Info Career Trends January 1, 2002 vol. 3, no. 1 ISSN 1532-0839 Published by Lisjobs.com - http://www.lisjobs.com E-mail: editor@lisjobs.com In This Issue: 1) Editor's Note 2) Keeping Current As a New Professional 3) Online Tools To Help You Stay Updated 4) All It Takes Is A Team Approach 5) Articles and Coffee: ASIS&T Pacific Northwest Chapter Reading Group 6) Keeping Current through Professional Associations 7) Conferences: A Fun Tool for Staying Current in Reference 8) What's Online? Recommended Resources 9) But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Print Resources 10) Administrivia, Copyright, Subscription and Removal Instructions -------- Editor's Note Welcome to ICT's ninth issue! This may seem an insignificant milestone, but it marks a year-and-a-half in the life of an online publication -- which isn't bad, considering how many higher-profile publications burn out in half the time. This issue's articles cover a variety of ways to keep current; add ICT to your arsenal to keep your own career development up-to-date. The newsletter owes its success to its over 1500 wonderful readers, and to its many volunteer contributors. To help ICT continue to succeed, please consider: * Passing subscription information on to your colleagues Subscription info can be found at the end of the newsletter, or online at http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/index.htm#sub * Contributing an article Upcoming themes and contributor guidelines are available at http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/theme.htm#contrib . Current needs include articles for March's issue (on library education) and May's (on rejuvenating your career). * Donating via PayPal This newsletter remains free-of-charge to subscribers. If you wish, however, to contribute financially to its publication, please consider making a PayPal donation: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com Lastly, if you all will excuse a tiny bit of self-promotion, I'm pleased to announce the publication of Sarah Nesbeitt's and my new book, The Information Professional's Guide to Career Development Online. Inside, learn how to interact and develop your career online through: * Participating in electronic discussion lists and forums * Researching educational opportunities * Taking distance coursework online * Reading and contributing to the professional literature * Keeping current with online resources * Creating your own Internet web page, weblog, discussion list, or newsletter ... and more! Visit http://www.lisjobs.com/careerdev/ for more on the title, as well as live links to every web address mentioned in the book. - Rachel (editor@lisjobs.com) -------- *** ADVERTISEMENT *** GUARANTEED TO BRING YOU PLEASURE EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR The Beautiful Renaissance Library Calendar 2002 Uniquely Designed for Librarians and Information Specialists 12 wonderful color photos of magnificent old libraries Already sold in 35 countries - Order now for the New Year Click here for info: http://our.affiliatetracking.net/isim/af.cgi?6 AOL -------- Keeping Current As a New Professional by Céline Carty (celine_carty@hotmail.com) When I was in library school, I regularly read the professional literature and latest research, subscribed to mailing lists, attended lectures and discussed major issues in class. My professors and classmates acted as a support system that helped me keep current with professional issues. When I graduated and got my first professional post (with all the responsibilities and pressures that entailed) I realized that keeping current was going to require a lot more self-motivation. Some weeks, it can be a challenge to keep current with grocery shopping and laundry -- never mind anything else! This year, however, I enrolled as a candidate for chartership of the UK Library Association (a post-MLIS certificate of professional development). One of the requirements of chartership is maintaining a broad overview of current professional issues and of legislation affecting libraries, which forced me to examine how to keep current as a new professional. In the process, I discovered that there are some excellent online resources for the new (or not-so-new!) librarian with a busy schedule. A Helping Hand Librarians are helpful people. It's in their blood -- they want to share information. It is not surprising, therefore, that there is a vibrant, active library "community" on the web. The most dynamic area of growth is in library-related weblogs (or 'blogs): regularly updated logs of links to interesting, useful, quirky or fun sites, stories and articles. Two recent articles, Walt Crawford's 3-part "E-Files" (American Libraries, Oct., Nov. and Dec. 2001) and Marylaine Block's "Communicating Off the Page" (Library Journal, September 15 2001), describe weblogs in more detail, providing links to many of the best. Weblogs have the advantage of being up-to-the-minute, often updated daily, if not more frequently. Also, each has its own character or focus, so there is something there to suit everyone's interests. They are the perfect current awareness service. One of the reasons I like weblogs is the element of serendipity: I never know quite what I'm going to find there. The specific interests or enthusiasms of the blogger can lead me to things I would never intentionally have sought out. Weblogs also mix serious, academic resources with informal, humorous ones. They have proved an excellent way to maintain a real breadth in my awareness of library news and issues. Keeping Afloat While Keeping Current When I first entered this online library universe, I was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information. I got carried away, following link after link until I had hundreds of pages bookmarked and a pile