Invited talk at Reimagining identity: A seminar / workshop on professional identity for library staff who teach, held at DIT Bolton St, May 23rd 2018.

1. PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY AND
THE MLIS – HOW TO MAKE A
LIBRARIAN
Claire McGuinness
School of Information & Communication Studies,
UCD

2. Was there ever a moment
when you first felt that you
were truly a librarian?
 MLIS graduation day?
 First day in first library job?
 When you first described
yourself as a librarian to
someone else?
 When you put “librarian”
next to occupation on a
form?
 Another moment?

3. What makes you a
librarian? What if you don’t have a professional MLIS
qualification, but have worked in a library for most
of your working life? Are you a librarian then?
 What if you are an MLIS graduate, but find
yourself working in a para-professional role, or in
a different industry or sector entirely? Are you a
librarian then?
 What if someone asks you what you do for a
living, and you say, “I’m qualified as a librarian,
but currently working as a secondary school
teacher”? Are you a librarian then?
 What if you are filling out a form, and in the space
for occupation you are obliged to write down your
current job, not what you are qualified in? Are you
a librarian then?

4. How and when do you become
a librarian?
What is the role of LIS
educators in “making”
librarians?

5. My presentation today
■ How is professional identity conceptualised
■ What makes a “profession”
■ Importance and power of professional identity
■ The construction of professional identity
■ Professional identity and the MLIS
■ The Capstone project in the School of Information &
Communication Studies

6. Defining Professional Identity
“Identity is the core of who we are as individuals. It shapes how we present
ourselves, our expectations of how we interact with others and their
treatment of us, and forms the basis of what we believe are our capabilities
and potential […] professional identity is also a dynamic concept that shifts in
response to institutional and social changes” (Hussey & Campbell-Meier,
2016)
“A professional identity is an
individual’s image of who they are as a
professional […] the constellation of
attributes, beliefs, values, motives and
experiences that people use to define
themselves in their professional
capacity” (Caza & Creary, 2016).

7. Who we are and what we do
Personal identity & professional identity are fully
intertwined
“Individuals draw from personal attributes, social group
membership and work roles to assign meaning to who they
are and what they do in the workplace” (Caza & Creary, 2016)
“Professional identification cannot happen without
consideration of individual identity […] Once properly
educated and prepared to enter the profession, our
individual identity remains an essential contributor to our
professional identity. We become more aware of our own
individual identity as we are trying to shape our
professional identity” (Hussey & Campbell-Meier, 2016)
Highly fluid and changing over time, based on personal
experiences as well as external feedback.

8. What makes a profession?
 Specialised training
 Unique & specialised knowledge, skills and practices
 An established process of growing new knowledge from
the context of practice
 An oversight mechanism developed by the community
of education & practice
 The “right to control its own work” – high degree of
autonomy
 Professional ethics/standards
 Work for the interest of clients
“A profession is a disciplined group of individuals who adhere to ethical standards. This group positions itself as
possessing special knowledge and skills in a widely recognised body of learning derived from research, education
and training at a high level, and is recognised by the public as such. A profession is also prepared to apply this
knowledge and exercise these skills in the interest of others” (Professional Standards Council, Australia).
Architecture, clergy,
engineering, law &
medicine
Recently, criteria for defining a
profession are becoming more relaxed
– occupation should be skill- or
education-based (Caza & Creary, 2016)
Also, work roles are becoming more
complex and overlapping- workers take
on multiple roles, and sometimes
multiple professions in their lives

9. Is librarianship a profession?
 Professional qualification following intensive
training – MLIS, MSc Information Management,
etc
 Professional representative body (e.g., LAI, CILIP,
ALA)
 ALA Core Values of Librarianship
 Library Association of Ireland “Code of
Professional Practice” (guidelines)
 Body of professional literature – books, journals,
etc
 But professional status cannot be removed from
a graduate – can’t be “struck off”
 No standard “board” or “bar” exam to pass to
gain admittance to the profession
 Librarians typically don’t work for “clients”

10. IS LIBRARIANSHIP A PROFESSION?
Research Assistant
Temporary Clerical Officer
Taxonomist
Call Service Representative
Customer Service Associate
Rights and Permissions Assistant
Pension Administrator
Archives Assistant
Office Administrator
Retention Agent
Analyst
Social Media Specialist
DRI Data Curator
Archivist
Postgraduate Medical Education Centre
Team Member
Project Management Engineer
Leisure Attendant
Insurance Advisor
Knowledge and Information Role
Transactional Specialist
Claims Assessor
Receptionist
Data Clerical Administrator
HR Assistant
(Jobs reported by UCD MLIS graduates)
MLIS graduates qualified to work in wide range of “non-traditional” jobs – not just
libraries
“Do you need a library to be a librarian?” (Martin, 2013)

