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Navigating Change: Horizontal Career Development in Library Roles

Explore the shifting roles in librarianship and the concept of horizontal career development. Discover the value of task rotation, job exchanges, customer orientation, excellence, freedom of information, and communality in developing staff expertise in libraries. Learn about challenges, leadership, organizational culture change, and benefits of diversifying skills. Concludes with the importance of professional growth, role of library management, and encouraging career mobility.

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Navigating Change: Horizontal Career Development in Library Roles

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  1. The Possibilities of Horizontal Career Development and the Changing Roles of Librarians 10th European Conference of Medical and Health Libraries Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 11th-16th of September 2006 Tuulevi Ovaska Kuopio University Library & Kuopio University Hospital Medical Library Kuopio, Finland

  2. Roles of librarians are changing Whole concept of librarianship is changing Are we – the libraries and librarians – in control of these changes? Could horizontal career development keep us in control? Could task rotationandjob exchange be of use? What is their role in continuing professional development? Introduction

  3. Horizontal career development Career develops horizontally instead of vertically Learning new tasks Developing skills and know-how Useful in our field where Chances to move on upwards are limited Chances of moving on and ahead horizontally offer a wide variety Key concepts

  4. Task rotation and job exchange Extending expertise into something else or something more Rotating and changing some, or all, of your tasks for a certain period of time, or for the present In the same library, or with another library, even abroad Key concepts

  5. Value: Customer orientation The needs of our customers are the basis of our activities. Customer services are flexible, communicative, impartial, reliable and easily attainable. Requires Continuous learning and staying up-to-date Understanding of the totality of the services Highly motivated and skilful staff  good quality customer services Values

  6. Value: Excellence Excellence means that we successfully combine the demands of the customers and expertise of the service providers. In the service process the expert can even top the customer’s hopes. Development is creative which means that new things are eagerly acknowledged and everyone is interested in developing their own actions and the actions of the work community. Includes expertise Requires creativity and interest Values

  7. Freedom of information Kuopio University Library is open to all and a part the Finnish and the international library network. The collections and services are available to all those in need of information. Requires Knowing and understanding library network and its different actors Values

  8. Communality In order to develop the library the staff members work together, co-operate, appreciate and respect each other, communicate openly, and are committed to their work. Interaction at work is active and sincere. Internal and external communication is active and well planned, and belongs to all staff members. Commitment to work is manifested as willingness to develop one’s expertise and aspiration to act as a community. Requires Willingness to develop expertise Knowing and appreciating colleagues’ work Values

  9. Attitudes of staff members, supervisors, and the library management Common resistance to change Practical arrangements Payment  a survey to find out the attitudes of the staff members and the management of Kuopio University Library (N=28, 80 % of 35) Challenges

  10. Personally interested in exchange Positive attitude to the rotation of the staff Doubtful about the chances of the practical implementations Library administrators and department heads

  11. People make up organizations All change needs leadership, management and support Organizational culture cannot be changed easily Supervisors must have talent and skills to identify needs for staffing and to assess staff skills, abilities, and potential Changing organizational culture

  12. Diversification of professional skills Organizational flexibility Spiritual and professional growth Job enrichment Working capacity Contentment in work Understanding and cooperation Respect for each other’s work New perspectives Benefits

  13. Task rotation, job exchange, and international mobility are compatible with the values and in accordance with the strategy of Kuopio University Library There is potential for: internal task rotation in the library from three to six months at a time international exchange for short periods, less than three months Conclusions

  14. Important to develop professional skills in every way and at full stretch Task rotation or job exchange one method, not the only way A part ofcontinuing professional development to supplement continuing education courses and other schooling Libraries and their management must stay in charge of the changes in our profession Motivated, skilled and enthusiastic library staff Diversifying tasks and duties Encouraging career mobility between health libraries Conclusions

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