The Practical Librarian

Pondering Fiction Ideas

2012-01-14T11:25:00.002-05:00

My rut is still with me these days, but less bothersome than before. A few items have popped up on Twittter and my Google reader that have provoked some actual thought and distracted me from my pity party of winter blues. So join me as I ponder the library universe.

My Genre Issues with Fiction
Both Holly and I have been working on assembling titles for lists on read-a-likes as well as trying to stay ahead in order to speak intelligently about new titles. This always sparks our long standing discussion on genres. How do we as librarians decide what is and is not a particular genre? The next part of that discussion is what does the PUBLIC use as a definition of a particular genre? I am sometimes frustrated by the genre labels. Do the labels we assign hinder or help patrons? (Yes, I have had a well-meaning patron come up to me and say: "Library X has this John Grisham book in the mystery section and here it is in the general fiction section. Is this a mistake?")
In my perfect library, I am not sure I would have books separated by genre at all. Of course in my perfect library there would be enough librarians to provide perfect library reader advisory so no patron would feel the least bit frustrated. My takeaway from this discussion (and I never tire of it especially with other librarians) is understanding what our first impressions do for us as reader. Think about this when looking at everything from where something is shelved to what the cover art indicates.

Fiction Deal Breakers
One of my new favorite sites, Book Riot (@bookriot on Twitter), just posted an article on the Friday Forum: What Won't You Believe. This article just resonated with me and I started thinking about all the times I put down a book because they said something that didn't match up, make sense or simply got some easily checked facts wrong. I am remembering a particular piece of fiction that had a character in New York call her brother in Grand Rapids, Michigan. No big deal. Except that the author went on about her inconvenience at him being on Central Standard Time. (Grand Rapids is on Eastern time, same as New York). This tirade went on for about two paragraphs. I was cringing the whole time and could get beyond this mistake. I might have been able to pull through if the narrative or characters had been compelling, but I couldn't manage. (Note to authors: just check on all the little details. Call the city you are writing about and get those details. On my reference desk I will happily verify pronunciations/spellings, discuss the cities and local culture.)

It isn't just the fiction writers either. Reference librarians from Metro Detroit would have happily explained to Steve Perry and Journey about the geographic faux pas about "South Detroit" in Don't Stop Believing.

So, what are your reading "deal breakers"?

Mary

Getting out of a rut

2012-01-09T16:18:00.001-05:00

One of the problems in my career is staying fresh about library service. Often you get into ruts, feel unloved and probably underpaid and under-appreciated. I am lucky enough to have people in my life who have no problem saying "snap out of it" and then hand me some candy. Since not everyone has this available, here are some of my tried and true strategies for getting out of a rut and getting back to what you love. One of the first posts I drafted for Practical Librarian was about staying fresh by getting out there in library land. (Click here to read that post.) Today, I would like to suggest some strategies for those bad days when everything and everyone seems stupid.

Mental/Physical Health
Consider your energy level and ask yourself if you could be in the throws of burnout or depression. You might need a health checkup. Consider some days off or a serious break to help you get back on track. Taking charge of your health can be a mood boost by itself. Walk outside for a few minutes and grab some fresh air. Even in the coldest weather, I have been known to walk outside and "check" the parking lot or building to get a break and some fresh air.

Weed Something
Grant it, this works for the weeding type people more than those "resistant". Cleaning up the collection and doing routine maintenance can give you a mental boost knowing that you have organized even a small section. Out with the old and moldy can seem oddly refreshing.

Collect Content
Create a reading list, a read-a-like list, a pathfinder, list of websites etc. My webmaster is always wanting more stuff for our Facebook or Twitter feed. Consider some favorites that are light in nature and fun for everyone. Maybe you aren't the only one who can use a mood boost. Remember collection development is not just flipping through a Booklist. Think of articles on the web, funny videos, quizzes and contests and start sharing.

Shelf Read
This also works with certain library types. You can organize and straighten up shelves as well as walk around the library. Good for the stacks, good for security and good for patrons. You will also feel accomplished.

These are my strategies and they might not necessarily work for you but it is important to return to your personal list of freshness strategies. They don't have to be big plans but sometimes just taking 10 minutes to walk, think or breathe can do wonders for your attitude.

Mary

Good Manager/Bad Manager

2011-11-19T15:31:00.000-05:00

There have been lots of transitions going on with many of my associates and friends both in library land and those in "regular" jobs. The rough economy tends to reveal the best in managers and the worst. It is easy to have great performance with healthy budgets and motivated people. However, add a depressed economy, reduced resources and both the best and worst will be revealed. I have been privileged to work with some exceptional managers (and some horrible ones) over my long career both in and out of libraries. From my first job in detasseling corn to my current position as a librarian, good managers share traits regardless of the industry or economic situation.

Expectations
I know what the the manager wants as well as how it fits with what the organization needs. These managers have a clear set of priorities both for me individually and for the organization.

Trust My Judgement
In a world working with people, if I make a call on how to deal with a particular issue my boss will back me up. This is particularly important in public library service. Often crazy patrons, unexpected problems present unique situations. In situations where immediate action is required, I want to know that my boss has my back. Monday morning quarterbacking or 20/20 hindsight is not helpful.

Expects Feedback
The best managers ask for my opinion, consider it and then make the decision. Notice I said "expects". Silence or dodging an issue is usually not an option. Discussion and dissenting opinions are encouraged so that ultimately the best decision will be made.

Always Thinking about the Future
The best managers are thinking ahead--the next millage, the next person to hire, the next project. Even if there is little hope, no money they are always generating ideas. They also collect people. Regardless of the size of the organization or industry, my favorite managers are always collecting names of people for the "someday" jobs or assembling "dream teams".

So are you working with one of the good ones? For job seekers and employees you can help yourself by understanding what the boss wants or needs. More importantly, try and understand who you are and be honest. Understand your own personality, hot button issues and skills. Self awareness is key in dealing with the employer/employee relationship. Ultimately you will need to find where you belong and that as an employee you will have to conform to the organization more so than the organization conforming to you. It is a challenge and it takes work to make a career.

So the take away from this is to know thyself and especially thyself as a worker. Take charge of your own career development by reading, reaching out to other librarians and focusing on the core of what you love about librarianship.

Mary

I have mentioned before that my personal favorite manager/employee blog is Evil HR Lady. If you are in job flux, you should be reading her work regularly. Someone needs to book her for a library conference. We all would benefit.

Circulation: Measure of Library Performance or Just Another Number?

2011-11-18T15:19:00.001-05:00

Most of what I talk about at conferences is related to collection management and the use of statistics, benchmarks. I like that numbers really don't really lie. Collection metrics really can help us get rid of some of the emotional aspects of decision making, and focus on the true picture. Of course, everyone looks to circulation numbers as the first indicator of popularity or interest. Yes, I do think circulation numbers are interesting, but they are not the whole story and they certainly cannot be considered without a time factor or within a benchmark.

So just what is a "circulation" number?

Truth be told, circ numbers bother me. Maybe because many librarians put so much faith in them and use them a bit too liberally in describing library functions. Depending on your ILS, a circulation indicates that a particular item has been "checked out" by a patron. Does it count browsing or use within the library? (Think of a traditional reference collection). What about in cooperative situations where Library A loans the book to Library B's patron. How do those numbers figure into the picture? Taking this one step further, how does your ILS count a particular "circulation"? Does it count in-houses use differently? How about ILLs? How about renewals?

Having 10,000 circulations a week or month doesn't really tell us much. How many different patrons were served? How many utilize self checkout or need staff assistance? Do loan periods affect the circulation rates? How about when we compare to other libraries? Is a circ number at one library the same at another? Inquiring minds want to know!

On an individual item level, a circ number can indicate how times an item has been checked out. Again, this is only helpful with some context. How many times an item has been checked out is only helpful if you know when those checkouts occurred. If the item has 100 total checkouts, but hasn't been touched in five years, maybe its time for weeding.

Yes, circulation numbers are one indicator of a library's function, the danger is assuming that circulation numbers indicate a general level of performance. As electronic information now a big aspect of library services, where do these items fall in the statistical picture? Although the public might think we just "check out" books to people, library service is much more. What we need is a comprehensive discussion of library performance standards and some metrics to match!

Mary

MLA Recap

2011-10-31T10:32:00.000-04:00

Holly Hibner and I just returned from Kalamazoo, Michigan after attending the Michigan Library Association Annual Conference. Highlights included an opening address from Sarah Houghton, the Librarian in Black. and the closing address was by Jessamyn West from Librarian.net. I urge you to visit the web links for some cool information and inspiring words.

Programming is one of my weaker skills. Coming up with a cool idea regardless of the target group is a frustration that dogs me constantly. I was so pleased to attend Kathryn Bergeron's wonderful program on reaching out to Young Professionals. Kathryn is the Systems Librarian at Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham, MI and has successfully implemented some programs and collections specifically targeting this elusive demographic. Without me trying to duplicate her work here, go to her website and click on her presentation notes.

Another highlight of my conference experience was a tour of the Kalamazoo Public Library. The beautiful interior was inspiring and I also appreciated a look behind the scenes. Librarians, if you can't make it to conferences, one of the best things you can do to keep you fresh, is tour other libraries. Ideas, displays and chatting with staff can be an easy alternative to a conference.

I also reconnected with many librarians I hadn't talked to in a long while. It was great to catch up. I find it refreshing to nerd out and talk to other librarians that are just as excited about the profession.(Reminder: you don't always need a conference to make this happen either) When you are struggling with budgets, boards, and direction in your career, a good chat with fellow librarians who have also "been there and done that" can help you get back on track to success.

Although I still have "issues" with conferences now and then (spotty wi-fi service, long lines at a bathroom, course descriptions that have nothing to do with the presentation) I am always able to find someone who will share ideas and talk about library service. So count me in for next year in Dearborn.

Mary

Blogging for Beginners

2011-10-16T16:26:00.000-04:00

This has been a fun Fall practicing with some new people on program ideas. (Thanks Marj, Holly H and Holly T for the ideas!) Today we are going to talk about Blogging and Websites with some of our patrons.There are a couple ideas that I want to make sure I am communicating to those people new to blogging.

Write in your authentic voice. I still think of blogging as a a personal conversation that the entire world can participate. Be true to yourself.

Understand what your blog is about. Mine is about librarianship with a big emphasis on work life, collection development and quality and reference service. My other blog is about Awful Library Books and other than a few detours, I keep that stuff on that blog.

Write often. I wish I was better at taking my own advice so do as I say not as I do! Time gets away from me and I don't post as often as I should. I often suggest to people that you carry around a notebook (or something!) that will allow you to jot down ideas for blog posts.

Be sure to understand your company's policy on social media. Many careers have been ruined by comments, blog posts, Twitter remarks, Facebook posts that employers did not appreciate. Be sensitive to who is reading your blog.

Think about design, I am terrible at the artistic stuff, but I can recognize when a website or blog is "too busy" or overloaded with bells and whistles. Add things to your site as you need them and make them easy to understand or find.

Don't be long winded. Blog posts should be short and sweet. You can always write a part two or three in a separate post. In the world of blogging, less is more.

Above all don't be mean spirited in your blog. Be passionate, be strong, have an opinion, but keep anger in check. When you write angrily, no one will see the reason, just the anger. Besides that kind of stuff makes you look crazy and ultimately no one will take you seriously. If you think you might be dangerously close to being "too" angry, have someone read your post before you publish.

Happy Blogging everyone!
Mary

Herding Cats or Time Management for Librarians

2011-09-19T09:37:00.000-04:00

I used to make fun of a couple of librarians that used to live and die by the calendar. They carried them around like babies and they were incapable of functioning without consulting the calendar. Sadly, the time has come where I now have to admit they were right. It has been a year in my new position as a youth services librarian and the calendar is now my hated enemy or best friend. Sorry, there is no middle ground here.

I have decided that my love hate relationship is a combination of two factors in my life: working at a smaller library and the move to youth services from adult. Smaller libraries live in a constant state of anxiety with regards to scheduling. Our staff is not deep. All it takes is a sick employee converging with another employees car problem and the next thing you know we have to close. Luckily this has not happened but we have come close.

The move to youth services is another calendar driving event that is also different from my personal experience in adult services. Now I have to think about meeting room availability, school schedules, traffic, and a million other little details. Good programming requires forward thinking months in advance. In my previous job, I thought in usually 2 month increments. Thinking out programming 6-12 months was beyond comprehension. Now I am convinced that super librarians think years out with respect to programming.

This past year time management has been a difficult issue for me and ended up causing me quite a few bumps. Thank God other staff warned and pestered me about deadlines and possible issues that might come up especially with respect to summer reading. Where I was focusing on specific program offerings, I should have been paying attention to the life cycle of our library all the time. Getting a big picture overview of the summer and of the year would have made for more efficient use of resources as well as better program choices.

So now that I am assessing my year as a youth librarian a couple of things have become absolutely clear.

You will flourish or die based on your relationship with a calendar.
This means that you have to pay attention in all aspects of the library and your community that might possibly intersect with your programming. Examples include building staff schedules, school calendars, other area or community programming, ALA promotions (which I always forget), interesting holidays and even not so interesting holidays.

Summer Reading planning begins right after you finish the last day of summer reading.
At the very least, there should be on-going notes about what worked and didn't work to apply for next year.
Even if you have no theme or plans, at least start setting aside times and ideas regardless how "complete" the idea or program, into the calendar to save space and resources.

Do not attend a meeting or any event without a calendar in hand.
Don't leave home without it! Get in the habit of having your calendar everywhere you are. You never know when an issue will rise or schedules will collide.

I am still not a good time management person. I am easily distracted and conversely can become totally engrossed in an idea. The difficulty is always assigning the right amount of time or attention to the right things. Hopefully, acknowledgement is the first step! Let me get back to you in a year and see if I get better with this calendar business. In the meantime, don't touch my calendar or I will be forced to kill you.

Mary

Brand Management for Librarians (Part III)

2011-08-27T20:10:00.000-04:00

In my previous post on Brand Management, I talked about the complainers who are going to professionally shoot themselves in the foot with complaining or negative behavior. So how do you go about putting a positive spin on your brand and promote yourself?

