The value of professional registration and revalidation

In early June I completed my revalidation journal and sent it in along with my covering letter and a letter from my Head of School validating that what I had recorded was true and accurate. I must admit that when I first heard that LIANZA (Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa) were offering professional registration to school librarians through SLANZA (School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa) I really didn’t think it would be something I would need or want. When I was appointed to Istanbul International Community School and started the work permit process I realised the one thing that made me recognisable as a teacher AND a librarian to an outside agency (such as the Labour Department in another country) was my teacher registration and my librarian registration.

Visibility and credibility aside one of the challenges and rewards of registration is the revalidation process. Other professions, most notably the medical professions, already insist that their registered members work towards revalidation through continuing professional development. The UK implemented revalidation of registration for medical doctors in 2012, the main aim of which is to improve the quality of medical care and address concerns about the accountability of Doctors (Walshe et al., 2017). While it was quite stressful for many in the profession at first, most agree it has given doctors the opportunity to reflect on their professional progress  (“What Is the Impact,” 2014). The importance of professional development and currency in the medical profession is unquestionable, it has a huge impact on patient safety and well being.

So why would librarians need to consider their professional practice to the rigour of undergoing revalidation every three years? Librarians are involved in a sector that is undergoing rapid change. Libraries are no longer the sole repositories of information texts or providers of reading material. With the availability of information and entertainment online libraries have diversified and found ways to serve the community through advocacy for equality of access for all, provision of curation tools and spaces which bring people together. When I write libraries, of course, I mean librarians. School librarians have the added responsibility to provide information literacy and the development of reading skills. While the need for Doctors who are up to date on medical developments could be a case of life or death – the need for librarians to be updated professionally and developing their skills and knowledge along standards could be a matter of an ignorant or an educated public.

The LIANZA revalidation process has become an excellent way for me to continue to develop my understanding of the bodies of knowledge as an information professional and to consider whether I have balance in my professional practice – knowing, doing, sharing and leading.

 

References

Compton, S. (2017, February 24). Revalidation – why bother? [Blog post]. Retrieved from Talking Books website: https://slgtalkingbooks.com/2017/02/24/revalidation-why-bother/

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. (2012, October 21). Making a difference. Retrieved May 26, 2018, from IFLA website: https://www.ifla.org/node/5752

Walshe, K., Boyd, A., Bryce, M., Luscombe, K., Tazzyman, A., Tredinnick-Rowe, J., & Archer, J. (2017). Implementing medical revalidation in the United Kingdom: Findings about organisational changes and impacts from a survey of Responsible Officers. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 110(1), 23-30. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076816683556

What is the impact of revalidation on clinicians? (2014, March 14). Retrieved May 24, 2018, from The King’s Fund website: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/audio-video/what-impact-revalidation-clinicians