Take This Idea and Run With It

Book Club in a Bag

I had never seen this before (probably many of you have), but it was first brought to my attention by science fiction writer and all-around great guy, Robert Sawyer. The Kitchener Public Library has started offering book clubs in a bag, where you get a set of ten copies of the same book, plus a book-club discussion guide and everything checks out as one item.

When I read Robert's post, I thought that's a great idea! Then, when I finally got a library card at my local library, guess what they have? Yep! DIBs or Discussions In Boxes. From their website:

A selection of challenging and entertaining discussion books plus a binder full of reviews and information about the authors is available for a checkout period of 6 weeks.

And here's a PDF explaining the service at Bettendorf.

How cool is that? Is this something your library could do?

(cross-posted at Pop Goes the Library)

So, it's been about a month-and-a-half...

since I moved to IA to take the job as Access Services Librarian at Palmer College of Chiropractic. So what's happening with me, you might ask?

I have to say the transition from public to academic library has been (and will be) a little rough. Things are very different from one type of library to the other.

In the public library, there were people coming in the library all the time. True, there were fewer people who used the library than paid for it with their taxes, but all the same, when you were on the reference desk, you had questions. Here, I can sit an entire shift on the reference desk (which entails three hours at the desk and the remainder of the day on call...yes, your reference shift technically lasts for the ENTIRE work day) and not get any questions. Even sitting at the circulation desk I go an entire work day without interacting with a patron.

It goes without saying, but there's a different focus on collection development. I bring it up since here at Palmer, we're concerned with health care and specifically (predominantly) with chiropractic. I do not have a health care background, nor do I know much about chiropractic. It's a steep curve I have to take to learn enough to be able to help someone should they decide to ask me a question. Here, if it's not healthcare...and I should really just say if it's not chiropractic...interest, we don't order it. Instead of getting dozens of books each week, we might get a dozen a month. We do order McNaughton books (remember those from collection development classes? The bestselling books that you keep for a limited time?) so that we have some popular reading; but those books don't circulate very much. I'm not involved in collection development at Palmer, whereas all the librarians at the public library were involved. I do see the McNaughton list and can recommend up to two titles, but that's a lot different from the vast amount of ordering I used to do. At the public library, I did collection development for: fiction, the 000s, healthcare (ah, you lied! you do have a background in healthcare! not really, not when I order books based on reviews and Amazon rankings), parenting, science fiction & fantasy, and young adult books.

I did a lot of marketing and creative planning at the public library. There were easy places to make signs, and create website stuff, have interesting programming items, etc. that just don't exist here. At least, they aren't as obvious here. It's not even like we're a more comprehensive college/university with lots of majors and departments. We're very focused here, and it's something I don't have a background in. The website is set. There's no need/way for me to create cute links, or reader's advisories, or Web 2.0 stuff. I can update content, but I can't change the way things look or feel. There's no programming. I could certainly make signs, but I believe signs should be a minimum and once I have the few done I think we need...then what? It's not like the YA stuff at the last library where I could create a new wacky sign every week.

Like I said, it's been rough. Everything is different. Everyone has been here longer than I have so I feel a lot of pressure (all personal, it's not pressure from my bosses) to do better at my job. So I've been trying to think of ways to take what I do well at a library and apply it here. I could create new signs (i.e., for the new books, for our hours, etc.). I could work on getting some sort of programming going here...have chiropractors come into the library to talk to students about being a professional, or about a book they've written. Maybe even see if anyone would be interested in having in 'fun' authors in to talk about books (sort of a diversion from studies). Maybe I could create some internal wikis or blogs to help set a home for policies/procedures.

It took me until last week to start thinking this way again. I've been so overwhelmed by what I don't know, that I was forgetting what I do know.

Non Library Blogs

From The Liminal Librarian (Rachel Singer Gordon): a list of five non-library blogs that I read regularly. This idea came up when people mentioned that they felt library blogs were suffering from nepotism (they should check out the science fiction world!).

