Mini Series Part 2: Reflections on an MSI

Last week, it finally hit me.  I'm GRADUATING later this month.  It hit when one of my Professors said, "we'll take some time at the end of class next week to fill out your course evaluations" and when I said, "yep, I'm graduating next mont... oh wait.  It's April.  I'm graduating this month."

So here it is, my attempt at reflections on my MSI.  Last Monday, I wrote about time and balance (which was weighing heavily at that time) and so this week, I'll write about something prevalent right now: extracurricular involvement.

At the end of my first year, I was asked to run for Treasurer of the School of Information Student Association (SISA).  After a bit of deliberation (partially due to my worry about the amount of time it would take :), I decided to run, and I was fortunate enough to win the election.  Little did I know at the time just how much of an impact this would have on my time at SI. 

Being a part of SISA has allowed me to meet new great people, network, and build my resume.  It's allowed me the chance to plan events (something I love to do), facilitate student involvement (something else I love to do), and gain administrative and budgetary skills.  My participation in SISA has been invaluable as I learned to work with fellow Officers, other SI students, SI administrators, and SI staff.

These are skills that would have been very difficult to obtain without extending my time at SI into an extracurricular activity.  So, here's a shout of encouragement to get involved when you can - it's about taking the opportunities that come and making the most of them.   Until next week...

Lesson Learned: Taking Opportunities

Today was quite a day.  Both the School of Information (SI) Networking Fair and the SI ExpoSItion (which I wrote about last week) were held as part of SI's amazing opportunities for students to broaden their job networks and increase their presentation skills.  Last year, I did not participate in either the Networking Fair or the ExpoSItion.  I can't remember why, but I didn't.  When the chance to do both came around again this spring, I quickly decided both events were opportunities in which I wanted to take part.

I went into the Networking Fair with an apprehensive attitude.  I'm not graduating from the School of Education until December, so while I will have my MSI next month (whoa!) I'm probably not "officially" on the job market until winter 2012.  I gathered my Employer Booklet and went straight to a university library table where I already had contacts.  The chat went well and I left having met yet another person at that library.  Yay :)

The second table I chose to go to was that of another large research university in Michigan, where I've had little contact.  However, I quickly learned that the employers were very interested in my current line of study, my skills, and my background.  It didn't take much (except friendliness and preparedness on my part) and I walked away with the Library Director's email address and an offer to visit them after graduation.

I went into the Networking Fair expecting very little and left with a lesson that is invaluable.  There were few libraries at the Fair, and of those, I knew people at all but one.  All but the one that I walked away from with a chance to network further.  This helped me learn the lesson that I learned today.  Take the opportunities that are presented to you.  It is as simple as that.  Go into opportunities with an open mind, be prepared to present yourself as well as you possibly can, and take some chances.  If I had not gone to the Fair, which would have been very easy, I would NOT have expanded my networking circle or met the people who are going to give me yet another opportunity.

This same lesson applies to the ExpoSItion.  I went to the ExpoSItion thinking that most of the other projects would be much more interesting than my group's library research project (because frankly, many of the projects at the ExpoSItion are created by designers who do cool, interesting things and make their posters look really pretty).  But I was busy talking to guests at the ExpoSItion almost the entire time.  People were interested in our project, and commented on the poster's design.  Without taking that chance, I never would have created a poster all on my own, learned that you don't mount your poster before getting to the conference, or met people who wanted to hear about what we were doing.

This lesson is something to carry with me - when someone gives me an opportunity to do something, take it.  I simply never could have imagined all of the great things that happened today, and they wouldn't have happened if I didn't take the chances that were presented.

Creating Campus-Community Connections: The Event

Last Friday was the big event - the event between the Detroit Center and UM librarians.  This event aimed to provide a space for in-person explanation of the collaboration possibilities and as a networking event between UM librarians and Detroit Center project leaders.

The event, held at the Detroit Center, did all of that and more.  I arrived with my planning colleagues and we started setting up food, laying out placecards at the horseshoe shaped table (strategically placed so that librarians with an expertise would sit by project leaders of that topic), and preparing the little miscellaneous things that come with event planning (do we have cups?  what about ice?  what if so-and-so doesn't come?).

Finally it was time.  The Detroit Center folks arrived first and chatted with one another until they found their seats.  The librarians arrived shortly after, said a brief hello to one another and the Detroit Center project managers, and then immediately sat in their suggested place.  The UM Outreach Librarian who is leading this effort gave welcoming remarks and then people got food, sat back down, and started networking.  It was clear that there were some immediate connections; actually, in most cases it seemed there were. 

