After a cpd23 break while I caught up with and recovered from Cam23, it's back to it with thing 7!
While it’s not possible to be active in every professional organisation (unless you are Super Librarian and I know I’m not) I think it’s beneficial to yourself and to the profession as a whole if you are a member of at least one organisation that is relevant to you (whether formal or informal).
The main professional organisation that I'm a member of is CILIP. I joined when I was a graduate trainee and carried on as a student (Update had useful articles and information that could give me ideas for my coursework) then I let my membership lapse. I rejoined at the start of this year, as I really wanted to get more involved in the profession outside of my day job, and recently joined the CDG East of England Group Committee. I do read Update every month, and find this useful for keeping up to date and seeing what's happening in the library world. As I've mentioned before on this blog, I decided to start working towards Chartership of CILIP. It's a good incentive to make sure I don't forget about CPD, and I like feeling I am working towards a goal with a qualification at the end of it (hopefully!).
IFLA is an organisation I've been meaning to find out more about, so I decided to take this opportunity to do just that. As it's worldwide, with so many sections and special interest groups, it can seem a bit daunting, but the new professionals group looks like it might be a good way into it. I've now subscribed to their blog feeds. I hadn't heard about the cycling for libraries unconference that took place earlier this summer until now, but now I won't miss out on hearing about all the exciting events that the new professionals group are running!
Of the informal organisations, LISNPN is one that I have only come across online so far. The others were completely new to me, so I had a look at the Library Society of the World. It's a nice idea, but a shame it doesn't look to be that recently used, and I don't feel it is worth joining if other people aren't active there.
As for face to face networking, it doesn't always come easy when faced with a room full of strangers, but I do enjoy meeting new people. Casting my mind back to the cpd23 networking event I attended in July in Cambridge, I really enjoyed the chance to meet some lovely people and catch up with some I'd met before.
