Outside the BOKS:

1. Outside the BOKS: Making professional registration work for you Presented by Allison Dobbie and Janet Upton

2. Key messages • It’s worth it • You’re worth it • It’s not that hard • Time is short … only 8 months of transition period remains

3. What is professional registration? • Recognises library and information professionals: • With broad professional knowledge of librarianship (the body of knowledge); • Who can apply that body of knowledge to a satisfactory level • Who work within a professional code of conduct • And keep their professional knowledge current. • What it does not cover • generic or personal skills

4. Why have professional registration? • Standard practice for many professions in NZ • Accounting; Teaching; Nursing • Standard practice for other Library Associations • UK, USA and Canada, Australia • Why • Quality assurance • Standing • Credibility • International benchmarking

5. What does it involve? • Initial registration • Qualification to graduate level (or equivalent) • Or evidence that the body of knowledge has been acquired • AND practical application of the theory • Thereafter • Evidence that you undertake activities to keep your professional knowledge current (Revalidation)

6. Why support professional registration? – benefits for individuals • Formal recognition of qualifications and skills • Provides a structured process and justification for continued professional development • Career development opportunities • Increases professional status • Increases overseas work opportunities through recognition of NZ qualifications

7. The Transition Phase pathway What’s involved in getting RLIANZA after your name? • Current LIANZA / SLANZA / NZLLA / TRW member • Proof of qualifications and / or experience • Proof that body of knowledge is up to date • Brief CV • Application form & fee of $56.25 • Payment of $100 PR fee on success • www.lianza.org.nz/registration/applicationforms.html

8. Brief CV Brief and relevant to professional registration • Education and qualifications • Employment history • Key skills • Achievements / other • Professional development activities • Referees Template available on LIANZA Registration webpages

9. $ Costs $

10. Funding options Who pays? - some employers pay or subsidise costs, recognising the benefits to both Individual Employer

11. Benefits – for employers • Improved structure for coaching and development • Improved range of CPD opportunities • Quality assurance • Supports recruitment decisions • Supports business cases for CPD activities • Improved process for assessing overseas qualifications and prior learning

12. Benefits – for the customer • Quality assurance • Breadth and currency of knowledge and skills • Technology competent • Based upon a formal ‘body of knowledge’ • Qualified to give professional advice • A 21st Century Information Professional • Ethics

13. Benefits of getting PR now! • Transition phase is a ‘fast track’ to PR • no library qualification required • recognises previous library experience • Valid until 30 June 2009 • Training counts from Day 1

14. Why delay? On 1 July 2009 the ‘Mature’ phase starts. This requires a graduate qualification in LIS and one year’s mentoring of new grads. “If you meet the ‘transition phase’ criteria you’d be a mug not to apply for Professional Registration NOW! “

15. What else do you need to know about the transition phase? • Provides access for current practitioners with a wide range of qualifications and / or experience • Slightly different requirements for those without library qualifications, not currently employed, or with overseas library qualifications – check the guidelines on the website • In 2007 and 2008 LIANZA Associateship was an automatic route to registration

16. Once you’re a RLIANZA … • 3 yearly revalidation process • Mechanism for keeping knowledge current • Proof to employers you’re “with it” • Proof to LIM colleagues you’re a career pro

17. The revalidation journal • Documents training and development • Focuses training and development efforts • Helps assess what you learn

18. Structure of revalidation journal Read requirements first – give yourself an hour to check out the great info on the LIANZA website at:http://www.lianza.org.nz/registration • Journal template is online – just copy it to your own computer • Focus on 11 Body of Knowledge elements

19. 11 Body of Knowledge elements • The information environment, information policy and ethics, history • Generation, communication and use of information • Assessment of information needs and design of responsive services • The information transfer process • Organisation, retrieval, preservation and conservation of information • Research, analysis and interpretation of information • Application of ICT’s to products and services • Information resource management and knowledge management • Management of information agencies • Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of outcomes • Awareness of indigenous knowledge paradigms, especially Maori

