The old saying goes, ” Curiosity killed the cat.” But for librarians, the complete opposite is true. It’s our curiosity and love for learning that expands our knowledge, skills, and ability to love what we do everyday and help others love learning as well. In this week’s learning I chose to look at Professional Learning Experiences (PLEs) and how they have shaped who I am, who I am becoming, and what I am learning from all of this.

Not only must librarians be facilitators of learning for their users, they must also be advocates for their own learning and growth (Stephens, 2016). This can take shape in many forms which is good because learning isn’t just happening in the traditional places (Thomas & Brown, 2011), it is happening anywhere and everywhere. From viewing TED talks or TikToks, to engaging in online webinars or attending conferences in person, learning is no longer regulated to the classroom and I, for one, am very glad for that.  So much more learning is happening outside of the classroom and that is not the fault of the instructor, but rather a vivid interest to know more on the part of the student. In the case of PLEs, many libraries are having to be creative and think outside the box due to budgetary constraints and the internet has made this a much easier endeavor to find information to provide growth in our knowledge and skills. Blower’s 23 Things was ahead of its time and I think a fabulous way to get staff involved in learning Web 2.0. It’s programs like this that make learning new skills fun, especially for librarians, because it gives us a chance to  be hands-on in the process of learning. While I haven’t listened to too many TED Talks, the sheer number of different videos on library topics, and just library. I am sure if I searched more there would be plenty on AI and other topics of interest.

I had not given much power to social media to provide learning for my profession, however when thinking about social media, I forgot to include sites such as LinkedIn, GitHub, or even reading Substack posts. I currently get weekly notifications in my SJSU email about learning opportunities through LinkedIn. I subscribe to a few people on Substack and get their articles in my work email. I see TikTok or Instagram posts where public libraries are engaging the user by coming up with unique and different marketing tactics to engage, not just to inform, but to show the “human” side of libraries to encourage visits. The State of Iowa Library sends out monthly professional development emails linking different webinars, not only from Iowa but from other states as well and these you can earn learning credit for if you need to keep credentials. @michael writes about in Module 12 how each of these learning opportunities build upon one another and shapes a framework for our own professional journey and is unique in that we are choosing what we learn (Stephens, 2026).

I really liked the questions that were presented in Stephens’s book, Wholehearted Librarianship, in the chapter that discusses PLEs and ALA (Stephens, 2019). I paraphrased them to ask myself these questions:

  1. What trends am I observing that require new opportunities for me to gain education or additional training?
  2. What do I want to learn in order to my job more effectively?
  3. What challenges do I see/face that is related to my learning objectives or goals?
  4. What support do I need from my library and/or institution?
  5. What are some things that I can do now?

In looking for PLEs, these are definitely good questions to ask to see if the particular webinar, conference, TED Talk, journal article, etc fits the bill. It’s also great questions to evaluate where I see myself now in my role and where I would like to see myself going in my role as the library director.

The other piece I found interesting that ties in with this is Stephen’s Formula for Success (Stephens, 2019). In it his equation is:

Essential Skills + Mindset² × Support = Success

This formula sets the bar for helping to create a librarian for the 21st century. In a world that is technologically changing rapidly, the librarian needs to be able to learn, adapt, and have the necessary support in order to do so. While MLIS programs can provide the foundations and theories of librarianship, it is the on-the-job training experience along with experiential learning that provides additional skills for today’s librarian.

As we round out this course in a short couple of weeks, let us all take a breath and take some notes on how we can continue to grow and learn, and by all means, stay curious!

 

References

Stephens, M.T. (2026). Module 12 Infinite Learning 2. The Hyperlinked Library: Emerging Trends, Emerging Tech. https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/module-12-infinite-learning-2/.
Stephens, M. T. (2016). The heart of librarianship : attentive, positive, and purposeful change. ALA Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association.
Stephens, M. T. (2019). Wholehearted librarianship : finding hope, inspiration, and balance. ALA Editions.
Thomas, G., & Brown, S. J. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: Create Space.