“Being a good, innovative librarian means taking a humanistic stance toward policy, decision-making, and experimentation. It means focusing on the heart.” Michael Stephens, The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change “Being a good, innovative librarian means taking a humanistic stance toward policy, decision-making, and experimentation. It means focusing on the heart.” Michael Stephens, The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change
Contributors Michael Stephens
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We keep returning to the idea of “taking care” as we move into a post-pandemic world. We have been taking care of ourselves, our families and friends, and others in the world. Now we return to tending to the needs of our users: offering a safe space for every person who comes through our doors to learn and grow, designing welcoming spaces for folks to come together to collaborate and exchange ideas, creating thriving digital communities, and providing participatory services to promote learning and well-being. What we want for everyone we serve is Joy. We want our users to experience […]
What’s your story? That question could lead to better understanding professional learning experiences (PLEs) for librarians and the experiences of the community we serve. Each of us can tell a unique story. For librarians, we all have different learning needs, varying personal relationships to learning and a unique set of experiences, workplace environments and career objectives that inform our perspective and approach. One of the best ways to gain first-hand knowledge of both librarian experience and the specific stories of our community is through narrative inquiry (NI). This method is at the core of a research project I want to […]
Last time, I wrote about our disparate group of presenters coming together to blend three session proposals focused on the power of stories into one 90 minute workshop at this year’s Next Library Conference in Aarhus, Denmark. Joining myself, Kylie Carlson and Felicity Macchion, from Yarra Libraries in Australia, was Jason Evans Groth, Digital Media Librarian at NCSU Libraries. His proposal came with yet another twist: it was focused on telling stories with podcasting. As detailed last time, our session at Next explored how to use narrative inquiry to better understand community needs, how to adapt story-based programming and services […]
Sending a very warm thanks to all the staff at Cedar Rapids Public Library. I spoke and facilitated an exploration of “Wholehearted Libraries” at their Staff Development Day on Friday and thoroughly enjoyed meeting folks, hearing their stories, and touring their amazing building. THANK YOU! Download the slides here: Cedar Rapids Public Library Staff Day
I was honored to be interviewed fro Jutland Station while at Next Library 2019 in Aarhus. So, I think that the most important challenge we are facing in libraries now is ensuring we are open and welcoming for everyone. The world has changed so much in the last few years. We need to make sure our services meet the needs of those who might visit the library to feel safe. Those who need access to information and services that may help them get on solid ground in their lives. The underserved and the invisible should feel welcome and encouraged in […]
Text of a letter I just emailed: Dear South Bend Common Council – I was born and raised in Mishawaka and worked as a librarian at SJCPL for 15 years – 1991 – 2006. We saw the internet and Web come in and change information services. The library leveraged this to become on of the best in the nation. I have since moved on to be an Associate Professor at the School of Information at San Jose State University but I often check in on my home library. I was saddened to hear about the plan to modify LIT. I […]
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 […]
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 […]