“We may sit in our library and yet be in all quarters of the earth.”

John Lubbock

Our increasingly global and interrelated economy is information driven, with partnerships and collaborations across the world becoming necessary and more common. (Albright, 2018) Success depends on a wide range of professional skills including critical thinking skills, understanding users and providing appropriate technical and administrative services, and practicing ethically sensitive strategies and policy issues.

Today’s library and information professionals’ core competencies must be demonstrated in a global context. “Global, free access to information is a dramatic new thing and a force for positive change.” (Ford, 2018, p. 273) Communicating and networking on a global scale is essential for our future successes. The library and information science profession is on the front lines of this new, growing global society.

Gateway PhD Program - Student Assistant

The Gateway PhD program is an international doctoral degree program that prepares individuals for research, faculty, and leadership positions in the field of library and information science. Previously offered through a partnership with Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, from its inception in 2008 through 2021, it is now in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, England. Gateway PhD students focus on their research from the very beginning of the program. They conduct original research and receive one-on-one mentoring from faculty who are award-winning scholars, researchers, and educators, representing two continents and a truly international perspective.

Students, alumni and faculty members of the Gateway PhD program make waves in our global communities. Their research and contributions have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. I was fortunate to hear of many of their notable accomplishments through my duties as student assistant.

PhD Gateway Initial Response Template

As student assistant, I was in charge of answering emails of inquiry regarding the program as it was not accepting new applications during the transfer of university partnership at the time. I was responsible for the initial response using the following artifact as a template. I was also in charge of maintaining and logging all subsequent correspondence.

PhD Gateway Cohort Meeting Notes

Doctoral students participate in monthly online seminars, keeping in touch with members of their cohort and their international supervisory committee. It was these seminars I had opportunity to attend as notetaker, where I performed my duties as student assistant. This was probably my most pleasurable duty, as I was exposed to an incredible range of interesting international research projects. The following artifact is a copy of my seminar notes from my first cohort meeting.

Marketing Your LIS Skills in a Networked and Changing World - Discussion

The purpose of Info 282, Marketing Your LIS Skills in a Networked and Changing World, was to give the LIS professional an approach to marketing the broad range of skills effectively for continued career advancement. The rapidly changing job market means that LIS professionals need to think creatively and flexibly about the valuable and unique skills they bring to the marketplace – both to “traditional” library and information positions, and to positions outside of the traditional information world, which is increasingly the world we work in. This discussion was about international connections and content. Presented in this artifact are my brief thoughts and ideas around connecting internationally.

Reflection

While the globe is shrinking, connections within it are increasing. As our world becomes increasingly more connected, we must rise to the challenge of making those connections count. While the Digital Divide remains an obstacle, the ideal of free access to information around the earth has the potential to make our future much better than the past.

References

Albright, K. (2018). Leadership Skills for Today’s Global Information Landscape. In S. Hirsh (Ed.), Information services today: An introduction (2nd ed., 465-476). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

Ford, B. (2018). LIS Professionals in a Global Society. In K. Haycock & M. Romaniuk (Eds.), The Portable MLIS (2nd ed., 267-276). Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited.

Lubbock, J. (n.d.). GoodReads.com. Retrieved from: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/123942-we-may-sit-in-our-library-and-yet-be-in