While I'm no Steven Cohen, I have somewhere around 230 feeds in my reader. There are some 60 library feeds, around 80 feeds from science fiction & fantasy writers, some 30 or so publishing blogs (editors, publishers, etc.), about 10 feeds that are searches on different formats for my zine and feeds from my zine, and the rest are a bunch of misc things...five of which will be highlighted below:

BoingBoing - I met Cory Doctorow many years ago when he was an aspiring (and already talented) science fiction author. I worked for his publisher, Tor Books, for a number of years. When I found BoingBoing online through Cory, I knew I had found a place that would collect all sorts of things of interest to me: from science fiction to copyright to movies & television to weird weird weird stuff, BoingBoing has it all. Plus it updates all the time, so there's always something new to read.

Lifehacker - One of the most useful website I have ever encountered. This gives me tips on software and organization and shopping and everything else. There are a ton of great things I've learned from here. This website is indispensable to me. Plus, I'm an approved commenter!

Entertainment Weekly's Popwatch - My daily (who am I kidding, multiple times a daily) fix of Entertainment Weekly Magazine. Updates on movies, music, television, and all things pop culture (not so mcuh books...sniff). I love getting their instant reviews on last night's television. It's like they're inside my head watching what I watch.

Best Week Ever - Covering much of the same types of material as Popwatch, but with attitude. They don't pretend to be nice to the stars and what the stars are doing. If you've seen the TV show, you know what I mean. Often rude, often caustic, but again, often what I'm thinking anyway. They have a great feature called 'Listen Up' where they post links to mp3s of new music, both from established bands and up-and-coming artists. A great way to hear some stuff before it comes out. This makes you sound like you're in the know. :)

I read a dozen or so marketing blogs (what's good for small business is good for the library) but Creating Passionate Users is my favorite. Librarians are already passionate users of the library, and Kathy Sierra (even though she's talking about software) gives great insight to make your users (patrons) passionate users, too. She's creates these great (kind of ugly) charts and graphs to illustrate her points. They show that you don't need to have the perfect design and art to get your point across. Definitely worth checking out. Don't tell Kathy, but I print out her posts so I can refer to them later!

Reaching out to my fellow library workers

Being the Access Services Librarian gives me job duties that I have no experience with in the library. They include such things as: ILL, document delivery, copyright & royalty fees [as they pertain to document delivery], circulation, staff management, access services in general.

Does anyone have any suggestions of some good sources for information on any of these topics? I am getting a lot of great information from my co-workers and staff, but I like to see what other people use/know.

We use OCLC for ILL and Docline for document delivery. We run on a Horizon system. We are an academic institution, but we are also a chiropractic college, so our collection is fairly specialized.

I've subscribed to a number of list servs, and I'm looking into journal articles as well. Anyone have something that would help focus my energy?

Where have you've gone, Johnny Klima?

I've been in IA for a few weeks now. I keep forgetting to bring in a camera to take pictures of my new library digs, but I'll have some soon. Our college runs in trimesters and today's graduation. That means that next week is an interim week with no students and I'll have some freedom to come in and snap away.

There have been two questions I've been getting from everyone: what do you think of IA? and How's the new job? These are both fair questions. Honestly, what else are people going to ask me about? My feelings are those of general happiness and contentment. It's very interesting to go from a large public library, to a small college. I know that I've come in right at finals so I'm not seeing how the students use the library normally, AND I haven't worked on the second floor where the students can check out bones (yes, containers of skulls and spines in pieces that students have to assemble) which is busier than the third floor where my office [wait until you see pictures] is. The new trimester starts in two weeks and I'm excited to see how things work.

However, it's only been a few weeks and I don't know that I can give a fair assessment of what I think. There is a lot of unknown in my life right now (i.e., this is the first time I've worked in circulation and then I'm the manager on top of that, this is the first time I've worked in an academic environment [my time at Rutgers digital libraries does not count as we had no patrons], and this is my first experience with chiropractic medicine). This unknown makes things difficult since I'm spending most of my time reading and learning. I feel little behind the eight ball to get caught up, but that's all self-imposed behind the eight-ballness.