of unfinished work building up on my desk. I had to develop a strategy that would make current awareness work for me. Every person has to find his or her own way of managing time, and I am certainly no expert. Here, however, are a few tips on how to fit current awareness into a busy schedule -- based on my experience as a new professional. First, and most importantly, accept that you cannot do it all. There is simply too much out there for one person to keep up with everything. This is the beauty of weblogs, since they allow others to do a lot of the hard work for you. It also applies to the best mailing lists, which can be a real treasure trove of useful information -- as long as they don't swamp you with irrelevant mail. I have kept my list subscriptions to a minimum: Autocat (heavy traffic, but an essential resource for catalogers) and Newlib-l (an excellent list for new professionals, with moderate traffic). If you have to be selective, then it makes sense to select those sources or sites that you like the most. This will make them much more enjoyable to visit regularly. You can afford to skip those sites that you find badly designed, whose tone you find dull or whose font size is too small. I drew up a shortlist of my favorite five sites and put them on my "to-do" list. Each morning, after checking my e-mail, I take 5-10 minutes to visit all of these sites and explore what's new. This means I can choose whether or not to follow interesting links, depending on how much time I have that particular day. From time to time, I find it useful to revert to "old school" tactics and print out an article from the web to read during my coffee break, over lunch or even in bed. It is not something I would want to do every day, but once in a while it's a great way to keep up-to-date with reading. Also, setting a realistic goal -- "I will read this one article" -- leads to a greater sense of achievement than keeping a huge folder of "things to read" that you never get around to. This leads to another important tip: be ruthless. If you don't get to something by the end of the week, then trash it. When in doubt, trash it. Clear out your bookmarks periodically and delete anything that you have not used in the past month. What Are You Waiting For? The best advice I can give, though, is to get online and explore current awareness resources for yourself. There is no room here for an exhaustive set of links, but the articles mentioned above provide a good starting point. [Ed.: see "Recommended Resources" and "Online Tools To Help You Stay Current" in this issue for additional links.] With minimal exploration, you should be able to construct a tailor- made set of resources that will keep you current on the areas of library and information work that you find particularly interesting. It takes very little time out of your day and offers great rewards. I am probably more current with professional issues now than I was as a library student, and, perhaps most importantly, I have extended my network of colleagues through the online library community. If only the other requirements of chartership were as much fun to fulfill! Céline Carty graduated from library school in the UK in 2000 and promptly headed for the sunshine, getting a job as a cataloger at Stanford University. She also enjoys contributing stories to LISNews ( http://www.lisnews.com ). Her "to-do" list is currently comprised of LISNews, NewBreed Librarian ( http://www.newbreedlibarian.org ), library_geek ( http://librarygeek.blogspot.com/ ), Librarian.net and Ex Libris ( http://marylaine.com/exlibris/index.html ). -------- *** ADVERTISEMENT *** Pattern Research provides training, consulting and facilitating for libraries, library boards and library organizations of all types and sizes, as well as school, academic, medical and nonprofit workplaces. Our specialties are leadership, management and personnel issues. Visit our web site at http://www.pattern.com for details. So far, we have worked in 27 states and with most major national library organizations. Current references available. Since 1975. Pat Wagner, Pattern Research, PO Box 9100, Denver CO 80209-0100; 303- 778-0880; pat@pattern.com. -------- Online Tools To Help You Stay Updated by Dennie Heye (dennie@heye.nl) As an information researcher, I need to stay up-to-date on the topics I'm researching. Since I'd like to focus my energy and attention on research rather than on current awareness, however, I use several handy online tools to keep me current. Most of these tools are generally available, so they can also help you keep up with the topics you're interested in. Web Site Headlines Via E-mail Many web sites offer an e-mail service, which delivers new items or headlines by e-mail. This is a quick way to stay up-to-date: you don't have to spend time surfing through several web sites to see what's new, but instead get the new items delivered directly to you. Two services I find useful are the e-mail alerts at CNN.com's European Edition ( http://europe.cnn.com ), which deliver the latest headlines of Europe's top stories, and eMarketer ( http://www.emarketer.com ), which brings me the latest e-business stats and articles. E-mail Discussion Lists and Newsgroups If you really need to keep current on a specific topic, consider joining an e-mail discussion list, e-mail newsletter, or newsgroup. This can be like having a group of experts at your fingertips, who both keep you up to date on what's new and are there to answer questions. One good starting point for locating mailing lists on your topic is Topica, at http://www.topica.com . To find useful newsgroups, start with the vast collection at Google Groups: http://groups.google.com . One great example of a mailing list for information professionals is Free Pint, at http://www.freepint.com . This high quality newsletter brings together about 44,000 information professionals around the globe together. Each issue contains articles on a specific topic, with links to the best web sites, written by an expert information professional. Another not-to-be-missed mailing list is SearchDay ( http://www.searchenginewatch.com/searchday/ ), a daily e-mail newsletter from SearchEngineWatch with the latest on web searching tools, techniques and tips. * Quick tip: If you have a PDA, you can also send those e-mails to your PDA and use otherwise wasted time (traffic jams, waiting for a meeting) to catch up. Customized Profiles and Search Alerts By E-mail If you have a subscription to an online service like Dialog, Lexis- Nexis or Factiva, take advantage of its powerful profiling features, which can regularly e-mail information matching your profile. For example, I've set up profiles which track my company's competitors. The minute they announce a new service or issue a press release relating to one of the topics I'm interested in, I get an e-mail with a link to the full text article. Other helpful e-mail tools are those, such as Mind-it ( http://mindit.netmind.com ), that track web site changes. Say that you have found a couple of great web sites with subjects you want to stay on top of, but you don't want to waste your time remembering to revisit, only to find nothing new. If a site has no e-mail option to deliver new items, you can direct Mind-it to track either one page or the whole site and e-mail you with any changes. I use this to track our competitors' web sites and to learn about their new services and products. Related to this are search engine alert services, such as Northern Light Search Alerts ( http://www.northernlight.com/docs/alerts_help_about.html ). You specify a search string, and Northern Light sends you an e-mail when a new hit matching your search string has been found. This frees you from doing regular searches to find new and interesting web sites. Breaking News To stay on top of breaking news, I use two kinds of Internet services. One is the wonderful invention of the weblog. A weblog is a personal, non-commercial web site in a dated log format on a particular topic or interest, updated on a very frequent basis. Weblogs often point to items on other web sites and comment on that, which makes them great places to visit for staying up to date while just visiting a small number of weblogs. On library topics, Librarian.net, at http://www.librarian.net , is the most well-known weblog that provides news and comments on library issues. I'd also recommend my favorite weblog: ResearchBuzz ( http://www.researchbuzz.com/news/ ). Tara Calishain posts new and interesting web sites for researchers every day, adding her experiences and comments. For a directory of weblogs, sorted by topic, go to the Open Directory project at http://dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/On_the_Web/Web_Logs/ . Lastly, I've installed the Moreover newsticker on my desktop ( http://w.moreover.com/dev/ticker.html ) which brings me real-time news on my particular interests. There are many predefined topics to chose from, or you can use a keyword search to create a personalized newsticker. When I see an interesting story, I immediately post a link on our intranet or send the link to someone who I know would be interested. By using these tools, I'm able to support my colleagues with customized real-time news, which can make a big difference. For example, a year ago my company was in fierce competition with two other consulting firms for a big engagement. On the day that all the consulting firms were to present their proposals, I got an important search alert. This search alert told me that the client we were bidding for had just hired a new CFO, who used to be a colleague of our marketing manager. So, at the last minute, our marketing manager took over the presentation from the sales manager... and yes, we closed the deal. Dennie Heye (dennie@heye.nl) is a researcher with a focus on IT- related topics with a Big 5 firm in The Netherlands. In his spare time he collects penguin postcards and wonders about life, the universe and everything. -------- *** Post your resume online! http://www.lisjobs.com/resumes.htm -------- All It Takes Is A Team Approach by Sally Gibson (sallyg@creighton.edu) Each workday, my inbox fills with list messages, and library-related journals land on my desk. My first priority, though, is to work the reference desk, then to manage the reference print collection, supervise student workers, perform literature searches for faculty, and update subject guides. My job title, Reference/Support Services Librarian, translates into having responsibility for all the tasks that no one else is working on! During spare moments, I open e-mail and glance at journal articles, which provide clues to the direction reference service is taking. Staying on top of the latest developments, trends, and issues in library services can easily eat up an entire twenty-four hour day, but I'm not interested in spending all of my leisure time reading journal articles and e-mail messages. (It is college basketball season, after all.) Thus, I only read about the topics that interest me and that directly relate to my current job. I also know that, if I am not interested in the subject matter, I will not retain any of the information. Why should I read an article if I forget the concept five minutes after reading about it? Unfortunately, by taking this approach, I stand a good chance of being uninformed about topics and ideas which could be mainstream practices in a few years -- or even months. This could easily affect my job performance and ability to advance to another position. To combat this, I use a "team" approach to staying current. As my