Learning Plans

The end of a calendar year is a good time to reflect, assess and plan. One aspect of this reflection for me is looking at learning: what have I learned in the last year, what has adjusted based onthat learning, and what should I consider for 2014. I am a law librarian and just like every year, there are many items to add to the “things I learned this year” list. Some of that learning came from conferences and webinars offered by professional associations, some came from discussions at CBA conferences, Legal Education Society of Alberta events and some came from reviewing twitter streams and law blogs. I read a few books and attended events at my firm where we value professional development and training.

Things change so quickly in our information industry that it is very important to build a learning plan into your work life. If you are looking for inspiration for your 2014 plan, there is a fantastic discussion about some of the shared learning by Kate Greene Stanhope at On Firmer Ground.

Some of the things on my learning plan agenda for 2014:

• Edmonton Law Libraries Association lunches (January 16th on mobile device use and others)
• LegalTech 2014, February 4-6
• Alberta Court of Appeal Centennial Conference, April 9-11 (hopefully)
• The CALL/ACBD Conference, May 25-28
• ILTA events and AALL events

My most personally effective learning comes from listening and discussing, so conferences and meetings are my favourite learning venue. I also like to read (surprise) so reviewing thought leader blogs and scanning professional (library and legal) journals works well for me.

Some of you will have CPD requirements maintain your regulatory compliance. Have you made a plan for your 2014 learning?