Thing 14 - I haven't used any of these tools. When I was in my first Master's program, my professor wanted us to do hardcore research - no databases - just texts. Book after book after book, article after article after article. I now have the skill to, if say the power goes out or something, still do commendable research. However, that's not at all how students today are doing it. It's a great skill, but it's unnecessary now. When I was in my MLS program, I researched mostly online using federated searches in our databases - all from home, 100 miles away from the library. I was still old-school enough to print out all of my sources, but at least it was mostly online. In both programs, I kept a list of citations and references and had to plug it all into the papers accordingly. It's tedious, but I can now write and cite in Chicago, MLA, and APA. Woot!
Oh, how my life could have been easier with these tools! Just toying around with them is making me want to go back and do my Master's programs all over again . . . . not really. But they are really great. As I work in a public library, this is only relevant to share with students who come in seeking assistance with citations and also database use in the library. But I won't be using it myself unless I end up writing something. Which you never know, could happen. I do love to write papers . . . and I'm actually totally serious about that one.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
"The weakness of thinking machines is that they actually believe all the information they receive, and react accordingly." ~Dune: The Machine Crusade
Thing 13 - Google Docs, Wikis, and Dropbox
Google docs is a great tool to use personally and professionally. I use it at work in place of a flash drive. I kept losing them so now, it's all in the cloud.
I've been using Wikis for years now - good for distance learning and group projects. We used them at the library to create a Technology Task Force in an effort to get gaming into the library. Gaming never took off because of our budget, but it was a good tool for the job.
Dropbox is good if you have your admin rights on your computer. At work I have my desk, and then I work on any one of 8 other desks. We cannot put Dropbox on all of these desks. so it's useless. But a great idea for a smaller or more innovative operation.
A co-worker had a great idea the other day. We would loan out flash drives so patrons could save a letter or resume and then attach it to an email. These flash drives have now all been stolen. So, why don't we encourage people to use Google Docs? For one, people have a hard time using Yahoo - much less Google. So, we would need to educate them about this. It would be super if we could hold classes on how to use Google - sign up for it, then play with all that Google has to offer and learn how to operate "in the cloud."
There is so much out there that we use but our patrons are still struggling with rather simple technological issues. I think our real obligation is getting them ramped up to function in this ever-expanding tech world.
Google docs is a great tool to use personally and professionally. I use it at work in place of a flash drive. I kept losing them so now, it's all in the cloud.
I've been using Wikis for years now - good for distance learning and group projects. We used them at the library to create a Technology Task Force in an effort to get gaming into the library. Gaming never took off because of our budget, but it was a good tool for the job.
Dropbox is good if you have your admin rights on your computer. At work I have my desk, and then I work on any one of 8 other desks. We cannot put Dropbox on all of these desks. so it's useless. But a great idea for a smaller or more innovative operation.
A co-worker had a great idea the other day. We would loan out flash drives so patrons could save a letter or resume and then attach it to an email. These flash drives have now all been stolen. So, why don't we encourage people to use Google Docs? For one, people have a hard time using Yahoo - much less Google. So, we would need to educate them about this. It would be super if we could hold classes on how to use Google - sign up for it, then play with all that Google has to offer and learn how to operate "in the cloud."
There is so much out there that we use but our patrons are still struggling with rather simple technological issues. I think our real obligation is getting them ramped up to function in this ever-expanding tech world.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
"Survival is the ability to swim in strange water." ~Dune
Thing 12 -- A familiarity with social media was required in my MLS program. We had to join Myspace (facebook wasn't very popular with the adults at the time), had to write a professional blog, had to work in wiki's, had to use our online teaching platform (can't recall which one it was). I was a Research Assistant who worked from my home (in Phoenix - school was in Tucson) so I had to keep up with things virtually there too.
But I was familiar with this concept as I had finished the last year of my Master's degree in History in Indianapolis, IN all the way from Sumter, SC (horrid little town). So, back in the day (1998-9), my professors and I emailed regularly and I flew back and forth a few times. It was much more difficult to do than it would be today with wiki's and blogging and Google Groups, etc.
