Info Career Trends January 2, 2003 vol. 4, no. 1 ISSN 1532-0839 Published by Lisjobs.com - http://www.lisjobs.com E-mail: editor@lisjobs.com In This Issue (Multitasking): 1) Editor's Note 2) Finding the Balance 3) The Multitasking Librarian 4) Multitasking -- Or -- How to Manage Adult-Onset ADHD 5) Tips and Tricks for Multitasking Success 6) Understanding Your Users' Perspective 7) Three Easy Ways to Multitask 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 If you work in a library (information center, department of knowledge management...), you've experienced firsthand the multiple demands and responsibilities laid on today's information professionals. While this variety can be exhilarating, dealing with disparate demands can also be exhausting. Today's contributors offer tips for achieving balance and share their own experiences in doing so. Once you've gotten your profesional life in balance by incorporating some of these suggestions, consider expanding your horizons further by writing for ICT. I'm currently accepting queries for March "jobs, salaries, and raises"), May ("building a career"), and July ("paths to librarianship"). If you have advice or experiences to share, e- mail editor@lisjobs.com. Contributor guidelines and more on possible topics to fit each theme are available at http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/theme.htm . Lastly, I'm pleased to announce that my new book, The Accidental Systems Librarian, is coming out at the beginning of February. If you have (or are considering taking on) any responsibility for technology in your own institution, check out the title's web site at http://www.lisjobs.com/tasl/ for a sneak peek and a bunch of useful URLs. Then, buy a copy for yourself and for all of your friends! :) - Rachel (editor@lisjobs.com) P.S. For the people who asked about the baby after last issue's note, he's doing fine -- for those of you who'd like to say hi, you can view a photo online at: http://www.lisjobs.com/images/sleepingjake.jpg . ======== ADD CONTENT TO YOUR WEB SITE WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF HTML! Bookworm: The Readers Advisory Book Review Web Application BookWorm allows you to create searchable book reviews for your web site, with no knowledge of HTML or programming. Approve all book reviews before they are published, allowing staff and patrons to contribute without losing control of web content. BookWorm colors and headings are controlled by a simple web form to match the look of your existing web site; cover images are automatically displayed. We host and maintain BookWorm, so you can concentrate on content! Visit http://www.ourbookreview.com to see how quick and easy BookWorm is to use. ======== Finding the Balance: Fitting Professional Activities Into Your Career by Tanzi Merritt (Tanzi.Merritt@mail.state.ky.us) When I entered library school -- the beginning of my career as a librarian -- I was thrilled to be joining a profession where getting involved is part of the job. Active participation in professional and community organizations would not just be tolerated, but encouraged. Never again would I be dealing with employers who would barely allow an extra 15 minutes at lunch for an alumni luncheon. In my new life as a librarian I would be encouraged to be on committees, attend conferences, and promote libraries and librarianship through advocacy and community service. I was ready, and I dove right in! Students get a nice discount when joining professional organizations, and I took advantage by joining them all. I joined ALA, SLA, and the Kentucky Library Association. I tried out membership in several divisions and roundtables of all three groups, looking for a good fit. I enjoyed being active in my school's student chapter of SLA, and served as the Vice-President and President of the student chapter of ALA. The combination of classes, an assistantship in the reference department of my university's library, and involvement in professional organizations wasn't hard to balance. I was learning so much in my classes, and both my job and activities allowed me to put that new knowledge into practice. I couldn't wait to start my first professional job and get even more involved in professional organizations on a larger level. I thought it would be simple. After all, I'd successfully managed a full plate of activities and responsibilities throughout high school, college, and grad school. After a little over a year trying to balance a full-time job with professional and community involvement, however, I've found that it's not as easy as I thought! Am I Experiencing Burnout? Some might think that it's impossible to experience burnout so early in a career. However, I would argue that the beginning of a career in librarianship is probably the easiest time to experience burnout. As new librarians, we're ready to take on the world! We want to be involved in every aspect of the profession that piques our interest, and opportunities to become involved abound. Once word of our enthusiasm gets out, though, offers to serve on committees and work on projects just keep coming -- and many of us haven't yet found the point where we must begin to say no. In my own struggle to find balance (and I'm not there yet!) I've learned some things that bear passing