Final Thoughts

I had intended to wait until next week to write this post but since I've finished everything for the class, it seems a little pointless to wait. Coming in, I didn't know what to expect out of this class and I wasn't particularly enthusiastic. Introductory courses are often a lot of busy work and loads of stating the obvious. While there was some of that in this course there was much more that was helpful and pertinent. I have learned more about the library profession. I now know that we have a strong core of ethics that stands for things I already hold dear. I've been challenged to think outside of my perceptions and I've found new areas of interest. I've had the chance to work with a wonderful team of women who are all going to become great librarians in their own right. While I still prefer my other class to this one, I feel as though I've put my time to good use. If there is one thing I will take from this class its this: Read and follow the grading rubric provided. :)

Time to Revisit

Back in January, in my first post I talked about some of the beliefs I held when I entered the program. I will forgive you if you couldn't find a list of beliefs and assumptions like some other bloggers wrote for this project. I had to look for them myself. I worked my assumptions into the body in such a crafty and seamless manner that I had to actually read what I had written to find out what I had written about. (Amazing!)

I'm going to pull out these statements for you and take a look at them to see how things have changed.

1) "I assumed that every MLIS holder had to become a librarian."

 This assumption is one I held prior to entering into the program and by the time I wrote my first post, this belief had already been busted. Even though I knew that every MLIS holder did not have to get a job in a public library I now have a much broader based understanding of the kinds of jobs out there. I've seen how MLIS holders can work in government agencies, schools, corporations, medical facilities, so on and so on.

2) "the thought of working as a school librarian filled me with nightmares of torn pages in Dr. Seuss books." Or, more specifically, school librarians only deal with handing books to kids.

What I've learned so far has opened my eyes to what all school librarians do have to deal with. They must be budget wizards so they can provide access to new information and new technology without a much funding. They face a number of social problems in their jobs. Everything from poverty, to diversity, to censorship can come up in a school library. They don't just tape pages in worn out kids books.

3) "For me, the collecting, organizing, and making accessible of all kinds of information is what Information Science is all about."

I'm leaving this one as it is. This is still spot on for me and I think its a keeper.

4) "I only thought of libraries in terms of public libraries devoted to fiction or specialized academic libraries."

I now have an understanding of all the different kinds of libraries that exist out there. Law libraries, medical libraries, digital libraries and more.

5) "My idea of a librarian was a middle-aged woman who spent her days brooding over the decision to put "Christian" stickers on the spines of Beverly Lewis books."

When I wrote this I knew that librarians dealt with budgets, boards, customer service, and marketing. I had worked in a library before but what I didn't know is that good librarians are champions against censorship, that they uphold privacy rights and the right to intellectual freedom. Before I thought they were older women who imposed their views on their patrons through their purchasing decisions. I now know that I have not had the best librarian role models out there and that the ethical requirements of the LIS profession make librarians liberal wonder women (and men!).

In many ways my assumptions have changed but rather than changing the old ones, what this introduction to the profession has done for me is to broaden my understanding of the LIS profession. Before coming into this class I didn't feel that a director of a smaller library necessarily needed an MLIS to be successful, now I'm certain that if a director does not have an MLIS that the library will suffer. If nothing else the University has secured its revenue stream for future classes because now if I am ever in a position to hire someone who would be doing the job of an actual librarian, I'm going to insist that he or she have an MLIS.

A Tale of Two Blogs

One of our assignments for this class was to follow two blogs written by librarians or information specialists. This wasn't a particularly onerous activity for me as I am a voracious blog consumer. I have been following Confessions of a Science Librarian for the past couple of years. Our instructor provided us with a list of blogs but unfortunately, it was horribly out of date and many of the blogs listed were inactive. I went on a search for another librarian blogger and I discovered The Annoyed Librarian. The Annoyed Librarian was a nice addition to my Feedly list and she gives a perspective that I might not otherwise have been exposed to. Both authors have unique outlooks on the industry and the issues that interest them. Both blogs appeal to readers outside of the LIS profession. I would recommend anyone who likes to have a broad background in whatever is going on in the world today to check them out.

