Communication Skills
In a library job working with staff and the public, it is imperative to have strong verbal and written communication skills. The Information School has presented many opportunities for collaborative work and presentations where communication skills have been crucial. I have also honed my communication skills working with the public as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble and as a customer service representative for Convergys.
Communication Challenge
One challenge I faced in my coursework was writing up an internal memo for my Management of Information Organizations class where we discussed management theory and best practices. This memo was to address uncertainty in the face of layoff rumors and to keep employees focused and working. This is an example of written communication to staff that is meant to be professional, honest, and reassuring when nothing is known. As a librarian in any leadership or management role, I look forward to establishing rapport with employees and direct lines of meaningful communication.
Vision
In this course, I also wrote up a Vision Document for the Salt Lake City Public Library. This document was to communicate a future vision of the library system to library staff, the parent organization, and the public that was accessible and exciting. A vision helps a library to focus or refocus on its mission and future direction. Furthermore, this document addressed one key challenge in making the vision a reality and the best way to address that issue. I look forward to creating and revising mission and vision statements with colleagues that express the purpose and goals of the library.
Agenda and Memo
In my Instructional Strategies course, I led a workshop meeting of my peers. Before the meeting, I was responsible for preparing an agenda. The agenda was prepared in advance so that all parties could review it before the meeting. The agenda focused the meeting by listing specific points I wanted to address with allotted time limits. Following the meeting, I drafted a memo that detailed how well the meeting went. In leading this meeting, I demonstrated verbal communication skills, and in preparing the agenda in advance and the memo afterwords, I demonstrated written communication skills. Both sets of skills will be imperative in a professional setting.
Please contact me at [email protected].
Communication Challenge
One challenge I faced in my coursework was writing up an internal memo for my Management of Information Organizations class where we discussed management theory and best practices. This memo was to address uncertainty in the face of layoff rumors and to keep employees focused and working. This is an example of written communication to staff that is meant to be professional, honest, and reassuring when nothing is known. As a librarian in any leadership or management role, I look forward to establishing rapport with employees and direct lines of meaningful communication.
Vision
In this course, I also wrote up a Vision Document for the Salt Lake City Public Library. This document was to communicate a future vision of the library system to library staff, the parent organization, and the public that was accessible and exciting. A vision helps a library to focus or refocus on its mission and future direction. Furthermore, this document addressed one key challenge in making the vision a reality and the best way to address that issue. I look forward to creating and revising mission and vision statements with colleagues that express the purpose and goals of the library.
Agenda and Memo
In my Instructional Strategies course, I led a workshop meeting of my peers. Before the meeting, I was responsible for preparing an agenda. The agenda was prepared in advance so that all parties could review it before the meeting. The agenda focused the meeting by listing specific points I wanted to address with allotted time limits. Following the meeting, I drafted a memo that detailed how well the meeting went. In leading this meeting, I demonstrated verbal communication skills, and in preparing the agenda in advance and the memo afterwords, I demonstrated written communication skills. Both sets of skills will be imperative in a professional setting.
Please contact me at [email protected].