The Maynooth University Library Engagement and Information Services (EIS) Desk: A student to staff member perspective

Guest post by Kate Hawkins, Library Assistant, Engagement and Information Services, Maynooth University Library

Introduction 

This blog post explores my experience of the Maynooth University (MU) Library service as a student and as a library staff member. Initially, as a postgraduate student, I worked with the Library Facilities and Events Team (F&E) for a year from October 2020. Next, I took up a post as a Library Assistant providing front line desk services. I will outline the duties associated with both library posts, and what I’ve learned from both a student’s and an employee’s perspective, and how my understanding and knowledge of the world of information has grown through my experiences. 

John Paul II Library (Pic by Kate Hawkins)

Undergraduate 

I began my undergraduate degree in Law and English at MU in 2017. During my orientation I received a library tour and an information session about the Library. The beginning of first year was overwhelming and exciting. As law is heavily book based, I borrowed many textbooks for my law modules. I accessed the Library early in the academic year and I learned how to use the self-service machines with the help of library staff. Group study rooms were a valuable space for working with my classmates. From my second year onwards, I was selected to be an orientation leader. I felt proud to be showing the first-year students around MU. I spent time in the Library during orientation week where I met students in the foyer for their campus tour, and I brought them to meet the librarians for their interactive session on using the library. I enjoyed answering their questions and showing them how they could best use the resources to get the most out of their university studies.

Self-service borrowing machines
 (Pic by Kate Hawkins)

Postgraduate 

I began a master's degree in International Justice at MU in September 2020. It was a full-time course that linked to aspects of my undergraduate degree and allowed me to explore these topics in more detail. I completed my masters during the COVID-19 pandemic which was overwhelming at times, both with adjusting to studying remotely and online lectures. Thankfully the Library continued to offer a comprehensive service during this time. As all my lectures were online, most of my experience with the Library was as a remote user. When restrictions eased, I was able to book a study space in the Library for a three-hour period. That was an opportunity to read textbooks and consult British and Irish journals that were available in print only. The online service I used most frequently was the library search function on the MU Library homepage to find journal articles and eBooks. I used legal databases such as Westlaw and Lexis Library to read important case law for assignments, and for my dissertation. Some older textbooks were available online as eBooks. I used the digital on demand service for chapters of law textbooks when studying remotely. I did not use the click and collect service, however now as a staff member I notice the benefits of this service for MU students. 

Click and Collect Service (Pic by Kate Hawkins)

Member of Facilities and Events (F&E) Team

When my postgraduate studies began, I started work as a member of the Facilities and Events (F&E) team. This post is restricted to MU postgraduates. Due to the pandemic, there were no in-person events at MU Library, and I was not involved in online events. We conducted daily fire safety checks and contact tracing and mask checks, when students were back on site. Occasionally we were given projects. Two of us were tasked with creating an Excel spreadsheet in a Microsoft Team folder, with information on the layout of university library websites in Ireland and abroad. We recorded features of their homepages that we didn’t have on our website and added links to their websites. Transitioning to accommodate the easing of restrictions was a major project that the whole team was involved in. We placed QR codes on the appropriate desks and socially distanced the furniture. We made new signs to put around the library. It was great to be a part of the library orientation team week in 2021, especially meeting new students. When my time as a member of the F&E team was coming to an end, I trained new members of the team. It felt good to share my experiences and knowledge with them. 

                                  Maynooth University Library Homepage (Pic by: Maynooth University)  

                                                

Engagement and Information Service (EIS)

I was delighted when my application for EIS Library assistant was successful. I was nervous starting this job; there was a lot to learn. I was also excited. Now I am learning more about how libraries operate, and about MU Library’s policies and procedures. Recently I learned that there are multiple ways for library users to communicate with library staff including via different e-mail addresses and the library chat service. I use Libapps for answering student queries and click and collect requests. We rotate roles during shifts. I’m learning about the importance of keeping statistics, to demonstrate how our services are being used. I enjoy interacting with students and assisting them. Each shift brings something different a new query, a new library database to explore or a new book to find!  

                                                      EIS Desk (Pic by Kate Hawkins)

Where next?

I am enjoying my work as a Library assistant and am looking forward to learning more about the Library. I enjoy combining working as a Library Assistant with exploring my interest in human rights and immigration law. I attended the Library Outside In Lecture (this is part of a series of guest lectures) given by a Maynooth University graduate who spent six years living in Direct Provision while an MU student.  We are a University of Sanctuary, and I hope to explore this more and write about it. 

