Showing posts with label Library Association of Ireland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Library Association of Ireland. Show all posts

29 Sept 2025

Shells, Shorthand, and Skipping Classes: Documenting Prize Bookplates in the John Manning Collection of Children’s Books

Libfocus is delighted to present the winning post for the CONUL Training and Development Library Assistant Blog Awards 2025. The winning author is Claire Dunne who is a Library Assistant in UCD Library.

Growing up, I could never understand why my mother made me sign my books. “Just sign it” she’d say, pushing a pen into my hand, “and don’t forget the date!” Now as an adult, and especially one who works with old books, I see the value in this and how it can give a book its own story beyond the words on its pages. In the cultural heritage profession this is known as “provenance”; the story of an item, how it came to be here and who might have owned it in the past. 

In UCD Special Collections we look after many books with important provenance. Books signed by James Joyce? We got ‘em. 400-year-old tomes delicately annotated by priestly scholars? We got ‘em. Modern works of art with the signature of the artist? We’ve got those too. But sometimes it isn’t the prestigious origins or famous names that catch your attention. Rather it is the casual note of the ordinary person now forgotten to time, or the scribbles of a child, made 100 years ago but somehow still familiar. It was this sense of the ordinary person, and the desire to highlight their importance, that inspired the latest work on the John Manning collection of children’s books in UCD Special Collections.

three colourful books
Figure 1: Three colourful books from the John Manning Collection (45.0.14), (45.J.1c), (45.U.12), UCD Special Collections. 
John Manning was an avid collector of 19th and early 20th century children’s books and in the 1970s he generously donated his collection to UCD Special Collections. These shelves are now some of the most colourful in the storeroom. They tell stories of adventures and wonder, and open a window to childhood in the Victorian era. For this reason, they are important sources of social history during this period.

Two rows of colourful books on shelves
Figure 2: Books in the John Manning Collection on the storeroom shelves, UCD Special Collections.
Many of these books were gifted to children as prize books. This was the custom of awarding books, often for academic merit, with a dedicated bookplate commemorating the achievement. The presence of these bookplates, however, was not previously recorded on the UCD Library catalogue, which is the main way that our visitors find out about our collections. This wasn’t too surprising because despite the current recognition of the importance of provenance, traditionally this wasn’t something that was included on a library catalogue. Keeping our catalogue up to date with retrospective edits and additions is an important part of our job in Special Collections.

And so, we set about documenting these enigmatic bookplates so that they can be discovered and researched.

An inscribed page on the inside cover of a book
Figure 3: Book awarded to Mary Alice Boyd, 1883, (45.R.11), UCD Special Collections.
Step one: find the bookplates. Just like one of the treasure hunters in Edith Nesbit’s The Story of the Treasure Seekers, we opened each and every one of the books in the Collection. Opening the cover and finding a prize bookplate was like unearthing a little piece of history that had been forgotten until now.

Four pages showing illustrations and a mix of text and handwriting
Figure 4: Four prize bookplates. Top left: (45.H.1). Top right: (45.J.1c). Bottom left: (45.L.15). Bottom right: (45.C.17), UCD Special Collections. 
The next step was updating the records on the library catalogue. Cataloguing Special Collections books is a technical skill that requires the use of standardised language and formats. We decided to use three specific fields on the record, one to identify the book as being part of the Collection, another to detail any provenance information, and a final one that notes it as a prize book. By describing the books this way it allows users to easily find and cross reference them. Here’s what it looks like on the online catalogue:

Catalogue record, an illustrated page and a book
Figure 5: Partial catalogue entry and images of (45.L.10), UCD Special Collections. 
It quickly became clear that we had more prize bookplates than we anticipated and some from much further afield than we thought too. We also discovered that some books had been missed when initially catalogued many years ago. About 50 books that were uncatalogued have now been recorded and this 'hidden' collection uncovered.

Two pages with a mix of typed text and handwriting
Figure 6: Prize bookplate in French (45.C.20), and prize bookplate from Edinburgh (45.H.17), UCD Special Collections.
The bookplates come in all shapes and sizes, from very simple to elaborate and colourful.

Three bookplates with a mix of typed text and handwriting
Figure 7: Three prize bookplates in different styles. Top: (45.D.25). Bottom left: (45.H.18). Bottom right: (45.J.14), UCD Special Collections. 
Many prize books were awarded for excellence in religious studies, others for practical skills like art, and shorthand. One charming example was awarded for collecting shells.