As for meeting people virtually . . . well, I met my fiance on eHarmony - so there's that. :) I've met a few people I would never have met - like a librarian in England, and a friend in North Carolina . . . and I can keep up with all of my family and friends scattered across the globe - it's pretty cool. I have used it in my professional career from the beginning and will certainly continue to use it. I'm very happy to have CPD23 to help me learn more of what's out there. And get me blogging again.
I've written about "community" a few times - I truly think the definition for this word is changing to reflect all the various ways we can have a sense of community and I love it. I love working in virtual environments on projects that need regular attention, but not necessarily regular f2f interaction. In my current library, we do not do enough to justify this kind of interaction - the thinking is still very old-school, f2f meeting, which is time consuming and most people can't do it anymore as our staff has been so reduced.
I'd love to see one particular thing change . . . we have had an Adult Book Meeting every month since the dawn of time. During this meeting, the Head of Collection Services runs the meeting allowing the various relevant department heads to talk about whatever relevant things they need to say (it's never THAT relevant), then moves on to his staff (of which I am one) and we go over some books that are popular and then he highlights about fifty non-fiction books from a giant list. It's grueling. There's yawning and doodling and flipping through pages and writing of grocery lists. It's just not working.
What I'd like to do is make this an Adult Services Meeting: talk about things relevant to the adult branch librarians, go over ideas for marketing their materials, database demos, generate more branch specific collection stats and discuss their relevancy and how they can used, talk about popular and hidden gem books, narrow departmental participation as much of the info isn't relevant to the branches, and continue the roundtable. We can create a Google Groups or blog to send lists, update information, send out stats to be discussed, and post meeting notes for those who can't make it. Also, rotate where we have the meetings - not just at our main location, but at the branches. Have some fun with it. Talk about specific books more. Be relevant to our librarians so we aren't wasting their time with an old f2f meeting model.
Change is possible - we're taking a survey to see what the branch staff want in a meeting and I can't wait to review the results. We have a few "older" librarians who want to just complain and do everything the same, but I think our budget crisis is giving us all a perfect excuse for change.
All in all, I love social media for work - I think it can be very useful. Just being able to have virtual meetings and a place to upload relevant materials and images - it's fantastic. Now the real challenge is getting everyone else on board!
But I was familiar with this concept as I had finished the last year of my Master's degree in History in Indianapolis, IN all the way from Sumter, SC (horrid little town). So, back in the day (1998-9), my professors and I emailed regularly and I flew back and forth a few times. It was much more difficult to do than it would be today with wiki's and blogging and Google Groups, etc.
As for meeting people virtually . . . well, I met my fiance on eHarmony - so there's that. :) I've met a few people I would never have met - like a librarian in England, and a friend in North Carolina . . . and I can keep up with all of my family and friends scattered across the globe - it's pretty cool. I have used it in my professional career from the beginning and will certainly continue to use it. I'm very happy to have CPD23 to help me learn more of what's out there. And get me blogging again.
I've written about "community" a few times - I truly think the definition for this word is changing to reflect all the various ways we can have a sense of community and I love it. I love working in virtual environments on projects that need regular attention, but not necessarily regular f2f interaction. In my current library, we do not do enough to justify this kind of interaction - the thinking is still very old-school, f2f meeting, which is time consuming and most people can't do it anymore as our staff has been so reduced.
I'd love to see one particular thing change . . . we have had an Adult Book Meeting every month since the dawn of time. During this meeting, the Head of Collection Services runs the meeting allowing the various relevant department heads to talk about whatever relevant things they need to say (it's never THAT relevant), then moves on to his staff (of which I am one) and we go over some books that are popular and then he highlights about fifty non-fiction books from a giant list. It's grueling. There's yawning and doodling and flipping through pages and writing of grocery lists. It's just not working.