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From home-made bread to home-schooling; the turning points in my path to becoming a Library Assistant

Libfocus is very happy to post one of the joint second placed entries in this years CONUL Library Assistants Award. Congratulations Sinead Byrne, RCSI Library 

The Covid pandemic has upturned nearly every aspect of life as we know it. We are constantly being bombarded with Covid related news headlines; barraged by grim projections of escalating case numbers and further waves; and blasted with horrific images of human suffering. 

But buried in all this doom and gloom are the “good news stories”; “reaching out to others” (metaphorically of course); “stories of conviviality”; “neighbourly gestures”........ I could go on. On a personal level there were two major events that changed my perspective on the global situation and prompted a shift in focus in relation to my own career goals. 

The first stand out memory for me was Mother’s Day 2020. My anxiety was at an all-time high. I removed myself from every WhatsApp group albeit one (the FOMO in me would not allow total social exclusion!). A text from a neighbour instructed me to look outside my front door at which point I was greeted by the most delicious loaf of homemade brown bread ....... This was a turning point for me .......the sense of community and the feeling that we are all in this together grounded me. I could not eradicate this awful virus but I could take joy in the simple things and also try focus on my personal goal of pursuing a career in the library sector which was something I had thought about for quite a while. 

I completed the MLIS in 2011, recession hit and, for financial reasons, I was forced to stay in my permanent, pensionable administrative job. Two children later and my interest in library work was still to the fore so I began working on a voluntary basis in a school library. I contacted the Library Association of Ireland to get guidance on CPD (Continued Professional Development) and after a whirlwind application process I was accepted on the Prof Cert in Digital Information Management in UCD. All was going to plan until the pandemic hit. 

The second turning point was the onset of home-schooling. How difficult could it be to home-school a 7 year old while keeping his 4 year old brother amused ...I completed the MLIS part time over two years while working full time...... I have this sussed I thought....... Oh how wrong I was!!!! This picture aptly depicts how I survived my new found career in “teaching”: 

Figure 1. The Home-school Life. 

Home-schooling was a double edged sword –it seriously tested my patience; survival was based on copious amounts of coffee and chocolate. But it had a very positive outcome in that it catapulted me into applying for a role as library assistant in RCSI on a particularly difficult day of “teaching”. 

Fast forward 6 months and I was offered a contract in RCSI. You would be forgiven for thinking I was suddenly enjoying leisurely lunches in the lavish surrounds of the library at Stephen’s Green while doing a spot of people watching. The reality was somewhat different. The not so lavish green at the front of my house is my only option for people watching. The sounds of the neighbourhood kids infiltrate my “office” window ........the sound of laughter and football matches have become the soundtrack to my day. 

And so I began my role as library assistant. Getting to know my team was somewhat different to my experience of starting previous roles. Casual coffee dates and spontaneous after work drinks have been replaced with a more structured social etiquette. Virtual coffee and chat dates were arranged on Microsoft Teams and this is how I got to know the library staff. Although we are dotted around the country I still felt connected from the start. All meetings are conducted online, and there are often “guest” appearances by toddlers or pets! My cat was very keen to join in until I relocated to my “office” upstairs!! I also have regular interaction with students when I deal with their queries via email and LibChat. I have undertaken training courses in the US without having to board a plane. I have attended conferences country wide while remaining at home. All instances of physical distancing while attaining virtual connectivity. 

ALMA, a new library management system was introduced in 2020 and staff are still familiarising themselves with it. I have been building up my expertise by attending training sessions as well as documenting workflows. I have learnt so much in my two months and I am enjoying every second! 

As I write this I am inwardly jumping for joy at the prospect of spending my first day in the library and meeting three of my colleagues. According to Dorothy there is no place like home but I think I might just have to agree to disagree in this instance. 

Figure 2. Dorothy Home-schooling. 