A book plate page
Figure 8: Prize bookplate awarded to John Stevenson for collecting shells, (45.G.3), UCD Special Collections
But it seems not all books were presented for merit, as the inscription below suggests!

Handwritten text reading 'Harold Simpson was awarded this prize for being in late every morning in the year'
Figure 9: Prize book inscription reading, "Harold Simpson was awarded this prize for being in late every morning in the year." (45.0.14), UCD Special Collections. 
Finally, old book flags that had become old and worn were replaced with new versions, and books that had become fragile were carefully wrapped with acid-free cotton ties.

Pages with numbers on them, two lines of colourful books
Figure 10: Top: Old book flags ready for the recycling bin. Below: New book flags on the shelves. UCD Special Collections.  
In total, 67 prize bookplates were identified, each with its own story to tell. Beyond their historical value, these bookplates hold a special sort of emotional resonance, perhaps because they once belonged to a child, or maybe because they capture a snapshot in not only our own social history, but the history of an individual. One of the most endearing discoveries was uncovered in The Worst House at Sherborough by Desmond Coke. The inscription, in Latin, reveals that this book was awarded to John Manning himself, at the age of 13. We hope that he would have enjoyed this project as much as we did.

Illustrated page showing a bookplate awarded to John Manning for scholastics
Figure 11: Prize bookplate awarded to John Manning for scholastics, 1S20. (45.F.28), UCD Special Collections.
Find out more:

Almack, Edward. Bookplates (London: Methuen & Co., 1904), SC/R 097 ALM.

Ex Libris: Bookplates in UCD Special Collections, UCD Cultural Heritage Blog

John Manning Collection of Children’s Books, UCD Special Collections

Warren, John Byrne Leicester Warren (Lord de Tabley), A Guide to the Study of Book- Plates (Ex-Libris) (Manchester: Sherratt and Hughes, 1900), SC/R 097 DET.


Search the catalogue for these books and more at UCD Library
here. Make an appointment to visit UCD Special Collections here. Have a prize bookplate of your own? Share it with us on Instagram.


27 Nov 2023

Creating Engaging Fire Safety Resources - Reflections from a new Library Assistant

This blog post by Declan Synnott from UCC Library was highly commended in the CONUL Training and Development Library Assistant Blog Award 2023.


An early project
I began working as a library assistant in UCC Library in April, and like anybody would, I immediately
felt I had a huge amount to learn.

I was recently part of an ongoing Library initiative to improve our messaging and resources around 
health and safety in our buildings. I was tasked with creating engaging fire safety resources. This was 
a perfect chance for me to get to grips with my new role, and to get to know my new place of work.
It felt like an interesting and relevant project, and I was keen to get involved.

There is also a universal relevance to this project: all of us working in libraries must take health and 
safety into account. We must also consider the capacity of users to safely evacuate in emergency 
situations.

The planning stage
For this project, I had several things to consider.
  • for these resources to be engaging, I needed to make novel and accessible something which is probably not the most exciting or engaging.
  • These resources were to be used for self-training. Potentially a daunting prospect, but there was a useful freedom in devising training that would be engaging and approachable, to boil down the necessary information into a user-friendly format.
With these considerations in mind, I decided to make video tutorials. These would have value added
through an interactive quiz, via H5P software (short for HTML5 Package, a tool for easily creating 
interactive content). My next consideration, then, was how to structure the video to ensure it was
informative, engaging, and accessible.

I began storyboarding using existing resources on fire safety procedures, took several walks around 
the building to tour its fire exits, and examined floorplans, attempting to view the relevant 
information through the eyes of the least informed library user, i.e., the user with the greatest 
learning need.

A screenshot from one of the fire safety videos highlighting the emergency exits on one library floor.

Building the video: keeping faith in trial and error
With a script written and approved by the University Fire Marshall, I had a view of the core learning
objective ‘what do you do in the event of a fire, or a fire drill, when in the library?’ I could then build 
from this, (though I was working on the basis that trial and error might guide the project still.)

As I had chosen a video format, the logical progression for me was to show a video of each fire exit 
being entered and followed to its route out of the building. I eagerly set to filming, capturing a 
panorama of the space surrounding each exit, and capturing the routes to safety. I gathered my 
video files and set them into a structure: the floorplan zooms to each exit in sequence, then cuts to a 
video of this exit being utilised. This sounds logical and useful; however, after reviewing a draft video 
in this format, I found it was not very engaging. I found that as the video moves through the footage 
of exits being followed, the pace lags and I imagined the audience’s attention dwindling.

