Student Profiles

I went straight from uni to Mimas, starting work for Copac a month before I handed in my dissertation. I’ve steadily got involved with more things during my time at Mimas – as well as the Content Development work I also do various bits of outreach and project work, including training students and contributors, writing article and blog posts, and working event stands. We’re currently working on a project to expose Copac and Archives Hub data as Linked Data, which has been quite a steep learning curve!

Where my career has really changed since graduation is in my professional involvement. I won an SLA Europe Early Career Conference Award in 2009, and this led to me being involved with the SLA Europe board. I’m also an active member of LISNPN (the LIS New Professionals Network), and a team member of Voices for the Library, a group dedicated to showcasing the value of the UK public library service.

The most exciting development at the moment is that I’m editing a New Professionals’ Toolkit for Facet, to be published in 2012. This is a practical guide to the stuff that library school (great as it is!) can’t teach you, and will be full of case studies, exercises, tips, and further reading. I’ve never edited a book before, so it’s a fantastc experience!

Take every chance you can to get involved with stuff – now’s the time to do it! The foundations you build as a student will stay with you throughout your career. Join a professional organisation (or two!) while membership’s cheap, and find out what you can get from being involved with the wider profession. Apply for student grants and bursaries to attend conferences – there are loads of them out there, and you’ll get some great experiences.

My time at Manchester Met was a chance to get some of the theory behind what I’d been practising during my graduate traineeship. 

It’s a safe and supportive environment to try out new ideas. I also made some great friends and contacts!