Re:Generations

Marketing, communications and outreach at your library?

2010-03-15T09:34:00.002-04:00

At great risk of being a typical Torontonian, I’m placing our lovely town at the centre of my post today. A few weeks ago we were once again host to the Ontario Library Association’s Annual Superconference, and while it’s my third year in attendance, it’s my first time showing up as a bona fide librarian.

A common theme that ran its way through several of the sessions I attended was the issue of effective marketing and promotions in libraries. In particular, I attended a great session by three marketing and communications librarians from universities across Ontario (Catherine Baird, Marketing Communications and Outreach Librarian, McMaster University Library; Nancy Collins, Communications Librarian, University of Waterloo Library; Cecile Farnum, Communications Librarian, Ryerson University Libraries), who discussed effective marketing and communications strategies, successful undertaking in their libraries, and how they pulled them off, and what they focus on in their work. Thereafter I found myself in a session about outreach, put on by Jennifer Easter and Caroline Stewart, from the University of Guelph-Humber. The discussed their experiences with student outreach on campus, and how they have been working to improve the library's presence on-campus, and to encourage students to take advantage of library services and resources.

I'm wondering if marketing, communications and outreach are discussed at your organization, beyond tradition (and often individual or ad hoc) liaison activities. I'm interested in integrating these principles and practices into my own work -- but is this area of interest to others? Do you see it as integral to library services and resources, or an ancillary afterthought? Comments welcome!

Ambassador Visit to SLIS

2010-03-03T00:43:00.000-05:00

This week, I was fortunate to convene an ambassador visit organized by CACUL's Re:Generations committee (thanks Christina and Dale!) at the University of Alberta's School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS). Our thanks go out to LISSA (SLIS's Library and Information Studies Student Association) for providing bagels and other snacks which were greatly appreciated over the course of the lunch hour!

On the panel, we were fortunate to have two librarians representing the University of Alberta Libraries, as well as a librarian from MacEwan University and King's University College. The strength of the panel was the breadth of the experience, from new librarian to experienced librarian to library director. Also, the diverse natures of the academic libraries the panel represented, including large research university, medium size and small college environments, gave the students present a wide range of opinions to consider.

Our hour long session was structured as an informal Question & Answer session. The students were eager to ask questions, and the range of questions differed as much as the range of experience on the panel!

A popular topic was current academic library trends, and the panel discussed issues such as the:

state of the post-recession job market
increasing emphasis placed on user experience
shift from library as a place for books to a place of social gathering
increasing importance of information literacy instruction
delivery of library services and programs to students who are already technically savvy

The panel also discussed doing research and obtaining tenue - the extend of which differently greatly depending on the institution. All librarians stressed the importance of marketing the library to and nurturing relationships with faculty. Also mentioned were possible conferences to attend (don't forget about ALA!), professional development opportunities and training provided to new-hires.

The two newest librarians on the panel talked about their job interviews, which again differed greatly: one librarian was asked to present a short lesson to the interview panel, whereas the other was only required to answer questions about instructional methods. All the panelists stressed the need to consider non-traditional library jobs, such as working for a research institute or creating contract opportunities via networks.

While holding this informal Question & Answer panel meant this ambassador visit differed slightly than previous visits, I got the impression the students learned a lot about academic librarianship. I expected more interest in job hunting, so was surprised by the student's desire to learn more about many diverse areas of the profession. If you are interested in specific job hunting tips, you can read more about Re:Generations past ambassador visits to McGill (2009) and SLAIS (2008).

Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity for library students to meet and hear from librarians currently working in the field, an opportunity I for one greatly appreciated!

E-book frustration

2010-03-01T05:31:00.018-05:00

I feel a bit of a rant coming on. Because e-books are very frustrating.

I've felt this way for a while, but my emotions have risen to surface following a talk given by Michael Porter at the recent Web 2.You conference. (I cribbed some phrases here from an e-mail that I wrote to him; hope he doesn't mind!)

My library, like many academic libraries, has purchased thousands of e-books that are essentially PDFs to be read on the computer screen. Indeed, as Mark recently discussed, e-books are inevitable. At first, I thought, "ok, great, students can read books at home without having to borrow them from the library." The main drawback seemed to be the potential discomfort of reading off a screen. Professors, too, are excited by this type of e-book as it allows them to reduce the size and cost of their coursepacks and to lessen the burden of textbook prices on their students. But alas, it is too good to be true, as many other before me have found.

My frustration especially arose after Michael Porter's exhortation for libraries to "give users what they want in the format they want" during the Web 2.You talk.

On the one hand, many students are uncomfortable reading off screens and want their print books. A session at the 2009 EDUCAUSE conference reported on a user study that found that students exhibited emotional reactions to e-books, often describing feelings of psychological distress and confusion when reading them. They needed a tactile experience of annotating and seeing page numbers to feel like they were really reading. Although the students had an affinity for handheld devices, they expressed a preference for physical print books. These students were using "real" e-books on Sony Readers, but the interfaces for browser-based e-books are miles vis-à-vis clunky navigation. They also restrict printing and downloading.

Even worse, many publishers and/or platforms place nonsensical limitations on concurrent users. Maybe it's just me, but I find it difficult to explain to professors that the online version of a required textbook for a class of 600 students can only be read by one or two students at a time, and that nope, the provider will NOT let us buy additional copies or licenses. It seems to me that this model is broken. (N.B. some providers sell licenses for unlimited users...why can't they all?)

DRM (digital rights management) is also a huge concern when discussing "real" downloadable e-books. DRM often prevents people from using media in valid and lawful ways due to "overprotection" of the distributors' rights. A post on the schooling.us blog gives a great illustration: DRM is "as ridiculous as telling someone that they are only allowed to read in certain rooms of their house, but it's roughly the equivalent." How can librarians fulfill their professional responsibility of connecting people with information if there are technological walls blocking the way?

However, on the other hand, students want everything to be available online all the time. Furthermore, the same study presented at EDUCAUSE found that students' reading comprehension was the same whether they read electronic or paper books. And although most of our e-books are currently digital reproductions of the printed page, the technological possibilities are enormous—for example, to include multimedia content, interactive features, custom content, integration with assessment and grading, or social learning features.

At the EDUCAUSE session, a representative from McGraw-Hill argued that we are still early in the process of e-book development. The book is only one part of the larger learning process or “learning ecosystem,” so more research is needed on the ergonomics and “ethnography” of study.I can only hope that this way of thinking comes to pass in reality, with distributors of content, whether they be publishers or libraries, paying attention to the evidence and giving people what they want.

In the meantime, what can we do when our options are limited in terms of meeting users' needs? Do we provide less-than-ideal materials in spite of the limitations? Do we wait until better e-books exist? How can we make e-books better?

References

EDUCAUSE 2009 session: "E-Books, E-Textbooks, and E-Readers," featuring panelists from Penn State University, Northwest Missouri State University, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, and VitalSource. November 4, 2009. http://www.educause.edu/E09+Hybrid/EDUCAUSE2009FacetoFaceConferen/EBooksETextbooksandEReaders/176075

Web 2.You 2010 session: “2 Point Where? Technology Evolution and the Uncertain Future of Libraries” by Michael Porter. February 5, 2010. http://web2pointyou.pbworks.com/

Thanks to Flickr user baking_in_pearls for use of the image. License: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

Teaching Tips

2010-02-22T22:42:00.003-05:00

I find teaching to be the most stressful part of my job. Being on the spot, in front of a room, anticipating questions, technical glitches, and wardrobe malfunctions... it all makes me a bit nervous. But the anxiety has definitely decreased over the past 1 1/2 years; I'm to the point now where I can actually sleep through the night before a class (!) and I don't quite dread them as I once did. Even though the outcome is almost always positive, and nothing major has yet to go wrong in a class (touch wood), I always have a bit of nervous anticipation beforehand - especially if I've never taught that particular lesson before.

