Portfolios and Documenting the Good Work We Do
Today’s Boston Herald has a brief article suggesting we keep a file proving we do good work. The reasoning is that when we’re being fired, we can show it to whomever is making the decision and attempt to save our … jobs. I learned in grad school about keeping a portfolio to illustrate things we do, value we bring to our jobs, etc., and have been keeping at least one for at least 6 years. I started a second within the last few years to document some of the things I do outside of work, like blogging, being quoted in articles, and speaking engagements. Many professions require applicants to show a portfolio: writers, artists, architects, etc. So much of librarianship is intangible–when we provide information, we often don’t see the concrete results of someone using it–we should document what we can.
Many times, I’ve heard librarians discussing the importance of documenting their value and/or the company’s return on investment from the library when it’s time for them to ask for a salary or budget increase or try to convince the company not to close the library.
Portfolios can also be good cheer on bad days and help remind us why we are in the profession.
