Career Watch

NAME : Agnes Adebimpe Shodimu
OCCUPATION: Acting Area Library Manager

IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS:

The ‘People's Network' has made a huge impact on the provision of library services all over the country. It was set up by the National Government in 2000 to enable people access to IT. The goal was to help make excluded people in the society socially included and IT literate. Because over 58% of the population use libraries regularly, it seemed the best place to have computers there where everyone could have access to IT facilities free of charge. The bonus for libraries is that it became apparent that a lot of people are still without computers in their homes and our library visitor and issuing figures shot up as a result.

QUALIFICATION REQUIRED :

Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip) is the professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers with over 23,000 members. The requirement for qualifications varies from one library authority to another. Some require and insist on you being qualified before you can become a fully fledged librarian and others require that you qualify as a Chartered Librarian before you can be appointed to certain posts. The qualification you have will determine the job that you can, or will be allowed to do.

In London Borough of Lambeth where I work, there are no strict requirements to be qualified as long as you have the relevant experience and ability, skills and knowledge to do the job adequately. However, before you start, you are taken through a rigorous induction and training process which equips you to do the job efficiently. Lambeth believes in ‘Investment in People' and over the last 5 years it has been committed to sending interested members of staff on professional librarian graduate training at universities all over the country, the qualification gained at the end of this is a MA in Information Services Management.

AVERAGE DAY/JOB DESCRIPTION:

As the Area Library Manager, I am responsible for the strategic development of the library service and in particular the group that I head. I am also responsible for the devolved budget/budgetary controls of my group and in charge of two of the three largest and well used libraries in the borough one of which has a dedicated Theatre and Hall.

My time is divided between the two libraries. I am in one on Mondays and Tuesdays and the other Wednesdays and Thursdays. No two days are ever the same.

CHALLENGES:

I have enjoyed doing this job in different capacities over the last eighteen years and have not regretted it. However, working with the public and on the frontline can be challenging and enables you to see people at their best and at their worst.

The challenges from my own experience have been with rude, difficult members of the public and managing people. There have been times when this has made me stressed, but overall, I have good and fond memories of events and activities which will stay with me forever.

ADVICE TO THOSE JOINING THE PROFESSION:

My advice to those wanting to join the profession is that you need to have good interpersonal skills and a sharp mind in order to help and interact with the diverse people in the community.

Working in the library involves you being asked all sorts of questions. From the very obscure to the well known, you do not have to know everything but the important thing is to be very conversant with information sources in order to ensure that people go away from the library happy that their queries have been satisfied.

FAVOURITE BOOK:

have several favourites, but the two that have had a lasting effect on me are: ‘Purple Hibiscus' by Chimamanda Adicihe and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee.