A maintainer’s personal spare time has always been a precious commodity. Most often, that time is divided into family responsibilities and homework assignments. And, if we’re re lucky, it’s balanced out with a bit relaxation time for pursuit of hobbies, and self improvement.
One of the most judicious approaches in a maintainer’s self-improvement efforts, i.e., professional development and growth, is to work toward an industry-professional designation or certification, such as that of a CMRP (Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional, through the Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals [smrp.org]), or an MLT (Maintenance Lubrication Technician, through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication [icmlonline.com]), to name just two of many that are available to maintenance professionals these days.
All of those respective designations/certifications have a body of knowledge (BOK) regarding the skills, techniques, and practices with which a designee is expected to be familiar. That BOK is backed up by a domain of knowledge (DOK) represented by a publicly available library of recommended books to read in preparation for taking certification or designation examinations. These books and/or associated published materials are great resources to purchase outright or borrow from a library.
Reading for knowledge, though, should also be fun, especially given the necessary expenditures of time and money. This requires a managed approach in choosing the most appropriate book and/or section of a book to read. But how does one do that without taxing his or her personal time or budget?
CHOOSE BOOKS WISELY
A professional body of knowledge is very useful in that it breaks down specific skill, practice, or knowledge areas on which those pursuing professional certifications or designations will be tested. This information, in turn, serves as an excellent starting point and roadmap for learning.
With hundreds, possibly thousands, of books from which to choose, applying my five-minute, seven-step, book-evaluation process below could help a reader quickly decide if he or she wants to invest in a particular title at a given time.
Step 1 – Genre: Books are classified by Genre usually representing and matching the specific skills, practices, or knowledge areas found in a BOK. For example, planning and scheduling, preventive maintenance, industrial lubrication, industrial fasteners, etc., would be the primary search criterion for online title searches or library enquiries. Since many books are found in the same genre, the following steps can help maintainers choose the most suitable to take home and read.
Step 2 – Title: Book titles are designed to open the door to the subject matter and entice the reader to further examine its contents. Great titles don’t always mean great books, but they can help kick-start a reader’s decision process.
Step 3 – Author: Often, when we read a book that we like, we look for other titles written by the same author. Likewise, if you read a trade-magazine article that you like, you might discover that the author has written books on that particular topic or similar subject, which can help make your book choices easier.
Step 4 – Jacket-Cover Synopsis: Now that we have a book in front of us, we can see that the back cover includes a short paragraph or two as a synopsis or summary of a reader can expect to find between the covers and if it fits his or her immediate subject interest.
Step 5 – Index: Located at the very back of the book, the index presents a collection of keywords arranged in alphabetical order to give readers the page number(s) where they can find specific subject matter. Choose two or three words that represent the subject you want to explore further, go to the page(s) indicated, and read a paragraph or two to see if you like the author’s writing style and presentation of the information.
Step 6 – Table of Contents: If you like how the book is written, the next step is to go to the front of the book and see how the content is arranged and put together. Keep in mind, the book may only have one or two sections on the particular knowledge you are currently seeking. That’s OK, since technical books are not meant to be read like novels: They are reference texts.
Step 7 – Bibliography: Textbooks (technical books) typically feature bibliographies that point to similar works quoted or referenced within the book. The bibliography gives readers a list of other associated titles for future reference.
This five-minute, seven-step exercise is designed help you determine if a book is suitable for further reading. Once this simple analysis has been performed, and dependent upon the type book under review, the maintainer (or reader) should be able to reach a decision point from which he or she can choose to:
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- purchase and read the book in its entirety.
- purchase the book and read only selected, relevant chapters (chosen from the table of contents)
- purchase the book and classify it or its sections for future reference purposes
- not purchase or read the book at this time.
TO BUY OR TO BORROW?
The purchase of a technical book in today’s economy can be substantial financial investment. With textbook prices regularly topping the $100.00 mark, most people want to be sure they make the right purchase choice. Following the above seven-step determination guideline will eliminate this fear once the maintainer begins to trust his or her instincts.
However, to overcome the initial purchase fear and build confidence in your determination skills, I recommend the first three book purchases be approached in a slightly modified manner: Borrow the book before you buy it. If the initial instinct is to purchase and own the book, remember that it can probably be borrowed from a public library, or local college or university library. Once you have read the book, revisit your initial instincts and decide if you want to actually purchase it (or not).
Public libraries are wonderful places to track down books and papers. If a book is unavailable at your local library, it can probably borrow it for you from another institution, or even purchase the requested title for its own shelves. Don’t be afraid to ask.
To use a college or university library, you don’t necessarily have to be enrolled as a student. With a regular public-library card, books often can be borrowed from a college or university library. And the likelihood of finding technical books is far greater in a college/university library than at a public library. Moreover, this strategy often comes with the added advantage of being able to easily order and purchase the title through the school’s bookstore (once you have returned the borrowed book to the institution’s library).
BEGIN YOUR READING
To vindicate your purchase decision, the natural instinct is to read the book cover to cover (whether that’s what you initially intended to do during the above five-minute pre-purchase analysis). So go ahead. By all means, read the book cover to cover if you find it interesting and want to commit the time and effort to do so. But don’t feel guilty if only three out of 10 chapters are interesting enough to fully read. Again, technical books are reference tools that are often only read in sections or ‘bites,” as needed and when needed.
Above all, remember that your time is precious. Using it to read and learn material that is meaningful should be both gratifying and enjoyable.TRR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ken Bannister has 40+ years of experience in the RAM industry. For the past 30, he’s been a Managing Partner and Principal Asset Management Consultant with Engtech industries Inc., where he has specialized in helping clients implement best-practice asset-management programs worldwide. A founding member and past director of the Plant Engineering and Maintenance Association of Canada, he is the author of several books, including three on lubrication, one on predictive maintenance, and one on energy reduction strategies, and is currently writing one on planning and scheduling. Contact him directly at 519-469-9173 or [email protected].
Tags: reliability, availability, maintenance, RAM, lubrication, professional development, SMRP, ICML
