thing as abstaining from library advocacy. You are either doing it, or ur doin it wrong.” Me 

YOU HAVE TO BE OKAY
WITH CHANGE “The mission is static. The implementation is dynamic.” – Andy Woodworth “All bets are OFF.” – Phil Bradley

YOU NEED TO NETWORK “It‟s
not about exploiting who you know, or shameless self-promotion, or accumulating and dispensing as many business cards as possible. It‟s about sharing advice and support. And that support can be as small an act as smiling and listening intently to a nervous speaker. Or leaving a comment on a blog post.” – Adrienne Cooper

THERE ISN’T A CAREER LADDER
It‟s more like a climbing wall.

JOIN A PROFESSIONAL BODY If
you join LLA, SLA-Europe, IFLA, the ALA or any other library association, you‟ll be plugged in to the profession.

YOU NEED TO GET ON
TWITTER Twitter is the one social network to rule them all – because it carries links to the best content on all the rest of them. All the arguments you‟ve ever heard against Twitter can be rebuffed with the phrase: “It‟s a conversation.” (More on this here.)

START A BLOG Your blog
is your platform, your outlet, your chance to document your views for the world to discover. Amazing things can come from having a blog!

•Simon Barron’s list of Librarians
using Twitter (well): http://twitter.com/SimonXIX/library-and-info-pros •New to Twitter? Here’s what you do: http://thewikiman.org/blog/?p=979

www.lbbjss.wordpress.com . New Professionals chapter
(follow its chair, @daceudre, on Twitter for more)

http://www.sla-europe.org/tag/first-five-years/ SLA’s First Five Years
resources

http://www.ifla.org/new-professionals IFLA’s New Professionals Special
Interest Group

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/committees/rts/nmrt/index.cfm ALA’s New Members Round
Table

Try these for some New
Professional stuff: •http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/ •http://bethaninfoprof.wordpress.com •http://www.bohyunkim.net/blog/ •http://woodsiegirl.wordpress.com/ •http://thewikiman.org •http://www.beyondthejob.org/ •http://librarianbyday.net/ •http://hacklibschool.wordpress.com/

Over 150 information professionals from
around the world have documented their career paths at www.libraryroutesproject.wikkii.com

Follow thousands of librarians to
see what they really get up to in an average day in the life of a 21st century info pro, at http://librarydayinthelife.pbworks.com

A dedicated global network for
New Professionals, with forums, downloadable resources, competitions, and face- to-face meetups: www.lisnpn.spruz.com

ONE LAST
Piece of advice

ANYTHING! There are so many
tools freely available, the filter between idea and reality is almost non-existent. As soon as you think of something good, make it happen.

THANK YOU FOR

PRESENTATION BY NED POTTER. FOR
MORE IDEAS ABOUT INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.THEWIKIMAN.ORG Continue the conversation on Twitter: ALL ICONS VIA @theREALwikiman

Timepiece: http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/101610 LP: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_television/418198748/sizes/o/in/photostream/ Baby:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seafrost/515393926/sizes/l/in/photostream/ TEXTURES Computer: http://www.flickr.com/photos/61444548@N00/118999076 Highway: http://www.flickr.com/photos/91351004@N00/452412873 Web 2 icons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipckr/3925513417/sizes/l/in/photostream/ NY times building: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scallop_holden/2330962137/sizes/z/in/photostream/ ADAPTED FROM 18th century pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30432726@N05/2860104097/sizes/z/in/photostream/ 5: http://www.flickr.com/photos/simax/3390895249/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Waterfall: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joiseyshowaa/3646698276/sizes/o/in/photostream/ CC IMAGES BY Broken shelves: http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_mistress/1248479255/sizes/o/in/photostream/ Empty shelves: http://www.flickr.com/photos/create_up/1478123817/sizes/o/in/photostream/ Help: http://www.flickr.com/photos/81398303@N00/1878956841 ERVIN BARTIS Compass: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7542997@N03/2473782602/sizes/z/in/photostream/ Lock: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mamchenkov/300476203/sizes/l/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bartiservin/ Path: http://www.flickr.com/photos/schmollmolch/4242099982/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Vault: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anonymouscollective/2291896028/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Rocket: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathancohen/3997542246/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Globe: http://www.flickr.com/photos/97177054@N00/5051447015 Seatle Library: http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/371038175 THIS PRESENTATION IS Computer hands: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43698630@N00/839984821 Latop: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37182073@N06/4441387125 AVAILABLE UNDER CC Google: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31991771@N00/2856173673 ATTRIBUTION LICENCE Google in a box: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16429872@N04/4670747540/sizes/m/in/photostream/ Coffee: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30928442@N08/3668169284 Vancouver: http://www.flickr.com/photos/selva/90046278/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Spain: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30982194@N05/4147356245 Berlin: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67499195@N00/4119691598 Seattle: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vs/29582361/sizes/l/in/photostream/ ALL ICONSwww.iconfinder.com Icons via VIA Stockholm: http://www.flickr.com/photos/94852245@N00/530293086 Vancouver interior: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecstaticist/3458914518/sizes/o/in/photostream/ All photographs are via creative commons