Today was one of those days - my first time teaching EndNote to a room full of grad students. A three-hour workshop, to people who really have a vested interest in what I'm showing them, as opposed to disengaged undergrads - talk about intimidating! So needless to say, I'm glad the day is done.

But what can you do about pre-class jitters, other than practice, practice, practice? Run-throughs certainly make me feel more confident. But one of the BEST pieces of advice that I got from one of my colleagues before my first teaching session, nearly 1 1/2 years ago when I was brand-new on the job, was this: Just remember - you know more than they do. And really, that sums it up, doesn't it? No matter what, you are likely going to show them SOMETHING they don't already know. Every time I get worked up about a class, I try to recall that sage piece of advice and it immediately puts me more at ease. Because she's right; I AM going to show them something new. Even if these students have seen me in other classes, the evaluations I get back invariably say "I saw you before, but it was great to be reminded of..." this or that search tip, database, idea, etc. And even if I look out over the class and am greeted with blank stares, bored faces, and glazed eyes, my evaluation forms belie my fears - they are almost always positive, saying how much they learned, how valuable the session was, etc.

So the moral of the story: you're always more effective than you think you are. A bit of nervous anticipation is probably good, as otherwise you'll get a little complacent in your preparation; but ultimately, it always goes better than you think it will/did. And remember: you know more than they do.

Any other tips/tricks to help with pre-class nervousness or preparations?

Being a generalist vs. being a specialist

2010-02-21T14:53:00.005-05:00

In case anyone was wondering after reading my last post, I'm pleased to say that I will be starting a new position next month. I'm not leaving McGill, but I will soon be a liaison librarian at the Howard Ross Library of Management (i.e., the business library).

I'll admit that I don't have any background in business. My undergraduate degree is in psychology, and I've never taken any business classes. Some people would say this puts me at a disadvantage as a business librarian; without any specialized knowledge of the subject matter, how can I hope to serve students performing high level research? Indeed, many libraries require their subject librarians to have a second Masters in a relevant subject.

So here's the question: should academic librarians who are responsible for serving students in a certain subject area be required to have a background in that area? Or, to look at it another way: should librarians only apply for jobs that match their previous academic experience?

As I'm sure you can guess, I support the generalist model for librarians. I feel that the library experience (not to mention other customer service experience) that I've already acquired puts me in a good position to serve students and faculty in any subject area. It will certainly be a bit of an adjustment for me to learn the most important business terminology and concepts, but there will be a lot of learning for any new position I take on, especially at this early stage in my career.

I'm not saying that having subject knowledge is not valuable at all; certainly, if I were choosing which of two applicants to hire, and their skills were identical except that one had a second Masters in a relevant subject, it would make the decision much easier. And if someone has a particular passion for a certain topic, it might make sense for them to hold out until they can find the position that fits them perfectly. All I'm saying is that I am confident that I will be able to handle the challenge of my new position.

I've already joined the Business Libraries group on the Canadian Academic Libraries Network, and I'm looking forward to learning from experienced business librarians. Does anyone have any suggestions for learning a new subject area?

So you want to do a PhD?

2010-02-20T00:30:00.002-05:00

I was recently accepted into a PhD program. It was an exciting moment in my life receiving the news, but that moment came after a lot of hard work (and not a few tears). Since I received my news, I have a few people tell me that they too were considering applying for a PhD, so with that in mind I thought I'd share some of the lessons I learned during the application process:

1) Talk and ask questions: When I first started thinking of a PhD I spoke with as many people as I could about the process: former professors, other faculty members I knew, other PhD students, and spouses of PhD students and faculty. I was told that completing a PhD can be a lonely process and that you need to have a lot of self-motivation. Many people spoke of the toll it took on their personal lives. And, I was warned that the loneliness and commitment will not stop after it's over as the life of a faculty member can be equally exhausting.

2) Why?: Everyone I spoke with always started off with the same questions: Why do you want to write a PhD? What do you want to do with it in the end? You need to be able to answer these questions to keep you going through the process.

3) What?: Do you have the beginning of an idea that not only hasn't been covered in the literature but will also keep you going for 4+ years? The idea doesn't have to be complete (in fact it's best to be open to new insights) but can you identify a gap in the literature and start thinking of ways you (and your brilliance!) will fill it?

4) Shop around: If your semi-serious, start looking at your various options early, really early. There are only a handful of LIS PhDs in Canada. Are you close enough to one of the programs to attend? Are you willing to move? Is there another library-related discipline that you think might offer you a good home, like education, sociology, or even business? Is there a local interdisciplinary option? Is there a distance PhD that might work for you? Check out program web sites and course offerings. In other words, window shop.

5) Shop around some more: Once you've settled on a few programs, talk to the directors of the various departments and schools you are interested in. Tell them your plans and find out what their program strengths and weaknesses are. Is there a faculty member in the program who might be a suitable fit as your supervisor? If you plan on working while completing your PhD, are they used to working with part-time students? What are the requirements for admission and graduation? How many courses are you expected to take? Do you have to write comprehensive exams? What are the funding options available to you? What kind of research (qualitative vs. quantitative) does the department do? If the program isn't an LIS program, ask if they've ever worked with librarians before. Is there room in their program to study LIS topics?

This step accomplishes two things: first, you get a clearer idea of what will be required of you during the admissions process and what will be required after you've been accepted, plus it ensures that at least one person in the department knows your name and interests. That way if the department has to pick between you and someone they've never met, you might have the advantage.

6) Follow up any recommendations that are given to you. If the director suggests you speak with a faculty member, do it. This will give you an even better sense of the department, while at the same time ensure more people know who you are. Although all of this is easier to do in person, this can also be accomplished over email and on the phone.

7) Read and write: If you think you may have found your new academic home start reading and writing. You know those articles you've had sitting on the back burner for a while? Finish and submit them! PhD programs like publications. Remember that start of an idea you needed in step 3? Start reading more about it. Talk to other people who have the same research interests as you. They'll point you in the direction of new ideas and research. This will help when you write your statement of interest for your application.

I found the statement of interest to be the most difficult part of my application. It was a 1500 word treatise on everything about me and my research interests. I had to demonstrate that I had the knowledge required to address my topic, that I had read widely enough to show that there was a gap in the literature that needed to be filled, that the department I was applying to was the prefect home for me, describe the work I did during my MLIS and the professional experiences that lead me to wanting to complete my PhD, my other academic and relevant work experiences, and a statement about how I intended to complete the program (full vs part time, etc.). In. 1500. Words.

8) Find a good editor! Show your application to as many people as you feel comfortable with. Get opinions and feedback. Don't take any of it personally, just use it to form the best application you can.

9) Line up your references: Make sure all of your references will be positive. the best advice I was ever given for soliciting references was to ask, up front, for a positive one. It's a sad but true fact that some people will agree to give a reference when all they can give is a bad one, so ask up front! At least two of the usual three should be from academic sources (former professors, co-authors, etc.). So, make sure your professors remember you well enough to give you a positive reference!

10) Most applications are due during busy academic periods, so order your transcripts in advance so they get there on time. Sounds obvious, but one set of transcripts took 10 weeks to be delivered when I applied.

After all of this hard work you then get to sit and wait for months and months. It's a horrible feeling! And, unfortunately sometimes you don't get the answer you want. That happened to me the first time I applied. I didn't follow my own advice that time and when I didn't get in I was heartbroken. But I didn't let it defeat me. After a good cry and a few choice words, I revisited my application, corrected my mistakes and applied to another program (and got in!). In the end, my first rejection was a godsend. That program would not have been a good home for me, but because I did my homework the second time around I know that I have found the right place for me.

Re:Gen sessions at the CLA conference

2010-02-19T15:25:00.001-05:00

If you haven't yet seen the announcement: registration is now open for the 2010 CLA national conference in Edmonton (June 2-5). The preliminary program is available online. Get your name in there before the early bird deadline of April 9!