What I'd like to do is make this an Adult Services Meeting: talk about things relevant to the adult branch librarians, go over ideas for marketing their materials, database demos, generate more branch specific collection stats and discuss their relevancy and how they can used, talk about popular and hidden gem books, narrow departmental participation as much of the info isn't relevant to the branches, and continue the roundtable. We can create a Google Groups or blog to send lists, update information, send out stats to be discussed, and post meeting notes for those who can't make it. Also, rotate where we have the meetings - not just at our main location, but at the branches. Have some fun with it. Talk about specific books more. Be relevant to our librarians so we aren't wasting their time with an old f2f meeting model.
Change is possible - we're taking a survey to see what the branch staff want in a meeting and I can't wait to review the results. We have a few "older" librarians who want to just complain and do everything the same, but I think our budget crisis is giving us all a perfect excuse for change.
All in all, I love social media for work - I think it can be very useful. Just being able to have virtual meetings and a place to upload relevant materials and images - it's fantastic. Now the real challenge is getting everyone else on board!
Friday, August 12, 2011
"Be prepared to appreciate what you meet." Fremen Proverb ~Dune
I have had some amazing mentors in my life.
When I was in my freshmen year in college I met a generous professor who could see my potential even when I could not. This professor nudged me into better performance by demanding more and not taking my laziness as an answer. I always appreciated this and took more classes from him than anyone else. Over the years he became a friend and confidant. He helped me think about my graduate career and shared his stories with me. He was a kind and wonderful man and I lost him two years ago.
My second mentor was more formal as he was the head of my graduate program in history. He was nurturing - which I needed at that time - and he understood that I wanted to ramp up to the level of work he required ASAP. I had been out of school for four years and had no real experience writing at the level required for the history program so I jumped in head-first and did it. It was nice to have some extra grading notes to know what exactly I was doing wrong and then immediately correct it to get it right. After the first semester, I was working very hard and it was paying off. This mentor became a friend throughout the program and I got to know his family as well. We communicate semi-regularly and visit when possible - I could not have succeeded without his trust and assurance that I could do the work. Sometimes you need someone who believes in you more than you believe in yourself.
My third mentor was an odd one. She declared herself my mentor and then reneged. My library science program - the professor in charge of my program who abruptly, sort of, quit everything. Not sure what was going on in her life, but it was a little dramatic. She drove me to do things I would never have done (metadata, poster presentations, etc) so I thoroughly enjoyed learning under her. I wish it could have continued.
My first professional mentor is from my first academic library job. She was instrumental in helping me gain real library experience and understood that when I was taking a reference class online, I wasn't actually learning that much about the physical reference collection at a university! She also hired me back part-time after my internship where I could do and learn even more. She still gives me good advice when I need it and I've gotten to know her family as well. She's a lovely lady.
Finally, my most recent mentor, who was my first public library boss. She is amazing. And still such a good friend, she's going to be in my wedding :) But regarding her mentoring - she had confidence in my ability to do the job and gave me advice on where to look for information, never giving me the information itself so I would learn, and then just backed away and let me go. Even though we don't still work together, she offers me advice about the profession and my career - and calms me down when the budget woes are too much. She's a very empowering personality and as a boss, that was just what I needed. Very glad I met her.
I, myself, have not formally mentored anyone, but I know that I've helped younger librarians with advice of my own. Just being a sounding board is nice sometimes. It's important to merely feel "heard." As a teen librarian I helped many a teen figure out what they were thinking as well as giving them the confidence they may be lacking at any given moment. I appreciate all that has been done to help me along when I needed it and I'm very willing to give that back.
When I was in my freshmen year in college I met a generous professor who could see my potential even when I could not. This professor nudged me into better performance by demanding more and not taking my laziness as an answer. I always appreciated this and took more classes from him than anyone else. Over the years he became a friend and confidant. He helped me think about my graduate career and shared his stories with me. He was a kind and wonderful man and I lost him two years ago.
