This “Office Hours” column suggests some interview questions we might incorporate into interviews. This column was prompted by an email from Kit Stephenson, head of reference and adult services at Bozeman Public Library, MT: “I am trying to find the best questions to find a full-stack employee. A couple of attributes I require are compassion, team player, and thrives on change. I want someone to be a conduit, connector, and a discoverer.” Please consider the following as part of your potential discovery sets for future interviews. How do you keep learning? Describe your personal learning network (PLN). This gets to the […]
Tags Publications
147 posts
An exploration of the Open+ system at Gwinnett County Public Library and a broader view of staff communication and buy in: What if something were to happen? Have you encountered this issue as you plan to roll out a new service or a big change to existing services? Maybe it’s prompted a sign or two to go up in the library, such as a book cart I recently saw at a library out east, emblazoned with a STAFF ONLY notice. Did that begin with the thought that “someone might take that book cart for a joy ride…”? I recorded a […]
This “Office Hours” column explores how we can approach emerging and already here technology as an early adopter or and adapter. Be open to tech innovations and change. You don’t have to accept every “next big thing” but at least be aware of it. Did you just hear about beacon technology? Follow up with a web search to see how libraries are using it. Seeing the practical use of an emerging tech might balance out the initial wow factor to put it in its proper place as part of a toolkit of options. Just hearing about QR codes? Feel free […]
How can we welcome everyone into our spaces during these times? Could you partner with a local restaurant or more for a soup night of your own at the library? For those libraries with a community kitchen or access to one, inviting people in to participate in cooking or serving one another or cleaning up, all while commiserating, might help to create some connectedness. Perhaps pair the event with a Human Library program, in which patrons can “check out” a person of a different race, a different religion, different political beliefs, or different sexual orientation for a brief discussion in […]
This column explores balancing technology with services and people. Services to the vulnerable and technology offerings are not polar opposites. Librarians have to stop seeing it that way. These are all points on a continuum, and without technological skills, some folks will fall right back into the world out of which they’re desperately trying to pull themselves. Technology is not some future we have the option of ignoring—it is the present. It’s the world in which we live. There will always be people who need to be directed to housing resources, but those are not the majority of our users. […]
This column is based on my contributions to our workshop at Next Library 2017. How do we “build a librarian” for 21st-century information work? It’s an ongoing discussion in libraries and LIS programs that has many sides and a range of opinion. Some argue that while library school offers the foundations, theories, and service concepts of the profession, on-the-job experience seasons the information professional for doing the work. I would argue it is a mix of all of these things and more. How do we insure the folks serving our varied constituents have the skill sets and attitudes required? Submitted […]
My new column is up at Library Journal exploring the impact of podcasts and how libraries can respond. What do I listen to now? More than a few folks shared this sentiment online in the days following the release of “S-Town,” a podcast hosted by Brian Reed and created by the producers of “Serial” and “This American Life.” It topped ten million–plus downloads within four days of release. I binged all seven episodes over spring break and found the series to be a moving, insightful, and well-conceived piece of audio journalism. Podcasting has experienced a renaissance of content, production values, […]
I have an article in the new issue of the Journal of Education for Library and Information Science on our student blogging platform at the School of Information, San Jose State University. This study investigates the benefits of a community blogging platform for students in an online LIS program. Using a web survey and descriptive content analysis methods, this paper empirically addresses how student blogging communities can be effectively foster connections amongst instructors and students, and enhance perceptions of learn- ing performance. Overall, students reported the blogging community and blogging as- signment created a positive impact on their learning performance, particularly […]
My new column is up at Library Journal. The true title is the string of characters above. 🙂 Imagine if users could add emoji to the catalog, expressing their feelings about a book or movie with a range of emotion ideograms. Or having people rate their experience at a library program by sending attendees a link to the program after they attended, with emoji to represent their reactions. Talk about making feedback more fun! I saw this live at Grand Valley State University’s (GVSU) new library last year. On my way out of the Allendale, MI, building after a talk, a […]
Jan: Hi Michael. I enjoyed the slides of your Hyperlinked School Library: Explore, Engage, Celebrate keynote at ASLA 2009 (Australia School Library Association) very much and I want to ask you some questions about it. Talking about the continuous online computing Generation Y or Google Generation you pose the question: “How can we help them to be good digital citizens”. I wonder how you see the difference between ‘good citizens’ (which most baby boomers think they are) and ‘good digital citizens’? Michael: Jan, greetings from Queensland, Australia! You hit on an important question. Maybe there isn’t much of a distinction these […]