Just over a year ago, on November 3, I wrote a blog post about being accepted into the Higher Education master's program at UM. At this point in 2011, I still had a semester left of my degree at the UM School of Information and my hope - as I outright stated in my blog post - was to find a job for the fall where I could work 30ish hours per week and finish my degree in Higher Ed. It's funny to see things written in the past - hopes and dreams - and realize that sometimes, they do happen.
More importantly to this reflection... Wow, how fast a year has gone! I remember sitting in my Intro to Higher Ed class and receiving the email that indicated my acceptance into the master's program. I knew I could learn a lot in a year, but little did I know how much. Between finishing my master's degree in Information, taking a semester's worth of purely higher ed classes, and starting a new job at the School of Information, I am overwhelmed and so excited with the knowledge and skills I've acquired in the last 12 months. I've learned about research, information literacy, privacy and security, non-profit and library management, student development, student affairs, recruiting, networking - and those are just the high-level buzz words. I've learned about community outreach from academic libraries, skills to facilitate technology instruction, "reference interview" best practices that transfer into my job of meeting with prospective students, how to plan large events, considered ways to interact with and support international students, and so much more...
After this semester is over (classes end one month from today!) I will cherish the chance to make meaning of all of this and consider how it has helped me professionally and personally. For now, I'm going to trek through my final four and a half weeks of school, learn as much as I can, and then, relax and reflect.
Showing posts with label academic libraries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label academic libraries. Show all posts
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Sunday, September 16, 2012
The other side of library instruction
Last week in my student affairs class, the Education Librarian from the Hatcher Graduate Library came to teach a session to help with our research. When people hear this and know that I am trained as a librarian, they often say, "oh, you probably know all of this!" or "you could probably teach this class!" While I may "know" what is being taught, there is nothing more valuable than having a refresher from an expert.
I always learn new skills, am reminded of database specifics, and become engaged differently when sitting in library workshop sessions. No two classes are alike, no two instructors teach the same way or the same methods of finding resources, and there is always more to learn. The session last Tuesday was specific to the field of higher education, and I picked up tricks and tips that I would have otherwise forgotten.
So last week's workshop was yet another reminder to me of why I studied information - It's so valuable and revelant. Kudos to Karen for teaching a great session, and for helping me remember these things, and to the rest of the librarians out there doing this same thing every day.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Final Workshop
Today I will co-instruct my last workshop at the UM Library. It's hard to believe that just over a year ago today was my first Word for Dissertation session. I wrote about that experience on August 5, 2011 and here it is August 10, 2012; boy does time fly!
When I first started teaching, I was much less confident than I am now. Now, I'm ready to go in and show graduate students the best ways to format their dissertations, in a way that will make the process easier for them. I'm comfortable working with another co-instructor and watching her teach the workshop in a different way than I did. It's great to know that there is someone else stepping in who can help mentor the person who may become their co-instructor.
I'll take my instructing technology experiences, and try to use the skills I've learned in a transferable way. I'll know that staying excited and upbeat during sessions or presentations is critical; that making the participants feel comfortable asking questions and following along; that everyone learns and processes information differently. It will be valuable to have experience instructing on a variety of things from technology, to databases, to freshmen orientation. And, it is wonderful knowing that I can always re-connect with co-instructors for tips and feedback.
Instruction has been a very interesting and fun part of my appointment at the library. It's something I've truly enjoyed and hope to do more of in different ways in my next position. And it's something that I've been fortunate enough to have time to reflect upon with mentors and colleagues who are constructive and encouraging. So for now, here's the last library instruction post... thanks for following this piece of the blog!
When I first started teaching, I was much less confident than I am now. Now, I'm ready to go in and show graduate students the best ways to format their dissertations, in a way that will make the process easier for them. I'm comfortable working with another co-instructor and watching her teach the workshop in a different way than I did. It's great to know that there is someone else stepping in who can help mentor the person who may become their co-instructor.
I'll take my instructing technology experiences, and try to use the skills I've learned in a transferable way. I'll know that staying excited and upbeat during sessions or presentations is critical; that making the participants feel comfortable asking questions and following along; that everyone learns and processes information differently. It will be valuable to have experience instructing on a variety of things from technology, to databases, to freshmen orientation. And, it is wonderful knowing that I can always re-connect with co-instructors for tips and feedback.
