Tame The Web » Librarians, Libraries & the Profession

Do You Know A Librarian Who Could be a Pritzker Fellow?

troyswanson — Fri, 11 May 2012 23:02:22 +0000

The Pritzker Fellowship from Chicago Public Media is designed to cultivate a “new generation” of journalists. The fellows are nominated by community organizations, cannot have a degree in journalism, must not be in an academic program, and must be interested in community reporting. This would be perfect for a librarian. In fact, I wish that I could nominate a librarian for this! Do you know a librarian who might qualify?

Check out the curriculum from their website:

Program Curriculum

Throughout the training period, the Pritzker Fellows will work on many projects and develop skills within their chosen arena. The training will be extremely targeted and in-depth.

Pritzker Fellows will start off closely observing station life – from story production to field work. They will be given the opportunity to meet our experts and learn more about what they do.

Throughout the first months, Fellows will be given basic story production and editing training, including:

Journalism, ethics training
Audio and video production
Writing for the radio and web
On-air skills
Web production

Based on specific areas of interest, Pritzker Fellows will be paired with a mentor for the remainder of the program. That mentor will be a senior level journalist or producer who will provide rigorous coaching, critique, hands-on opportunities, and special assignments.

By the end of the program, each Pritzker Fellow will be expected to produce a feature story as their final project. Throughout their months at the station, they will work closely with their mentor to define the project and to receive the training needed to make it a success.

This is awesome! This would be perfect for a Production Librarian/Community Content Librarian (see my TTW blog post “Publisher of the Community”).

-Post by Troy Swanson, Tame the Web Contributor

Troy A. Swanson is Department Chair & Teaching & Learning Librarian at Moraine Valley Community College. You can follow him on Twitter at@t_swanson.

Stabi Film “make yourself at home” – Video from Stabi Hamburg

Michael — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:31:42 +0000

Well done!

Once upon a time…

Michael — Thu, 03 May 2012 03:24:41 +0000

Once upon a time…, a photo by Paul Hagon on Flickr.

Paul Hagon writes: “This is how you used to find things, people & places. A relic from a bygone era.”

Call for Papers: Internet Reference Services Quarterly

Michael — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:28:18 +0000

Internet Reference Services Quarterly (http://goo.gl/Q0np0) is now accepting manuscripts for the 2012/13 volume year.

Internet Reference Services Quarterly is a refereed journal that presents research and practical information about reference librarianship in the digital age. The journal offers studies and articles on technology and innovations related to the delivery of library user services, including reference, research consultation, instruction, information literacy, user design and usability, and electronic reference materials and sources.

Internet Reference Services Quarterly welcomes articles covering topics on the online, electronic and digital aspects and nature of library reference and information services, including reference practices, research consultations, reference sources and tools, professional librarianship, electronic communications, information literacy, instruction, online searching, training and education, managing reference services, evaluating information services and sources, software and technology, and user populations.

Internet Reference Services Quarterly receives all manuscripts electronically via the journal’s ScholarOne website:

http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/WIRS.

The deadline for submissions is August 1, 2012. Please send questions to IRSQ editor Jason Sokoloff at sokolojk(at)jmu.edu.

For more information about Internet Reference Services Quarterly, including complete submission instructions, visit www.tandfonline.com/WIRS

“It Gets Better” – Sacramento Public Library

Michael — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:40:08 +0000

Defining Authentic Librarianship – Rick Anderson

Michael — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 13:04:16 +0000

Don’t miss:

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/04/opinion/peer-to-peer-review/defining-authentic-librarianship-peer-to-peer-review/

So here’s how I propose to use the idea in this column: to me, authentic librarianship is motivated primarily by concern for those we serve as librarians, rather than by concern for our own agendas or preferences. To be more specific, “authentic” would describe professional practice that is motivated by all of the following:

Concern for the success of the library’s patrons in their particular tasks
Concern for the long-term intellectual welfare of the library’s patrons
Desire to further the goals of the library’s sponsoring institution

How can you know whether a librarian is acting in an authentic manner? Well, there’s the trick: you can’t, unless the librarian is yourself (and even then, it may not always be easy). In my first column I suggested, in passing, that in many cases inauthentic librarianship may look an awful lot like authentic librarianship—by which I meant that two librarians might carry out their tasks in exactly the same way, one of them motivated by selfishness or laziness or pedantry, and the other by a genuine desire to do what will serve the patron and institution best. Sometimes (OK, often) we have suspicions about what motivates our colleagues, but rarely (OK, maybe never) can we know for certain what their motivations really are. And it’s motivation that lies at the heart of authenticity: authentic librarianship does not consist in a set of specific strategies or practices, but in a set of desires and motivations.

