Info Career Trends March 1, 2006 vol. 7, no. 2 ISSN 1532-0839 Published by LISjobs.com: http://www.lisjobs.com E-mail: editor@lisjobs.com Web: http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/ In This Issue (Creating Community): 1) Editor's Note 2) Career Q&A From the Library Career People (dealing with discrimination in hiring) 3) Success Through Synergy 4) Interactive Online Community Participation 5) Committee Service and the Fledgling Librarian: Enhancing Community, Confidence and Employability 6) Building Community Through the Community College Library 7) What's Online? Recommended Resources 8) But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Reviews: Medical Library Downsizing, and Staff Planning in a Time of Demographic Change 9) Administrivia, Copyright, Subscription and Removal Instructions ======== Editor's Note "Libraries Build Communities." Yes, we've all heard the tagline. We think less often, though, about the ways in which we create our own professional communities, about how we build the networks and forge the connections that allow us to be successful. Today's contributors demonstrate that we are strongest in combination and when we work together, showing various ways to create these ties and benefit from our relationships with our fellow librarians. If you'd like to be a more active part of the Info Career Trends community, I am seeking contributors for two upcoming issues: July 2006 (facing change), and Sept. 2006 (writing for publication). E- mail your queries to editor@lisjobs.com, and find online guidelines at http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/theme.htm#contrib . I'd also like to invite you, as part of my own extended library community, to join me at the Computers in Libraries conference in Washington DC later this month. I'll be signing my new book, The NextGen Librarian's Survival Guide ( http://www.lisjobs.com/nextgen/ ), from 2:30-3:15 PM on Thurs. March 23 at the ITI booth. (Check out an excerpt from the title in your March issue of American Libraries!) You can also find me doing two Cybertours in the exhibit area: "Writing for Info Pros" on Wed., March 22 at 11:00 AM, and "Jobs for Librarians and Info Pros" on Thurs., March 23 at 11:00 AM. Hope to see you all there! - Rachel (editor@lisjobs.com) ======== We are studying the perceptions and prejudices of online degrees in the hiring process in academic libraries. We are surveying ARL Libraries and MLS/MLIS degree programs, and our survey solicits input from the following people: 1. Current Library Science students; 2. Recent graduates who found jobs; 3. Recent graduates searching for jobs; and 4. Employers and people who have participated on hiring committees for professional librarian positions. If you would like to participate, please fill out the survey by going to the link below: http://grove.ufl.edu/~saragonz/Survey_Main.htm Sara Russell Gonzalez , Pam Cenzer, and Kathryn Kennedy University of Florida Libraries ======== Career Q&A From the Library Career People (librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com) Q1: I am a new graduate living in Canada. I was confident that I could locate a professional job in an academic library or public library with my MLIS and Doctorate degree of Philosophy in Chinese History. I have been searching for jobs for seven months, but I have only had one in-person interview and one telephone interview. I am not a native English speaker, and I admit that I have an accent; however, I am confident that I can communicate very well in English. Also, I do not have much experience working in libraries. I did work-study while I was in library school and I volunteered in a public children's library. What can I do to get a job? Q2: How does age figure into a beginning library career? I'm almost 60 years old and obtained my MLS in 2002, but have been traveling with my husband since then. When I settle, I'd still like to work in a library, even as a part-time librarian. I know age discrimination should not factor in, but in reality it does. Which do you think are my most severe stumbling blocks, my age or lack of experience? What is the best way to gain experience at my age? TA and SM: Both of these questions come from recent graduates concerned about possible discrimination by potential employers. In an effort to address both of these questions, we thought we would provide some advice and information for recent library school graduates and librarians who might find themselves in similar situations. At the same time, we hope to provide some insight for library managers and administrators who might be dealing with difficult decisions as they seek to hire the most qualified candidate for a given position. Discrimination, in Libraries? Discrimination exists in many different forms, in most professions, in most cultures, and in every part of the world. Sometimes it is deliberate, and sometimes it is unintentional. Ultimately, it is hurtful and discouraging for anyone trying to move forward with her or his career. One definition states that: "To discriminate is to make a distinction between people on the basis of class or category without regard to individual merit. Examples include social, racial, religious, sexual, disability, ethnic and age-related discrimination." Many of us, at one point or another, may have experienced some form of discrimination in our jobs or in the job hunt process. Whether we like to admit it or not, this does happen in libraries. This profession, often viewed as diverse, liberal, laid-back, progressive, and mainly female, can still be very competitive, political, and – unfortunately – discriminatory. Age discrimination is a concern for a growing number of library school graduates who have chosen to change careers or enter the workforce later in life. In the most recent placement and salaries survey (of 2004 