Identify what you care about.
First re-frame the discussion from complaints to objective "issues". For me personally, I have hot button issues that I feel compelled to write and talk about. Obviously, collection quality is a big issue. Notice how it wasn't just Awful Library Books or weeding but the larger issue of scope, mission and purpose of a collection. Customer service and front line reference desk service is also a big issue for me. This dovetails with my other love of all things reader advisory. Anytime I have a few minutes with any librarian and they start talking about these things, I am there! Truthfully, I love all things about library service and I have a feeling many of us in the profession also feel that way. Pick your favorites and start thinking about those issues, not just in your local situation but on the grand scale of libraries of all types. If you feel yourself swinging toward negative, dissect the problem issue and stay objective.

Start a blog.
Keep it professional and limited in scope. Don't blog about your vacation or personal stuff unless you can relate it to a library topic. Your library blog should reflect who you are as a librarian. Avoid dull or academic-sounding writing. Be relevant and brief when possible. Don't publish right away. Let it "steep" at least overnight in your brain. Ask questions and invite discussion wherever you can. (Another pro tip: don't blog when you are overly angry, frustrated, irritated with work or family and for God's sake, don't blog when you have been drinking.)

Find like-minded librarians
This is not as hard as it sounds. Search library topics or look for folks that write and talk about what you care about and begin a dialogue. This can be as simple as attend a presentation, follow someone on Twitter or comment on a blog post. Begin to converse and ask questions. This is especially important if you are in a small library or if your library culture isn't conducive to professional development or discussion. I have been lucky to have always worked with folks that think about library service as much as I do, but I know that isn't always the case. If you feel alone in your interest, this can be a great way to feel less isolated in your interests.

Attend professional conferences as much as possible
I know that in the climate of budget chaos that we are all experiencing that this is not always a viable financial option. Even if your current library doesn't support professional development on any level, make the effort to participate, even at your own cost. It is difficult to manage professional development but it is essential for a long term career. You can't afford to be left behind.

Ultimately, you need to be positive and optimistic. Seek out others for support and don't be a whiner about the obvious stuff: crazy people, the poor salaries,stupid meetings, insane bosses or poor working conditions. This is not new for those of us who have been in libraries for more than five minutes. I know I want to read blogs and attend conferences that will help me solve real problems.

Mary

Librarians: You are not a teen anymore!

2011-08-06T10:17:00.000-04:00

Getting Awful Library Books organized and listening in on the comments has been one of the most interesting and instructive aspects of running the blog. Whenever we feature youth materials I can always count on some deep feelings to surface about weeding someone's childhood memories. Generally comments usually run something like this:

"That book should never be weeded. He/she is an important author and when I was a teenager/child that book made me think/feel ...."

I usually love when our blog entertains these discussions in the comments. I learn a lot about some authors and maybe the right audience for a title and a lot of other good stuff that might make me think about that title or subject for the future. The danger for librarians is when collection decisions are made for emotional reasons. Over and over I have seen this blind spot develop when librarians are faced with having to weed something they care deeply about. No amount of circ data or staff or community pressure can sway someone that has set this in their mind.
Our recent discussion of the 80s teen fiction was illuminating for me on several levels. Ignoring the author names for a moment, or the quality of writing, I thought the covers looked dated and wouldn't be attractive to the current crop of teens I serve regardless of how great the material inside. What is the point if I can't get a teen to even open the book?
Nearly every librarian I know has a soft spot for something from his or her younger years that they loved. They feel so strongly that this book would be great that they forget in many cases that was 10, 20 or 30 or more years ago. Do some books stand the test of time? You bet. Is this title you are considering one of those titles? I doubt it! Mark Twain, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens don't show up every day.Because you loved this book at age 15 does not necessarily mean that a teen today will embrace the same title. No this is not a hard and fast rule, but I have seen serious junk stay on the shelves of children and teen sections simply because the librarian loved it as a child.
These blind spots can be rough. I remember an intervention (yes, we got that point) we had to do with one co-worker who would not let go of her Sweet Valley High books (not the new and improved but the 80s paperbacks) because they were her favorites as a teenager. Unfortunately, we needed the space and the circ data was not supporting her emotional need to hang on to these titles. (Watch for a future post on weeding interventions, yes I have done them!)
I know I sound like a broken record on this topic, but no two libraries serve the same patrons, or have the exact same objectives for their collections. Who is the audience? Who are the choices for? Are they in the right location for people to find? Maybe Sweet Valley High still had a place in a library but maybe those book lovers are shopping in the adult section.

Mary
PS If you were a SVH fan I hope you are grabbing on the new title for adults called Sweet Valley High Confidential.

Summer Reading Newbie

2011-07-22T11:09:00.000-04:00

Even though I have been involved with summer reading since I started working in libraries, this was my first summer as a youth librarian and technically "in charge" of summer reading at our tiny library. I thought as July starts to fade, it would be a good time for a bit of self-assessment of the programming and administration of Summer Reading. I would like to clearly state that I have no idea what I am doing and completely made stuff up as I went along or stole ideas/concepts from more talented librarians out there in library land. I also had a first rate director that talked me out my tree and support staff that completely pitched in and helped without being asked. I almost can't wait until next summer! (Since it is still July, I will keep that at "almost")

Keep the registration process as simple as possible.
I know everyone agrees with that statement in principle, but have you really thought about this? I made a full sheet of paper for my registration and made the font large and made lines big enough for even the sloppiest writer. Children who are just learning to write need more space than a small index card. Yes, that is more paper and probably more difficult to file, but kids like being able to register themselves and write their name.
I also only collected registration information that we absolutely needed, such as contact information and school. If you need information by all means ask for it, but really evaluate your information needs before you ask.

Keep the game simple.
This means that if you can't explain your summer reading program in one sentence, it is too complicated. My game is every time a child reads for 10 minutes, he or she can check off a box and hand it in. Done. I also don't care what a child reads. I actually heard of a librarian who didn't want to count graphic novels since it really wasn't "reading".

Describe programs thoroughly.
This one bit me in the rear end over and over this summer. Granted, there are always questions but I could have done better with program descriptions. One my more exciting programs (or so I thought) was a Skype story time with an author friend of mine in England. I set up the screen in our meeting room and had my friend read her books and talk to the kids about England. I got very few takers because I didn't explain the technology. Parents thought they had to have a computer and hookup from home. It was a good program that suffered because I didn't explain it well enough.
In couple of other programs, I didn't explain the intended audience well enough or describe the starting and ending times clearly. Even though it was for children, some programs were better suited to elementary and some are better for toddlers and preschoolers. After a few older kids rolled the eyes at my story time (totally geared to toddlers and babies) I realized my mistake. Lesson learned.

Finally, I realized it is important to have an overall objective for your summer reading program. Yes, I want kids to read, but I also want them to enjoy the library if they are NOT enthusiastic readers. Learning and reading is different for everyone. I want everyone to come to the library and try things out or learn something new.

Mary

Beware of the Idea Killers

2011-06-21T17:22:00.001-04:00

In my continuing discussion (okay maybe a tirade) on brand management, I feel justified in adding an archetype of irritating people for your consideration. Today's choice is the "Idea Killer". Everyone knows these people. They are the annoying people in your professional life that constantly tell you they don't have time or money to be doing or engaging on a topic.(I have even heard someone tell me they didn't have time to be "nice to a customer"- I kid you not!) It never fails to amaze me that someone shares an idea on a blog or listserv (which is the whole point of blogs or listservs) and within minutes there is always an idea killer who says they don't have time to do whatever idea is being pitched. This always amuses me since they have so much time to comment on the time they don't have.

Let me illustrate. Many years ago it was "suggested" (ie the boss said) we do a summer reading program for adults. Initially, I was hesitant because I had seen how hard the youth librarians worked and worried over their program. I wasn't exactly excited to join in on another project that had a lot of work and to be honest, I wasn't sure that it would work in my library. I kept thinking sometimes these programs end up being a really un-fun to-do list. As the discussion progressed, we talked through the ideas of no budget, convincing people to try it, and making it "fun". This ended up being a program that was successful and easy to implement. My point is that if I had given into initial hesitation, I would have missed a great opportunity. If it hadn't been a boss directive, I would have been on the fast track to being an Idea Killer. Lesson learned!

These idea killers love to tell everyone how much they do. Regardless of idea or thought presented you can count on these people to tell you THEIR problems and how an idea that won't work. They also have no time to have a thoughtful discussion of ideas. Of course not everything presented will result in a success. In fact I would bet most of the ideas are probably awful or absolutely unattainable. However, shutting the door before an idea even gets a thought or discussion is bad for you and bad for the library.

As I plow through listservs. twitter and blogs, I start seeing comments consistent with the Idea Killer. I try and make a note of this for future reference. I guess I won't see a resume from them because they are too busy on other blogs and lists complaining about the lack of time and stupid ideas.

Mary

More thoughts:Brand Management part II

2011-06-07T17:48:00.000-04:00

In the discussion on Managing your brand as a Librarian, one of my points is that you are what you say in any public forum (conferences, blogs, comments on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, meetings, etc). Fortunately or unfortunately that all intersects into an image. For new librarians or even experienced librarians looking to change jobs, understanding this whole package will be as essential as your resume. You are making a huge mistake if you don't think that this matters.

I have been a subscriber to more than a dozen library oriented listservs for over 10 years and without fail, someone commits professional suicide at least once a year. Someone will complain about outrageous work or school assignment, mean professors/directors, crazy patrons/students, policies and procedures, politics, religion, race, gender, etc. in a public list forum. (I am ashamed to admit I am still subscribed to some of these lists just so I can watch the train wreck that will eventually show up.) It really doesn't matter if they have a "case" or are speaking up on a real issue, what comes across is usually outrage/anger and then deteriorates into name calling and a flame war.

The only thing you will achieve is a brand or label as a complainer. When I mention this, invariably someone will say they have a right to say what they want and that they feel strongly about the "issues". You are right. You do have the right. However, those looking for help are thinking: "Oh great, that person is going to require a lot of work and never be happy." Public service is thankless and difficult. If you are going to fold over a cruddy teacher or complain about the crazy patrons, my feeling is you won't make it with the public or you will be so unpleasant, no one will want to work with you. Intelligent discussions of problems require us to be thoughtful and professional. This means not responding in anger and certainly not posting it for everyone to see.

The take away from this discussion is whatever you put out there on lists, blogs or any forum will be what the people hear. If all they hear is complaining, then that will be your brand. Want to really change something? Work hard, do your job and write down what you think and reflect. Implement change where and when you can and let your "brand" speak for itself. Whining from the cheap seats helps no one and changes nothing.

Mary

Manage Your Brand as a Librarian

2011-05-31T20:39:00.002-04:00

Quite by accident, I have had a couple of interesting conversations with newly minted and experienced library people. Of course job prospects as well as actively managing a library career are on everyone's mind especially given trying economic times and change in our profession. Putting the discussion of the future of the profession, aside for a minute, everyone is concerned about career development and distinguishing themselves in this hyper-competitive environment. Regardless of where you are in this career mix, all of us really do need to be aware of our "brand" as a librarian. Do you have a brand? You do have one, even if you think you don't.

A brand is really your reputation. What are you "known" for? What are you saying in public (and I am including all social media here)? What have you said in a meeting or a conference? Back in the day, most librarians were probably just about the paper resume. Now your brand is a sum total of everything about you from your activity in social media, listservs, blogs all the way to what you say in meetings, conferences, publications, etc. The line of your personal and professional reputation is blurry and if you aren't actively aware of your "brand" or image out in library land, you could be out of luck in jobs and interviews.

This idea of a brand is almost anything from the inane to the topic of the day. I have library friends that I know are "into" certain topics, events, activities so much so that I instantly think of them as "go to" people. It isn't just the topic they are into, it is also the enthusiasm, hot button issues, and personal work habits that make the total package or brand. This also works in reverse. I have heard way too many times about some librarians that are difficult, excessively weird (in the world of libraries I realize that is a relative concept) or so passive or shy you wonder if they have anything at all to say.

This is also true with electronic and social media. You are what you say. Being snippy on a Facebook post or a Twitter can be ruinous for your reputation and job prospects. Just remember library world is small and I have yet to meet anyone in library world that doesn't know someone who knows someone, etc. On top of that I also have yet to meet someone who doesn't want to hear details of a library drama, even if they don't know the players personally. When someone in my library circle changes jobs, I know emails and tweets fly around the network wanting an inside scoop.

I think being part of the library discussion is essential. Think about this every time you tweet, blog, or update your status. If you are job hunting you better REALLY think about this. Let the real you out, just remember that a little lipstick and running comb through your proverbial brand wouldn't hurt.

Mary

More articles to make you think about your career and your reputation:

Social Media and Employment Law From Monster

Do yourself a GIANT favor and read Bobbi Newman at Librarian by Day regularly! I already linked to this article in a previous post, but it is worth mentioning this article again: In the End I want to be Able to Say I Contributed More than I Criticized. Public service does take a toll on people and keeping good humor is essential, but also a positive outlook on the nature of the job can do wonders for an attitude.

Bobbi also pointed me to this article on "How to Ruin (or Build) Your Personal Brand"

Holly Hibner also wrote about Integrety and Intent and that also should keep you in good frame of mind as we continue this discussion.

Teaching Excel to Beginners - Less is MORE!

2011-05-21T22:41:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite library instruction sessions is teaching beginning students the glories of Excel. In my former life, I did accounting and of course I am also old enough to remember a time of green ledger paper and hand cranked adding machines. Excel is absolutely a life changing piece of software for those of us who remember those bygone days. If you are one of the lucky folks introducing the wonders of Excel to a group of beginners, I urge you to take a step back from screen shots and "how-to" instruction for a moment.

Limit your instructional goals.
I am teaching usually in a public library setting in a one or two session introduction class. My job is not to teach the entire body of knowledge but basics and working knowledge of vocabulary and potential of Excel. As with all computer instruction we all know 50 ways to do the one task at hand. Beginners don't need to forget 50 ways to do the one thing. They do need to learn how to do a task so well that they can recall it after they leave. Teach one way and repeat the instruction. Make sure your handout details the ONE way. Don't share shortcuts and alternatives at this point.

Do projects rather than explain a procedure.
Use Excel to demonstrate things that are familiar, even if you are not a bookkeeper. Everyone makes a list, everyone keeps a checkbook. Use concrete familiar examples to illustrate concepts. One of my favorite projects was a guest list my family had created for a wedding. Of course I felt compelled to add an additional column indicating how much I liked said relatives on a scale of 1 through 5. We also added a column detailing social problems such as career failures, drinking issues, propensity to borrow money, etc. Without fail, my family tree has been a complete hit with students and has wonderfully illustrated the database attributes to beginners without mathematics and intimidating data. (Family honor prevents me from sharing this publicly, but suffice to say everyone can identify with a chart like that.)

Most people "inherit" spreadsheets than create complicated ones from scratch.
I have found that so many folks end up in my classes because they have started a new job and have inherited someone's complete mess of a spreadsheet. This is where it is important to do a reference type interview for your student. Ask the student to verbally describe the process or objective of the spreadsheet. Review without necessarily typing anything into a spreadsheet and "sketch" out the process visually or verbally. Often this less about working with Excel and more about someone understanding a workflow situation. Make sure the student is appropriately skeptical about anyone else's creative use of Excel.

Give students options for learning more.
Go back to your computer collection and talk about the library's available materials on Excel. Clarify the various versions. Share the wonders of You Tube and other web resources for Excel instruction. Reiterate specific search strategies rather than just typing "excel" into a search box. Be specific. "Inserting a column in Excel 2007".

Lather, rinse, repeat.
Repetition is your friend! Have students re-create the projects in class over and over until they can do it almost by rote.

Mary

My cohort in library crime, Holly Hibner, also has great things to say about computer instruction. Read her stuff here.

But this is important for "historical reasons"

2011-04-26T21:15:00.000-04:00

It seems like every few months Awful Library Books will get a flurry of angry comments, emails, etc on how a certain title would be important for "historical preservation" or in a study of history. History buffs, collectors and other lovers of the odd item seem to bristle at the concept of weeding. If my tolerance is low, I will roll my eyes and whine to Holly about the more humorless elements in society. No matter how many times we say that community standards and a library mission trump any comment made by a couple of cranky public librarians in Michigan, the comments still come.

As librarians, I wonder if we aren't communicating to the user effectively on our collection missions. My small library is not New York Public or the Smithsonian. It isn't even the same as the library ten miles away in a different town. Our library collection mission is supporting popular materials. We also have a strong genealogy collection which does include some preservation. I would imagine that many libraries, even very small ones, attempt some preservation of materials in local history collections. However, that scope probably does not include a career book for women from the 1970s. Does it have significance in a historical context? Probably, but that isn't what my taxpayers have hired me to collect or maintain.

The point of my little tirade is that I am happy to suck it up when civilians don't understand public vs. academic vs. archives missions. I do get frosty when I have to explain it to professional librarians. Understanding the scope of a library's collection is the one of the basic concepts for anyone that manages a collection. For public librarians, I suggest another step. Think of a regular patron that would enjoy the book or find the information useful. If you can't think of anyone then maybe you need to think about weeding!

Mary

PS. When was the last time you read or reviewed your library mission or collection statement?

Library Service to Job Hunters: Reaching Teens

2011-04-08T21:39:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has even been near a reference desk in the last few years knows that helping people find jobs is one of our core services. In my own time at the reference desk I have probably helped hundreds of people navigate the web for jobs, trudge through the MichiganWorks (that is a WHOLE other discussion!), create resumes, cover letters, etc. Anyone who has been doing this for more than 5 minutes also knows that a job search is an education unto itself. It requires skill, perseverance, technology, luck and a thick skin.

Teens have been largely ignored from this discussion. Most are embarking on a first job experience and are essentially clueless about the realities of job hunting. Add the realities of a poor economy on this situation and we have a woefully underserved group of people in our midst. The needs of the teen job hunter are not necessarily the same as an adult. Although both groups need the same information, the teen group seems to be lacking on the basic mechanics and procedures of job hunting. Talking to those managers who have hired/fired young people the following issues come up over and over again regardless of industry:

Teens are not prepared when asking for job applications. They often do not have the information necessary to complete an application or even a pen to fill out an application.
Teens don't always understand appropriate dress and grooming for job hunting.
Teens often don't know what to expect from an employer.
Teens also don't understand the impact of technology/social media on the job hunting process.
Teens don't seem to understand the basics of time management.

This became my unofficial outline for a teen job hunting workshop that I tried at my library recently. I honestly did not expect a single interested party but I actually ended up with a handful of kids. Most of these kids never set foot in the library before.

The program itself was understanding the mechanics of an application and what the questions were really asking. (For the program, I had 3 sample applications, plus I created a worksheet for them to assemble relevant information prior to filling out an application.)

I also talked to these teens about creating a contacts list of people. Networking about jobs for everyone is awkward but teens particularly weren't sure what that entailed. They also seemed to confuse contacts for "references". Having students list good friends, parents, friends of parents and the library started the discussion in what a contact could do in terms of "getting the word out" on a job.

Although the program itself probably felt a lot like "school" to the students that attended, I was convinced that this is a problem we need to address in youth programming in libraries. I intend to rework and redo this program as many times as I can manage. I am not sure how much "fun" I can create, but hopefully it is a start in the right direction.

Mary

Readers Advisory for the Internet!

2011-04-06T22:14:00.000-04:00

It isn't just all about a good book anymore. Think about offering up Internet readers advisory. I always love sharing links with patrons. Like book talking, select those sites that would match the person's interest and go along with other activities. I personally love sharing the those sites that highlight the weird and odd, especially with teen patrons. Don't forget to talk about saving bookmarks too! Lots of folks don't realize the number of tools available to save all the cool finds. Here are some of my favorites icebreakers for sharing.

Listverse
Can't get through the day with out a visit to Listverse. This site takes a "top ten" approach to all sorts of information. Trivia buffs will love this. Covers everything! Here are some example lists:
Top Ten Fictional Detectives, Top Ten Celebrities who have killed someone, Top Ten Memorable Oscar Acceptance Speeches

Oddee
Like Listverse, this highlights weird stuff. Not always appropriate for everyone, but always interesting. Love sharing certain pages with teens. Some of my favorites:
Real Life Superheroes, 10 Weirdest Diseases, 10 Most Amazing Extinct Animal

The Consumerist
General articles and consumer oriented reporting. Recently partnered with Consumer Reports, I like the newsy articles and consumer oriented horror stories best. Great resource for those at wit's end dealing with the corporate machine. Worth reading regularly.

The Gawker
Okay, I will admit to loving celebrity gossip, rumors and melt-downs. Gawker is one of my favorites for the latest in celebrity rumors, politics gone wrong and assorted other muck. As a librarian, I am duty bound to be informed in all areas of pop culture.

Lifehacker
Yeah I know I am shallow but I do aspire to be a better person, more organized, smarter, etc. (I am working on it!) Lifehacker is a great site to regularly check. Quick articles on everything from computers and technology to self improvement. Just checking this site regularly makes me feel better!

Readers aren't just interested in books and periodicals, try suggesting a site. Go forth and RA the web with your public and of course don't forget Awful Library Books. It has great conversation potential too

Mary

Making a Report

2011-03-27T17:00:00.000-04:00

My boss recently informed me that I would be presenting an annual report to the board about youth services for our library. Of course I wanted out of this obligation as I am new. (I like to use the "I am new" excuse for as long as possible!) No dice. After a thought or two I realized this is a great opportunity for me to make sure that my community and board also see eye to eye with my philosophy of service and communicate the overall goals for my department. For those of you that must communicate a similar objective or write an annual report or even a personal review, here are some things to consider.

Take a long view

I am new in my position and relatively new to the community. I can't possibly do EVERYTHING my first year and it does take time to "grow" a service and a reputation with a community. Think 4-5 years out and how you want to get there. In youth services, I really wanted to focus on the babies and toddlers. Get them in the door and start making the library a habit. As years go by, those kids will grow into my other programs.

Highlight activities that illustrate your philosophy

Sometimes, I have discovered my personal library attitudes are not shared by everyone in the library world. This annual board report gives me an opportunity to communicate some of my personal philosophy in library service. Here are some examples:

Summer reading programs are about participation and enjoying what the library has to offer. Side effects are community literacy, higher test scores and grades, increased skills in technology, etc. I really am going after non-readers and non-library users. What this means is that my activities and programs will be geared to participation, not racking up books read. Slow readers are never penalized in my library programs. Non-readers are also welcome.

This year, after discussion with my director, we decided to really try and get the pre-literacy skills addressed in our community with our Pre-Kindergarten story time. I am really proud of this program and I want to make sure it has a prominent place in my report. Next step for this program is coming up with some metrics that we can talk about with the community.

For my teen patrons, I want them to know that the library is available. I am going to focus on awareness. I am going to try and get my business card into the hands of every teenager I run across. My main message will be that libraries are for everyone, not just book people.

Collection Development

Don't assume that board members or even directors will understand the finer points of collection development. Make sure your philosophy for a collection is understood. For me, I want the board to understand that I understand about how our library will work. For my tiny library, collection management for the youth section will be qualitative rather than quantitative. Currency and relevance will be important factors in selection and weeding of the collection.

(As an aside, a librarian once told me at one of her former jobs, a board member asked her when they would be "done" buying books for the collection. They didn't understand why the book budgets were a continual purchase. Lesson for the day: don't assume that everyone knows what you are talking about with a collection strategy.)

Even though making a report is hardly my favorite thing in the world, this is a great opportunity to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Mary

Stuff from the Hive Mind of Twitter and Diigo

2011-03-20T14:28:00.000-04:00

I am constantly looking for the quick answers in improving my life, my job, my family, etc. Yeah, I know that is tilting at windmills, but thanks to some great Twitter and Diigo suggestions, I have a few links worth sharing that might make you think or provide a glimmer of insight as we ride down life's road.

30 Habits that Will Change Your Life
This is a good article and not too preachy. All decent advice we know but often just forget to embrace regularly. Of course what kind of librarian would I be if I didn't endorse a habit of reading. (I will let you know if I manage to follow through on the other habits.)

Why Your Boss is Wrong about You
Great New York Times article for both managers and employees. If you have ever done a performance review or had one, it is worth a look.

Working Together: Tips for Vendors
Having been plagued by unwanted phone calls and endless chit chat about the weather, I am grateful to ACRLog for writing this. You want to sell to librarians? especially in tough economic times? I could almost hear librarians around the country rising up in a collective 'amen' to this speech. Library vendors, you need to read this!

Evil HR Lady
I love this blog! I have been reading this blog steadily for almost a year and her advice is first rate. No sugar coatings or whining but real answers about the work world. Almost anyone in library world or in the "real" world will find her advice helpful. Job hunters and others going through transition will also find a gold mine of information.

Twitter Notes (follow me at @librarymary40)
If you have known me for more than 5 minutes, you probably know that I am a twitter lover. Librarians, you do yourself a disservice if you don't plug into this amazing discussion. I have shared and "talked" about day to day job issues and gotten excellent advice and feedback. The librarian crowd is wonderful and I can't believe how many great things (and people) I have discovered from the confines of my little desk. (I already wrote on this, click here if you want to read)

Thanks to @conniecrosby who pointed me to this site about 12 Twitter Search Tools. I already have been digging into some of this stuff. I would also recommend adding @conniecrosby to your feed. Connie seems to reach beyond the boundaries of traditional library thinking and is now one of my favorites in the library Twitter world. Catch her blog here: http://conniecrosby.blogspot.com/

Also,I have been a recent convert to Diigo. My partner in crime and library craziness, Holly Hibner (@hhibner on Twitter) is a bookmarking fool and is always looking for the latest and greatest in tech short cuts. I figured out that I can save my twitter favorites right into my Diigo. Diigo also made it easy to import my bookmarks from Delicious. I am already doing better at keeping track of all the cool stuff that floats my way via all the social media. I predict that this will make me much smarter very soon.... (cough, cough)

Mary

Time Suckers: The Library Customer from Hell

2011-03-03T10:16:00.002-05:00

In general, I consider customer service to be the heart of library service, we help patrons to the best of our abilities. Period. I am also not naive. I have been around long enough to understand that beast of all library customers--the Time Sucker. Time Suckers are often the most needy, helpless and annoying of library patrons. In other situations, they are mean and demanding. They suck time and energy from all staff (and probably everyone else they encounter). Time Suckers are in every library in the world. Experienced librarians are wary and rookies never see them coming.

The bad news is that you can never protect yourself fully from a Time Sucker. You must accept this as just one of the facts of life in library service. The real problem of Time Sucking patrons is that they can cause us to retreat to self protective measures (read: policies) that inhibit good customer service. How do you at least minimize the negative effects from Time Suckers effectively but also keep yourself open to providing good customer service opportunities?

First, forewarned is forearmed. Be proactive with your co-workers about potential customer frustrations. Share with your co-workers about possible Time Suckers. Communicate about regular customers that have "issues". Tag team a problem whenever possible. Remember, you do not get to "excuse" yourself because a customer is difficult.

Next, do a thorough reference interview (good advice no matter what). Lots of Time Suckers have unrealistic expectations about what technology or research can produce. Ask for context and don't be afraid to say that you are concerned about the scope. Ask about time constraints. Ask about the purpose of the research or question. Reiterate that you are a guide and helper in the process. This does not mean you can't share an opinion or discuss options. Suggest a specific appointment time with an agenda so you can control time allocation. Librarians can and should be sounding boards but you also want to communicate the value of your time and the customer's.

Finally, understand that often Time Suckers can be lonely or have psychological problems, be under tremendous stress, annoying opportunists or completely lazy. It is easy (and normal!) to get frustrated. If this starts to happen, break from the action using any excuse you can manage. (restroom, even if you have to feign illness, answer a phone, consult with another staff member). By disengaging yourself from the customer for even a moment, you can collect your thoughts, slow down and rethink your approach and ask for help. Feeling the frustration as the librarian is not unusual or should it be unexpected. Losing control of your emotions or letting your frustrations fly in the face of a customer or in the general public is more damaging to the library and to your career than you can imagine.

Again, you can never avoid this kind of customer completely, but you can arm yourself with humor and acceptance of what library service is all about.

Go forth and serve the public (even the annoying people)!

