Final Reflection For This Semester

It was an extremely cold and snowy day when I started my Intro to the Information Profession class.  School did not start out as I had planned.  Mondays were my day off of work and my plan was to spend the entire day working on school work.  Instead school for my kids was cancelled, my husband wasn't able to make it into work and I found myself attempting to do school work with chaos instead of quiet.   Today as I reflect back on this past semester, I am sitting at my desk with the windows and doors open to the fresh air although the kids are off of school again so chaos is reigning!

This semester has made me stop and think many times about my ideas of what a library is.  During my library visits, I went to an academic library that really turned my thoughts completely around.  During my time at college, the library was a place to grab information.  While some students went to the library to study, it was at tables with uncomfortable chairs which never appealed to me.  Now academic libraries are seeking ways to make themselves user friendly.  There are comfortable chairs, reading nooks, fireplaces, tables and chairs that can be moved and reconfigured for group work, computer areas that allow several people to collaborate on a project and food and drinks are welcome.  This made me rethink how even public libraries could use these same principles for their own patrons.  Not everyone just runs into the library to grab a book.  Some patrons would like to have comfortable spaces to sit and read, chat with friends and maybe enjoy a cup of coffee or tea.  Why can't libraries be this?

Each community faces different challenges and I believe that libraries need to be a part of the solution.  This involves the library staff working with community services, helping to figure out what challenges are being faced and being part of the solution.   This might involve changing up how things have been done in the past.  Maybe the community has many working parents that cannot attend the regular story time during the morning.  The library could host a story time in the evening so these children can attend then with their parents and they can use the library then. 

The library profession needs to be able to constantly change as the community and needs change.  We cannot find a groove where we feel we fit best and stay in the same tracks for years.  We need to evolve, change and be flexible always.  We need to stay relevant to the community or we will lose their support.  I am excited to see where the library world takes me.  I hope that during my journey I can continue to learn, grow and make positive changes to my library as well as to myself.  What a wonderful opportunity it will be.

 

Revisiting: What is a Library

Way back in January, I posted an article on what a library and librarian are to me.  Now that the semester is ending, I am revisiting this idea of what a library is. 

My beliefs are still the same.  I believe that a library is many different things to many different people.  Each one walks away with a different experience.  The community utilizes the library in many ways as well.  Librarians must learn to adapt to all these changing needs.  One person may need to use the computers and internet in the library to apply for a job.  Another may come to pick up the latest  book by their favorite author.  Another uses the library to tutor students struggling in school while another teen might use the library as a place to sit and read instead of heading home to an empty house.  Somehow libraries need to have spaces where all of these activities can go on at once.

The library profession is undergoing a transition at the moment.  We have one foot in the past with the other in the future.  Many of our patrons still want a physical book to enjoy however many patrons want access to e-books.  Patrons are also approaching librarians for help in learning how to use e-books and computers.  Library staff needs to know how to find a physical book, an e-book and how to obtain information for patrons both on-line and in actual books.  I believe that this straddling the line will continue for awhile but eventually something will shift. 

I am excited to see what the future holds for libraries.  I am excited to be a part of this future as well. 

 

Looking at Professional Blogs....the good, the bad, and the ??

In 2011 I began a blog about my personal struggle with fibromyalgia and the changes that I was making to make a better life for myself.  Today my blog is on hiatus due to work, school and family life. 

Something I loved while building my own blog was visiting other blogs!  I have viewed some blogs that I loved.  I have viewed blogs that have hurt my eyes because they are so cluttered with ads.  I have read posts that made absolutely no sense.  I have blog hopped, participated in a comment-athon and viewed blogs that I planned to never visit again. 

While researching blogs to follow in the library field, I have once again found blogs that are great and some that I question why they are in the field.  The best thing about blogs- is that everyone can chose to write what they want and the readers can either chose to follow or walk away. 

One of the blogs that I decided to follow is Librarian By Day by Bobbi Newman.   Many of the posts that she writes makes one stop and think about the post.  Often these topics follow me through the next several day usually because these topics come up in conversation.  One post that I really enjoyed was "Why Libraries Should Look Beyond Library Card Ownership As A Measure of Support".  Why did this post hit me?  Well it talks about how we really should not measure community support by how many library cards our community holds.  Just because someone does not use the library doesn't mean that they do not support the library.  Many people will still respond that libraries are important, maybe just not something that they need in their life at that time.  It is an interesting concept because many of us who work in libraries do seek out those who use libraries to continue to support us.  Maybe we need to stop looking at just our patrons but looking to the community as a whole. 

Another blog that gives some great information is David Lee King written by David Lee King!  This blog has some great information on libraries using social media.  One idea that I really enjoyed was his post on "Building A Wall of Fame."  What is a wall of fame?  Well a wall of fame is all the positive comments and feel good material that patrons, library staff and others post on social networking sites or on the libraries website.  Wouldn't it be great to have a place where the community could go to see all the wonderful things that the library is doing?  Where people can see their positive comments listed?  Even suggestions for future programs would be great.

