Kyle Jones shares some reflection on his first semester at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Library and Information Studies (LIS) doctoral program: http://thecorkboard.org/a-reflection-on-the-fall-semester/ With good timing, a friend recently contacted me about his own interests in pursuing a PhD in library and information studies. Knowing that I had just wrapped up my first semester and wanting to hear specific parts of my reflections, he sent me a few questions to answer. Happily, he allowed me to turn these questions in to a reflective post for all to read. What has taken you by surprise? I was very much used […]
Contributors Michael Stephens
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A new anonymous comment went up on this post from 2008 about my hometown library’s ban of social media access because of issues with teens: http://tametheweb.com/2008/03/18/no-myspace-facebook-at-mishawaka-library/ No email address or URL was shared, so I thought I’d share the comment here so the person might get some useful feedback – including ideas to welcome everyone into the library without “stricter patron codes of conduct.” I would especially like to hear from teen librarians. I am currently employed at a library in Kentucky and I must say that I disagree with your assessment that the primary goal of the library should […]
Michael Stephens “The Hyperlinked Community Library” from Zukunftswerkstatt on Vimeo. Thanks to my colleagues at the Zukunftswerkstatt for posting their video of my talk last year in Leipzig while I was in Germany speaking at the US Embassy. I’ve been reflecting on 2010 this week and the two back to back trips I took to Europe – one to Switzerland/Germany sponsored by the US Mission in Geneva and the Embassy in Berlin and the other for U Game U Learn – were highlights for me on many levels. Not only did I meet library folk from all over but the […]
I’m updating some slides and prepping for spring classes today. I was pleased to find this wonderful staff directory page for the Todd Library at Waubonsee Community College: https://library.waubonsee.edu/staff/ Not only do I get a photo of the staff member, I also get access to their social media presence as well. Frankly, I’d like to see more libraries do this. Wouldn’t clicking through to a staff listing such as the one above paint a clearer picture of the PEOPLE running the library beyond just a name and email address? I understand if some individuals were not interested in participating, but […]
http://www.cyclingforlibraries.org/ It’s the first cycling unconference for librarians! Cycling for libraries is a politically and economically independent unconference and a bicycle tour. We are bicycling from Copenhagen, Denmark to Berlin, Germany via Gedser and Rostock from 28th May to 7th June 2011. Read more about the route. The tour will take about 10 days. At the moment we have confirmed only the day of the closing seminar, which will be on June 6th in Berlin. The official closing will be on the next day after participating the opening ceremony and the joint cycling event of the German Library Conference. It […]
Tony Tallent, Director of Literacy and Learning at the Richland County Public Library in Columbia, SC sends along a poem by bell hooks that speaks to me: …take hold take heart and enter here at this point where truth was once denied. Thanks Tony!
I’m enjoying these new notebooks from Aaron Schmidt – the designs are fresh and the sentiment rings true. Take a look at http://www.walkingpaper.org/shop
Participatory Librarianship: Creating Possibilities Through Transliteracy, Learning, and Linchpins View more presentations from Buffy Hamilton. I’m really knocked out by this slide deck and how well it aligns with The Hyperlinked Library model.
This seems so appropriate for this time of year: http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2010/12/21/how-will-you-use-your-gifts-in-2011/ Jeff Bezos had some questions in a commencement speech given this year – they ring especially true to me: How will you use your gifts? What choices will you make? Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions? Will you follow dogma, or will you be original? Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure? Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions? Will you bluff it out when you’re wrong, or will you apologize? Will you guard […]