Mary

Library Day in the Life

2011-01-23T16:25:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun following this project for the last go around, I can't wait to expand my participation to include this blog as well. For those of you who don't know, Library Day in the Life is a glimpse into the daily life of the profession. Read more about this at http://librarydayinthelife.pbworks.com/w/page/16941198/FrontPage. I will be tweeting about my day and you can follow me on @librarymary40. The Twitter hashtag is #libday6. Library Day in the Life Project is the based on an idea from Bobbi Newman, also known as the Librarian By Day.(Read her blog here.)

Aside from the cool ideas put forth in everyone sharing a "typical day" in library world, I urge you to read the this post. The librarian in me of course must also give credit to the original author's post of Contributions, Criticisms, and Courage. Normally I am not one to reach for "inspirational" quotes or some kind of library cheerleading, but Bobbi and several others have articulated something that has been bothering me about our profession. The wave of negative attitudes showing up in Tweets, Facebook, and other communications has been a little more than simple case of "gallows humor". We are all facing impossible budgets, more work than can be managed, meetings and insane employees, bosses, boards, customers, etc. My general sense is that tolerance for the crazy in our job is slipping, attitudes are taking on a darker tone and people are just generally losing their sense of humor about library service.

Rethinking your career in public service is essential if you are unhappy. Not everyone can last forever since the toll on your psyche is quite heavy. If nothing else the Library Day in the Life project should at least make folks who think this is a career where you get to "read all day" rethink what a librarian does. Regardless of the type of librarian you are or will become, the element of service to others is an essential element. If you find yourself being part of the problem or offering more criticism than contribution, time to rethink your profession.

Mary

A New Year

2011-01-10T11:10:00.002-05:00

Yikes! It has been forever since I posted anything. My personal life has been a train wreck of sorts for several months. Sick kid, empty nest syndrome and assorted other stressors have kept me from writing. However, I have been trolling the web and I saved some of my finds to share. So here we go!

My pal and partner in library things everywhere has done a marvelous job of writing about the e-readers. Her library has been able to purchase quite a few and get them into the hands of staff. If you are still new at it or helping someone digest this new technology, click here to get Holly's take.

My twitter people shared this the other day. It is a link to videos of regional dialects for the US. As born and bred Midwesterner, I found this just fascinating. Click here for Tumblr's regional dialect meme.

Technology seems to be going at the speed of light. I find myself with a fancy smart phone now and I am still trying to maximize my use of this nifty device. In other news, I have fallen prey to the addictive game of Angry Birds. Every day I discover more little tricks for my phone and am loving every minute. Other tech sites for your consideration should also include: Make Use Of . I know I have mentioned them with respect to Twitter, but this is an excellent site that keeps me informed. I want to point you to a great article by another tech site called Read Write Web. Many times I hear from librarians and others about hiring tech people. This article gives some great insight on this topic.

Of course I have to make sure that all of you at least visit Awful Library Books. I hope all of you have included quality collection management as a new year's resolution. Tight budgets mean even more awareness of your collection. Beware of people that say "if we weed, we won't have anything left".

Mary

Monday Moanin...

2010-11-29T10:21:00.000-05:00

Yes I am still alive but lacking in anything to write about lately. So here are a couple of random library thoughts that might give you (and me) something to chew on.

First up: I literally came upon this post minutes ago. Lauren from the UK gave me some great ideas about library service to those that would put us out of business. I like the advocacy and some key points when we are talking about library service with the general public. Read about it here.

Next: I have been thinking about how tired all my librarian friends sound on the blogs, twitter, etc. Budgets, cranky patrons, and stress in general have everyone on edge. I will be the first to say I get furious with my fellow librarians who are fed up with the public service aspect. Yes, it is horrible sometimes, but that is the job. I used to wait tables in high school and college and I have always felt that job was the best training for front line reference work than any class in library school. Yes, there will always be people that are rude, stupid and as awful as any creature called human can be. There will also be crying babies, lecherous old men/women, parents doing their "gifted" child's homework, pervs, freaks and other assorted crazies. (I won't even add a comment on how we also all probably work with someone that is less than human.) That is the job and they also deserve your best. I suggest following some blogs or twitter folk that will make you laugh at the crazy stuff and maybe blow off some steam. Here are a few that are just for laughs and will remind you that you are not alone in the world of public service.

(The Customer is) not always right.

A Librarian's Guide to Etiquette

Love the Liberry

Tales from Library Land

Of course Holly would kill me if I didn't pitch Awful Library Books as a possible diversion.

Now stock your desk drawers with chocolate and other treats as you bravely face the day.

Mary

Time is Money

2010-11-09T18:10:00.000-05:00

I had a minor awakening the other day as I was getting ready for my upcoming Thanksgiving program. I was so proud as I was able prepare a craft without any additional costs. I caught myself saying it was going to be a "free" program. Ouch. That was a mistake! Of course there was a cost. I spent time digging through the closet and tracking down "stuff" I could recycle as well as cutting turkey heads and assembling the craft so it would be manageable for a large group of people. Some of that was my time and some was personal time.
(I didn't "clock in" for cutting turkey heads in front of the tv) Even coming up with the whole turkey craft out of a paper bag took some time to figure out.

Too often when we are calculating a cost of a program it is easy to forget time for staff. Often budgets for programming are calculated on any outside costs. However when we talk about programming and budgets we should also be including internal costs when presenting "budgets" or talking money. Did extra staff have to come help with a summer reading program? That is a cost. No, you didn't write a check to an outside vendor, but costs were incurred. Salary or hourly costs are implied regardless. Figure an hourly wage (and round up!) and input this into planning for programming. Programs don't book or plan themselves. Heck, someone has to cut a check or fill out paperwork.

This concerns me as a concept particularly with youth librarians. Often I have heard storytime doesn't cost anything. Again, this is untrue and misleading to our public, managers and board members. (Remember, I don't like the word "free" anyway) Even a very experienced librarian still needs some time to plan even the most basic of storytimes. For many years, I foolishly thought that someone simply walked in and read a story. Even if you have an encyclopedic knowledge of youth literature AND you know your audience well, you cannot simply walk into a storytime and simply "read a story". (I have seen some excellent children's librarians over the years come close to that ideal and I have decided they just make it "look" easy because they are that good.)

We do the profession a disservice when we undervalue our cost or value as professionals. I think we should start with our language and how we talk about costs. When talking about costs of storytimes, summer reading, and any other programming we need to talk about in house cost vs. outside cost. It is not free. Use word like internal cost and external (paid vendors) cost to your language. Generally for any business venture staffing and employees are the largest line item. In service oriented businesses, that is obvious. Too often people get hung up on the book budgets and other "things" and forget that really what libraries are selling is service. Employees are a cost and an important value in library service. Remember to talk about value and costs in a manner that communicates this idea.

Mary

Random Thoughts on Weeding and Early Literacy

2010-10-23T21:11:00.000-04:00

If you are a follower of Awful Library Books, you know that my personal hot button issue for public library collections are career materials. An alert reader of ALB sent me a link to a newspaper in Tennessee where a patron criticized the lack of current materials. Read it here. I was more upset that a patron/customer made this observation. I get the feeling this patron was not only confronted by dated materials, but an unhelpful staff as well. We should all take this as an object lesson. I hope everyone runs, to your resume/career materials and keep this section current.

My new career track has dropped me smack dab in the middle of the world of youth services. This has been one of the most interesting and surprising turns in my career. I have been doing a lot of thinking about early literacy and was terrified of not "doing it right". Although we seem to have the early literacy ideas going in library service I wonder if we are communicating this effectively to the parents. I thought about this as I was talking to one of the mothers of my storytime kids about how we repeat the same songs and activities from week to week. What I noticed was I needed a quick couple of comments on how these activities specifically promote literacy without sounding like a research paper or a snotty, know-it-all librarian. I urge everyone in library service to review some of the material on early literacy and come up with a quick explanation or talking points in your own words. The ALA site has a quick couple of info tidbits that you can use as a jumping off point. Most storytime activities do these activities regularly. Now we just need to educate our parents and public about why these are important skills.

Print motivation: Being interested in and enjoying books
Phonological awareness: Being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words
Vocabulary: Knowing the names of things
Narrative skills: Being able to describe things and events and tell stories
Print awareness: Noticing print, knowing how to handle a book and knowing how to follow the words on a page
Letter knowledge: Knowing letters are different from each other, knowing their names and sounds and recognizing letters everywhere.

Taken from the ALA "Every Child Ready to Read" initiative.

As I am re-reading this I am struck how both issues are really about communicating our professional responsibilities. Again and again, I notice that many issues and problems in library service come down to our inability to communicate to our patrons what the job entails regardless if it is weeding and providing current materials or showing parents the bigger picture of a simple storytime.

Mary

I am an idiot

2010-09-26T20:17:00.000-04:00

I am confessing right now I have been a snob. I either ignored or flat out dismissed some wonderful titles in youth and teen fiction. I have no excuses. Yes, I glanced at this stuff and read the reviews but I never embraced any of the youth/teen fiction as a real option for my own personal reading. I am now a convert and am reorganizing my reading list. Recently I finished Suzanne Collins' the Hunger Games and I am about half way through Avi's Crispin: Cross of Lead. I will have no trouble book talking these to young people, but what surprises me are how many adults I know that would really enjoy these titles as well. I didn't even take my own advice. Shame on me. Well, I have learned and can't wait to reach new readers.

Mary

Labor Day or Labor Avoidance

2010-09-06T12:27:00.000-04:00

I love Labor Day Weekend. It really does signal the beginning of fall, school and a million other new things. As a first time empty nester, there is a rather odd feeling around my house. I am not frantically running to get school lunches, finding cash, writing checks or any other school to do list. The house is quiet and I am kind of staring out into space wondering what to do. That is a first!

I feel like sending children off to college, getting Awful Library Books' new site up and running, as well as a million other library tasks marked off my to do list would be a wise use of time today. Frankly there are piles of books and stuff to get rid of or pack away. Can't say I am anxious to jump off and do anything this minute. I think I will sit out on the back porch with a pop and a magazine and daydream the "labor" away. I am sure that it will be there tomorrow.

Enjoy your holiday weekend everyone!

Mary

I feel a rant coming on

2010-08-18T12:35:00.003-04:00

Maybe it is the heat or just that I am overworked. Lately, I have been a bit disappointed in some of our fellow librarians. Awful Library Books ran a few books lately that seem to get some hackles up about censorship. Weeding or de-selection, of course, invites this conversation. I am always amazed at how some people take a posting on ALB to be the standard for quality in librarianship. Developing a library collection is a minefield of issues that vary from community to community. But here are some truths that are always in play regardless of the kind and size of library.

No one has unlimited budget.
Of course we make choices in a collection. That is what librarians are hired to do. I will buy this book over another choice because I have to make the best use of my money and get maximum value. I want every choice in my collection to be relevant to my users.

No one has unlimited space.
Even new buildings and expansions are ultimately finite. Lately, my new job has made this even more apparent for me. Where I used to have room to wiggle, now I have to take selection very seriously. I have such limited space that have an item take up shelf space and do nothing for the patrons is supreme waste of money and time.

An archive is not the same thing as a public library.
Of course many public libraries participate in the preservation process, it is not the sole objective. A well-used public library will have material wear out or become obsolete after awhile. This material will need to be upgraded, replaced or even weeded if it no longer is doing the job that was intended.

Anyway, remember that the purpose of Awful Library Books is to start talking about quality in collections. In no way can one librarian's decision to weed something out of a particular library be a standard for every collection. That is the serious part of ALB. The other part is that sometimes Holly and I want a laugh and crack up at changing times, mores, styles etc.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. So, everyone needs to just relax and have a chuckle.

Mary

Twitter is really professional development

2010-08-02T10:05:00.001-04:00

I read a great blog post by the Librarian by Day about staying current with technology and other innovations that totally impact library service. Yes, you do have more time, its just you are not choosing wisely! Read the article, get inspired and then come back here to my list of how to do this.

Want to get on the tech/library cutting edge? The easy way is to get yourself a Twitter account. I love mine and I thought this was the dumbest idea ever invented. What my account has morphed into is listening to other librarians in less then a sentence or two talk about librarianship or share an idea. Not so much that I am committed to tons of reading but much like zipping through an index of people yapping about library service. Of course there are tons of tweets out there on what someone is eating or doing, but there is also a ton of information (in usually a sentence or two) about libraries, collections, technology and management. Start small and start reading. You don't have to do anything more than that to get started. Just listen in on the conversation. Your fellow library nerds are waiting to help you get in the game.

Want to know who to follow? Here are my recommendations for some interesting library tweeps that should be on anyone's list. If you have a suggestion by all means, comment and add it to my list.

Librarian by Day: @librarianbyday--all round goodness from technology training to managment

David Lee King,: @davidleeking-- good for tech applications in libraries as well as managment

Librarian Chat: @librarianchat --more like a news feed and discussion of librarians/libraries making headlines

Want some straight up technology or websites that can keep you current? Try following these folks on Twitter:
I love the site Make Use Of (@MakeUseOf) which has cool websites and interesting tech articles.
If you want some quick book reviews, consider following Nancy Pearl (@Nancy_Pearl)

(Of course I would be remiss if I didn't suggest Awful Library Books for a nice diversion from serious library talk (@awfullibbooks) or Holly Hibner's account: @hhibner since she comes hand in hand with me and awful library books.)

There are more every day that are interesting to watch. I also recommend following neighboring libraries, museums. Good ideas, programs and other stuff can help you plug into what is going on. Twitter might be ticket for you if you are concerned about sharing too much information. Know libraries or librarians in your neck of the woods doing interesting things? Follow those people and start looking at who they follow. Before you know it, you will be plugged in and on top of stuff faster than you thought.

Go get connected!
Mary
@librarymary40 on Twitter.