on. Finding the Balance * Participate in professional and community activities that you enjoy. While many of us can do a good job with a project that we don't really care for, why bother? Taking on a project that you won't enjoy sets you up for burnout. The stress of the activity can cause your creativity to dry up, or you might put a project off, or you might just not do the kind of job that you are capable of doing. You'll likely be disappointed in yourself, and, worse, you might disappoint others that are relying on you. Even if you do a fantastic job, if you haven't enjoyed any of the work, you'll be drained from the experience, and -- you guessed it -- burned out! If you know at the outset that you aren't going to enjoy yourself, don't get involved with that particular activity. * Don't feel guilty about saying no, or even "maybe later." Never feel bad about telling someone that you can't participate if you don't have the time to do the kind of job you'd like. Others will respect your decision. After all, they want to see their project succeed, and will appreciate your honesty. If you really, really want to be involved and can't bear to say no, let the person know that you are interested and would like to become involved when some of your existing commitments are through. * Don't be a librarian 24/7. It's both acceptable and healthy to take some time away from work and professional activities and do something completely unrelated to your career. Exercise, watch TV, or take up knitting. Whatever it is you like to do, take the time to do it! Your mind and body will thank you, and you'll be ready to jump right into planning that conference presentation or clearing off that pile of papers on your desk when the time comes. Follow Your Instincts Getting involved in professional and community activities is rewarding in many ways. Through our involvement we can share ideas and ways of doing things, further our knowledge of issues facing the profession, and reenergize. Because of the wealth of opportunities, however, it's very easy to bite off more than we can chew. There is no magic formula for determining how much is just enough -- the threshold is different for each of us, based on a little something called life. While most of us will have to learn the hard way at least once, keeping the above tips in mind can make finding the right balance for you a little bit easier! Tanzi Merritt is the Senior Reference Librarian at the Kentucky Virtual Library and is involved in ALA's New Members' Round Table, the Kentucky Library Association, and the Lexington Young Professionals Association. She's currently attempting to find the balance! Special thanks from the author go out to Stacey Greenwell, Desktop Support Librarian at the University of Kentucky, James Manasco, Engineering Librarian at the University of Kentucky, and Sean Kinder, Assistant Professor and Humanities & Social Sciences Librarian, Western Kentucky University. ======== *** Post your resume online: http://www.lisjobs.com/resumes.htm ======== The Multitasking Librarian: Some Tips For Happier Living by Chris Hollister (holliste@dyc.edu) Just getting through the work week is a complex equation for today's librarians, one in which the variables are constantly changing. Balancing one's family and/or personal life with the demands of the profession can be stressful, and that stress can take its toll. It is somewhat ironic that I should be writing this article now -- I'm feeling particularly frenzied these days, and could benefit from my own advice! Working for a small college library, I wear many professional hats - - Reference Librarian, Coordinator of Interlibrary Loan Services, Systems Assistant, and Webmaster. Like most academic librarians, I am also expected to pursue scholarship and professional activities, and to participate in college and community service. When the time comes for contract renewal and/or promotion, all of these areas together comprise the criteria by which I am evaluated. This, however, is just part of the multitasking story. I also have a family with school-aged children. Time and word count constraints prevent me from elaborating on this aspect of my life -- suffice it to say that our home is an active one, all day, every day, and that, with my cumulative activities and responsibilities, I sometimes feel overwhelmed. It has been my experience that, for today's librarian, hectic lifestyles like mine are more often the norm than the exception. Over the past few years, as time has become an increasingly scarce commodity and my stress levels have increased, I have collected a few snippets of wisdom that regularly help me to regain my temporal, psychological, and bibliographic balance. I refer to them as my mantras, as I need to recite them to myself constantly. In fact, I have a copy taped to the wall by my desk -- and additions and revisions are not uncommon. As with anything worthwhile in life, practice, persistence, and discipline are the keys to success. Undoubtedly, readers will perceive one or two of my mantras to be somewhat cliché, or of little relevance to their own circumstances. Still, I hope and trust that some of the following snippets of wisdom will benefit the many multitasking librarians out there. 