So far I have shown you two examples of the good.  Now for the not so good or the ??  While searching I found a blog that at first glance looked like it would be entertaining.  I suppose that on one level it is entertaining.  On another level it seems to be a place for this librarian to voice her frustrations from work.    Miss Information was listed when I searched for blogs written by librarians.  While it can be somewhat fun to read, after several posts, I started feeling slightly depressed.  We all have difficult patrons and I can understand her need to write about her frustrations.  But it would have also been nice to have read about some good things that happened to her as well.  Maybe that patron that came to her seeking information and she was able to help them.  Maybe the book suggestion that bloomed into an entirely new love of an author or genre.  Just because we all have difficult patrons, we also have some great ones that make your day, week or month.

 Everyone enjoys something just a little bit different.  These are just a few blogs that I found.  My struggle was finding blogs that are still be published or where they are updated with frequency.  I know, we all think that our blogs are going to go viral, we are going to make millions and be able to work from home.  Sadly at this point, that opportunity has come and gone.  Still there are some great blogs out there that shouldn't be missed. 
 

A Look At Some LIS Journals

Professional journals are an asset to any business or organization by helping to bring problems and possible solutions together in one space.  The LIS profession has many different professional publications available.  Many dive into specific areas in the LIS profession, helping keep the professionals connected even when they are miles apart. 

I looked at two different publications- The American Archivist and RUSQ: Journal of the Reference and Users Services Association.  Both publications are peer reviewed.  Both publications discuss problems and potential solutions for their readers.  Both publications would be an asset to the intended audience.

The American Archivist has an intended audience of archivists currently working in the field or those who one day wish to work in the field.  Many of the articles are the challenges currently facing archivists such as using social media to distribute information about your collection, the process of digitizing collections as well as reviews of essays written and a forum.

The RUSQ's main audience is reference librarians and those looking into working in this field in the future.  It covers a variety of areas in reference with articles on the medical field, reader advisories as well as articles on new ways of teaching for the reference librarians. 

While these publications have very different audiences, they seem to be addressing very similar issues: How to use the updated technologies in our libraries and archives.  These seem to be the dominate problems in both fields as well as with many facilities out there today.  Technology is changing at such a rapid pace but funding for these organizations does not allow for us to keep updating equipment.  These problems seem to be in every area of the LIS field with no true solution in sight.  It is interesting to see how some are attempting to conquer these issues head on while others are in a waiting pattern to see what the end outcome is. 

I look forward to searching out other publications to find those that will continue to help me as I continue my education in the LIS field.

Banned Books Week- Reactions to one of the books

Each year there are groups and organizations that seek to ban books that they do not feel are appropriate for the public or for the age group targeted to read these books.  My question to them is this- Why do you feel you should be able to chose which books are appropriate for me or my children?  I have never understood the thought pattern behind the whole belief that some books should be banned.  Yes there are some books that I find disturbing but I don't feel the need to force my beliefs on anyone else.  Everyone has different tastes and needs when it comes to reading.

When I first looked at the banned list for the past several years, many titles jumped out at me because I had read them.  I decided that I needed to find a book that I had not read and read it with the knowledge that someone found this book inappropriate.  I wanted to see if I could understand their view.  One author's name jumped out at me-- John Green.  Why?  Because several of our teen patrons have been recently asking for his books and also because I just purchased a set of his books for my teenage daughter.  I had never read any of his books so I figured his book Looking For Alaska  which was on the challenged list in 2012 would be perfect.

Looking For Alaska by John Green was listed on the Challenged List of 2012 as being challenged because of offensive language, sexually explicit text and that it was deemed unsuitable for the age group it was written for. What did I find?  Well I cannot say that the language was that bad.  Surely all teens have heard far worse on tv and in movies if not from adults or peers in their life.  I cannot say that any profane language really jumped out at me.  In terms of sexually explicit writing, well they did include some references to sex and some sexual acts however it did not go into detail nor did any of the characters actively participate in sex during the book.  These characters are teenagers, of course they think and talk about sex....a lot.  It is something teenagers have done for a long, long time.  Last but certainly not least, is it unsuitable for the age group it was written for?  The main characters are all teenagers, in high school, dealing with daily teenage life.  Yes the characters talk about sex.  Yes the characters smoke cigarettes illegally.  Yes the characters drink alcohol illegally.  Yes the characters partake in some questionable activities.  Please show me a high school that does not have issues with all of these concepts.  If you took out the computers and cell phones, this story could have been set in the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's or 2000's.  These same issues have plagued teenagers during all of this time.

All in all, the book actually was quite interesting.  I enjoyed watching the characters grow throughout the book and how they changed.  Will I recommend it to patrons at work?  Most definitely.  It was well written, showed life at its worst and how teenagers deal with it. 

So my question still stands....Why do you feel you should be able to chose which books are appropriate for me or my children?  Because right now books about witches and vampires are undesirable to some.  Books about puberty and growing up are disliked.  Books that focus on what teens see every single day are considered bad.  What is left?  Books about unicorns running on rainbows?  Do you really think this would appeal to teenagers?  I really don't think so.  For me, whatever interests my daughter, whatever gets her to pick a book up, I am all for it.  We can discuss what she has read, what bothers her, what questions she might have about what she read.....but at the end of it all, she chose to read.  For that I am forever thankful!