graduates), more than half of the 1,611 graduates who responded to questions about their career aspirations said they were seeking a second or third career as a librarian. Likewise, the number of minority librarians is growing, with 16% of all 2004 graduates claiming minority status. And men, who are minorities in libraries, made up only 19% of all 2004 graduates. How to Prepare Yourself While Looking for a Job The fact that discrimination exists in the workplace (or in society) is really very sad. And, it's wrong. At some point in your life, no matter how hard you fight against it, you, or someone you know, may be the victim of an act of discrimination. Nonetheless, you should work hard up front to prepare yourself for these situations. You need to present yourself as the perfect applicant, and your first chance to do this is often through your cover letter and resume. The Cover Letter and Resume Your application materials (your cover letter and resume) are your introduction to a potential employer. How you present yourself and your education and experience, in your resume and cover letter will determine whether or not you receive consideration for a position. If you're a non-native English speaker, have someone proofread your application materials. We advise all applicants to use a proofreader, but this is especially important for non-native speakers, because, in addition to catching common typos and misspellings, a proofreader may also catch errors in grammar and syntax. If you are an older applicant who is just now applying for your first library job, there are a few ways to approach your cover letter and resume. If you are making a career change, look for transferable skills from previous positions, and, whenever possible, draw direct parallels to those skills in your cover letter. If you were an accountant for 20 years in a large firm, for example, and are now applying for a branch librarian position, talk about your subject knowledge and how you worked with external customers, supervised employees and managed a budget. Look for ways to draw upon your previous experience and tie those experiences to your current pursuits. If you are an older applicant who is just now applying for your first job ever, your approach might be a little different. Without the "traditional" use of transferable skills (from a previous career), you'll need to look at the work you've done outside the home and draw on those experiences. For example, use volunteer work with community organizations, in the school system, or internships and field experiences while in library school to round out your experience. Again, in your cover letter and resume, tie these experiences (and the skills you developed) directly to the position for which you are applying. This brings us back around to the recurring theme throughout most of our columns: EXPERIENCE. The short answer: get it, now! In whatever way possible (work before school, work while in school, intern, volunteer) get some real-life experience that you can draw on when applying for positions. If you're still in library school, listen up. Take a student assistant position, volunteer at the public library, do a field experience for course credit, do whatever you can to try your hand at different library work. We know. Life is busy, with classes, and papers, and lectures, and exams. We know. We've been there. But just realize that what you do now (like sacrificing sleep for work experience...) will pay off dramatically when you're applying for a job. Instead of being among the masses of newly minted MLS grads with minimal or no experience, your perfectly-written cover letter and resume, with directly-drawn parallels between your experience and a library's requirements, will pay off in gold. In all of these scenarios, you need to stay current with technology. Take advantage of classes offered at the public library, through your library school, or at your local community college. Or, take an online course and join a few e-mail lists to stay abreast of current topics in your areas of interest. By showing a potential employer that you are aware of the latest "chatter" in librarianship (IM versus library virtual reference software; digitization: preservation or access?; electronic resource management systems (ERMS), etc.), you are conveying a level of interest and engagement that will not only impress your interviewer, but provide fodder for discussion. Remember, self-confidence goes a long way in an interview, and even in a cover letter. Rather than focus on your differences, or your weaknesses, focus on your strong points. Play up your uniqueness – your language skills, your experience in other professions, your communication skills, your worldly knowledge, your commitment to education, your enthusiasm to learn and to succeed – and convince yourself and potential employers that you can do the job. So, You Did Not Get the Job Experience is more important than you may think when you are applying for a job. The reason you did not get a certain job probably has more to do with your lack of experience than with your age or inability to speak without an accent. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to prove actual discrimination. One (not uncommon) thing you can do, after interviewing for a position and learning that you did not get the job, is to contact the person or persons who interviewed you – generally a casual email, attached with a "thank you" works best – and ask her or him why you did not get the job. Ask for specifics and advice. You just might get some very useful information that you can apply the next time you interview. Hopefully, you will get a little peace of mind, and learn that discrimination did not play into the decision. Let's face it, employers desire job candidates who have computer experience, candidates who have enthusiasm, and candidates who can help bridge generation gaps within both staff and clientele. As technology continues to confound and surpass many of us, we naturally look to the young to teach us, and perhaps this leads to discrimination against others, who are older or not as computer savvy. As unfortunate as it is, discrimination will probably not go away anytime soon. In addition to looking for a workplace that fosters diversity and supports individuals who are different from us, we need to keep ourselves current, get experience, and make ourselves indispensable in our roles as unique professionals in the workplace. Resources: The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA): http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/age.html This act protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. Including, but not limited to, hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments, and training. Maatta, Stephanie. "Closing the Gap - Placements and Salaries 2004." Library Journal: October 15, 2005: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6269428.html Owens, Irene. "Maintaining Diversity in Information Agencies: Accountability, Professionalism, Job Performance, Policies and Standards." ASIS Bulletin, April/May 2000: http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/May-00/owens.html Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (amended in 1991): http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/vii.html Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Topper, Elisa F. "Fighting Age Discrimination." American Libraries, November 2004: http://www.ala.org/ala/education/empopps/careerleadsb/workingknowled ge/workingknowledge1104.htm OR http://digbig.com/4gmjh *** Have a question for the Library Career People? E-mail it to librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com, and you could see it answered in an upcoming column. Sorry, we cannot provide personal responses. About the Authors Tiffany Allen is currently serving as the Assistant Personnel Librarian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to her work in academic librarianship, Tiffany worked in a variety of libraries, including a small non-profit library and a large corporate research library. Susanne Markgren is the Systems/Electronic Resources Librarian at Purchase College, SUNY. Her career experience encompasses a variety of positions in different types of libraries, including public, special, and academic. ======== *** Wouldn't you like to see your ad here? http://www.lisjobs.com/ratecard.htm#newsletter ======== Success Through Synergy by Nanette Donohue (nwargo@champaign.org) Imagine: thirty librarians, from a variety of library types, all at different stages of their careers, gathered in a large room with six round tables. Nobody is entirely sure what to expect, and there's an atmosphere of nervousness and anticipation. The usual questions pop up: "Where do you work? Where are you from? What do you think is about to happen?" This was my experience during the first few minutes of Synergy: The Illinois Library Leadership Initiative, a program developed to recruit and nurture future leaders for Illinois libraries. Approximately 120 Illinois librarians have gone through the Synergy program, which was founded in 2002 as a cooperative effort of the Illinois Library Association (ILA), the Illinois State Library, and their partners. Each year, thirty Illinois librarians are selected from a competitive pool of applicants to participate in the program, which consists of three two-and-a-half day in-person sessions at locations throughout the state, as well as intersession discussions and activities. The participants are guided through the process by a group of mentors, all of whom have extensive leadership experience in Illinois libraries and in the profession as a whole. Creating Community When participants join the Synergy program, they are welcomed into the Synergy community at large. Each new class is subscribed to the all-Synergy e-mail discussion list, which includes members from each past Synergy class as well as past mentors. Synergists use this list to share information about milestones in their lives and careers and to request assistance and suggestions from the community. Each individual class also has its own e-mail list, which is often used to disseminate information about upcoming activities and events relating to the Synergy class. Local and regional Synergy groups have started to develop statewide, allowing Synergists to continue meeting and networking. There have been Synergy reunions at the Illinois Library Association conference and at the Illinois OCLC Users' Group conference, and there have been informal get-togethers at several ALA conferences. Synergists also receive a Synergy lapel pin, which they can wear to conferences and meetings to identify themselves as Synergists. Because the Synergy program is very well-known in Illinois, this can lead to opportunities for leadership and additional involvement in professional organizations. Though the Synergy sessions take place in beautiful, vacation-like settings, Synergy is certainly no vacation. Because the in-person sessions are so brief, the days are long and full of activity. Before I started the program, a Synergist from the previous year's class said: "If you don't come home tired, you didn't get involved enough." It's hard to imagine three days in a picturesque state park lodge being anything but relaxing, but she was right. I enjoyed some of the most rewarding experiences in my (admittedly brief) library career at Synergy, but the long days - which generally stretched well into the evening - were exhausting. Asking Synergists about their experiences generally leads to vague, nondescript answers, which can be frustrating to potential applicants who really want to know exactly what's going to