NMRT (New Members Round Table)

Hello all, 

My name is Laura Birkenhauer and I'm the Chair of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. Our committee's March 2023 topic is Professional Development. I hope you'll take the time to participate right here in Connect; simply click on the Reply button to share your thoughts.

When we think of professional development, most likely think of attending webinars, workshops, classes, and conferences, or reading trade and professional publications. But the options for professional learning extend far beyond these choices. Professional development can look like:

• participation in a leadership institute,

• paging through publications like zines and blogs,

• joining the discussion in a virtual roundtable,

• viewing Stories from your favorite librarian-focused Instagram account,

• and so much more!

How are you engaging in professional development? What professional development opportunities do you recommend (or recommend avoiding) for those looking to stay up-to-date in your area of the field? 

How do you ensure that your PD is prioritized, especially as time and personal/library budgets are tight? Is your library doing anything that's been especially effective in promoting PD participation?

These questions are suggestions to get the conversation started, but I welcome any thoughts related to this month's topic. Share as much as you are comfortable detailing in this space. I look forward to hearing from new and returning members of NMRT! 

I came across the following Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) blog post in AL Direct that was relevant to this month's discussion - and wanted to share! 

"I Learned It on TikTok: Professional Development from an Unlikely Source" by Chelsey Roos

https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2023/02/i-learned-it-on-tiktok-professional-development-from-an-unlikely-source/

Similarly, I enjoy following Life of Librarians (@lifeoflibrarians) on Instagram. Even if the librarian featured in the weekly takeover isn't employed in a similar role or library, I am always picking up new tools and techniques from this account's posts and stories!

What unlikely sources do you turn to for professional development?

Hello all, 

My name is Laura Birkenhauer and I'm the Chair of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. Our committee's March 2023 topic is Professional Development. I hope you'll take the time to participate right here in Connect; simply click on the Reply button to share your thoughts.

When we think of professional development, most likely think of attending webinars, workshops, classes, and conferences, or reading trade and professional publications. But the options for professional learning extend far beyond these choices. Professional development can look like:

• participation in a leadership institute,

• paging through publications like zines and blogs,

• joining the discussion in a virtual roundtable,

• viewing Stories from your favorite librarian-focused Instagram account,

• and so much more!

How are you engaging in professional development? What professional development opportunities do you recommend (or recommend avoiding) for those looking to stay up-to-date in your area of the field? 

How do you ensure that your PD is prioritized, especially as time and personal/library budgets are tight? Is your library doing anything that's been especially effective in promoting PD participation?

These questions are suggestions to get the conversation started, but I welcome any thoughts related to this month's topic. Share as much as you are comfortable detailing in this space. I look forward to hearing from new and returning members of NMRT! 

For myself, I have started to reach out to other areas in my department to request anything to enhance my skills. An example would be our social media department. I currently run my library's Facebook page, but I wanted hands on experience in creating videos or reels. I was allowed to create a video with Tiktok app and researched how to improve it. They liked it and shared it on our official account. In my organization, we have to maintain the chain of command, so I would ask my manager first before reaching out. I think it also helps showing your managers, coordinators, or other department heads that you are showing an interest outside of your current title. You never know how it may lead to something else in the future. 

------------------------------
Bithiah Brown
Librarian I
LA County Public Library
She/Her/Hers

Original Message:
Sent: Mar 03, 2023 03:30 PM
From: Laura Birkenhauer
Subject: Online Discussion Forum March 2023 Topic: Professional Development

I came across the following Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) blog post in AL Direct that was relevant to this month's discussion - and wanted to share! 

"I Learned It on TikTok: Professional Development from an Unlikely Source" by Chelsey Roos

https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2023/02/i-learned-it-on-tiktok-professional-development-from-an-unlikely-source/

Similarly, I enjoy following Life of Librarians (@lifeoflibrarians) on Instagram. Even if the librarian featured in the weekly takeover isn't employed in a similar role or library, I am always picking up new tools and techniques from this account's posts and stories!

What unlikely sources do you turn to for professional development?

------------------------------
Laura Birkenhauer
Student Success Librarian for Campus Engagement
Miami University Libraries

Original Message:
Sent: Mar 01, 2023 08:56 AM
From: Laura Birkenhauer
Subject: Online Discussion Forum March 2023 Topic: Professional Development

Hello all, 

My name is Laura Birkenhauer and I'm the Chair of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. Our committee's March 2023 topic is Professional Development. I hope you'll take the time to participate right here in Connect; simply click on the Reply button to share your thoughts.

