| Editorial: Develop your skills for the future
The
deceptively quiet summer period, often called the 'silly season'
of journalism, is now well and truly over. The following pages
show there has been a glut of Career Development Group activity
recently and some exciting events are also planned for the
near future. I urge you to take the time to look at the unusually
long dates section of this issue to see what is on offer in
your Division. In the run up to Christmas, we are offering
something to meet most people's skills and professional development
needs. The notice of forthcoming elections is also your opportunity
to get more involved in the Group and obtain some key skills
through committee activity. To maintain this full programme
of events in the future, we need you to get involved!
Details
of one of the most significant events being planned by the
gruop this year, our national conference, can be found on
the centre-fold spread. Skills for the future is a topic anbody
concerned with career development should be keen to find out
more about. If you have not been to a conference before and
not yet had the opportunity to enjoy the educational and networking
benefits conference presents, then seriously consider atending
this event. I found my first Career Development Group conference
(way back last century!) a refreshing and stimulating occasion
- a chance to recharge the professional batteries and feel
upbeat about the future. It was also the way I was introduced
to Group members and invited to become more involved.
In preparation for the conference, what could make better
reading than John Miller's opening article in this issue on
how our profession can develop future leadership potential?
To help you develop your career, you will invariably need
to change jobs, but what about changing sectors? Amanda Quick's
Umbrella review covers Nicola Franklin's tips on how to transfer
your skills between sectors. If you do get the job you want,
but circumstances change, you might find that David Byrne's
article on making your working life more flexible offers some
useful advice. Details of forthcoming CILIP careers fairs
and chartership preparation training days will be of interest
to a good number of readers, especially students and new entrants
into the profession.
If future skills is one theme of this issue, another is that
of Library buildings and their role in the 21st century community.
It is interesting to compare the approach being taken at Birmingham,
described by Ayub Khan in his keynote Umbrella address, with
the innovations discovered by the Study tour delegates on
the Career Development Group visit to Finland. It is clear
that libraries are being radically redefined in terms of their
content, their function and their physical design.
Enjoy this issue and make the most of what the Group has to
offer over the eventful months ahead to develop your career
to its full potential.
Christopher Cipkin
Joint Honorary Editor |