The Re:Generations committee is proud to be presenting two sessions at the conference.

First, is our mini-unconference, Preparing for the Profession: An Interactive Session for New and Emerging Professionals. We really do mean interactive. We will ask attendees to drive the course of the session, with the precise topics and discussion format to be determined right then and there. A panel of present and past Re:Generations committee members will share advice on such topics as job hunting, creating an academic c.v. and cover letter, life on the tenure track, networking, creating a web presence...and whatever else you want to discuss. In fact, we'd like to open up the discussion before the conference itself. Watch this space in the coming weeks for preliminary discussions and tips.

Mark your calendar for Thursday, June 3 at 4 pm

Our second session is Speed Updating for Academic Librarians. The session description says it all:

Overloaded with information? Pressed for time? This session will provide a one-stop shop to keep academic librarians up-to-date. Lightning round updates will be presented by experts on key issues facing our profession, including open access, metadata standards, and research methodology. After the presentations, conversations will continue in break-out groups.

Mark your calendar for Friday, June 4 at 3 pm

We're looking forward to hearing your comments and ideas about the sessions. Stay tuned for more!

Thanks to Flickr user eliazar for use of the image "Mini!". Creative Commons license: Attribution 2.0 Generic

New network for academic librarians

2010-02-18T09:17:00.000-05:00

A message from Pam Ryan, 2010 CACUL President:

CACUL invites you to join the Canadian Academic Libraries Network:
http://caculnetwork.ning.com/

All those interested in Canadian academic libraries are invited to join
here to discuss issues and share information.

Feeling disconnected from your Canadian Academic Library colleagues? Help build an online community of academic librarians and library staff from across Canada in the Canadian Academic Libraries Network. Start or join a group in your area of interest and discuss issues with like-minded folks. Share your events, news, workshops, and professional development opportunities. Make it what you need and tell us how we can
make it better for you.

[P.S. The Re:Generations committee also has a group on the network. Feel free to join us!]

Featured Librarian: Karen Nicholson

2010-02-11T13:13:00.005-05:00

This is the third in a series of posts featuring librarians taking an interesting approach to the profession. Previous posts have profiled bike-tripping University of Oregon Social Sciences Librarian Miriam Rigby and Heather Ward, UN Librarian and certified mahout.

If you know of someone else you'd like to see interviewed, please let me know in the comments.

Karen Nicholson is a fellow Re:Generations blogger, as well as the Teaching and Learning Librarian at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She's been a librarian for about nine years, and she's about to be whisked away to work with the Council of Ontario Universities on undergraduate learning.

Q: What do you do? (What's your job title, who do you work for, where in the world are you?)

A: My title is Teaching and Learning Librarian, and I work at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

I have *just* accepted an eleven month secondment to work as Teaching and Learning Development Officer for the Council of Ontario Universities: my job will be to help universities implement Ontario’s Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations.

Q: Okay, but really--what do you do? (Describe your job in big outlines--what kinds of things might you do in any given day?)

A: I spend LOTS of time in meetings and meeting with people. This might include informal chats about teaching with liaison librarians, talking to faculty to plan information literacy classes for students, or preparing workshops for librarians related to pedagogy or teaching and learning technologies.

McMaster will host WILU 2010 in May 2010, Canada’s main information literacy conference, so that also involves a lot of online and F2F meetings. I also involved in some projects with the Centre for Leadership in Learning, the campus teaching and learning unit, which involve (more!) meetings, reading articles, reports, etc.

Q: When did you get your MLIS/MLS, and what school did you go to?

A: I got my MLIS from McGill University in 2001.

Q: What other jobs have you had before this one?

A: From September to December of last year, I was seconded to McMaster’s Centre for Leadership in Learning (CLL). Since I work closely with the CLL to ensure that library programs are based on sound pedagogy, working within the department seemed a logical next step in building a strong partnership between the two units. It was a great experience.

During my term at the CLL, I was responsible for two projects: the first was to create the framework for a new third year undergraduate course, “Digital Media for the Social Sciences”. The idea is to help students develop critical thinking skills with regard to digital media, to explore contemporary controversies and issues related to digital media within a social sciences’ framework, and to improve students’ ability to use information and communication technologies to communicate effectively. The second project was to establish communities of practice, or learning networks, at McMaster, so that with people with a common interest in issues related to teaching and learning can meet to share ideas and knowledge.

Before moving to Ontario, I worked as the Information Literacy Coordinator at McGill University in Montreal from 2002-2007, and before that, I was a Reference and Subject Librarian at Concordia University from 2001-2002.

Outside the library world, I have taught a few university courses as well as English as a second language in Montreal and Japan. I also worked in the congress industry when I was a student: it was fun because we got to travel all over the US, and I had the opportunity to visit Paris. I teach fitness classes, and eons ago I was a synchronized swimming coach.

Q: What's the most useful thing you learned on your way to this job--either in school or along the way in your career?

A: Take the time to get to know the people you work with. The worst situations came be made so much better when you’re with friends and good colleagues.

It’s often better to shut up and take the time to reflect before giving an answer. (Something I am not very good at yet.)

Q: What are you learning now? Or, what do you wish you were learning now?

A: I am currently learning about the gap between student and instructor expectations and what universities can do to address it through academic and non-academic programs and services.

Q: If the stars align and everything goes according to your heart's desire, what else would your career bring you?

A: I would love to be able to complete a PhD in education. I would also like to be an extravagantly paid educational consultant to UNESCO or a similar organization, and live in a beautiful city in Europe. Or somewhere warm. I have wanted for several years to undertake a study tour in Australia to learn more about their information literacy programs. Actually, the coolest job would probably be to work as a consultant, staying in fantastic places for a few months at a time. :D

Q: What are you reading right now?

A: I am currently reading Alligator by Lisa Moore, a Canadian author from Newfoundland.

Q: Any words of advice for new librarians?

A: Remember that the library world is very, very, very small. Try to make this advantageous to you, not a hindrance.

A career as a librarian can take you down many unexpected and surprising paths.

Be collegial and ethical.

The good fights are always worth fighting (which is another way of saying “be ethical”).

Thanks, Karen!

Posted by Karen Munro.

CACUL travel grants for CLA conference

2010-02-10T08:04:00.000-05:00

A message from Carol Shepstone,CACUL Director, Grants (posted on the CACUL e-mail list):

If you are thinking about your 2010 conference planning, don't forget that
the Canadian Association of College and University Libraries has
conference grants to help you off-set the costs of attending the 2010 CLA
conference held this year in Edmonton AB.

CACUL has up to 5 grants available for 2010—3 grants (up to $1,800)
each) intended for new librarians, librarians who are unemployed or
employed in a contract position, or a library technician; and two grants
(up to $500) to support mid-career librarians.

For application details see:

http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Conference_Grant

http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Mid_Career_Travel_Grant

Deadline for all conference grants is March 31 2010.

On the Importance of Asking Questions

2010-02-07T16:51:00.005-05:00

Twice in the past two weeks, I received compliments on questions I asked. The settings were very different, but in both, I raised my hand and asked a question. This doesn’t sound all that earth shattering as I write this, and to be honest, I tend to ask a lot of questions. However, I have to admit I was rather astonished to receive compliments for asking questions. This has led me to reflect on the asking of questions a little more deeply.

For me, reflecting usually involves asking – yes – more questions. It also usually involves a quick Google search, too. What follows are some of the thoughts I’ve had about asking questions. I used to subscribe to the view that there are no stupid questions. Now, I believe there are few stupid questions.

First, I considered why questions are important. Asking questions allow me to gather more information. This is important because without enough information, I don’t have a complete understanding of what I am hearing.

Second, questions also demonstrate that I am listening to the person who is speaking, and am actively processing what they are saying to me. This is a necessary component of effective communication.