contribution to the team, I read the articles and subscribe to the mailing lists that interest me. Then my team of coworkers, colleagues, and friends keep me up to date on their areas of interest. This way I know what is happening without having to read every article in every library-related journal or subscribe to all of the lists. Starting With Coworkers Coworkers form the core of my team. Everyone at work has an area of expertise, and, in an effort to do a good job, is aware of trends and ideas in that specific area. There are six of us in the Reference Department, and we share information on a need-to-know basis. "Divide and conquer" is the motto. For example, the Electronic Resources Librarian e-mails us information about database updates or new interfaces. I do not always remember all of the details, but it is nice to have a "heads up" on the changes. What is even nicer is the fact that I do not have to monitor the e-mail lists for information about changes to our databases, because another member of my team is taking care of that. Moving Outside Now, I will be the first to admit that I am not always aware of the cutting-edge developments in my area of support services. It is important that I talk to colleagues at conferences and local libraries. By talking with people in similar positions at other institutions, it is easier for me to decide what direction I should explore or which ideas I should implement. It also ensures that I have a handle on how other institutions are managing their reference collections. I cannot expect my co-workers to be cutting-edge in every aspect of their areas, either. Like me, they lean towards favorite topics and could easily have only a basic knowledge about a given trend. So, my team must expand to include colleagues from other libraries. I tend to run into the same people at conference programs, because we are interested in the same topics. Through committee work at the state and national level, I have been introduced to librarians with similar backgrounds from all types of libraries. I have also stayed in touch with former coworkers. After working in libraries for a few years, I have discovered that I know people throughout the country -- because most of us do not stay in our first job for 40 years. If no one in the library where I work has a handle on a hot topic, there is a strong chance that I know someone who does, and I can call on her for more information. Colleagues are always willing to share what is happening at their libraries, as well as what is in development. In some cases, they tend to be more open than coworkers because they do not hoard information in an effort to appear indispensable to the organization. Going Beyond Finally, it is necessary to be conscious of current trends in other library departments. I work in an academic library with a staff of twenty, and I talk to everyone on the staff at least once during the week. It is easy to find out what individuals are working on -- because I ask. If I am looking for clarification about our library's position on cataloging web sites, for example, I can pick up the phone and ask someone who is directly involved. I also try to meet librarians with different interests. At the awards banquet at my state's library conference, I sat at a table with several school librarians. They talked about ESL students, introducing middle school boys to books, and collaborating with teachers, and had insights and perspectives that I do not hear every day. I realized that I was learning how future college students are being taught library skills. By sitting with this group, I was exposed to issues in school library media centers. Creating your own team for staying current is easy. Recruit coworkers, colleagues, fellow committee members, former coworkers, and friends from library school. Learn their interests and knowledge of current topics and ideas, so that you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your team. Since people's interests and jobs change, it is important to keep recruiting new team members. Best of all, you only have to pay close attention to the topics that interest you. Staying current is more manageable, leaving time for the more important things in life -- like basketball! Sally Gibson is the Reference/Support Services Librarian at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. She is a loyal fan of the Kansas Jayhawks. -------- *** YOUR AD HERE *** Reach an audience of over 1500 career-minded information professionals. Rate card and information for the newsletter and Lisjobs.com web site available at http://www.lisjobs.com/ratecard.htm -------- Articles and Coffee: ASIS&T Pacific Northwest Chapter Reading Group by Vivian Bliss (vbliss@microsoft.com), Melissa Riesland (riesland65@yahoo.com), and Dana Bostrom (bostrom@u.washington.edu) In September 2000, I was travelling from Seattle to Portland with a professional colleague, Melissa Riesland. We were headed to the annual meeting of ASIS&T-PNC (the local chapter of American Society of Information Science and Technology), traveling south on I-5 and negotiating the infuriating stop and go traffic. During the three- hour plus trip we discussed the subject nearest and dearest to our hearts: information. The air was vibrant with passionate discussion of the latest news on taxonomies, information visualization, virtual reference, user needs and related topics; the usual traffic jams on I-5 were no longer an aggravating nuisance, but were welcomed as a way to extend our trip and keep the conversation going. During the two-day conference, attendees networked, chatted and socialized. A recurring comment overhead at the conference was the wish that such networking would happen more often than once a year. No one said it better than Dana Bostrom: "Why do I have to wait all year long to have discussions with my professional peers about new developments?" An idea was born. Dana, Melissa and I decided to create a professional article reading group. Over pizza and libations, we discussed what we liked and did not like about book reading groups, the reality of our busy lives and the need for professional networking. The result was the "ASIS&T-PNC Reading Group." By the time the pizza was finished, we had a very simple five-part framework: 1. Meet every other month at a location that can accommodate a group of unknown number. 