Thing 7: Face-to-face networks and Professional Organisations

Well of all the organisations listed the only one I'm actually a paying member of is CILIP and so far I haven't found it particularly useful. This may be due to my nature as a lurker but is probably more to do with the fact that CILIP doesn't really talk about National Libraries much in its magazines. I have attended one or two courses. A Moving into Management course back in November and a Chartership course earlier this year. Neither of which I found particularly handy for networking. I thought they were good courses though. Even if the Management one was a lot on the steep side (and that was with the CILIP discount).

I've found that being a librarian in Wales has been more helpful for networking. First I attended the Gregynog Colloquium back in June (it already feels like a ridiculously long time ago) where I was forced to socialise as there was no one from my organisation there. And while I didn't come away with piles of contacts I at least knew who some people were. Hence when the cpd23 meetup took place earlier this week in Cardiff I knew some of the people there. Not well admittedly but I knew who they were and had spoken to them before.

I've found that cpd23 is probably the best of these for networking so far, but more probably this is because I'm finally getting used to these situations (at least I hope). It was great fun to meet people in real life instead of on the internet and find out who they were for real. 

As for joining other professional organisations I've been Umming and Aahing over IFLA and SLA for a while now, and I still can't decide what to do. I quite like my salary and already spend more than I'd like on CILIP (especially as I don't find it that useful) so what to do, what to do...

I've also been looking at the more "unofficial" professional organisations. I quite like the look of the Library Society of the World website but can't figure out how to join... And am already a member of LISNPN.

Anyhow the main thing is I met real people on Wednesday (after driving for nearly 3 hours) had a lovely time in a Yurt in Cardiff. And then headed back to Aberystwyth (where I subsequently slept like the proverbial dead). And if the chance comes up again I'll do it all again, though I may find somewhere to sleep instead of driving both ways in one afternoon next time. I was very tired when I got up for work next day. I enjoyed the opportunity to talk to people outside the National Library of Wales as we seem to be very isolated in some ways not being an Academic or a Public library and to be honest I feel as if I'm missing out on what's going on, and am definitely missing out on the chance to network as I'd like. CPD23 is giving me that chance and I'm grateful.