Third, questions allow me to guide the speaker to spend more time on topics in which I am interested. I try to use this one very carefully. Sometimes it is not appropriate for me to be guiding or directing the conversation. However, in situations where it is appropriate, I find it a valuable way of focusing conversations that might otherwise be too wide-ranging to be useful.

Fourth, questions allow me to check my understanding of what the speaker has said. Sometimes what I’m hearing is not what the other person is saying.

There are all kinds of situations you will be in where it is not only appropriate to ask questions, but expected. Many of you are searching for jobs. Asking good questions within the interview show those interviewing you that you have given the position serious thought and have done enough research to come up with some questions. Not only that, questions show you are engaged in the process and curious about what might well be your new workplace. Some questions you can prepare ahead of time, i.e. “What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing?” Others will arise from the specific content of each interview.

It is also important to ask questions once you start your new job. Some will be very informal and others will be in situations that you might find a bit daunting, such as your first staff meeting. I came across a Chinese proverb that states “He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.” Please don’t let your fear stand in the way of asking questions – you’ll hone your ability to ask better questions as you ask more questions.

Use your critical thinking skills to ask intelligent, thoughtful questions. Be curious. Ask the types of questions that help move a process forward. Ask open ended questions rather than closed questions. Other places where asking questions is expected are at professional presentations, faculty association meetings, university-wide meetings, inter-departmental meetings, meeting with your supervisor, in the coffee room with your colleagues, and in blogs (no surprise there, I hope).

The timing of asking questions is somewhat less important than most people think. If you are anything like me, you will have the experience of leaving the interview, or the session, or the conversation only to have a great question pop into your mind. If it is appropriate (and most times it is) take the time to email your question to the interviewer, or the presenter, or the person you were just talking with and simply say “I enjoyed talking with you and this question came to mind.” People will be justifiably flattered that you were continuing to think about what they said after you left them.

There are two small cautions I would like to add with respect to asking questions. Don’t ask questions just for the sake of asking questions. People can sense if you are just trying to score debating points or if your question is not asked genuinely and sincerely. Also, always leave room for others to ask questions. Many people are afraid to be the first to ask a question. These same people, however, often have very good questions they are willing to ask as long as they aren’t the first. Accept the challenge to be the first person to ask a question. You might be surprised what a positive influence this can be. However, please don’t misuse your ability to ask questions to dominate a session unfairly.

No one has all the answers. No one expects you to have all the answers. Eric Raymond, Open Source software advocate, said “good questions are a stimulus and a gift.” So I will close with a question: Are you offering enough good questions as gifts?

Settling in

2010-02-05T22:23:00.006-05:00

One of the fascinating things about being a new librarian is that everything you do is new (this is probably true of every profession, but I think it needs to be said anyways). Learning a subject area, teaching students, liaising with faculty, purchasing materials – all of it is unfamiliar territory at the beginning. Combined with all the other aspects of starting a job, the first one or two years is often a very exciting period (and, let’s be honest, somewhat nerve-racking at times).

It’s been a year and half since getting my first academic job, and that time has gone by in a blur. I’ve changed positions a couple of times, which has contributed to the blur and meant that I’ve had a lot of variation in duties. However, now that I’ve moved into a tenure-track position, I’ve come to the equally exciting realization that some things will become more of a routine over the next few years. The classes I am teaching for the first time will come around again next year; the relationships with faculty members who I am meeting now will continue on over the years.

It’s a nice thought - rather than concentrating solely on doing things with at least a basic level of competency, I can now work a little more on refining what I’ve already done, experimenting with new ideas, and building on my experience. Of course, even if I am over the initial learning curve, I don’t expect to do any less learning! There are always new challenges on the horizon.

Supporting ebooks Means You Want to Kill Bookstores (and Libraries?)

2010-02-05T14:07:00.007-05:00

That, at least, is the suggestion in Mike Shatzkin's recent article, Why are you for killing bookstores? Shatzkin's article doesn't actually address the fate of libraries, but Tim Spalding of LibraryThing fame makes the connection in his (depressing) follow-up, Why are you for killing libraries.*

As a health sciences librarian, I see ebooks as realistic necessities in health care environments, and could thus be lumped under the ebook supporting, library killing umbrella. Of course, that type of literature is not the type of literature that bookstores typically sell and libraries typically lend, so that type of ebook adoption and usage is not, I'm sure, an indicator of book repository death. True. More or less.

But even speaking generally, I'm not sure we're talking about an either/or proposition here, that ebook adoption kills book repositories. Yes - the library-as-book-repository is probably dying and the ebook probably has a part in its demise. But, by no means does that mean that the library in general is dying. On the contrary, you could flip the argument around and say that "the proliferation of ebooks makes libraries more relevant 'cause it provides 'em with the flexibility to do modern stuff with their space."

To me, it's not so much the proliferation of ebooks that kills libraries, but the inability to adapt to the times that does.

__________________
* For some discussion, take a look at the chat forum on LibraryThing as well.

Righteous Freedom Fighting

2010-01-31T10:28:00.002-05:00

Lately I’ve been thinking about righteous freedom fighters. You know, those librarians and future-librarians who see the task of librarianship as a global one. They go to far-flung places preaching the noble words of information literacy, access, and organization for causes like equality, political agency, self-sufficiency and empowerment. Sometimes they’re easy to pick out – look for Ché t-shirts or an Adbusters magazines – but don’t stop there, because righteous freedom fighters also look like your average, well-mannered librarian. Until the topic of conversation turns to the issue of global inequality. Then you’ll know.

I had the opportunity to review a library school application letter for an aspiring library student a few weeks ago. This person shall remain nameless since I don’t have her permission to use her name, but let me tell you: I wish I could yell her name off the libraries’ rooftops, because she is a righteous freedom fighter. We’re talking CIDA Internships, volunteering in developing countries, doing literacy work for underprivileged people; all the good stuff. When (not if) she gets into library school, she’s going to be an incredible addition to our profession. I know several other librarians like her, and I’m so proud of those who take on these big, difficult issues with a mind to instilling real, positive change through library work.

There’s also the fledging group, Librarians Without Borders. They describe themselves as a group of “socially-minded librarians” (a.k.a. righteous freedom fighting librarians), “who wanted to address the vast information resource inequity existing between different regions of the world. Our vision is to build sustainable libraries and support their custodians and advocates -- librarians.” The stuff they’re doing is really impressive – Building a library in Angola, a student trip to Guatemala, salvaging cultural heritage in Haiti. This type of work goes beyond the local public library, and extends to places where basic assumptions like reading, freely accessing information, or having the infrastructure in place to support electronic information resources is simply not there.

There was a time, many moons ago when I thought I’d be a righteous freedom fighter. As a political science student, I pictured myself deep in the Peruvian jungle, slashing through heavy vines and slapping away gigantic bugs, to share with locals the world of – well of any number of things, really. Political empowerment, gender equality, enriched grains. You name it. And even my application letter to library school had a line that read, “a Master of Information Studies degree will give me the skills and knowledge to teach others how to access information. This process – which is the formative step in learning, education, and creating knowledge – is to key to people's engagement and empowerment.” And yes, I DO that at work. I help students and faculty and staff learn how to access information and think critically about their information sources. Except I do that in my really comfortable office. I’m surrounded by people with the same opportunity and privileges I have. Not exactly what I’d had in mind when I wrote those righteous freedom fighting-words. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love my job. I love my students. I love my colleagues. And frankly I love my office. But righteous freedom fighting it is not. Somewhere between library school and professional development and wanting to pay of my student loans, I lost sight of becoming a righteous freedom fighter.

Does anyone else thing about that stuff, or am I just angsty? Any suggestions on how to get my righteous freedom fighting fill without, you know --- quitting my job, burning my office clothes and booking a one-way ticket to the developing world?

Cold Calling - Neccessary or Annoying?

2010-01-28T21:00:00.004-05:00

It's me again - the resident library student - must be time to ask for more advice!