I am a firm believer in trial and error in creative endeavours, and I now had my first problem to set 
about solving. I returned to the library website to study the existing floorplans, observing how they 
are set up with interactive hotspots showing relevant areas (Library Floorplans: Q+3). I decided to 
use a static image of the exits in their locations, and of anything relevant such as an emergency 
phone. I set to constructing another test video, this time, the pace was more engaging, and it felt 
easier to parse the location of each exit. The video was now three minutes long, which, crucially, felt 
like a digestible length, without needing to rush essential information.

A look at the video project in construction

The voiceover brought its own considerations, I was certain it wasn’t as simple as reading a script. 
Once I began recording, it quickly became apparent that there was a certain tone of voice needed, 
certain inflections and stresses in relevant areas, and an awareness that I needed to sound 
approachable, engaged and calm.

I found the process of recording the voiceover interesting; aspects of the script needed to be 
tweaked, as things needed re-wording to be clearer when spoken aloud, and syllables became 
important. Some language was simplified, and instructions were adjusted to be clear and linear.

Conclusion: reflecting on the finished product
With a successful first video, the next challenge was replication, as I decided to make a video for 
each floor of the library, allowing time and space to give a comprehensive overview and allow for 
discussion of the intricacies of each floor.

In all, I enjoyed making these resources.

As a new library staff member, it was a useful means of getting to know the physical space, and to 
begin to gain in-depth knowledge into the various procedures in place. As I have a background in 
video editing, I enjoyed working on something functional, to use my existing skills to build a learning 
tool. At the time of writing, these videos are set to be integrated into the library website, and they 
will become part of the orientation material for students in September. 

I’m really looking forward to seeing my work on the library website. And hopefully seeing them used by others The format of these videos is clear and linear, it could be applied to any library building or a similar approach could be adopted, using an instructional video with a built-in quiz to test users' knowledge of fire safety procedures.

21 Nov 2023

Bringing Collections to a Wider Audience - Digitisation @MU Library

This blog post by Bridie O'Neill, Edel King and Laura Gallagher from Maynooth University was highly commended in the CONUL Training and Development Library Assistant Blog Award 2023.
The Digital Publishing and Data Services (DPDS) department in Maynooth University (MU) Library purchased a new Zeutschel scanner last year. After training on the scanner and its accompanying software, Omniscan, we paid a visit to the National Library of Ireland to view their scanning suite. We have since received some reprographic requests from universities. In this blog, we will detail how we fulfilled these requests using the scanner as well as our DSLR camera.
Digitising using the DSLR camera
We received a request to digitise the Bloomfield maps of the Loughton & Redwood Estate by MU's Arts and Humanities Institute. The maps consisted of 34 maps and ledgers dating 1836-1840. The maps were oversized so we chose the digital camera as the best medium to digitise the maps.

Image from the Bloomfield collection
We ran tests using different exposure settings to gain the depth of field required for the maps. We placed the maps on the floor supported by backboards and the copy stand was adjusted to allow the maps to be photographed.
The best exposure for the maps could be gained from turning off the overhead fluorescent lights and engaging the flash function on the camera with even tungsten lighting. We documented all our findings for future use. 
The photographs were captured and saved as TIFF format. The files were then converted into JPEG format to assist data transferring and ease of editing.

Using the camera and copy stand
Digitising using the scanner
We received a reprographic request from an academic in Durham University for the digitisation of a 1595 book called Essais de Michel de Montaigne. This was the first request we received where we could properly utilise the scanner.

Image from Essais de Michel de Montaigne
The scanner has some excellent features. One of these is Interleaving. Interleaving allows you to scan one half of the book entirely, for example solely the right-hand pages. After that, with Interleaving mode on, you can scan the left-hand pages. Interleaving puts each scan in its correct place automatically so that page 3 is followed by page 4 etc.
We found this feature useful when scanning the Montaigne book. It allowed us to set the book on the scanner with the relevant supports, scan one half of it and then set up the other half.

Interleaving equipment
The requestor wanted a full view of the book including the spine and leaves. These areas were not possible to capture using the scanner, so we took the images using our camera and then worked on them using Photoshop.