And now, on to the blogs!

John Dupis is a Science & Engineering librarian at the Steacie Science & Engineering Library at York University in Toronto. He has been blogging for several years now and is currently hosted by ScienceBlogs. His topics range from reading lists specific to his subject matter, book reviews, interviews with library policy movers and shakers, links to lists of other library based articles that are interesting and pertinent, and on Fridays, some basic reference librarian fun. Because Dupis is from Canada he deals mainly with Canadian library policy and issues facing his country's library system but much of his commentary is applicable outside of Canada. ScienceBlogs itself is a find as they have some Very Smart Persons (VSP) blogging for them. Its definitely worth the time to check them out.

There isn't much information out there about the Annoyed Librarian however, her tag line of "Whatever it is, I'm against it" had me hooked from the start. All we know about the Annoyed Librarian is that she is "possibly the most successful, respected, and desirable librarian of her generation." and that she blogs at Library Journal which of course gives her street cred. She takes a no-nonsense approach to an industry that is sometimes hung up on trying to maintain its relevance in a changing information landscape. Combine it with the fact that she has haters means that its just the sort of blog that I enjoy reading. The Annoyed Librarian covers trends in employment, she provides her own brand of snark and insight to other library news, discusses policy silliness in libraries and a whole host of other topics that get her dander up. There are many who will not like her. Her tone is often irreverent. There are those she will upset. This blog is not for everyone but I'm glad to see a library blog that is not 100% "Yippee for us we're librarians!" Her snark is refreshing. Her most current post provides a sarcastic yet insightful look into how difficult it is to define what a library is and what it does. If you have the stomach for sarcasm and aren't too upset by a librarian who isn't tickled pink by e-book publishers go check her out.

Next time I'll be taking a look back at one of my earlier posts in preparation for wrapping up the semester.

A Tale of Two Journals

Scholarly journals provide individuals in a particular industry an inside look at what the best thinkers in their field are working on. Library and Information Science is no different. According to EBSCO the  Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts™ with Full Text (LISTA) database:

"indexes more than 560 core journals, nearly 50 priority journals, and nearly 125 selective journals; plus books, research reports and proceedings. This database also contains full text for more than 330 journals and nearly 30 full-text monographs including Handbook of Electronic & Digital Acquisitions, Library/Vendor Relationships, Journals of the Century, etc."

And this is just one database. For the LIS professional looking to learn more about their field there are thousands of publications available. For the past several months I've been following The Electronic Library (EL) and Library Philosophy and Practice (LPP). Both journals are peer reviewed scholarly publications aimed at LIS professionals. The LPP is available to everyone for free without a subscription through the Digital Commons @ University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The EL is published by Emerald Insight and must be accessed through the publisher or through a subscription service. I was able to access EL through the Wayne State University library system as well as through the LISTA database provided by my local public library. The EL journal is directly related to my interest in electronic libraries, software development, and the changing technological landscape of libraries. A full description of the journal provided by the publisher can be accessed here. The LPP journal is a more general publication dedicated to library best practices and the philosophy behind those practices. Between the two, I've been able to gain a greater insight into whats going on in my field.

The EL is a very tech-heavy publication. The casual reader without a background in tech may find themselves at a loss when perusing the articles. The vast majority of the articles are research papers with titles such as "Integrating Semantic Web Technologies with XML Schema Using Role-Mapping Annotations." The journal is an international journal. Many of the authors hail from outside of the United States. The editorial team comes from the University of North Texas but their editorial advisory board is filled with scholars from all over the world. The result is that readers have access to a broad base of information coming from a variety of areas of LIS technology. For me the most useful articles in this journal center around issues with creating and using metadata and controlled vocabularies. I live and breathe metadata and having access to what other professionals are doing with the same problems I encounter are is at the very least encouraging. It means I'm not alone and that someone has probably thought of a solution I have overlooked.

From the description the Library Philosophy and Practice:

 "is a peer-reviewed electronic journal that publishes articles exploring the connection between library practice and the philosophy and theory behind it. These include explorations of current, past, and emerging theories of librarianship and library practice, as well as reports of successful, innovative, or experimental library procedures, methods, or projects in all areas of librarianship, set in the context of applied research."