Instruction has been a very interesting and fun part of my appointment at the library. It's something I've truly enjoyed and hope to do more of in different ways in my next position. And it's something that I've been fortunate enough to have time to reflect upon with mentors and colleagues who are constructive and encouraging. So for now, here's the last library instruction post... thanks for following this piece of the blog!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Feels like a real job
So my current position is a two-year term appointment spanning from the time I began my MSI (August 2010) through the completion of the degree, plus the summer (so, though August 2012). During this time, I've documented many of my experiences in classes and at work, mostly all jumbled together due to time and coinciding activities. Even last summer, when I was "only working" - and was present at work nearly full-time some weeks, my personal life (knee surgery and wedding) prevented me from truly digging into the actual work I was doing.
This summer, I'm "only working" and even though I know I have less than three months left in my professional position, I'm finding it impossible not to get as much out the experience as possible. This is contradictory to two things: 1) I'm pretty close to completing the number of hours required for my position, and I was going to try to work a bit less and enjoy the summer?, but more importantly 2) I need to start winding down some of the work that won't continue when I leave. So this is my challenge right now: work less and do more?
Currently, I'm preparing for the June 8 conference, doing research for the Education librarian about the School of Ed, participating in Collection Development trainings and meetings, teaching four instructional sessions (dissertation and Google Docs), working on a PowerPoint software guide, and working desk shifts of 10 hours/week. All very valuable and exciting stuff, but a lot of stuff. So I'm trying to phase out some of that work while not essentially giving it up?
I'm finding it very easy to say yes to work, forgetting that this work will be complete at the end of August, with no option to continue. It's very easy to say yes because I enjoy what I'm doing and it's finally feeling like a real job - real engagement in real library work. And it's easy to say yes because after August, the opportunity to participate in such professional experiences will be gone. As June begins today, this issue, plus my job search and application processes, will continue to transpire.
The word "challenge" does not always conjure up a positive feeling, but in my case, I'm very grateful for this "problem" and thankful that I can have these experiences and take these opportunities while they are available. Even only for the next three months :)
This summer, I'm "only working" and even though I know I have less than three months left in my professional position, I'm finding it impossible not to get as much out the experience as possible. This is contradictory to two things: 1) I'm pretty close to completing the number of hours required for my position, and I was going to try to work a bit less and enjoy the summer?, but more importantly 2) I need to start winding down some of the work that won't continue when I leave. So this is my challenge right now: work less and do more?
Currently, I'm preparing for the June 8 conference, doing research for the Education librarian about the School of Ed, participating in Collection Development trainings and meetings, teaching four instructional sessions (dissertation and Google Docs), working on a PowerPoint software guide, and working desk shifts of 10 hours/week. All very valuable and exciting stuff, but a lot of stuff. So I'm trying to phase out some of that work while not essentially giving it up?
I'm finding it very easy to say yes to work, forgetting that this work will be complete at the end of August, with no option to continue. It's very easy to say yes because I enjoy what I'm doing and it's finally feeling like a real job - real engagement in real library work. And it's easy to say yes because after August, the opportunity to participate in such professional experiences will be gone. As June begins today, this issue, plus my job search and application processes, will continue to transpire.
The word "challenge" does not always conjure up a positive feeling, but in my case, I'm very grateful for this "problem" and thankful that I can have these experiences and take these opportunities while they are available. Even only for the next three months :)
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thoughts on presenting, continued
Last Friday, I co-presented at the Michigan Library Association's Applied Technology and Trends conference held at the UM Hatcher Graduate Library. This was a great experience, where I had the opportunity to create a presentation with a colleague with whom I'd never presented and practice my presentation skills.
On June 8, I will be presenting with a different colleague on a different topic at the eCornucopia conference at nearby Oakland University. I'm realizing that preparing for and presenting is a great experience, but that it also takes a good deal of time. Creating a presentation outline, getting that onto slides, making the slides more creative, practicing, and getting all of the collaborative pieces in place is a great way to learn and prepare, but it is also very consuming.
I'm finding similarities between presenting and instructing in the sense that there is always more to learn and that the presentation can always be improved. Light-hearted comments during the presentation can illicit positive or no response; attending to those is important if the presentation is going to be given again. Audience response at the end, and the amount of questions asked can provide clues into what would be better to focus on or what was particularly interesting to participants.
It's these observations I'll take as I move into my June 8 presentation. The conference session covers creativity and drive (our power words) and so we better make our presentation creative, and interactive. These are the new challenges I'll face while preparing for this conference.
Exciting and time-consuming... a good balance to have as I begin to prepare for the next phase of my educational and professional journey as August nears...
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!
On June 8, I will be presenting with a different colleague on a different topic at the eCornucopia conference at nearby Oakland University. I'm realizing that preparing for and presenting is a great experience, but that it also takes a good deal of time. Creating a presentation outline, getting that onto slides, making the slides more creative, practicing, and getting all of the collaborative pieces in place is a great way to learn and prepare, but it is also very consuming.