Photo Credits:
Figure 1:
“The Home-school Life” meme. Mom Saves Time, Money, Sanity. Wordpress, 30 December, 2017. momsavestimemoneysanity.wordpress.com/2017/12/30/my-day-in-gifs/ 

Figure 2:
“Dorothy Home-schooling” meme. My San Antonio, Houston, 30 March, 2020. 

mysanantonio.com/houston/article/Homeschooling-memes-highlight-what-life-is-like- 15166171.php#photo-19240271 

    

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The Fresh Librarian: Concrete Steps for Standing out in a Competitive Field

Guest Post by David Rinehart. David grew up in Florida and moved to Ireland with his partner and daughter in 2018. He received an M.A. in Latin American Studies in 2018. He is currently a Library Assistant at Maynooth University Library’s Special Collections and Archives Department and is undertaking a Master’s degree in Information and Library Studies from Robert Gordon University.

Introduction:

The library job market in Ireland for an immigrant is difficult and daunting to say the least. The first thing I quickly realized when I arrived here in August of 2018 was that my professional training for job seeking in the US was not designed for Ireland. To catch up, I sought help from others. With fantastic guides along the way, I learned how to completely revamp my CV, the way I think about and write cover letters, and the way I thought about the job application process. All of this pushed me out of my comfort zone and propelled me forward. It’s comparable to when you take on a new language and learn grammar in a way you never learned in your native tongue. I learned the job search culture and processes in Ireland which are very different to my home country, the US. 

I grew up in Florida to an American dad and a Venezuelan immigrant mom.  I studied for an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Florida, where I also worked as a graduate assistant in the University’s Latin American and Caribbean Collection Library. It was from this work experience that I found my passion and career path towards librarianship. I moved to Ireland in 2018 when my wife accepted a post as lecturer at Maynooth University. Since arriving to Ireland I have worked as a Library Assistant at the Dundalk Institute of Technology and now at Maynooth University in the Special Collections and Archives department. I am currently undergoing a Masters of Information and Library Studies from Robert Gordon University online. 

Courtesy of Author 

The Application

Initially, when I applied for library posts, I wasn’t getting called to interview. So, I asked for help. My partner’s department head at Maynooth University agreed to meet with me to look over my CV and cover letter. She was very experienced having been on copious interview panels. She gave me some pointers on how to tidy up my CV, but the most important advice she gave me was how to write the cover letter. Back home, I had been trained to write a cover letter that reads like an essay or a pitch for a product – the product being me. It’s verbose and quite embarrassingly arrogant. She explained to me that the panel selects their candidates based on criteria that are matched to the job description. She recommended that I literally copy and paste the job requirements, both essential and desirable, into a word document and bullet point my relevant experience for each requirement. She explained that this made it far easier on the panel to award points towards being chosen as a candidate. It felt wrong and strange, but I did it, and I started receiving invite after invite to interview. 

Courtesy of Author 

The Interview

One of the things I do to prepare for an interview is to get as much background information as possible. I consider anything and everything I can find online about the job and the library. In the case of an academic library, this includes the institution’s Strategic Guide, the library’s Strategic Guide; I scour the LibGuides to understand their collections; I note recent events and exhibitions; I research several of the librarians, etc. The next step I take is to write up a list of questions. Then, I request a tour or visit to the library and spend some time walking around the stacks and getting a feel for the library, asking questions from my list when relevant or appropriate. I spend days, weeks even, imagining myself working there, and before you know it, I’ve created a narrative in which I have worked there for years, get along with my colleagues, and have a life built around this new post. This gives me great courage and confidence going into the interview, which is incredibly important and comes off quite well I’ve been told. But as a fair warning, it also creates a massive hurt when you don’t receive good news. The rejection hits me like a ton of bricks and I grieve the life that I had imagined for myself. 

So, I had figured out how to get my foot in the door, and how to feel confident and prepared for an interview, what more did I need to do to actually get the job?

Networking

After reading dozens of articles online and thinking through my candidacy, I recognized I was missing an important piece for increased chance of success. I was missing a network. Back home in Florida, I had built a network through community, through education, through professional opportunities and jobs. The most dramatic shift for me was that I no longer had a network. 

After a rejection, once I got the crying and grief out of my system, I emailed each person on the interview panel to see if they would meet with me for feedback and professional advice to improve my chances on future applications. Believe it or not, in nearly every single instance, they graciously emailed me back to invite me out for a cup of coffee or tea. I met so many library professionals this way. They would buy me a cup of coffee and tell me about their careers while giving me a few pointers on how to improve as a candidate. They also often introduced me to other library professionals. I was networking! I was getting to know people in the field, and we were making connections. Soon, I was interviewing with people who were no longer strangers, they were people I had sat down for a cup of coffee with. 