The conversations appeared, by my observation, lively and engaged.  No one seemed to say "why are we here?" or "I'm not sure the library can help me...."   Before people were finished eating, the UM Outreach Librarian gave a short presentation on what the Library can provide (including a research guide) and then opened the room up for questions and discussion.  This is where my previous assumptions were challenged.

The Detroit Center project managers had great questions, but they weren't - as I had expected - always about library resources such as journals or books.  They wanted to know about the services the library could provide, how they could access materials, and they provided suggestions about how the Librarians could assist them.  To me, this spoke loudly and clearly to the fact that these individuals see how valuable the library can be.  Most of them had used the library previously, but many did not know how to get books sent to the Center, about the possibilities of using the Espresso Book Machine (with the ability to print student work), or Serials and Microforms (where they could view old copies of Detroit and other newspapers) or HathiTrust (where a collection of books about Detroit could be collected).

These were great questions, and it was great to have librarians there to answer the questions... but this also provided us clues about what these folks needed.  Not what they thought we needed, but what they actually needed.  This was a valuable lesson learned about creating strong collaborations and partnerships.

I look forward to seeing the work that continues to develop as these relationships grow.

connect2edinfo - becoming a professional

Becoming a professional is a lot of work.  Not only is there an actual lot of work to do inside of work, but there's a lot to do outside of work, too.

I decided a while ago that I wanted to change my Twitter name, that I wanted to create a website, and - after matriculating into the Higher Education program - that I wanted to change my blog's domain name.  Whew! 

You might ask why... and the answer is strictly professional.  My old Twitter name - abundntsunshine - meant nothing, particularly because I live in Michigan where we don't have a lot of sunshine.  I wanted to create a website because, hey, that's what information professionals do, right?  And, I wanted to change the blog domain name from being solely about libraries to being more inclusive of my interest in higher education (not that I believe we shouldn't still live.love.libraries). More than anything, I wanted to create a cohesive online profile.

So then the challenges started.  Not only would I have to come up with a semi-creative and relevant Twitter and blog domain name, but I'd have to find the time to change all of the links in various spaces.  Between LinkedIn, my School of Information profile, Facebook, Twitter, and my resume, it's nearly impossible to keep up with everything - let alone change three important pieces of information everywhere.  That's why it's taken me until December to do so.  But I'm pretty satisfied with the results.

Connect2EdInfo is my new Twitter (@connect2edinfo) and blog domain (connect2edinfo.blogspot.com), and my website is simple - alissatalleypixley.com.  It was my attempt to keep my online profile professional, and for it to represent what I'm interested in and what I hope to work on in my career.

It's a lot of work to continually put myself out there in a way that is representative of my professionalism.  But I think it's worth it - more and more people are reading my blog and it's my hope that the new name change will begin attracting broader audiences on Twitter and on the web.  Enjoy (and thanks for reading this self-promoting post :)  - hopefully there are some lessons learned for all.

Networking...Pay it forward

I've been really lucky to have supervisors who have helped me begin networking.  One of my former bosses was well connected and put me in touch with an administrator at a nearby library.  Immediately after the initial email introduction, I emailed the contact and expressed interest in visiting the library and observing instruction.  As this was over the summer, I received a prompt reply with an invitation to come sometime in the fall, when more classes would be happening.

And.... it's fall.  Of course the semester caught up to me, and I realized I'd better not lose this contact by getting back in touch too late.  So, Sunday afternoon I sent the message, and Monday morning I had a reply in my inbox by the time I got to my email.  By today, a Thursday, I have a visit set up, including observation and at least one meeting.

There are a couple lessons I've learned from this situation. 

1)  It doesn't hurt to ask: Before my old supervisor left her job, we discussed my future and she immediately put me in touch with those she knew in the area.  Had I been afraid to have this conversation, or afraid to email the administrator, this opportunity would not have happened.

2)  Pay it forward: Besides for the good of the profession, there is no good reason for this administrator (who must be VERY busy) to go out of her way to not only contact me initially but also to respond within 24 hours to a request from me.  I believe that people are inherently good and that it would be hard to turn down a student who wants to visit your library, but I also have to believe that there is a sort of "pay-it-forward" attitude that led to my success in getting this visit set up.  And, really, it all is for the good of the profession.  Presumably, this administrator and my former boss have been in contact and have helped each other in various capacities during their careers; attending to my request for a visit was one way that the administrator paid forward something my former supervisor may have done for her.  To me, this is a wonderful example of networking - knowing you can contact colleagues and make "asks" while being assured that they would do the same for you in a heartbeat.

I'm very lucky with the colleagues I have here at UM, and I will remember these experiences as I move forward in my career to continue to strengthen the library field.