Recently, a professor at our library school 'recommended' we start cold calling libraries as part of our job search. Actually, it was more like "What?! Why haven't you started cold calling? You need to do that now!". Regardless of how the message was delivered, it certainly has instigated a lot of discussion among all of the soon-to-be-graduating students.

And when I say discussion, I really mean fear.

Here are a few exclamations I've heard around the student lounge after the cold calling announcement:

We're supposed to show up unannounced at random libraries and handout resumes?
Doesn't this make us seem needy and overly keen?
Do we visit or call or email resumes?
Do we have to do this? Or is it just a recommendation?
Isn't applying to a job ad enough?
But I'm shy!

Another professor mentioned libraries tend to keep cold call resumes on file for three to six months before discarding them. They then encouraged us to submit our resumes over and over again. However, even after being told to cold call by two professors, some of us are still dubious about how effective it is, or even how to do it properly.

Christina's recent post on Job Search Strategies yielded some fantastic resources, but none that really mentioned cold calling. The Toronto Public Library has a page about cold calling, but it is not tailored to library jobs.

So I'm just wondering:

Is cold calling necessary, or annoying?
Does your library have a policy for dealing with cold calls?
Would your library prefer an in-person visit or an email or a phone call?

Job Search Sabotage

2010-01-19T20:03:00.009-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was going through one of my email accounts I haven’t checked in a while and came across a link on “job search sabotage”. The topic of the link originated from a spam email but it got me thinking about how those preparing for employment in libraries and the information profession can avoid job hunting pitfalls.

Have you had a job search sabotage?

I’m sure we can all attest to having made errors at some point: in drafting out cover letters and resumes, the application process, networking, during interviews, and even on the job, etc.. Once we realized what we’ve done, "we promise ourselves never to repeat them again and create strategies that work for us” (1). I noted below a few links that share “collective wisdom” on job hunting mistakes and planning ahead.

1. http://inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2009/what-not-to-do-when-applying-for-library-jobs

2. http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/06/15/job.search.sabotage

3. http://www.getajob.ala.org

4. http://newgradlife.blogspot.com/2010/01/job-openings-new-jobs-job-search-job_11.html

Whether you are in library school preparing to graduate, in a contract position with the end date looming, or yet employed, it helps to be reminded that we have all failed at some point, and that lessons learned from mistakes only enable us to be and do better. Take courage. Let's reflect, learn, and move forward.

(ostrich: http://blog.trustoncorp.com/ostrich_20head_20in_20sand_20sign.gif; cat: http://n2.nabble.com/file/n1613401/embarrassed.jpg; stairs:http://tru2me.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/steps-to-success.jpg; mistakes: http://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/2009/07/why-you-should-celebrate-your-mistakes)

Taming technophobia

2010-01-17T15:21:00.001-05:00

We've all heard allusions to "millennials" and the "net generation" ad nauseam. While it's certain that sweeping technological change has coincided with generational change, I am always wary of categorizing people and their needs simply according to their age.

Indeed, plenty of research has shown that students currently in university aren't necessarily technically skilled and that they don't even necessarily self-report competence with certain technologies. I've cited a few relevant articles at the end of this post, but these just scratch the surface of the literature on this topic.

Anecdotally, I frequently observe that many students are not-so-savvy in comparison with their peers. Numerous times, for example, students have asked me perfectly valid questions at the reference desk about how to find articles, but for some reason feel the need to apologize for asking in the first place, saying "sorry, I'm not very good with computers."

Like most public service librarians, I've given assistance with basic functions in Word and comforted panicked users who have accidentally turned on the "track changes" function for the first time. Students and faculty frequently show anxiety, even to the point of fear, at the prospect of setting up their computer to connect to the university's virtual private network in order to access library resources from off-campus. Our IT service provides straightforward instructions with screenshots for this fairly minor task, but the need to do something so "technical" itself puts up a barrier to many people.

So all this leads to a huge question that continues to be actively debated: is it librarians' responsibility to teach skills in using computer applications? I say "yes," in tandem with others including campus IT departments, course faculty, teaching & learning centres, and more.

Librarians teach how to use research tools, and it's clear that internet and software skills are essential to research today. The last decade (and more) has seen a convergence in the concepts of ICT literacy and information literacy, and in practice they are inextricably intertwined (to use the cliche). (As of January 17, 2010, the wikipedia article on "information literacy" includes a brief overview of these developments, with lots of links.)

My thoughts on this topic started flowing when I attended a great session at the EDUCAUSE conference in November called "Plug In and Play: Teaching Research to the 21st-Century Student." Ken Fujiuchi and Mark McBride, both librarians at Buffalo State College, presented on a three-credit “library” course that they taught for upper-level undergraduates. They found that many students had very low technical skills and needed tremendous guidance with things like using web browsers, installing plug-ins and software, and finding the file folders for a flash drive on their computer. So instead of concentrating on sources of information, they focused on research skills, with an emphasis on technology—and critical thinking about technology. Basic technology skills need to be mastered by all students before they could progress to more sophisticated research.

One goal of their course was to reduce students' fear of technology. They looked for free programs to teach to students to make the point that easy tools were available and also to give them things that they could continue to use after graduation. More specifically, they introduced students to portable apps (for running programs off of a flash drive), along with other free tools like Firefox, gmail and other Google applications, Stumble Upon, and Delicious. The presenters shared feedback from students who had taken the course, and they expressed much greater confidence in using technology in general, in finding and evaluating information, and in participating actively in other courses. Impressive.

Overall, the solution to some students' lack of technology skills is much larger than a single librarian or even a single library. But on the day-to-day level at the reference desk or in individual consultations, librarians can act as coaches and teachers. It's important to tell students that it's ok if they're not a computer whiz. After all, it's not uncommon or unreasonable to feel uncomfortable with applications that no one has taught you how to use. For students who lack confidence and technical abilities, knowing that it's all right to ask questions and that there is help out there is an important first step that can make all the difference later on. A little bit of self-efficacy can go a long way.

But still I wonder: has your institution found a balance for ensuring that students get the technology skills that they need to succeed?

Further reading:

Ben-Jacob, Marion. “Technophobia and the Effective Use of Library Resources at the College University Level.” Journal of Educational Technology Systems 38, no. 1 (2009): 35-38.

Bennett, Sue, Karl Maton, and Lisa Kervin. “The 'Digital Natives' Debate: A Critical Review of the Evidence.” British Journal of Educational Technology 39, no. 5 (2008): 775-786.

Smith, Shannon, Gail Salaway, and Judith Borreson Caruso, with an Introduction by Richard N. Katz. The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2009 (Research Study, Vol. 6). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2009. http://www.educause.edu/Resources/TheECARStudyofUndergraduateStu/187215.

Stoerger, Sharon. “The Digital Melting Pot: Bridging the Digital Native–Immigrant Divide.” First Monday 14, no. 7 (July 6, 2009). http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/2474/2243.

From Good Ideas come other Good Ideas…

2010-01-11T13:57:00.003-05:00

In my last post, I mentioned that part of my job description falls under ‘outreach’. As such, I’m always looking for new ways to ‘reach out‘ to students and promote the library in a positive light. Fortunately, librarians are wonderful at sharing their good ideas, and the library literature is full of stories about successful programs. Last year, I read an article about innovative ways to reach out to students (citation below), and one of the programs mentioned in the article caught my eye – having a ‘stress-free zone’ in the library during final exam time. This past December, I created our own ‘stress-free zone’ at the University of Lethbridge to provide a space for students to relax, have a coffee and a snack, play games, and, on certain occasions, even get a free five-minute massage from the on-campus massage therapist. Administration gave me the go-ahead to run the program as a pilot project through our December exam period: 10 evenings from 7 – 11 p.m.