Anderson also ties his thinking to professionalism which has been on my mind of late. What are your professional motivations? How do Anderson’s definitions fit with your own?

Lawrenceburg PL “Save from Withdrawl”

Michael — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:52:03 +0000

Lawrenceburg PL, a photo by mstephens7 on Flickr.

Libraries as Publishers: Possibilities with print on demand

Ben — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 01:27:53 +0000

Clive Thompson recently gave an excellent interview on the findings tumblr as part of their “How We Will Read” series. In the interview, Thompson discusses his ideas on eBooks, social reading and the future of print. But I think that his thoughts about print on demand books are the most interesting.

What you see with print on demand in the last couple of years is that there’s been explosion in the number of things printed, but they’re printed in small quantities: three, four, five copies total. They tend to be things like very specialty books; weird memoirs only three or four people want to read; mementos: people put together photographs of their vacation with a little writeup. You get books that get updated in curious new ways. The University of Calgary hosted the former prime minister of Canada, Kim Campbell, and offered to sell copies of her book at her event. But her book was out of print. So she got the digital file, wrote two new chapters, a new introduction, and they printed 50 copies of it for the event.

Justin Hoenke‘s recent webinar has me thinking about the idea of libraries as “content creators.” This is probably why I get so excited to read Thompson’s thoughts and then connect them with the video from the Sacramento Public Library that I’ve embedded below. The possibilities with a print on demand machine in a library are many, and the programming and communities that could spring up around it would be fun, creative, and informative – for all ages.

*For further thoughts on the future of books, I’d highly recommend Craig Mod’s essay Post-Artifact Books and Publishing. I briefly discussed it in a blog post last June.

– by TTW Contributor Ben Lainhart

Adapting to the Times

Michael — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:10:13 +0000

Very nice article about Jeff Trzeciak in the McMaster University newspaper that highlights his student-centered focus for the university libraries. The initiatives identified align well with current trends in academic libraries:

http://issuu.com/thesil/docs/mar15_master

In close collaboration with students and the mcmaster Students Union (msu), he has worked to maintain the focus on the student experience with every undertaking. “I am proud of the fact that we have been so student-focused,” he said of the recent developments to the libraries, explaining that much of those changes have been in response to student requests. A strong student-body push for 24-hour library space during the exam period came as msu president, Matthew Dillon-Leitch kept study space at the top of his agenda. Trzeciak explained that such an effort on behalf of students was the primary driving force behind the funding the mcmaster Libraries received from the administration to proceed with the initiative.

Thode library is now available 24/7 during the exam period. Trzeciak explained that with the renovations to Mills and Thode libraries, the two libraries have become the new “hotspots” and are attracting a more diverse array of students. Libraries are losing their subject focus and remain prime locations for group as well as individual work through the diverse study spaces available. In 2007, after the construction of the Mills Learning Commons, the mcmaster libraries received the Rudy Heinzl Award of Excellence, which was a result of student nomination. The Mills Learning Commons remains a place for collaborative work, while within the same building quiet study space remains available. Mcmaster Libraries have also been acknowledged by other universities for its user-focused approach and innovative technologies, which include the digitization of numerous library collections. In 2008, the University’s Libraries received the Excellence in Academic Libraries Award on behalf of the Association of College and Research Libraries. Mcmaster University was the first Canadian university recipient, noted Trzeciak.

Later:

“A library should be an extension of the classroom,” said Trzeciak.

