Info-entrepreneurs, represented by the Association of Independent Information Professionals, stand out as innovative, forward thinking, and client focused information professionals.  This series of posts delivers future ready solutions and strategies from current and past presidents of AIIP.  As industry thought leaders they have much to share about staying ahead of the curve and delivering cost effective solutions to clients worldwide.  In this insightful series of postings readers will learn how to create a job for life by listening for opportunity, watching for changes, stretching to acquire new skills, finding a balance, planning for the long term, and drawing on your strengths. — C.S.

by Cynthia Hetherington

When I started out in the information business, I was dubbed the Virtual Librarian (virtuallibrarian.com), mostly in part for my assistance to the law enforcement world and security sectors as the go-to source for research assistance and training. That was too many years ago to count, but I still hold the title and a now very stale Web site. As I write this 365 piece from an airport kiosk, I realize that EVERYTHING has changed and NOTHING has changed. I’m still on the road 200+ days a year training in the security industry, and I am a Private Investigator myself as well. However, the material and resources have changed significantly.

Now I am teaching social network investigations and reminding the audience of the oft-missed deep and invisible Web, which is valuable in most criminal and civil cases.

That said, how I teach hasn’t changed. Informing my clients and attendees is done the same way today that it was 15 years ago. I also have been publishing a newsletter for the past 10 years, which has been profitable for at least the last four!

Education and publishing are two things every librarian should embrace and consider as resources to not only spread their name, but to also validate their resourcefulness in their community. The reasoning comes down to diversity. If the only thing you do is sit behind a reference desk answering questions, you’ll never grow professionally. The same chair you sat in as a new librarian will be the same one you leave when you retire.

In our dreadful economy, it is absolutely paramount that the extra skills you can nurture, develop, and sell yourself on will be considered assets to your organization.

Granted, you do not need to be offering full-day seminars in front of thousands of people, but small classes, topic-specific presentations, and articles on the same subject are a great start.

Within AIIP, I am always drawing out of our membership, “what makes you special?” We can all do research, manage archives, and understand information, so what makes you stand out amongst the rest of us? Everyone I’ve asked this question of has since written articles for our Connections journal, has further focused their business marketing, and has seriously considered going more toward a niche and less toward the broad spectrum of information scientist. They are all budding successes who can speak intelligently on their unique skill set.

If you’re lost and aren’t sure what your focus needs to be, then it’s time to sit down and have a conversation to decide where you see yourself down the road. Draw out the map of how you plan on getting there. Don’t be afraid to look for a mentor, such as in AIIP’s mentoring program, or find a coach, as we have a few among our ranks. And, by all means, talk to those who have been out there for years and get the details of their war stories.

Once prepared, stick to your plan, follow your strategy, and always consider that there is a venue waiting to hear your voice and read your informational pearls of wisdom.

Cynthia Hetherington is the current president of the Association of Independent Information Professionals and has more than 17 years of experience in research, investigations and corporate intelligence. She is the founder of Hetherington Group, a consulting, publishing and training firm focusing on intelligence, security, and investigations. A widely-published author, Cynthia authored Business Background Investigations (2007) and the Manual to Online Public Records (2008). She is the publisher of Data2know.com: Internet & Online Intelligence Newsletter and has co-authored articles on steganography, computer forensics, Internet investigations, and other security-focused monographs. She is also recognized for providing corporate security officials, military intelligence units, and federal, state and local agencies with training on online intelligence practices.

Info-entrepreneurs, represented by the Association of Independent Information Professionals, stand out as innovative, forward thinking, and client focused information professionals.  This series of posts delivers future ready solutions and strategies from current and past presidents of AIIP.  As industry thought leaders they have much to share about staying ahead of the curve and delivering cost effective solutions to clients worldwide.  In this insightful series of postings readers will learn how to create a job for life by listening for opportunity, watching for changes, stretching to acquire new skills, finding a balance, planning for the long term, and drawing on your strengths. — C.S.

by Marcy Phelps

At a recent meeting of the I-25ers, a group of independent information professionals located in and around Colorado, we had an interesting discussion about staying focused. We all agreed it’s really hard these days, with the many hats we wear and the ever-increasing rate of change in our lives and work, to make decisions about whether or not to take a new direction.

In my nearly 12 years of running a business, I’ve found that long-range planning is the key to developing a path and staying on track. And it’s not just for business owners. Whether you work for yourself or for someone else, planning and setting goals for the next 5 to 10 years provides focus in our lives and milestones for success. It will also keep you sane.

We’re constantly juggling our varied job functions. Business owners, in addition to being researchers, knowledge managers, or consultants, also take care of an assortment of administrative, financial, marketing and other tasks on a daily basis. With cutbacks in the workplace, we’ve taken on additional roles and responsibilities – while trying to make sure our careers and our jobs are future ready. Having a long-range plan keeps you on target for each of your many roles.

It’s also easy these days to get distracted by the latest new toy or way of thinking. Technology develops at an ever-increasing rate, and ideas spread in an instant. It’s difficult to know what you should or should not pursue. Your long-range plan becomes a measure for how it all fits in with your life and your goals.

Long-range planning requires some time to think about where you want to go and how you’re going to get there. Block out a morning or afternoon, shut off email and other distractions, and find a place to work where you’ll be most creative.