1. Use your strengths to create order. As a professional librarian, you have exceptional organizational skills. Use those skills to plan your days, weeks, and months in advance. Whether planning for meetings or for meals, you should designate a time each day or each week just for organizing your schedule. 2. "A man's got to know his limitations." Okay... Forgive the Clint Eastwood quote, but it precisely sums up my point. Your resources are finite. You can only focus on and do so many things simultaneously before all of your activities are adversely affected. As part of the organizing and planning process, you must set priorities for your personal and professional life, focus on what needs to get done first, get it done, and then move on. 3. Learn to say "No." As librarians, we regard all of our various activities as "good" -- and indeed they are. As motivated professionals, we see the logic in continuing to take on all of these good tasks. Still, the law of marginal utility dictates that too much of a good thing can be a problem, and, for librarians, that is certainly the case. Saying "no" to some of the tasks that come your way does not compromise your position. It allows you to set boundaries, create order, and focus on and do a better job with the multiple other activities you are already involved in. Additionally, saying "no" is also fair to your family. They, too, deserve the opportunity to pursue activities of their own. But, more to the point, they deserve more of your time. 4. Keep the lines of communication open. Reflecting on the binds that I get myself into personally or professionally, I can see that a lack of communication is usually at the core of the issue. And, it is usually because I fatuously perceive myself as being too busy to stop and talk, place a phone call, send an e-mail, or write a note regarding what I am up to. The act of simply taking a moment to explain the 5Ws (who, what, when, where, and why!) of a situation goes a long way toward preventing problems. 5. Kids come first. Your children will only be the age they are once. Take full advantage of this time with them. As my youngest child's teacher says: "Kids will forget that the dishes once lay dirty in the kitchen sink, but they'll always remember the time you spent together." 6. Live in the moment. Once you do set your priorities, do not allow other matters to impinge upon your time, or your ability to make use of or enjoy that time. This especially holds true for your personal time. Ruminating on work-related activities while you are spending time with friends and/or family compromises that time and those relationships. Don't sell yourself or your loved ones short. 7. Take time for a sanity break. We all have interests and hobbies that provide enjoyment and relaxation, and which allow us to regain our psychological balance. For me, it's communing with nature, hiking, bird watching, etc. You must make time for whatever allows you to relax and refuel. Ignoring or abandoning those interests and activities is unhealthy for you, your family, and your library. 8. Stuff happens (...note the obvious euphemism). Be prepared for the unannounced, the unplanned, and the unpredictable. Though this statement seems contradictory, readers of this article know how true it is. Stuff happens, and we need to be prepared to accept and adapt to whatever events might occur. I find that one's sense of humor can work wonders in such situations. Beyond his multitasking activities at work and at home, Chris is an environmentalist and an amateur naturalist. He is currently active in tracking and documenting bird species for the ATLAS 2000 Breeding Bird Project in New York State. ======== *** Find a library job! http://www.lisjobs.com ======== Multitasking -- Or -- How to Manage Adult-Onset ADHD by Chrissie Anderson Peters (capeters@NortheastState.edu) On December 13, 2002, I graduated from the University of Tennessee's MSIS program -- in which I had been a distance education student since Fall 2000. During that same span of time, I'd worked in both a public library and in my current position in a community college library. I remained active in the Virginia Library Association (VLA), became more active in the Tennessee Library Association, and began to do committee work in various parts of ALA. Did I mention that I also met a wonderful man online, planned a wedding, and will be married for one year in January 2003? Multitasking is just something that I do, without much regard to how or why. When I saw the call for contributors for this issue, I knew that this was a topic near and dear to my personal and professional existence. Crazy Many friends think that I am crazy for taking on my various volunteer activities. Rather than blaming mental instability, though, I chalk it up to being interested in a variety of topics and methods for accomplishing tasks. I have been going full-throttle since my first year as an undergraduate, back in 1989. In college, I transformed myself from a "member" to an "active member" in several organizations. In the seven years between completing my BA and beginning my Master's degree, though, I became involved with VLA. This was during my first pre-Master's professional position at a public library in 1997. The director was very involved with VLA and encouraged the staff to be, as well. Until then, I had never considered belonging to professional organizations; other supervisors and co-workers had led me to believe that only "important" people in the profession were privy to such activities. Once I learned that this simply was not the case (at least in that particular public library!), I began a journey towards professional development that included conference presentations, an appointment to a state library-sponsored advisory committee, and networking everywhere I went! Your Heart Will Lead You Home Involvement with multiple groups or activities has become second nature over the years and I cannot imagine life any other way. My involvement with the Library of Virginia came when someone mentioned my name as someone who was interested in young people, given some of the programs that my library had begun for YAs. Although I hadn't intended to do anything other than provide programs to teens (a group that I had always loved working with), someone in the profession decided that I had something to offer back. So, when asked, I could not help but say yes. The committee work that I was part of through that organization has led me to other committees and activities, that I know were built upon those earlier professional experiences. Simply saying "yes" when asked to serve paved the way for me to learn many new things and to meet countless new people, all of which is a necessary part of professional development and personal growth. The Pleasure Principle When being busy is what makes you happiest, when networking and ceaseless learning are two of the ways that you find joy, then you find ways of balancing the parts of life that provide the most pleasure. When asked how I find the time to work while being involved with so many professional activities, plus building a life with my newlywed husband, my answer is that I am fortunate enough to have a career that I love –- a career that is such a major part of my life and interests. Much of my professional extracurricular work is so intertwined with my professional position that each day affords me ample opportunities to think and act on things connected to the committees. It's also helpful to have a boss who respects professional potential in the field and who realizes that many of the contributions an employee makes to committee work can also be used in the workplace. (Not to mention the great publicity this gives the institution!) A supportive supervisory team can make a significant difference in what employees feel they are capable of achieving. For me, performing well on the job is integral to other facets of my professional development. If I slack off on the job, that same attitude will spill over into my other professional endeavors. Most activities that I undertake blend well with my professional goals and abilities. I believe that this ability to choose and perform those functions that "connect" is the real key to my success in balancing everything. Having a husband who does not mind vacationing wherever ALA happens to be taking place does not hurt, either... Take It To The Limit Multitasking is not about overcommitment, though. All of us have limits. Knowing what and where those limits lie is crucial. Feeling stressed and stretched beyond self-recognition is not a place where any of us hopes to be. Sometimes, "yes" should not be the answer. Being commended, respected, and recognized for doing things well can be exciting. However, committing oneself to the point of frazzled nerves is no fun for anyone involved. Sometimes it is best to thank people for their faith and encouragement, to express what an honor it is to be considered, then to politely decline. No one can do everything. No one should try to. When the joy of doing something becomes lost in the pressure to get it done, it is time to take a break. This is the time to take on fewer extracurricular activities and to take a deep professional breath, so that you will be ready for something else that matters to you when the opportunity presents itself. Chrissie Anderson Peters (capeters@NortheastState.edu) is a Reference Librarian at Northeast State Technical Community College in Blountville, TN, and a December 2002 MSIS graduate of the University of Tennessee's online Masters program. She has worked in the library profession since 1993, in public and academic libraries in Tazewell, Roanoke, Bedford, and Bristol, VA; as well as Bristol and Blountville, TN. She currently belongs to VLA, TLA, ALA (NMRT, YALSA, ALSC, and SSIRT), and was recently elected as President of a regional professional organization, the Boone Tree Library Association. She is a wife of one year to Russell Peters, and mother to two lovable cats, Mel and Reid. ======== Love the newsletter? Make a PayPal donation to its upkeep: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com ======== Tips and Tricks for Multitasking Success by Stephanie DeClue (stephdeclue@yahoo.com) I'd like to say it all started when I started library school, but that would be a lie. I am actually a compulsive overachiever! I like to be the first and the best at whatever I do. Not that I always succeed, but that is always my goal. In the last three years, I started and finished (early, I might add) a Master's in Library Science. While in that program I added a second