Apr 30 2008
Student Loans Aside… Professional Development Funding for MLS Students
by Erin Dorney
LIS students often watch student loans pile up as their MLS graduate programs drag on and their dream positions slowly become attainable. But, just because you’re not a “librarian” yet doesn’t mean you can’t get funding to attend conferences, workshops, and continuing education events. Library students can take advantage of many scholarships and volunteer opportunities, and are in the unique position of being able to justify their interests with: “I’m still learning and poor from all of my student loans.”
I am currently finishing my last semester of graduate school at Syracuse University, and have worked in a 20-hour/week paraprofessional position for almost two years. During the past two years, I have attended over ten professional development events (conferences, workshops, unconferences) — for which I have received funding from my place of employment, an academic library in Rochester, NY. Here, find some tips and information on how you can find funding for professional development events to complement your stellar grad school grades.
Networking & visibility
So, why seek out funding to attend these type of events? When you apply for your first professional position after library school, you’ll face a lot of competition. Any recent MLS graduate will confirm that anything you can possibly do to make yourself stand out from the crowd will be beneficial. Listing a few conferences, scholarships, or continuing education workshops on your resume is just the beginning. In addition to showing that you take an interest in steering your own career, the value of the connections you make at these events can bring your name to the top of the job candidate list.
Events at the national, state, and local level provide you with opportunities to interact with people on current and future search committees. Taking an interest and being honest (not necessarily talkative) about what you seek in this profession can make your name stand out from the pile of cover letters. Even if you’re not necessarily looking for a position in the state of a particular event, the library community is rather closely-knit. If you make a good impression on one person, contacts will quickly begin to develop. But how do you find the funding to attend all of these fun events?
It never hurts to ask
If you hold a library position while attending school, your employer may provide funding options. Most libraries see value in keeping their staff up to date on current trends and skills, and have a certain amount of money built into their budget for continuing education. (In many cases, this budget line cannot be spent on anything else, and may be lost if not spent by the end of the fiscal year.) Students in part-time employment situations are usually eligible for these opportunities as well — and it never hurts to ask!
Some employers will pay part or all of your costs (registration, travel, lodging, and food). Others may simply provide release time (in which you get paid for the regular number of hours you would have worked on the day you attend the event, due to the fact that you are working on your professional development). Keep in mind that you will probably be asked to justify your request. Many libraries will have a form for you to complete, on which you should always include information about what the event is (with links to additional information), how your library will benefit from sending you, how the event relates to your current position, and exactly what you are asking for. Also be sure to state if you are presenting a poster or paper or volunteering at the event. Employers are more apt to fund your remaining costs if you’ve already demonstrated your commitment and interest.
Student status rocks!
While library students sometimes like to complain about our endless papers and group projects, being a student actually works to our benefit in this instance. Many conferences and workshops offer discounted rates for those of us still in the learning stages. If these discounted student rates are not advertised up front, it’s a good idea to contact the organizers. If you explain your situation, they may be willing to offer you a special price, or at least point you in the direction of available scholarships or grants. Use your student status to explain why you would benefit from attending the event (i.e., “I am interested in learning how professional conferences are run”). Occasionally, if you volunteer to help out, they may waive your fee altogether! The power of networking truly comes into play here, and as your connections grow stronger, more opportunities will arise.
Tips
- Keep business cards with you at all times. Include the URLs for your online portfolio, professional blog, LinkedIn profile, and contact information. Don’t forget to hand them out! Employers are looking for graduates who take an interest in the profession and who can present what they have to offer in a clear, concise way. (If you don’t have a business card, create some for free at VistaPrint.com.)
- Sometimes students think that there is too much competition for a scholarship opportunity, so they don’t bother to apply. In fact, there is usually not very much competition, especially for local opportunities (sometimes scholarships are not even given out because no one applies!). Students should apply to anything they have an interest in, as the odds are in their favor.
- You never know who you could meet. A potential employer, a like-minded peer, or even other (literally) poor library students!
Erin Dorney is a soon-to-be-librarian (Syracuse University, May 2008 graduate) and staff member at the Rochester Institute of Technology Wallace Library. She blogs at Library Scenester.