2. Choose an article of interest to information professionals. 3. Welcome suggestions for topics and supporting articles from everyone. 4. Publicize the event to interested persons through ASIS&T-PNC's and other local electronic mailing lists. 5. Require no one to read the article in order to attend. At the end of the first year, we declared the reading group a success. Attendance has ranged from three to nearly twenty and has included reference librarians, academic librarians, corporate librarians, researchers, students and retired professionals. Many attendees have become regulars, and topics have included search engines, copyright, and the semantic web. We also caught the eye of the ASIS&T National office as an inspiring grassroots movement. During our first year we learned what worked what did not, so at the beginning of our second year, we adjusted the framework slightly to include the following: * Meet every other month at the same location, one proven to accommodate a group ranging from three (Dana, Melissa and I) to nearly twenty, and that provides beverages and snacks. Our regular spot has become, appropriately enough for Seattle, a coffee shop. Café Allegro, near the University of Washington, has a back room just the right size to host the varying number attending the bi-monthly event. The coffee shop also serves light fare just perfect for those arriving directly from work. If the discussion goes beyond closing time or requires continued arguing over libations, we can move to a nearby tavern. We have two exceptions to meeting at the same location. This fall we held one meeting at the Information School at the University of Washington, to draw in students. The second exception will be the last meeting of the year, this coming June. That gathering will be a potluck at Melissa's house. * Choose an article of interest to information professionals and one that will promote lively discussion. We quickly discovered that controversial articles are definitely the ones to promote lively discussion. We broadened our search to include, not just professional journals, but current periodicals, especially those covering hot topics such as copyright and the semantic web. This past year we drew articles from journals as diverse as Scientific American, the online magazine First Monday, and the Journal of the American Society of Information Science and Technology (JASIS&T). Each of us also takes charge of a meeting topic, ensuring that at least one of us has read the article and is armed with questions to prompt discussion -- and to keep any one passionate individual from dominating the conversation. * Suggestions for topics and supporting articles are welcome from everyone. The first year this responsibility fell to the three of us as managers of the reading group. At every meeting we encouraged others to make suggestions, and, as the group grows and becomes more established, participants are beginning to nominate articles and topics. To make sure we are never without a topic for the reading group, it is now part of our yearly planning meeting to make a topic list for the year. This list is flexible as participants suggest topics or hot issues emerge. * Publicize the event to interested persons through ASIS&T-PNC's and other local electronic mailing lists. Comments from participants alerted us to the fact that others not subscribed to the ASIS&T-PNC's mailing list were interested and needed the information. We now send the regular announcements to the larger ASIS&T, ASIS&T Information Architecture special interest group (SIGIA) and to current students and alumni of the University of Washington Information School electronic mailing lists. * Require no one to read the article in order to attend. This "rule" is sacrosanct, and has proven to be a great boon to attendance. Many times individuals considering attending asked if they had to read the article. Their faces lit up when the answer was "no." The important part is to gather as professionals to discuss the topic and to network. More people than not have read the article, so the evening never suffers. * Establish and publicize the dates of the meetings for an entire year. In its first year of existence we set the next meeting date at the end of the current meeting. Despite the fact that the meetings were every other month, this still caused scheduling problems for individuals and other local organizations. Now the three of us meet in August (over the traditional pizza and libations!) to set the dates for the entire upcoming year and to brainstorm a list of topics. We try to choose a scheduling pattern that can be remembered, for instance, the second Tuesday of every other month. We also decided to forego meeting over the summer months. For those of us living in the Seattle area, that is the sunniest time of the year. As much as we love talking about information science concepts, during July and August we are outside as much as possible -- desperately packing in an entire year's worth of sun exposure. How has this activity improved our professional lives? By meeting bi-monthly on an information-centered topic, which we can set with one-month notice, and with a varied audience, we're always bound to have different opinions and