Transition is hell, but damn interesting

2010-08-02T09:14:00.000-04:00

The last few months have been challenging and causing great frustration followed by great elation. I know sounds like more of a mental disorder than a library career, but there you have it. (I am certain there is a joke in there as well)
I left my other library a while back to "try new things". This included freelancing and subbing while I figured out where I want to go in my career. I was sure that my calling was public library service, but there were many things I enjoyed about academic service. Also I was concerned that my previous library got "too big" for me to feel effective or participate in the library's direction. Should I be thinking big library or small? Essentially, I was on a quest to figure out where I fit in this crazy library world. So the decision was made to stop and take a breath before I frustrated myself into apathy or worse, hating library work. In a matter of a few short days, I found out that I can't live without library work in some way shape or form.
I found myself consulting for a tiny library near my hometown. I got to clean the catalog do some serious weeding and think about how best to maximize shelf space and organization for the public. I loved this work. Fast forward to some personnel changes and they offered me a position as a youth librarian. Initially I wasn't sure. I like kids, but after years in a library I am usually less enchanted with the parents. (Remind me to post about THAT problem) After a bit of pondering, I am beginning to think this is just what the doctor ordered. I really thought it was time to walk on the wild side and try youth services. After all no one is going to be working in libraries if we don't recruit the kids. Yes it will be different for me, but I have amazing role models for youth and teen services just an email and phone call away. Not only that, youth/teen librarians are amazing at sharing anything from a cheap program idea to a good plan for a storytime. Already I have got my calendar ready to go and bring on the madness. Watch this space as I march down a completely different path from where I thought I was headed.

Mary

Library work: Why am I doing this?

2010-06-30T21:21:00.000-04:00

I have had a rough couple of months professionally and personally so I thought it would be worth it to remind myself why I got into this crazy life of library work. Of course we are under-appreciated, underpaid, over worked and have to do more with less. Can't fix that with a pithy blog post, but I can recite these (and many more reasons) to get up and face the music.
Librarians are all about the sharing
Whenever I am faced with problems be it personal or professional I am always amazed and thankful at the ability of my colleagues to give advice, commiserate, and almost drop anything to lend a hand. I can't think of a time where even a casual question on a blog or at a conference didn't garner a first rate answer. Need an idea for a program and have no budget? Need to solve a tough personnel problem? How about a book suggestion? Library people want to (and I think NEED to) share. As long as I know a librarian or two, I am NEVER without resources.
Libraries are never boring
I don't care if you are a visitor or an employee. It will always be a cool place to go and no matter what, you will have something to talk about at the end of the day. (I have had days that I can't believe I am being paid to be here! Okay, paid poorly, but still paid.) I have been doing this for over ten years and haven't had a dull day yet. Stressful, yes. Dull, never.
OCD tendencies are usually appreciated as a personality trait
Making order out of chaos is often the best basic job description of a librarian. Okay, maybe my house is a mess and I have a desk that could be condemned, but I love nice book processing, a clean catalog and tidy shelves. If I need to "relax" at work, let me shelf read or look at the shelf list for errors.
Book bags are cool
Ever since I started working in a library, I have found a magnetic attraction to book bags. Even the ugly ones.

Anyway, since I am not exactly pouring out the creativity lately, I figured I better just get out there and do my job. Yes, stable funding, a better economy, and a larger materials budget would be nice too.

Mary

The hardest weeding in the world

2010-06-04T08:39:00.001-04:00

I have been consulting with a small library and of course preaching the virtues of weeding a collection. I love to spout off on how ALL libraries have dead weight in the collection. Nonfiction is usually easy to weed and somewhat predictable regardless of library size. But then I treaded into fiction. Ouch.

Fiction usually is an area of the library where a shelf space and circulation still have to intersect with taste and personalities. Ultimately this is where weeding is mostly art and not science. Glancing at the shelf list I was pleased by the circulation data I was presented. Nearly every title in this collection was working hard for the library. In another library with space, I would only have to pull for condition. My new problem became what do you pull when all of it is circulating well and is in good shape.

Time to put the big girl librarian pants on and plunge in! With help from the staff we all re articulated what the fiction collection goal was going to be-popular material and classics. Back titles are nice, but can we afford them or the space? With help from circulation data we had to draw a tighter definitions of "good" circulation numbers, This became a real project especially when you think of authors with series and back titles that are amazing. I don't envy anyone this challenge.

I have got through about a third of the collection. My new goal will be to weed systematically and regularly every few weeks. Checking the shelf list regularly will also help. My head still hurts but we are getting there. My new rule is going to be the tighter the shelf space, more active regular the weeding. Waiting until shelving is at critical mass is going to be much more difficult and painful.

So if you are a small library and feel like there is ABSOLUTELY no where to go, try this. Define a an area (maybe a stack or a section of the alphabet) Be brutal and fill a cart. Don't look back. Wait twenty four hours and breathe deeply. Have another staffer go over the cart and discuss as necessary. (I like a double check because there is always something odd that might need to stay). After weeding from the collection take to your book sale room or box it out of the way. Don't have it sit around and taunt you.(this is how the hoarding starts) Keep moving forward.

Mary

Why you should LOVE your shelf list!

2010-05-16T18:18:00.000-04:00

I have been recently working on another weeding and collection maintenance project. My latest client library has limited space and budget and needs a lean, mean collection that works hard for the money. As the designated "reality check" or collection consultant, I have had some interesting discussions on what does a library REALLY need to serve the community. Since we can't afford the space or the cost of throwing caution to the wind, each purchase for the collection must deliver the goods. I am going to make a wild guess that many libraries are in a similar position and need to make not just good choices, but REALLY good choices. So here is where your shelf list is a selector's best friend.

A good shelf list should contain Author, Title, barcode and date published. In addition, if you can add how many circulations each item has had and the DATE of last circulation, you have now got yourself a real party! The secret to not being overwhelmed with a list of thousands of books in one report is to divide your collection into manageable pieces. Make a report with just the reference collection or just audio books. Taking a look at small bite sizes are easier to deal with. Make priorities with collections that have a high per unit cost and start there. (For most small public libraries the more expensive collections per unit will include audio books, large print, video games and reference.) Look closely at these collections--item by item. I am lucky enough to be able to dump a shelf list into Excel and sort by anything: date published, number of circs, etc. Even a large collection can be sorted to just look at stuff with no activity or just one circulation/use. Medical or legal can be quickly sorted by date and right away you can see at a glance what might have questionable currency issues for weeding or replacement.

Now I am NOT suggesting that a dictionary has to have the same activity for library use as a video game or a current DVD, but it should have a performance expectation. I have run into libraries that have bought dictionaries like clockwork every year for DECADES without thinking that it might need to be reconsidered in light of electronic choices or use. Are cheaper paperback dictionaries a better choice for your students? How are the dictionaries being used? Can you manage by skipping a year or two and still be relevant?

Take your shelf list and divide into chunks or collections or however makes the most sense for your library. Develop an expectation of performance for a collection. Not sure where to start? Use a benchmark based on circulation period. In one library a new fiction title is circulated for 4 weeks. Just to start somewhere I guessed that could translate into 12 circulations in a year if everything was perfect. Of course not everyone adheres to circulation periods and browsing is not always perfect but if its an unknown author, start with 4 circulations in 6 months and see what happens. This isn't scientific but its a place to start.

Collection is a beast that must be tamed and managed and in tough budget times, you need to pay close attention to how your collection is actually serving your community. Old fashioned thinking of "we always buy a dictionary every year" or "we might need this someday" is not helping you with your current collection needs. Tough times need tough selection standards. Business as usual won't cut it and with a shelf list you have data to support choices. Managers: this is also a good tool for a discussion on collection priorities. Maybe in your library it has to be a discussion about less travel and more resume/career materials. Looking at the data is helpful for everyone when serious choices have to be made.

Practical Librarian: The Road Show

2010-04-21T08:23:00.001-04:00

Today I am headed off to Moline, IL for the Prairie Area Library System Conference. I am really excited to attend and present. Even better, my parents will be around and they get to see me "do my stuff". (I feel like a kid showing off for mom and dad!)

I will be talking about Collection Quality and the use of a physical inventory to manage a collection. This, of course, is one of my favorite topics and I can go on forever! (Don't worry, I won't do that to you!) I am also presenting one another favorite topic as well: Tech Support is Reference. Both presentations are available on my slideshare account if you would like to take a look. Holly also has these presentations and few more on her slideshare account too.

Enjoy!
Mary

Library (In) Security

2010-04-08T09:34:00.003-04:00

One of the most impressive shows at PLA this year was given by security consultant, Warren Davis Graham. He is the author of a great book called Black Belt Librarians. As an experienced security chief for a major library group in North Carolina, he has lots to share and some seriously practical advice. I urge you to run, don't walk and get your hands on his book. And make your staff read it too!

I know that the general public often thinks that libraries don't have security issues and perhaps many board members and managers think that way too. In easy to understand, informal language Graham takes the reader through some basic precautions and attitudes that are essential to library service. Since I love practical easy to implement processes that don't require major meetings and paperwork, here it is. (Caveat: please go get the book for deeper knowledge and information. In no way can I be a substitute for reading or attending one of his lectures)

Suggestion #1
30 - 30 - 30

Every 30 minutes, every staff member, get up walk around and look around for a solid 30 seconds noticing who is doing what, and where people are. Is anything looking odd out of place? This technique should be implemented for 30 days. Graham says that automatically, after about 30 days, everyone's general awareness of library patrons, activities and other comings and goings will be improved.

Suggestion #2
Document, Document Document

Of course all of us are in patron behavior management and I know almost everyone has an incident report and knows to call the police in an emergency. My issues (as well as many other librarians I have talked to over the years) is dealing with that "in-between" stuff. Maybe things seem to be troublesome or give you a bad feeling. My first instinct is "I don't want to over react". Graham also gives strategies for this in between situation.

First, document (okay just make a tic mark on a sheet) anytime you have to correct someone's behavior. This can be as simple as telling someone that they can't use a cell phone in the library or teens running around. Just make a tic mark on a daily sheet and see if there are any times and trends to keep an eye on.

Second, log any thing that disturbs a staff member, even if it is nothing overtly dangerous. This document should be behavior driven and give enough information that can alert other staff members if necessary. Graham cited an example of a patron that stared at a staff member that made her feel uncomfortable. Another example is a regular group of teens that seem to be heading toward problem behavior. Together with documentation and increased awareness, staff were able to manage a potential problem, as well as assure the security of the staff member.

The third level of this process is, of course, the incident report. This should be regularly considered for updates and changes. All staff should be trained on all of these measures and it should be a regularly discussed issue. These three items can be combined into regular statistical reporting and it actually can give a these "problems" context. Each report can should summarize, statistically, the number of behavior corrections, concerns and finally actual incidents. To only report serious problems without a context of patron behavior can make it difficult for those not involved in day to day patron management to put these types of issues into context.

I love these simple rules and I urge you to think about security in the library before something happens. Proactive awareness might be the best thing for security and ultimately patron service.

Mary

PLA: Post Game Analysis

2010-03-30T09:05:00.001-04:00

I have only begun to digest all that I learned at PLA. First and foremost, my favorite part of the conference is the informal discussions with other library people between programs, at the exhibits or even line for some Voodoo Doughnuts. I love that they love library service as much as I do. The enthusiasm for customer service, new technology or even a cool program is palpable. In my normal day to day work, I wonder if many of us out there forget why we became librarians. Conferences are an excellent way to rejuvenate that inner library geek. It is at once exhausting and exhilarating to participate at PLA. And of course who doesn’t want a snappy orange tote bag?

Other great part of the conference was the use of Twitter as a communication tool. As I have stated previously, I thought Twitter was this side of ridiculous. Yeah to the public librarians that used it in meetings I couldn’t be at. This stream of conscious type of communication brought a real perspective to the conference and I added a few more people to my follow list just because they were so interesting and of course this led me to some excellent articles and blogs. Again, it is just another way of plugging into a larger group of enthusiastic librarians and listen in on the random ideas and even frustrations of library service. If you couldn’t be there take a look at some of the comments under the hash tag #PLA10.

I am still writing up my notes from some programs I particularly want to think and write about. What I noticed from all the interesting ideas are how they all stretch our concept of what a public library does and is. Of course we are about books and information, but the library has such an interesting role in society for everyone in a community from the smallest baby to the oldest senior. As we implement these new ideas, be prepared for where that will take our concept for the future. Strategic planning or even building expansions are going to be affected by this whole idea of what a “library” is for your community.

Stay tuned as my brain continues to process this conference!

Mary

Practical Librarian's To Do List

2010-03-17T21:39:00.000-04:00

PLA Conference March 23-March 27, Portland, OR
I am excited and honored to be attending and presenting at the PLA Conference in Portland Oregon next week. Holly Hibner and I will be talking about Nonfiction Readers Advisory on Saturday, March 27. If you are around please, drop by and say hello. Our problem is always when to stop adding material to the show. A new idea pops up all the time and usually one of us will have to call "enough".
I really love attending library conferences since it is an opportunity to step outside the day to day routine at a reference desk. I also love to go to these conferences since I always find out that I am not the only "library nerd" out there. I also have never been to Oregon before and am looking forward to checking out some libraries and the city.

Awful Library Books
Believe it or not ALB is almost 1 year old! Every time Holly and I think we are going to run out of material a bunch of stuff comes in or floats across our desks. What has really surprised me is how much I have learned in collection development from the people leaving comments. We have had the range of comments from downright crazy to subject matter experts that really take the discussion to the next level. I am so impressed at the depth of knowledge and sharp humor from our followers.

The Book!
Holly and I finally finished (with much crying and mutual death threats) our book from coming out from Chandos. Right now we are working with the final draft and indexing (which is a skill I have had to dust off from olden times...) The worst part of book writing is actually stopping. After something is written, there is a huge temptation to keep picking at it. Thank God for deadlines or Holly and I would still be arguing and discussing some of the finer points. If you want to see the preview from the publisher, click here.

Twitter
My latest technology fun has been Twitter. I used to think this was the dumbest thing ever created on the Internet and now I am a believer! I have plugged into more interesting articles, discussions, websites through Twitter than I thought possible. It is a gold mine of technology talk, libraries and of course trivia and humor. If you haven't joined in the discussion, I suggest you get on board.

Mary (aka @librarymary40 via Twitter)

Can Librarian Managers Learn from Reality TV shows?

2010-03-05T10:37:00.000-05:00

I normally hate reality TV, which I am certain, is anything but real. However, I tripped over an episode of Undercover Boss featuring the CEO Joe DePinto of 7-Eleven. For those unfamiliar with this latest TV fare, a CEO goes undercover as an employee in the front lines of a major corporation. Do the guys at the top making decisions really have a concept of the day to day happenings at “ground level”?

