Strong values + DIY work ethic = getting good stuff done

Over the coming months NGAC and SNGG will be sharing NLS8 attendees feedback via images on social media. Read on to learn more!

The theme of June’s New Librarians’ Symposium – DIY Library career – took on a number of meanings throughout the course of the symposium, and we were inspired by the encouragement speakers and attendees gave each other to go out and do something, to experiment and try, and to make things happen. Many also reflected on the ‘Y’ in ‘DIY’ – that collaboration and knowledge sharing makes us all stronger, and that working towards change is something we must do together.

The symposium was also an exciting opportunity for us to talk with students and new graduates in between sessions about their hopes and ideas for the future. From our table at the NLS8 breakout space we invited attendees to write down their answer to the question: “What matters to you?”.

Their responses covered a range of subjects, but some common themes emerged very quickly: diversity, social justice, open access, community engagement, innovation, literacy and learning, employment and professional development.

The feedback we received is a reflection of students’ and new grads’ values – we want a profession with a greater diversity of voices, experiences and skills. We want challenging, reflective discourse about the nature of our work, and the ways in which we can do it better. We want quality, accessible information to be freely available for everyone who seeks it. We want to be advocates, both for ourselves and in collaboration with our communities. We want to find new ways of working, and to support the ongoing development of a broad range of literacies. We want meaningful, fairly paid and reliable jobs which give us the opportunity to broaden our skills and experience, and to make a positive impact on others.

Seeing these values expressed in the context of a symposium which encouraged initiative and collaboration was all the more exciting – we asked new librarians what matters to them, and their answers describe a vision of this profession which is open, just, vibrant and powerful. We believe that moving closer towards that vision is something we can all achieve, by taking action, and by working together.

Remember to check the ALIA SNGG Instagram account to read the responses.