Librarianship

In the End I Want to be Able to Say I Contributed More Than I Criticized

January 23, 2011
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In the End I Want to be Able to Say I Contributed More Than I Criticized

I don’t know if it’s the economy or the time of year but lately it seems like there is a lot of negativity going around, so last week when I saw this tweet from Jan Holmquist linking to this post, contributions, criticism and courage,  it really struck a chord with me. I am by no means a perfect person, but I try.  I think a lot about what my goals are here, online and around libraryland. Sure there are some things happening in libraryland I don’t care for, that I think are a waste of time, that are poorly thought out, but I bite my tongue. I made a decision not to speak ill of other professionals, not to disparage the work of others just because I don’t agree with them, or because I don’t think its important or because I don’t get it. Let me tell you, sometimes I almost bite my tongue clean off not saying anything. But, in the words of mothers everywhere, if you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all. At the end of the meeting, of the work day, of the day, of the year I what do I want? I want to share the amazing work

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Looking Forward – How Will You Use Your Gifts In the Coming Year?

December 24, 2010
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Looking Forward – How Will You Use Your Gifts In the Coming Year?

Thank you to Buffy for bringing this to my attention. I’m not usually one for resolutions, but 2010 has been a long year and I am looking forward to the New Year with unusual anticipation, and this is so timely for me. As we look forward to 2011 it is important for some reflection, so ask yourself as librarians, teachers, leaders, individuals: How will you use your gifts? What choices will you make? Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions? Will you follow dogma, or will you be original? Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure? Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions? Will you bluff it out when you’re wrong, or will you apologize? Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love? Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling? When it’s tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless? Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder? Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind? Regardless of your feeling

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Is She Crazy to Want to Work in Libraries? Advice for a Potential Librarian.

November 30, 2010
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Yesterday I received this email through my Facebook contact form. I thought I’d post a response publicly so others can see it and to tap the wisdom of the web, What do you think, is she crazy to want to work in libraries? I follow you on twitter and really enjoy all the information that you share. I’m a 41 year wife, mother of one and student. I’m working on my undergraduate degree with plans to get an MLS degree when I’m finished. If you have time, please send me some advice. What I want to ask you is this: am I crazy to want to work in a library? Everyone I tell (not library people) are so discouraging and seem to think libraries are going to die out and become a thing of the past. I’ve heard that a love of books is the worst possible reason to want to work in a library, but in addition to loving books, I love technology and I love people. Hi Crystal, Unfortunately I can’t give you an easy yes or no. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. The best I can do it point you towards some resources that I think the

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Ned Potter Interviews Me For the LIS New Professionals Network

November 19, 2010
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Ned Potter Interviews Me For the LIS New Professionals Network

My first memory of interacting with Ned Potter is when he emailed me about the Library Day in the Life style for a new project called Library Routes.  We quickly connected via Twitter and occasionally email, and Ned soon became one of my favorite UK Librarians.  (In fact if you click on the link to his blog you’ll find he has even been gracious enough to let me copy his theme)  He has helped introduce me to other library-types outside of the States and get me thinking about important issues like the Echo Chamber, so when he asked if I would answer a few questions for LISNPN I agreed without hesitation.  My interview is part of a set he did that also includes Andy Woodworth and Buffy Hamilton.  I have copied my portion below and you can read the interviews  in their entirety on LISNPN. Q. Welcome to the first ever LISNPN interview! Seeing as this is a US librarian special, let’s look at some cultural differences first of all. In your opinion is there any difference in the way people in the UK or America view the library as an institution (and the people who work there)? A. You know I’m not sure

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10 Ways Twitter Will Make You a Better Employee, Better at Your Job and Benefit Your Library

October 15, 2010
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10 Ways Twitter Will Make You a Better Employee, Better at Your Job and Benefit Your Library

In my case this means my day, the 9 to 5 one, not the one on the side where I write this blog and other stuff and do workshops and present and read article and government reports, though it helps there too. For the sake of this post I’m focusing on my 9 to 5 job or more like 7 to 6 job. Here are 10 ways Twitter has made me a better employee, better at my job and benefited my library. 1. Connection to experts. Thanks to Twitter I can connect with experts it might take years to connect with otherwise. I might see them in passing at conferences (if I’m fortunate enough to attend) or exchange emails. But Twitter connections so much easier to make. No need to write a formal email, I respond to their tweets starting a conversation that is much faster and easier to maintain than formal emails. Through my tweets they get a feeling of what I am like professionally and as in individual. These connections include those tweets that aren’t related to work or libraries, personal tweets help build a relationship between people who have never met face to face. They are the mortar between

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photo by Beth Tribe

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