11. Importance of professional identity
 Professional identity is a key way that individuals
assign meaning to themselves: “Through the
construction of professional identity, individuals are
able to claim purpose and meaning for themselves,
and explicate how they contribute to society” (Caza
& Creary, 2016)
 Influences work attitudes, affect and behaviour in
the workplace
 It “shape(s) the way the members of a profession
interact with their clients and society” (Hicks, 2014)
 Important for psychological well-being – linked to
self-efficacy, self-esteem and job satisfaction
 Enables practitioners to articulate and clearly
communicate what they do to others
“If librarians’ identity salience is unclear,
especially if they are juggling multiple
roles (such as the more traditional roles of
reference service provider or collection
developer) with more recent expectations
for teaching, significant stress may result”
(Julien & Genuis, 2009)

12. Power of Professional
Identity
“Librarians face a future thick with
both uncertainty and possibility; they
must come to grips with their identity
as librarians to successfully propel
their discipline through the
information age […] a well-formed
sense of purpose and responsibility
can permeate librarians’ actions and
help realize the discipline’s
objectives” (Sare, Bales & Neville,
2012)

13. Power of professional
identity
“Individuals who are highly identified with their
profession will see their own beliefs about the profession
as self-defining, and will perceive “oneness” with their
profession” (Caza & Creary, 2016)
Possible to identify too closely? “Vocational awe”
“When the rhetoric surrounding librarianship borders on
vocational and sacred language rather than
acknowledging that librarianship is a profession or a
discipline, and as an institution, historically and
contemporarily flawed, we do ourselves a disservice […]
Because the sacred duties of freedom, information, and
service are so momentous, the library worker is easily
paralyzed” (Forbazi Ettarh, 2018)

14. Teacher identity & librarians
“Lack of a consistent teacher identity among academic librarians
may hinder their effectiveness in meeting these expanding
instructional responsibilities in a changing organisational
environment” (Walter, 2008, p.65)
“The acceptance of our role in teaching and learning also comes
with a price. If we are to be teachers, then we need to be fully
engaged in training for, and maintaining competence in, this
aspect of our professional identity” (Powis, 2008)
A clear role conception instils confidence, reduces stress,
increases motivation, enables clearer communication with others,
and enhances the potential for collaboration

15. Construction of professional identity
Imposed or individually constructed?
 Pre-conceptions about profession before entry – influenced by media, associates
already in the profession, careers guidance, personal experience of libraries
 Intensive period of professional training
 Short-term work experience pre- or during professional training
 Exposure to theoretical and professional body of knowledge – professional values
 Exposure to core competency frameworks
 Interactions with peers during professional training (social and through team work)
 Experiences in employment post graduation – “apprenticeship”
 Participation in professional networks (in-person and online)
 Involvement in professional committee work or community outreach
 Contribution to scholarship of the profession
Professional identity construction
is not passive. People take an
active role in constructing their
professional identity - a constant
process of negotiation
Doing, Acting, Interacting

16. Preconceptions matter
“Prior to employment when I was considering librarianship and when studying it
was similar. But I do remember when I was in still in school and heard of
someone who was working in a public library after her arts degree, I did have the
view that many people have - why would you need a degree to work in a library?”
“Librarians' work is constantly changing to
meet the demands, not only of the user
population, but also the political demands of
the wider organisation population.”
“the image I had was of the librarian not being able to add as
much value – i.e., more as a back office operation. Obviously
this is not the case and librarians play a central & strategic
role in the whole educational process”
“I think that my work
involves a wider range
of diverse activities than
I expected.”
Survey of 38 Irish academic librarians, 2010 (McGuinness,
2011)

17. Core Competencies
Examples
 CILIP’s Professional Knowledge & Skills
Base (PKSB)
 ALA’s Core Competencies of
Librarianship
 ALA’s Standards for Proficiencies for
Instruction Librarians and Coordinators
 SLA’s Competencies for Information
Professionals

18. Importance of Socialisation
The social learning processes by which individuals acquire specific
knowledge and skills required in a professional role
“Socialization is the key period within which individuals begin to form
identification with their profession as they internalize the norms, values,
behaviours and attitudes expected of their new roles […] From a social identity
perspective, socialization provides a basis for attachment to one’s new
professional group and reinforces this with social ties among group members”
(Caza & Creary, 2016)
“people’s identities are constructed according to the social
environments in which they work and live, and to the role
expectations arising therein” (Julien & Genuis, 2009)

19. Importance of Socialisation
“Professional identity develops as
students or new professionals are
socialized into the values and
behaviours of the profession, as they
are able to learn about and enact or
“try on” new roles, as they start to
embody the practice of their
profession and take on specific
associated activities, and as they
develop relationships with
professionals who can serve as role
models, give feedback, and be part of
a support network” (Hoffman & Berg, 2014)