Spine of Montaigne
We created a proper file structure. Images are scanned as TIFFs, then copied into another chosen format. For testing purposes, we used one folder for all formats. As we would only be sending one version to the requestor, we separated formats for each project so that everything was more easily accessible.

Using the scanning software
Teams has proven to be a useful collaborative tool. Creating a channel or folder and either uploading or copying the files to that location means that the files are available for the team to work on no matter where they are. It also provided us with a useful location to store backups.
We purchased some book supports for digitising which are useful to us with regard to handling of the sometimes fragile material.

Book supports that we purchased
Wardell
We are currently working on a curatorial request to digitise the Wardell Archive, housed in our Special Collections and Archives department. This collection comprises the personal papers of the Wardell family, which are mainly letters and are handwritten front and back. This project has over 600 items.

Image from the Wardell collection
As the collection is so vast, a good naming convention is vitally important so that once all the letters are digitised and converted from TIFFs to JPEG, they are easily identifiable and easy to ingest into our Digital Library. For example, Item 1 in Wardell, a handwritten letter with writing front and back was named PP2- 1-001 (front) and PP2-1-002 (back) to clearly identity that the item generated 2 scans. We used a naming feature set up with the OmniScan software which allows the user to name each scan they digitise on a project.
We use colour cards beside each item and a grey back board underneath. This allows for the requestor to see the full depth of the paper and the ink used in writing.
Conclusion
The feedback we received on the digitisation of our projects to date has been extremely positive. Digitising allows academics and researchers to see items without having to access the original item. We are looking forward to working with both the camera and scanner on future reprographic projects.

14 Nov 2023

“Brewing up a storm” – Outreach to develop your professional profile

This blog post by Catherine Ahearne from Maynooth University was highly commended in the CONUL Training and Development Library Assistant Blog Awards 2023.

What professional growth means to me is, it is an active process and that involves more self reflection that I had realised. As someone who had lived by the phrase “self-praise is no praise,”  looking back at my career and truly examining it, is difficult. Aware of the library experience gap  in my C.V., my career path has not been a linear nor smooth one. I have worked in Law, Public,  Tax and Academic libraries, but have also done several years in an administrative role for one  the big 4 four accountancy firms. I worried that this would put me at a disadvantage when  compared with my library peers. But when I looked closely, I could see the transferable skills  that I bring to my library role. This also allowed for me to notice and focus on my weaker areas,  treating the process as a needs assessment if you will.  

I have spent the most recent part of my career looking at my professional development so that I  can progress and succeed in my position to the best of my ability. I have obtained the Associate  of the Library Association (ALAI), participated in conferences as a poster presenter even  speaker. But what I have had to acknowledge is that I qualified more than a decade ago and  through my various roles I have seen how much the profession has changed in that time. A  professional profile for librarians is now a crucial element of professional development. But  how do we create this? Networking is one way of building relationships with others in our field  allow us to share ideas and experiences. Outreach is a tool that not only benefits your  institution but also you on a professional level.  


Picture of the Russell Library taken by Catherine Ahearne  



The outreach experience that I am going to share is writing for RTÉ Brainstorm. An email was  sent to the Special Collections & Archive team based on our MU Library Treasures blog  exposure, that the editor of RTÉ Brainstorm Jim Carroll was available to talk to any of the team  who might interested in writing for RTE Brainstorm and can help define a story with them. 10- minute one-to-one feedback sessions were organised. The feedback sessions enabled staff to share an area of work with the editor. And receive suggestions on generating an angle for the story.  

Map taken from John Hall’s, Tour through Ireland: particularly the interior & least known parts (London,  1813)  



I went to the pitch a little unsure if I would be able to provide something that would be of  interest to Brainstorm. My pitch was about the opinion and attitudes of the Irish as expressed  through the travel guides of the 18th and 19th century. The Pitch was successful, and I was given  a word count and deadline. I began to write; I had some trusted colleagues review some of my  early drafts. Up to this point anything that I had written had been for a specific audience, “the  library world,” so before submission I asked the communications officer to review, and she  made some extremely helpful suggestions that would allow the blog to have an appeal to a  wider audience than just those interested in Special Collections. The 15th of March saw my blog  go live, People drinking whiskey, porter and punch” Travellers to Ireland and their thoughts on  the Irish”.   

  

 

Illustration “An outside jaunting car in storm” by Daniel Maclise is from John Barrow, A Tour round  Ireland through the sea-coast counties in the autumn of 1835 (London, 1836). The title page is from the  same publication.  









This exercise in outreach not only highlighted my profile within my own institution, but also  gave me positive feedback, and an opportunity to engage with academics about the blogs  success. Another benefit of completing the blog was that it allowed me an opportunity to  promote my colleagues that also write for our own blog “The Maynooth Library Treasures and  the celebrate the rich collections of the Russell Library. In recent weeks, the article has been  promoted again by MU Spotlight on research. My advice for anyone interested in developing  their professional profile is to take the opportunities you are offered; you need to be seen to be  heard. You can use these to gain experience, increase your confidence and as a form of  continuing professional development. 


26 Apr 2022

Applying for an Award of the Library Association of Ireland (LAI)

  

Guest post by Helen Fallon and Jane Burns Jane and Helen have both served on the Library Association of Ireland (LAI) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Committee. Both have experience of assessing applications for LAI awards and have been very active in promoting the awards, since they were both awarded FLAI in 2010.

This blog posts contains tips/suggestions based on their experience as applicants, mentors and assessors, and the detailed guidelines provides on the LAI website.

If you are reading this blog post you may have already started investigating the various awards of the Library Association of Ireland (LAI). Here we reflect on the process and make some suggestions.  We both really enjoyed the process overall; at times it was challenging but the result was a significant achievement that we want to help our colleagues attain. We published a detailed article of our experience of applying for the FLAI in “An Leabharlann”, and also presented a poster at an LAI conference. Please note that the option of doing the FLAI by thesis, mentioned on the poster, no longer exists.

If you are an early career library professional now is the time to start thinking about the LAI awards. It does take time to have the experience to apply but from today you can start focusing on the process. If you have been working in a library for some time but have never considered applying for a LAI award, the application process is an excellent way to review where you are at, and plan forward.

We are fortunate in our field that no two days are the same, we work in varied and dynamic environments. We interact with so many different people that there are always opportunities to learn, get ideas, and to see areas where we can develop new knowledge or skills.

Talk to and observe colleagues within our profession, talk to colleagues outside of the library in your organisations to identify what are trends and changes in the workplace. Seriously consider what kind of CPD you want to do. Most of the CPD will be related to your current role but CPD can be targeted at future roles or topics you are interested in.

CPD doesn’t just meant degrees, certificates, etc. it can include writing, professional reading, participating in the LAI Job Swap scheme, taking on new projects at work, volunteer work or committee/event involvement for example.  Be targeted in how you spend your time and resources.  It is important to note not all CPD is funded by your employer so you may have to consider funding CPD yourself for own personal development and future goals. If your CPD option is future focused it may not be relevant to your current position and with limited funding this is a consideration your employer needs to take.

Also keep track of the CPD you engage in. Reading blogs, books attending conferences, etc. are things that people often forget to recognize as CPD. If you set up spread sheet and just keep track of dates, the topic and time involved this will help you keep track of things and also see patterns and most importantly how you used what you experience to contribute to your own CPD but also to our profession. Another annotation you might record is who you met and what their interests, specialties are. This information helps you network and reconnect with colleagues for future collaborations or advice.

 Our Experience

Firstly, we both had, at different times, applied for an achieved the Associateship of the Library Association of Ireland (ALAI) but our pursuit of the Fellowship of the Library Association of Ireland (FLAI) coincided, and that was very beneficial to both of us. We have both worked in libraries for a few decades, in different areas and different environments. We share common professional interests particularly in all aspects of writing: everything from creative writing, blogs, policies & procedures to academic publishing. It that really helps when you have a colleague with a shared interest in an aspect of the broad spectrum of library experience. As a profession we are very lucky to have so many talented members who have interests and experiences in different areas of librarianship. This diversity helps us pool these skills to help each other recognize the different areas of librarianship that we are contributing to and developing.

The reflections and suggestions here can be applied to the ALAI, SALAI and FLAI journey.

Some really helpful things we did in the preparation of our FLAI applications were the following;

Review the list of holders of FLAI to see what areas they work in, present on and volunteer in.  If you know them or would like to know them reach out and ask for advice.

Think about why you want to apply for the FLAI. Some reasons are to show commitment to our profession and to gain recognition for the contribution you are making. Another is to consider that the LAI awards are actually a peer reviewed process so having your application reviewed by librarians who understand the field and the relevance of your application can be very affirming.

Try to work with a colleague or group of colleagues. It is easy to get distracted or even frustrated in the process but having someone to support and who supports you is ideal.