happen. Participants are advised, though, to keep quiet about the activities that take place during the sessions - not because of cliquishness or exclusivity, but because each participant gets something different from the program. Knowing too much about the activities could potentially spoil a future Synergist's experience. The leadership lessons learned at Synergy, however, are meant to be shared. From the first few minutes of the first session, Synergists find themselves actively participating in the program. Interaction is compulsory, and boundaries are frequently challenged by the facilitators and the mentors. Group activities are the norm, as is discussion, so there isn't a whole lot of free time. As the participants begin to know each other better, the discussion becomes increasingly honest. Some Synergists describe the experience, which involves looking critically at yourself and your environment to become a better leader, as inspiring - even life-changing. Stepping Back, Moving On During one of the sessions, I commented that Synergy seemed like an alternate universe, like a bubble where I could think about all the "big issues" that affected libraries rather than focusing what I do in my own little corner of the library world. I felt like I was free to brainstorm, to come up with solutions, to share ideas - no matter how outlandish or unrealistic - and know that they would be accepted, simply, as possibilities. And then I realized that this had been a roadblock - that I did not recognize the importance and value of stepping back and looking at the bigger picture. I always came back from the Synergy in-person sessions reenergized and ready to take on issues that had been problematic for me. Imagine again: thirty librarians, from a variety of types of libraries, all at different stages of their careers, gathered in a large room with six round tables. They are smiling, chatting animatedly, leaving their tables to mingle with others. They know each other well from days and nights of discussion and hard work. They know they can rely on this new network of colleagues for assistance and support. They know that their group, as a whole, is greater than the sum of its parts - and they're ready to take their place as leaders. This was my experience during the last few minutes of Synergy. I went in as one librarian, and I emerged with an expanded view of the profession and a network of colleagues who inspire me to be better at what I do. To me, that's the greatest joy of being part of this community. Nanette Donohue is the Technical Services Manager at the Champaign (IL) Public Library and a member of the 2005 Synergy class. ======== *** Need some encouragement on writing for publication? http://www.lisjobs.com/pub4lib/ ======== Interactive Online Community Participation by John Hubbard (hubbardj@uwm.edu) In the Beginning... First, there were books. (Well, not really, but we'll get back to cave paintings later!) To comment on a book, you could write one of your own. The age of journals shortened this rejoinder process, but it took the Internet to give us an instant mass publishing system. As any netLibrary user could tell you, though, there are trade-offs with switching information formats. Furthermore, when it's so easy to publish, a lot of dubious and frivolous stuff gets into the mix. Unfortunately, many people respond to these (sometimes merely conceptual) possibilities by making a priori judgments about the value of web-based information - and by sticking with tried-and-true communication methods, no matter how restricted and untimely they may be. Admittedly, there are some things, such as authority files and creative works, which are not very suitable for free-for-all community production. I sure wouldn't want my surgeon getting operating instructions from a wiki. Yet it can be just as dangerous to over-value the rigor of peer review and the quality of other sources ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Replies_to_common_objections# Quality_of_other_sources OR http://digbig.com/4gmjj ), all the while discounting the benefits of direct and open publishing. By retreating to a more one-sided format, you can be relaxed about ignoring or prohibiting responses. There is also a sense of finality to printed books and articles, which cannot be easily corrected or updated. Reinventing the Wheel Free and open systems allow content to be developed cooperatively and rapidly, although they do come with potential vulnerabilities. Vandalism, spam, and trolls do exist online, but any actively responsible community can control them. A far more tangible threat to the signal-to-noise ratio of online knowledge is redundancy. In the past few years, we have seen an explosion of "The XYZ Librarian" blogs, for example. Each of these, of course, has its own flavor and appeal, but there is an enormous amount of what Rory Litwin, in his Library Juice Farewell Message, called "too much speech" ( http://www.libr.org/Juice/issues/vol8/LJ_farewell.html ). Thinking of creating a repository of library science essays? There are at least four already! A cacophony of resources is not always the best thing for readers. There is nothing wrong with a variety of voices, interests, perspectives, or formats. But, when even librarians get overloaded by the hundreds of blogs out there, it's time to consider making unique contributions through collaborating with established projects. Some examples of existing online library communities are: * LISNews ( http://www.lisnews.org ) - The most popular librarian and information science news blog has dozens of authors, hundreds of active users, and tens of thousands of readers. Anyone can submit headlines, add information to story discussions, view comments, and write in their own user journal. * Library Wikis ( http://www.liswiki.com/wiki/Wikis ) - LISWiki and a handful of