On top of that, at this job I have faculty status, which means I am required to do professional development and service to the college/chiropractic community. Well, I'm required only in the way since it's tied directly to promotion and advancement. So I'll have to do scholarship. Which is fine; I kind of like the idea of writing papers, or editing a journal, or overseeing a committee, or who knows what I'll get into. At my last job, while outside work like that was not discouraged, it wasn't actively encouraged. And it did little to help me as far as performance reviews came. No one would be upset if I published something in School Library Journal, but no one would necessarily laud it either. [that's probably unfair and it sounds a little bitter towards my last job; I guess I'm just trying to say that the public library had no requirements like this, and therefore doing stuff like this was more for personal edification than anything else]

Then there's the whole IA thing. I'd never been to IA before I came out here in Feb 2006 to interview for this job the first time. There's a lot to learn. We're trying to find: grocery stores, fish markets, meat markets, restaurants, doctors, dentists, bookstores, libraries, craft places, printers, etc. that we like. We've moved far enough that most of the stores (particularly when it comes to food shopping; and this is important because we REALLY like to cook) are not the same as the East Coast.

My point is, we're happy, but we're not settled yet. There's a lot to learn.

Moving to Iowa

Yes, I'm moving to Iowa. Here's the story in a nutshell:

At the end of this month, my family and I will be moving to Iowa. I'll be working at the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport as their Access Services Librarian. I start on Feb 5. We'll be driving out on Jan 26.

I had interviewed with Palmer in February of last year, before I was full-time at Franklin Township. They picked a candidate who was more local to them. He lived in Iowa City, which is about an hour drive from Davenport. However, the University of Iowa restructured their libraries and he was able to get a job at the University in Iowa City so he no longer needed to commute.

Palmer re-contacted me to see if I was still interested in the job. I was. They flew me back out in December. I was the only candidate.

The money is about the same as I was making at Franklin. But, that money will go a lot further in Iowa than it does in NJ. Also, we'll be only a few hours drive from family. It'll be tough moving away from the library family that I've grown up in (even though I haven't been a member for very long), but hopefully we'll be able to stay in touch!

I'll still post here and on Pop Goes the Library. You will continue to see me doing things in the library field.

John Klima

Eye Candy

True story:
I was wrapping up a reader's advisory session with a patron who remarked, "I've never seen a male librarian before." In a nonchalant manner I replied, "Yeah, we make up roughly 20% of the profession." She seemed fascinated by my presence in the library. I was a curiosity, a novelty. The reference interaction ended and she made her way up to the circulation desk to check-out her books. I overheard her say to the circulation assistant, "I see you have a male librarian working here now. It's nice to have some eye candy around here." The circulation assistant said nothing.

Tags: libraries

Kathy Sierra is Smart

It's been a while since I've posted about Kathy and the blog she is a part of: Creating Passionate Users. The blog is mostly geared towards software development and making products that people are passionate about instead of just users of (i.e., the iPod).

Toady Kathy makes a great point:

Things I learned from my horse trainers #42: practice saying, "Hmmmm... how interesting." Say it when you're frustrated. Say it when you're mad. Most importantly, say it before you say or do anything else (including hit the "send" or "post" button).

It should be the first thing out of your mouth when things go wrong--or don't meet your expectations--because:

1) It inserts a pause and gives you a moment to think before you react.

2) It keeps you from taking things too personally

Think about it, this might be a way to deal with a difficult patron, or when you run up against library policy that you don't agree with but need to enforce.

Tags: libraries

censors in civilization

Senator Robert Byrd makes no secret of the fact that he walks around with a pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution in his pocket. I suppose it serves as a constant reminder of the ideology that governs our Legislature.
At times, I consider carrying around a copy of the American Library Association's "Library Bill of Rights" (and its Rule Interpretations) with me. Say what you like about the ALA, I am a proud member and fully support the organization. As corny as it may sound, the text of the "Library Bill of Rights" inspires me.
I've always been a bit of an ideologue, a trait which can sometime be a liability if you habitually let it cloud your ability to render practical solutions. However, there are times when my tendency for the abstract is steadfast, like when library materials are met with challenges from the censors.
We've all heard: "I don't want my tax dollars to be used towards the purchase of materials that I (or anyone in my family) might find objectionable." This is the argument that the censors make and it's a troubling one because that logic does not hold up when you extend it to other areas. For instance: "I don't want my tax dollars to be used to fund the school system because I don't have children so why should I pay to educate someone else's child according to a curriculum that I didn't write (or even approve) in the first place."
If you don't want your tax dollars to be used in a manner that you do not deem appropriate then your best option is to move to a part of the planet where a taxpayer-funded government does not exist. This will likely be a very remote location where other human beings do not currently reside and will thereby accomplish the secondary objective of never having to be offended again since you will be in a position to avoid human contact entirely. Those of us that remain in civilization will feel pretty good about the arrangement too.