I was able to get campus food services to donate coffee and tea (no small feat), the massage therapist kindly donated his time on three different evenings, and library administration provided a small budget to purchase food and games. The library PR committee helped make signs & publicize the event throughout campus. I was very nervous on the first evening: would anyone come? Would students throw raucous parties in the room, creating noise, mess, and general havoc? Would library and caretaking staff hate me for creating a monster?

Fortunately, the answers to these questions were: yes, no, and no. Everything ran exceptionally smoothly, and comments from both the ‘official’ comment form on the library web site as well as anecdotal comments supplied by staff and student assistants seems to be that the room was well-used and much appreciated by students studying in the library. Apparently at 7 p.m. there would be a group waiting for doors to open, eager to get their caffeine fix; the food disappeared quickly, and earlier in the day, staff fielded questions about when the ‘zone’ would be open. No noise complaints were received and in general, whenever I or others went by the room, it appeared to be a very quiet and calm atmosphere – students sat talking quietly, played cards or chess, or grabbed a coffee and left.

I was very lucky to have great help from my fellow PR committee members as well as library staff, who had the student assistants who were working do hourly checks of the room as well as setting out the food and tidying everything up at the end of the night.

A bonus was that the ‘zone’ caught external media attention, thanks to a news release sent out by university communications; the story appeared in our local newspaper as well as two local news channels. The university is always looking for ways to promote themselves to the community, and apparently this ‘good news story’ did the trick.

Overall, I think this pilot project seemed to be a great success, and will hopefully become a regular event in the library during final exam periods. I have been wondering, though - are other libraries doing this, as well? I have only heard about libraries in the US who have similar programs, but I imagine other libraries in Canada do something like this too. If so - do you have good/bad stories about the outcome, ideas on funding sources/partnerships/ideas for improvement?

Karle, E.M. (March 2008). Invigorating the academic library experience: Creative programming ideas. C&RL News, 69(3), 141-144.

Library School Burnout

2010-01-11T00:03:00.003-05:00

I have one term left of library school. We are all gearing up for "the big job search" and trying to get back into the swing of things after a long holiday off. The key word of that sentence is 'trying'. Maybe it's just me, but I'm losing the motivation to 'try'.

Burnout. That's what I've decided is my problem. A year and a half of solid grad school - I'm not sure my poor brain will hold any more knowledge or do any more learning.

"Burnout is alienation from work, i.e., physical, emotional and psychological exhaustion. Burnout can be defined as a disabling reaction to an overload of stress on the job [during library school]."

'Running on Empty: Dealing with Burnout in the Library Setting', an article by Tim and Zahra M. Baird, note the symptoms of burnout, and relate why it can be present among library workers. The authors also give the following tips for dealing and overcoming with burnout:

set and maintain realistic boundaires
reorganize and reevaluate your priorities
reorganize and reevaluate your schedule
know your strengths weaknesses and limitations
learn how to manage stress (Megan wrote a great post about that here)
listen to your body and maintain your health
refrain from being a perfectionist
don't take things personally
maintain a positive attitude
choose your battles and know when to cut your losses
make time for activities that are relaxing and/or enjoyable
maintain healthy connections with friends/family
ask for and accept help from friends and colleagues
know when to seek professional help

Sounds easy, right? Some of those tips are hard to do when you have to juggle assignments and work and family and personal commitments. However, I do believe taking care of yourself and taking action to remedy the situation are vital steps on the road back from burnout.

A wise woman once gave me the following advice, and now I'm passing it on to you: "Trust your abilities. Not everything has to be done to perfection. You are better than you think."

Of one thing I am certain: library people always stick together and help each other through tough times. I'm sure library school burnout is a bit different from librarian burnout, but I'd welcome any tips/advice/comments from library students and librarians alike about dealing with burnout and work related stress in general.

Job interview preparation techniques

2010-01-10T17:07:00.005-05:00

On Friday, all of my colleagues wanted to know why I was wearing a tie to work. Although I always try to dress professionally (see my previous post), I do not usually wear a tie to work. The reason I was doing so on Friday was that I had a job interview.

Today I'd like to talk about job interview preparation. I'm certainly no expert on the matter - in fact, I haven't even been interviewed all that many times. But while it's fresh in my mind, I'd like to tell you how I psyched myself up for it, and I'd like you to leave a comment with your own preparation techniques.

I did not have much time to prepare; I only found out about the interview about 24 hours in advance. I'm sure this situation would cause some people to panic, but I found it reassuring for two reasons. First of all, it meant the Selection Committee wasn't expecting me to have spent weeks preparing (and I didn't have to worry that the other applicants had put more effort into their preparations, since we all had the same amount of time). And secondly, it saved me a week or more of obsessing over which stories I should plan to tell, which of my qualities I should attempt to highlight, and how many times I should rehearse my 5 minute presentation. So my advice here is to make the most of whatever time you have, and look on the bright side if it's not much.

I was given a topic in advance and asked to give a 5 minute presentation at the interview, so this is where I started. I worked all the way through it, until I had something resembling a finished first draft. Then I put it aside (being careful to hit "save") and started thinking about my recent accomplishments. I've been keeping a list in Google Docs of all the projects I've been involved with since starting my current position, so I went over this list while thinking of common interview questions. Which of these projects involved teamwork? (That was an easy one; the answer was "almost all of them") Which were examples of times I've demonstrated leadership? Which ones involved innovation? When have I gone above and beyond while serving clients?

Once I'd taken stock of my recent accomplishments, I returned to my presentation and found that the break had given me some new ideas. I finalized the presentation and began rehearsing. I kept an eye on the clock as I went through it, then went back and made a few slight modifications to ensure I wouldn't go over the time limit. Once I was happy with the presentation, I spent a few minutes going over previous interviews in my mind, and thinking about what went well and what I'd like to do differently this time.

That was pretty much the extent of it, though I made a point of doing two other things as well: I got a good night's sleep the night before and I had a snack before the interview. Since it was scheduled for late in the afternoon, I knew I wouldn't be in the best frame of mind unless I was well rested and had a full stomach (but not *too* full - I wouldn't want to suddenly become queasy!).

I'll have to wait to find out whether my approach paid off (though obviously there are many factors involved in a hiring decision), but I feel I did a good job of preparing. Of course, there's always room for improvement, so please share any tips you might have in the comments. And wish me luck!

"Leaving" librarianship

2010-01-08T20:41:00.002-05:00

I recently found out that I have been accepted into a PhD program. This is something I've been working towards for a while and I am extremely excited! But, the reality of what I'm getting myself into is slowly starting to dawn on me. I'm not afraid of the time commitment, the stress, the pressure, or even the reality that I will now bore my friends to death with endless ramblings about my topic and its progress. The reality that has me most concerned is that I might not have the time to remain as "kept up" as I'd like to be. Even though I'll be studying libraries and librarians, my area of study is just a small corner of the LIS world and I know many, many things will go unnoticed by me.

There are so many topics that are written about everyday by bloggers, friends on Facebook, various LIS twitter feeds, etc. that impact our work everyday. And, it's hard enough to stay up-to-date when you're working as a librarian. I used to always have a pile of articles and URLs that I promised myself I'd read on one of those elusive "rainy days." What will happen now that my "everyday" work will involve the "rarefied" (okay, not really) world of academe? During my MLIS I had a huge Bloglines account with what felt like a 1000 feeds. I guess I'll have to go back to that and make time to read it. LISNews is coming out with its Top Ten Blogs to read in 2010 list soon, I guess I'll have to dust off the old Bloglines account!

How do you guys "keep up?"

Featured Librarian: Miriam Rigby

2009-12-21T13:05:00.008-05:00

This is the second in a series of posts featuring librarians taking an interesting approach to the profession, or using their degrees in interesting ways. If you missed the first post (featuring Heather Ward, UN Librarian and certified mahout) you can see it here. If you know of someone else you'd like to see interviewed, please let me know in the comments.

Miriam Rigby is the Social Sciences Librarian at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. She's been a librarian for about a year, and she was selected as one of ALA's Emerging Leaders for 2009-2010. Above, she engages in hula-hoop outreach with UO faculty.