20. Professional identity in the MLIS
“promoting students’ development of
identities as library and information science
professionals is an important component of MLIS
degree programs” (Croxton, 2015)
“As LIS educators, we need to be more aware of
our impact on identity formation and consider
how the content we teach fits into the LIS
professions holistically rather than focusing on
specific roles or positions” (Hussey & Campbell-
Meier, 2016)
“The short duration of the library-school program does not allow enough time for the
development of a professional identity, peer interaction, especially with library school
faculty who can serve as role models, or specialization” (Black & Leysen, 2002)
“Opportunities to gain and
demonstrate professional
competencies should be a
part of the educational
programme. An awareness
of professional concerns
should permeate the
programme”
(IFLA Professional Committee, 2012)

21. The MLIS in UCD
 One year intensive programme (or two-years part-
time) – LAI accredited
 Between 25-40 students each year
 90 credits (modules typically 5 or 10 credits)
 Core modules (40 credits)
 Foundations of Information Studies
 Information & Reference Services
 Organisation of Information, Cataloguing &
Metadata
 Research Methods
 Management for Information Professional
 Optional modules to focus on areas of
specialisation
 Capstone or Thesis (25 credits)

22. Supporting professional identity in the MLIS
 Teaching the core competencies of professional librarianship – LAI
accreditation requires programme mapping to the competencies outlined in the
PKSB
 Strong peer collaboration and teamwork element– in-class discussions, team
projects, presentations, blogs, wikis, scavenger hunts, problem-solving, peer
assessment, etc. – learning community
 Guest lecturers from the profession in several modules; some modules taught
fully by practitioners
 Encouragement to attend or volunteer at professional seminars, conferences,
and workshops during the programme
 Strong emphasis on obtaining LAI student membership (free during MLIS)
 Field trips in some modules
 Service learning module for selected students
 Reflective components in a number of modules

23. New Capstone module 2016-2017
“to help students develop and hone the research, reflective
and writing skills that are critical to most, if not all, careers
in the 21st Century, to encourage a practical and reflective
approach to personal and professional development, and
to provide an opportunity for each student to take
ownership of their emerging career and professional
identity in the specialisation of their choice”
 Professional Issues Paper
 Professional Development Portfolio
 Professional Development Plan
 CV
 Letter of application for currently advertised job
 Work samples from other modules
 Reflective Essay on learning experience in the MLIS
 Annotated bibliography (added 2017-2018)

24. Sample Capstone papers from 2017
 The Trend of Librarian as Teacher in Public Libraries
 Finding Meaning in Service: Investigating Customer Service in Public
Libraries
 The Lack of Education for Special Collection Librarians in the Republic of
Ireland and its Impact on the Area and Research
 Modern Librarians: How They Have Adapted Their Role To The Digital Age
 Open Access and the Academic Library
 Integrating Digital Resources in Dublin City Public Libraries
 The Future of Sound Recordings in Music Libraries
 The use of Twitter in academic and public libraries

25. What was the students’ experience?

26. Student survey
 Survey carried out in September 2017
 11 respondents out of 23 in Capstone class – 48%
 13 questions (closed & open-ended) to explore:
– Views on MLIS as preparation for the
workplace
– Views on effectiveness of new Capstone
module in facilitating personal and
professional development to prepare for LIS
career
– General views on the perceived challenges of
establishing a professional LIS career in

27. Professional Status of students
Challenge of creating
an appropriate
learning experience
for students at
different career points
Entry-level
professionals have
different needs to
early-, mid-, or late-
career professionals

28. Motivation for enrolling in UCD’s MLIS
“During the last year of my course, I became interested in
working in a library, which intensified when I did work
experience in a school library. I have always loved books.”
“I had wanted to work in librarianship for a
long time. I always enjoyed finding and
organising information. This course was
recommended to me by some librarians I
knew and the careers office in [place].”
“I want to be a librarian,
and sought a professional
qualification in this field,
so as to do the best
job possible.”
“Having worked in an
academic library
setting for several
years, I asked where
the two other
librarians I work with
studied. Both said
they had studied in
UCD and they highly
recommended the
masters programme
there.”
“Return back to LIS profession in a different country, seeking graduate
level professional qualification”
Fulfilling long-held ambitions,
upskilling, desire to travel,
specifically seeking a
professional qualification

29. Career preparation “Module wise, the MLIS at UCD covers a vast
amount, which is needed for today's information
professional. There is also an element of
information literacy indoctrination and transferable
skills acquisition.”
“It made me aware of the many different
responsibilities involved in librarianship and taught
me many of the important steps involved in
curation and metadata creation”
“It has given me a few extra skills such as a taste
of RDA cataloguing and also an insight into digital
curation. The final capstone paper also made me
think about library and information issues in depth
which is going to be the scenario in work.”
“Not enough skills in the area of interest and too little traditional LIS skills”
I think it needs to focus on more practical aspects of librarianship such as more practical study opportunities in
relation to cataloguing, coding and customer service. Also having more information sessions on specific kinds of
librarianship such as medical would be beneficial. I think the course gave me a good introduction to
librarianship but not enough to make me skilled for a lot of currently advertised positions.