When we think of professional development, most likely think of attending webinars, workshops, classes, and conferences, or reading trade and professional publications. But the options for professional learning extend far beyond these choices. Professional development can look like:

• participation in a leadership institute,

• paging through publications like zines and blogs,

• joining the discussion in a virtual roundtable,

• viewing Stories from your favorite librarian-focused Instagram account,

• and so much more!

How are you engaging in professional development? What professional development opportunities do you recommend (or recommend avoiding) for those looking to stay up-to-date in your area of the field? 

How do you ensure that your PD is prioritized, especially as time and personal/library budgets are tight? Is your library doing anything that's been especially effective in promoting PD participation?

These questions are suggestions to get the conversation started, but I welcome any thoughts related to this month's topic. Share as much as you are comfortable detailing in this space. I look forward to hearing from new and returning members of NMRT! 

------------------------------
Laura Birkenhauer
Student Success Librarian for Campus Engagement
Miami University Libraries
------------------------------

Hello all, 

My name is Laura Birkenhauer and I'm the Chair of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. Our committee's March 2023 topic is Professional Development. I hope you'll take the time to participate right here in Connect; simply click on the Reply button to share your thoughts.

When we think of professional development, most likely think of attending webinars, workshops, classes, and conferences, or reading trade and professional publications. But the options for professional learning extend far beyond these choices. Professional development can look like:

• participation in a leadership institute,

• paging through publications like zines and blogs,

• joining the discussion in a virtual roundtable,

• viewing Stories from your favorite librarian-focused Instagram account,

• and so much more!

How are you engaging in professional development? What professional development opportunities do you recommend (or recommend avoiding) for those looking to stay up-to-date in your area of the field? 

How do you ensure that your PD is prioritized, especially as time and personal/library budgets are tight? Is your library doing anything that's been especially effective in promoting PD participation?

These questions are suggestions to get the conversation started, but I welcome any thoughts related to this month's topic. Share as much as you are comfortable detailing in this space. I look forward to hearing from new and returning members of NMRT! 

I really valued attending different Science Librarian Boot-Camps this past summer. I was able to have a couple days for professional development because they took place over the summer and were virtual, so my boss had no problem giving me that time. If you're a science librarian (or looking at becoming a science librarian) I highly recommend trying to attend one!

You can view them all here: https://acrl.libguides.com/sts_professional_development_cmt/science_bootcamps

Hello all, 

My name is Laura Birkenhauer and I'm the Chair of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. Our committee's March 2023 topic is Professional Development. I hope you'll take the time to participate right here in Connect; simply click on the Reply button to share your thoughts.

When we think of professional development, most likely think of attending webinars, workshops, classes, and conferences, or reading trade and professional publications. But the options for professional learning extend far beyond these choices. Professional development can look like:

• participation in a leadership institute,

• paging through publications like zines and blogs,

• joining the discussion in a virtual roundtable,

• viewing Stories from your favorite librarian-focused Instagram account,

• and so much more!

How are you engaging in professional development? What professional development opportunities do you recommend (or recommend avoiding) for those looking to stay up-to-date in your area of the field? 

How do you ensure that your PD is prioritized, especially as time and personal/library budgets are tight? Is your library doing anything that's been especially effective in promoting PD participation?

These questions are suggestions to get the conversation started, but I welcome any thoughts related to this month's topic. Share as much as you are comfortable detailing in this space. I look forward to hearing from new and returning members of NMRT! 

Hi Clarissa, 

These boot camps look fantastic - what a great idea! Thank you for sharing.

I have really enjoyed the shift to virtual for some PD activities. It grants so much flexibility. I was recently invited to join a bi-monthly, informal, virtual discussion with other Student Success Librarians in the state of Ohio. What a terrific chance to network and learn from others - without having to pay anything for gas money, etc!

Are there PD opportunities that have gone virtual that others have tried that aren't working as well? For example, I think we've all noticed a general hesitance to participate in breakout room activities during conference sessions and the like, and low attendance at sometimes awkward virtual networking events. (I'm not at all arguing that forced participation in these activities at an in-person event is the answer, just that they definitely operate differently when online.)

I really valued attending different Science Librarian Boot-Camps this past summer. I was able to have a couple days for professional development because they took place over the summer and were virtual, so my boss had no problem giving me that time. If you're a science librarian (or looking at becoming a science librarian) I highly recommend trying to attend one!