The mcmaster libraries have also been a close partner with faculties in the development of new programs and the support of others, he explained. The libraries played a key role in the development of the Integrated Science program, and worked in partnership with the Department of Arts and Science to support some of their classroom projects. The next step for mcmaster University’s libraries is to build on the student-centered efforts, noted Trzeciak, explaining that student engagement is critical to maintaining past efforts. For the first time, the University will be hosting an open review of the libraries on March 26 and 27 in Convocation Hall. Students and faculty are strongly encouraged to attend and voice their views. “I owe Mac in a lot of ways,” said Trzeciak, crediting his time at mcmaster with the expertise that made him an ideal candidate for his new position. Trzeciak will end his term with mcmaster on June 30 to join Washington University, which ranks within the top 15 universities in the United States, just under many world renowned Ivy League schools. It is a research-oriented, private university with a 50-50 ratio of graduate to undergraduate students. It is unknown at this time who will be taking over as University Librarian. A candidate search is likely to begin soon. As a native of Dayton, Ohio, Trzeciak expressed, “I will be going home in a lot of ways.”

Wishing Jeff the very best for his new position!

Contest for “New Librarianship” Pinterests

Michael — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:51:21 +0000

Please head over and cast a vote:

http://infospace.ischool.syr.edu/2012/03/26/vote-for-your-favorite-new-librarianship-pinterest-board/

Our ‘New Librarianship’ contest has generated so much excitement and interest! We were very impressed with the work that our contestants put into their boards and the varying ways you have defined what it means to be a New Librarian. While it has been a tough chore to decide ‘the best of the best’, we have come up with our Elite 8 boards, as shown below.

Now it’s your turn to vote! Check out all the boards and then vote for the one you believe best represents the future of librarianship. The three boards receiving the most votes will all receive a copy of Professor Dave Lankes’ book The Atlas of New Librarianship.

Voting will be open until this Friday at 5pm EDT (March 30) and winners will be announced 9am Monday (April 2) at 9am EDT. Good luck to everyone!

I have a bit of a bias, but this one by my former student Rick Thomchick is my personal favorite:

http://pinterest.com/rthomchick/the-new-librarian/

Rick wrote this popular guest post for TTW about Pinterest: http://tametheweb.com/2012/03/12/pinterest-and-the-new-meaning-of-curation-a-ttw-guest-post-by-rick-thomchick/

The Three Questions – From the ACPL!

Michael — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:49:09 +0000

I heart this so much!

Futurist Thinking

Michael — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:05:44 +0000

Take a look at Thomas Frey’s post about libraries:

http://www.futuristspeaker.com/2012/03/future-libraries-and-the-17-forms-of-information-replacing-books/

Somewhere in the middle of this question lies the nagging fear and anxiety that we see brimming to the top among library insiders.

People who think libraries are going away simply because books are going digital are missing the true tectonic shifts taking place in the world of information.

Libraries are not about books. In fact, they were never about books.

Think Like an Activist

troyswanson — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:17:16 +0000

At several points in my life I have had the opportunity to work closely with activists. I have seen political, social, and union activists up close and in action. The true activist is a special breed who is in touch with a different reality that is just outside the reach of the present. They have been touched by a holy spirit of change that drives them forward. Librarians can learn a great deal from activists.

Activists do not just have energy and passion. They are absolutely goal focused. Ego is left behind. Partnerships are a necessity because resources are always lacking. Creativity is a requirement. Community education and constant outreach drive the agenda. Activists are not afraid to break the rules when the rules get in the way of the larger goals. They are willing to suffer the consequences. Activists do not fear work…very hard work. But, activists do not see their job as “work.” Activists do not see what they do as a job. It is always my hope that this is true for librarians. I like to think that it is true for me.

My wife always tells me that she has never seen anyone who loves his or her job more than me. She mostly says this when she’d rather have me focusing my attention away from work and toward other things like painting a bathroom or cleaning the garage. People always tell me, “you are not what I picture when I picture a librarian.” I hear this all the time. I heard this when I started my job. I hear this now when I meet new faculty members. I hear this when I am out in my home community. Mostly people say this because they are trying to pay me a compliment that I am not like other librarians, but I am never happy when given this “compliment.” To me, it partly demonstrates the lack of knowledge that people have about librarianship, and it partly demonstrates our profession’s inability to overcome this knowledge gap.

I think of Howard Zinn’s famous quote, “Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience.” I don’t mean that libraries should practice civil disobedience. I mean that still, after all of these years, we spend too much time being obedient to the things that we have always done.