Mid Semester Reflection

My mid semester reflection comes at a very good time (I think).  The winter here in Michigan has been quite brutal with temperatures below zero, more snow than normal which has brought many challenges for me to face.  Driving to work is a challenge some days, my children have had so many snow days that we have stopped counting them, and the cold, gray days of winter have gotten us all down.

Add in that this is my first semester taking classes towards my master's degree and my stress level had been through the roof.  While I love everything that I have been learning, I am very much overwhelmed by the amount of work, lack of interest and work from some of my team members and just wanting to do my absolute very best on every single project.  By the end of February, I honestly was ready to throw in the towel with school.  I was ready to just say well I will just do what I have to do to finish these classes and that is it. 

Not a very positive or nice place to find yourself, I must admit.  Then a few things happened.
First we have had some amazing patrons come in lately.  One was handed a slip of paper from her doctor with a list of foods she should not eat.  She was so confused as to what she might be able to eat then.  The staff in the library spent a good 45 minutes talking over things with her, ordering books for her and giving her suggestions.  She told us that she was feeling so much better about this entire diet change now.  Another patron came into our smaller library to return some material.  We all chatted for awhile and she commented that she absolutely loved coming into our library.  She told us that we always make her feel welcome, that we often uplift her spirits and that she always walks away feeling so much better than when she came in.  How can that not make you feel so good about the work you are doing!

Last, I started my library visits for a project that is due later in March.  The first library I went to visit was at Grand Valley State University- where I received my Bachelor's degree.  They just opened a new library in June, 2013.  The place is beyond amazing.  There are so many different areas for students to use....from quiet reading spaces that have a fireplace....to small rooms that can be reserved from group work.  There are computers all over the place for students- both PC's and Macs- and the computer areas are designed to make it easy for a few students to pull up chairs to work together.  There are white boards all over the place and chairs meant to be moved around.  Just viewing a library that is so vastly different from where I work was so helpful.  It has given me ideas to use in the future.  It has given me a fresh perspective on what a library can be- basically it has given me a new definition for a library! 

I feel renewed now.  I feel a new sense of purpose.  Yes the next few years will be a challenge juggling school, kids, home life and work but in the end, I might have the opportunity to use some of the new ideas to make a library someplace special for someone.  Regardless, I will know that I have made a difference in someone's life-- either by bringing material to them that they need or by providing a warm inviting space for someone to recharge in.  That is a challenge I want to accept.

How can I obtain my goal of getting a job after graduating?

Last time I posted I wrote about some jobs that interested me, what skills were needed for them and how they could or would help me along my career path.  Today I am going to focus on what skills I already posses, how can I go about obtaining the rest of my goals and where my education path might take me next!

For this task, I will look at the job of Library Director, which is one possibility after I graduate.  Some of the skills necessary for this position are:

• Management skills: hiring, scheduling, human resources, overseeing staff, job reviews, discipline, etc
• Basic knowledge of all jobs in the library- cataloging, programming, reference, tech help, circulation, shelving, weeding, etc.
• Administrative skills: Payroll knowledge, accounting skills, budgeting skills, advertising, marketing, public relations
• Community relations: Policies and procedures in regards to the community, work with government officials within the community towards common goals, working with the public to give the library a good image, dealing with upset patrons or community members, knowing about millage issues and how to work towards a successful millage
• Fundraising
• Managing and growing collections
• Working for and with a board of directors

What skills do I bring to the table today?

• Experience managing staff, scheduling, hiring and human resources.
• I have some reference and tech help experience.  I have experience running a circulation desk and shelving books.
• I have basic accounting knowledge and skills including payroll.  I have worked with budgeting before and have handled the public relations, marketing and advertising for a couple of not for profits in the past.
• I have experience working with local governments and working with a board of directors.

What can I do to gain knowledge and experience in the areas I lack?

• I can continue my education path- taking classes such as Intro to Records and Info Management, Library Administration and Management, Collections Development and Selection of Materials, Instructional Methods for Librarians, Government Info Policies and Procedures.
• I can join some organizations that offer local workshops or virtual workshops such as the Michigan Library Association which has workshops on Leadership Management Success and Technology Trends. 
• I can ask to attend some workshops that our library cooperative has such as an Human Resources Workshop.
• I can take on more responsibilities at work and ask questions when someone is working on a task that I need more knowledge of.

Does this tie into my goals I posted at the beginning of this blog?
This definitely ties into what my original goals were- before I even started on this educational path.  My original idea was to become a library director someday and I still am interested in this area.  However, I like the idea of learning about a variety of areas too- maybe I will find one area that just really interests me- like reference- and maybe I will run with it.  Or maybe I will use that as a stepping stone onto another section of my life.  I have found that never does your life go as you originally planned.  I have taken some jobs with the thought to using them as stepping stones and found that I absolutely loved them, stayed much longer than planned and it shifted all of my plans to the point that my original plans were thrown out the door.  Those are the best surprises!