”Just Do It”: Using Questions to Create Professional Development Opportunities

Abstract

I worked in libraries part time throughout my education, starting in high school. When
I announced to my then-employer that I was accepted to the Master of Library and
Information Studies (MLIS) program at McGill University, she told me something that
I never forgot. She said that the degree provided the required piece of paper to get my
foot into librarianship but that I would need to keep learning throughout my career to
do the job well. I graduated with my MLIS degree more than two decades ago and have
since engaged in a variety of professional development activities to keep my skills current
and improve my daily practice. The best professional development activities have involved
doing what I learned about, either during the course of the activity itself or shortly thereafter.
I think of the Nike slogan,