Proving the value of peer networks: plugging in to your
peers
Proving the value of peer networks: plugging in to your
peers
Bethan Ruddock
#npc2010
July 2010
Proving the value of peer
networks: plugging in to
your peers
Bethan Ruddock
#npc2010
July 2010
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What are peer networks, and why should I care?
contact groups consisting of fellow Library/Information
professionals, workers, or others associated with the profession.
These may include groups such as work colleagues; fellow members of
an association; members of a social group such as a ning or
facebook group; conference attendees; twitter followers; and other
groups with whom you interact on a professional basis.
What?
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If you work in isolation you repeat the mistakes that others
have made.
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Why?
They provide the opportunity for:
benchmarking; discovering solutions to problems; finding out
about tools others have used
first; making you realise
you are not alone
in your struggles; encouraging
professional engagement.
Why?
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Peer Networks
Present:
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Find peer networks on Twitter, email lists and face-to-face
hugely helpful both for getting new opportunities and for mutual
support/advice.
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Support:
Necessary for us all to share experience and build new ideas
with our colleagues and peers
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Collaboration:
I find peer networks very valuable for finding out about
resources and opportunities I might otherwise have missed.
I've found Twitter useful for making links with others who I've
not actually met, and getting advice on issues (mainly related to
digital repositories).
networking can improve services we offer and helps us bench
mark.
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Collective intelligence:
My peer network on twitter helps keep me up to
date. Peer network of old colleagues helps me brainstorm ideas,
reflect on practice, and are a valuable information source.
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Discussion:
Peer networks have a vital role to play in the work I do, it
helps us to set standards and keep up with current trends and
developments in the profession.
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Current awareness:
They are also invaluable for
observing trends, debates, etc
quickly. How people in your
peer network engage with certain
debates or issues
can provide
a very good
temperature check
on how important a certain
issue is perceived to be
(linked data for example) and
what the key questions are.
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Current awareness:
Knowing your peers means that you are exposed to new ideas /
different ideologies, which may well further new thinking related
to your work
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Different points of view:
To be effective anyone in the library/information world needs to
be able to network with peers. Not only can this help either
directly or indirectly with your career but is stimulating
and thought provoking
to find out how others
tackle particular
issues.
Your peers are
also a valuable
information
source in
themselves!
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Different points of view:
Invaluable for experience sharing, kiteflying, support - and
I've made some lifelong friends
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Friendship:
Valuable for numerous reasons, including keeping up with what is
happening in other workplaces, getting support when things are
tough, finding quick answers by asking a contact who knows.
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Sharing professional experiences:
I believe they are vital, for personal development, for
increasing one's knowledge of the profession as a whole, and in
becoming involved in worthwhile projects.
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Personal growth:
Peer networking has helped a great deal in my role as a library
assistant dealing with requests for classical music scores.
Experienced staff left soon after I joined and a network called
IAMLS has helped me develop some very good contacts whom I have
called for advice. The network is also useful for tracking down
obscure pieces of music.
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Community of experts:
I actively encourage younger colleagues to join social
networking and peer networking groups. There is valuable
information and experience to be gained, and we all need to "see
beyond the desk" to stay on top of the job
and remain enthusiastic
and fresh. It is so easy to
become insular and
short sighted, even
within a team context,
let alone an
institutional one.
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Advice for new professionals:
As somebody who has been involved in the profession for less
than a year I have found peer networks invaluable. Without peer
networks I doubt I would have learnt so much about the profession
in such a short space of time...
...I've probably learnt just as much if not more about the
profession through networking as I have from my current job.
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New professional view:
I believe them to be very important for career advancement,
making sure that people know who you are.
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New professional view:
the network of those working toward chartership is invaluable
for sharing ideas, getting a bit of reassurance or
encouragement.
I have already been able to communicate with other chartership
candidates via twitter and the LIS mailing lists.
It has helped with my chartership.
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Chartership:
Opportunities:
articles
guest blog posts
conference papers
book contributions
joint conference session
invited to speak at two events
post on a journal
run a social media workshop
set up the Library Routes Project
Run a demo session
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As a new professional, I felt it was important to attend the
BIALL conference to meet law librarians outside my library for the
first time.
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Fresh point-of-view:
I use peer networks through social media sites, twitter,
LinkedIn, Ning sites such as MashUps, and sites supporting
conferences. This gives me access to a wide group of like minded
librarians who when I meet them f2f I already know what we have in
common.
Finding a network:
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am part of the Ravelibrarians group on a huge knitting social
networking website called Ravelry. I know, sounds insane, but we
actually have really interesting work-related discussions
on the fora.
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Finding a network:
I have set up a semi-formal peer network which meets 4 times a
year. We seem to get a lot out of it.
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Finding a network:
Most of this networking is done in my spare time I think I would
struggle to continue my current level of involvement in full-time
employment at my current workplace due to employer concerns about
the value of peer networks.
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Challenges:
Can be very time consuming so need to work out
costs/benefits.
had to justify why going to a library-related conference was so
important that I needed time off. Also, have been asked to take
time off for CILIP Committee out of my personal time.
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Challenges:
Peer networks are highly valuable, but negotiating and
communicating within them takes skill. We need to reflect on the
identity/persona we present. On the other hand authenticity can be
really valuable in forming relationships that don't feel loose or
weak.
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Challenges:
I just dislike the idea of being forced to do it if I want a
better job.
Challenges:
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Proving value:
I found the International Association of Music Libraries
UK Branch invaluable when, as a younger professional,
I felt isolated. I was a subject specialist for Music but
also for many other subjects. Music was my main interest
I had taken a specialist course in music librarianship at Leeds
Polytechnic - but it had a negligible profile at my university
library, a situation I was determined to change. Thanks
to the energy, interest and support of IAML(UK) I can
say with complete assurance and no personal vanity that I
accomplished this change successfully, to the benefit of
the library, the Music Department and the university.
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Positive change: