I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but UA's MLIS program is undergoing continuing accreditation this week (I've been told this is the proper way to phrase the process). Accreditation is a huge deal mainly because it affects students' ability to get a job. 99.9% of the job postings I've read in the last few weeks (which is a lot) have required "a masters degree from an ALA accredited program". Thus, it's important that these three days go well. It also means that my life is officially crazy. I'm currently serving as the acting president of the Student Advisory Committee (SAC) because the old president graduated so I have to meet with the External Review Panel (ERP) today and tomorrow. Yesterday, we had a very nice reception to welcome the committee and I spend the time running around introducing myself to the panel and making sure they felt welcomed by the student body. Yesterday's reception went nicely as did the breakout sessions that followed. Members of the panel met with students, alumni, employers, and adjunct faculty and we talked about what did and didn't like about SLIS. I was pleased to hear that most people are very satisfied with the education they are getting. I know I've been very pleased.
I had the privilege of walking the panel over from the hotel this morning (all part of my duties as a GTA apparently) and I felt that they were satisfied with how things are going so far and they didn't have a lot of probing questions for me, which I took to mean they think our program is doing okay. Really hope I interpreted that correctly, fingers crossed. I certainly don't think that SLIS is in danger of losing its accreditation, but I think our program is on the rise, and I would like it to stay that way. Today, I'm meeting with several members about SAC's involvement which makes me nervous because I haven't prepared for this at all, so I'm hoping they don't ask me anything I don't know the answer too. Tomorrow all the student leaders, including the remaining SAC members, and the officers of the various student groups are meeting with the panel to discuss student leadership. After that, my duties are over.
Mostly, I'm just hoping this visit goes well and that the panel leaves with a good vision of SLIS and its students. The weeks leading up to this visit have been incredibly stressful, so I'm definitely looking forward things calming down and life getting back to normal.
Showing posts with label ALA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ALA. Show all posts
Monday, September 14, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Do We Still Need a Separate, Physical Reference Space?
My favorite classes so far in library school have been my two reference classes. Part of that is that I adore the professor and the other part is that I really enjoy reference. I like answering questions and steering people in the right direction. I especially enjoy academic reference because the questions are more complex (usually) and often involve helping student with their research and paper writing. Because I find teaching very appealing, instruction, both in a set, classroom-type environment and spontaneous while-answering-a-question, is an important reference duty for me as well. However, in the age of Google and fabulous online databases, it's becoming more important to talk about the other aspect of reference, the books and their physical space in the library.
A separate reference space originated in the late nineteenth, early twentieth centuries, about the same time librarianship became more involved than simply keeping up with the books. More classic reference texts (subject encyclopedias, books of biography, etc) were being published and students began to refer to these to answer questions or start their research. However, do students still use these books? Do we need to have a separate space to house non-circulating reference texts?
I attended a session called "Rethinking the Reference Collection" at the ALA Conference where a panel of reference librarians offered up opinions on the state of the collection and the department. One of the more important things discussed was what do to with the reference books that no one uses. Most libraries, including ours here at UA, are slowly merging the little used books in with the circulating books. This doesn't seem to be a problem; they are in the catalog and students can still find them if needed. What really seems to be the issue are the books that are still in the reference room. Who is using them? A quick glance through the main library on campus and noticing what goes on in my own library, the answer is no one. In fact the only times I ever use the physical books in the reference department are for reference classes. I never used them as an undergrad; I knew they were there, but I preferred to use online sources or just Google the answer. Now that I'm more familiar with the books available, I have been using them more for my own research, but I still don't use them very often.
So what do we do with our reference books? Do we leave them where they are in hopes of someone using them? Do we merge them all into the regular collection? Should we simply weed them out to make more room for computers and study space? How are you rethinking the reference collection?
For a great article on this topic check out "Where are the Reference Books" by Lisa Blankenship and Jennifer Leffler in Colorado Libraries, volume 32, no. 2 (Spring 2006). While the article is three years old, its interesting to note just how long this discussion has been going on and how much has already changed.
A separate reference space originated in the late nineteenth, early twentieth centuries, about the same time librarianship became more involved than simply keeping up with the books. More classic reference texts (subject encyclopedias, books of biography, etc) were being published and students began to refer to these to answer questions or start their research. However, do students still use these books? Do we need to have a separate space to house non-circulating reference texts?