Courtesy of Author 

Some further advice I would give to jobseekers is to attend as many library-related events as you can. Talk to people. For me, this is one of the most exhausting parts of the job search. It’s all about going out of your comfort zone and showing your interest in the field. I am not saying that you should go to events just to network so that you can “get the job,” you need to be going to events that interest you. Your interest is key to being more active, involved, and enjoying your career. Don’t stop there, follow librarians and institutions on Twitter, read blog posts and journal articles, stay active and alert to what is happening in the field, even if you are not yet working in a library.

Conclusion

After a year and a half looking for that first job, the permanent library assistant position that would kick-off my career, I found not one, but two at the same time! I accepted the permanent library assistant post in Maynooth University Library’s Special Collections and Archives department. In the meantime, in addition to my studies at RGU, I’m trying to build up a portfolio of skills and experience that will be useful in this job and afterwards when I qualify and look for a job as a librarian.

The process is long and arduous, and at many times frustrating, but it is the reality of the job market. If you are patient, let yourself feel your emotions, and take these steps, I am certain that you are going to find your job! 

I warmly welcome anyone to reach out to me with any questions or for more advice at david.rinehart@mu.ie.

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Casted Librarians: Library Education in Bavaria, Germany

Guest post by Magdalena Rausch, academic librarian in training, Hochschule für den öffentlichen Dienst in Bayern, Munich, Germany, training at University Library of Bayreuth.

Courtesy of Author

(Magdalena recently undertook a three week internship at UCC Libary. She kindly presented to library staff on LIS education in Bavaria, Germany. Since it was such a fascinating eye opener of a talk I asked would she write up a short piece for Libfocus. She kindly did... now over to Magdalena...)


The library education programme of Bavaria is one of a kind – it is a dual system of education and integrated in the civil service system of the state. First of all, there are three levels of librarianship: level 2 (called “FAMI”), level 3 (called “QE3”) which requires you to have graduated from secondary school, level 4 (called “QE4”) which requires you to at least have a master`s degree in a subject of your choice. FAMIs can either train to work in public or academic libraries, as both areas are strictly separated, QE3 is studying to become trained academic librarians and QE4 will become subject librarians.

There are a series of steps you`ll be required to take to start your course of study in level 3 – I like to compare it to a casting: there are a number of jobs available in the state funded libraries of Bavaria, so the state will look for exactly as many people as are needed to fill all vacancies, therefore the number of candidates has to be reduced a couple of times, so you will need to pass a number of tests to advance to the next round of casting and finally be able to study library science.

Courtesy of Author

First, all candidates without A-Levels will not even be able to apply. Secondly, all candidate with A-Levels and German citizenship will need to take the civil servants test – a standardized exam everybody who wants to work for the state of Bavaria will have to take, future policemen and future librarians alike. Pass the test and you will be ranked according to your score and your A-Level grades. In the third round, the best candidates of each department will be invited to a structured interview of two hours where their social competence is put to test. Pass the interview, be ranked high enough and you will be able to study library science at the university of applied science for the Bavarian civil service in Munich.

Of course that seems like a lot of requirements but as soon as you’ve passed those tests and begin your course of study you will be a civil servant of Bavaria and will be paid accordingly even while you`re still studying (this will also result in you having to stay in Bavaria for five years, if you don’t want to have to pay back your debts).

Now this course of study will take you 3 years, 1 of which is spend working at your training library (which you unfortunately might not get to choose) – either one of the University Libraries of Bavaria or the Bavarian State Library – you will be able to learn the theoretical basics of librarianship, make experiences abroad during internships and finally graduate as a trained academic librarian!

Courtesy of Author

More good news: you also will most certainly get a job as an academic librarian because they have only casted as many people as they need to fill the vacancies!

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Adventuring into the LIS world...

Figure 1 from Pixabay.

Guest Post by Lisa O'Leary, who recently accepted a place in DBS for the MSc Information & Library Management course.

We wish Lisa all the luck in the world. And welcome her to the world of Library and Information Studies.

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle." - Steve Jobs

Embarking on something new is typically a mixture of excitement and nervousness and my first steps into the Library and Information Services (LIS) world were no different. Prior to beginning this journey I had limited knowledge of what working in the LIS world was like or what was involved and had not considered it as a possible career.
By choosing to do a BA degree, majoring in the study of religions and minoring in psychology, (which covered a diverse range of topics each, in their own way, relevant to our world today) broadened my mind and gave me an alternative view of society and the way people interact with each other and the world. I went on to complete an MA in contemporary religions, being the study of the people of religions, which further developed those thought-provoking ideas connecting various different areas and topics including society, race, gender, and class.
During this time I began thinking about my future career – I had come to the decision that an academic career was not for me, but what else could I do?
And with reflection, began the idea of working in a library grew from abstract thought to a tangible idea.