Tags: libraries

Felling Groovy (but not like Simon & Garfunkel)

So I've been away from the reference desk for a few weeks. We're finalizing our move, and I've been needed elsewhere. However, with the end of the year crushing down on us quickly, there are a lot of us trying to use up floating holidays. Story short, I was on the reference desk yesterday afternoon.

And I saw a gentleman who I'd helped in the past who was trying to get custody of his step-children. Not to get too specific (and not that I know a lot of specifics), but he's trying to get these kids away from a bad situation.

I and the head of reference helped find all the forms he needed to fill out so that the courts could do what they needed to do. Since he's not a blood relative, he needs to make sure that he cross all his 't's and dots all his 'i's.

So yesterday I found out that he's been able to get weekend custody of the young man involved (he already has the twin teenage girls [who are just awesome kids]) and if that goes well he may be able to get more.

It felt so good to hear from him and know that the information I gave him was helping him and his situation.

It's always nice to know that what you're doing matters, isn't it?

Tags: libraries

do libraries make you hungry?

I have to get something that's been troubling me off my chest.

Am I the only one who is shocked by the library staff's complete preoccupation with food. It's probably just me, but it seems like food creeps into conversations among co-workers a lot around here. I never knew it was possible to have a conversation about what you plan to have for dinner--or, even worse, what you had for dinner the night before--until I began working at a public library. Staff get so worked up over these discussions that you'd think they were discussing a solution to the war in Iraq. And judging from their conversations, it seems that I'm the only who considers half a can of Pringles and some grape soda as a proper dinner. My nutrients come from multi vitamins.

Tags: libraries

Filter the Fear

The Internet filtering policy at the North Central Regional Library (WA) is being challenged by the ACLU. Read the story at "American Libraries" online.

In the article, the Director of NCRL, Dean Marney, is quoted as saying: "The internet is so huge, and we carefully choose the books for our libraries. Shouldn't we try to be as careful with the internet?"

Wait a second...! Did I read that right? Employing filtering software does not make your library as careful as it is with regard to its collection development because individual libraries aren't writing their own filtering software. Their making their own decisions regarding which books to buy, but not the website to which they deny access.

Look, I have no problem with filters as long as they work. The problem is that they don't work. The bigger problem is that legislators and parents think that they do. Until filters become as smart as human beings, they'll always be problematic. Sorry, parents; I think your job is only going to get harder.

What really worries me, however, is the danger in associating collection development practices with internet filtering. Apart from the fact that they both fall under the heading of "access," the two have very little in common beyond that.

Perhaps we should also let software do all of our collection development for us. All we'd have to do is write an algorithm and fire all the librarians. (Google can handle all of the reference questions.) While we're at it, we could fire the circulation staff and install a dozen self checkout kiosks.

The solution to all this? There isn't an easy one. All we can do is challenge programmers to write better software. Of course, we could also push for legislation that would abolish the Internet.


Tags: libraries

Pat Wagner of Pattern Research

Last week, my library brought in Pat Wagner of Pattern Research to talk to the staff about customer service. I saw Pat just about a year ago when I was an intern at the Princeton Public Library finishing up my Master's degree.

Pat is just great. She really re-energizes you about working with the public. I'd been feeling kind of down in the past month. We're getting ready to complete our construction and I've been busy with the anthology and the zine, and really just taking too much work on. I was driving myself nuts trying to stay on top of everything.