other library-themed wikis have cropped up over the past year. These are specialized versions of the software which powers Wikipedia. If you have any library-related encyclopedic knowledge, these sites are great places to share and enhance it. * Discussion groups ( http://www.liswiki.com/wiki/Discussion_groups ) - Electronic mail is alive and well, as evidenced by the heavy traffic on dozens of targeted library forums. Though not a replacement for the professional literature, you can get a lot out of monitoring (and making useful contributions to) groups in your field. These projects' contributors come from a wide variety of personalities and backgrounds. Some communities may even seem overwhelming and closed-off to newcomers. However, observation of the practiced conventions can be a great acclimation aid. As a general rule of engagement, it's usually best to err on the side of acting stoic and genteel — instead of risking coming across as rude. But in the end, if you have something to say, just say it! A lot of librarians seem stuck in "lurker" mode, ignoring the imperative to contribute in their community categories. Campfire Scholarship (2.0) Technology can be a great tool. Custom RSS feeds, e-mail alerts, and better search engine results, for instance, are already helping with information overload. But above all the gizmos and gadgets, interactive communities give us something very special. Think about the excitement you feel attending a library conference: does this come from reading PowerPoint slides and listening to lectures, or contributing to question-and-answer sessions and participating in discussions and debates? Long before Sir Tim's dreams of a read/write web, Vannevar's musings on how we hyperlink, Johann's presswork, and even Socrates' rhetorical learning style, there was our old friend, the cave painting. The ancient acts of etching images and hieroglyphs into stone set the stage for many wonderful innovations. But, even then, there were trade-offs. When the printed word overtook oral histories, something was lost - something that communal blogs and wikis now return to us: the act of giving us all a voice. Just as generations of storytellers added their own twists, ideas, and conclusions to the tales that they inherited, today's online communities provide a stage where scholars from around the globe can engage in debate and discourse, adding new elements to long-standing ideas. These collaborative benefits make it more productive to directly interact with others, both on a small scale as in cooperatively writing articles, and on a larger scale by contributing to established projects. (Moreover, in our information- based economy, when authors offer open access to their work, they help to build a more affluent society.) Consider for a moment what we can achieve when we freely share our ideas and knowledge with others, and when these ideas in turn are consumed, and built upon, by our peers. There is no real reason for anyone serious about our field to refrain from participating in these online interactive communities. While collaboration will always have its critics, the fact remains that open collectives are extremely exciting; they are places where the sharing of information matters far more than the name of the individual who shares it. As the saying goes: "It's amazing how much you can accomplish, if you don't care who gets the credit." John Hubbard ( http://www.tk421.net/vita/ ) is the Electronic Resources Librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. ======== *** Love the newsletter? Make a PayPal donation to its upkeep: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com ======== Committee Service and the Fledgling Librarian: Enhancing Community, Confidence and Employability by Sarah King Steiner (sarahsteiner33@gmail.com) As a librarian-in-training, you face many demands on your time - classes, homework, a job, a marriage, a family - the list can go on and on. In the midst of all these school- and life-related responsibilities, committee service is something people often defer until after graduation. This is unfortunate, because the benefits of participation in committees, round tables, and other groups early in your career cannot be overstated. With only a small time commitment, local professional service can provide you with an invaluable - and underrated - way to meet people, gain experience in the profession, and land yourself the job or promotion you want. Are you ready to consider volunteering? Let's talk about a few places where you might want to get involved, namely the university, local, and statewide level. Many of these smaller organizations are unable to fill leadership roles, and are thrilled to have volunteers. I've been involved in several small groups, and every single one has struggled to find willing participants. My involvement helped me to connect with many future colleagues and significantly build my nascent resume - and, now that I'm a little more established and have been on a few search committees, I can vouch for how professional activities can help keep your application out of the trash can. University Organizations Most universities that have accredited LIS programs also have student chapters of the American Library Association (ALA), the Special Libraries Association (SLA), and the American Society for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T). These groups often orchestrate social events for current students and work in conjunction with the university library to staff book sales and fundraisers. Due to the student-based makeup of these groups, officer turnaround is high; most students come and go within a year or two, and a whole new crop of members needs to be recruited. Interest in these groups waxes and wanes from year to year, but, even if your school has highly popular student groups, the chance that