Librarian by Day » librarian

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

Bobbi Newman — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:52:41 +0000

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 many LIS blogs and their comments to realize that the library profession is in the midst of extensive and somewhat discouraging change.
Ten Tips for Building Your Career While You’re in Grad School - Grad school is not only an opportunity for you to develop your LIS skills and expertise, it’s also an opportunity for you to build a professional platform that will help launch you into a career that’s rewarding both personally and financially.
Library School To Do List from Andy Burkhardt
The Dos and Don’ts of Library School – from Lauren Dodd
Library Day in the Life Project – trying to decide what kind of librarian to be? Check out the average day or week of librarians.
What I want LIS students to know - good list from Jill Hurst-Wahl added 11/30/2010
Ten Things You Won’t Find On Your LIS Class Syllabus – a great list from Andy Woodworth added 11/30/2010

The Job Search

So, You Want To Be A Librarian/Archivist: The Job Hunt (Possibly Part I) – In the list of ridiculous things that I consider to be dehumanizing, job hunting is one of them.
So, You Want To Be A Librarian/Archivist: Job Hunt Part II: Do’s
So, You Want To Be A Librarian/Archivist: Job Hunt Part III: 75 and counting.
Tests for Hiring and Training - some sample hiring tests from Brian Herzog
Job Search Sabotage – A few weeks ago, I was going through one of my email accounts I haven’t checked in a while and came across a link on “job search sabotage”. The topic of the link originated from a spam email but it got me thinking about how those preparing for employment in libraries and the information profession can avoid job hunting pitfalls.
Things to do when you’re in library school…with an eye to when you get out.
Some Interview Tips from a Recent Grad -
on reading cover letters and resumes advice from Laura Crossett
Tips for library job applicants in a tight market – advice from Merideth Farkas
Tough Times: Thoughts on the Library Job Market from a Department Head Who Just Hired a Reference Librarian - from Rich Roche
Notes on Reading Resumes – tips from Brian Herzog
What Not to Do When Applying for Library Jobs - from the crew at In the Library with a Lead Pipe
cover letter madness- advice from Laura Crossett

General Professional Advice

Your Virtual Brand - Online presence for professional success
Finding Your Voice - Blogging for career advancement and networking
Dipping into the Stream -Building collegial ties on Twitter and FriendFeed
Career Q&a With the Library Career People – a whole blog of library related career Q&A
This Librarian’s Blog Name Says It All – getting support from the library community when it seems you’ll never get a job
So You Want To Be a Librarian – an excellent book by Lauren Presley

Skills

What programming should a library science student learn? – I received this email from one of the students in the Collection Development class I taught at Mizzou and thought in addition to giving my answer I’d open it up for the hive mind.
Why every Library Science student should learn programming – The title is meant to incite a bit of discussion. I myself am not entirely convinced that every library student should be required to take a semester long course in programming, but I also think there are several very good reasons for librarians to learn programming
Technology education and the “real world”
Core skills: Curiosity – Over the last month, as I contemplated our three open staff positions, and thought about all the December graduates from library programs, and then faced down finals week, I thought about what the core skills and competencies are for academic librarians. Do we know?
Staff Technology Competencies – another tool for evaluating staff technology competencies.
Technical Skills & the Librarian – What type of technical skills do you need to be a librarian? A tough question to answer. Specific skills will vary depending on type of library one works in, will vary by departments within a library, will also vary from library to library – and will most definitely change rapidly.
Skills for the 21st Century Librarian
21st Century Skills, Libraries and Librarians

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Day in the Life – Monday 1/25/2010 #libday4

Bobbi Newman — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:06:04 +0000

I took these notes today as part of The Day in the Life project, if you would like to read more please see the wiki, if you’re interested in how it all got started read this post

My title is Digital Branch Manager, I work for system that serves 4 counties with 8 branches (9 counting mine).

In the morning before work with coffee in hand I turn on my PC to check Facebook, Twitter & my gmail account.

I see a trackback to my transliteracy page so I check out the post, Sunday Night Ponderance from Andy Woodworth. I leave a comment with my 2 cents and resolve to finish the new transliteracy slideshow by the end of the week so I can post it next Monday.

I proof read my post on the echo chamber, set to publish later in the day.

