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Studying Library and Information Management: Highlights from CILIP North West online event 18th March 2021

 


On March 18th the CILIP North West Member network held our first online event. We had noticed that studying Library and Information Management seemed to be a popular topic and one of our blog posts about this had had lots of views; https://cilipnwblog.blogspot.com/2021/01/studying-library-and-information.html

This free event was hosted on the CILIP Zoom account and it was made available to CILIP members and non-members. 21 people attended from across the UK.

We were very pleased to welcome three speakers who each gave a short presentation followed by a question and answer session. 

Dr Geoff Walton, Programme Leader for the MA Library & Information Management at Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Geoff Walton opened the session by telling us about his own interesting career journey. This was followed by a very comprehensive presentation about the course at MMU. As well as covering the course content and how to apply, Geoff spoke about the placements that are available on the course, the department's links with industry, the support offered to postgraduates and also some reflections on the course from former students.


Overview of the Library and Information Management course at MMU


Geoff took lots of questions about the course, including several regarding the Postgraduate Excellence Scholarship: 


MMU Postgraduate Excellence Scholarship 

Geoff commented afterwards, 'It was an honour to be invited to speak at this very well-organised session. I received some great and incisive questions from the audience. Speaking alongside a current and former student was interesting for me as I heard why they had chosen the course and how the content has informed their thinking and career. It was great to hear that former student Amy Clancy is using the knowledge and skills from the course in her work as an academic librarian. It was equally intriguing to hear how the course has helped current student Emma Jambor to discover the breadth of roles on offer in the library and information profession. I'd love to hear from anyone thinking about gaining a professional qualification in librarianship.'

Geoff can be contacted by email at g.walton@mmu.ac.uk


Emma Jambor,  Current Full-time Student at MMU 

Emma outlined how the experience gained as a graduate trainee in a university library was a motivational factor in applying for the course at MMU and wanting to pursue a career in librarianship. Emma chose the course at MMU due to its location, the placement opportunities it offers, and the range of units available to study.

Emma outlined how the course is currently being run online during the pandemic and talked about the support that is available from the tutors. A particularly valuable part of the course is the opportunity to hear from librarians from various sectors, giving students an understanding of the variety of careers that are available to them.

Emma's Top Tips:

  • Research any funding opportunities; MMU offers a postgraduate excellence scholarship to full-time students
  • Explore the modules offered in the different courses to ensure that they appeal to your individual interests and career goals
  • Check if the course offers placement opportunities - these are really valuable
  • Tailor your application statements to the university i.e. articulate why that particular  course or location appeals to you
  • In your application include the reasons why you have chosen to pursue this qualification 


Amy Clancy, Former Student at MMU

Amy talked about how her experience as a former student on the course informs her work today as an Assistant Subject Librarian. She highlighted the key subjects which have helped her in her first professional post, such as copyright law, information literacy, information organisation and search. Amy also spoke about her placement experience working with Local Studies librarians and the importance of using your placement as a way to learn about a new sector. 

Amy's Top Tips for applying to MMU 

  • Get experience wherever you can, even if you can’t commit to long-term volunteering. You can contact one of the many librarians who have volunteered to be shadowed for a day https://nlpn.wordpress.com/job-shadowing-opportunities 
  • Or why not contact CILIP North West and join one of our committee meetings to find out more about what we do?

CILIP North West would like to thank Geoff, Emma and Amy for taking part in this event.

If you need any further information or would like to get in touch you can email CILIP North West at: Secretary.NW@cilip.org.uk











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