Q: What do you do? (What's your job title, who do you work for, where in the world are you?)

A: I'm a Social Sciences Librarian at the Knight Library, University of Oregon, in Eugene, Oregon. Specifically, I'm the subject specialist for the Anthropology, Sociology, and Ethnic Studies Departments, as well as the liaison to the Honors College.

Q: Okay, but really--what do you do? (Describe your job in big outlines--what kinds of things might you do in any given day?)

A: My general day-to-day work includes doing collection development, training the student workers for the reference desk, answering reference questions, teaching library research sessions, committee work, general outreach to faculty and students, and so on. I'm also the elected Secretary for the Library Faculty, so I run elections when they come up and take minutes at faculty meetings.

A typical day for me might involve reading book reviews, buying books, spending a few hours on the reference desk, and meeting with a committee or a faculty member in one of my departments or teaching a library research session in a anthropology or sociology course.

But then there are also my outreach efforts, which I think are one of the best aspects of my job. I am a fairly social creature, and I've put this to work to make connections with faculty within and beyond my liaison departments. I've done this online, via Gmail chat and Facebook, and offline, through social outings for new faculty that I've co-organized with a sociology professor.

So a typical day for me can also include going to the cafe near the library and working on my laptop doing chat reference and working on any of my other tasks, while teaching faculty filter in and out and stop to chat for a while. I also tend to leave my Facebook and Gmail accounts logged in, so that faculty have an easy way to contact me over chat during the day.

One of the best perks about outreach to faculty over these social networking sites is that I get to know people better faster. I can also see if they are complaining about a problem with library services - which actually happens on Facebook more that you might think - so that I can solve a problem quickly. I also rarely go without plans for lunch.

Outside of my typical work day, I might find myself going to a bar after work to have a social hour with faculty and solving information needs over a beer while chatting and venting. Sometimes I go skiing with faculty and talk about library services on long chairlift rides. I also tend to find I have projects to work on outside of my typical work day, so I've made a habit of working for at least a few hours each weekend at a coffee shop. This meshes well with teaching faculty who have articles to write and papers to grade, so these tend to become "study sessions" where a number of us will hang out, chatting a bit, and working on our various projects.

Casual collaborations often spring up from these, as well as the occasional reference interaction; there have been a few times when I barely get any of my own projects worked on because they turn into informal instruction sessions about databases or finding aids.

By far my favorite outreach-social outings I've organized are the bicycle adventures. I've now lead three biking tours - one around Eugene, and two around Portland - and I've been asked to organize more. Working on the same theories that were behind my bar and coffee shop outings for new faculty - that work-related topics will be discussed while having fun (in an "old boys' club" manner*) - I have taken on these more ambitious expeditions. Because new faculty are new to the area and I have a fair amount of local knowledge of Portland, I have been able to play tour guide on these trips.

The first was a day-trip by car to Portland, and then a biking tour of about 10 miles of Portland neighborhood streets with frequent stops at delicious restaurants, coffee shops, quirky stores and parks, and of course one of Portland's best tasting rooms, at the Clear Creek Distillery. After
this event went so well, I was asked to lead a longer trip, so along the same vein, I organized an overnight journey by train, again stopping at more of Portland's fantastic eateries along two long (but relatively easy-to-be-inclusive) bike rides. More trips have been requested once spring temperatures return, and who am I to deny teaching faculty requests for meetings with their librarian?

* Sometime in the hopefully not-too-distant future, I expect my essay about this will appear in C&RL News.

Q: When did you get your MLIS/MLS, and what school did you go to?

A: I received my MLIS in 2008 at the University of Washington in Seattle. Before that I had earned my MA in the Social Sciences (Cultural Anthropology) at the University of Chicago in 2004.

Q: What other jobs have you had before this one?

A: This is my first official librarian position, so I don't have a long history of other jobs.

As far as library-related jobs go, I was a student worker at the Reed College Library for a few years as an undergrad. That mostly consisted of shelving and sitting at the checkout desk.

While I was at the University of Washington earning my MLIS, I had a student job cataloging government publications from the 1940s-70s. It was primarily copy cataloging, though I
was able to make a few original item records.

Something that I've noticed in all of my jobs is that the more variety of types of tasks I have and the more I work with people, the more I enjoy what I do. So, the nice way to put it is that I'm not exactly cut out to be a cataloger. I did enjoy stumbling upon some curious old government publications including Mark Trail comics, food processing standards, and a Charlie Brown characters comic about eye disease treatment for children (Linus gets to wear an eye patch I seem to recall.)

I found much more interest though in some of the reference volunteer work and practicums I had during my time at the iSchool. I spent a year volunteering at the Seattle Art Museum Library as a reference assistant. This was a fun position, as being a corporate library the work was less
about teaching people how to do research than to put together research packets for museum employees. I learned quite a bit about art doing this, and overall the work was a bit like a treasure hunt.

I enjoyed a one-quarter practicum at the Capitol Hill Branch of Seattle Public Libraries, during which I learned that while public libraries definitely keep things interesting for me, I'm not sure that I would want to work in one for the long-term. My final practicum while I was in my MLIS program was at Seattle University, and was probably the most useful learning experience of my whole time at the UW. I created an online guide, provided reference service and light bibliographic instruction, and was able to sit in on collection development meetings; all of which helped me gain great practical experience to balance out the theory-heavy coursework in my MLIS program.

Outside of libraries, I've been many things including a nanny, a binocular inspector, a personal chef, a shop-girl in a suit store, a jack-of-all-trades (but mostly office worker) at a big art gallery in Portland. I've also enjoyed volunteering at a therapeutic horse riding ranch and building scenery for small theater productions.

Q: What's the most useful thing you learned on your way to this job--either in school or along the way in your career?

A: Figure out what you enjoy doing, and find a way to get paid to do it. Perhaps a bit cliche... but that's pretty much my approach towards my outreach efforts, and it's working out well.

Q: What are you learning now? Or, what do you wish you were learning now?

A: I'm currently a few months into starting to learn Mandarin Chinese, which is great. It's been years since I've tried to pick up another language, and it's waking up parts of my brain I had been neglecting. There is a strong Asian Studies program at the University of Oregon, many of the teaching faculty in my departments are China scholars, and there is also a large portion of the student body from China, so it seems like a useful language to learn (beyond my general interest in picking it up.)

To a similar purpose, my colleague John Russell and I have been collaborating with three teaching faculty from assorted social science departments for a reading group. It has been a great refresher for me on some key theories in the social sciences, and also helps me keep up with the fields for which I'm a subject specialist.

I'm also still figuring out quite a bit about being a reference librarian. I picked up a number of new responsibilities this year, including supervising student workers, being the liaison to the Clark Honors College, and serving on a hiring committee, and I have been active on a few new
regional and national committees.

Honestly, in many ways, my entire job is a learning experience as I go. I would probably get bored it it wasn't.

Q: If the stars align and everything goes according to your heart's desire, what else would your career bring you?

A: I would love to have more opportunity to travel internationally. I hope that my Chinese studies will lead to work related traveling to China, possibly to attend the annual Hong Kong Book Fair. Eastern Europe and Antarctica are also both on my list of places to get to. Every once in a while the New Zealand Military advertises for a librarian at their station in Antarctica, so that might make for an interesting sabbatical!

Q: What are you reading right now?

A: Of course I follow Reference User Services Quarterly, and College and Research Libraries, but I'm currently between books that might be considered particularly library-focused. For the reading group I'm in, I just finished reading a few chapters in the latest translations of Foucault
lectures, Birth of Biopolitics, and I'm about to start in on an essay by Heidegger, The Questions Concerning Technology.

