Information professionals taking charge of their career: competencies and attitudes to sail safely on the sea of digital revolution

Library professionals, after LIS school, have the responsibility to continue developing their professional competencies throughout the whole career. This was the main message conveyed by IFLA CPDWL Guidelines for Continuing Professional Development: Principles and Best Practices in 2016. Things are changing in the world of information, and will change more and faster; professionals need to embrace change on a self-directed development route: in other words, they need to take charge of their career. Different actors on the professional development stage contribute to shape LIS professionals in various ways: LIS schools and faculty, professional associations, library organizations and institutions, private stakeholders and international organizations. Yet, the star is the individual: the choices leading to the enhancement of professional competencies are personal. The process continues for the whole working life, its value increasing when it is assessed and validated by third parties. After reflecting on the meaning of professional development in the light of IFLA CPDWL Guidelines, the present paper will examine the right attitude needed, and some of the tools to acquire competencies and skills. Furthermore, it will discuss the use of portfolio as a tool to narrate self-directed, reflective, assessable learning - with a special focus on what is happening in Italy within AIB, the Italian library association.