While I haven't learned to take on less work, something that Pat said stuck with me: "I can only do what I have time to do." What Pat meant by this wasn't that you should not do work, nor that you should try to do as little as possible, but rather to realize your limitations as far as time constraints, and do the best job you can in the time you have. It doesn't matter if you could do an awesome job on a reference question if you had four hours when you really have fifteen minutes (or two!). Take the time you have and give the person the most complete answer you can in that time. Don't give them fifteen minutes of a four-hour answer, give them a fifteen minute answer.

This is not an easy thing to do, but it is important to keep in mind. And, if the patron needs more from you, let them know that it will take more time and you will get back to them later. If they aren't willing to wait, then they will have to take your fifteen-minute answer.

Tags: libraries

Library Catalogs

I've been spending a lot of time looking at and thinking about our library catalog recently. We're nearing the end of a large (dare I say huge?) construction/renovation project. Right now, most of the adult books (that aren't in storage) are crammed together in one main area (young adult and biography share a space that is not their final resting spot). The children's books are crammed into one square of space.

Eventually, the space where all the fiction/nonfiction adult books currently reside will be only fiction, while nonfiction, biography, and a few other areas will be moved into the new nonfiction/reference area. The children's book will spread from one square of space to three. And the young adult collection will be moved into its own room.

In addition to physically getting the books in place, we need to make changes to the catalog so that patrons can find the books (they'll be lost for weeks with just the physical move, but we'd like to give some sort of chance to find their books...more thoughts on this in a future post). Some of that is simple. We just need to change the description of the location in the catalog so that it'll refer to the new location. Some are more difficult.

We have a few collections that are currently in their location that will be incorporated into other collections (i.e., our non-reference LAW books are being integrated into nonfiction). So, we're taking part of this separate LAW collection and moving it into nonfiction, but some of it is staying separate. So, we need to move the books in the catalog from one location to another. Right now, we have LAW, BUSINESS, CAREER, FDC, and a few miscellaneous collections that are being split like this.

We also have a few collections that will need to be split because we are physically moving them to different parts of the library (the library used to be a children's section and then everything else; now we'll have three main sections: children's, fiction, and nonfiction). For example, we have educational videos, (as opposed to entertainment videos like Star Wars and The Sopranos) that include things like the BBC version of "Pride and Prejudice," but also things like "8-minute Abs." Right now, they are in the same room. BY the end of the year, they will be in separate rooms. Right now, they are in the same location in the catalog. By the end of the year, they will need to be in separate locations in the catalog.

As I investigated this issue earlier this fall, I learned that this was no way for me to do this on my own without scanning each book manually. I find it hard to believe that moving collections from one place to another is not standard in an ILS. We have a workaround that we're building right now, but I can't believe I had to get a workaround made. In a multi-library system, you would have the ability to 'move' the books in the catalog from one library to another and then back again, but changing locations along the way. I don't know why I can't do this for a standalone library; they're creating a fake library for me to use for this exact purpose.

How many libraries out there shift books from one location in the library to another? What if you wanted a separate travel section? Or you wanted to combine two existing collections?

Don't even get me started on close dates for loan periods while we're closed. :)

Tags: libraries

Logorrhea

So I was ordering books for the library when I decided to see if Logorrhea was listed in Baker & Taylor. You can tell I'm not really an author since it hadn't occured to me before to look. Well, lo and behold, there is was. With an ISBN and everything. (it's 978-0-553-38433-8 [or 0-553-38433-3 for you pre-ISBN-13 phillistines]) And, it's obviously available at Amazon, so that's cool. If you don't know, Logorrhea is an anthology of original fiction that I'm editing for Bantam. The stories are all based on spelling-bee winning words. It's due to come out next May in time for the National Spelling Bee.

I've been on the other side of things hundreds of times. But this is the first time that I've been responsible for the content of a book that's being published. I'm somewhere between excited and a nervous wreck.

