Guest Post by Hugh Murphy, interim editor of An Leabharlann.
This month marks the (counts on fingers) twenty ninth anniversary of me becoming a qualified librarian. In some ways it doesn’t feel like that, but by most professional metrics I am a probably well into dinosaur territory. What that brings of course is experience and (hopefully) a degree of professional, if not necessarily personal maturity. And our profession needs that – I hope.
However, our profession also needs freshness of perspective. This is critical as library and information studies in Ireland are shaped not only by theory and practice, but also by the ideas, research, and voices of those within it. One of the most powerful ways we can contribute to our wonderfully varied field is through academic writing and publication in professional journals.
Publishing may seem daunting at first, but it is underpinned by a diversity of perspectives. And for our more recent graduates, a fresh perspective and outlook is a strength. You are uniquely positioned to question established practices, explore emerging technologies, and reflect on the changing role of libraries in Irish society. Whether your interests lie in digital literacy, community engagement, unique and distinctive collections, or open access and scholarship, your insights can add really meaningful value to discourse within the profession.
More than that, engaging in academic writing also strengthens your own professional development. It should sharpen your critical thinking, deepen your understanding of key issues, and hopefully enhance your confidence as a practitioner. Writing for journals such as An Leabharlann (or other LIS publications) can really enable you to compare and contrast your local experiences to a national or even global conversation. And importantly this can help ensure that Irish librarianship (in all its aspects) is visible and influential on a wider stage.
Publication in An Leabharlann is not reserved for seasoned professionals - we actively welcome contributions from early-career library staff and we have a wonderfully supportive review process. And the great thing about working in libraries is that much of what you could write about is practice based – writing about a project you have done can be an accessible starting point.
In our last two issues of An Leabharlann we have seen voices from students and early career staff through to the full cretaceous era dinosaur. But we need to ensure that this breadth continues, and is also represented in terms of diversity of library experience. Academic libraries, public libraries, special libraries – all are part of the national experience and we need all voices. An article may be too intimidating, so perhaps review a book or give a conference report. And for those of you who have delivered blog posts on platforms such as this, perhaps an article, with its greater length and rigour might be a really beneficial next step.
By choosing to write and publish, you are not only building your own career—you are helping to shape the future of our profession. Your voice matters. Your experiences matter. Ireland’s library sector benefits when its newest members contribute thoughtfully and confidently to its shared body of knowledge.
Take the first step: write, submit, and become part of the conversation. Send us an abstract at editor@libraryassociation.ie
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