Transitioning from Library Technician to Librarian

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Transitioning from Library Technician to Librarian
Presented by Jennifer Peters-Lise Metadata
Digital Services Librarian Seneca
College jennifer.peters-lise_at_senecac.on.ca

• OCULA One-Day Mini-Conference
• The Holistic Librarian
• Thriving in Your Work and Life
• November 9, 2006

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Audience poll

• How many Librarians?
• How many Technicians?
• How many Technicians who are thinking of becoming
  Librarians?

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Today

• My background
• My degree experience
• Reactions to my decision to become a librarian
• How my job has changed

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Education background

• Journalism Durham College
• English Literature Trent University
• Library Technician Seneca College
• Masters of Information Studies U of Toronto

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Completing the degree

• Part-time _at_ night, worked during the day
• Completed the degree in 3 years

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My degree experience
and Kubler-Ross5 stages of grief
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The degree

• Before I started school
• Denial
• First year
• Anger depression
• Bargaining
• Second and 3rd year
• Acceptance
• After graduation
• Denial Depression
• Now
• Acceptance

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Suggestions for Techs considering pursuing their
MISt part-time

• Do itits more than worth it.
• If you are able, take courses during the day.
• Take the full amount of courses in the summer.

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Suggestions for Techs considering pursuing their
MISt part-time

• Wait for the courses you really want to take.
• Try to connect with other part-time students.
• Ask your employer if they reimburse tuition,
  offer incentives and/or time off for courses.

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Reactions to a technician who becomes a
librarian
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Mixed reactions

• Librarians
• Technicians
• One colleague - Toxic reaction

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The great or (not-so-great) divide

• Techs learn about librarians, but librarians
  dont learn about techs
• Diploma and degree cover some of the same
  information

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What to learn from this

• Librarians - dont underestimate Technicians
• Technicians - dont vilify librarians
• Our skills are complementary.

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How my job has changed
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As a librarian I experience

• More research
• More report writing
• More meetings
• More strategic planning
• More conferences
• More politics
• Less repetitive work
• Less public service
• Less time to do work

Direct correlation
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In conclusion

• What would I change about my experience?

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Questions?