I'm honestly overwhelmed. I have to thank my editor, Juliet Ulman, for making this all possible. And of course, you should all go out and pre-order your copies today. :)

Here is the final line-up, in order:

Hal Duncan - "The Chiaroscurist"
Liz Williams - "Lyceum"
David Prill - "Vivisepulture"
Clare Dudman - "Eczema"
Alex Irvine - "Semaphore"
Marly Youmans - "The Smaragdine Knot"
Michael Moorcock - "A Portrait in Ivory"
Daniel Abraham - "The Cambist and Lord Iron: A Fairy Tale of Economics"
Michelle Richmond - "Logorrhea"
Anna Tambour - "Pococurante"
Tim Pratt - "From Around Here"
Elizabeth Hand - "Vignette"
Alan DeNiro - "Plight of the Sycophant"
Matthew Cheney - "The Last Elegy"
Jay Caselberg - "Eudaemonic"
Paolo Bacigalupi - "Softer"
Jay Lake - "Crossing the Seven"
Leslie What - "Tsuris"
Neil Williamson - "The Euonymist"
Theodora Goss - "Singing of Mount Abora"
Jeff VanderMeer - "Appoggiatura"

Tags: libraries

Feeling Green (but not like Kermit)

American Libraries magazine is reporting that the newly constructed public library in Bozeman Montana will reserve its prime parking spots for hybrids, car pools, "low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles." This is one of the requirements that the library must deliver in order to comply with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. Why comply? Well, apart from the obvious reasons, a private donor has promised to contribute $500,000 to the library if they do.

All of this talk of low-emitting vehicles is really starting to make me wonder. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for hybrid vehicles and car pooling, but those of us who ride motorcycles are starting to feel a little unappreciated. Our machines have been low-emitting before the practice was formally sanctioned by actor Leonardo DiCaprio when he granted it his "official blessing of cool" by driving around Hollywood (and, more importunately, being seen) in his precious Prius. "What about cycling or walking," you ask? Well, that's just down-right uncivilized; I might break a sweat.

Anyway, I just hope the local parking authority in Bozeman doesn't ticket any innocent motorcyclists who park in the good spots. Incidentally, just in case you're wondering, motorcyclists do use libraries. But I'm not sure about DiCaprio.

Tags: libraries

Je vous presente...

Operating under the sound advice of The Editor, I'd like to take a moment to briefly introduce myself. The Editor and I met in graduate school where we soon discovered the uncanny similarities that exist among our respective professional backgrounds and future aspirations as librarians. Like the Editor, I am a career-changing 30-something who is new to the LIS field. My previous career was in the corporate world where I worked in corporate communications, advertising, entertainment marketing (a.k.a., "product placement") and media relations. Despite my brief tenure as a practicing librarian, I can report with complete certainty that I have never been happier. Some of us are just made to be librarians. It's in our DNA. I suppose this makes me one of the lucky ones; many people spend their lives in search of the same level of professional satisfaction that I have been fortunate enough to find in the LIS field. Lastly, I think you'll find that my take on things is fairly non-traditional. Of course, that stands to reason; I'm new to the profession and have yet to become captivated by the status quo. With any luck, I never will. I sincerely hope that my contributions to this blog will provide both entertainment and educational value--all the while maintaining your interest.

Tags: libraries

2007 NJLA Salary Guidelines

The New Jersey Library Association (NJLA) Executive Board has adopted new recommended salary guidelines for 2007.

The new recommended minimum salary for a librarian starts at $45,787.

See: http://www.njla.org/resources/salaries.html

Sadly, these are only recommended salary guidelines.

Tags: libraries

...you need a degree to do this?

True story:
As I was wrapping up a reference interaction with a patron a couple of months ago, she asked, "By the way, how did you get a job working here? I love this library and I'm here all the time. Maybe I should start working here too." I said, "Well, I started off by first going to graduate school...." She interrupted me there and said, "Oh, you need a degree to do this?"

Tags: libraries

Pop Goes the Library

So here's some news. I've been invited to be a contributor to the way cool Pop Goes the Library blog. I've very excited about this and looking forward to posting.

This will likely mean that this blog will slow down in its posting regularity, and it may well mean that this blog will stop having posts. I don't know what will happen and it depends on my schedule.

There are things about librarianship that I would post here that wouldn't necessarily fit under PGTL's umbrella. We'll have to see!

Tags: libraries