Category Archives: CPDWL SC Members

From Rotterdam to Lempäälä – Community bus, multi-professionalism and the library

Leave a reply

By Jarkko Rikkilä, CPDWL SC member, Kirjastopäällikkö / Library Manager
Yhteisöpalveluiden palvelualue / Community Services

I have been a member of the IFLA CPDWL section for a couple of years now. Although IFLA’s internal working methods are only beginning to take shape for me, I have been sure of one thing since the beginning. Professional development and workplace learning are the most important themes for the library field. As customer expectations change and the complexity of the world increases, skill development is a fundamental issue in our world.

The library professional also needs multi-professional support and cooperation even more. At the IFLA WLIC conference in Rotterdam, Princess Laurentien talked about this very nicely. According to him, libraries are the opposite of loneliness. The library is a contact point to something bigger and the first connection to culture. Above all, however, the library is a link for cross-border cooperation. The future is not created from ivory towers.



While listening to the princess’ wonderful speech in Rotterdam, I thought about my own work as a library manager in Lempäälä municipality. Our municipality has 25,000 inhabitants and multi-professional cooperation is present in everyday life in many ways. In our community services, we meet employees multi-professionally every day. Library services, cultural services, sports services and youth services aim at the same thing: work that promotes well-being and health. We want our citizens to be well.

One of our interesting new concepts is called the Community Bus. The community bus is a bus that, in addition to library services, offers a place for young people, exercise guidance and cultural events. The community bus operation has started this spring and we expect success on the autumn routes. The bus is a platform, and I think it has been more important to encourage platform thinking for multiprofessional discussion.

Multiprofessional cooperation can be easier in a small or medium-sized municipality. Knowing someone else’s work teaches you a lot about your own work and increases the trust of the work community. In addition, multiprofessionalism is customer-oriented. In order to guarantee the highest possible level of services and common visibility, we must have common and shared practices and values. The bus has already attracted a lot of national interest. Maybe someday we’ll get to share thoughts about it in international arenas too!


Eight fantastic years with CPDWL

by Almuth Gastinger (CPDWL Secretary 2021–2023)

My second term as a standing committee member for CPDWL was ending in August 2023, and I would like to write about my experiences with this fantastic section and committee during the last eight years.

My first encounter with CPDWL was in 2009 when I attended its satellite meeting in Bologna. Such an incredibly well organised event, lots of interesting presentations and discussions (I presented together with my colleague Lene Bertheussen), good conversations with fellows from all over the world, and last not least delicious food and drinks. It was in Bologna I became friends with several colleagues from various countries who I still am very close to. Really one of the best conferences I have ever attended!

In 2009 I was still a member of the Information Literacy standing committee, but when my term ended in 2015, I wanted to work with CPDWL and fortunately I got elected as a standing committee member. Lucky me!

Four women seated at a table at a Chinese restaurant

Almuth (far right) having a dinner with CPDWL Officers past and present: Helen (far left), Gill, & Sandy (co-chairs 2019–2021).

One of the most interesting and rewarding experiences in this committee has been the work in the Coaching Initiative that CPDWL introduced in 2018. I have been part of its working group since then and I have learnt so much about coaching and mentoring. It was also fantastic to see participants of the annual congress being so pleased and thankful for this opportunity to get empowered and grow, and I loved collaborating with enthusiastic colleagues from CPDWL and the Management & Marketing Section.

Other most exciting but also challenging activities came along with my function as the section’s secretary during the last two years. Working as the secretary does not only mean to write meeting minutes, but one is part of the section’s officers group. That means, I worked together with our chair/co-chair Ulrike Lang and Alan Brine and information coordinator Edward Lim. All of them incredibly well-organised and outstanding professionals, so that there were of great help for me. Thanks a lot!

But there is much more to mention and to remember from those years:

Almuth (center) facilitating a Knowledge Cafe session at WLIC 2023

I loved contributing to the roundtable discussion at the Knowledge Café that CPDWL joined the Knowledge Management Section in organising. It was also great doing a podcast, helping with our webinars and organising our sessions at the WLICs, contributing to CPDWL’s newsletter and our Global Community Kitchen project, writing blog posts, and organising our “Get to Know You” Meet Ups. In addition, I loved to translate CPDWL’s poster “Guidelines for Continuing Professional Development: Principles and Best Practices” into Norwegian and to help translating coaching material into German.

Almuth standing with Ulrike (right) holding the IFLA Dynamic Unit and Impact Award certificate

The high level of professionality and the numerous inclusive activities and achievements were the foundation for CPDWL winning the IFLA Dynamic Unit and Impact Award in 2018 and again just a week ago in Rotterdam. We were and are all so incredibly proud!