You can view them all here: https://acrl.libguides.com/sts_professional_development_cmt/science_bootcamps

Hello all, 

My name is Laura Birkenhauer and I'm the Chair of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. Our committee's March 2023 topic is Professional Development. I hope you'll take the time to participate right here in Connect; simply click on the Reply button to share your thoughts.

When we think of professional development, most likely think of attending webinars, workshops, classes, and conferences, or reading trade and professional publications. But the options for professional learning extend far beyond these choices. Professional development can look like:

• participation in a leadership institute,

• paging through publications like zines and blogs,

• joining the discussion in a virtual roundtable,

• viewing Stories from your favorite librarian-focused Instagram account,

• and so much more!

How are you engaging in professional development? What professional development opportunities do you recommend (or recommend avoiding) for those looking to stay up-to-date in your area of the field? 

How do you ensure that your PD is prioritized, especially as time and personal/library budgets are tight? Is your library doing anything that's been especially effective in promoting PD participation?

These questions are suggestions to get the conversation started, but I welcome any thoughts related to this month's topic. Share as much as you are comfortable detailing in this space. I look forward to hearing from new and returning members of NMRT! 

After returning from the ACRL Conference in Pittsburg last week, I'm eager to revive this conversation and hear from others on the topic of PD!

Did other NMRT members attend ACRL? What are your takeaways?

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the contributed paper and panel sessions I attended, some of my favorite moments of the conference were roundtable and poster sessions, because they allowed for meaningful interaction around topics I was most interested in. On the other hand, I enjoyed that a number of the sessions I attended made use of Slido, which calls itself "the easiest way to make your meetings interactive." One session presenter utilized live Q&A in their Google Slides, which is a feature I was previously unfamiliar with. I also attended a number of virtual sessions (even though I went to the in-person conference!) and appreciated the flexibility they afforded. I plan to add recordings of sessions I missed (either in-person or virtually) to my calendar, so I can make time for further PD throughout the year.

Even if you didn't attend ACRL, feel free to revisit the questions that I started this thread with (or discuss anything PD related that's on your mind!): 

• How are you engaging in professional development? What professional development opportunities do you recommend (or recommend avoiding) for those looking to stay up-to-date in your area of the field? 
• How do you ensure that your PD is prioritized, especially as time and personal/library budgets are tight? Is your library doing anything that's been especially effective in promoting PD participation?

Hi Clarissa, 

These boot camps look fantastic - what a great idea! Thank you for sharing.

I have really enjoyed the shift to virtual for some PD activities. It grants so much flexibility. I was recently invited to join a bi-monthly, informal, virtual discussion with other Student Success Librarians in the state of Ohio. What a terrific chance to network and learn from others - without having to pay anything for gas money, etc!

Are there PD opportunities that have gone virtual that others have tried that aren't working as well? For example, I think we've all noticed a general hesitance to participate in breakout room activities during conference sessions and the like, and low attendance at sometimes awkward virtual networking events. (I'm not at all arguing that forced participation in these activities at an in-person event is the answer, just that they definitely operate differently when online.)

I really valued attending different Science Librarian Boot-Camps this past summer. I was able to have a couple days for professional development because they took place over the summer and were virtual, so my boss had no problem giving me that time. If you're a science librarian (or looking at becoming a science librarian) I highly recommend trying to attend one!

You can view them all here: https://acrl.libguides.com/sts_professional_development_cmt/science_bootcamps

Hello all, 

My name is Laura Birkenhauer and I'm the Chair of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. Our committee's March 2023 topic is Professional Development. I hope you'll take the time to participate right here in Connect; simply click on the Reply button to share your thoughts.

When we think of professional development, most likely think of attending webinars, workshops, classes, and conferences, or reading trade and professional publications. But the options for professional learning extend far beyond these choices. Professional development can look like:

• participation in a leadership institute,

• paging through publications like zines and blogs,

• joining the discussion in a virtual roundtable,

• viewing Stories from your favorite librarian-focused Instagram account,

• and so much more!

How are you engaging in professional development? What professional development opportunities do you recommend (or recommend avoiding) for those looking to stay up-to-date in your area of the field? 

How do you ensure that your PD is prioritized, especially as time and personal/library budgets are tight? Is your library doing anything that's been especially effective in promoting PD participation?

These questions are suggestions to get the conversation started, but I welcome any thoughts related to this month's topic. Share as much as you are comfortable detailing in this space. I look forward to hearing from new and returning members of NMRT!