Anna Laakkonen works as a specialist in information and publishing services at Laurea University of Applied Sciences. Her job description is highly diverse: tasks range from information acquisition and publishing guidance to online journal editorial work and expert tasks related to open science – and everything in between. FUURT plays a strong part in reinforcing the communal aspects of Laakkonen’s working life.
Anna Laakkonen studied Information Research and graduated with a Master’s in Social Sciences from Tampere University in 2008. The road to her current work community began through intermittent work and substitutions for those on job alternation leave, which led to her getting the job as an information specialist at Laurea University of Applied Sciences in 2009.
“In terms of finding employment, I graduated at the worst time, just before the recession that began in 2008. I joined Akava already as a student in order to accumulate months of membership, also for the purpose of protecting myself with unemployment security. Around 2015, I transferred to Academic Information Specialists, which is a member association of the Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers within the confederation of Akava.”
Laakkonen views her job description as that of a generalist. In addition to internal tasks for the work community, her work involves, for example, cooperation in the working group on open science publishing and professional publishing activities.
“I find it meaningful to boost the visibility of research and development work carried out at the university of applied sciences. To summarise my work in one word, I would say I’m a facilitator: it’s my job to facilitate the work of others.”
An arena for identity and supervision of interests
For Anna Laakkonen, it is important to be part of the FUURT community. Besides membership being beneficial in terms of professional development and, for example, unemployment security, it also has another important element.
“I identify primarily with my own professional field and FUURT members – it serves as my personal network. FUURT is my arena and a community that provides me with the latest news and information in my field. The promotion of interests is also important; knowing that there is a representative for my specific field in society.”
“FUURT is my arena and a community that provides me with the latest news and information in my field. The supervision of interests is also important; knowing that there is a representative for my specific field in society.”
The sector specific and local associations of FUURT also play an important role, and Laakkonen belongs to and is currently a deputy member of the Board of the Association of Academic Information Specialists.
“In addition to Board work, I also contribute, as part of my daily work, to national-level working groups that focus, for example, on open science perspectives. Being a part of the working groups lends a broader perspective to my own work and working methods.”
Working for the common good
The COVID-19 era also limited possibilities for FUURT’s events and shared gatherings, and made online meetings a part of daily working life. According to Anna Laakkonen, the meetings play a significant part in terms of her work.
“The organisation of events on current issues is important in and of itself. It is great to see the faces of those with whom you have been in contact with through e-mail. It also lowers the threshold for communication and facilitates the exchange of information.”
FUURT’s task is to defend the prerequisites and conditions to carry out research and to promote the well-being of the diverse research community. As an academic information specialist, Anna Laakkonen is clear on what types of values she wants to uphold as part of the scientific community.
“I feel that a scientific approach involves keeping one’s eyes open to new things, but viewing them with a critical mind. Information literacy and criticality are even more important today. I also want to share accurate information; that’s the only way to facilitate development for the common good.”
Join now as a member of FUURT!
We are offering all new members their first month of membership free of charge. If you join the Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers (FUURT) during the period 1 September–31 December 2024, you will get your first month free. All you need to do is fill out a membership application during the aforementioned time period and you will automatically receive your first month free of charge!
Campaign terms: The campaign is valid 1 September–31 December 2024. The free month of membership is the calendar month in which the membership application is submitted to the Union. The membership fee will then be charged for payment normally from the first day of the following calendar month. Read more about FUURT’s membership fees here. To ask more about joining, membership, and the campaign, please contact our member services.