Ian Murray

Long Term and Short Term Goals:

Short Term Goal 1:
  • Specific:
    • Goal: Get a full-time job working at a library/archive/museum.This involves me.Hopefully I will find a job in the city I plan on living in when I graduate.
    • It will help me with an income and to get started on a path working for institutions I want to work for.
  • Measurable:
    • Applying for jobs and getting Interviews will show progress.
    • I will know this goal is completed when I have a job at a library/archive/museum.
  • Achievable:
    • The goal is achievable given my current resources.
    • To get there I will need to find jobs to apply to, update my resume, and mentally prepare.
    • I have a great support system and I have at least the minimum requirements met, if not much more.
  • Relevant:
    • This goal aligns with long term goals and growth.
    • It is absolutely the right time to further my career advancement.
  • Time-Bound:
    • I will begin working on this goal soon as I must update my resume for IST 773, and I will need to get a job soon.This should be done by 2025, but it would be nice to get it done by the start of summer 2024.
    • There are three milestones. The first milestone is when I have my resume and CVs finished being updated and start applying. The second milestone is when I get interviews and get closer to getting a job. The third is obviously getting a job.
Short Term Goal 2:
  • Specific:
    • Goal: Become more knowledgeable regarding cataloging and archiving of historical documents.This involves myself conducting research and being involved in my own learning. It also involves on-site training; thus, it involves somebody training me.This will take place at home where I will continue to learn more on my own, at school where I will learn more in the classroom, and on the job where I will learn from doing.
    • This is an important goal as it is critical to me progressing along the career path I am aiming for. It will allow me to have more tools and experience for future development.
  • Measurable:
    • To track progress, I plan to use critical reflection to see how far I’ve come. This means reflecting on my previous knowledge base and making notes on areas I need to improve in.
    • I will know this goal is accomplished when I have more knowledge than I have now. This will likely come when I feel more confident conducting the tasks related to this goal.
  • Achievable:
    • I think this goal is realistic because I can do a lot of it from home in my own free time. Reading books, learning from others, and getting jobs within the field will help me learn more.
    • For steps, I plan to do three things. First, I will work towards my goal which will help get me on the job experience. Second, I will expand on the knowledge I have now through reading material that has been recommended to me through my collection development classes. Third I will reach out to some contacts about some on the job shadowing or advise.
    • I have the research skills and motivation to learn more. I believe this goal is based on lifelong learning and thus can be achieved repeatedly, no matter my level.
  • Relevant:
    • This goal aligns with my other short- and long-term goals as it works to improve my skillset.
    • This is a great time to pursue this goal as I will be graduating soon and looking to get a job in this field. It is always a good idea to expand one’s preliminary knowledge before one looks for jobs in said field.
  • Time-Bound:
    • I have been working on this goal for the last year and a half as I have worked my way through the MLIS program. This will not stop after I graduate.There is no target completion date as this is a lifelong learning goal. I would say I would like to feel much more comfortable with the subject mat
    • Milestones are based on comfort level. My overall goal is to become more comfortable with working in an environment that involves cataloging and archiving practices thus milestones include getting a job in the field, reading five books regarding the practice, and talking to peers.
Short Term Goal 3:
  • Specific:
    • Goal: I want to expand my professional network and maintain contact with those within the library/archive profession.This involves others and me.This will take place in person through jobs and conferences as well as through online resources such as LinkedIn.
    • This is important because I for one am not a greatly social person. Setting this as my goal means I am forcing myself to stay in contact with those I have met throughout my MLIS degree and to reach out to new people I meet throughout my future endeavors.
  • Measurable:
    • I would track and measure this goal based on effort. I need to manage to reach out or strike up conversations with others. It also means putting myself out there.
    • Key performance indicators should be contacts made. This could be on LinkedIn or just connections made with peers.
    • The goal is accomplished when I feel as if I have put myself out there, gone to conferences, and met with others.
  • Achievable:
    • Yes, this is a soldi goal to work towards as I expand my career.
    • I will reach out to peers, go to conferences, meet others, and get out of my comfort zone.
    • I think I have a lot of the necessary skills and a lot of support.
  • Relevant:
    • This kind of aligns with my business goals as creating academic and professional contacts is of great value.
    • Because there is a lot of value to knowing others and continuing to make contacts within one’s field it will absolutely help my other long-term goals.
    • I’ve been working on this goal for a while and now is a great time to ramp it up.
  • Time-Bound:
    • I’m currently working on this goal right now and will continue into the foreseeable future.Target date could be 2025 as it would be nice to see milestones reached by then.
    • Milestones include maintaining contact with MLIS peers and reaching out to make contacts post graduate school.
    • This is important because I for one am not a greatly social person. Setting this as my goal means I am forcing myself to stay in contact with those I have met throughout my MLIS degree and to reach out to new people I meet throughout my future endeavors.
Long Term Goal 1:
  • Specific:
    • Goal: Contribute to programing based around equity and inclusion throughout my career.This involves supporting others and making sure other’s voices are heard.This will take place at the workplace.