I attended a session called "Rethinking the Reference Collection" at the ALA Conference where a panel of reference librarians offered up opinions on the state of the collection and the department. One of the more important things discussed was what do to with the reference books that no one uses. Most libraries, including ours here at UA, are slowly merging the little used books in with the circulating books. This doesn't seem to be a problem; they are in the catalog and students can still find them if needed. What really seems to be the issue are the books that are still in the reference room. Who is using them? A quick glance through the main library on campus and noticing what goes on in my own library, the answer is no one. In fact the only times I ever use the physical books in the reference department are for reference classes. I never used them as an undergrad; I knew they were there, but I preferred to use online sources or just Google the answer. Now that I'm more familiar with the books available, I have been using them more for my own research, but I still don't use them very often.
So what do we do with our reference books? Do we leave them where they are in hopes of someone using them? Do we merge them all into the regular collection? Should we simply weed them out to make more room for computers and study space? How are you rethinking the reference collection?
For a great article on this topic check out "Where are the Reference Books" by Lisa Blankenship and Jennifer Leffler in Colorado Libraries, volume 32, no. 2 (Spring 2006). While the article is three years old, its interesting to note just how long this discussion has been going on and how much has already changed.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Preventing the Death of the Library
While at a session on Library 2.0 at ALA Conference last week, one of the speakers brought up an interesting point about how the library is dying. At first, I really disagreed with him. Library stats are on the rise, especially with the recession, right? People are discovering it's more economically to check out a book than to buy one. The honest answer is yes, but not enough people are learning this fast enough to really make a difference. One only has to look Amazon's revenue to know that isn't the case. Books are still being bought, albeit at much lower prices. People aren't thinking they can hop over to the local public library to find an old movie to watch tonight; they prefer to wait for Netflix to drop in their mailbox rather than leave the house. No one thinks about the resources of your local public college or university, instead they jump on Google and find the Wikipedia page for whatever research they need to complete. Who is thinking that the library is a great place to go to find the latest Wii game?
So what can we, as librarians, do to prevent the death of the library in the face of all this digital awareness and sheer laziness that has taken over our society? Is the death of the library preventable or are we just waiting the inevitable?
I don't know if the library, at least the public library in it's current form, can survive. But right now I believe our best option is advertising what we have. Let the people in community know what's out there and how they can take advantage of it. Have a great collection of genealogy records that no one uses? Speak to a local group about sponsoring a "find an ancestor" day or something to that effect in your town. Publicize the event to the extreme via your website, your blog, your Twitter, whatever you use. Don't have an updated website, a person to blog, or a Twitter account? No fear, this is the perfect opportunity to establish one. But even the best websites, most insightful/informative blogs and Tweets go unnoticed if you don't advertise them. Make sure everything that carries your library's name on it has your website. Make sure your website is clearly labeled and consistently updated with news and events. Create a facebook page; anything to get your name out there and people in your library.
Tons of people don't use the public library because they don't know what's available to them. I bet there are a lot of people in your community who don't know they can check out video games or schedule a personal research consultation. They probably forgot that you have a ton of books/articles/magazines on job hunting, resume writing, and interviewing techniques. More than likely, there are a good number of elderly in the community who want to get online, but don't know how. They aren't aware that you teach (or could if you had enough people sign up) free classes about using the computer and the Internet.
These are all ways to reach an underserved population. The public library will die if we continue to only serve the serious readers and moms with small children. Reach out to others in your community; plan events and blog about them. Post pictures on your website. Have contests and drawings for patron of the week that offer good prizes. Do anything and everything to keep people from going the easy way and turning to the Internet as their only source of information. If we try hard enough, maybe we can keep the library around for a while longer.
So what can we, as librarians, do to prevent the death of the library in the face of all this digital awareness and sheer laziness that has taken over our society? Is the death of the library preventable or are we just waiting the inevitable?
