How can you use your digital library skills to advance your career?

1 Online portfolio

An online portfolio is a collection of your digital library projects, publications, presentations, and other outputs that demonstrate your skills and achievements. It can be beneficial in helping you build a reputation, showcase your impact, and attract potential employers, collaborators, or funders. To create an online portfolio, you need to use your digital library skills to select and organize the best work, use appropriate platforms and tools to host and share it, apply metadata, keywords, and citations to make it discoverable and credible, as well as update and maintain it regularly.

2 Online communities

Online communities are groups of people who share a common interest, goal, or practice related to digital libraries. Joining and contributing to these communities is a great way to learn from others, exchange ideas, get feedback, and find support. To do so successfully, you need to use your digital library skills to identify the most relevant communities for your needs and interests, use effective communication and collaboration tools and strategies, follow the norms and etiquette of the communities, share your knowledge generously, and seek and offer mentorship and guidance.

3 Digital library jobs

Finding and applying for digital library jobs requires using your digital library skills to search and filter job boards, databases, or networks. You should also tailor your resume, cover letter, and portfolio to the specific job requirements, prepare for the interview process (including technical and behavioral questions), negotiate salary, benefits, and expectations, and keep track of your applications and follow up. Digital library jobs can range from technical roles such as digital librarians, developers, or analysts to user-oriented roles such as instructors, consultants, or curators.

4 Digital literacy

Digital literacy is the ability to use, create, and evaluate digital information and technology effectively and ethically. It is essential for succeeding in the digital library field, as well as any other domain. To hone your digital literacy, you should assess your current level of digital literacy and identify your learning goals. Additionally, you should find and use reliable and relevant sources of digital information and learning while applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills to digital challenges and opportunities. Furthermore, it is important to reflect on your digital practices and outcomes and seek feedback. Lastly, you should stay abreast of the latest trends and developments in digital libraries and beyond.

5 Digital library values

To advocate for digital library values, you need to use your digital library skills to understand and articulate the benefits and challenges of digital library values for different stakeholders, incorporate and promote them in your own work and portfolio, participate and engage in digital library initiatives, events, and campaigns that support digital library values, influence and inspire others to adopt and respect digital library values, and evaluate and improve the impact and effectiveness of digital library values. Accessibility, diversity, openness, quality, and sustainability are all key components of these values.