Back in my MBA days, I would have referred to this technique as a modified version of “Management by Walking Around”. Essentially, this means the manager is involved (and visible) at the ground level. He or she will listen and talk to employees and be generally aware of the front line action, especially at customer level. I know management theories come and go like the tides and MBWA has been around forever, but I do like what this process does for a manager regardless of the business entity.

Often library management and librarians tend to shy away from business models in discussion of day to day operations of a library or even in a management philosophy, but this TV show does highlight that customer point of service really is what the business is all about. Libraries have a similar point of service. So what do we take away from this? Do you as a manager or department head know what your people do on daily basis? Try these questions:

What are the major pet peeves of your staff? (Trust me you are in denial if you think there aren’t any!)

Who are the “regulars”? What do these regulars like or dislike about the library?

Have you ever sat out in the public areas and listened and watched?

Of course one can “say” they have open door communication or are in touch with the staff or patrons. What behaviors do you practice, on a regular basis that supports good communication? Walking around only gets you so far before you need to synthesize what you have learned into action.

Go forth and walk around your library!

Mary

"Telling" is not Teaching!

2010-01-27T19:50:00.000-05:00

I am on a bibliographic instruction kick lately and I have been obsessing over communicating tech skills to everyone from students to the general public. Having done instruction for both the general public and for a variety of students, I can safely say, as librarians, we should never be done thinking about this topic. Even if we don't do formal instruction, whenever we talk to a patron we are, in a sense, doing bibliographic instruction. As I go through and re-think some of my classes and how I talk to patrons, a few things became crystal clear.

First, remember the learner. What do they want? What do they know? A freshman English composition student is not the same as a over 40 year old commuting grad student. A senior citizen is not the same as a teenager, even if the skill levels are identical. Tailor your conversation and your examples to what would be meaningful for your learner. Process and context are more important than "content".

Second, remember your goals. (If you don't have instructional goals, please get one!) For senior citizens learning technology, my goal is helping them gain confidence to ask additional questions and to not be afraid to try "something". For a college freshman, I want them to think about the library as the first place to go when they have questions. Notice that the my goal was NOT to impart total knowledge of a database or do some kind of "fact dump" on someone.

Regardless of the kind of library, the job of the librarian is to help the user navigate the minefield of knowledge and technology. Be sensitive to our learners and realize that "telling" someone something is not the same as teaching or training.

Mary

Bibliographic Instruction is really about Marketing

2010-01-07T08:23:00.000-05:00

I have been doing some serious re-thinking of my various bibliographic instruction projects.Often students or faculty think that library instruction is a one-off event or a "knowledge dump" and that once completed, a person is "done" learning about research and the library. We all know it is laughable to think that one is ever "done" with research instruction/help. Librarians, too, need to keep this in mind that personal/professional development is never finished either. Databases come and go, research is constantly moving, and of course everyone's favorite: formats are constantly changing.

Aside from content, think about delivery of instruction. Is a hour long formal presentation complete with slides really the best way to communicate how to research? Think about other ways to explain or teach. Think about using a screen shots or video to explain a process or technique. (I am now a big fan of Wink, Camstudio and Camtasia) Are the examples appropriate and relevant to the particular group? (Masters candidates in nursing are NOT the same as a freshman English composition class!)

My point in this little tirade is that our role in bibliographic instruction is not just help with research for "right now", or a crash course in library science, but to market the library's sources and expertise as an integral part of the education process.This includes not just how to find a peer reviewed article for a basic composition class or specific research for the graduate student; but how to continue the relationship after the specific project is done. As librarians, make sure that in all your bibliographic instruction, the main point to hammer home with our students is "talk to the librarian". It is okay to continue to ask questions and bounce research strategies and ideas off the staff. Bibliographic instruction is an ongoing dialogue with our patrons. We need to make sure that students and faculty are thinking of us for the long haul.

Happy New Year to everyone,

Mary

Instead of weeding how about "pruning" or "shifting"?

2009-12-12T12:27:00.000-05:00

Evidently Awful Library Books has made me the go-to person for all things weeding. I actually didn't think my philosophy of weeding made me a radical. Truth be told, I have met a few librarians that are one step short of a guest appearance on the show Hoarders. So for those of you facing resistance to weeding, here is an argument or two for your arsenal.

Hanging on to materials, even if you have room, is not good. Outdated materials can be confused with more current materials. Think of this metaphor: a large garden with just a few viable plants surrounded by weeds. It makes it difficult to get to the “good stuff”. Most library users, even savvy ones, don’t pay attention to publication dates. These dated materials will crowd out the good stuff and make it difficult for patrons to find appropriate materials. Still think it might have value in your collection and you have space? Think about shifting to a different area or create a collection space that geared to the dated materials.

Rethink the value of empty shelves. Empty shelves can also mean the material is popular and we need more. Remember the collection is supposed to be used and circulate, not sit on a shelf doing nothing. Do you really want anyone, especially a politician, walking into your library and seeing crammed shelves, thinking this library has plenty of materials, they don’t need funding?

I really do think we probably need to be more proactive in educating everyone about the value of a good weed. Keep a few examples of some dated material ready for show and tell. Check Awful Library Books for some possible ideas. Maybe we can start by calling it “pruning” or even “shifting”. Is that less scary?

Mary

A Budget Crisis

2009-11-19T07:52:00.002-05:00

Over the years in public library service I have been dismayed at a rather cavalier attitude toward budgets and money by many librarians. I have to blame library school for a bit of this attitude. Very few courses addressed the impact of budgets and limited funding in a way that adequately prepares people for functioning in a real world library. No library (at least that I know about) has unlimited funds and a blank check for collections or staff. The disconnect comes when we communicate with our public, students, faculty and others we serve about the realities of limited resources. It is time to change how we talk about money and budgets.

First recommendation: Drop the word "FREE" whenever we speak or write about library service. In no way are services free. Taxpayers have paid for the service or students have paid tuition. Books and databases cost money. Programming costs money. Computers cost money. We don't work for free (even if it feels like it!). When library staff use the word free it confuses the message that library service doesn't cost anything or worse yet, it isn't worth anything. When librarians are at a moment of service with a student or patron and they are greatful for the help, it is time to remind them tuition and or taxes helped pay for this. Remind your clientele where the money comes from.

Second recommendation: Know how much everything costs in a library. Librarians probably know this but they need to know in a way that communicates knowledge of the library operation and that tells the public that they are "on top" of the money situation. Know the budget for materials backwards and forwards. Know the cost of any major renovation or major upgrade. If we hesitate or waffle in answers about costs and budgets, public confidence in library management can start to erode.

If all of this money talk scares you, develop some talking points about the collection. Make a list of budget facts that you can memorize that will help explain to your service population the realities of money in a library. Regardless of the library, all librarians should be ready to talk the talk of budgets and money. So try some of these ideas: Know how much a popular database or major reference item costs. Be able to quote average costs of certain parts of the collection (ie fiction, audio books, software). Be able to talk about how much a site license costs for a computer or the ILS for the library. Be able to talk about how your particular library is funded.

When you can talk about costs and budgets in a professional manner you are laying good groundwork for the next budget "problem" or millage request. Constantly reminding people of the value helps everyone in library service.

Mary

Hollywood Librarians!

2009-11-14T14:33:00.000-05:00

Holly Hibner and I just returned from our adventure in Hollywood as guests of the Jimmy Kimmel show. What a treat! It was exciting and scary all at once. I was completely impressed with the staff and the friendly demeanor of everyone involved. Best part: staffers and Kimmel seemed genuinely interested in libraries and librarians.

If you missed it, here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxQvm2oLewU

Enjoy!
Mary

A Weeding Frenzy

2009-10-13T20:05:00.005-04:00

This week in my little temp library job at a small college library, I have been charged with weeding the business collection. Of course it goes without saying I am a lover of weeding! I just love culling the dead wood in a collection. I think it makes the newer stuff look nicer. I also (without fail!) find or re-discover something and go "wow".
Although weeding is second nature for me in my public library, I wanted to be conservative since I am the temp and I am a newbie at academic librarianship. Different collections and a different service mission translate into different weeding criteria. So how do you weed a collection when you don't know the collection or the users that well or feel comfortable with the task? Try this:

Pull obvious condition "issues".
Pull anything that is over ten years that could have a currency issue. (No, I don't mean fiction or humanities/art materials.)
Take a look at circulation or use stats.
Have another person review and discuss the choices.
Consider options: other sources of information, redundant databases, government information, web sites, etc.
Cart and let it sit for at least 24 hours. This should catch any impulsive decisions.

Experienced weeders might find this a bit cumbersome, but if you are new at a collection or at a new library with different clientele play it safe by giving yourself some wiggle room. Your fellow staffers will be more likely to "turn you loose" if you tell them you will abide by some self imposed standards like the above.

And of course if you turn up something perfectly appalling or funny, I would love to feature it on Awful Library books!

Weed away!
Mary

October: Think about Reader Advisory!

2009-10-03T15:34:00.004-04:00

October is one of my favorite times of year. Kids and school have hit a nice routine. I have been on a mystery kick and have particularly liked Stieg Larsson's books. I think it is time for me to try some more of those Swedish mysteries that have been on my to-do list forever!

Reader advisory is one of those areas of librarianship a public librarian has to work at constantly. Reading as a duty? Yes, and not just the stuff you like. As a librarian, it is important to sample constantly from the buffet of fiction and nonfiction. Not a big fan of science fiction? Not a lover of Fantasy or Christian/Inspirational fiction? Too bad. It is time to suck it up and do your job! As book pros, we have to be able to talk about all kinds of titles, not just our "favorites".

Okay, now that you have agreed to try, where do you start? Go slowly. By now you should now the most popular authors in your library and if you don't, start checking holds and circ numbers for those titles and genres. Ask around for a favorite or two and stay away from series. Amazon can also be a big help in identifying the new hot stuff of a particular genre. Pick one or two and start there. Not all of it will be fun or interesting to you, but try and think of a patron or two that might like this title. Stick to new stuff as much as possible as this puts you ahead of the curve.

People like books for many reasons, but most likely they will be drawn toward the plot, setting, or characters. This is usually true regardless of the genre. Plot oriented people will use words like fast-paced. Setting people will like where the story takes place (generally) or the period of time (think historical fiction with a lot of detail or the use of the word "research"). Character folks are probably the hardest to nail down. They need the person's personality or character to be the main focus of the story.

So use October as your month of something new to read or try. You might be surprised at your next chance to book talk a new title.

Mary

Practical Librarian Melts Down!

2009-09-23T09:29:00.003-04:00

With the departure of my co-worker to greener pastures, I have been saddled with some duties and paperwork. This isn't all bad, I like new stuff and projects! However, since I work in a library with no off-desk time, getting this stuff done has been a huge problem for me in the last few weeks. (It also didn't help that Holly made it look easy!) Throw into the mix training a new person, jury service that never ended (or so it seemed!) and my extra job at a small college, I was a ticking time bomb of stress! (The dam broke when someone asked me what was wrong and I ended up answering this question in great detail for over an hour! Pro tip: don't ask a question if you don't want the answer!)

Now that jury service has concluded and I am more sane (a couple of days off helped!) I had a few revelations about change and time management.

Assume a worst case scenario for planning purposes. My mistake was in assuming I wouldn't actually go into a trial (court said 80% are settled and I probably wouldn't have to serve) and wouldn't need any help. WRONG!

Detail work needs uninterrupted time, especially if you are new at this task! Find time where no phones or people bother you so you can learn a task. Stick to the task you are learning-- not other chores that have been bugging you!

Never ever underestimate the impact of even minor changes in schedules or staffing to your sanity and routine! Holly's departure dramatically changed my schedule and my work routine! I underestimated that even changes that we have prepared and planned can throw us a curve. I couldn't just go on autopilot in many situations.

Embrace folders, sticky notes, calendars and chocolate. Take breaks and remember to breathe!

The point is this: Even though to the outside world nothing is really different and you are at the same job, things in fact ARE different. Treat as such. Allow extra time in your schedule. Say NO to "extras" until you get a routine down pat. (This is for my friends that always volunteer to bake something, make phone calls or organize a school function!)

Regardless of managers, directors and the like, I know that my priority is customer service and if I can keep my head on that fact, I should be fine.

Mary

Bibliographic Instruction: Less is More!

2009-09-08T21:44:00.008-04:00

One of the things that bothers me about some library instruction is that it can be boring and since the student can't see the need yet, they tend to lose interest quickly. This process can be exacerbated by well meaning librarians that try and make a course or material "be" all things to all people. Students, newbie computer users and even someone just browsing the library can get caught up in tidal wave of instruction, handouts, maps and tours. What starts out as simple book question can quickly mutate into a catalog lessons and instruction on the Dewey Decimal System with a patron half way to a degree in library science!

Even for academic patrons where there is a real mission to help students understand serious research and library materials. How deep should this discussion initially be when students don't even understand what they are "in for"? Many librarians want to discuss how we should be teaching subtle differences in databases, searching techniques and Boolean operators. Of course librarians think these topics are interesting! Average student has lost interest after about 5 seconds. They just want an article or a book and to be done.

In both one-on-one settings, as well as formal classroom instruction think about what the student THINKS they need and lead them to more ask more questions. When a student asks how to find an article, show them how to find an article. Lead them toward better answers by NOT overwhelming them with so much information or ways to "perfect" a search. Just give the "easy" answer and gently coach them to continue to include the librarian in the search for more and better information.

Keep it simple and easy. The overall message should always be the library, and the librarians, are here to help. Think in terms of FAQ when designing instruction and try to keep answers to the absolute basics until the student has invited you for more! Here are some questions to use as guides when designing instruction. Try and break your answer down to simple steps and answer in under 5 minutes:

How do I find an article in the databases?

How do I know if an article is considered "scholarly" ?

How do I attach a resume to my email?

If you think in small FAQ style questions and just stick to answering the questions with an attitude of come back when you need more, the instruction will be more likely to stick and patrons will always be grateful for the help. Remember, less is more!