I'm finding similarities between presenting and instructing in the sense that there is always more to learn and that the presentation can always be improved. Light-hearted comments during the presentation can illicit positive or no response; attending to those is important if the presentation is going to be given again. Audience response at the end, and the amount of questions asked can provide clues into what would be better to focus on or what was particularly interesting to participants.
It's these observations I'll take as I move into my June 8 presentation. The conference session covers creativity and drive (our power words) and so we better make our presentation creative, and interactive. These are the new challenges I'll face while preparing for this conference.
Exciting and time-consuming... a good balance to have as I begin to prepare for the next phase of my educational and professional journey as August nears...
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Biggest Presentation of My Life
If you've been reading, you know it's been a busy few weeks after teaching two Enriching Scholarship sessions last week, and preparing for what I'm calling the biggest presentation of my life this past Tuesday. Oh, and there's the MLA Technology and Trends Conference presentation tomorrow.
But, this week's post will focus on the biggest presentation of my life. The presentation was the culmination of my 18-month internship experience at the University of Michigan Library as the University Library Associate in the Knowledge Navigation Center. More specifically, the 15-minute presentation discussed my second year project at the Detroit Center where I helped set up meetings, created a Library Research Guide, and laid the groundwork for the collaborative initiative between the UM Library and the Detroit Center.
I have never worked so hard on a presentation. To be honest, for most class presentations, I'd outline my presentation in a Google Doc, then copy, paste and edit the text into PowerPoint. I'd maybe add an image or two, but then I'd read it over, practice maybe once, and give a decent presentation. However, since this was what I considered to be the biggest presentation of my life, I did quite a bit more work, and I think it paid off.
First, I worked to find images that represented my ideas so that I could decrease the amount of text, or remove it all together. This was both fun and meaningful, as I realized that a picture can be worth 1000 words, and that the words were more beneficial to my remembering what to say, than to the audience. Consequently, I realized that if I practiced enough, I didn't need the words on the screen to remind me what to say. What a revelation that was....
Secondly, I practiced. I practiced alone, in front of others -- edited -- alone again -- edited -- one-on-one -- edited -- and then had my supervisor review my presentation -- and edited again. Lots and lots of reviewing, tweaking, editing. And I was still nervous! I had notes printed below my slides, but.... when I got in front of the 60+ library staff members, I found I knew what I was talking about. Not only did I work on the project for 15 or so weeks (and thus, knew what I'd done) but the countless hours I put into the presentation had caused me to know my stuff. Nervous at first, I found that by the end of the short presentation and during the Q & A, I was comfortable speaking and answering questions from the audience.
It was a great lesson learned that putting the greatest amount of work into the biggest presentation of my life was a good idea. And I learned that its much more fun for me, and constructive to the audience, if I add images and edit both the ideas and structure of the presentation. Finally, and this lesson - no matter how many times I learn it - is most important to me... the work is never done and I can always improve what I'm doing. And that is relevant for anything.
You can check out the presentation here, on my website (it's the first bullet).
But, this week's post will focus on the biggest presentation of my life. The presentation was the culmination of my 18-month internship experience at the University of Michigan Library as the University Library Associate in the Knowledge Navigation Center. More specifically, the 15-minute presentation discussed my second year project at the Detroit Center where I helped set up meetings, created a Library Research Guide, and laid the groundwork for the collaborative initiative between the UM Library and the Detroit Center.
I have never worked so hard on a presentation. To be honest, for most class presentations, I'd outline my presentation in a Google Doc, then copy, paste and edit the text into PowerPoint. I'd maybe add an image or two, but then I'd read it over, practice maybe once, and give a decent presentation. However, since this was what I considered to be the biggest presentation of my life, I did quite a bit more work, and I think it paid off.
First, I worked to find images that represented my ideas so that I could decrease the amount of text, or remove it all together. This was both fun and meaningful, as I realized that a picture can be worth 1000 words, and that the words were more beneficial to my remembering what to say, than to the audience. Consequently, I realized that if I practiced enough, I didn't need the words on the screen to remind me what to say. What a revelation that was....
Secondly, I practiced. I practiced alone, in front of others -- edited -- alone again -- edited -- one-on-one -- edited -- and then had my supervisor review my presentation -- and edited again. Lots and lots of reviewing, tweaking, editing. And I was still nervous! I had notes printed below my slides, but.... when I got in front of the 60+ library staff members, I found I knew what I was talking about. Not only did I work on the project for 15 or so weeks (and thus, knew what I'd done) but the countless hours I put into the presentation had caused me to know my stuff. Nervous at first, I found that by the end of the short presentation and during the Q & A, I was comfortable speaking and answering questions from the audience.
