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Ian is an English Lit. graduate who worked for a chemist until he realised that Libraries was where he wanted to be.

Below he tells us about his journey, and the advice he’d give to others thinking about working in the Library sector.

A bit about Ian:

Name: Ian Clark
Job: Library Systems Officer
Bio: I potter around on the internet a lot and tell people how wonderful libraries are!
You can find him online:
Website: www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk
Blog: www.thoughtsofawannabelibrarian.wordpress.com
Twitter: @ijclark

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?

I currently work in a university library as a Library Systems Officer, having previously worked in public libraries as a supervisor. Before working in libraries, I worked in the retail sector for a large chain of chemists. This was always a stop-gap measure after leaving university with a degree in English Literature and being unable to decide what I wanted to do career-wise.

WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?

One of the main aspects of my job that I love is supporting people in accessing information. What has certainly struck me as a result of my career in recent years is that there has been an assumption that everyone has a broadband connection and everyone is computer literate. As well as providing books, libraries play an important role in supporting the many people that do not have either the equipment or the ability to make use of the internet to their advantage. The ability to help those in society, such as the unemployed, that are unable to access the resources that many of us take for granted (including career websites such as this one!), is something that gives me great pleasure.

As well as helping people access the range of resources that the Internet provides, I also enjoy using my knowledge of new technologies to help develop the services that are on offer in the library service. Believe it or not, a good understanding of blogs and social networking is a great advantage in the library service!

HOW DID YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?

Shortly after starting work in public libraries I decided to go back to university to study a Masters in Information and Library Studies. I had always been keen about going back to university, but I wanted to make sure that what I did was useful for my career. Despite the financial costs associated with taking this course, I saw it as an opportunity to improve my skills and provide me with an opportunity to progress in the library world. Without taking that risk, I would never have got where I am now.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE LOOKING TO PURSUE A SIMILAR CAREER?

If I could give one piece of advice it would be this, just because you do not think you have the right skills for the job, it doesn’t necessarily make it so. Find ways in which the skills that you have gained (either through employment, voluntary work or education) overlap with the skills required for the career you are interested in. Just because it initially appears that your skills and experience are not relevant does not necessarily make it so. Use the skills you have to your best advantage, what seems minor can actually be very relevant. The reason I was successful in moving from retail into libraries was due to my experience of management. Not something I would immediately associate as important for a role in a public library, where it would appear that knowledge of library systems would take priority.

WOULD YOU DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN?

Whilst it has been difficult financially and personally (particularly since the birth of my daughter), I certainly would not have got where I am today without the skills I gained as a result of the course, so yes I would.

HOW DO YOU THINK WYGU AND THE TOOLS ON THE SITE CAN HELP PEOPLE PURSUING A SIMILAR CAREER?

Anything that can help people to see that they are not alone in not knowing what they want to do has got to be a good thing. I know when I was going through a spell of not knowing what I wanted to do I felt it was just me. Of course, I soon discovered that I was not alone at all and that a great many people out there feel the same when they leave school or university.

WILL YOU BE AVAILABLE ON THE SITE AS A MENTOR?

I will be happy to help anyone in whatever way I can.

So if you’re thinking about going into the Library service an have any questions for Ian, do get in touch with him an let us know how you get on.

- Michelle