20. BOK 3. Assessment of information needs and design of responsive services • Understand the nature of the customer base and information needs of different user groups • Identify and evaluate information services and products to determine their relevance to the client base • Design and deliver information services and products • Assess the effectiveness and value of library and information facilities, services and products

21. BOK 3. Assessment of information needs and design of responsive services Currency of professional knowledgeRead Briggs and Stratton, "Reading trends in children using mobile devices only", Library news, April 2008Summarises research into reading skills and types of reading done by children. Finds real moves away from the paper book. Has significant impacts for our services. I’ve submitted a proposed to purchase more e-books for children and make changes to our kids holiday programmes. LeadershipAttended the ELTI EPIC training course offered in my region then developed and ran in-house courses for our reference team, covering databases of most relevance to our clients (MFPremier, ANZRC). This has resulted in a 70% increase in my library’s use of EPIC databases over the past two months and I’m to present a targeted version of the course to Councillors next month!

22. BOK 7. Application of ICT to Library and Information Products and Services • Understand information and communication technologies and their developments, and their application to all aspects of the body of knowledge • Identify and evaluate information and communication technologies to determine their relevance to the client base

23. BOK 7. Assessment of information needs and design of responsive services Professional practiceMy firm recently set up a new tax research team. I took the initiative to assess our current online journal and database offerings and arranged trials of relevant IBFD, Brookers and e-journal tax packages.My proactive approach was highly commended by the new team. I learned that it’s essential to regularly assess your resources, collections and services to ensure they meet the needs of your clients – we shouldn’t wait to be asked but need to keep abreast of changes in our organisations! Communication and relationshipsArranged two sessions for our new Library Assistant to share her experiences using Facebook, MySpace and Wikipedia with the library team. This resulted in us all being set up with FaceBook accounts so we can all become familiar with social networking software. We have also shared our experiences with our Marketing team and are jointly developing a new online tool to keep our firm’s alumni in touch with news, events and job opportunities.

24. Keeping your revalidation journal • Over 3 years: • Cover all 11 Body of Knowledge areas • Cover 3 of the 4 Domains of Professional Practice • Currency of professional knowledge • Professional practice and responsibility • Communication and professional relationship • Professional leadership • Assess learning from each activity • 10 entries per annum

26. Summary of my revalidation activity 11 activities in 12 months - target is 10 Activity in BOK 1,2,3,4,7,9,10,11 Therefore next year seek out activity in 5,6,and 8 Target is at least 1 activity for each BOK over 3 years Activity across all 4 domains – Target is 3 domains across all 11 areas over 3 years

28. Validation – what are we looking for? • Something in each BOK area • Cover 3 of the 4 domains • Most importantly – REFLECTION !! • What I learned • How I applied it • Overall summary / reflection of professional development during the 3 year period

29. Then what happens? • You will be notified in advance when your revalidation is due • Complete your journal • Write a short evaluation of your professional practice in the previous 3 years • Send your journal to LIANZA for consideration by the Profession Registration Board • Once accepted you will get a new certificate and the online register will be updated

30. The mature scheme – new graduates • Following graduation, 1 year of supervised professional training supported by a mentor • select a mentor from an approved list • gain agreement from the mentor • submit to the Board a professional training plan which the mentor has approved • Board grants registration when the training plan is completed satisfactorily and mentor report is satisfactory • Revalidation after 3 years • www.lianza.org.nz/registration.newgraduates.html

31. Being a mentor • Registered professionals with 5 years experience can become mentors • Role is to support new graduates develop and complete their training plan • Mentoring itself qualifies as a revalidation activity • Giving something back to the profession • Mentors and registrants learn from each other • Training, guidelines and support material for mentors available on website, developed by Sally Angus • www.lianza.org.nz/registration/mentor-scheme/index.html

32. To learn more … • Enormous amount of explanatory material about all aspects of registration available on LIANZA website • www.lianza.org.nz/registration

33. In conclusion • Think seriously about becoming registered • It’s worth it, and you are worth it. • It is an investment in your career and the profession

34. Questions ?