It was a great lesson learned that putting the greatest amount of work into the biggest presentation of my life was a good idea. And I learned that its much more fun for me, and constructive to the audience, if I add images and edit both the ideas and structure of the presentation. Finally, and this lesson - no matter how many times I learn it - is most important to me... the work is never done and I can always improve what I'm doing. And that is relevant for anything.
You can check out the presentation here, on my website (it's the first bullet).
Monday, April 23, 2012
Reflections on an MSI Part 4: Now what?
Classes are over, final projects turned in, and graduation is on Friday. So the question remains, now what?
And the answer is: plenty. This should be an exciting summer with a great deal of work included.
Through May, I'll be preparing for my project presentation to the UM Library about my Detroit Center project, developing a presentation for the MLA Applied Technologies and Trends conference on May 18, and will be working on two workshops for Enriching Scholarship, happening the week of May 7. I'll also be preparing to be a Google Guide as UM makes the transition to Google.
Later this summer, I'll teach some Word for Dissertation workshops, learn about collection development, and assist the education librarian with some work on instruction or research guides. Additionally, I'll be updating some of the Knowledge Navigation Center's research guides, and working on a research project with my student colleagues about our roles as University Library Associates.
So it will be a busy and productive summer with lots of presentations, conferences, and workshops. I hope to see the culmination of the work I've done over the past 18 months coming to fruition this summer, where I can use what I've learned in both the classroom and on the job in a practical way.
School ended, but the work didn't - and I'm glad!
Side note, I'll now be blogging on Fridays, starting May 11 (next week will be Thursday).
Monday, April 2, 2012
Mini Series Part 1: Reflections on an MSI
With less than four weeks until I graduate from the School of Information (SI), there is quite a bit to do. So as I sat here today, considering what to write, my colleague Kelly (check out her blog here) suggested I do a mini series on reflections from the past 18 months of my Masters of Science Information. Thanks, Kelly, for the practical and useful idea!
I'll preface this by saying I cannot believe how fast this time went. Anyone considering a degree, a large project, or something else that seems overwhelming, before turning an opportunity down, remember that this time flies by and it will be over before you know it.
That said, it is also incredible how much I've learned about "information," libraries, communities, and about myself during my time at SI. I've learned about information overload, have been overloaded by information, and have learned that I can handle more than I ever thought possible. I've learned that when I think I can't take on one more thing, that I actually can, and do.
The lesson above is one that has culminated this semester: 15 credits, one large PT job, one small PT job, student association, volunteer events... it's been too much. But it's a great lesson learned. Prior to this term, I
always said that my life needs to be balanced and that the
grades/recognition/need to get ahead were not worth giving up things I enjoy
doing such as yoga, seeing family and friends, or reading a book for
pleasure. Before this semester, I had
been able to fit that all in while still completing things at a high
level. The past four months have been
simply too much for me to handle, and while this has taken a toll on my sanity,
it also helped me realize that it is not worth it to me to do everything
related to work and volunteer commitments, and that most things will still get
done without me (and that if they don't it's not going to be my fault).
So, the first reflection and lesson learned: the need to find balance. I'm sure I'll be working on this forever, but being cognizant of this need might be the first step. Tune in next Monday for Reflections Part 2 of (TBD :).
Monday, March 26, 2012
Lesson Learned: Taking Opportunities
Today was quite a day. Both the School of Information (SI) Networking Fair and the SI ExpoSItion (which I wrote about last week) were held as part of SI's amazing opportunities for students to broaden their job networks and increase their presentation skills. Last year, I did not participate in either the Networking Fair or the ExpoSItion. I can't remember why, but I didn't. When the chance to do both came around again this spring, I quickly decided both events were opportunities in which I wanted to take part.
I went into the Networking Fair with an apprehensive attitude. I'm not graduating from the School of Education until December, so while I will have my MSI next month (whoa!) I'm probably not "officially" on the job market until winter 2012. I gathered my Employer Booklet and went straight to a university library table where I already had contacts. The chat went well and I left having met yet another person at that library. Yay :)
The second table I chose to go to was that of another large research university in Michigan, where I've had little contact. However, I quickly learned that the employers were very interested in my current line of study, my skills, and my background. It didn't take much (except friendliness and preparedness on my part) and I walked away with the Library Director's email address and an offer to visit them after graduation.