I don't know if the library, at least the public library in it's current form, can survive. But right now I believe our best option is advertising what we have. Let the people in community know what's out there and how they can take advantage of it. Have a great collection of genealogy records that no one uses? Speak to a local group about sponsoring a "find an ancestor" day or something to that effect in your town. Publicize the event to the extreme via your website, your blog, your Twitter, whatever you use. Don't have an updated website, a person to blog, or a Twitter account? No fear, this is the perfect opportunity to establish one. But even the best websites, most insightful/informative blogs and Tweets go unnoticed if you don't advertise them. Make sure everything that carries your library's name on it has your website. Make sure your website is clearly labeled and consistently updated with news and events. Create a facebook page; anything to get your name out there and people in your library.
Tons of people don't use the public library because they don't know what's available to them. I bet there are a lot of people in your community who don't know they can check out video games or schedule a personal research consultation. They probably forgot that you have a ton of books/articles/magazines on job hunting, resume writing, and interviewing techniques. More than likely, there are a good number of elderly in the community who want to get online, but don't know how. They aren't aware that you teach (or could if you had enough people sign up) free classes about using the computer and the Internet.
These are all ways to reach an underserved population. The public library will die if we continue to only serve the serious readers and moms with small children. Reach out to others in your community; plan events and blog about them. Post pictures on your website. Have contests and drawings for patron of the week that offer good prizes. Do anything and everything to keep people from going the easy way and turning to the Internet as their only source of information. If we try hard enough, maybe we can keep the library around for a while longer.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Wardrobe Choices for Librarians (a.k.a. What Not To Wear)
I really hate to be picky and this feels like a really picky topic to blog about, but I think librarians have a bad rep when it comes to fashion sense. I used to think that was largely undeserved looking at my classmates and the majority of the staff and faculty in UA's library system; however, I have changed my mind. Librarians have terrible fashion sense. Rephrase: librarians have NO fashion sense. Being at ALA last week made me feel like I was living in a huge episode of What Not to Wear. Everywhere I turned there were outfits that would make Stacy and Clinton cringe. They made me want to crawl in a hole and die of embarrassment for my profession.
There were many, many, many outfits that could serve as examples of what not to do, but I felt that it might be a little rude to start snapping pictures of poorly dressed people just so I could share them on my blog. While no particular case stands out in my mind (although I do have a disastrous image burned forever in my mind of how hair should never, ever look), I will take out the time to point out some major fashion faux pas that I spotted.
1. Cardigans. I love cardigans of all sorts; they're great for tossing over a shirt when you're cold or wearing as part of an ensemble as has been fashionable this spring/summer. But cardigans, like all pieces of clothing, should fit. Cardigans should not be overly baggy; contrary to popular belief this does not keep you warmer. Cardigans should not have holes in them, possess unidentifiable stains, or be so old that they were purchased in another decade.
2. Pants. Pants are an excellent article of clothing. They are versatile and come in a variety of options. Nevertheless, pants, like all other clothing, should fit. Baggy pants make you look sloppy, thus bringing into question your ability to adequately pick out clothing. If you can't pick out clothing well, am I going to trust you with picking out a book or helping me with my research? Only if I'm desperate. And even then, I'm going to spend half the time wondering when the last time you shopped was. If you look sloppy and unprofessional, then you are sloppy and unprofessional. Pants, like cardigans, and any and all other items that you put on your body should not be stained, have holes, or look generally over-worn. And for goodness sake; don't pull your pants up beyond your belly button!! It makes you look frumpy and no one wants a frumpy librarian. :)
3. Inappropriate clothing choices. I'm going to be honest; this bothers me way more than old, holey sweaters and baggy pants pulled up to the chin. Librarianship is a professional job; we are information professionals. We should dress like professional people. Would you trust a doctor/lawyer/accountant if her skirt was obnoxiously too short or she had way too many piercings? Probably not. So why trust a librarian who looks like she's reading to hit the bars after a long day of cataloging? I saw so many librarians with super short skirts, multiple, visible body piercings and tattoos, and clothing/jewelry more suited to a younger generation. Dressing professionally doesn't have to be boring; but it is necessary.
Dressing professionally isn't a hard thing. I tend to dress very simply; plain shirts that can be mixed with a variety of pants/capris/skirts, but I always look put together.* I fix my hair nice, I do my make-up, I wear an appropriate level of jewelry. Don't get me wrong; I may dress boring, but I saw a ton of funky, awesomely dressed people at conference who looked like they knew exactly what they were doing with their lives. They had great personal style and were expressing it, but in an appropriate way for work. I would never wonder when the last time they shopped.