I have always been interested in national and international co-operation, and I am passionate about collaboration and knowledge sharing among information professionals worldwide, and about strengthen libraries to provide essential services.

That means, serving IFLA as the global voice of the library and information profession and CPDWL as one of its outstanding sections has been a privilege for me and a unique personal and professional experience. Those many years have broaden my horison so much, got me new perspectives, inspired and motivated me, expanded my professional and personal networks, and given me many new ideas for my work at home. The work has made me more self-confident and has improved my English, too. My colleagues from my library in Trondheim/Norway have told me many times that they appreciate me taking knowledge and experiences I have gained back to them and our workplace. I have also published more, given more presentations, and last but not least, I have got friends all over the world.

IFLA and CPDWL have definitely changed my life, and the last eight years have been interesting, exciting, motivating, challenging, rewarding, and much more. THANK YOU!!!

What does ChatGPT think about CPDWL and the Standing Committee Members?

1 Reply

You may have read our a past blog post focusing on ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence tools in libraries and in this blog post, we’ll showcase how this tool describes CPDWL and its members using one word! Inspired by IFLA President-elect 2022-2023 Vicki McDonald’s podcast conversation with Dr. GIll Hallam, if we were to use ChatGPT to describe us in one word, what would it be? Dr. Heba Ismail started this idea to promote our characteristics!

We asked ChatGPT, please describe us using one word only.  Here are the results:

IFLA CPDWL Standing Committee: Leadership

Ulrike Lang: Knowledgeable

Almuth Gastinger: Dedicated

Edward Junhao Lim: Enthusiastic

Alan Brine: Experienced

Carmen Ka Man Lei: Innovative

Claudiane Weber: Passionate

Constance Lehro Koui: Motivated

Daria Beliakova: Resourceful

Elena Corradini: Diligent

Gillian Hallam: Enthusiastic

Heba Ismail: Diligent

Ivana Todorovic: Committed

Jarkko Rikkilä: Progressive

Mantra Roy: Adaptable

Mitsuhiro Oda: Scholarly

Nyakundi James Nyambane: Empowering

Rajen Munoo: Dynamic

Raymond Pun: Enthusiastic

Tina Haglund: Inspirational

IFLA: Collaborative

Congratulations to our newly elected CPDWL officers 2023 – 2025

Leave a reply

All the best to our newly elected CPDWL officers.

Chair: Man Yi Helen Chan (China)
Secretary: Carmen Lei (China)
Information Coordinator: Joan Weeks (United States of America).

We are looking forward to your fresh ideas for new projects and continuation of existing working groups and projects. For sure you will get all needed support from the SC members and Advisory group members. The community worldwide is waiting for the future work of CPDWL section.

 

*CENTRE DE DOCUMENTATION : APPORT ÉCONOMIQUE AU SEIN D’UNE ENTREPRISE* : Constance Gbeuly

Le centre de documentation est défini étant une unité couvrant des domaines précis et fournissant des informations relatives au domaine de connaissance qu’il couvre ( Nozha, 2005, p.12).

Il est également selon wikipédia, un organisme chargé de collecter, d’organiser de traiter et mettre à la disposition des utilisateurs des outils de recherche. le centre de documentation  renforce l’économie d’une entreprise.

Quant à l’information ;  elle constitue la source de développement des entreprises à travers les produits documentaires (revue de presse, dossier de synthèse, résumé..) que ces entreprises élaborent.

AUJOURD’HUI, certaines entreprises ont recours au service d’un documentaliste pour la gestion et l’organisation du flux d’information et de documents.

Quel est la nécessité d’un centre de documentation au sein d’une entreprise?

Quelle est sa participation dans la productivité de l’entreprise.

Comment le centre de documentation participe au développement économique ?

Les entreprises sont généralement subdivisées en deux grandes entités qui permettent d’atteindre les objectifs. Ce sont les opérationnels ou la production et le support ou l’administration.

La fonction administrative comme son nom l’indique est chargée d’apporter un appui administratif aux services opérationnel afin que ceux-ci se concentre sur le cœur de métier.

C’est à partir de ces deux fonctions que le documentaliste doit axer sa stratégie en matière de gestion de l’information.

Le centre de documentation se doit de connaître le besoin informationnel de ces entités. Il doit être la source et la vitrine informationnelle de l’entreprise.

L’information est l’élément intangible sur lequel se base toute structure pour se développer, pour atteindre ses objectifs et surtout pour prendre ses  décisions.

Or l’information est la matière première du documentaliste. Les informations  contenues dans les documents de quelque nature qu’ils soient,  vont être sélectionnées traitées puis diffusées.