thoughts present. The ASIS&T-PNC reading group enables local professionals to keep current for the investment of a few hours a month, with the added benefit of getting to keeping current with our colleagues. Vivian Bliss, Knowledge Management Analyst at Microsoft Corp., can be reached at vbliss@microsoft.com or 425.703.7212 Dana Bostrom licenses information products created at the University of Washington and can be reached at bostrom@u.washington.edu or 206.616.3451. Melissa Riesland, an information architect at Singingfish, can be reached at riesland65@yahoo.com. -------- *** Find a library job! http://www.lisjobs.com -------- Keeping Current through Professional Associations by Nadine Flores (n_flores735@hotmail.com) The reasons for joining a professional association are as varied and diverse as the librarians who join them. Most of us, however, become involved in ALA or in state library associations as the preferred way to remain professionally current. Moreover, association membership allows professionals to explore and expand in areas outside of our practicing vocation. My involvement with specific ALA units and round tables not only helps me to keep current in my position, but to also to expand my knowledge. New Members Round Table Most librarians who are involved in professional associations would probably concur that joining and remaining involved is the commonsense approach to moving ahead in the field. Moreover, professional associations are one way that we as librarians gain access to literature addressing topics and issues of interest to information professionals. In my quest to improve myself within the field, I found that professional associations such as ALA serve as a gateway to much current library literature, provided through divisions and round tables. Since I was a relatively new librarian, I wanted to join an organization that catered to and understood the concerns of a neophyte like myself. Of equal concern to me was keeping current in subject areas that were of interest to me, but not necessarily ones I was working with on a daily basis. I therefore joined ALA's New Members Round Table. To paraphrase NMRT's mission: "NMRT serves to provide a forum for discussion of issues pertinent to those new to the library field. Discussion ranges from but is not limited to, salaries, professional involvement, training, continuing education, staff development, library school, and almost any topic relevant to newer librarians, new ALA members, paraprofessionals, and students." NMRT definitely focuses on issues that affect me as a newer librarian. It encourages its members to develop a strong knowledge base via committee participation. During my first year as an NMRT member, I got involved in committee work by participating in the Student & Student Chapter Outreach and the Exhibitor Contact & Relations Committees. In addition to joining those committees, I participated as an NMRT Liaison. I am still active within NMRT, and feel it is an information lifeline outside of the library system where I work. NMRT members are made aware of activities and news via NMRT's e-mail list, NMRT-L, and through Footnotes (the NMRT newsletter), a publication that serves to supplement information obtained via NMRT- L. Both disseminate information and news to NMRT members and alert members to developments of interest in ALA and in the library world in general. A recent addition to the communications network is the creation of two additional NMRT mailing lists: NMRTSTUD-L, for library school students (developed this year under the auspices of the Student and Student Chapter Outreach Committee), and NMRTWriter, for those NMRT members interested in learning how to publish. This "communications network" serves as a conduit for remaining current in the profession. A large part of NMRT's allure was the fact that activity within NMRT also ensures easy transition and entrance to other ALA units. This is how I got involved outside of NMRT. ACRL: ARTS & Instruction Sections I have a strong interest in the arts and in bibliographic instruction. In addition to my involvement with NMRT, I joined the Association of College and Research Libraries, to gain entry to both the ARTS and Instruction Sections. As with NMRT, ARTS and Instruction Sections provide members with e-mail lists and newsletters to provide the latest professional developments and news, along with other College & Research Libraries publications. Within the ARTS Section, I have taken an active role by participating in committee work, getting involved with the Conference Planning Committee (2001) and serving as the editor for their newsletter. Keeping current through ACRL by way of communications networks e-mail lists, newsletters, and committee involvement), has not only strengthened my knowledge but has also allowed me to obtain a position which permits me to utilize what I have learned through the two Sections. Other Avenues of Keeping Current In addition to e-mail lists and newsletters, monthly publications like American Libraries and CR&L News supplement my reading. These provide an array of topics of interest to librarians. Although reading association-sponsored literature is highly valuable to enhancing professional development and remaining current in the field, networking with colleagues and participating in a dialogue with your peers carries at least as much weight in remaining current within the profession. Conferences further open the exchange between librarians, whether in the form of attending and participating in conference workshops or attending poster sessions at ALA Midwinter or Annual. Associations play an important role in obtaining information crucial to remaining current in the library profession. There are many modes of communication; it is essential for us to utilize every resource available through professional associations to remain current, which makes us better librarians. Nadine M. Flores BA, MA, Art History, 1987, 1992, University of California, Riverside MLS, Library & Information Science (Specialization: Information Organization), 1995, UCLA Children's Librarian II, 1996-2001, Los Angeles Public Library Adult Librarian II, 2001-Present, Los Angeles Public Library -------- Check out Priscilla Shontz's Jump-Start Your Career In Library and Information Science! Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0810840847/librarisjobsearc/ -------- Conferences: A Fun Tool for Staying Current in Reference by Caroline Hailey Gurkweitz (Gurkwitz@aol.com) I am one of those people who finds almost everything interesting. Like a child back from a neighborhood expedition, my pockets and tote bags carry the little bits of things that capture my attention. For me, attending a conference is like opening a treasure chest. The last library conference I attended was the California Library Association's 103rd Annual Conference and Exhibition in 2001. Time and budget allowed for only one day's attendance. I had fun, and came away with solid information to help me both on the job (reference in a public library) and in my career. My experiences there showed me that conferences can be a great way to keep current on professional issues. Planning Ahead I received the preliminary conference program months in advance, went through it, and circled everything that struck my fancy. Consider this a "wish list," because it's unlikely that you will get around to everything. (Also, some things will get cancelled and others will be added.) As conference time got closer, I began to think about the holes in my knowledge that needed fixing, and went back to the preliminary program to find the workshops and exhibitors that might be able to help. The Conference Begins! I arrived at the convention center, registered, and picked up my identification badge, and the final program. Hang onto this program, because it is a very valuable addition to your treasure chest. Long after the conference ends, it will continue to benefit you. Throughout the day I met friends, coworkers, fellow students, and new acquaintances. Both formal and informal networking opportunities presented themselves. During a break, for example, I sat at one of the big empty tables in the lunch area of the exhibit hall for a quick snack. Minutes later a woman approached, and asked if she might join me; within a few more minutes, two others had joined us. We had a very pleasant conversation on library schools, cooperative library systems, job openings, and conferences. During the workshops, I encountered several former professors. One of the panelists in a workshop on job interviewing was Dr. Rita Scherrei. At the exhibit booth for the California Center for the Book, I met professor Sid Berger, who is now the director. This reminded me of a instructor's advice in one of my first classes in library school: "Look around you. These are your future colleagues." Your professors turn out to be future colleagues, too. Wandering along the aisles in the exhibit hall, I stopped to chat with a vendor displaying books in Spanish. We spoke about where the books originated, which local library systems were the biggest buyers, and why it was better to translate English into Spanish for Spanish readers in the United States. My thought was that Spanish readers would prefer text that had originated in Spanish. The owners of this company were a husband and wife; the husband from Argentina, and the wife from Mexico. This charming lady informed me that English to Spanish translations reflected the culture of Hispanics in the United States, rather than, let us say, Mexico or Argentina. She also said that Spanish readers loved to read the popular authors like Stephen King and Danielle Steel. Obvious? Not to me. Granted, this is one person's opinion, but worth considering. Another tidbit to tuck away for future reader's advisory or collection development. Down the row, I chatted with another book vendor. I had used some of their products a great deal on the reference desk, but was unaware of others. I examined several books, took handouts that looked interesting, and then made it a point later to see if we had them in our collection. Further down I spoke with: a vendor about the future of books on audiotape; an exhibitor from the Census Bureau, the project director of 24/7 Reference, and many more. These were brief conversations, but they all answered the questions that originated with my "wish list" from the preliminary program. My favorite workshop of the day was Gary Price's "Discovering Dark Matter: Portals to the Invisible Web." About 40 chairs had been set up for the audience, but it was quickly apparent that more were needed. A few dozen more chairs were set up to accommodate the people still coming through the doors. For two hours, Mr. Price spoke in rapid-fire fashion about the gems to be discovered on the Invisible Web. A reference librarian's dream; more resources. Questions and comments flew around the room. Mr. Price made it clear that it is collaboration among librarians and like-minded individuals that makes it possible to find hidden resources. After the Conference Did you remember to keep that final conference program? Here are a few reasons: 1. Nearly all the exhibitors and vendors have web sites. Their URLs are listed in the program, and well worth exploring. Take a look at the site for 24/7 Reference, for example, at http://www.247ref.org . The page entitled "About Us" will explain that 24/7 originated in a large California library consortium, MCLS. Following the link to MCLS can lead you to MCLS's "Reference Center," which includes a link to "Webliographies" -- extensive subject-based lists of useful reference sites. Have fun exploring! Every web site will not become a favorite, but the richness of many sites is delightful. 