Education and route in:
Having wanted to be a librarian since I was a child, at 18 I moved 1,000kms away from my home in order to go to library school and became a librarian. Library & Information Sciences is my first and only degree and, although I have worked on other things before, there is nothing else I would rather do.
When I was 30 I moved away from my country, Spain, seeking to get a job as a librarian in London. After a brief period working as a volunteer to get some UK library experience, I got my first paid job in a big university library. One change of university and 10 years later I am still working in an academic library.
ACTIVELY INFLUENCING AND SHAPING THE FUTURE OF LIBRARIES
My work role is not that unusual or particularly exciting, but my related activities may be. I’m what’s probably best known as a professional activist, joining forces with other people who share my “can do” attitude. Like many, I want to influence the world around us for the better, putting energy, enthusiasm, skills and commitment into a chosen cause.
As an activist I am very involved on the work of CILIP, where currently I am President of the Career Development Group, the 2nd biggest group, with almost 4,000 members. I reckon I am the first non-British President in the 114 years of history of the Group. I’m also a committee member of ILIG: the International Library and Information Group. This is a more compact group that is focused on learning and influencing what is going on with libraries and librarians around the world.
My love for travelling probably influences my choice of also actively participating within IFLA - The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Among other things, in this group I am the lead convener of the Women, Information and Libraries Discussion Group, which does what it says on the tin. It’s women discussing information and libraries.
What’s next?
For 2009, I look forward to more exciting professional study trips at conferences. I went to Slovakia this February on a research project to discover what the Slovakian librarians are doing in terms of their professional development. March takes me to Malta, where I’ll tour and study libraries over there and have talks with Maltese colleagues.
In April I will visit my home country of Spain to deliver a talk about working abroad to library students in my old university. Then it’s Italy in August for the international IFLA conference, where I’ll both participate as a delegate and also lead on the Women, Information and Libraries Discussion Group. Phew!
Best bit about my job:
Who said that librarians are unexciting people who sit behind desks every day? Not if like me you seek opportunities to go and explore the world! My international commitments have taken me to Argentina, Norway, South Africa and Canada, among other amazing countries.