Donc le documentaliste doit mettre en place toute une stratégie de recherche, de traitement et diffusion de l’information pour  accompagner ces différentes entités.

Le pouvoir de l’information ne se résume plus au fait de la détenir mais dans son traitement et son utilisation. Car face à une production tout azimut de d’information, le documentaliste joue un rôle capital. Il  trouve l’information utile (pertinente),  qu’il traite, qu’il valide et met à la disposition de la structure.  Il contribue ainsi à la production de connaissances validée et au développement de l’entreprise.

Par son action, il facilite la circulation de l’information, garantie la continuité des activités en cas d’indisponibilité d’un agent, il aide à la prise de décision sur base d’information fiable.

Il devient un élément constitutif de la réalisation des objectifs de l’entreprise. Mais le plus souvent les actions de ne sont pas perceptibles par les décideurs. Pour avoir plus de visibilité, le documentaliste doit par ces activités placé le centre au cœur des préoccupations de la structure. IL doit participer à la vie de l’entreprise.

 

 

CPDWL SC Advisor Highlight: Svetlana Gorokhova

“This is How We Do It: One Professional Development Activity in the Lives of Librarians from Around the World” is a new series from the IFLA Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section to highlight our standing committee advisors, who they are and what they do!

In this post, we highlight Svetlana Gorokhova, CPDWL standing committee advisor (a former SC member and remain involved in CPDWL activities) !

Why are you a standing committee advisor of CPDWL and what are you working on for CPDWL Section at the moment?

Svetlana: I am part of the Advisory group as I consider CPDWL agenda vital for all the spheres of library field. It is a key condition of the successful development of any library institution. I believe that Russian libraries need more exposure to the best practices of the world libraries in terms of implementation of the CPDWL Guidelines. I keep bringing to the attention of the library community new aspects of this very important work, drawing connections between formal LIS education, CPDWL opportunities, personal responsibilities of the workers and institutional obligations of the employers. My recent professional activities included joint discussion and comparative review of the role of the library associations are playing in support and advocacy of the profession. I try to be involved into the main IFLA CPDWL section activities, including publications in the section media resources, participation in working meetings and discussions of the projects, among them Coaching sessions, Knowledge Cafe meetings, meet-ups meeting, numerous publications of the IFLA CPDWL meetings in the Russian professional media. I am running for the IFLA CPDWL SC elections 2023 and hope to continue serving in the Committee in the capacity of the full time member.

What is one advice you have for new librarians interested in getting involved in IFLA or in their library associations for professional development?

Svetlana: I would like to invite all the professional to be part of their national associations and to be involved in to the global library field through IFLA activities. I joined IFLA back in 1994 and since then I never experienced anything better in terms of exposure to the best possible expertise in various parts of the library universe. The feeling of unity and support and opportunities opening before every professional is unbelievable. You just need to seize them and enjoy. As an ardent advocate of professional exchange I believe that to have a different perspective is utterly important to develop your own position. And IFLA gives you this opportunity.

CPDWL SC Advisor Highlight: Loida Garcia-Febo

“This is How We Do It: One Professional Development Activity in the Lives of Librarians from Around the World” is a new series from the IFLA Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section to highlight our standing committee advisors, who they are and what they do!

In this post, we highlight Loida Garcia-Febo, CPDWL standing committee advisor (a former SC member and remain involved in CPDWL activities) !

 

Why are you a standing committee advisor of CPDWL and what are you working on for CPDWL Section at the moment?

Loida: Continuing professional development benefits all in librarianship. Through CPD we can stay up-to-date with the most recent trends to equip ourselves to better serve students, faculty and library patrons, better the education of our communities, and contribute to a sustainable world. At this time I continue involved with CPDWL contributing writings to the blog and the production of webinars which I established many years ago. The next webinar will be about the theme of libraries and public awareness. This is such a timely topic as it is part of the library advocacy work we all have to do on ongoing basis.

What is one advice you have for new librarians interested in getting involved in IFLA or in their library associations for professional development?

Loida: The really cool thing about IFLA and CPDWL these days is that new librarians and everyone can connect through different ways to learn about what the different sections are working on and how individuals can join the work. People can connect either in person at satellite meetings or conferences which I recommend because one can also visit a different country, virtually attending webinars and meetings as observers, and through social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube. Anyone interested in IFLA’s work can subscribe to a section’s listserv or follow the section on social media to find out about initiatives from IFLA and the sections. They can also read about when they can attend a meeting as observers. In my experience, there are many opportunities to volunteer and take action, and everyone is very welcoming.