Mar 02 2009
by Diana K. Wakimoto (diana.wakimoto(at)csueastbay.edu)
My educational experience in library school was wonderful, but we all know that we learn much more on the job than could possible be covered in school. However, I wish I had learned two things in particular before graduating:
That playing is underrated and necessary, especially when learning new technology, and,
How to [...]
Mar 02 2009
by Carol Howe
Whenever I tell people I’m a librarian, they say “Oh, that’s wonderful! You must really love books!” My own father thinks that my only job responsibility is suggesting crime novels and popular science fiction to avid readers. I do, in fact, like books, but that has nothing to do with my career choice.
I [...]
Mar 02 2009
by Sami Lange
I am in a familiar – yet somewhat unique — job situation, as a post-MLIS graduate who took a library assistant position at a small university library in California. Knowing that I wanted to stay within the walls of a library, but, at the same time, unwilling to leave my community, I took a staff position. [...]
Nov 03 2008
by Cari Dubiel
There are two reasons librarians should keep active in the professional community: for the benefit of our own careers, and for the benefit of the library we work for. Sometimes staying active can feel like drudgery — something we have to do — but I’ve learned that professional development can be a lot [...]
Mar 03 2008
by Erin Dorney
Information overload is nothing new to LIS professionals. Understaffing often leads to overwhelming and seemingly impossible deadlines. A delicate balance of work responsibilities, career goals, personal interests, and relationships can only be accomplished by strong prioritization of tasks, goals, and responsibilities.
I am currently finishing my last semester of graduate school at Syracuse University. [...]
Mar 03 2008
by Donna Braquet
Wouldn’t it be nice if we lived and worked in a world with endless time to devote, limitless energy to expend, and infinite resources to utilize? Imagine the things we could do! But alas, the cruel reality is that this could not be farther from the truth. In a world zipping along at [...]
Jan 02 2008
by Robin Kear
As a conscientious librarian and consumer of information in all forms, I try to read, scan, and/or save all kinds of professional information related to libraries, technology, and information. I manage this in a number of ways, using self-awareness, self-selection, and an ever-changing technological palette.
Rule #1: Accept your own information limitations.
If you are [...]
Jan 02 2008
by Katherine Ott
In our profession, it is very easy to get bogged down in the amount of information coming at us on a daily basis. As a librarian, I am expected to keep abreast of new trends, technology, products, services, and theories about libraries — as well as many other subjects. I am expected to [...]
Jan 02 2008
by Jill Sodt
As quickly as technology changes, so does the job of the reference librarian. Where reference work once involved helping library patrons find information in encyclopedias, print journals, and microfilm, it has moved to navigating electronic databases, online journals, and internet searches. The environments where we provide service has also changed, with more virtual [...]
Jan 02 2008
by Norda Majekodunmi
Information professionals, just like their users, struggle with information overload and keeping up with whirlwind developments in the information world. While it is difficult enough to keep up as a working information professional, this is especially challenging for librarians not currently in the workplace. How do you keep up and stay current when [...]