The sky’s the limit …
Setting: St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth
(Photo: R. W. Richardson)
Hint: Click on the image to fully appreciate the beauty captured in the photo.
Reading through Regina’s guest post I was reminded of a visit we had from Maribel Manzano García one of the librarians at the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca. It was a unique opportunity for staff in our library to meet and talk with her about her work there and exchange experiences. She kindly sent us a link to a YouTube clip showing Salamanca and the library at the Pontifical University.
Why not check this out when you have finished reading Regina’s post which she kindly agreed to write. She has really captured my imagination here with her lovely descriptive writing. Congratulations again Regina you can be very proud of your achievements and this guest post will also be of great benefit to others considering formulating their own achievements with a view to applying for the Fellowship.
***Posted on behalf of Regina Whelan Richardson, Subject Librarian for Music & Modern Languages, Literatures & Cultures, The Library, NUI Maynooth***
After five years at Associate Level, members of the LAI can progress to Fellowship, the highest level of professional qualification awarded by the LAI. This represents professional recognition for outstanding professional contribution.
There are two different routes or pathways to fellowship. Pathway A involves the submission of a thesis, while Pathway B requires demonstration of a high standard of professional development, through submission of curriculum vitae, a professional portfolio, a personal statement and any other documentation the applicant deems relevant, such as testimonials from library clients.
Salamanca, Spain, Summer 1980. Storks fly up to their rooftop nests in the historic university quarter of the city and the sun beams into the student residence where I am writing out my application for an assistant librarian post in St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth. I know this is a small university and Catholic seminary in Kildare. I am also aware that it houses the Salamanca archive of the Irish Colleges in Spain and I have been to visit the magnificent building of the former Irish College here in Salamanca. But I have no idea of the long and exciting journey on which I am about to embark- a journey of development, learning and giving, of enrichment in very many senses.
In professional terms this journey began in 1977 when I became Librarian & Information Officer at the Spanish Cultural Institute in Dublin (now the Insituto Cervantes). Here I got a unique grounding in many and varied aspects of libraries, information and culture under the guidance of the director. I was responsible for the Library and Information Services of the Institute, serving the cultural services of the Spanish Embassy and supporting the teaching and learning activities of the Institute.
From working in a small organisation in a team of four administrators I moved to a university library with a much larger staff and a somewhat different clientele. A college which had started on the road to ceaseless and enormous changes and developments in terms of resources, technology, buildings, services, and indeed culture.
From catalogue cards to OPACs, from Gestetner stencilled newsletter to webpage, via subject librarianship in music and modern languages, teaching & learning, collection development, information literacy, academic liaison, editing and research, project management, archives, early printed books and pamphlets, my journey has been one of great variety and interest, and I have been fortunate in that I have been able to incorporate my personal interests into my professional work.
We often take so much of what we achieve for granted, concentrating on carrying out our work every day in the best way possible. It can take a bit of mind-adjustment to consider the many things we have done as achievements and valuable contributions to the profession. Of course, this has to be demonstrated and supported in the application. If you are a hoarder, like me, you can dredge up all sorts of documents and many kinds of experiences can be relevant. Take the wide few of your professional activity and your life.
In my case I presented a portfolio under a number of headings (see below).
For me it was illuminating to look back over a long career in librarianship and allow myself a sense of achievement. And most importantly, it can give a new-found confidence to look for opportunities to move forward and develop not only one’s own career and vocation, but the profession of librarianship in general.
Onwards and Upwards!
A useful guide to the process of application is:
Burns, Jane and Fallon, Helen (2012) The Fellowship of the Library Association of Ireland (FLAI): Reflections and Guidelines. An Leabharlann. The Irish Library, 21 (2). pp. 6-9. ISSN 0023-9542
With thanks to all my great colleagues over the years, and to librarians who encouraged me and gave me opportunities.
Portfolio contents
1. Application Form
Personal Statement
Curriculum Vitae
2. Degrees & Diplomas
3. Testimonials
4. Publications
5. Russell Library/Salamanca Archive
6. Learning, Teaching & Research
7. Bibliographic Services
8. Music
9. Exhibitions
10. School Library
11. Spanish Cultural Institute
12. Visual Arts
Regina Whelan Richardson. Select list of publications:
The Irish in Asturias: the footprint of the Irish College, Salamanca, 1913–1950. in Archivium Hibernicum, 65. pp. 273-290. (2012)
Index in Kabdebo, Thomas. Ireland and Hungary : A Study in Parallels, with an Arthur Griffith Bibliography. Dublin: Four Courts, 2001.
Larousse dictionaries in Kabdebó, Tamás, and Neil Armstrong, eds. Dictionary of Dictionaries and Eminent Encyclopedias : Comprising Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Other Selected Wordbooks in English. 2nd ed. New Providence, NJ: Bowker-Saur, 1997. pp. 176-177
Richardson, Regina Whelan, ed. The Salamanca Letters : A Catalogue of Correspondence (1619-1871) from the Archives of the Irish Colleges in Spain in the Library of St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Ireland = Las Cartas Salmantinas : Un Catálogo De Correspondencia (1619-1871) De Los Colegios Irlandeses En España En La Biblioteca Del Colegio De San Patricio, Maynooth, Irlanda. Maynooth: St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, 1995.
The Salamanca archives in St. Patrick’s College (Maynooth (Ireland). Library, and Agnes Neligan, ed. Maynooth Library Treasures : From the Collections of Saint Patrick’s College. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1995. pp. 144-7
Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Russell Library and John Paul II Library in Laidlar, J. F., and Advisory Council on Latin American and Iberian Information Resources. Iberian Resources in the United Kingdom : A Directory of Libraries. London: ACLAIR, 1996. p. 138
In-house publications
Music : guide to reference material in the Library. (1987) With annotations & updates
Music Ireland : a select bibliography based on material held by the Library, Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth. (1987). With annotations & updates
French : guide to reference material in the Library. (1987) with annotations and updates
French & Music collections in Directory of Collections : John Paul II Library, SPCM. 1990
(Library archives ; No. 7). pp. 28-30 ; 44-46
Finding list of documents in the Rectors’ Desk, Salamanca archive. [199?]
Library Staff Development 