ABSTRACT

This study used narrative inquiry to investigate the experiences of Australian public librarians with professional learning and development. Twelve librarians currently working in public libraries in Australia were interviewed. The interviews revealed stories that depicted the real experiences of professional learning for the librarians. These stories are represented in this paper via two components: five critical insights; and three personas. The five critical insights include: (i) there is not enough professional learning experiences (PLE) or learning culture in their library; (ii) PLE must be sought out personally and a major portion of PLE has to happen on their own time; (iii) PLE is primarily found online, and that utilizing social media is a crucial way to find PLE opportunities; and (iv) PLE opportunities are wanted. The three personas were articulated to best typify the different experiences of the Australian public librarians: the Strategic Learner, the Curious Ad Hoc Learner, and the Skeptical Learner. The study’s findings have implications for how public libraries in Australia can support and enable a culture of professional learning and development.

摘要

本研究使用叙事探究来调查澳大利亚公共图书馆员在专业学习和发展方面的经历。采访了目前在澳大利亚公共图书馆工作的 12 名图书馆员。采访揭示了描述图书馆员专业学习真实经历的故事。这些故事在本文中通过两个组成部分来表示：五个关键见解；和三个角色。五个关键见解包括：（i）他们的图书馆没有足够的专业学习经验（PLE）或学习文化；(ii) PLE 必须亲自寻求，并且大部分 PLE 必须在他们自己的时间发生；(iii) PLE 主要在网上找到，利用社交媒体是寻找 PLE 机会的重要途径；(iv) 需要 PLE 机会。这三个角色被阐明以最好地代表澳大利亚公共图书馆员的不同经历：战略学习者、好奇的临时学习者和怀疑学习者。该研究的结果对澳大利亚公共图书馆如何支持和促进专业学习和发展的文化产生了影响。