daughter to my family and started a new position as a branch manager in a large urban library system. I also managed to keep the house clean, make sure everyone had clean underwear, and spend some quality time with my husband and my children. And I owe it all to multitasking. Multitasking is the art of doing seventeen things at once. It is the ability to train yourself to use every hour of every day and to be productive at all times. More and more students are entering library school at later stages of life. That means there are more students who are juggling families, jobs and school at the same time. As librarians (or librarians-in-training), we want to be everything to everybody: parent, co-worker, friend, student, keeper of the gates of knowledge, etc. Unless you learn the art of multitasking, this juggling act will cause a nervous breakdown. There are several important things to remember in order to be a successful multitasker, especially when you have small children: * No pain, no gain: be strict with yourself. The mantra of multitaskers is "Just Do It." Whiners usually don't multitask well. Your busy life is of your own doing, so why spend time whining about how busy you are? The more you get done, the closer you are to your goal. There will be time to read that new Patricia Cornwell book later. * Learn to walk and chew gum at the same time. Always be doing two things at once. If the kids are taking a bath, clean the bathroom. If you're watching that one TV show you cannot live without, fold laundry while you watch. If you are waiting in a doctor's office, read a journal or a chapter of your textbook. There is almost always a way to do more than one thing at a time. * Your lunch break -- it's not just for lunch anymore. When you are busy, you need to make use of all of your time. The leisurely restaurant lunches with your co-workers (yeah, right) will become a rare treat rather than an every day occurrence. I have spent most of my lunch hours during my graduate studies in my office reading articles or typing papers. In fact, I'm on lunch break right now. * Make use of all those nighttime hours that everyone else wastes sleeping. In an effort to maximize my time with my family, I chose to do most of my schoolwork when my children were sleeping. It helped that their bedtime was 7:30 (or 8:00, if the oldest begged for another story, then a glass of water... You see where I'm going here -- be flexible!). After they went to bed, I went to the computer. I am living proof that your body can function for at least three years on four hours of sleep per night. * Invest in a good, sturdy weekly planner and never leave home without it. This is essential. Your weekly planner will be your best friend. Write EVERYTHING in it. When you are truly multitasking, you have to schedule everything, even when to walk the dog. Every hour is an hour you can be accomplishing something. And if you write it down, be sure to do it. If I don't finish a task for a day, I don't move it to the next day. It sits there on the day I scheduled it, waiting to be done so it can be crossed off. The guilt alone is enough to make me do it. * Technology is your friend. We live in a wonderful world of e-mail, laptops, and cell phones. These can all be the busy person's best friend. When I first started in library school, I would be sitting in the doctor's office (I was pregnant, remember? I spent a lot of time there) writing papers on a legal pad and then typing them into the computer that night. It was frustrating and time consuming to write the same thing twice. Then I discovered the PalmPilot with a folding keyboard: the poor man's laptop. I could sit in the doctor's office and type my papers into my Palm and then uplink it to Microsoft Word that night. Technology saved me a lot of time that I could spend doing other things. Don't assume that you can't learn how to use a nifty gadget that can save you time. Retailers want these products to be available to the widest possible audience, so they take great pains to make them user-friendly. And if you still can't figure it out, there's always 24-hour customer service. * Procrastinators can be multitaskers too. "Procrastinating multitasker" might sound like an oxymoron -- but it isn't. I am the queen of the procrastinators. I waited until the last possible moment to begin assignments and turned them in right at the deadline. Whether you schedule a task a week early or on the day it is due doesn't matter, as long as it gets done. Procrastinators probably have a little more stress when they are faced with tight deadlines, but it's a choice we make. Don't let your procrastinating nature prevent you from tackling a new challenge. * Take time to be silly. No one can work all the time. You have to give yourself an opportunity to blow off steam and relax. If you can't miss The Simpsons, put it in your schedule each week. Make time for the things that make life fun. Also make time for your family. If you are in school or starting a new, more demanding job, your family is making some sacrifices for you. Make sure that you make some sacrifices for them by giving up a whole Saturday of study or work time to go to the park or the zoo. You will be more relaxed and they won't feel like they miss you so much. Victor Hugo said: "He who every morning plans the transaction of the day and follows out that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the maze of the most busy life. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidence, chaos will soon reign." Busy lives require organization. Without it, there is no direction. By the time this article is published, I will have graduated from library school. I'd like to say that I will take the time to read some Patricia Cornwell novels and smell the roses -- but I'm sure there's another challenge waiting for me around the next corner! Stephanie DeClue is the new Public Services Librarian for Whiteman Air Force Base. She was previously a branch manager with the Memphis/Shelby County Public Library and Information Center. ======== *** Take a few moments to answer a library publishing survey: http://www.lisjobs.com/pub4libsurvey.htm ======== Understanding Your Users' Perspective: A Multitasking Imperative by Sam Werberg (swerberg@findsvp.com) No matter whom we serve at our particular library or research center, we don't often find ourselves in the position of being asked to provide the same exact information over and over again. In cases where this does happen though, we can find that having an understanding of both the perspective of our user and their end use of the information can let us approach each information request from a fresh perspective. The multitasking aspect comes, not from searching for different types of information or using different reference sources, but from understanding what is needed in each case and repurposing the information for our end users' specific needs. We become, depending on each situation, a news librarian, a competitive intelligence professional, a confidant, a corporate researcher, or whatever other role particularly suits our users' needs. On a day-to-day basis, this can keep our jobs fresh and interesting, and it certainly cannot hurt our long-term professional development. At FIND/SVP, the company I work for, we take in multiple research requests each day from our clients at almost 2,000 companies across the US. We have as clients advertising firms, manufacturers, industry and trade associations, PR companies, retailers and more. On any given day, I may actually end up with multiple versions of the same question from several different clients. Every information deliverable we provide to each client must be unique and individual work, and each client's confidentiality must be completely respected. What makes the job truly interesting, and what is crucial to providing the highest service quality, is the ability to diagnose and understand the users' perspective and the purpose of their research. Let's take as an example a request for background and profile information on a privately-held technology company, "SamTech." The person making this request and the end use or purpose of the information requested will define the task at hand. Just to give three specific examples, this request may come from a marketing executive, an IT executive, or a potential investor in the company. In each case, the requester not only brings their own background, industry knowledge and preconceptions to the research process, but they also bring their context-specific needs and concerns. For the marketing executive, let's assume that they are part of an advertising agency trying to pitch an ad campaign to SamTech. We understand that this person is not going to have the same technical background as an IT executive, but at the same time we should not assume they are completely unfamiliar with the topic. We need to rely heavily here on our reference interviewing skills to determine the level of knowledge that the user brings to the situation. Once we have determined the level of knowledge and industry awareness that our marketing executive brings to the situation, then we must determine what the most useful type of information will be for this person. This second part of the process is fundamentally tied into their end use of the information. In this case, the user is trying to pitch an ad account, or convince SamTech that they know best how to market the company's products to their intended target audience. This being the case, the most useful information will not be all of the specific technical details of the company's products or the company's complete financial history, but information on the company's past marketing initiatives and what their strengths and weaknesses are compared to their competitors. We will need to take on the role of the competitive intelligence professional, and we will also need to put ourselves in the shoes of this marketing executive, thinking about that can be said to the decision makers at SamTech to convince them that we know best how to market their product. When our IT executive calls in asking for the same information, we need to switch gears and take the time to understand the differences in both the requester's perspective and their end use of the information. A typical mistake made in the information science and library professions involves treating all of our users the same and providing the same packaged answers to each user. If this is what people want, then we might as well pack up our profession and turn it over to the software folks. This is