"Though no one can go back and make a brand-new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Carl Bard

My first foray into the LIS world was my work experience in UCC Library which began on October 2017 and finished December 2017.

With fellow Libfocus team member Martin O’Connor as my coordinator I began a part-time ten-week work experience which was a crash course in the workings of UCC library. Throughout my time I was introduced to the library’s system, online presence and databases, the collection and stacking of books and helping students.

I also visited many of the different departments within the library to gain a better understanding of how each worked, these included the Main Desk, Collection Development and Management, Cataloguing, Instructional Design (this department is housed within the library and was interesting and informative in relation to developing and redeveloping library spaces), Electronic Resources, Acquisitions, Repository, and I visited two satellite libraries attached to UCC – Brookfield and CUH. I spent a large portion of my work experience in Special Collections where I was shelving a new collection, and I also spent a few days in Archiving.

There was so much to take in during my time at UCC library, and each new area I was introduced to gave me an appreciation of how all the different elements and departments within a library worked individually and concurrently with each other.

Prior to starting the work experience I was dubious about it being a requirement for my college application but having completed it I found it to be invaluable. As I was coming from a place of no prior understanding it not only allowed me to experience what it would be like working in the area but I developed a whole range of new perspectives and an awareness of the LIS area that I did not have before.

For example, I attended a handful of seminars, including ‘Next Generation Learning Spaces Seminar’ and ‘Beyond the text: aspects of the manuscript and the printed book in Ireland and Europe’ giving me a great foundation and introduction to the different types of cross-disciplinary conferences that exist within the LIS area. I found the ‘Next Generation Learning Spaces Seminar’ particularly interesting not only because of the specific content of the seminar but because of the general topic.

The idea of learning spaces was something new to me. As a student, I had spent many hours in the library reading and writing for all my various assignments during my BA and MA, however, in all that time I had never actually considered the space that I was in. This seminar was eye-opening not only because I was suddenly aware of and considering the space around me but also because my new understanding of how important that space is for learning was growing.

 “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” - Milton Berle

During my work experience, it was recommended that I take part in the Rudai 23 course, which I did and have since received all badges. I feel I should mention that I am not a particularly outgoing person and so completing Rudai 23, particularly setting up a blog and writing posts was quite daunting for me and challenged me to step outside my comfort zone. At times I felt like I was somewhat at a disadvantage (concerning my lack of knowledge and experience) while doing the different Things, however, the tasks were designed in such a way that I was able to overcome this difficulty and complete them.

Rudai 23 occurred at an opportune time for me - just as I was starting my library work experience; beginning them both at the same time (and continuing on with Rudai 23) has been the perfect combination of introduction to and experience in the LIS world. In completing both I have learned a great deal over the past several months. As someone who is an outsider to the LIS profession (not working or studying in the area) they have given me a grounding and foundation from which I can develop - the different communication tools I can use, networking with other professionals and building an online brand, thinking more critically about the information I consume and produce, and how to get more actively involved in the LIS profession. If the work experience was the practical side of my introduction to the LIS world than Rudai 23 was the theory side. Rudai 23 was very instructive and in a way, for me, it perfectly culminates this phase of my adventure into the LIS world as it introduced me to the mechanisms of working within the LIS profession.

 “Take pride in how far you've come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don't forget to enjoy the journey.” - Michael Josephson

So, what does the future hold? Well, the next phase of my adventure involves going to college and next September I will be starting my Masters. It has been quite a journey so far but I think the clearest example of how, through both my work experience and Rudai 23, I have developed and progressed on this journey into the LIS world is the fact that I have written this post. If someone had told me a year ago that I would be writing a professional blog post I would not have believed them. For anyone beginning or considering a career in the LIS world, I cannot recommend completing a work experience programme and Rudai 23 highly enough as they provide the perfect introduction to the area from both a theoretical and practical standpoint. My adventure into the LIS world has been one filled with growth, development, and learning; and I suspect I will have much more of all three in the future!

Figure 2 from Pixabay.

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