they don't want your help is very slim. One notable perk of getting involved on the university level: your professors will probably be involved as well, and it never hurts to get to know them. Remember, not only will they be grading you; one day they may be writing you recommendations, acting as references, and nominating you for Beta Phi Mu. Local and Statewide Organizations University groups aren't the only ones that have trouble filling leadership roles; local and statewide groups can also be starved for contributors. These groups boast many of the same benefits as the university groups: they require little or no travel and only a little bit of your time, yet provide a great learning opportunity and a chance to widen the net of your acquaintances even further. If you decide to participate on the statewide level, you'll have many more options for involvement, so you'll be able to choose roundtables, interest groups, or committees based on your personal interests. Be sure to check out the New Members Round Table (NMRT) in your state. NMRTs are particularly germane to library school students, yet attract surprisingly low numbers of volunteers. Find out who the chair of your state NMRT is, and write that person an e- mail. If your state library association doesn't have an NMRT, think about working to start one! How to Get Started Before you decide on a group, take a few preliminary steps. Attend a few meetings and see if the committee is something you're interested in, both socially and professionally. If you don't mesh with the people, you may wish to choose another group, and, if the committee deals with a topic that you find irrelevant or boring, it might also be a good idea to look elsewhere. The bottom line is: you don't want to sign up for something you won't follow through with, especially if you think backing out will create bad feelings with the other group members. If time is a major hurdle, avoid overextending yourself by volunteering to act as an officer with fewer responsibilities. President, secretary, and webmaster are always work-intensive positions, but treasurer or archivist tend not to be. Also, find out if the committee you're volunteering for will allow you to attend meetings remotely via conference call or the web; this practice is quite common, and can help you overcome a tight schedule. Moving Up With the Bigwigs Your experiences on the local level will not only prepare you for your first professional position, they will also help ready you for national involvement - should you feel so inclined. Competition for popular national committee spots can be stiff, but can bring you prestige and allow you to meet librarians from around the world. You might consider getting started as a national committee intern: just remember that, when you go national, you will be expected to attend annual or semi-annual meetings in potentially remote locations. Still feeling intimidated about accepting a leadership role as a new grad or student? Don't worry! Chances are you already have the skills you need to serve and do a good job. While it might not be plausible to run for president of ALA, there are countless other groups and committees that make excellent entry points for future librarians. Just don't be afraid to start small, and don't forget to add your activities to your resume. Good luck and happy volunteering! Sarah King Steiner is a Learning Commons Librarian and chronic volunteer at Georgia State University in Atlanta. She's worked with the student ALA at the University of South Florida and with the state NMRTs of Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia. ======== *** Have technology responsibilities in your library? Check out The Accidental Systems Librarian! Information and links online at http://www.lisjobs.com/tasl/ . ======== Building Community Through the Community College Library by Chrissie Anderson Peters (chrissienmrt@yahoo.com) When I began at the Northeast State Community College library, I joined three librarians with fairly specific roles. Virginia, with the most service years at NSCC, was in charge of periodicals, John was the cataloger, and Annis did inter-library loan and acquisitions. NSCC gained two new positions from the new building opening in the middle of the 2001-2002 academic year; Chris and I began at about the same time - and it was immediately clear that he was a true techie and loved doing web pages and cataloging. So, here I was with four other librarians, all with specific things they did - and did well. Although each of us took turns at the reference desk, there I was, wondering how my skills and interests would fit into the mix. Luckily, our director, Duncan (who had been a public library director for six years before coming to NSCC), had some ideas in mind. These would utilize my interests, talents, and my eight years of experience in public libraries. Step One: A Newsletter Newsletters let us communicate on a closer level than merely listing new books or putting up signage about awards, yet these are also more formal than merely telling storytime parents about upcoming programs. They are relatively inexpensive to produce; most of us have some kind of software that will aid in newsletter creation. Unlike in 1997, when I began my first newsletter, these programs are image-accessible and easily-manipulated. (I recall cutting and pasting clipart from books in our professional development collection for our first few issues!) The other great thing about publishing a newsletter is that it forces you to keep up. With that in mind, and still testing the waters at Northeast State, I approached Duncan about trying out a library newsletter. We could include a monthly book review, as well as an abbreviated list of new books received, and maybe some web sites of interest. But what I really wanted to do was to let the readers get to know