Daily Archives: October 15, 2015

My new column is up at Library Journal: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/09/opinion/michael-stephens/nurture-or-nature-office-hours/ There is much to be said for encouraging staff at your library to pursue the professional library degree. These folks know the ropes, the culture, and the community. Prompting staff to go to library school is an opportunity for the library […]

Office Hours: Nurture or Nature?

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My new column is up at Library Journal: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/07/opinion/michael-stephens/color-me-curious-office-hours/ No amount of training or professional development can move us forward if an individual is uninterested in learning or growing. I’d argue for two vital traits that will serve librarians well throughout their careers. Longtime ­librarians, midcareer folks, new hires, and […]

Office Hours: Color Me Curious

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My new column is up at Library Journal: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/06/opinion/michael-stephens/stacking-the-deck-office-hours/ Have you read about the “Full-Stack Employee?” In a think piece published in Medium, author Chris Messina—the creator of the hashtag, no less—offers this definition: “the full-stack employee has a powerful combination of skills that make them incredibly valuable. They are […]

Office Hours: Stacking the Deck

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My new column is up at Library Journal: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/05/opinion/michael-stephens/researcher-what-you-got-office-hours/ A recent opinion piece from Singapore’s Straits Times recently made the rounds on Facebook. “Prof, no one is reading you” by Asit K. Biswas and Julian Kirchherr explores the idea that most scholarly output disappears into our databases, CVs, and tenure […]

Office Hours: Researcher: What You Got?

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My new column is up at Library Journal: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/03/opinion/michael-stephens/the-power-of-quiet-office-hours/ Have you ever sat in a meeting and wished silently that the person holding the floor would shut up? Would you prefer quiet time to get work done to a talky decision-making session? If so, you may be an introvert. Click the […]

Office Hours: The Power of Quiet

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My new column is up at Library Journal: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/02/opinion/michael-stephens/whats-your-pitch-office-hours/ A short while ago, I was coming back from the New York Library Association conference, flying from Albany to Chicago, and I was seated next to a friendly young man who asked me what I did for a living. This can […]

Office Hours: What’s Your Pitch?

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My new column is up at Library Journal: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/04/opinion/michael-stephens/room-to-grow-office-hours/ A few years ago at the American Library Association’s (ALA) annual conference in Anaheim, CA, I had dinner with librarians from three large universities. The conversation turned to something they had in common: they were all moving print book collections at […]

Office Hours: Room to Grow

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My new column is up at Library Journal: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/10/opinion/michael-stephens/the-livelong-day-office-hours/ Serving as a member of the advisory board of the Project Information Literacy (PIL) Lifelong Learning study has impressed on me the importance of understanding and addressing the information needs of citizens throughout their lives, especially as they move into the […]

Office Hours: The Livelong Day

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