I went into the Networking Fair expecting very little and left with a lesson that is invaluable. There were few libraries at the Fair, and of those, I knew people at all but one. All but the one that I walked away from with a chance to network further. This helped me learn the lesson that I learned today. Take the opportunities that are presented to you. It is as simple as that. Go into opportunities with an open mind, be prepared to present yourself as well as you possibly can, and take some chances. If I had not gone to the Fair, which would have been very easy, I would NOT have expanded my networking circle or met the people who are going to give me yet another opportunity.
This same lesson applies to the ExpoSItion. I went to the ExpoSItion thinking that most of the other projects would be much more interesting than my group's library research project (because frankly, many of the projects at the ExpoSItion are created by designers who do cool, interesting things and make their posters look really pretty). But I was busy talking to guests at the ExpoSItion almost the entire time. People were interested in our project, and commented on the poster's design. Without taking that chance, I never would have created a poster all on my own, learned that you don't mount your poster before getting to the conference, or met people who wanted to hear about what we were doing.
This lesson is something to carry with me - when someone gives me an opportunity to do something, take it. I simply never could have imagined all of the great things that happened today, and they wouldn't have happened if I didn't take the chances that were presented.
I went into the Networking Fair with an apprehensive attitude. I'm not graduating from the School of Education until December, so while I will have my MSI next month (whoa!) I'm probably not "officially" on the job market until winter 2012. I gathered my Employer Booklet and went straight to a university library table where I already had contacts. The chat went well and I left having met yet another person at that library. Yay :)
The second table I chose to go to was that of another large research university in Michigan, where I've had little contact. However, I quickly learned that the employers were very interested in my current line of study, my skills, and my background. It didn't take much (except friendliness and preparedness on my part) and I walked away with the Library Director's email address and an offer to visit them after graduation.
I went into the Networking Fair expecting very little and left with a lesson that is invaluable. There were few libraries at the Fair, and of those, I knew people at all but one. All but the one that I walked away from with a chance to network further. This helped me learn the lesson that I learned today. Take the opportunities that are presented to you. It is as simple as that. Go into opportunities with an open mind, be prepared to present yourself as well as you possibly can, and take some chances. If I had not gone to the Fair, which would have been very easy, I would NOT have expanded my networking circle or met the people who are going to give me yet another opportunity.
This same lesson applies to the ExpoSItion. I went to the ExpoSItion thinking that most of the other projects would be much more interesting than my group's library research project (because frankly, many of the projects at the ExpoSItion are created by designers who do cool, interesting things and make their posters look really pretty). But I was busy talking to guests at the ExpoSItion almost the entire time. People were interested in our project, and commented on the poster's design. Without taking that chance, I never would have created a poster all on my own, learned that you don't mount your poster before getting to the conference, or met people who wanted to hear about what we were doing.
This lesson is something to carry with me - when someone gives me an opportunity to do something, take it. I simply never could have imagined all of the great things that happened today, and they wouldn't have happened if I didn't take the chances that were presented.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Explaining what we do
I have probably not talked much about my current position here, but I do often write about the types of activities in which I participate including outreach and instruction. For me, it's fairly simple to write about one event or class, but the idea of explaining what I do as a whole is slightly more difficult. Compound this with trying to explain what others in my same job do, and we've got a real challenge.
Next week, I'm presenting a poster with some of my colleagues at the School of Information expoSItion, which provides a chance for students to show off a project on which they've worked to potential employers. This can include a class, work, or internship experience and allows students to highlight an important part of their time at the School of Information.
So what do my colleagues and I have in common that is worth presenting? Well, we hope it's the idea of our entire collective experience as University Library Associates (ULA) and the lessons learned from that experience. As ULAs we've all been given the opportunity to work in a professional capacity (part-time) at the University of Michigan Library while completing our graduate studies full-time at the School of Information.
The ULA positions are competitive and require us to manage our time and connect our education with our work experience. The positions require a second-year project, which includes digging into an unknown territory of the library and producing a deliverable (more on that later this spring). The job requires reflection and flexibility, and truly is, I believe, a great way to learn what it is like to work in an academic library.
So, the other current ULAs and I have been working together to find out what our positions really mean for the School of Information, the Library, and for us in our professional development. One of our group members presented on this at a conference (read her reflective blog post here), we're completing a poster for the expoSItion, and our goal is to write a paper on our findings.
It has been an interesting learning process trying to work together to pull our experiences into something that is meaningful and useful for academia and the library field. And it will be great to get reactions on our work from employers and fellow students at expoSItion next week.
Next week, I'm presenting a poster with some of my colleagues at the School of Information expoSItion, which provides a chance for students to show off a project on which they've worked to potential employers. This can include a class, work, or internship experience and allows students to highlight an important part of their time at the School of Information.