the library staff - not just our names and what we did at the library, but to share that we were real people, with real interests and real lives beyond what happened during our work days. I remember him looking at me and asking, "Do you think that you will have enough material to do it every month, or just every two or three months?" Every month, I assured him. I suspect that he had his doubts about that, but he gave me permission to proceed. Our first issue was published in November 2001. I just finished Volume 5, Issue 2 - and am proud to say that we have never missed a month for lack of news! Step Two: Programs For the Public Duncan wanted to begin offering programs through the library, such as a lunchtime "brown-bag" series where speakers would come in and discuss a hobby or interest while audience members enjoyed their lunch. We decided on the title "Eating With the Experts," and I set about getting to know some of the college's staff/faculty members as potential speakers. Our first speaker was the art instructor, who travels extensively. Other guests from that first year included our media specialist, who has an amazing knowledge and collection of wax cylinders, our resident "star hustler" instructing how to make your own telescope, and a talented raconteur sharing seasonal stories and songs around the holidays. The programs have been well-received, and continue more than three years later. Perhaps our biggest "expert," NASCAR President Mike Helton, visited last March, just before the Spring NASCAR Race in Bristol. He grew up in Bristol, and has a good friend who works at NSCC (who helped make the arrangements). A second series, Open Books, emerged in 2004. Open Books features authors discussing their work: the process of writing, revising, publishing, marketing, etc. Internationally-acclaimed Appalachian writer Sharyn McCrumb joined us last March for two programs promoting her latest novel, St. Dale, which includes Northeast State in one of the major plot lines. I had the honor of assisting with some research for the book, and was thrilled that NSCC was to be mentioned - and overwhelmed when she offered to do the programs for us at no charge. Additionally, we have featured many local authors, and have also had visits from authors such as Tayari Jones. We will feature Sharon Hatfield in March 2006. Step Three: Be Our Guests We have found great success in getting community members into the college, merely by extending the invitation. The general public can come in and use our facilities and services in a number of ways. First, they can check out books, videos, DVDs, music CDs, and more. Secondly, they can use our Internet connection (we have had people from as far away as New Zealand to utilize this service). Several truck drivers use our books-on-tape/CD, and several older community members come in and voraciously make use of our extensive popular fiction collection. Thirdly, we have two meeting rooms in the library that can be used at no cost for non-profit meetings, as well as for library-related programs. In short, we do whatever we can to get the public in and then to make them feel at home once they arrive, knowing that positive customer service is the best way to keep folks coming back. Step Four: Taking the College To the Community Perhaps the most unique program I've been involved with at NSCC is the CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents In School) Grant landed by the early childhood education department about three years ago. As a former youth services librarian, I thought that providing monthly storytimes to the preschools that partnered with us for the grant would be great PR - and also probably a useful service that would be appreciated by the preschool partners. For over two years, I made monthly visits to these five child care facilities and provided a monthly newsletter for all of the children in these centers, not just the ones whose parents were CCAMPIS Grant recipients. For the three Decembers that we worked with the project, I made handmade crafts to distribute to all of the children in the centers, too, making sure to put NSCC and the year on them. I hope that, when these children are college-aged, they will hold fond memories of our time together in the company of great books (and a cool Folkmanis black bear puppet named Bobby), and that those memories will help steer them "Northeast." I think that it is safe to say that this unorthodox program was a huge success for all involved. We also used it as a bridge to get involved with the Imagination Library initiative spreading across Tennessee, geared towards empowering children with a love of books and reading before they get to kindergarten. The rewards on all fronts have been substantial! One of the big goals for the library, as set forth by NSCC president Dr. William Locke, has been to increase the number of registered "community borrowers" by 20% between 2000 and 2005. (The numbers have climbed from 166 in 2001-2002 to over 600 now.) I was impressed with someone who saw the importance of involving the community in the community college environment. This all made great marketing sense to me: Make the community feel a sense of belonging, even though they may not have gone to school here, or may not have family enrolled here, and you help them form a bond of familiarity and a sense of belonging that they are not likely to soon forget. Then, when they need to take a class for fun, continuing education, or a career change, they will know who we are and will already feel like a part of our "community." The administration understands public relations and marketing the product that is NSCC. Building the community within and around the campus of Northeast State has been, and continues to be, both thrilling and fulfilling in ways I never imagined. Chrissie Anderson Peters is a Fall 2002 graduate