Being the "new" girl at the desk

2009-08-27T10:49:00.004-04:00

I was lucky enough to have recently landed a temporary part time job on a college reference desk. Even though I feel my strength is in talking to people and handling reference, I was blown away my first day and there weren't even that many students around yet! All my quick shorthand answers and just 'embedded' knowledge of my collection was not really applicable in a new library with new customers. As a part time and temporary person, I also understand that it is not cost effective to be spending hours upon hours "training" me. I am supposed to bring some skills to the table and in the immortal words of Tim Gunn, "Make it work!" So how do you "learn" a new library?

Here is what I learned so far:

Dig through every page on the library website and take notes on all the stuff already highlighted. In the case of my new library, the most common types of FAQ reference questions will probably be shortcuts on the library pages. Look for pages that use terms like "finding tools" and or "research help".
In the case of college libraries, ask what the most common courses/majors represented at your reference desk. Public libraries, ask what is the most common request at the reference desk.
Browse the returns or hold shelf. This is a quick micro picture of a library's activities. It is also less overwhelming than trying to look book by book at a whole collection.
Know (the first day, if you can!) where the bathrooms, pencils, copy machine, fax, scrap paper and stapler is for yourself and any patrons.
Browse the paper periodicals.
Practice reference questions with the databases and catalog.

I am now in my third week of this little job and my head is hurting less and my confidence is growing with my new library. Now, bring on those new students!

Mary

Good Communication

2009-08-15T10:41:00.005-04:00

If you are following my cohort Holly Hibner on her blog, you know she is moving on to the Plymouth District Library in Plymouth, Michigan. It is a great library and much larger in scope and budget. Plymouth is lucky to get her! The changes around at both our libraries have led us to many great discussions on librarian training and supervisor issues. Both of us have talked in great length on what makes a good librarian and what makes a good manager.

Good communication is the heart of good management. However, what everyone misses is that it takes at least two people to communicate. I have often heard folks say "I told that person a hundred times..." and then they can't understand why there is still a problem. I have also heard folks complain endlessly about meetings that never go anywhere or are not fruitful. Throw into the mix cultural, personality or gender issues and things get even more clouded.

One of the books that really helped sharpen this topic for me was Type Talk at Work: How the 16 Personality Types Determine Your Success on the Job by Kroeger (2002). Each person is a unique personality and learn or listen or think in very different ways. Problems occur when we fail to understand the personalities in play.

Holly and I are great examples of this personality difference. She is an internal processor. I am more external, meaning I have to "talk it out". Communication problems happen when we fail to recognize this about each other. When Holly speaks, I know she has thought about what she is saying and to take it seriously. When I speak, Holly knows to take it with a grain of salt until we have dissected what I am saying a bit more. It is not a personal judgement, it is simply a fact on how we think and communicate.

Both employee and employer should think about this every time they have a discussion. Both parties should know how they listen, think and communicate before they try and make assumptions about the other party. This has great implications for things like written instructions, verbal instructions, talking through problems and every one's favorite: having a meeting.

So if you have ever said or thought the following, it might be time for some rethinking:

"I wish so and so would read email, I always have to tell her/him ...."
"I have told so and so a million times to do...."
"No one ever reads a sign... it is right in front of them!"

What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If you find this happening to you, think about your style as a communicator and as a listener. Now everyone take a breath and rethink your thinking!

Mary

Avoiding the Trend of One!

2009-07-28T21:39:00.005-04:00

One of the craziest days I ever had at our library was one of our patrons brought a pony inside the library. Really. It was not a service animal. It was just a pony. She just thought the library staff would like to take a look at the pony. So she led the pony right up to the circulation desk to show the staff. A polite comment and a rather firm suggestion that ponies are better outside than inside quickly ended the matter with no hurt feelings. (Well maybe the pony didn't like this, but I didn't ask.)

Our staff, after having a few chuckles at the oddity of this, started discussing library policies. Is a pony policy necessary? One pony incident does not make for a massive pony invasion that must be stopped. Enter the problem of the "trend of one".

Pony example aside. There are other trends of one that can hurt library service. One of my regulars a few years ago finally got a colicky kid to sleep and wasn't going to shut off the engine and wake a kid just so she could run in and pick up her library holds. She asked me to run it out to the car. No big deal. I did. She thought our library was the greatest. 2 minutes of "extra" work translated into a big public relations payoff.

I brought this up to another librarian at a conference once and she was stupefied that anyone would run stuff out to the car. "Won't everyone expect that now?" Again, she was trapped by the trend of one. One time, someone asked for a little extra assistance. The world didn't stop. Library service continued without a hitch.

Assuming a trend where none exists can shut down opportunities for improving library service. Collect data and make sure decisions and rules are promoting library service.

Mary

My Personal Librarian Manifesto

2009-07-18T14:21:00.006-04:00

Awful library books, ALA and a million things going on at work have probably put me over the edge. It was kind of a perfect storm. Holly and I presented at ALA about tech support as reference. I was sure that the "old guard" librarians felt tech support issues were not appropriate to reference work or library service. Technology issues are overwhelming but librarians need to embrace this as a function of our job-especially at the reference desk.

At the same time Awful Library Books seems to have a new found popularity with mainstream entertainment blogs. It is exciting and exhausting. I feel like I am living with these awful library books all the time! I was also mildly shocked at the attitude toward weeding. Who knew that a fundemental aspect of collection management would upset so many people. I couldn't believe how upset and angry people got about weeding materials. I did not like that I was second guessing myself.

Rereading my own Practical Librarian posts I have decided that I need to take my own advice and reiterate my own objectives as a librarian. So here it is:

I will keep an open mind to new ideas and ways to serve my public. The criteria will not be if it makes MY work life easier, but if it improve the service to the library patron.

Technology is an integral part of libraries and library service. It will not wait for me to be "comfortable".

Public librarianship is about serving ALL the public, not just the ones that are "nice". It is also about service to those who are irritating, difficult and unpleasant.

Collections are dynamic and need to be evaluated, coddled, managed and pruned to be useful to the public that paid for it.

Hopefully, these simple statements will keep me focused when the rest of the world seems out of wack in the world of library service. I know I will still have to attend seminars and meetings where the "breakthrough" advice is being polite to the public or showing the public how to use the OPAC. I will try not to roll my eyes with yet another obvious statement and remember my manifesto.

Mary

ALA-The career booster shot!

2009-07-09T19:43:00.007-04:00

ALA starts Friday and I am really excited. There is something about hanging out with other people that "geek out" about information, technology and books that is so much fun! I am even looking forward to the car ride from Detroit. I am sure there will be a few hours of library science talk that will start me thinking! I really like to think of ALA or any conference as a great way to refresh your love of librarianship. Not only can you improve your career skills, but there are always new ideas being tossed about that are sure to get you thinking. I also like that even though ALA is a large conference, library world is small. Hang around long enough and it will feel like you met every librarian in the country!

I usually can ride the high for many weeks. Library conferences are just great ways to refresh your love of library science and service. If you can't get to ALA this week make sure you are availing yourself of the zillions of tweets, blogs, podcasts that will be filling our information world before too long!

See you in Chicago!
Mary

Library Interviewing Ideas

2009-06-29T16:05:00.004-04:00

Holly Hibner and I were lucky enough to talk to a new MLIS graduate on making connections and preparing for interviews. This led to a great discussion on competencies in public librarianship as well as what supervisors are "looking" for in new hires. Here are some things we thought were important for potential hires to know about working for us.

First, we assume you know some library science or you wouldn't have graduated. We also don't care about your favorite book or your hobbies. We want to know if you geek out about library work. Further, what kind of librarian are you? What we like to do for interviews is present "scenarios" and see where you fit. There are no right or wrong answers, just ideas that help us see if you fit into our style! Our library is very much about public service so we are looking for that kind of attitude.

Here are some scenarios we have used in the past:

In your limited budget for kids materials you have to make a choice between Captain Underpants or an award winning youth title. What do you choose and why?
A couple of kids are skateboarding in the parking lot which is completely against policy. How do you handle?
A parent complains that one of the teens on the computer is doing some gaming and her child needs to use the computer for homework. How do you handle?

There is no right or wrong. Simply reiterating the policy is not enough for us to "like" you. We want to sense your philosophy of librarianship and customer service. The flip side of this is that you get to see how the library in question handles this as well. Fit goes both ways!

Here is some other advice. You have to do homework on your future library. Look at the website, visit the library. (Pro tip: we often ask where our website can be improved just to see if you have any good ideas to "borrow" and also to test that you actually did some preparation.) We also like to hear some solid ideas for programming, especially if you are interested in youth or teen services.

Short answer: be prepared and know who you are as a librarian!

ALA Countdown

2009-06-20T21:31:00.004-04:00

I have started obsessing and counting down to ALA. Holly Hibner and I will be presenting two programs. If you are around, by all means drop by. (I am deathly afraid no one will come and I really don't want to stand in the room listening to crickets chirp!) Check the ALA official program for details, but here is the preliminary information.

Thingamabobs and Doodads: Why Tech Support IS Reference
Monday 10:30am-12:00pm

Not Just for Kids: Promoting Library Services Through Adult Summer Reading Programs
Monday 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

See you there!

Mary

Asking the right questions!

2009-06-08T09:55:00.004-04:00

I have been doing a lot of thinking about the reference interview—especially when talking to teenagers. I remember my class in library school communicating what I think is the obvious: ask open ended questions. I watched a now retired, (thank GOD!), do a reference interview just like a script—complete with disdain for the patron’s ignorance on the subject matter. This really is one of my pet peeves! You really can’t script these things; they are organic and need context. So with this in mind, I have a few tips for reference interviews with teen students.

Ask some pointed questions to get started:
· Is this for an English class or a science class?
· Is this teacher a “pain” or picky or are they pretty relaxed about topics and format?
· If I sense some reluctance or contempt for this whole project, I might ask if this is a project they want to get done quickly without a lot of fuss, or are this something they are truly interested in.

I sometimes start with these types of questions for a couple of reasons. First, ask a question that a student can answer easily. Remember, they probably were nervous approaching the reference desk. I also ask about the teacher to remind them I work for THEM, not the school. Generally, these kinds of questions can get the ball rolling and communication comes a bit more easily.

Second, from the librarian point of view, this can put the student’s project in context. If the class is a general topic for a standard English research paper, then we can guide students to a variety of sources and do some general “bib instruction” on the right tool for the job. Since papers of this nature tend to be general, I also counsel on trying to “narrow” the topic and we usually engage in a “what do you want to say about this topic” kind of discussion.

Here is an example: Student in 9th grade English is going to write a big research paper on child abuse. Teacher is picky about sources and citations. After you have established this much info, now bring on your open ended questions. This is a big topic, so what are they thinking about? Give them some ideas to start the conversation. Do they think it is a big problem? Is catching abusers an issue? What do you think causes child abuse? In my experience, you can usually get a student to hypothesize or give an opinion on an aspect. Don’t talk source materials yet, just ask what they think. Move the conversation to the basics of a thesis statement. After a student has articulated the idea, then you can move into sources and regular discussion. My real point is to lay some groundwork with a general conversation.

A reference interview is more than just asking questions on topic. It is part counseling and part information manager. Help that student ask the “right” questions that will get the job done. Think of it as helping the student solve his or her problem, not just answering questions. Remember, that student didn’t hear your reference interview lecture in library school so they might not know the script!

Collection Management or avoiding the Awful Library Books Blog!

2009-06-02T19:32:00.011-04:00

The sucess of Awful Library Books has been amazing. The troubling part of that blog is I just don't think I am going to run out of material! What is this resistance to weeding? I have had many professional discussions and the answers vary from patron resistance to just plain laziness. I am not sure anymore.

Anyone who hangs out with me for more than 5 minutes will have to listen to my diatribe on the virtues of regular physical inventory. Shelf by shelf, librarians need to go through the collection and reconcile the the actual physical items to catalog holdings. Naturally, this sounds daunting, but honestly, this is the best prevention on earth if you don't want to be a featured post on Awful Library Books. If every day, professional librarians devoted 15 minutes to a shelf or two of the collection, you would be on the right track to a "clean" collection.

What everyone in your library must embrace is, like weeding, or shelf reading or cleaning, an inventory is never "done". A dynamic collection is just that--dynamic! Therefore, you can't do a weed or an inventory and pronounce it finished. There are new items coming, new sytems, new technologies and the library must keep up.

This is where someone would say "ok lady, I will give you 15 minutes a day-- now what". Never fear, the Practical Librarian is here to help!

Select a collection or obvious "group" of materials. Get a list of materials for that section, group or collection. (No, you don't need a print out of the entire catalog, but you do need a list of stuff that is supposed to be on the shelf where you are doing your inventory) If you need suggestions on places to start try medical, legal, financial, computers/technology and careers.

Now, verify your list to what is on the shelf. If it is checked out, make a note to either request it or check back when it is returned. I found things still checked out on patron records, items in such bad shape I weeded them on the spot, and a few missing items. Every day I pick at a section of the library.

That's it folks! All you need to do is compare the holdings to what is actually in your library and confirm that it actually exists! Everyone can participate! Your boss will love you, your board will love you and your patrons will love you because the catalog says what you really have.

PS As you move through and really get to know your collection, you will be even more amazing at reference and reader advisory!

Remember the kids!

2009-05-20T10:23:00.002-04:00

I have been having a blast with Holly Hibner (her blog is at http://hhibner.blogspot.com) working on http://awfullibrarybooks.wordpress.com and have just been overwhelmed by the number or books that should have weeded an ice age ago. What has just flipped me out is the number of youth books that have been ignored in our quest for quality collections. I think those of us who embrace collection quality and regular weeding know that legal, scientific and medical needs to be updated and weeded regularly but I think we tend to forget that youth books and materials have these same collection issues. When thinking about collection quality and issues of collection maintenance, make sure you include the youth departments. They are my future customers and I want them thinking the library is a wonderful and relevant place to be!

Change: the only constant!

2009-05-05T22:20:00.004-04:00

Even the simplest change can cause a bunch of stress to library staff and patrons. Years ago our library adopted receipt printers. Staff was excited especially since we could retire our messy stamp and quit using the ugly date due sticker. Little did I know that something that was such an obvious improvement would be a near riotous problem with the public. Instead of looking at the receipts with neatly organized list of books, many patrons were upset, some even furious, that the date due sticker was gone. How we going to know when each item is due when? I can’t keep track of a receipt. And the list went on. I was flabbergasted. This seemed to be such an obvious improvement. Such is the human condition. War, famine and road construction can come and go, but don’t mess with a library.