As far as leisure reading goes, I am a few pages from finishing Haruki Murakami's novel Kafka on the Shore. His style could be described as that of a current day, Japanese, Philip K. Dick, in that it's light science fiction, mostly grounded in regular daily life, but with weird things that
happen. Most of his novels are set in recent-day Japan, with fairly ordinary people going about fairly ordinary lives in which curious events start taking place. This one is particularly full of libraries and cats. I am mildly concerned that I am soon to have read all of his novels though,
so I am trying to pace myself with other authors.

I recently received the gift of Foam of the Daze, a novel by French author Boris Vian. So, despite
knowing nothing about it, I am looking forward to reading it next.

I also follow over 50 blogs (according to Google Reader, which I use to manage them). I have a mix including libraries & information-related blogs, including In the Library with the Lead Pipe, Stephen's Lighthouse and Academitron, comics-based blogs such as Dinosaur Comics, and silly photo blogs like Cake Wrecks, Awkward Family Photos, and (of course) I Can Has Cheezburger.

Q: Any words of advice for new librarians?

A: I'm still quite new myself. I guess I would refer them back to my answer for the most useful thing I've learned for my career. Also, just get involved in anything that sounds interesting or useful to you. There are a lot of opportunities to learn from other librarians when you join
committees on interesting topics.

I've also found that if you put effort into applying for different scholarships, grants, and competitions, you're likely to win a few of them (especially if you join committees and volunteer for a variety of projects.)

One example of this for myself is that I was recently accepted into the American Library Association's Emerging Leaders Program. I am looking forward to the workshops and collaborative projects with other Emerging Leaders at the ALA Midwinter and Annual conferences in 2010. All I know for sure at the moment is that I'm on a project with a few other academic librarians and that we'll be creating something useful for the Association of College and Research Libraries, and presenting on it at ALA Annual 2010. Whatever we are up to, it seems like a great way to get involved and to network with more librarians.

So overall, don't sell yourself short, join and apply for things, and make connections.

Skiing outreach, Rigby-style.

Thanks, Miriam!

Posted by Karen Munro.

Exam time

2009-12-20T21:20:00.007-05:00

I really enjoy teaching. I think it’s one of the most exciting aspects of academic librarianship, although it can occasionally be the most stressful as well (especially for new librarians). I see it as one of the best opportunities I have to interact with students and really get a sense of their information needs and use. In this age of electronic resources, where many of our users may no longer have a regular reason to enter the library (especially the health sciences library where I work), teaching often seems like the most substantial point of contact with students, even if it’s only for a one-shot session before they disappear into the wilderness for the rest of the term.

But then at the end of term, we come to Exam Time in the library: all those students who disappeared suddenly show up again, all at once, armed with laptops, notebooks, and enough food and drink to last for several days. Anyone who questions the value of “the library as place” in the 21st Century hasn't been to an academic library during exam time. Although students are always around throughout the term, there is no other time of year that it is so consistently full. Every desk, carrel, and seat is occupied; every empty space is filled (this year, students even tried occupying an empty staff office that was left open!). The entire building is full of nervous tension, as the seriousness of exams bears down.

I’ve come to the conclusion that Exam Time provides us with a different but equally valuable kind of interaction. There are no in-depth teaching or reference opportunities. There’s not even very much direct communication with most students in the building, beyond the occasional ‘hello’ or short conversation about their term. Instead, there is a recognition of the value of the shared space between us: the library staff are glad to provide a comfortable and productive place to study, and students show their appreciation by being extremely polite, tidy, and considerate (for the most part, anyways). For three weeks, the library becomes these students' home away from home, and to me they are the perfect houseguests: quiet, respectful, and never leaving a mess. We are lucky to have the wonderful and friendly students that we do.

So now, as exams wind down and the tension in the air dissipates, we all collectively begin to feel excitement for the holiday break and the chance to recharge our batteries for the next semester. So congratulations to all on another completed term! See you again in the New Year.

Search Strategies for Medical Librarians

2009-12-19T11:38:00.003-05:00

As a medical librarian, I often have to craft complicated search strategies for complicated clinical and research questions, usually to support a systematic review or practice guideline. For that reason, I was quite happy to discover earlier this year the blog PubMed Search Strategies, which is put together by a number of librarians to share – that’s right – PubMed search strategies. An example strategy is below.

This is exactly the type of resource the profession needs. Think about it. Medical librarians all over the place are creating and recreating amazing search strategies every day. But most of this work is done alone or in small localized teams. Imagine if we (myself included) took the time to record and make accessible, and ultimately share, our work. We’d be able evaluate and collaborate on searches, build off of what our colleagues have already done, and basically make the initial stages of the research process more efficient.

And that is why I love this site.

(HPA OR "Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal" OR "Pituitary-Adrenal" OR Adrenal[tiab] OR Pituitary OR hypophys* OR Hypothalam* OR Hydrocortisone OR Pituitary OR corticotrophin OR corticotrop* OR adrenocorticotro* OR ACTH OR CRH OR CRF OR "corticotropin-releasing" OR "corticotrophin-releasing" OR ((meta-chlorophenylpiperazine OR m-CPP OR dexamethasone) AND (challenge OR test[tiab] OR tests[tiab] OR stimulation)) OR "dexamethasone suppression" OR cortisol OR hydrocortisone OR glucocorticoid* OR "cortical hormone" OR "cortical hormones" OR "Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System"[mesh] OR "Pituitary-Adrenal System"[mesh] OR "Adrenal Glands"[mesh] OR "Pituitary Gland"[mesh] OR "Hypothalamus"[mesh] OR "Hypothalamic Diseases"[mesh] OR "Pituitary diseases"[mesh] OR "Adrenal Cortex Hormones"[mesh] OR "Hydrocortisone"[mesh] OR "Hypothalamic Hormones"[mesh] OR "Pituitary Hormones"[mesh] OR "Receptors, Corticotropin"[Mesh] OR "Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone"[Mesh] OR "Receptors, Glucocorticoid"[Mesh] OR "Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone"[mesh] OR "Dexamethasone"[Mesh] OR "1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine "[Substance Name])

Opportunity knocks

2009-12-11T16:19:00.004-05:00

I recently had the pleasure of hiring a librarian for a year long contract position. It's funny that at the start, I was terrified of the impending vacancy. One of our key people has been seconded for a year to work on a Very Important Project and we were faced with the task of trying to replace her! Ack! The librarian in question is highly skilled, absolutely brilliant, and has (obviously) become indispensable to our operation. The likelihood of finding someone with a similar skill set and knowledge for one year seemed bleak ... until I remembered a key fact: when we hired this librarian of whom I speak so highly, she had almost NO experience at all, and was fresh out of library school - and I mean *fresh*.

With this renewed outlook, I decided to look on the bright side. Here I was with this awesome opportunity to find another brilliant young mind - how often does that happen? As with the original hire (also originally a short term replacement), all we needed was someone who could demonstrate that they were technically savvy, logically minded, and able to learn quickly - REALLY quickly! Who better than a new grad? Especially in this tough job market, didn't we at least want to encourage that as a possibility?

We were certainly overwhelmed with applications - many of which I will admit we weren't able to give much consideration to, but nevertheless, we had several very strong candidates - many of whom had little to no specific experience. Too often we get hung up on that detail instead of trying to read between the resume lines. Holding out for the candidate that has it ALL doesn't do anyone any good ... much less the new grads who are keen, smart and dare I say it ... need a job! Practicum placements and job shadowing programs are wonderful, but nothing can compare to the "real mccoy" - even if it is only for a year. This position is the full monty - systems, resource management, instruction, reference, collection development - the whole shebang. Why wouldn't we want to offer that to the right new grad?

I am happy to say that indeed, that is what we did. So far so good - she hasn't run screaming from the building, and her brain seems intact. She's up for the challenge - that's for sure. And at the end of it all, she will have a solid year's experience upon which she can build from as she sees fit. And, from where I am sitting, there will be one more smart librarian who knows what it's really like to work in technical services in an academic library. HINT: she won't be cataloguing! ;)