Maybe you think that shopping is for the frivolous and no one really cares how the librarian is dressed. Believe me, they do care. You send a message to the public by the way you dress. If you dress poorly because you simply don't care how you look, people start to wonder what else you don't care about. Simply put, people, on average, are more forthcoming to someone who is put together and looks like he/she actually wants to help you. And having forthcoming patrons is incredibly important; you know this if you have every spent time working the reference desk.
So keep the cardigans coming; they look fabulous now! But just keep in mind that the way you dress reflects your profession. If you want people to think we are just a bunch of frumpy old ladies shushing people all day then by all means dress that way; but if you want to see librarians project a solid professional image and reach out as a resource to the community, then please watch how you dress!!
*If you see my on the street in gross jeans and a t-shirt; please don't me mad at me!! I try to look professional at work, but can't keep it up all the time. (But if I ever look awful for work, feel free to redirect me to my own blog.)
There were many, many, many outfits that could serve as examples of what not to do, but I felt that it might be a little rude to start snapping pictures of poorly dressed people just so I could share them on my blog. While no particular case stands out in my mind (although I do have a disastrous image burned forever in my mind of how hair should never, ever look), I will take out the time to point out some major fashion faux pas that I spotted.
1. Cardigans. I love cardigans of all sorts; they're great for tossing over a shirt when you're cold or wearing as part of an ensemble as has been fashionable this spring/summer. But cardigans, like all pieces of clothing, should fit. Cardigans should not be overly baggy; contrary to popular belief this does not keep you warmer. Cardigans should not have holes in them, possess unidentifiable stains, or be so old that they were purchased in another decade.
2. Pants. Pants are an excellent article of clothing. They are versatile and come in a variety of options. Nevertheless, pants, like all other clothing, should fit. Baggy pants make you look sloppy, thus bringing into question your ability to adequately pick out clothing. If you can't pick out clothing well, am I going to trust you with picking out a book or helping me with my research? Only if I'm desperate. And even then, I'm going to spend half the time wondering when the last time you shopped was. If you look sloppy and unprofessional, then you are sloppy and unprofessional. Pants, like cardigans, and any and all other items that you put on your body should not be stained, have holes, or look generally over-worn. And for goodness sake; don't pull your pants up beyond your belly button!! It makes you look frumpy and no one wants a frumpy librarian. :)
3. Inappropriate clothing choices. I'm going to be honest; this bothers me way more than old, holey sweaters and baggy pants pulled up to the chin. Librarianship is a professional job; we are information professionals. We should dress like professional people. Would you trust a doctor/lawyer/accountant if her skirt was obnoxiously too short or she had way too many piercings? Probably not. So why trust a librarian who looks like she's reading to hit the bars after a long day of cataloging? I saw so many librarians with super short skirts, multiple, visible body piercings and tattoos, and clothing/jewelry more suited to a younger generation. Dressing professionally doesn't have to be boring; but it is necessary.
Dressing professionally isn't a hard thing. I tend to dress very simply; plain shirts that can be mixed with a variety of pants/capris/skirts, but I always look put together.* I fix my hair nice, I do my make-up, I wear an appropriate level of jewelry. Don't get me wrong; I may dress boring, but I saw a ton of funky, awesomely dressed people at conference who looked like they knew exactly what they were doing with their lives. They had great personal style and were expressing it, but in an appropriate way for work. I would never wonder when the last time they shopped.
Maybe you think that shopping is for the frivolous and no one really cares how the librarian is dressed. Believe me, they do care. You send a message to the public by the way you dress. If you dress poorly because you simply don't care how you look, people start to wonder what else you don't care about. Simply put, people, on average, are more forthcoming to someone who is put together and looks like he/she actually wants to help you. And having forthcoming patrons is incredibly important; you know this if you have every spent time working the reference desk.
So keep the cardigans coming; they look fabulous now! But just keep in mind that the way you dress reflects your profession. If you want people to think we are just a bunch of frumpy old ladies shushing people all day then by all means dress that way; but if you want to see librarians project a solid professional image and reach out as a resource to the community, then please watch how you dress!!