First thing I do at work is review my notes from last Friday and create the day’s to-do list.
I then proceed to:

update the website including adding job seekers page, created by staff
hand out monkeys
email director about borrowing her nook to make videos on using ebooks
check on day in the life – wow! holy hash tag on twitter!
work on Kiwanis club presentation for Tuesday. 15 minutes to talk about digital services.
answer a lot of emails
sketch out plans to do screen-casts of downloading Overdrive ebooks & eaudiobooks
turn in an invoice to be paid

At 3:30 I’m driven home by terrible headache blame attempts to kick my diet pepsi habit. I rest until 6:30 then time to get back to it. I put the tea kettle on and:

check gmail, answer & send emails
response to blog comments
peruse #libday4 tag on twitter, realize so many people are participating there is no way I can keep up and respond to all of them.
looked a pool on flickr
looked at Davids post on foursquare. Realize despite having no interest in anyone knowing exactly where I am ever, I should check it out. I sign up for an account and install it on my Pre. It can’t find my location. awesome. I give up and get back to work on my presentation for Kiwanis.
chat with another libraryland person about the connection between place of employment and personal blogs.
chat with a different person about upcoming interview & give what tips I can
text back and forth with yet another person about transliteracy

At 10 I turn off the computer and phone and put in some down time before bed.Similar Posts:

Thinking Outloud About The Echo Chamber

Bobbi Newman — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:23:45 +0000

Last week while I was traveling Net Potter brought to my attention a discussion happening on Twitter about the echo chamber (#echolib). This is an incredibly important topic to be thinking about and discussion to have. I’ve been thinking heavily about the ideas of the Echo Chamber and the Bubble lately (well last longer actually).

Let’s talk about the Echo Chamber first – let’s face it most of us are preaching to the choir. Chances are if you didn’t believe in what I write and agree with me (most of the time) you wouldn’t be reading this blog. Chances are if I read your blog and/or follow you on Twitter I agree with you. I occasionally wonder if this is any different from a pack of high school aged “cool” kids, one of them says something and the others say “right on man”! We’re just puffing each other up. What about the unconverted? What if (gasp!) we’re wrong?

In December when I decided to take a two week break I quoted from What Matters Now: “The echo chamber we’re building is getting larger and louder.” – Connected, Howard Mann. I was thinking about and concerned that I am only preaching to the choir. That blogging and twitter are not making the difference I want (hope) to make.

When Seth Godin posted about libraries I loved watching the reaction that went across the web, I even wrote a long comment on Toby’s blog post*. But at the same time the little voice in the back of my mind said – “you are preaching to the choir” and indeed I got several “right on man”s from it. Not that I’m ungrateful for the words of encouragement and support from my colleagues, its always wonderful to hear they don’t think I’m an idiot. I do believe there are positives from the echo chamber – its good hear you are not alone, to have other like-minded people to share ideas with, this is important for motivation & inspiration. Just don’t forget there are others out there who don’t agree with you.

I’m worried though, that as Howard Mann, said “the echo chamber we’re building is getting larger and louder”. At the time I posted the comment I was just thrilled to put my 2 cents in. But later I wondered are the people who don’t agree with me hearing this? Chances are they don’t read blogs, or if they do they don’t read this one, or that they were out-of-town this week. Even if they did see it one of the disadvantages of the web is you don’t have to wait for the opposing viewpoint to finish speaking before you start your response and they don’t have to listen to your response. The web makes it easier to shout louder and longer. Shouting louder into the echo chamber provides support for what you’re yelling and diminishes the chance of hearing a dissenting view-point. Or engaging in real conversation.

Are we, the twittering, blogging, technology inclined shouting into the echo chamber? Are we only puffing each other up? Do we care that this defeats our purpose and goals? I guess it depends on your goals. (Some I’m sure, are just happy to have choir to preach to.) But for most of us, its not. If we’re too busy telling each other “right on man” who’s engaging in discussion with those who don’t agree with us? Because let’s face it, they aren’t reading your blog or following you on twitter.

*I want to be clear that I have the utmost respect for Toby and believe his post on his blog and The Huffington Post were appropriate and well thought out. I am not disparaging them in any way, it is a just a recent incident I could use to make a point. I was and am thrilled to see so many great people responding to and thinking about this issue. You’ll have to forgive me, but I have to say it to them -right on man! :-)Similar Posts:

10 Best Links from Twitter – Week in Review

Bobbi Newman — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:40:26 +0000

cc image used courtesy of Leo Reynolds on flickr

If you follow me on Twitter you know I share and retweet a lot of links. I don’t know how you treat Twitter but if I’m not paying attention when something is shared I miss it. So I’ve been thinking I need a way to share those links ones on the blog. I thought I’d try to blog a best of the best of Twitter blog post each Friday.

I really don’t want to do an automatic recap of my Twitter posts each week and force you to wade through all of my conversations, so I’ll be hand selecting the 10 best links each week. I hope this is useful. Please feel free to let me know of any links you think deserve to be in the list!

