Knocking on Opportunitys Door Florida Health Sciences Library

Knocking on Opportunity’s Door Florida Health Sciences Library Association Annual Meeting - April 4, 2014 Orlando, FL Nancy Schaefer Associate University Librarian University of Florida

Be the Director of Your Own Career : Manage professional opportunities actively, not passively

Start Small experience, experiment, sample, test, select… then grow

Networking Introduce yourself. Discover the other person’s interests and expertise. Share yours. Respond with alacrity and enthusiasm to patron requests. These are possible letter writers/collaborators.

Continuing Education IT workshops Faculty lectures on campus Organizations’ classes: Library-oriented: MLA, NN/LM, NEFLIN, SEFLIN Health-oriented: NIH, OITE (NIH’s Office of Intramural Training & Education), HHS, CDC, HRSA Subject-oriented: Disaster, consumer health, IRB, copyright, informed consent Tech-oriented: Mobile devices, course management software

MLA Professional Competencies Health Sciences and Health Care Environment and Information Policies Leadership and Management Theory and Techniques Health Sciences Information Services Health Sciences Resource Management Information Systems and Technology Curricula Design and Instruction Research, Analysis and Interpretation

Innovation 2 requirements: original ideas organizational/technological expertise to implement You need contribute only 1 of these

Examples of Innovation CTSI Librarian • volunteered for related committees • requested Admin authority to help researchers across campus with NIH Public Access compliance Basic Sciences librarian • joined Research Gate • increased followers by turning reference questions into instruction/advice for others

Disseminate Start small (less competitive) & progress: Campus=> state=> regional=> national=> international Posters => oral presentations Non-peer-reviewed newsletters=> peer-reviewed journal articles => chapters/books

Oral Presentations More competitive than posters. Promotion committees consider these evidence that a professional community recognizes your expertise on topics of sufficient importance to merit face-to-face time at conferences.

Publish – Don’t Perish 1 st papers - Collaborate with an established writer. Offer to do the work but ask for guidance through the steps of the publishing process. Research possible journals for submission: Experience what patrons must do Reduce rejection of your own articles Demonstrate skills and experience in a mix of authorship roles: • Solo – can plan and execute on your own • Lead - vision, can coordinate others’ efforts • Multiple co-authorship – can cooperate

Grants “The most expensive way to make money” - now expected of academic librarians. Read grant announcements with a flexible, open, creative mind. How could the grant’s purpose relate to your library’s/institution’s goals? As with the other professional development opportunities discussed, grant applications can stem from your daily work. For example: • Exploring cost-reduction possibilities • Research/instruction on new technologies • Piloting new services (or old services to new users)

Committee Choice Choose committees of value to you/your library: IT Research Grants Copyright Scholarly Communication Curriculum/Teaching Enhancement Special student groups “Disabled” International Clinical Tenure & Promotion

Active Participation Naming a committee you sat on no longer suffices. Tenure and promotion committees seek evidence of active participation.

More on Active Participation Volunteer for assignments, task forces, subcommittees, projects. List these and any specific official role you had on them on your CV. Your hard work and innovative ideas or realistic problem-solving will facilitate fellow committee members’ positive recommendations.

Offices Volunteer for office in on-campus groups and professional associations. MAKE the time to do the work required. It’ll help you get considered for future opportunities. Don’t earn a reputation as one who “over-promises and under-delivers. ” Promotion committee members usually have officer experience so appreciate the time and effort involved.

YOU CAN Actively Direct Your Career Nancy Schaefer 352. 273. 8417 nancys@ufl. edu