So what do my colleagues and I have in common that is worth presenting? Well, we hope it's the idea of our entire collective experience as University Library Associates (ULA) and the lessons learned from that experience. As ULAs we've all been given the opportunity to work in a professional capacity (part-time) at the University of Michigan Library while completing our graduate studies full-time at the School of Information.
The ULA positions are competitive and require us to manage our time and connect our education with our work experience. The positions require a second-year project, which includes digging into an unknown territory of the library and producing a deliverable (more on that later this spring). The job requires reflection and flexibility, and truly is, I believe, a great way to learn what it is like to work in an academic library.
So, the other current ULAs and I have been working together to find out what our positions really mean for the School of Information, the Library, and for us in our professional development. One of our group members presented on this at a conference (read her reflective blog post here), we're completing a poster for the expoSItion, and our goal is to write a paper on our findings.
It has been an interesting learning process trying to work together to pull our experiences into something that is meaningful and useful for academia and the library field. And it will be great to get reactions on our work from employers and fellow students at expoSItion next week.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Creating Campus-Community Connections: The Event
Last Friday was the big event - the event between the Detroit Center and UM librarians. This event aimed to provide a space for in-person explanation of the collaboration possibilities and as a networking event between UM librarians and Detroit Center project leaders.
The event, held at the Detroit Center, did all of that and more. I arrived with my planning colleagues and we started setting up food, laying out placecards at the horseshoe shaped table (strategically placed so that librarians with an expertise would sit by project leaders of that topic), and preparing the little miscellaneous things that come with event planning (do we have cups? what about ice? what if so-and-so doesn't come?).
Finally it was time. The Detroit Center folks arrived first and chatted with one another until they found their seats. The librarians arrived shortly after, said a brief hello to one another and the Detroit Center project managers, and then immediately sat in their suggested place. The UM Outreach Librarian who is leading this effort gave welcoming remarks and then people got food, sat back down, and started networking. It was clear that there were some immediate connections; actually, in most cases it seemed there were.
The conversations appeared, by my observation, lively and engaged. No one seemed to say "why are we here?" or "I'm not sure the library can help me...." Before people were finished eating, the UM Outreach Librarian gave a short presentation on what the Library can provide (including a research guide) and then opened the room up for questions and discussion. This is where my previous assumptions were challenged.
The Detroit Center project managers had great questions, but they weren't - as I had expected - always about library resources such as journals or books. They wanted to know about the services the library could provide, how they could access materials, and they provided suggestions about how the Librarians could assist them. To me, this spoke loudly and clearly to the fact that these individuals see how valuable the library can be. Most of them had used the library previously, but many did not know how to get books sent to the Center, about the possibilities of using the Espresso Book Machine (with the ability to print student work), or Serials and Microforms (where they could view old copies of Detroit and other newspapers) or HathiTrust (where a collection of books about Detroit could be collected).
These were great questions, and it was great to have librarians there to answer the questions... but this also provided us clues about what these folks needed. Not what they thought we needed, but what they actually needed. This was a valuable lesson learned about creating strong collaborations and partnerships.
I look forward to seeing the work that continues to develop as these relationships grow.
The event, held at the Detroit Center, did all of that and more. I arrived with my planning colleagues and we started setting up food, laying out placecards at the horseshoe shaped table (strategically placed so that librarians with an expertise would sit by project leaders of that topic), and preparing the little miscellaneous things that come with event planning (do we have cups? what about ice? what if so-and-so doesn't come?).
Finally it was time. The Detroit Center folks arrived first and chatted with one another until they found their seats. The librarians arrived shortly after, said a brief hello to one another and the Detroit Center project managers, and then immediately sat in their suggested place. The UM Outreach Librarian who is leading this effort gave welcoming remarks and then people got food, sat back down, and started networking. It was clear that there were some immediate connections; actually, in most cases it seemed there were.
The conversations appeared, by my observation, lively and engaged. No one seemed to say "why are we here?" or "I'm not sure the library can help me...." Before people were finished eating, the UM Outreach Librarian gave a short presentation on what the Library can provide (including a research guide) and then opened the room up for questions and discussion. This is where my previous assumptions were challenged.
The Detroit Center project managers had great questions, but they weren't - as I had expected - always about library resources such as journals or books. They wanted to know about the services the library could provide, how they could access materials, and they provided suggestions about how the Librarians could assist them. To me, this spoke loudly and clearly to the fact that these individuals see how valuable the library can be. Most of them had used the library previously, but many did not know how to get books sent to the Center, about the possibilities of using the Espresso Book Machine (with the ability to print student work), or Serials and Microforms (where they could view old copies of Detroit and other newspapers) or HathiTrust (where a collection of books about Detroit could be collected).