New Year’s Resolutions – four New Years resolutions all librarians should be making. yes, really, even you.
Trends and Technology Timeline 2010+
Because it’s that good: 10 Exciting Ways To Waste Your Training Dollars
Jenica’s IOLUG speaker’s notes on online identity – you’re online you should be thinking about your identity, Jenica offers some great tips and information.
XO-3 concept design is here! this looks so awesome how could you not want one?
5 Reasons Why RSS Readers Still Rock – even though I weeded mine during my break I still rely on it heavily, I just can’t be on Twitter every moment of every day.
10 Librarian Blogs To Read in 2010 – because we all need more blogs in our FeedReader
The Future of Reading: Don’t worry. It might be better than you think. – great article a must read. My favorite quote “Always deny the apocalypse, John. You’ll usually be right, and when you’re wrong, no one will be left to say, ‘I told you so.’”
8 Things Every Geek Needs to Do Before 2010 – I know it’s already 2010 but if you haven’t done these things you need to!
Quotable Facts About America’s Libraries - the new Quotable Facts from ALA is out. Did you know Americans spend more than twice as much on candy as they do on public libraries?

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Library Day in the Life Round 4, January 2010

Bobbi Newman — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:40:48 +0000

butterfly, because its pretty

Yes it’s that time again, time to start thinking about participating in the Library Day in the Life Project. Will you blog, Twitter, take photos, or show video? or some combination of all?

For those of you not familiar with the project in a nutshell library works of all types document a day or a week of their work life. You can check out the original blog post, my explanation of why I do it, or the wiki for more info.

Due to the high number of participants in July 2009 I’ve made some changes to the wiki hopefully will create a little order for those trying to follow along. I moved the previous list off the front page to its own page. I created a new page for Round 4 January 2010 and added a number column to the table.

I also made some changes to the format based on my observations from the last round.

Include your job title & type of library in your blog post or video to help readers
For the Twitters a hash tag for #libday4 (if you have a better one let me know, speak now or forever hold your peace).

Round 4 of the Library Day in the Life Project will begin on January 25th 2010. Any one who works in a library can participate. You may share your day (or week) on your blog, Twitter, Flickr and/or YouTube (or any other way you choose. If you have none of these don’t worry, just create a new page in the wiki and post your day there. Once you decided on your format(s)

Create a PB Wiki account (it’s free)!
Add your name, your job title (so we can see what you do at a glance) and a link to your blog, Twitter, Flickr and/or YouTube account to the wiki.
Start capturing your day.
1. Include your job title and the type of library you work in at the beginning of your post.
2. Include a link back to the wiki
Bloggers, Flickr & YouTube users tag your posts with librarydayinthelife. Twitters use the #libday4
After your first post come back and edit this page to change your blog link to a link to your tagged posts. please link directly to your day in the life post(s) and not to your blog in general.
Add your Flickr photos or videos to the Group on Flickr

Check out posts from some of the previous participants

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What’s a Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? Or How I Came to Work in Libraries

Bobbi Newman — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:47:49 +0000

photo by me of my favorite shoes

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 me to continue my education after graduation. He was a kind person and a wonderful advisor, generous with his time, advice and encouragement. The second was a teacher who was willing to do independent study with me in the field I was interested in as there were a not many classes on it where I went to school.

Looking back, this independent study was crazy I read a book of her selection every week and gave her a written and oral report. I took Spanish and became fluent, flirted with the idea of adding Portuguese, but didn’t. I did independent study in the anthropology department where the area of my interest overlapped between history and anthropology. The work I did was amazing and fascinating but I wont bore you with the details even the eyes of other history majors glaze over when I start talking. :-)

I got into the grad school of my choice however, I deferred my enrollment for a year to spend time with my boyfriend while he finished his degree, then we’d move so I could go back to school. I think you know how this ends, we didn’t last the year. At some point I decided I didn’t want to pursue the masters in history (I don’t remember why), so I stayed in Pheonix and continued to work. During a conversation about our futures, one of my friends, V, said to me why don’t you become a librarian? I asked why she’d made the suggestion, I didn’t remember telling her I’d worked in libraries when I was younger. She said she just thought I’d be good at it. Just like that it clicked. I saw her last year in England and I mentioned it during a conversation about my career and her credit for my success, she laughed because she didn’t even remember saying it.

I wish I could say my masters advisor was as wonderful as my bachelors, but I can not. Thankfully there was a wonderful librarian, Lisa, working in the offices who was very helpful (she’s since moved on to get her PhD). I also had some wonderful colleagues during graduate school. During grad school I started interning at a corporate library. Before I graduated they offered me a full-time job managing the library, I accepted, completing my degree was a priority for them and me, and I graduated on time.