Really reflect and celebrate your achievements that you included in your reflective statement. This isn’t being arrogant- it is a chance to reflect on what you have done, how you have achieved it but most importantly how you have impacted on colleagues and our profession.

If you haven’t already done so set up an excel sheet or a work file and keep a record of every piece of CPD you do.  Remember CPD isn’t just courses and diplomas or committee work. It can be attending events, writing a blog or projects you have been involved in.

Be sure to read all of the information on the LAI website, if you have questions ask for clarification and assistance.

Guidelines

Read the guidelines on applying for any of the three awards on  the LAI website. This is very important. The submission requirements and the assessment process - double blind peer review - are clearly articulated, as is the timeline you need to allow for assessment (six to eight months).

The Awards
When you have read the guidelines, consider which award to apply for.  There are three: Associateship, Senior Associateship and Fellowship.


The first, Associateship, is for people with a minimum of two-years post qualification experience.
You must be a member of the LAI for at least one year before applying for this award.

The second level of award is Senior Associateship – SALAI. This is a mid-career award for librarians with a minimum of ten years post qualification experience, who hold the ALAI for five years, and have been engaged with the Association for at least five years. However, applicants without the ALAI, who hold over 10 years professional experience can apply for the SALAI for 2022 only, if they apply before 31st October 2022.

The third award is Fellowship – FLAI. This is a senior-level award, for librarians with more than 15 years professional experience, who hold the SALAI for a minimum of five years. However, in the case of librarians who held the ALAI on or before 2016, there is not a requirement to achieve the SALAI, before applying for FLAI.

Application
Applications are made online. For each award you need to complete the relevant application form, and submit the required portfolio and the appropriate fee.  As of March 2021, this is:
Associateship   €50
Senior Associateship €125
Fellowship €150

There are five parts to your application regardless of which award you apply for.
These are: the online application form; your CV; the list of professional development activities you have undertaken; a reflective statement; a record of involvement in the Library Association of Ireland and other cognate bodies. There is also an option to include any other documents you feel are relevant.  For the ALAI you must include a scanned copy of your library qualification

Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Most librarians will have a CV.  Ideally you should update this every year, regardless of whether you are applying for a post. When doing your CV for an award, try to demonstrate the breadth of your library experience and engagement. If, for example, you were applying for a post in Special Collections, the focus of your CV would be on your experience/knowledge in that area. Use broader brush strokes here that demonstrate the totality of your experience.

Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

The LAI website lists the following as examples of forms of CPD: workshops, seminars, conference, publications, academic qualifications, Internet-based learning, training from industry suppliers, on the job learning, shadowing and job exchanges, professional reading, committee membership, informal networking.
In the case of events attended, include details such as date, location and hosting body.
Many libraries will keep records of staff attendance at events, but you should endeavour to keep an up to date listing yourself.

Record of engagement with the Library Association of Ireland and other cognate bodies
Your membership denotes a level of involvement.  However, it is good if you can illustrate a deeper level of engagement. Perhaps you have you attended the LAI/CILIP conference? Do you follow @LAIonline on twitter? Do you read the open access journal An Leabharlann?   All of these are valid forms of engagement. Of course, you may have done more, such as serve on a committee, written a book or conference review for An Leabharlann or presented a paper or poster. You should also give details of engagement with similar bodies to the LAI, such as CONUL, in the case of the University sector.

Reflective Statement
Each award requires a reflective statement. As stated in the guidelines, this such demonstrate your learning from your CPD and other activities and how this helped you change/develop as a professional. Guidelines on putting together a reflective statement are available on the LAI website and as noted there “a key aspect of reflective practice is that experience along does not necessarily lead to learning but that learning follows from deliberate reflection on such experience.”

In the case of the ALAI, the reflective statement required is 500 words; while the statement for the SALAI is between 500 and 750 words and the statement for FLAI is between 750 and 1,000 words.

Other documentation
It is up to yourself to decide if you wish to include additional documentation. You should have certainly noted awards, publications etc. in the CPD document, but you could choose to scan copies of these, however this is not essential.

Final comments
We found the process challenging, interesting and a learning experience. It gave us time to reflect on our careers to date and to identify @gaps or areas for future learning. It also helped us connect further with our profession and our professional body, which we are both deeply committed to.

Contact details

Helen Fallon  Helen.B.Fallon@mu.ie  / @helenfallon

Jane Burns jane.burns@tus.ie  /@JMBurns99