not what people want, though, and we need to understand that and respond appropriately. Let's assume that our IT executive is asking for a background of SamTech because he is thinking of buying their product for his company and wants to make sure that they are reliable and have a good reputation. We first need to understand this person's technical expertise and whether or not he needs any specific information on SamTech's products. It is likely that he is well versed in his technical needs and understands what SamTech offers in their product line. He is more concerned with the long-term viability of this company and whether or not it will be around to support the product over its lifetime. This requester is also interested in the vendor's reputation among his IT peers, and in reviews or evaluations of their products and services. Finally, we have the potential investor, which for the sake of this example we will say is coming from a venture capital background. This client actually has a perspective similar to our IT executive in that they are concerned with the long term viability of the company, but their concern comes from their direct investment in the company and not the purchase of the company's products. The venture capital investor may or may not have a good understanding of what the company actually does and how their products are used, and we should take the time to understand what it is they do know and what they still need to get up to speed on. Keeping in mind that venture capital investment can happen in a tight time frame, we will want to provide this user with the most relevant information in the shortest turn-around time possible. The due diligence that this user is undertaking will also need to include information on the company executives, which will not necessarily be needed by our IT or marketing clients. All three users are asking us for what appears to be the same information -- company background on SamTech -- but their backgrounds, industry knowledge and end uses are quite different. Understanding each client's individual perspective and repurposing the information in the context of their specific needs will position us as critical links in the chain of information delivery. In order to be leaders in the information profession we need to be able to multitask, not just over time, but also throughout each day as we respond to our users' requests. Sam Werberg is a Consultant in the Technology, Information and Communications Group at FIND/SVP, an innovative knowledge services company that offers a full suite of custom business intelligence, advisory, and consulting solutions to address clients' critical business issues. ======== *** Advice, articles, and salary information for librarians: http://www.lisjobs.com/advice.htm ======== Three Easy Ways to Multitask: Or, How to Survive and Thrive in the Face of Multiple Responsibilities by Lisa Bodenheimer (bodenhl@CLEMSON.EDU) Picture this: you go into work one day, and find out that a person in your unit is leaving. You are asked to take on this person's responsibilities until a replacement is hired. You also have your own job to do. What do you do? (Besides panic, that is?) In 1996 this happened to me over a period of approximately nine months -- our serials cataloger left, and I was asked to take on the responsibilities of that position in addition to my normal duties as monographs cataloger. I had some experience cataloging serials, and so, according to my supervisor, I was the "most logical person to do this." My first reaction to that request was, "ohhh, my goodness." Then I went back to my desk and panicked. How in the world would I handle both jobs? What could I do to make it easier? Three things occurred to me immediately. My first step was to talk with my supervisor and define exactly what the priorities were for both positions. We also, in my supervisor's words, "divided the world," and decided which duties each of us would cover. My supervisor was willing to take over at least one of my duties as monographs cataloger to allow me more time to take on the extra serials cataloging responsibilities. This conversation gave me a clear idea of what I needed to focus on. I also learned that my supervisor did not expect me to be superhuman and cover all of the duties of both jobs, which did wonders for my confidence. My next question was, "well, how do I train myself to do this quickly and effectively?" This brought me to step 2: Use existing resources and the expertise of people close at hand. In my case, I was taking on supervisory responsibility for an experienced serials copy cataloger. Over a period of several days, I shadowed her as she went about her normal duties. During this time, we updated some outdated documentation. I also found support and needed information through cross training with the Serials Acquisitions staff and learning how our jobs supported and complemented each other. I started paying attention to serials-related questions on electronic mail lists I belonged to. I also learned a lot simply by doing the job. For example, if the copy cataloger gave me a serials cataloging problem and said, "I really don't know what to do with this one," I would smile and go read CONSER documentation. Another question that arose was, "okay, just how