These were great questions, and it was great to have librarians there to answer the questions... but this also provided us clues about what these folks needed. Not what they thought we needed, but what they actually needed. This was a valuable lesson learned about creating strong collaborations and partnerships.
I look forward to seeing the work that continues to develop as these relationships grow.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Collaboration: Explaining what we mean
One of the projects on which I'm working is assisting in starting collaborations. To many people, this sounds very vague, and I don't blame someone for dismissing the term. Many people talk about partnerships and collaborations, but significantly fewer are actually part of partnerships and collaborations that embody the true sense of those words.
To have a partnership or collaboration, all involved parties must see the value. They must be invested. They must share leadership, be held accountable and they must have a stake in decision-making. This means that all parties must come to the table and dialogue about what's needed and what will be meaningful for their organization.
This is quite difficult from both the standpoint of those initiating the partnerships and those being asked to participate. For those trying to establish collaborations, the intent must be clear. Those being asked must be able to see, understand and question the idea of the partnership because without full buy-in by both parties, the collaboration won't be as meaningful for either.
I'm still learning how to do this - and thoughts are welcome on how to empower partners being asked to buy-in. It seems difficult when one party sees "exactly" how this collaboration could work, when the other is somewhat clueless. My current thoughts are that asking the question of "what would you like to get out of this?" could be a good starting point. What are some other ways to get started?
Hopefully I can follow up on this post later, and share a story that discusses best practices from my own experiences, and the experiences of others.
P.S. Blog will be off-line next week. Enjoy your break :)
To have a partnership or collaboration, all involved parties must see the value. They must be invested. They must share leadership, be held accountable and they must have a stake in decision-making. This means that all parties must come to the table and dialogue about what's needed and what will be meaningful for their organization.
This is quite difficult from both the standpoint of those initiating the partnerships and those being asked to participate. For those trying to establish collaborations, the intent must be clear. Those being asked must be able to see, understand and question the idea of the partnership because without full buy-in by both parties, the collaboration won't be as meaningful for either.
I'm still learning how to do this - and thoughts are welcome on how to empower partners being asked to buy-in. It seems difficult when one party sees "exactly" how this collaboration could work, when the other is somewhat clueless. My current thoughts are that asking the question of "what would you like to get out of this?" could be a good starting point. What are some other ways to get started?
Hopefully I can follow up on this post later, and share a story that discusses best practices from my own experiences, and the experiences of others.
P.S. Blog will be off-line next week. Enjoy your break :)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
e-book chapter, and 2011 wrap-up
It's been an exciting week. Today I am "done" with work until the new year, and it's looking like an exciting 2012.
Here's a quick rundown of the past 10 or so days:
1) Went to the Detroit Center last Wednesday to "float" during a grants workshop hosted by the UM Library and the Nonprofit Enterprise for Work for local non-profit organizations. It was exciting to see how library and database resources can be used for organizations who are doing such important work. My days at the Mott Foundation came back to me as we moved fluidly through the Foundation Center's website looking at funder's and grants that applied to the non-profits missions. It was a really cool experience to be there and see yet another facet of what the Library does.
2) Almost have finished "dscribing" part my Community Information Seminar from last semester. Dscribing means taking the lecture slides from the course and ensuring that all of the content and images are "open" for use by others. We collect lecture slides from our guest speakers, they decide the level of licensing they want (Creative Commons) and we publish it. When we're finished, you can view the course here (http://open.umich.edu/education/si). Topics included information technology development, the Open.Michigan movement, social media use in Egypt, local informatics, and more!
3) I'm published! As part of my SI 641: Information Literacy for Teaching and Learning class, we had to observe 20 hours of instruction, teach two face-to-face lessons, and create a project related to information literacy. Then, we were asked by our Professor, Kristin Fontichiaro, to write a chapter for a book about one or more of our experiences. The book, Information Literacy in the Wild, was edited by Kristin and includes a forward by School of Information Dean Jeffrey MacKie-Mason. You can download it free via Smashwords or in .pdf format. Please feel free to share widely!
4) Finally, I'm going to take a break next week and start blogging again after the new year. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season and best wishes into 2012!
Here's a quick rundown of the past 10 or so days:
1) Went to the Detroit Center last Wednesday to "float" during a grants workshop hosted by the UM Library and the Nonprofit Enterprise for Work for local non-profit organizations. It was exciting to see how library and database resources can be used for organizations who are doing such important work. My days at the Mott Foundation came back to me as we moved fluidly through the Foundation Center's website looking at funder's and grants that applied to the non-profits missions. It was a really cool experience to be there and see yet another facet of what the Library does.