30. Capstone & Professional Development

31. Capstone & Professional Development
“Yes, the Capstone module has successfully
encouraged me to reflect on my professional
development. It has helped me to identify
gaps in my knowledge and how I might
remedy this. It has also prompted me to
scrutinize my professional interests and
personal preferences for my career as an LIS
professional”
“I particularly enjoyed working on my
professional development template and
found Dority's book very useful. Midway
through my career it was lovely to take the
time to reflect on successes and gaps in my
knowledge and expertise”
“It was useful to reflect on possible careers and
to think of our own strengths, weaknesses and
interests. After doing the course, there are still
many avenues I would like to pursue”
“The reflective paper allowed me to look back
on all of my modules and really assess all that I
have learned over the year.”

32. How did Capstone most contribute to
development as LIS professional?
 Self-awareness – strengths,
weaknesses, preferences, skill gaps
 Practical steps for career planning
 Incentives to engage with
professional networks
 Awareness of current issues in
professional areas of interest
 Preparation for transition to working
life – job applications
 Supported development of research
and writing skills
“It provided incentives to attend conferences which
was useful. The professional issues paper was
useful as well, making us look at factors impacting
our chosen career path”
“(a) The Professional Issues Paper, in terms of
research, academic writing, and gaining knowledge
of a particular field of librarianship; (b) The
Curriculum Vitae/Cover Letter, in terms of preparing
for the transition to one's working life and (c) The
Reflection on Learning, in terms of reflecting on
one's personal journey, and how reflection factors
into the information literacy process”
“I think just reading papers on professional
subjects helped a lot of being more aware of the
current scope of things”

33. How could Capstone be improved?
 Lack of peer support during Summer
months – loss of learning community
 More opportunities to convene as a
class during the year (only 3 meetings
currently)
 Skewed more towards entry-level
professionals and less useful to those
in mid- or late-career stages
 Need for greater consistency among
academic supervisors regarding
Capstone requirements
 E-portfolio platform used in 2016-
2017 (Mahara) deemed ineffective
“Perhaps something could be put in place to keep
students connected over the summer period. In some
ways I felt cast adrift once lectures finished. Although
my supervisor was excellent at keeping in touch and
providing encouragement I found the lack of collegiate
support difficult. Perhaps building in deadlines
throughout the summer would have helped me spread
the workload evenly throughout the summer too”
“Having more frequent meetings to share more of the
progress made on different projects. Having the
meetings being time to share reflection in smaller
groups, as reflections can benefit from others'
experiences”
The capstone was not as useful to those who are
already working where they want to or have their
career decided on”

34. Challenges in developing
LIS career in Ireland
■ The experience conundrum – how to gain
experience to be competitive for jobs. Unpaid
internships?
■ Competing with more highly
qualified/experienced candidates for entry-level
positions – many professionally qualified
librarians working at non-professional grades
■ Challenge of building a professional network
■ Frequency of temporary and part-time contracts
■ “Getting your foot in the door”

35. What can LIS community do to
help new graduates?
Student suggestions:
 Mentoring programme – match new
graduates with established librarians
 Paid, structured internships or work
placements for new graduates
 Free or subsidised conference places
for new graduates (e.g. one year post-
graduation)
 More CPD in the evenings or at
weekends

36. Takeaways from Capstone
 Overall, the students expressed satisfaction with the format, especially the Professional
Development Portfolio
 Giving students the space and opportunity for reflection and deep immersion in an area
of professional interest allowed them to focus on planning the type of LIS career they
might enjoy from a variety of important perspectives (practical, affective, aligned with
values, etc). It also enabled them to identify strengths, areas for improvement, skills
gaps, preferences, etc.
 Practical outputs (i.e., CV, letter of application) placed students in a good position in
terms of applying for jobs
 A major benefit of the Capstone was the incentives and opportunities it provided for
students to engage with the LIS community, through attending, volunteering and
presenting at conferences and seminars, obtaining LAI membership, engaging with
future colleagues online, and generally developing a strong awareness of professional
activities.
 The Professional Issues Paper allowed students to hone research and writing skills –
the annotated bibliography adds a further research skill in 2017-2018.

37. Thank you!
Claire.mcguinness@ucd.ie

38. References
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