*If you see my on the street in gross jeans and a t-shirt; please don't me mad at me!! I try to look professional at work, but can't keep it up all the time. (But if I ever look awful for work, feel free to redirect me to my own blog.)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Shuttle Buses, Librarians, and the Sheer Number of ALA Acronyms
So I had big plans for this year's ALA Annual Conference (my first). I was going to blog everyday about my experiences while they were still fresh in my mind. Well, no one prepared me for the chaos that is annual conference. This has been one of the most overwhelming four days of my life. However, it has also been one of the most educational, and not just in terms of librarianship. While three days of conference have slipped by without me writing a blog, I do have a great list of topics to blog on, enough to keep me busy for several weeks, at least. Today I just wanted to offer my comments on three things.
1. Shuttle buses between hotels and the conference center are a great idea. However, shuttle buses that don't run often enough, nor have enough space to fit the needs of all attendees are not a great idea. I learned quickly after waiting 30 minutes and being passed over by two full buses that it's best to always stay at headquarters. Or at least walk over and catch the shuttle from there. If I ever have the money to stay at such a nice hotel, I totally will, but for now, budget accommodations and sneaking on to the shuttle at a different spot is just fine, especially when that results in getting to the conference site ahead of schedule, or at least on time.
2. There are a lot of librarians in the U.S. Someone said there were over 27,000 librarians in Chicago this weekend. Apparently ALA brings librarians out in full force. Everywhere I went this weekend, there were librarians. Hopefully, this is a positive thing and will help to promote the library to all different sorts of people. This has been a great opportunity to meet librarians and library students from around the country. It has also been an opportunity to see how many librarians still fit the stereotype; some good, some, well, not so good, but more on that in a coming post.
3. ALA loves acronyms. I knew this before; however, the list seems to keep growing. Every group has an acronym, every round table, interest group, section, etc within those groups has acronyms; the list is unbelievable. It's also unbelievable how many people seem to actually know what they all mean. Me, I spent most of the time checking their meanings so as not to appear ignorant. If I could offer up one piece advice to ALA, it would be to cut down on the acronyms. I love to shorten things too, but its getting ridiculous when the list of acronyms is two pages long.
In the next few weeks I hope to be blogging a lot more consistently in order to share more of my experiences at ALA annual. Please share yours; I would love to hear your stories!
1. Shuttle buses between hotels and the conference center are a great idea. However, shuttle buses that don't run often enough, nor have enough space to fit the needs of all attendees are not a great idea. I learned quickly after waiting 30 minutes and being passed over by two full buses that it's best to always stay at headquarters. Or at least walk over and catch the shuttle from there. If I ever have the money to stay at such a nice hotel, I totally will, but for now, budget accommodations and sneaking on to the shuttle at a different spot is just fine, especially when that results in getting to the conference site ahead of schedule, or at least on time.
2. There are a lot of librarians in the U.S. Someone said there were over 27,000 librarians in Chicago this weekend. Apparently ALA brings librarians out in full force. Everywhere I went this weekend, there were librarians. Hopefully, this is a positive thing and will help to promote the library to all different sorts of people. This has been a great opportunity to meet librarians and library students from around the country. It has also been an opportunity to see how many librarians still fit the stereotype; some good, some, well, not so good, but more on that in a coming post.
3. ALA loves acronyms. I knew this before; however, the list seems to keep growing. Every group has an acronym, every round table, interest group, section, etc within those groups has acronyms; the list is unbelievable. It's also unbelievable how many people seem to actually know what they all mean. Me, I spent most of the time checking their meanings so as not to appear ignorant. If I could offer up one piece advice to ALA, it would be to cut down on the acronyms. I love to shorten things too, but its getting ridiculous when the list of acronyms is two pages long.