The years I spent in the corporate world both before and after my degree have stuck with me. I can often tell my thoughts and approaches to issues are not the same as colleagues who have always worked in a not-for-profit environment, I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing.

That’s my story of how I got into libraries. If you haven’t shared your story with The Library Routes Project go do it! You share your library roots– how you got into the profession in the first place, and what made you decide to do so. And/or and your library routes – the career path which has taken you to wherever you are today.

I’d like to thank Ned Potter for inviting me to post my story and I apologize for not doing it sooner. Similar Posts:

Internet Librarian Wrap Up

Bobbi Newman — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:03:17 +0000

As always conferences are amazing, stimulating, intense and tiring, but worth every second of it. I was able to talk with so many amazing people, and yet there were so many others I wanted to connect with and didn’t manage to. *More reflection at the end, but for those who want the nitty gritty….

Pulled from notes and tweets – some of my favorite quotes/idea and what I’m thinking about.

If you could tell the world 1 thing about libraries in 30 secs or less what would it be?
Good enough is the new perfect
Lean into your discomfort – change doesn’t happen without discomfort.
Be clear where your lines are drawn.
Your librarianly obsession with Star Wars will not endear you to your patrons.
The future is here its just not evenly distributed.
Privacy is dead, get over it
“If I’d asked them what they wanted they would have said a faster horse” – Henry Ford
“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.” Gen. Eric Shinseki
If we keep identifying with books – libraries are dead.
We should reward success and failure, punish inaction
We have more autonomy as college students that we do as adults
“I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.” – John Cage
Assume everyone is going to be an ally
Understand what your org hidden org chart is
Ask for the sale
When people see something new they think you’re taking away the old, so start with what is staying the same
70% of patron interaction occurs remotely.
Quest to Teen: Are you ever bullied online? Teen: Nope, I’m private, but sometimes my friends annoy me
70% overlap btwn teens & boomers. Volunteer 4 xs more & engaged in the issues

Books I’ll be reading -

Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It: No Schedules, No Meetings, No Joke–the Simple Change That Can Make Your Job Terrific
The Art of Woo: Using Strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die – this one has been sitting on my to-read shelf for months

Jason Griffey created a wordle from the tweets, take a look at it full-sized it’s awesome.

Griffey's Wordle from IL 2009 Tweets

*I was fortunate on my travels home, I did make it home with only minor delays (comparatively) and missing one bag which showed up 24 hours later, intact. I am grateful I was able to attend and extremely grateful for all the people who talked with me in hallway, coffee shop, sessions halls, exhibit halls, at dinner & coffee, and on the street. I wish we’d had more time to talk. I wish I’d had the nerve to approach more people I only know by name, I’m a little socially awkward. (Once I get to know you, you can’t shut me up) I vow to do better next time. Until then, ciao!Similar Posts:

Sneaking the Social Web into Your Library: Tips Tricks & Just Plain Sneaky Tactics

Bobbi Newman — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:16:53 +0000

One of my presentations from Notes from the 2009 Internet Librarian Conference with Erin Downey Howerton

Sneaking the Social Web into Your Library

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Erin’s slides and blog post

I mentioned during the Q&A that you can do all sorts of things with RSS. An audience member asked me if I could include some of that information in my post. Here goes

David Rothman’s Favorite RSS Resources and Tools *start here*

Explaining RSS
Resources to help you choose a feed aggregator
Google Reader Tips and Plug-ins
RSS-to-Email tools
Publishing RSS content on Web Pages
Web-Based RSS-to-Web-Page tools
Hosted RSS-to-Web-Page Tools
Feed mashing and filtering tools and Creating feeds for pages that don’t offer them

From Mashable The Ultimate RSS Toolbox – 120+ RSS Resources includes

readers
rss to email converters
feed validators, plugins
mixer
ping tools
directories and tips & hacks.

It’s ok if you don’t know what all of those are, bookmark it for later when you do.

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Bring on the Rain Putting the Cloud to Work for You: in introduction to cloud computing

Bobbi Newman — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:58:42 +0000

One of my presentations from the 2009 COMO conference in Columbus GA

Bring on the Rain Putting the Cloud to Work for You: in introduction to cloud computing

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Implementing a 23 Things Type Program at Your Library

Bobbi Newman — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:27:56 +0000

Notes from the 2009 COMO conference in Columbus GA

Implementing a 23 Things Type Program at Your Library

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