do I manage both jobs every day in an environment where the workload is intensive?" This yielded step 3: time management. I reverted to a practice that had worked for me in library school, scheduling myself time to work on each job. Generally, I tried to spend mornings on the serials job (since that was when I was "freshest") and afternoons on the monographs job (since it was the job I knew best). Of course, there were times when all of my planning would go out the window, largely because of something that needed rush cataloging or because of interruptions, meetings, or simply the tilt of the earth on its axis. I simply adjusted the schedule and went on. This insured that something got done on each job every day -- maybe not as much as I'd hoped, but the most important things got covered. About four months after taking on the serials responsibilities, I had another surprise. Our special formats cataloger resigned. I wondered if I'd have that thrust upon me too. No, that didn't happen automatically -- I asked for it! Having the chance to do another job made me realize that I needed a change, so I asked if I could move into the special formats position permanently. I found that my three steps worked here too: prioritization (during which my boss said she would take over the monographs cataloging responsibilities until we hired a new person); initial training (consisting of the former special formats cataloger's excellent documentation, appropriate cataloging resources, and external workshops); and time management (I started working multimedia cataloging into the schedule as needed). In early 1997, we hired a new serials cataloger, and I was involved in her training. Then we hired a new monographs cataloger, and I was involved in her training. Then I got to do my new multimedia job exclusively. After so much time juggling two jobs, doing just one seemed strange. But it was also a relief, because I was able to focus on learning my new duties (and dealing with the multitasking inherent in cataloging six different formats!). From this experience, I learned that multitasking is manageable; it does not have to be cause for panic (or insanity). When things were at their craziest and I felt overwhelmed, I would sit down and say, what is ONE thing I can do right this minute? Sometimes it was working on a serials title change, sometimes it was doing personnel paperwork, and sometimes it was going down to the staff lounge for chocolate. At those times, I would also remind myself that I had been given a chance to broaden my skills and to therefore be a better librarian. Sometimes this reminder did not help (only chocolate helped then!). Most of the time it did, however. As a result of my multitasking experience, I not only stretched my abilities as a librarian, I ultimately gained a new and rewarding specialization. Lisa Bodenheimer is currently Special Formats Cataloger and Principal Cataloger at Clemson University in Clemson, SC. She received her MLS from Indiana University. ======== *** Your ad here: http://www.lisjobs.com/ratecard.htm#newsletter ======== What's Online? Recommended Resources http://www.llrx.com/extras/SLA2002multitasking.htm Presentation materials from the June 2002 SLA conference, including a bibliography and "multitasking job descriptions" for multitasking legal librarian/managers. http://hotwired.lycos.com/synapse/hotseat/97/44/transcript2a.html "The author of Technostress reveals: Minds Weren't Made for Multitasking." A transcript of a 1997 interview The Informed Librarian Online http://www.infosourcespub.com/book4.cfm A free monthly e-mail ToC content-awareness service for information science journals and e-publications. ======== But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Print Resources Siess, Judith A. Time Management, Planning and Prioritization for Librarians. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2002. ISBN 0-8108-4438-9. $29.95. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0810844389/librarisjobsearc/ Siess, an expert in solo librarianship and interpersonal networking, offers a potpourri of time management, planning and prioritization tips. Topics include: looking at time, learning to use time more efficiently and effectively, dealing with job stress, and creating a strategic plan. The title ends with a four-step plan on prioritization. Appendix A lists a plethora of resources; B contains ready-to-reproduce forms. Siess pulls together a multitude of systems and ideas from a variety of sources -- and is able to show how it all relates to librarians. Ideas from solo and corporate librarians in the field are adaptable to suit any library workplace. Of value to both neophyte and seasoned, organized and disorganized librarians, this book does not hold the secret on how librarians can do it all... but then, no book does! If you are looking, however, for ways to be a more effective, efficient, productive and valuable librarian, then this book is for you. Zahra M. Baird (zjanmo@hotmail.com) is a Children's Librarian at the Scarsdale Public Library in Westchester County, NY. Her interests include multiple intelligences, stress management, watercolor painting and poetry. ======== 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. 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