Let's Champion Skills For Life

‘Get rid of your gremlins and get on’ was the message and the image of a grimacing gremlin; hissing and sneering at an unhappy looking man, still lingers in the mind. This was the TV campaign to promote Skills For Life learning which broke onto our screens in 2005.

Skills For Life remains a key issue in education and the workplace. We are still pursued by the ‘gremlins’ of low literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. The latest UK statistics (TUC, 2011) show the scale of the problem:

• 5 million UK adults have poor literacy skills. 
• More than a fifth of UK adults lack basic numeracy skills
• Over 9 million UK are not using the internet.  

A person with poor literacy, numeracy or ICT skills will face tough challenges in our competitive modern economy. They are much more likely to drop out of education, to remain unemployed and to experience poor mental health (Bynner and Parsons, 1997). The stigma of having poor basic skills (skills for life) means that people will cover up the problem in order to avoid potential embarrassment.

So how can we empower Skills For Life learners to get rid of their gremlins and 'get on'? There is help at hand: the local public library and Skills For Life champion.

As a Skills For Life champion, my role is to promote awareness of what courses and resources are on offer to support Skills For Life learning. Many of these courses/services are free for those who are unemployed/on benefits or retired. Public libraries provide free beginner's ICT sessions run by librarians. For more information on these, contact your local public library.

For a range of useful resources on Skills For Life education see : http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/skills/index.cfm

Other useful resources:

Literacy courses/resources

LearnDirect  http://learndirect.co.uk/courses/

BBCSkillswise English (provides notes and practice questions) http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/english

The Reading Agency  http://www.readingagency.org.uk/

Numeracy courses/resources

Learn Direct http://www.learndirect.co.uk/

BBCSkillswise Maths (provides notes and practice questions)  –

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/maths

Graham, A. (2008) Basic Mathematics, New Ed. , Hodder Headline: London

ICT courses

Beginner’s ICT taster sessions (provided free by most public libraries)

Learn Direct (provides ECDL training) http://www.learndirect.co.uk/

BBC First Click (resources for computer beginners) http://www.bbc.co.uk/connect/campaigns/first_click.shtml

Home and Learn (resources for ECDL training)  http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/

References

Trade Union Congress (2011) Union Learn: Skills For Life , Available at: http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/skills/index.cfm  [Accessed 25/11/11]
Bynner, J. and Parsons, S. (1997) It Doesn't Get Any Better, The Basic Skills Agency: London
Available at: http://shop.niace.org.uk/media/catalog/product/a/7/a729_it_doesnt_get_any_better_english.pdf

[Accessed 25/11/11]

Library Chat at Pub Meet-up

The venue was a cosy, friendly local pub; perfect for a cold, winter evening.

Over drinks, the conversation flowed.

The three university subject librarians and operations manager gave their different views on a number of topics. The topics we discussed were:

·          the university campus relocation and expansion

·          increase in librarian’s teaching hours

·          the student induction programme

·          the impact of more international students

·          signposting public library and university library services

We agreed it would be mutually beneficial to work more collaboratively to improve the student induction process. This would mean public librarians/university librarians being better informed about each others user/student registration process.  

I had an informative conversation with the Art and Design librarian. I discussed two of our library events: the MA creative writing group and the knitting group. I proposed that our libraries collaborate to put on an art display and I put in a good word for our library’s knitting display. 

As a consequence, the Art and Design librarian expressed interest in visiting the library to see the knitting display.


This evening's meet-up has been a valuable opportunity. I have contributed to the exchange of views and represented and promoted our public library services. Furthermore,  I have gained a useful insight into the challenges facing university libraries at this present time.

Thing 23 - Putting the CPD23 into PDP

This is how I’d sum up my CPD23 experience in six words:

CPD23 was great for learning Web 2.0.

I’ve really enjoyed the CPD23 programme and feel it’s been immensely worthwhile: a boost to my confidence and my continued professional development. Furthermore, I intend to follow through and integrate what I’ve learnt into my professional practice.

I’ve made the most of Thing 23 and put on my ‘strategic thinking’ hat. Those classic management concepts of ‘S.W.O.T’ and ‘S.M.A.R.T' always seem get the ideas flowing.

Creating my own Personal Development Plan has enabled me to identify my main career goals and the steps I'm taking to achieve these goals. A S.W.O.T analysis was useful for highlighting the potential challenges.

Thing 22 - A View on Volunteering

I can say that have volunteered to gain experience and that my volunteer experience was positive and worthwhile. This was part of my City and Guilds Library Assistant course and was a ‘work placement’ recommended by my tutor.

The Highgate Literary and Scientific Institute Library was a journey back in time: the library housed a rare archive and used a card catalogue and the Browne Issue System. I assisted the librarian with updating the online catalogue and reclassifying part of the collection. This was my introduction to the ‘craft’ of librarianship. Cataloguing and classification schemes may change but they will probably always be our ‘tools’.

Furthermore, by working closely with a solo librarian, I was able to appreciate the freedoms and restrictions of this way of working.

I'm sure that many new graduates are caught in Bronagh McCrudden's experience Catch22. This is certainly the case with me. With a reduction in the number of senior librarian jobs, I will need to think more creatively about career progression. My passion is for promoting lifelong learning and I am proactively pursuing opportunities to get involved in lifelong learning projects and events.

I’ve reflected on whether we are devaluing the profession by encouraging volunteering. I certainly feel this has become a controversial topic, particularly in the public library sector.
The key concerns are:

•  Will volunteers be introduced as a cost-cutting measure?
•  How will volunteers be managed and monitored?
•  What roles will volunteers fulfill and how might this impact on the job roles of paid staff?

On the other hand, it could be argued that volunteering was vital for many LIS professionals to get a ‘foot in the door’ and progress in their careers. Volunteering gave them the opportunity to implement knowledge and gain further skills. Moreover, the current economic climate requires that we look at this issue in a different way. If we consider that volunteering is useful for gaining work experience and skills, our libraries will be demonstrating value by providing these opportunities for job seekers. However, this means being aware of all the potential issues/problems and ensuring that the whole process is carefully managed.

Thing 21 - The CV Revisited..with a Kickstart from CPD23

Time to think critically about my CV..

That's the problem. It’s not really a CV as such and reads like a shopping list of job role competencies. Conscientious rather than ‘creative’. Diligent rather than dynamic.

How do I present my 'achievements'? Well, they are in there somewhere...but quite low-key.

I will enlarge the details and sift the pearls from the routine and mundane.

I’m updating my CV following CPD23’s top tips and have reflected on what drives and motivates me as a person in order to capitalise on my strengths.

I have written responses to the following questions -

What do you like to do?

Learning new technology and thinking critically about how to use it. Using my knowledge to assist novice internet/computer users.

Reading, researching and finding answers to enquiries. Sharing information which will answer a need and highlight alternatives.

Blogging and writing - privately and online. I enjoy reflective writing but I also like to engage with issues. For me, this means probing an issue and presenting an argument based on the known facts.

Team working and group projects. I’m a team player who likes to mediate and moderate where there is group conflict. I’ll stand up myself and my beliefs and I have encouraged others to do the same.

What do you dislike?

Not being as quick-witted and quick thinking as I would like. Feeling like I’m a slow learner who has not adapted to the pace of life. Feeling that however hard I work I will never work ‘smart’! 

Perfectionism. Of course we should always aim high, maintain high standards and strive for success. But can we strive for excellence rather than perfection? Perfection seems to be outside the reach of most fallible and flawed human beings.

Professional arrogance. Just because someone has a certain ‘title’, or letters after their name, it doesn’t mean they are the fount of all knowledge. We all bring our different life experiences to the table. This should inform our understanding of why certain people may think and act as they do. This doesn’t mean we make excuses for people or fail to offer constructive criticism. It just means we accept the validity of another’s viewpoint and experience.

When did you last get deep satisfaction from creating, building or completing something?

Just now. I’ve articulated clearly and coherently my thoughts on this topic.

What skills do you need to do the things you like?

Networking skills. Project management skills. Debating skills.

Thing 20 - The Library Roots of A 'Shy' Librarian

I’ve expanded my blog entry (Thing 10) and posted the link on The Library Routes Project wiki. Sharing my own personal/professional journey has enabled me to reflect on why I entered the profession, what I love about it, and how I could make more impact in terms of my personal contribution.

I’m going to wade into the debate on ‘stereotypes’ in the LIS profession. This is my opinion, for what it's worth.

Shy adj. not at ease in company; cautious or wary (Collins Gem English Dictionary, New Edition, 1992)

Modest adj. not vain or boastful; shy; (Collins Gem English Dictionary, New Edition, 1992)

Because a person is ‘shy’ doesn’t make them a ‘lightweight’ or leave our profession open to ridicule. Furthermore, being ‘shy’ about social media or even downright sceptical about it, doesn’t mean you are a dusty throwback. There is room in the LIS profession for all types of people and as the saying goes: “It takes all sorts”. The cool quirkiness of many CPD23 blogs is evidence of this.

As my story shows: you can be quiet…even ‘shy’.. and still flourish as a modern librarian. Here is another insight about shy people: blowing our own trumpet does not come naturally to us! We just need to improve our people skills and not hide our light under the proverbial ‘bushel’.

Thing 19 - Integrating The 23 Things

Creating a blog

The process of blog writing has enabled me to reflect on my learning journey. It has been useful to compare my experiences with my fellow CPD23 bloggers and to think critically about my core competencies and skills. I will continue this blog as a means of preparing myself for CILIP Chartership. I’m aware that my own personal contribution is rather low-key and I intend to engage more with social networking/social media in order to make more of an ‘impact’.

Twitter

I’ve not become an active Twitter user. I’ve been following others and lurking in order to observe how others use the medium. I aim to connect first with my work colleagues who are using Twitter and expand my comfort zone from there.

Facebook

I’ve been using Facebook to share library news and views with colleagues.

Evernote

I’ve used this for bookmarking articles and jotting down some thoughts and impressions. It’s great that I can use this on any web browser. I’ll continue to use Evernote as a research log.

In fact, I'll use it to log evidence for CILIP Chartership.

Feeds

I’m broadening my knowledge and maintaining current awareness through using blog feeds. I’m following bloggers from different library sectors in order to more fully engage with the issues affecting the whole of the profession.

Mentoring

I’ve discovered I very valuable mentoring opportunity. My colleague: a fellow CPD23 blogger, provided the spur for me to create an online profile as a platform for social networking. Furthermore, I feel have something to give back as part of the mentoring process. As someone who enjoys research, I hope to make a contribution to generating new ideas for service development.