School librarians: How do you keep up with professional development?
These questions have felt particularly relevant to me since graduating from library school and moving to a new country. Before I was employed in a library in the UK, I wanted to be sure I was a competitive candidate while applying for jobs, and now that I am working in a library, I want to learn and absorb the myriad of small ways that things are done differently here than in the US and my previous experience/vocbulary. (For example, CPD vs. PD as the prevailing acronym!) Hence the need for ongoing professional development, and particular focus on finding sources locally and in the UK.
I like it when things get sent directly to my inbox, since I think it's helpful for have things placed in front of my retinas. If I have to remember to seek things out, I'm immmediately less likely to see them.
Below are some of the most effective sources for ongoing library CPD that I have found for myself as a UK transplant and as a trained librarian new to the school library world.
School Librarian's Network (SLN): "School Librarians' Network is a forum where UK school librarians and school library staff can exchange news, views and ideas and give each other mutual support on all professional matters."
Secondary School Librarians on FB: This is a private Facebook group focused specifically on school librarians in the UK. It is a very active group, and members are very quick to respond with practical solutions/answers to questions.
SLA member webinars/closure links: The UK School Library Association produces a variety of useful content, including a series of courses and webinars, some of which are free to members. Open to everyone is their useful page chock-full of resources and links to distance learning tools and ideas. They also run a paid service called the CPD library in which you can request practical books/materials on topics within school librarianship.
Elizabeth Hutchinson is a well known name to members of CILIP and the SLA. She is a former school librarian and freelance trainer. I was introduced to her through the CPD webinar she hosted for the SLA during England's first lockdown. She runs a blog and is active on Twitter, as well as running as series called Library Staff Love Learning, which is focused entirely on CPD for school librarians.
Lucas Maxwell, 2017's UK School Librarian of the Year, runs a great blog based out of his school library in London, Glenthorne High School Library. He also has a great newsletter called the Portable Magic Dispenser, which I think deserves its own award for a great name (and great content).
The following sources are not UK-specific, but are trusted sources of information that I continue to use and value:
Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC): This is geared more towards librarians on the North American continent, but is still useful as a way to keep up with great new books being published. The librarians at the CCBC publish an annual list of critically acclaimed titles called CCBC, and create monthly videos in conjunciton with the South Central Library System in Wisconsin. These videos, called CCBC Shorts, are focused booktalks that cover a wide range of titles and age ranges, and are always both entertaining and informative.
Twitter lists - As someone who frequently feels overwhelmed by the enormity of a Twitter feed, my embarrassingly late discovery of the 'Lists' feature changed the game for me. Did you know you can add people you follow to a list of your creation, which populates a smaller, more manageable feed? I now have lists of authors, librarians, and publishers which I can scroll based on the subject I'm interested in. You can also follow other people's lists! Truly, mind blown.
Pinterest - The majority of my activity, program, and display ideas have been gathered from Pinterest for years. I would assume that most people are aware of how useful Pinterest can be as a tool for collecting ideas and finding inspiration for a wide array of disciplines, but if not, I encourage you to have a scroll.
School Library Journal - I personally subscribe to the digital edition of the magazine. I'm coming up on the end of my first year, and struggling a bit with whether or not to renew. Some of the articles and booklists are truly great, but the main reviews feature which is the bulk of the magazine has limited usefulness to me in my small budget school library in the UK. Happily, SLJ has extended their COVID-19 related free access to the digitized editions, so that is an option I plan to explore.
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