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Studying Library and Information Management by Victoria Harris



I am nearly halfway through my Library and Information Management course at Manchester Metropolitan University and I cannot believe how fast the time is going. I am glad that last year I made the decision to apply for the course.

Background

I have held a constant love of libraries from an early age. Fortnightly visits to my public library were very important as a child. There was a certain excitement to swapping the books I had completed for new ones; this is something that still makes me happy today. I loved making use of my school library, particularly during my sixth form years when the school librarian kindled in me a new love of literary fiction. Going to university introduced me to academic libraries and gave me a deeper appreciation of their importance and value.

Due to this lifelong love, being a librarian was a consideration I had in the back of my brain during my time at university. On completion of my BA, I remained in further education, going straight into a Religious Studies MA, which gave me a lot of enjoyment and fulfilled my desire to enjoy research into an area I have always been passionate about. 

Why I decided to apply for the Library and Information Management course

During the first lockdown I had time to reflect on exactly where I could see myself working in the future. I decided to pursue my desire to become an academic librarian. 

I was concerned about the fact that I had never worked in a library before and wondered if I should gain some experience in the field first. However, since we were (and still are) in the middle of a global pandemic, this did not seem entirely plausible. What I loved about the MMU course was that it did not require experience in a library to be accepted. It made sense to use this uncertain time to gain the qualification I wanted.

Reflections on the course so far

Each week during my first module I discovered new sectors and new job opportunities. I realised that being an information professional can mean so many things; this has only made me more excited for the future. Suddenly my focussed career plan to become an academic librarian has been blown wide open. Now I am keeping a very open mind about the sector I want to be in, and I am taking the opportunity in different modules and through my assessments to research the new and unfamiliar. I particularly enjoyed using the PKSB to compare my current skills to those required to be a Knowledge Manager in the NHS; I never even realised that was a job! 

Whilst Covid-19 has impacted the way the course has been delivered, not least the amount of time we can spend interacting and working with peers, it has not spoiled the experience. We have all had to adapt to new online ways of teaching and learning. Completing group projects entirely over video call and shared drives has been a significant achievement, even if certain interactive activities have not been possible. 

The most exciting thing to come out of my course so far is the smashing of stereotypes over what a librarian does. My lecturers have done that with me, and I am doing that when I talk to friends and family about what I am learning. 

I am so happy to be training in such a diverse and important field. The information profession plays a crucial role in such a variety of sectors and I am looking forward to making my own contributions. For now, I intend to make the most of my learning and enjoy the research opportunities I have been given. 

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