My second mentor was more formal as he was the head of my graduate program in history. He was nurturing - which I needed at that time - and he understood that I wanted to ramp up to the level of work he required ASAP. I had been out of school for four years and had no real experience writing at the level required for the history program so I jumped in head-first and did it. It was nice to have some extra grading notes to know what exactly I was doing wrong and then immediately correct it to get it right. After the first semester, I was working very hard and it was paying off. This mentor became a friend throughout the program and I got to know his family as well. We communicate semi-regularly and visit when possible - I could not have succeeded without his trust and assurance that I could do the work. Sometimes you need someone who believes in you more than you believe in yourself.
My third mentor was an odd one. She declared herself my mentor and then reneged. My library science program - the professor in charge of my program who abruptly, sort of, quit everything. Not sure what was going on in her life, but it was a little dramatic. She drove me to do things I would never have done (metadata, poster presentations, etc) so I thoroughly enjoyed learning under her. I wish it could have continued.
My first professional mentor is from my first academic library job. She was instrumental in helping me gain real library experience and understood that when I was taking a reference class online, I wasn't actually learning that much about the physical reference collection at a university! She also hired me back part-time after my internship where I could do and learn even more. She still gives me good advice when I need it and I've gotten to know her family as well. She's a lovely lady.
Finally, my most recent mentor, who was my first public library boss. She is amazing. And still such a good friend, she's going to be in my wedding :) But regarding her mentoring - she had confidence in my ability to do the job and gave me advice on where to look for information, never giving me the information itself so I would learn, and then just backed away and let me go. Even though we don't still work together, she offers me advice about the profession and my career - and calms me down when the budget woes are too much. She's a very empowering personality and as a boss, that was just what I needed. Very glad I met her.
I, myself, have not formally mentored anyone, but I know that I've helped younger librarians with advice of my own. Just being a sounding board is nice sometimes. It's important to merely feel "heard." As a teen librarian I helped many a teen figure out what they were thinking as well as giving them the confidence they may be lacking at any given moment. I appreciate all that has been done to help me along when I needed it and I'm very willing to give that back.
"The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience." ~Dune
Thing 8: Google Calendar -- I use it. I've used it for years now and I'm completely in love with it. Can't live without it.
Thing 9: Evernote - I just got around to loving Evernote. I'm planning a wedding and this tool is incredibly handy at cache-ing all of my notes in one place. I haven't applied it to work yet.
Thing 10: Ah, graduate degrees. Years ago, when I was in undergrad, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. I graduated with an eclectic collection of classes from five different declarings and ended up with a degree in Criminology with a minor in Political Science. I worked as a Domestic Relations Hearing Officer for a couple of years, but really hated working in that system. Criminal Justice work wasn't what I wanted. So, I got a Master's degree in History - US Diplomatic History 1900-Present with a minor in Soviet History. I loved every minute of this. Reading, writing, presenting - it was fantastic. But there was this one class, Historiography, that changed my life. My professor worked with the Librarian and taught us how to figure out what we wanted to research - how to do the research, how to think about the research, how to evaluate the research, and finally how to use the research. Not just relating to University work, but to all things - how we listen to the news, read the newspaper and magazines - who funded that study? who is reporting that finding? what's in it for them? Question everything. And that nothing is entirely objective because, in the end, we are all human, so something of us is in the work. It was a wonderful class. After a few years not finding work in the History field, I was again working in a bookstore when I took "What Color is Your Parachute" home. The workbook, too. After reading it and filling in the workbook, it told me that I should either have a bookshop or be a Librarian. So, I applied to Library School. While in my MLS program I discovered that my favorite class in my History program was, in fact, a library science staple: Information Literacy. I was in heaven. I knew this was my calling in life - and here I am. A Librarian.