Here are some tips for getting started with developing your personal and professional long-range plan:

Think big – It’s OK if you don’t reach all your goals. Go ahead and dare to dream. Visualize what you want your life to look like in 5 to 10 years. What kind of work do you want to do? At what level do you see your business or career?

Think about how to get from here to there – Consider what skills, resources, etc. you need to accomplish your goals. Should you take a class, join an association, hire a coach, or sign up for mentoring? What will it cost to carry out your plan, and how will you pay for it? 

Put it in writing – Don’t ask me why, but there’s something about committing something to paper (yes, pen and paper!) that sets things in motion. Trust me on this. When confronted by something new, take out your plan and see if it aligns with where you want to be and what you want to become.

Stay flexible – While your goals keep you on track, be open to new opportunities. You can’t plan for those out-of-the-blue job offers or disruptive technologies (who knew five years ago that we’d be tweeting with clients?). Again, use your plan as a guide.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from this Future Ready 365 blog, it’s that we are the ones who control our futures. It just takes a little planning to get on the right path and to stay focused. The investment you make now will pay off in the future.

Marcy Phelps is the owner of Phelps Research, a provider of research and analysis to support business planning. She served as the AIIP 2009-2010 President and is the current Chair of SLA’s Advertising and Marketing Division.

by Stephanie Callaway

It is important to remember to set your goals- and do not stray from them!  It is advised to make a list of potential jobs prior to your initial job search.  These ideal jobs will help you direct your search in a positive manner and allow you to assess your timelines towards gainful employment.

When the job market is diminished and you are not hearing back from companies, it can be easy to become frustrated or fear that your resume is entering a black hole.  It is highly recommended to keep a journal or record of where you apply and to whom you sent your resume.  Remember to always follow up!  This shows your potential employers that you are genuinely interested in working with them and eagerly awaiting their feedback.

From reading Ms. Pamela Wall’s post regarding “My Resolution,” I have to agree with the fact that “the future is now.”  As you embark on your independent job search it is important to remain organized and focused.  Gear your search towards what you want to be doing.  As recent graduates the future may seem like a threatening or unusual place- where you are no longer graded for your effort, and the work isn’t divided by semesters.  This will be your job!  Make it something that interests you, and something that you are truly excited about.

If you feel as though you are stuck in a rut or would like assistance with your job search, it is a great idea to reach out for help.  TRAK Records and Library is a national staffing company with a strong presence in major cities across the United States.  We specialize in your field of information management, and TRAK prides itself on partnering with the up-and-coming MLS graduates and helping to create an ideal situation post-graduation.  If you are interested in hitting the ground running this May, please feel free to reach out for more details.

For more information on TRAK, please visit our website at www.trakcompanies.com, or send your resume toResumes@TRAKRecordsandLibrary.com for immediate consideration.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Stephanie Callaway is the National Business Development Director for TRAK Records and Library.

by Donna Slaton, Kentucky & Tennessee Valley Chapters, Solo Librarians Division

Selection is the librarian’s most valuable tool for the future. Selection is not censorship. Librarians of the future should select for value and purpose with clearly defined goals in mind. When the whole world can “Google” anything in print pretty much, what will set libraries apart is the professional arrangement of valuable and useful materials, not the inclusion of vulgar, pornagraphic or trendy material just to say they are not censoring anything. It is time to “control” your stuff and choose wisely, not catalog anything and everything but choose selectively so that libraries are a respected resource not a less than “Google” sized collection of anything and everything.

Selection policies need to be reviewed often in this changing world not to reflect the largest possibilities for gathering in but the most specific scope for the library and its population to be served. Public and academic libraries more than special libraries have continuously grown beyond reason because they have in the last two decades tried to collect everything. But even special libraries that have a more narrow focus have been growing with the attitude that bigger is better to the point where storage and staff expense is not in line with value given to anyone except other librarians.

Weeding is also a necessary tool of selection. Once you have selected it, you have to recognize if it is not in use, or has never been used, you should move it out to provide space for necessary materials. Too many librarians still horde old stuff because they cannot bear to throw away a book. There is simply too much stuff in print for anyone to ever read and too many copies of most of it.

With the advent of OCLC network and Inter Library Loan accessibility, budgets for that continuously grew as well. When I graduated college in the mid 70s, ILL was for serious scholarly research – not for the public, private or special libraries to loan each other at growing mail expenses( which is more than the cost of a paperback), either the second oldest James Patterson novel, or an obscure author that is only held by three libraries, because his second cousin in another state just decided he wanted to read it.

We have promoted libraries as the respository of everything without focusing on needs instead of wants. Libraries cannot out google Google. We do not accept paid advertising. The sooner we realize that and specialize in what we do best as the original search engine the more ready for the future we will be with valuable materials and useful information, not just a room full of stuff.

With sharply focused collections, bibliographies of materials, and links specifically addressing our unique clientele’s needs, special librarians have an opportunity to lead the way in guiding users to the needed materials without gathering all of it ourselves. Future ready is smaller and smarter.

Donna F. Slaton is Librarian II for the Green River Correctional Complex – a medium security prison in Kentucky’s Dept of Corrections. She served 10 years as Associate Director of the Hopkins County-Madisonville Public Library and switched from public to special libraries in 2008, joining SLA in 2009. She writes a weekly column for the Madisonville Messenger newspaper and blogs under LibraryUp and LibraryLadyWrites and is Past President of the Kentucky Storytelling Association. Her web site is www.misspockets3.com.