of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, a program that she participated in as a Distance Education student. A member of the Tennessee Library Association, Boone Tree Library Association, the Sullivan County Imagination Library Council, ALSC, NMRT, and YALSA, she is a Librarian for Northeast State Community College in Blountville, TN. Her passions include writing, music, reading, traveling, her "children" Mel, Reid, Ella, Xander, Willow, Lance, Mariel, and Sophie Britannia (the feline kind), and spending as much time as possible with her husband Russell Peters, who makes her life a joy. Contact Chrissie at capeters@NortheastState.edu. ======== *** Find yourself with management responsibilities? Check out The Accidental Library Manager! http://www.lisjobs.com/talm/ ======== What's Online? Recommended Resources On Creating Community The Blended Librarians Online Learning Community http://blendedlibrarian.org Flickr: Photos Tagged Librarians http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/librarians/ Hill, Chrystie R. "Everything I Need To Know I Learned Online." Library Journal, Feb. 15 2005. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA502019.html A Librarian At Every Table http://www.cas.usf.edu/lis/a-librarian-at-every-table/ Libraries Build Communities http://librariesbuildcommunities.org New Communities, Physical and Virtual http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2005/10/30/new- communities-online-and-offline OR http://digbig.com/4gmjk On the Uses of the Biblioblogosphere http://lisdom.blogspot.com/2005/10/on-uses-of-biblioblogosphere.html ======== But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Print Resources Schott, Michael J. Medical Library Downsizing: Administrative, Professional, and Personal Strategies for Coping with Change. Haworth Press, 2005. pap: ISBN 0789004208, $19.95. hc: ISBN 0789004135, $29.95. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789004208/librarisjobsearc/ Don't let the title throw you off: Even if you have never been downsized, this book is highly recommended. Reading Medical Library Downsizing is like sitting down with a friend or mentor and finally getting around to asking them everything you wanted to know about professional survival. This book is a constructive guide through the downsizing experience, but also tackles serious professional issues with concrete advice and encouragement. Far from a "tale of how of a bunch of librarians survived," it also includes an extensive bibliography of resources, as well as timely, practical advice for "career self-management." Schott's humor and pace keep this engaging read enjoyable throughout. Each chapter opens with a clever quote or comic. Chapters take readers step-by-step through the transition of change begun by a "bad corporate event" - of which downsizing is only one example. While written from the perspective of hospital libraries in a corporate environment, issues presented are likely to be of interest, no matter your library environment. Downsizing, restructuring, change... whatever you call it, it is never easy. Surviving the pain and emotional trauma with your sanity intact takes planning. Irreverent, opinionated and funny, Schott draws from the areas of business, finance, and even military intelligence. Recommended for entry-level through experienced librarians as well as library administration & special libraries courses. Elisa Cortez is an academic/medical librarian for Loma Linda University in southern CA. --- Whitmell, Vicki, ed. Staff Planning in a Time of Demographic Change. Scarecrow, 2005. ISBN 0810852152. $40. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0810852152/librarisjobsearc/ Whitmell brings together some of the more influential names in the library field, in a concise text. Clear throughout these essays is the theme that library staff is both aging and changing, and that the old way of planning for the future will not work. Articles address the practicing librarian, the beginning library student, schools of library science, and deans of libraries. There is a mandate to rethink the way we hire, promote and educate. Writing to the Boomer Librarian, Stephen Abram discusses the way that NextGen librarians behave. To aid in recruitment and retention: "Treat NextGens as Colleagues, not as Interns or Children," intones a section of his essay. Beyond this mandatory generation confrontation (and there is plenty of that in these pages), this book explores the concept of diversity itself (Bazile-Jones, "Diversity and Libraries"), realizing that we need to understand that the staff we have working in our buildings right now is diverse in ways of which we are not aware. Esther Auster and Donna C. Chan ("Meeting the Training and Development Needs of an Aging Workforce") make the compelling point that training and development is sometimes unintentionally skewed toward younger staff, and that there is demonstrable benefit to be gained from widening this scope. What is exciting about this book is that it effortlessly blends issues and solutions from Canada and the United Kingdom - reiterating the point that these issues are not limited to the United States. This is a must-read for those in library administration at all levels, as well as those concerned about the future of the profession. Steve Shaw is a Reference and Instruction Librarian at Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View TX. ======== 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 becoming a voluntary subscriber for $10(USD)/year. Donations are accepted via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com Or, send a check or money order made out to Rachel Gordon to: PO Box 6931, Villa Park, IL 60181. To subscribe to Info Career Trends, send an e-mail message to imailsrv@lisjobs.com. 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