The journal is far less tech heavy than the EL and most readers would be comfortable with the subject matter. While the articles are still mostly research papers the tone is less heavy handed and more consumer friendly. The EL tends to speak to LIS professionals focused on tech, LPP focuses on the total librarian. Articles are on topics related to everything from technology acceptance to literacy. Like the EL, LPP has an international focus. Though it is published in Lincoln, Nebraska its editorial board comes from all over the United States as well as from many other countries including Iran and Saudi Arabia. Many of the articles deal with issues specific to a country or place but their application is useful to librarians in almost any setting. They do address issues of technology but that seems to be more of a result of the current library climate rather than a directed decision to focus in that area. I do not have any immediate plans to work in a public library again but I have found many of their articles useful. One article in particular examines CONTENTdm. This excited me because I work almost exclusively in CONTENTdm and I loved reading about what it is I actually do. Because the LPP is published for free it is more accessible to the garden variety librarian. This is important because journals behind a paywall or available only after jumping through hoops are less likely to be sought after by busy librarians who are holding down jobs and families. These librarians need to be able to access good information because continuing education funding is often lacking. Free and open access scholarly journals can help to fill this hole.

While I followed these journals only because of this assignment I believe that I will keep up on them. I'm not terribly interested in the international aspects of librarianship but I do find the occasional gem that makes me want to keep coming back. I would not recommend EL to the garden variety librarian. Many librarians have tech services to handle most of the things EL addresses but for the LIS professional focusing on digital resources and electronic libraries, it is a good resource. I would definitely recommend LPP to anyone in the LIS profession who wanted an easy to access scholarly journal that spoke to the different issues they face.

For next time, I will be looking at library focused blogs, which for a person who has more than 499 items in her Feedly each day, is something of a pet topic.


References

Chen, Jiangping. (Ed.) (2014) The Electronic Library. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing. Accessed from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0264-0473& .

Bolin, Mary & Eckwright, Gail. (Eds.) (2014) Library Philosophy and Practice. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska. Accessed from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/index.html.

A Midsemester Night's Dream

Technically midsemester passed a few weeks ago. This means I'm a bit late to the party. My intention was to write this post last week while I was at the Electronic Resources & Library (ERL) conference in Austin. However, that week was a whirlwind. The ERL conference was a great experience. I met lots of very smart people. I got to play with Google Glass. I got to handle 3D printed objects. I met librarians who were struggling with new technology as well as those who were embracing it wholeheartedly. I met librarians from Australia, the UK, Canada, and far flung points of the United States. I met librarians from the Library of Congress, MIT, and scads of other small public or academic libraries from all over.  I learned a lot about what employers want out of new MLIS graduates (its all about e-resources!).

Over the past few months I've been thinking about my future. My current situation with my own job is unstable but workable. I love it, so I'm hanging on. The two posts I did on possible jobs (here and here) left me with a sense of maybe that's not really what I want to do when I finish my degree. I've always wanted my PhD and so I started the process of locating a program that speaks to me. The University of Texas at Austin's School of Information was on my short list. While I was in Texas I met with several of the professors in the program. I have some good ideas about what I'd like to do for a doctoral thesis and the professors I met seemed enthusiastic and encouraged me to apply. At first I was enthusiastic too. The school is modern. The professors are personable and interesting. The doctoral students are well adjusted and don't look underfed. Even so, there was something nagging at me saying "Is this really where you want to be in two years?" By the time I was on the road home, the answer had turned from "maybe" to "probably not."

