Thanks to everyone who attended my talk “Wholehearted Librarianship: Finding Hope, Inspiration, and Balance” at ALA last week in Washington DC. We should bring our hearts to work, and qualities such as empathy, emotional intelligence, and reflective action are all part of this process. Service steeped in humanism, compassion, and understanding should be the cornerstone of what we do, and why we do it, for all members of our communities, including the underserved. Join Dr. Michael Stephens for an exploration of the importance of accessible, welcoming and responsive library environments that invite open and equitable participation, as well as an […]
Monthly Archives: June 2019
3 posts
CHICAGO — Of his earlier book, Against the Grain raved, “Reading this book brings a sense of hope, inspiration, and excitement for what the future holds for the new generation of hyperlinked librarians entering our profession.” Now Michael Stephens is back with a newly curated collection of succinct writings that will refresh your view of the profession and invigorate your work: “Wholehearted Librarianship: Finding Hope, Inspiration, and Balance,” published by ALA Editions. Associate Professor at San Jose State University, Stephens encourages curiosity and creativity in his students and all library workers by connecting trends from outside the profession to its […]
Just published in Library Leadership & Management: Technology, Collaboration, and Learning: Perceptions and Effectiveness of US Public Library Staff Professional Development Michael Stephens, Stacey A Mitchell, Ari Zickau Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the preferences and perceptions of professional development (PD) activities for public library staff. The survey instrument was distributed to public librarians and paraprofessionals throughout the United States. Beyond the challenges of time and money, a picture emerged from the data of what might best serve the needs of librarians and paraprofessionals for PD. Staff want to feel encouraged and supported about learning […]