{"id":66785,"date":"2014-04-01T13:45:29","date_gmt":"2014-04-01T18:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=66785"},"modified":"2014-03-31T16:24:38","modified_gmt":"2014-03-31T21:24:38","slug":"attend-your-local-library-conferences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=66785","title":{"rendered":"Attend Your Local Library Conferences!"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Rebekah Kati, Head Editor,\u00a0INALJ North Carolina<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Attend Your Local Library Conferences!<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"RebekahKati\"<\/a>In mid March, I attended the North Carolina Serials Conference in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.\u00a0I had heard of this conference, but had never attended until this year. As I sat through\u00a0various sessions on serials assessment, I began to think about why I hadn\u2019t ever gone to this\u00a0conference before. It was cheap, close to home and very informative, even though I am not\u00a0currently working as a traditional librarian. So what are the advantages of attending a local\u00a0conference?<\/p>\n

Many local librarians means great networking opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n

When money is tight, librarians are more likely to attend local conferences where they don\u2019t\u00a0have to pay for lodging and plane fare. If you are looking for a job in your area, these librarians\u00a0are also the people who you will want to talk to about job opportunities and work environment.\u00a0Also, they will likely have great insights into their work and the profession, which can help you\u00a0expand your own knowledge. Don\u2019t be afraid to grow your network!<\/p>\n

There are usually many opportunities for networking during breaks and lunch and many\u00a0librarians are eager to talk about the conference and their work. As a very introverted person, I\u00a0know it can be incredibly difficult to talk to strangers, especially those who might work with you\u00a0some day. But it is worth it to try!<\/p>\n

Keep up to date with important issues in the profession and explore ideas from different\u00a0points of view<\/strong><\/p>\n

Naturally, conference presentations typically focus on important issues in the profession.\u00a0The theme of NC Serials was scholarly assessment, so the keynote focused on alternative\u00a0measures of assessment beyond the impact factor. I hadn\u2019t heard of most of these alternate\u00a0assessments, such as article level usage and altimetrics, prior to this session and as a vendor,\u00a0it is useful to know how our customers might measure future usage of our products and what\u00a0features they might want us to add to the online platform. The presenter also asked questions\u00a0about the new metrics which will become more important as they are more widely adopted and\u00a0encouraged the attendees to think critically about the topic. This session gave me valuable\u00a0information about a new trend in the profession and encouraged thoughtful reflection.<\/p>\n

Also, a good conference will encourage dialogue from different points of view. A panel\u00a0discussion at NC Serials focused on current issues surrounding open access and included a\u00a0scholarly communications librarian, an editor at a scholarly publisher and a professor. Each\u00a0panelist had a unique – and sometimes conflicting – view on the state of open access. I found\u00a0it very refreshing to hear these alternate points of view into a contentious topic and would likely\u00a0not have been exposed to them in such an easily digestible form without the conference.<\/p>\n

Learn about best practices<\/strong><\/p>\n

Conferences presentations can also cover best practices which librarians have used to fix\u00a0issues. For example, I attended a session in which the presenter spoke on the ways that her\u00a0library had optimized their e-journal usage through promotion on their website and maximizing\u00a0access points throughout the online library. This was a valuable session for information sharing,\u00a0and would likely be very useful for anyone in the room who was pursuing a job as an electronic\u00a0resources librarian.<\/p>\n

Additionally, local conferences can also give you insight into the best practices of local libraries.\u00a0Another session at NC Serials focused on how local colleges and universities in the Carolina\u00a0Consortium assess big deal serials packages and what criteria the consortium recommends\u00a0that they use to determine their level of participation in the deals. This session was especially\u00a0valuable because it contained information about the inner workings of these libraries that\u00a0are not easily discoverable. I learned that many of the research libraries in North Carolina\u00a0receive usage statistics tailored to their institution from the Carolina Consortium. This was not\u00a0something that I would likely have discovered on my own or even thought to look for.<\/p>\n

Visit with vendors<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many library conferences have booths where vendors can gather to showcase their products.\u00a0Although smaller conferences will not have the space to house many vendors like ALA Annual,\u00a0the vendors are still worth visiting. As a librarian, you will be working with many of the products\u00a0showcased by the vendors and learning about these products at a conference may give you an\u00a0edge in your future interviews. Plus, vendors are great employers too! You never know when\u00a0you might make a connection that will help your job search, even if it is a few years down the\u00a0road.<\/p>\n

Local conferences are wonderful opportunities to grow your network and to gather information\u00a0about the profession. They can also connect you with people and ideas that could give you a\u00a0leg up in your job search. Explore local conferences in your area and think about attending!\u00a0You will always learn something!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Rebekah Kati, Head Editor,\u00a0INALJ North Carolina Attend Your Local Library Conferences! In mid March, I attended the North Carolina Serials Conference in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.\u00a0I had heard of this conference, but had never attended until this year. As I sat through\u00a0various sessions on serials assessment, I began to think about why I hadn\u2019t…<\/p>\n

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