2. If you missed a workshop that you really wanted to attend, check the program for the names of the presenters, persons or organization. Run a simple search on the Internet. Most of the time, that's all it takes to find much of the same information contained in the workshop. 3. Run an Internet search on the subject of the workshop. 4. The workshops are often audiotaped live, and you may purchase the tapes at a reasonable price. For the CLA Conference, the ordering information was on a separate flyer inserted in the program. Guess what running an Internet search on the audio cassette company will get you? Information about other conferences you might have missed. 5. Let's say you really enjoyed the information from a particular university press. Run a search on its name in Google. When it comes up, click on similar pages. More treasure. Look forward to the coming changes, with all the excitement you may feel for new cars, new fashions, or new books. You have the opportunity to play tour guide to all manner of fascinating information. You are the provider of magic carpets for flying away to explore the unknown... and often get to go along for the ride. Staying current expands the number of places you get to visit. Caroline Hailey Gurkweitz is a student of San Jose State University, School of Library & Information Science, and currently works as a Reference Librarian for Fullerton Public Library, Fullerton, California. -------- What's Online? Recommended Resources: "To Keep Up, Go Beyond: Developing a Personal Professional Development Plan Using E-Resources Outside The Bounds Of Library Literature" http://www.ala.org/acrl/keepup.html Read Stephen Bell's article to get an overview of useful nonlibrary online resources and how to use them, then visit his "Keeping Up" page at http://staff.philau.edu/bells/keepup/ for additional resources. "A Closer Look at Weblogs" http://www.llrx.com/columns/notes46.htm Cindy Curling looks at library weblogs, reviewing several and providing advice on finding additional logs -- or creating your own! (Also check out Peter Scott's list of library-related weblogs at http://www.libdex.com/weblogs.html and Marylaine Block's "Communicating Off the Page" at http://www.libdex.com/marylaine.html ) "How Much Information?" http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/research/projects/how-much-info/ Suffering from information overload as you try to keep yourself professionally current? Scare yourself with "How Much Information," from Berkeley's SIMS. -------- But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Print Resources: Avery, Elizabeth Fuseler, Terry Dahlin and Deborah A. Carver, eds. Staff Development: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed. ALA Editions, 2001. ISBN 0-8389-0801-2. $50.00. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0838908012/librarisjobsearc/ Career growth and professional development opportunities consistently rank at the top of job-satisfaction surveys -- and informed and current staff members are essential to serving any library's clientele. Successful institutions cannot afford to neglect the development of their staff, yet may need some guidance on creating effective programs. Staff Development covers all aspects of staff development and training, including such topics as: adult learning theory, paying for programs, setting goals, selecting programs, finding trainers, and program evaluation. Although most advice is straightforward, this is the only guide to pull together this much information with a specific library focus; contributors all work in the field and provide practical advice based in experience. Sample staff development policies and a comprehensive list of bibliographic and web resources round out the volume. Highly recommended. McCook, Kathleen de la Peña. Opportunities in Library and Information Science Careers, rev. ed. McGraw Hill, 2001. ISBN 0- 6580-1641-5. $15.95. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0658016415/librarisjobsearc/ This updated edition of the classic guide for aspiring and newer librarians is the place to start for basic information about the profession. Covers different types of library work, library education, the library job search process, and other information useful to those just getting started in librarianship. Use as a supplement to online resources that may stay more current, as the basic guidance remains timeless. -------- *** Check out more book recommendations in the Lisjobs.com online bookstore. http://www.lisjobs.com/books.htm -------- Info Career Trends is copyright Lisjobs.com and Rachel Singer Gordon. Permission is granted to forward this newsletter in its entirety as long as the contents remain unchanged and this copyright message is included. For permission to reprint articles in this newsletter, contact the individual authors. If no author is listed, contact editor@lisjobs.com. If you find this newsletter useful, please consider making a (voluntary) donation to its publication through PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com To subscribe to Info Career Trends, send an e-mail message to imailsrv@lisjobs.com. In the body of the message, type "subscribe infocareertrends [your name]" To unsubscribe from Info Career Trends, send an e-mail message to imailsrv@lisjobs.com. In the body of the message, type "unsubscribe infocareertrends [your name]" PLEASE SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS. Also visit the Info Career Trends web site at http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/ for current information, contributor guidelines, online subscription form, and archives.