A third experience while in Texas has added to this thought process. One of our projects for the Intro to the Profession class (The one that spawned this blog!) was to visit two libraries and to compare and contrast the two. I chose my local library, the Englewood Public Library and the Casey Memorial Library at Fort Hood, Texas. The Casey Memorial Library is a public library located on the grounds of one of the largest military bases in the world. It is open to everyone, but it caters mostly to soldiers and their families stationed there. While there, I sort of fell in love. When I worked in a public library, the thing I loved the most was the people I served. I spoke before about my desire to work in the defense industry or something related and I think that a military library might be *it.* It combines two of my great loves: Libraries and supporting our soldiers. The director has been employed there since 1974. The second longest serving librarian would not tell me how many years she had in the military library system but a quick tally of the years she said she was in various places brings it to more than 25 years. Any time one finds a place where people are willing to stay for decades at a time, it is worth looking closer at that employer. There are pros and cons to finding a job in a military library. The first would be that one would need to get her foot in the door first, relocate to wherever that opening was, and then later wait for an opening in a geographical area she wanted to be. Something tells me that I want to be in the military library system.

What other thoughts do I have about this semester? Well, for one, after the ER&L conference I'm going to be gearing my education more towards e-resources because of the emphasis librarians placed on being able to hire people qualified to deal with databases and electronic resource licensing. I still love my scripting class. I'm ready to take the summer off. I'm ok with taking three years to complete this degree. I've also decided I'm going to keep this blog. I've canned my other library themed blog and I will continue this one after the semester is over. It's grown on me.

The Job Search (Part 2)

Back in The Job Search (Part 1) I laid out two of my "dream jobs." Now, I'd like to take a little time to muse on what I need to get where I'd like to go. The job with the Air Force would take the most work. In addition to my MLIS studies I would need to focus heavily on computer programming and security. I already have an understanding of database systems and how they work. I have a natural inclination towards programming and information structures. In order to be truly qualified I would likely need to look outside of my MLIS program in order to obtain the proper background in computer security. I still believe the MLIS degree would provide a helpful background for this position insofar as I continue to focus on digital content and information management.

The second of the two jobs, the one with Haynes and Boone, would be the easy path. I'm already quite proficient with Microsoft Excel. I love manipulating data and pulling insights out of seemingly unrelated bits of information. I'm already an experienced researcher. Much of what would be required from me at a position like this is what I already do. The difference is Haynes and Boone requires an MLIS degree.

So if this is the line of work I want to do am I on the path that I need to be on?

Well sort of. The Airforce job would require me to do far more in the computer programming side. I would absolutely enjoy it, but its a little outside of the realm of my MLIS studies. The Haynes and Boone position is very similar to the sort of work I already do and have done in the past. Rather than a question of "Am I on the right path?" I'm running into a "Is this what I really want?" The answer to the second questions is a tentative "Not really . . . " It seems a third path may be calling my name. I think I'll address the appearance of this third path in my next post when I take a look at my first semester from the vantage point of the halfway mark.

The Job Search (Part 1)

The job search front has taken a more important place in my brain these days. A few weeks ago I was laid off from my job. They recalled me two weeks later but at only half of the hours. I’ve known since the beginning that I wanted to work more in the “information” side of my MLIS so I’ve been looking closer at information related jobs. I have a strong desire to work as a government contractor. I think that civil service is important and the stability appeals to me. One job I came across that would be a “dream job” is with the Department of the Air Force. The posting  is for Information Technology Management (Information Security). Essentially, it would be IT security. The posting specifically lists graduate work in information science as a requirement. To qualify for such a job I will need to get more in depth with my training in computer systems but if my scripting class is any indication, I have an untapped talent for such things. I don’t know why I haven’t been focusing on programming since the beginning of my educational career. It comes easily, its fun, and its incredibly marketable. I love the thought of being an information specialist for the government. It makes me think of women in smart suits compiling reports that aid the military in protecting our country.

The second posting that caught my eye is a “Competitive Intelligence Specialist” with Haynes and Boone out of Dallas. Haynes and Boone is a large law firm that specializes in a variety of areas. This specific posting   is a research based job. The qualified applicant has a degree in Library and Information Science and is experienced at in-depth research and reporting. This job is something I could get right out of this program. Unlike the other position, I already possess the skills required. I spend quite a bit of time with Microsoft Excel and manipulate data as a hobby.

Without the MLIS, I don’t qualify for either of these postings. My background is in digital content, research, and metadata. The MLIS is going to give me the additional knowledge and experience to put me on the path to more challenging and more financially lucrative positions. I still believe I’ve made the correct choice in a graduate program.