    • This is important because I believe institutions should provide free access to information, which means providing equitable access to those who are disadvantaged within the community.
  • Measurable:
    • I believe this is trackable based on committing to producing such resources. This could be simply helping others on projectors of this kind or directly working on ways to get the community involved in helping point out gaps within the information transfer of the institution. I see this as a physical document such as improving the way the institution operates.
    • Key performance indicators are making sure to elevate the voices of others and to reach out to the community regarding how they use said institution.
    • This goal will become accomplished when noticeable change is made. This change should be improvements in operation.
  • Achievable:
    • This is absolutely achievable long term, but not necessarily right now.
    • To reach this goal I need to do a couple of different things. I think the first thing is to put myself in a position where my voice can amplify that of others or be heard on its own.
    • I have skills regarding what I need to look out for to be improved and who to talk to regarding how to improve. The issue is I don’t think I have a lot of support in this area.
  • Relevant:
    • This goal aligns with my own objectives as I see it as part of improving the accessibility of information access which is a root objective of mine working within libraries and archives.
    • This will look good on resumes, but it will also help me continue to improve access to information.
    • Now is the right time to do this as it’s always the right time to improve access to information. While I may not have the resources, I need I can still strive to improve and work on this area.
  • Time-Bound:
    • I am working on this now as I am gathering key skills that will allow me to commit to improving access throughout my career.For this goal there is no completion date. It is a continuous goal that I will always strive to work towards
    • Milestones are based on how active I am regarding this goal. Getting work done to improve accessibility and equity is a milestone. This can range from minor improvements to big fundamental improvements.
Long Term Goal 2:
  • Specific:
    • Goal: Have five years of experience working in an archive and acquired a certificate in archival studies.This involves me being responsible for pressuring further education and working.This will take place at the workplace and wherever I go to do the certificate.
    • This is important because it will show experience and improved credentials while also making sure I focus on my own continued learning.
  • Measurable:
    • I can track this progress by how long I have been employed and how close I am to getting the certification.
    • Key performance indicators are time length employed as well as progress through a program such as how many credits I have vs have left.
    • This goal will be accomplished when I have five years employed and a certificate in archival studies.
  • Achievable:
    • This is a very realistic goal as I will be working, and I can take time getting the certificate at the same time.
    • I need to find a job, which means accomplishing short term goal 1. I also need to look for certificate programs, apply, and do the work.
  • Relevant:
    • This goal aligns with my overall goal of increasing knowledge and experience within my career field.
    • Because it will help me in my long-term success and growth as it will help me become a more rounded, experienced librarian/archivist.
    • The goal will be something I will be working on no matter what as I need the certification for certain jobs, and I need to work in general within my field to gain experience.
  • Time-Bound:
    • I will begin working on this goal in April when I am done with graduate school.The goal is to have this done by 2029 since I need to spend five years working. The certification can be done in a much shorter timeframe such as being done by 2026.
    • Milestone one is to get a job, milestone two is to work for a year, and milestone three is to work for two years. Milestones can continue at regular intervals. Milestones regarding the certification can be based on getting accepted into certification program, getting halfway, and finishing.
Long Term Goal 3:
  • Specific:
    • Goal: Continue learning more about archival management to prepare myself for an archival management position in the future.
    • This involves me gaining experience and holding myself accountable for continued learning.This will take place on my own learning from books, but it will also take place on the job as I will learn a lot from people above me as well as peers.
    • This is important because at some point it seems most people get thrusted into some form of management. It is best to be both physically and mentally prepared for this through reflecting on past leadership and through having a decent idea of what management entails in any given job.
  • Measurable:
    • I don’t know how I will exactly track progress for this. I think I can do it based on how much time I spend learning about library/archive leadership positions.
    • Key performance indictors might look like getting an assistant management position or simply having read material on said job position.
    • I think I will know when this is accomplished when I get thrusted into a management position and don’t feel completely overwhelmed. Also, might be a good indictor when I start to see it as stepping up to take responsible action to improve the workspace and institution instead of feeling as if I would be thrusted into said position.
  • Achievable:
    • Yes, being prepared or preparing for management roles is very much within my constraints as I am already working on this through taking classes on such subject matter.
    • I will take three steps. First, I will look into reading more material regarding archival institutional leadership. Second, I will look at those in leadership positions and look at how they operate. Third, I will begin to take up leadership positions within the given institution I am working at.
  • Relevant:
    • This goal aligns with my overarching goal of gaining experience and desire for continued learning throughout my career.
    • It will contribute to my long-term success as it will help me feel confident leaving lower-level positions and taking more and more responsibility.
    • This is a great time to pursue this goal as I am already doing it through the MLIS program. I also think it’s a good idea to be reflective and learn about leadership roles as one is in any position as they might be thrusted into leadership.
  • Time-Bound:
    • I am starting this goal now as I am in a library leadership course and the overall goal is one of continued learning.The target date is 2034, but it will most likely be done by 2029. It’s hard to put an actual date to this specific goal but I feel as if within a decade in any given role one begins to be looked to fo
    • I think milestones here should be kept simple and left to be based on experience. Milestones might be a year of experience or so on.