As for jobs . . . well, there has been a myth in America - probably everywhere else, too - that all the sudden, one of these days, all of the old, fogey librarians are going to retire leaving a vacuum for all of us younger librarians to come in fill. Oh, the jobs! Well, as we all know, that's not remotely true. For one, people aren't retiring. Two, they are not filling those positions - attrition is cheaper on the budget and it's all about budget these days. My route to my current position was serendipitous. I applied to over 75 academic entry level positions with several phone interviews, a few in-person interviews, and not a single job offer. Then, I moved to sunny Southern California, on a wing and a prayer, and found a temp job working as a Children's Librarian in a smaller suburb of Los Angeles. I had no experience whatsoever for this job. No Children's experience! Nothing. But life is funny, and I spent three+ wonderful months working there with an amazing mentor who let me learn and do til my heart's desire. While I was there I applied to exactly ONE job - and as luck would have it - I got it! So, I finally started working full-time, professionally as an adult librarian at a branch in a large, urban system. It was awesome. Then I moved to teen librarian at the branch. Wildness ensued. Then I got a promotion to a system-wide position for the same system and it's been a blast.
Now I'm looking to move forward in my career and begin managing on some level. Our current situation is looking pretty bare so I'm looking outside my system as well. You never know what the future holds . . .
Thing 9: Evernote - I just got around to loving Evernote. I'm planning a wedding and this tool is incredibly handy at cache-ing all of my notes in one place. I haven't applied it to work yet.
Thing 10: Ah, graduate degrees. Years ago, when I was in undergrad, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. I graduated with an eclectic collection of classes from five different declarings and ended up with a degree in Criminology with a minor in Political Science. I worked as a Domestic Relations Hearing Officer for a couple of years, but really hated working in that system. Criminal Justice work wasn't what I wanted. So, I got a Master's degree in History - US Diplomatic History 1900-Present with a minor in Soviet History. I loved every minute of this. Reading, writing, presenting - it was fantastic. But there was this one class, Historiography, that changed my life. My professor worked with the Librarian and taught us how to figure out what we wanted to research - how to do the research, how to think about the research, how to evaluate the research, and finally how to use the research. Not just relating to University work, but to all things - how we listen to the news, read the newspaper and magazines - who funded that study? who is reporting that finding? what's in it for them? Question everything. And that nothing is entirely objective because, in the end, we are all human, so something of us is in the work. It was a wonderful class. After a few years not finding work in the History field, I was again working in a bookstore when I took "What Color is Your Parachute" home. The workbook, too. After reading it and filling in the workbook, it told me that I should either have a bookshop or be a Librarian. So, I applied to Library School. While in my MLS program I discovered that my favorite class in my History program was, in fact, a library science staple: Information Literacy. I was in heaven. I knew this was my calling in life - and here I am. A Librarian.
As for jobs . . . well, there has been a myth in America - probably everywhere else, too - that all the sudden, one of these days, all of the old, fogey librarians are going to retire leaving a vacuum for all of us younger librarians to come in fill. Oh, the jobs! Well, as we all know, that's not remotely true. For one, people aren't retiring. Two, they are not filling those positions - attrition is cheaper on the budget and it's all about budget these days. My route to my current position was serendipitous. I applied to over 75 academic entry level positions with several phone interviews, a few in-person interviews, and not a single job offer. Then, I moved to sunny Southern California, on a wing and a prayer, and found a temp job working as a Children's Librarian in a smaller suburb of Los Angeles. I had no experience whatsoever for this job. No Children's experience! Nothing. But life is funny, and I spent three+ wonderful months working there with an amazing mentor who let me learn and do til my heart's desire. While I was there I applied to exactly ONE job - and as luck would have it - I got it! So, I finally started working full-time, professionally as an adult librarian at a branch in a large, urban system. It was awesome. Then I moved to teen librarian at the branch. Wildness ensued. Then I got a promotion to a system-wide position for the same system and it's been a blast.
Now I'm looking to move forward in my career and begin managing on some level. Our current situation is looking pretty bare so I'm looking outside my system as well. You never know what the future holds . . .
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