Out library recently underwent a major renovation to the building. We added a computer lab, staff workspace and a new teen section. At the same time, we reorganized existing space to better suit flow and accommodate larger collections. All was exciting and offered us a real chance to flex our library muscles! Although in the abstract I knew change would be difficult, I simply underestimated the impact on my coworkers and on the public. I was lost. I couldn’t find pencils or tape. I simply couldn’t go on “automatic pilot” anymore! The public too was “lost”. Where are the DVDs? Where are the new books?

Change is inevitable and anxiety ridden. It is also exciting and rich with possibilities! I am giving myself time to adjust and figure out my “new” library. I can’t have the old way (and I don’t want the old way) but it will take time to develop the new way! As librarians, we are constantly in search of better ways to reach the public, create interest in the collections or simply bring something new to the table. Getting there isn’t always easy but that is why chocolate and aspirin were invented. I am just thrilled that the candy aisle at the store is not far from the office supplies and medicines.

Collection Development: Thy name is Marge!

2009-04-25T12:30:00.001-04:00

Over the years I have now thought beyond my collection development policy and broad statements of collection goals and tried to hammer out practical choices that are limited by shelving, budget and time. After almost nine years working in a library and five of those as a reference librarian in a small library, I now humbly submit myself for the use of “experienced” next to my name. However, although I felt confidence in my academic training, I will never forget the day when I was told to actually pick some fiction and place an order for my library. Like a stunned animal, I stared at a stack of cards and what seemed like foot high pile of Library Journal, Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Then I threw up.

Being in the neighborhood of two universities with library science programs I have been fortunate to have more than a few library science students float through my life and challenge me while they tried to reconcile the realities of practical library work and service with their education. Of course the magic of managing and selecting a collection is one of the most interesting and challenging subjects in library school, many students show up at our door wanting the nuts and bolts of picking and choosing materials. I feel their pain and say you need to find Marge. (Of course this is where most students stare at me blankly wondering if my library hair bun is wound too tight).

Marge is not superhuman, but is really what all librarians’ need--a special, regular patron that articulates your collection philosophy and ideals on a personal level. In the case of our library, she is a patron that is regularly tuned into the area newspapers, magazines and television. She is also a voracious reader that cuts across all genres and interests. All libraries, no matter what the size, have a few of these people. The trick is finding them. Not all of them will require the services of librarians, but you can bet the circulation staff knows these people. They don’t need help finding items to read because they already know what they want. They are here to collect.

I need to know specifics and Marge is my human face on the collection. Instead of trying to interpret broad community needs, or study circulation statistics in a vacuum, Marge has already identified the books and is in many ways a typical member of my service population. I just follow her lead. Each week, as part of her weekly routine she picks up the piles of books she has ordered and drops off a list of new ones. Previously, the circulation staff would just enter the holds and move on with the business of the library. Once I was privy to the Marge list, I was on my way.

Initially, I didn’t even realize I struck gold. I only wondered what kind of person requests 20 and 30 books at a time and picks up and reads that many each week. Who has that time? Evidently Marge does. As a retired teacher, Marge has paper and pencil with her and every time someone mentions a book that sparks her interest she writes it down. Seriously.

When I started paying attention to her requests, it finally dawned on me that she was identifying a good chunk of current non-fiction and fiction titles just hitting the best seller list. In addition, if she liked the author, she added additional back titles that also seemed to have a revived shelf life. In the span of two years handling Marge’s account personally, I learned about book trends and topics more than daily reading of the industry rags. Because Marge is my local patron, she was in tune to what might be popular in my town and library. But it isn’t just Marge. I have many patrons that help me with specific genres or titles. When themes in education or politics come up, I always think of Chuck. Thrillers (without lawyers and politicians) and I know I need to set it aside for Tim. Vampire lit and historical romance, I know it’s for Jennifer. Something risqué and you can bet I will be calling Sylvia. Personalizing my collection has helped me make better choices for my patrons.

So, when my library students come looking for “secrets” of selection, I always say “Let me tell you about Marge”.

Collection "Rules" : Remember the Exceptions!

2009-04-14T21:44:00.004-04:00

In developing some collection quality standards everyone seems to be looking for hard and fast rules. Medical information and legal information is questionable after 5 years, or if no one has checked out a book in 5 years, it should be weeded. These kinds of rules disturb me in many ways. No single title or collection can be judged based on such singular criteria. Context, condition and community (forgive the alliteration!) all determine an items “fitness” for inclusion in the collection. Rules of thumb are a good jumping off point but don’t forget to allow for the exception that might “prove” the rule!

Context: Where was the item shelved or displayed? Did the right people find that item? If something isn’t “working” in your collection, have you thought about why and where it is within the library? Does it belong in more than one place? Items with crossover appeal are also making me reconsider multiple copies of titles in multiple places! The Twilight Series, Harry Potter and many of James Patterson’s Maximum Ride books appeal to all ages and kinds of readers. If your circ numbers are not doing what you think, ask yourself about context!

Condition is also a fun topic at my library. Our youth librarians and I debate constantly the quality of a particular item. As an adult services librarian, my standard on what is “yucky” is completely different from our youth staff. I have seen picture books held together with tape and prayer and still it circs! Obviously what is standard for one collection might not work for others.
My community also has its own barometer of taste and standards and as a librarian I am bound to take this into consideration. Many years ago I debated with a librarian about inclusion in our library a coffee table book featuring some pretty graphic photography. The book was 65 dollars and had a naked man on the back cover (Very naked). I am no prude and I am not out to censor anyone, but I was trying to think of even one person in my library that would check it out. My argument was less for content and more for it really didn’t address a single person in my community. Maybe this would be a better title for a larger library or a specific art or photography collection. My point is that with a limited collection budget and shelf space, I don’t want materials that are not going to serve my patrons.

Before anyone thinks what I have said is engraved in stone, I have exceptions to almost every collection situation I can think of! I keep a copy of a book I would never purchase because the guy who donated it comes into the library to “visit” the copy on the shelf. I keep many books that are in poor condition simply because I can’t find a good looking replacement. What we librarians must do is defend our choices with data (circulation and cost are serious issues to consider) If our choices aren’t working, have we really considered other issues like shelving location, marketing or whether this particular title was a good choice for the community.

Physical Inventory of Library Collections

2009-03-28T13:19:00.008-04:00

As I really start to hunker down and prepare for the Rural Libraries Conference, I decided that I might have to wax on about my favorite topic of collection quality. I am presenting with my co-worker, Holly Hibner, about physical inventory and how it can help make a library collection more dynamic and useful to both the librarians and patrons who use it.

In a nutshell, physical inventory makes the assumption that every item in the collection, at some time, will be examined by a real person. In doing a physical exam of a collection item by item, you are also tracking the quality of everything collection related: shelving, cataloging, use/circulation activity. Of course this sounds daunting! Who can possibly physically examine every item in the collection? The short answer is you can’t. Like shelf reading or weeding or any other maintenance activity, you must integrate inventory into the regular activity of managing your library collection.

Managing a collection is more than just selection and weeding materials from time to time. That time between selection and weeding is when we need to be paying close attention. Is it meeting the needs and working within the scope of the library’s collection development policy? Is it being used? Are the librarians responsible for that collection making the best use of budget and resources?

As I continue to preach this gospel of physical inventory, let me put a few ideas out there based on my own experience. In examining about one stack of fiction (about 125 books or so), I came across a missing book, an item claims returned by a patron, two books that were still checked out to patrons. In addition, there were some damaged books that needed some attention and a handful that were shelved incorrectly. For those who count, that is about an error rate between 3% and 5% (depending on your inclusion of misshelved or damaged items). Think about the money and time spent overall in collection and before you know it, we are talking about REAL money!

Loleta Fyan Rural Libraries Conference 2009
4/29/09-5/1/09
Grand Traverse Resort
http://rlc2009.ning.com/

Collection Vision

2009-02-24T08:50:00.001-05:00

Imagine this scenario: Miracle of miracle of miracles you’ve have just been given an extra $1,000 to spend on some items for your small, but impressive popular materials public library. Even if this scenario is unlikely, it’s a great exercise for librarians in determining where they see the collection heading or its “flavor”. Of course no two librarians would spend it the same way, but a question like this for any staff member begins a quality discussion about the collection. Does the librarian think about popular materials or filling a hole in a particular subject? Does he or she think of an expensive reference item that normally would be out of reach? For small and medium libraries, each item in the collection is a significant use of budget and space. How do librarians, directors and boards know if their collection is “good”? Is there an unbiased way to evaluate a librarian’s choices in selection or the overall collection quality?

For the small and medium library, collection decisions usually center on criteria of popularity, collection scope, budget and space. With the help of a decent collection policy, there should be wide latitude in what a library CAN buy. Reality is much different. A limited budget means choices. Instinctively we all realize that a popular materials library, containing only materials in Latin, is probably not the most effective use of public dollars. Although most decisions are not that obvious, most are of the variety of choices such as two best sellers or maybe a nice reference book. So for garden variety small and medium libraries, what is the “correct” answer?

Invariably this is where the discussion turns to quality vs. popularity. I probably default to popularity or “use” when dealing with tax payer money. What will get us the most bang for the buck? I could have this debate all day with librarians. It’s interesting and leads us to many discussions of what we have in terms of “vision” for the collection.
Next time you have a library discussion ask everyone to dream about an imaginary $1000 for any part of the collection. Listen to the why and vision behind the choices. What sets your library’s collection apart from other libraries?

In case anyone cares, my money would be spent on some of those really cool but expensive DVDs from PBS and the BBC and a few fun television show sets.

Which Tax Form do I need?

2009-02-14T16:27:00.005-05:00

Tax forms can be one of the more trying parts of library service. One question I am frequently asked at the desk is “which form do I need?” Most librarians I know want to balk at giving tax advice. This is NOT tax advice, but rather guidance on forms. Remind patrons that they need to consult the IRS or a tax consultant. In all situations, I provide a contact number and even a local office address with IRS or any state treasury department that might be involved. Here are some quick questions to ask a patron to get them started on the right forms.

Did you own your own home? (A home can mean a mobile home, condo, co-op etc.)
Chances are you will be itemizing, and that means 1040 and the Schedules A and B.

Did you buy and or sell stocks or mutual funds or any other kind of investment?
If you did, that means you will also need Schedule D with your 1040.

Did you have a lot of medical expenses above and beyond what insurance covered?
This also might be an item for Schedule A and the regular 1040.

The 1040A and the 1040EZ are designed for cases of simple returns (none of the above type situations) and are for those who make less than $50,000 per year in income. 1040EZ is for those with only wages and interest and no tuition credit issues, or dependents. 1040A has a few more bells and whistles, but is still meant for uncomplicated financial situations. Most teenagers with part time jobs and are dependents on their parent’s return are candidates for 1040EZ.

State and local returns are also problematic. Partial year residents might have issues with other states. Here in southeastern Michigan, there are enough people that commute back and forth across the state and have residency and income in different states. Always look for language that addresses reciprocal tax arrangements.

Now after you have helped a grateful patron with their tax issues, you can remind them that there are tax benefits in giving to your local library. (See Holly Hibner's Blog on Tax forms and library service!)

Helpful links and phone numbers:

About.com: http://taxes.about.com/od/preparingyourtaxes/u/filing_taxes.htm
Michigan Department of Treasury: http://www.michigan.gov/treasury
Ohio Department of Taxation: http://tax.ohio.gov/
IRS website: http://www.irs.gov/IRS Telephone Assistance for Individuals:Toll-Free, 1-800-829-1040 Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. your local time (Alaska & Hawaii follow Pacific Time).

Fun with Facebook!

2009-02-11T12:46:00.002-05:00

After being badgered by some librarians about the great social networking sites available, I jumped into Facebook and I am having a blast! I was sure it would be a nightmare- no one would be my "friend"or only creepy people would be on the 'net. To my delight, I have made contact with people I hadn't thought about for many years. College and high school friends have popped up and we have been able to catch up without me having to book a plane ride or find the right dress to wear. The librarian in me is still wary of the scope of social networking and its potential for privacy abuses, but right now I am thrilled with my small reunions of very nice people who are probably like me ... just wondering what ever happened to that person?

Librarians still need to be leaders in educating about social networking. Every time we help someone load a picture or create a profile on one of these sites, we need to use that as an opportunity to talk about safety issues. Young people, in particular, are not as saavy as they might think about Internet security issues and privacy. Show them how to have fun but keep it safe. For all you other librarians, come on in and join the party.

Staying Fresh!

2009-02-03T22:39:00.002-05:00

No I am not talking about hygiene! One of the topics of concern is keeping it fresh and interesting in your job. I am not talking about job problems -that can be another discussion. Highs and lows are normal in everyone's job. So how can a librarian stay current and interested?

Make a conscious choice to be positive. (This is probably good advice no matter what!)
Take a class. Investigate areas that could be improved. Technology, literature, current events, art history or anything at all. Since librarians cover EVERYTHING, any thing that forces you to stretch and think will translate into something positive for your patrons and coworkers.
Investigate substitute librarian opportunities. Aside from getting a bit more money, this forces you outside your comfort zone and lets you evaluate another way of doing things. Different patrons, different types of questions and different resources can keep you on your toes!
Tour other libraries. This is a no-brainer! Grab your camera and start looking around. How does the collection look? How do they organize a book display? With permission, see about getting a behind the scenes look at processing, ILL, and other library services.

My coworkers and I make a serious attempt to do the above regularly. A couple of things always happen: either I totally appreciate my circumstances with renewed enthusiasm or I steal a few good ideas.

My First Post

2009-02-02T22:51:00.004-05:00

I have been meaning to get on the blog train for months now. My co-worker is already an expert and now I am feeling the pressure to catch up! Hopefully, this can help me articulate some ideas that have worked in my library as well as share things I have heard through the library grapevine. I am ready to join up as a full fledged participant in Web 2.0.

Stay tuned for more!
Mary