In the next few weeks I hope to be blogging a lot more consistently in order to share more of my experiences at ALA annual. Please share yours; I would love to hear your stories!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
ALA Annual Conference
Friday morning I will be leaving for Chicago and the ALA Annual Conference. I wasn't really excited about going until today and I started looking at all the cool sessions I want to go to and the opportunity to network with other young librarians and library students. Even though I think librarianship may not be the career for me, I'm still looking forward to attending the conference, looking at the exhibits, and meeting with potential employers. I'm even attending a session on finding an academic library job! Conference offers so many wonderful things and I can't wait to have the opportunity to explore them all. I plan on blogging everyday about what I did and going to do, so look out for new exciting posts!
I'm also excited because my closest friend from high school lives in Chicago, and while we are both going to be busy, we are making plans to get together a few times. I went to see her in October and had a great time, but didn't get to experience everything Chicago has to offer. Hopefully, this time, I will get to see some more stuff, visit my friend, and maybe do a little shopping!
Is anyone out there going to be at conference? Let me know!
I'm also excited because my closest friend from high school lives in Chicago, and while we are both going to be busy, we are making plans to get together a few times. I went to see her in October and had a great time, but didn't get to experience everything Chicago has to offer. Hopefully, this time, I will get to see some more stuff, visit my friend, and maybe do a little shopping!
Is anyone out there going to be at conference? Let me know!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Intellectual Freedom
"A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone." This quote, said by Jo Godwin, may be one of the truest things ever to be said about libraries. No library can be truly complete, cannot provide a well-rounded and comprehensive education to all, without containing books that offend certian people. Because no two people are alike, what is offensive or vulgar to one person, is beautiful art to another. A librarian cannot have an opinion one way or the other, but must simply collect the materials to suit the needs of their patrons.
This is a concept a lot of people don't understand about librarianship. They don't understand how a librarian can remain entirely impartial on the removal of a book (such as Harry Potter or Heather Has Two Mommies) or the guy watching porn on the computer in the corner. Non-librarians don't understand how we can stand by and watch some sort of injustice (whatever that may be) go by. However, this so-called impartiality doesn't really exist. A librarian seeks to serve its patrons and provide the freedom to read (or listen or watch) regardless of age, sex, gender, or race. This freedom is one of the greatest gifts we have. It protects you from being judged, ridiculed, or criticized because of your choice of reading material. And a librarian is the protector of this freedom. So librarians aren't impartial; they care deeply about protecting this important right. It's a massive responsibility, but one I feel honored to uphold.
I think this is the most important thing taught in library school. It's more important that cataloging or reference or even better technology skills. The foundation of understanding that every person who enters into a library has the right to read whatever he or she wants is something that isn't easy to learn or accept, especially when the library you grew up may not have felt that way. Just as it is not the librarian's job to babysit your children while in the library, it is not her responsibility to decide what is inappropriate for your child to read. That's your job as a parent. So don't ask us to restrict, don't ask us to judge. Because we won't. Because we believe that everyone has the freedom to read.
For more information about the American Librarian Association and the Freedom to Read Foundation, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/othergroups/freedomtoreadfoundation/index.cfm.
This is a concept a lot of people don't understand about librarianship. They don't understand how a librarian can remain entirely impartial on the removal of a book (such as Harry Potter or Heather Has Two Mommies) or the guy watching porn on the computer in the corner. Non-librarians don't understand how we can stand by and watch some sort of injustice (whatever that may be) go by. However, this so-called impartiality doesn't really exist. A librarian seeks to serve its patrons and provide the freedom to read (or listen or watch) regardless of age, sex, gender, or race. This freedom is one of the greatest gifts we have. It protects you from being judged, ridiculed, or criticized because of your choice of reading material. And a librarian is the protector of this freedom. So librarians aren't impartial; they care deeply about protecting this important right. It's a massive responsibility, but one I feel honored to uphold.
I think this is the most important thing taught in library school. It's more important that cataloging or reference or even better technology skills. The foundation of understanding that every person who enters into a library has the right to read whatever he or she wants is something that isn't easy to learn or accept, especially when the library you grew up may not have felt that way. Just as it is not the librarian's job to babysit your children while in the library, it is not her responsibility to decide what is inappropriate for your child to read. That's your job as a parent. So don't ask us to restrict, don't ask us to judge. Because we won't. Because we believe that everyone has the freedom to read.
For more information about the American Librarian Association and the Freedom to Read Foundation, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/othergroups/freedomtoreadfoundation/index.cfm.
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