The encouragement you need to submit your article!

If I can do it...
After attending Umbrella 2011, I was asked to write an article on it for the Directions newsletter. While advocacy and conference attendance have been discussed with fire and wit elsewhere, this post should serve a double duty by encouraging you to submit an article for publication. The bar is not so high! Do share a draft of articles with your manager, for politeness if not for political reasons.

The article is included here with permission from CILIP's London and Southeast Career Development Group.

First-Timer’s Report from Umbrella 2011

CILIP’s Umbrella 2011 conference in July offered two days of seminar sessions on a wide range of topics, an exhibitor area with library vendors and time set aside for refuelling and networking. Based on my university memories, I supposed seminars would be the most valuable part of the conference. The reality was different to my expectations, as I learned as much from informal conversations as in the sessions. Reflecting on my Umbrella experience, my advice is to make opportunities to talk with practitioners from a wide range of libraries, whether at conferences, online or during library tours. Although effort and bravery are needed to reach out to strangers, library types are helpful and informative.

I was delighted to receive Umbrella sponsorship from the London and Southeast Career Development Group. Given the almost universal budget cuts in libraries, one goal for the conference was to explore extending traditional services through volunteers and social networks. I also wanted to gain insight into effective methods of library advocacy as part of my Chartership preparation. While I work as a librarian for a local authority, the greatest benefit of Umbrella was learning about these subjects from information professionals with dissimilar experience.

A solo librarian I met at the First Timers’ lunch taught me the training techniques that help her manage a one person specialist library with over fifty volunteers. At the gala dinner, two remarkable library development workers from Leicestershire helped me plan my upcoming visit to a MIND day centre. And an informal chat with a CILIP trustee was empowering; she strongly suggested supporting change within CILIP by getting involved, whether on a committee, organising an event or writing a blog. 

In casual conversation a number of Umbrella attendees voiced concerns about volunteers, yet in the current economy many libraries use or are planning to use volunteers. Given this disconnect, Tracy Long’s and Tracy Hager’s presentations at the Volunteers in Libraries session were particularly important. The presenters detailed the processes, pitfalls and even unexpected benefits of their work with volunteers. As my local authority is piloting work with teen volunteers, I forwarded Tracy Hager's presentation to my co-workers, starting up a useful email dialogue. Access to this and other Umbrella 2011 presentations and related blogs is available via http://www.cilip.org.uk/umbrella2011/

I also attended several sessions on the future of libraries and library advocacy in the UK. Annie Mauger was explicit about CILIP’s role as a library advocacy group that champions all types of library and information professionals, communicating our importance at as high a political level as possible.  The recruitment of trustees from the Society of Chief Librarians and the Society of College, National and University Libraries is a step towards increasing the effectiveness of CILIP’s advocacy. Working at a grass roots level, the group Voices for the Library is an enthusiastic and visible advocate for public libraries. You can read about and get involved with both types of advocacy using the websites below:

http://www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/advocacy/

            http://www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk/wordpress/

Social media sessions were intriguing, although the academic librarians and technology consultant presenters were farther along the curve in the practical application of social media. In this case hands-on experience trumped the seminars. I gained a huge amount of transferable knowledge about social networks preparing for, documenting and then following up on connections made at Umbrella. By following the #UB11 Umbrella hashtag prior to the conference, I made Twitter connections leading to in-person meetings. Along with other attendees, I tweeted seminar content to help people follow the discussions, whether they were at other sessions or at home. Twitter is a great tool for conference awareness!

The hardest part about social networks was choosing the right one for follow-up communications after the conference. In my conversations I discovered that everyone has a preferred method for maintaining professional contacts, whether LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Facebook or email. Despite the effort of maintaining multiple social networks, staying in touch with new library contacts is worthwhile. It is helpful to have sounding boards and brainstorming partners outside your organisation and area of expertise.

Don't be afraid to step up and attend a conference like Umbrella – I enjoyed learning from a variety of people, including students and heads of services. Whatever your background, you will have something to offer and will find a new perspective to bring to your work and professional development.