My Journey to Chartership

ANNUSHKA DONIN MA MCLIP

Beginnings

Waited for the new regulations. Attended an event like this. Visited the CILIP VLE. Studied the PKSB. Met with my mentor. Both went through the PKSB to see what skills I had and what I wanted to

work on. Seminar on reflective writing. Wrote up my notes and reflections on each of the events.

Much easier to write up and reflect on notes as and when you attend events so you don’t forget things.

PKSBUseful blog by Nicola Healy

Looking beyond your role.

Wider Organisation & Environmental contextThis should include: • An understanding of the operating context and environment of their wider organisation, including strategic plans and policies • An understanding of the wider Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors which may impact their organisation and service • An understanding of the Information Society and the implications and opportunities that presents to the profession

Wider Library, Information & Knowledge sector context

Professional Expertise & Generic Skills

It is important that professionals maintain their current awareness and understanding of the wider profession, not just their own sector, for a number of reasons: • Sharing of knowledge and information between sectors • Broadening our horizons and gaining a different perspective • Joint working, cooperation and partnership working opportunities • Employability

This has been broken down into eight main LIS knowledge areas and four sets of generic skills.You are NOT expected to be an expert in everything or even to write in every box. Which parts you complete will depend upon your specific role.

Ethics and ValuesMay underpin everything we do in our professions but is happily the smallest box to complete! The PKSB summarises expected values and the website contains a code of conduct for LIS professionals.

Attended a lot of training courses…

Don’t only refer to training. It can be anything you’ve undertaken that has improved your skills.

In addition to training I’d attended I used:

Presentations I’d given at conferences (Wider LIS context) Newsletters I’d compiled for parents (Wider Environmental context) Lessons / activities I’d led Projects to which I’d contributed Workflows / documents I’d produced Reflections upon visits to other organisations

Use a variety of activities to match different criteria

Layout

Very time consuming to ensure everything is labelled properly and refers to the correct criterion and page.

As the Evaluative Statement seemed to me most important I built the rest around it.

A contents page will help your assessor navigate the salient points easily

How to set about it:

1. Enrol for Chatership / Certification within the unlocked sections of the VLE. (There is a charge for enrolling and for submitting your portfolio).

2. Use the ‘Getting started’ section on the VLE. Download the relevant Handbook.3. Attend an event like this (so you’ve all got one down at least).4. Choose and meet with your mentor. It can be helpful to work with a mentor from a different sector to add another perspective. You

can meet as often (or as infrequently) as you both agree. It is possible to do via email etc, but I personally like the face-to-face approach.

5. Work through the PKSB initial gap analysis and decide which skills you want to develop.6. Attend a seminar on Reflective / Reflexive writing if possible. If not you know how to find a book on it!7. Go to events, training, networking, visits, conferences to meet the wider context criteria. Write up and reflect upon your

experiences.

8. Borrow the CILIP guide ‘Building your Portfolio’. It needs to be the third edition to cover the new guidelines.9. Put your portfolio together and draw everything together with your evaluative statement. Check over with your mentor.

You can always contact your local Candidate Support Officer if you’re unsure of anything.10. Submit your portfolio via the VLE (and try not to be too nervous whilst you wait).

What, So what? Now what?

Finishing touches

I made sure that I really spelt out how I’d met each criterion, and labelled the evidence to support my assertion.

Included both my initial PKSB self assessment and my concluding one.

You can lay yours out however you want.