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Professional Development

Professional Development
Lisa Hussey

The Soft Side of Information Science

Before becoming a LIS professional, I worked in bookstores, usually in supervisory or management positions, for about 7 years. Retail is not an easy environment, and it requires a certain set of skills to be successful, especially as you take on responsibilities that require considerations and actions beyond your own efforts. These include good time management to address a wide range of expectations and responsibilities, the ability to communicate across diverse audiences, adaptability to a changing environment, flexibility to deal with a dynamic workplace and clientele, the ability to quickly solve problems; creative and critical thinking in stressful situations, using the principles of emotional intelligence to provide good customer service, and leading by example. Essentially, retail work provided an opportunity to begin building the soft skills so often discussed in current professional literature. As a LIS professional and professor, I see soft skills as essential to Information Science.

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Professional Development
Elizabeth Hoiem

Learning How to Work All Over Again as a Parent

The COVID shutdown arrived in Illinois two weeks after my parental leave ended, just when I resumed writing the book I needed to complete for academic tenure. Instead of having the next five months to finish my manuscript, I cared for my two daughters in four-hour shifts shared with my husband and mother-in-law. Around me adult professionals stayed home, isolated, disoriented about what day or time it is, and struggling with depression. For me, it felt like the early months home with my baby. Welcome to my world, people.

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Professional Development
Rexwhite Tega Enakrire

The Fifth Industrial Revolution: Information Professionals and Skills

In the era of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), information professionals are crucial in organizations to ensure the collection, processing, acquisition, archiving, dissemination, and weeding of information to ensure it meets the stakeholder’s objectives. To be effective in this role, information professionals must possess different skills and be ready to learn, unlearn, and relearn emerging skills, technologies, and organizational demands. Two important skills information professionals should possess are multi-skilling and cross-skilling.

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Professional Development
Timothy J. Dickey

On Being a Research-informed Information Practitioner

Our 21st-century global society needs research-informed information professionals of all stripes more than ever. Librarians serve our communities more vitally than ever with valuable resources, and as teachers of life skills and information literacy; archivists and records curators preserve historical documentation against “alternate facts;” information architects and others help shape the tools and terminologies that society uses to make sense of information around us.

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Professional Development
Jelina Haines

Level Up Your InfoScience Path: Build Powerful Networks for Lifelong Learning

In today’s rapidly evolving field of information science (IS), continuous learning is no longer optional, it’s essential. But keeping up with the latest trends and developments can feel overwhelming if you go it alone. That’s where the power of supportive networks comes in. By cultivating a network of mentors, colleagues, and fellow lifelong learners, you can create a dynamic learning environment that fuels your professional growth.

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Professional Development
Sandy Hirsh

Using Professional Networks to Unlock Career Opportunities in the Information Field

What is one of the best ways to find new career opportunities in the information field? In my experience, networking is the key to successful job seeking. Networking is also invaluable for building professional connections, developing a sense of community, and establishing your reputation. As a past president of ASIS&T, I participated in the Second Humans of the Library in June 2024, a series organized by ASIS&T’s SIG-III. In this article, I summarize some of the stories I shared about the ways that professional networks have helped me on my career journey.

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