Librarianship

More About Magic Beans

September 26, 2010
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More About Magic Beans

Last week after my There Are No Magic Beans post one of my favorite librarians, Daniel Cornwall, emailed me with some concerns about the post.  I emailed him back and we had a good discussion.  With his permission* I’m posting a revised edition of our conversation here. I’m sure he is not the only person who had one or all of these thoughts. … I’m concerned that posts like these are going to have the opposite effect you intend. In concept I’m with you. People have to drop the expectation that they need do nothing after their shift ends (when I finish typing this note, I’ve got homework on digital repositories to do for Best Practices Exchange 2010). We all need to be lifelong learners even if we don’t want to be. People already say and think those things about me. I don’t think one post is going to sway them one way or another. In fact based on my interactions with people like that nothing I say or do will change them. I can only hope they retire or find a new profession. I think essentially telling people to grow up, stop whining and get back to work confirms

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There Are No Magic Beans You Have To Do The Work

September 14, 2010
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There Are No Magic Beans You Have To Do The Work

It never fails at a conference or a webinar or on twitter or a blog post someone always says – but I don’t have time for that, IT will never let us do that, administration will never let us do that. Never mind what “that” is. There is always a reason. An excuse. Yes an excuse. I don’t understand these people. I’m not sure what they are looking for, magic beans? fairy dust? There isn’t any. I read this post Yeah You’ve Got Problems. So Solve Them by Will Richardson during the mad rush between a workshop and ALA in July. It really stuck with me. I think I’m going to borrow his approach. That is a problem. What are you going to do about that? I hear ya’. How you gonna fix that? I love talking with other librarians and library staff.  But there is always a least one person who wants the presenter to take them by the hand, follow them back to work and wave my magic wand over their problem.  Guess what? No one else can solve your problem.  It’s your problem. At your job. No one knows that situation better than you. People can give you tips and suggestions and

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Round Up: What It Means to Have an Masters in Library Science, or Information Science or…

September 9, 2010
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Round Up: What It Means to Have an Masters in Library Science, or Information Science or…

…Information Resources and Library Science, like mine. A round up of the discussions happening around the web right now. Most of these post have a LOT of comments. Even if you don’t agree with them or the comments it is worth the time to read through them. Andy Woodworth wrote The Master’s Degree Misperception and followed it up with The Master’s Degree Misperception, Ctd. Emily Lloyd of Shelf Check responded with Response to “The Master’s Degree Misperception“ and Response to “The Master’s Degree Misperception, Ctd.” Ned Potter brought a UK perspective to the discussion with The LIS Masters is a qualification of convenience Kendra added her thoughts with I Got a Degree So I Could Fix the Printer? Library MAs: insufficient preparation for the real world of information work? adds another UK perspective to the mix. In The Librarianship Qualification Niamh Page talks about what being a librarian means to her. Some thoughts on the LIS MA includes likes and dislikes on masters work. Tina Reynolds talks about what she felt was missing in her education in Library School. Finally Micah Vandegrift looks at the varying types of degrees a librarian get get in the The MLIS vs. the MLS Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Share on FriendFeed Buzz it

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So You Want to be a Librarian? A Guide For Those Considering an MLS, Current Students & Job Seekers

September 1, 2010
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So You Want to be a Librarian? A Guide For Those Considering an MLS, Current Students & Job Seekers

I get a lot of email asking for advice either on getting an MLS, the job search or the skills needed. So I’ve pulled together a list of the best of the best advice for potential MLS students, current students and job seekers. In cases where the titles are not self explanatory I’ve grabbed a sentence or two from the post to give context The Degree So, You Want To Be A Librarian? Part I What the eff can you do with a MLIS/Archives/Library Science degree? - Earlier tonight a friend passed a question on to me from Aardvark in which the person asks, “What can you do with an MLIS other than become a traditional librarian or archivist?” Ten Practical Tips for New Library Students – Here is a list of ten tips I’d like to have had when I began library school. I hope you find some of them useful. Please feel free to add others by using the comment function. What MLIS Grad Schools Need to Tell Prospective – and Current – Students Now - One has only to participate in a few LIS discussion lists or online groups, hang out at a professional conference or two, or read some of the

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The Problem with Pseudonyms

August 3, 2010
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As I look at the Library Day in the Life Project last week I think of all the things I could reveal if I didn’t blog as “me”. Things that might help others. Things that might show a better perspective of what I do all day. But because I’m me there are secrets I must keep. I must guard the privacy of patrons and staff. I’d also like to still have a job when I show up for work in the morning. Oh the lure of anonymity. I have seen the flip side of anonymity. When you don’t own your words you aren’t accountable. Sure you can share so much more freely, but there is the dark side too. Unfortunately those who don’t own their words seem to always go over to the dark side.  You know what I’m talking about: snark, profanity, lewdness, hatefulness, pettiness, name calling, personal attacks, ill thought out arguments and logic. I am just as capable of swearing and snark as the next person in fact there are those who might say I excel at it. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, I’m good at it, I enjoy delivering my cutting remarks. But I don’t feel I

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photo by Beth Tribe

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