If you are reading this blog, you are aware that we are living through one of the greatest disruptions in the information ecosystem since the invention of the printing press. Journalist Jeff Jarvis reminds us that right now the Internet is somewhere around where the printing press was in 1472. The ways that we create and share information are being ripped apart, and the institutions built around information are transforming. When discussing the purpose of SOPA , Jarvis noted that “we can’t just protect the interest of legacy companies that are challenged by disruption and change…” He was talking about film and music companies, but when I heard him say this, I thought about libraries. (View interview here: DLD12 Interview Series: Jeff Jarvis). As long as we are obedient to the things we’ve always done, then we will continue to act like “legacy companies” fending off change.

R. David Lankes has challenged us to rethink libraries. In his ground-breaking book the Atlas of New Libraianship, he wrote, “The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities.” Many of us have already embraced the “knowledge creation” part of this definition, but I am not so sure we have thought deeply about the “improve society” part. We are quick to call our libraries open-learning centers, but how ready are we to call our libraries society-transformation centers? How ready are we to really engage our communities by connecting on the challenging issues we face? How ready are we to really think like activists?

Right now, the most important thing librarians can learn from activists is that the face-to-face world exists as a complement to the online world. Activists get this. In the past, protests, marches, and demonstrations were held to get attention from bystanders and (hopefully) catch the eye of journalists who may cover the event and help spread the word. This remains partly true, but today, protests, marches, and demonstrations are held for the online world as much as they are for the actual time and place. The video, images, and Tweets that flow from these events carry on long after the event has ended. Activists are about information and communication. (See CBS News: How the revolution became digitized.) It’s not so much that the face-to-face world doesn’t matter, but that it matters in ways that are deeply entwined with the online world.

As a profession, we are stressed out. The future is blurry. The threats to the good work we do are real. But if you reminisce about the good old days and dream of going back to a format-bound world of information delivery, then now is the time for you to leave libraries. Retire, go away, get out, because you’ve missed the entire point. Activists don’t think like this, and neither should we.

-Post by Troy Swanson, Tame the Web Contributor

Troy A. Swanson is Department Chair & Teaching & Learning Librarian at Moraine Valley Community College. You can follow him on Twitter at @t_swanson.

Trzeciak named university librarian at Washington University in St. Louis

Michael — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:07:59 +0000

http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/23471.aspx

Jeffrey G. Trzeciak, university librarian at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has been named university librarian at Washington University in St. Louis, effective July 1, 2012, announced Provost Edward S. Macias, PhD, executive vice chancellor and the Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences.

Trzeciak replaces Shirley K. Baker, vice chancellor for scholarly resources and dean of University Libraries, who will retire after 23 years of service to WUSTL on June 30.

“Libraries are critically important to Washington University’s mission in supporting our strong programs of teaching and scholarship.” Macias says. “Library materials and the library’s role in our work are changing rapidly today.

“A strong search committee of faculty, students and staff, chose Jeff Trzeciak, who is very well-positioned to move our library in new directions needed to meet the challenges of the future.”

The 16-member search committee to identify candidates for the position of university librarian was chaired by Henry L. “Roddy” Roediger III, PhD, the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and dean of academic planning in Arts & Sciences.

“Jeff Trzeciak stood out in our search from the start because of his innovative uses of technology and his ability to integrate the McMaster library with many departments and programs on campus” Roediger says. “The search committee felt that Jeff was the right person to lead the Washington University Libraries into the future.”

As university librarian at WUSTL, Trzeciak will manage University Libraries’ $25 million annual budget, more than 135 professional and support staff, and collections and service points in nine locations on the Danforth and West campuses.

Trzeciak also will provide leadership and develop and implement strategic plans that continue the integration of the libraries into the intellectual life of the university. He will collaborate with others throughout the university to help University Libraries meet the constantly changing needs of the academic community.

Congrats Jeff!

Question of the Moment – Nicest Thing

Michael — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:02:12 +0000

Question of the Moment – Nicest Thing, a photo by Enokson on Flickr.

Question of the Moment – Nicest Thing

Question of the Moment: “What is the nicest thing anyone ever said to you?”

Students and staff are enjoying answering our newest Question of the Moment posted on one of the library hallway windows. Within minutes of the question being displayed, we had some funny answers such as, “Someone said I had thick hair!” written by a teacher whose hair is very sparse, and some deeply felt answers such as, “You are a good son.” and “Someone said they wanted to help me.”