My library roots, or how I got into libraries for The Library Routes Project. I’ve worked in libraries for years I volunteered in the library during Junior High, mostly to get out of study hall but also for the books. When I turned 16 my first “real” job was as a clerk at the local public library. A tiny library, we had less than 10 staff members, 4 full time. As a part time clerk I worked the reference desk on the first floor alone every other weekend. Throughout High School I thought I wanted a degree in psychology, I even took classes at a local college. When I got to college full time I decided it wasn’t for me, but wasn’t sure what I did want to do. I had a history class I really enjoyed with a great professor, so I decided on history. At first I thought I would teach High School, but luckily my program required a 1 credit practicum at the beginning and I quickly realized I did NOT want to teach teenagers. Enter two more great History professors, the first being my adviser, John (he’s my Facebook friend & I hope he reads this) who encouraged
Control is an Illusion You Need to Let Go
The issue of control comes up over and over again when we talk about the online world. It recently it came up at Internet Librarian in many different ways, including: How do I stop a staff member from wasting time on Facebook? How do we control what staff are saying online? Management wants everything posted online (Twitter, Facebook, blogs etc) to go through PR. We don’t want employees to be able to access social networking sites? What about privacy? We can’t allow just anyone to post a comment without approving it first. How do we know a student is who they say they are? I have answers to all of these questions, but these questions aren’t what this is about, what they represent is, control. Or the illusion of control. The desire for control comes from fear. Fear of change, of the unknown, of doing things differently, of a situation not created by us, of taking risks. It is human nature to fear these things, it’s how we’ve survived. So is adaptation and times are changing, just as they always do, and we need to adapt. In the internet age your image/brand no longer belongs to you. It belongs to
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