2) Almost have finished "dscribing" part my Community Information Seminar from last semester. Dscribing means taking the lecture slides from the course and ensuring that all of the content and images are "open" for use by others. We collect lecture slides from our guest speakers, they decide the level of licensing they want (Creative Commons) and we publish it. When we're finished, you can view the course here (http://open.umich.edu/education/si). Topics included information technology development, the Open.Michigan movement, social media use in Egypt, local informatics, and more!
3) I'm published! As part of my SI 641: Information Literacy for Teaching and Learning class, we had to observe 20 hours of instruction, teach two face-to-face lessons, and create a project related to information literacy. Then, we were asked by our Professor, Kristin Fontichiaro, to write a chapter for a book about one or more of our experiences. The book, Information Literacy in the Wild, was edited by Kristin and includes a forward by School of Information Dean Jeffrey MacKie-Mason. You can download it free via Smashwords or in .pdf format. Please feel free to share widely!
4) Finally, I'm going to take a break next week and start blogging again after the new year. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season and best wishes into 2012!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Changing World of Academia
Last Thursday, I attended the HASTAC pre-conference on alternative jobs in academia. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but the workshop was definitely a learning experience. It turns out, the pre-conference workshop was primarily populated by Ph.D. students in the humanities, arts, and sciences fields who were considering professional jobs in academia because they either did not want, or were not sure they could get, tenure-track positions. Now, I am not a Ph.D. student, nor do I have plans to become one, so the tone of the conference initially threw me off.
Then I started thinking about how this workshop would end up affecting higher education in general. What I deducted was that jobs in administration, and actually all over academia, could become more competitive with more Ph.D's applying for non-tenure-track jobs. At first, it seemed having a bachelor's degree would allow one to get jobs in higher education. Then I realized to do what I wanted to do (become a librarian, or obtain another position in higher education) would require a Master's degree. Having found two master's programs by which I was enthused (Information and Higher Education), I thought I would have a very good chance at contending for jobs in my areas of interest. Now it's occurring to me that those jobs may increasingly become more competitive due to people with even higher degrees applying.
It's just something to ponder - and not something I'm necessarily worried about. I still believe that my degrees are valuable - and those degrees do not even display my work experience or service to the community. But, it was eye-opening to realize that higher education is rapidly changing (at the conference I heard there were something like 600 jobs for every 1000 Ph.D's). It just reminded me that it's important to stay on top of what's going on in my fields and that it's important to continue to think to the future - the future that is evolving very quickly.
Then I started thinking about how this workshop would end up affecting higher education in general. What I deducted was that jobs in administration, and actually all over academia, could become more competitive with more Ph.D's applying for non-tenure-track jobs. At first, it seemed having a bachelor's degree would allow one to get jobs in higher education. Then I realized to do what I wanted to do (become a librarian, or obtain another position in higher education) would require a Master's degree. Having found two master's programs by which I was enthused (Information and Higher Education), I thought I would have a very good chance at contending for jobs in my areas of interest. Now it's occurring to me that those jobs may increasingly become more competitive due to people with even higher degrees applying.
It's just something to ponder - and not something I'm necessarily worried about. I still believe that my degrees are valuable - and those degrees do not even display my work experience or service to the community. But, it was eye-opening to realize that higher education is rapidly changing (at the conference I heard there were something like 600 jobs for every 1000 Ph.D's). It just reminded me that it's important to stay on top of what's going on in my fields and that it's important to continue to think to the future - the future that is evolving very quickly.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Instructional Reflections
As it's nearing the end of the term and I'll be attending the HASTAC Pre-conference Workshop called Alt-Ac: Alternative Academic Careers Workshop in just around an hour (which I'll blog about next week), tonight's post is taken from a draft of a chapter that I'm writing for my Information Literacy course this semester. For the class, we had to observe 20 hours of instruction and then teach two information literacy-related courses (all of which I did at the UM Library), and then write a chapter about it. The chapter will part of a book that includes chapters from each student and will be published as an e-book and then also printed by the Espresso Book Machine. So, with no further ado, here's a portion of my chapter...
What you learned that other people should know about to improve their own practice
Instruction at the library is something many librarians can do by choice. It’s a requirement for some positions, and is expected that should assistance be needed to instruct or float (walking around to help students stay on track during the session), librarians will step up. There are library resources for instructors including teaching outlines, informal mentors, and research-based practice on which to draw. However as a beginning instructor teaching topics on which I needed fluency, I needed to do a significant amount of work on my own. This pre-work came to be what made me comfortable teaching, and it has played an important role in my teaching effectiveness. So, to all instructors just starting out (or those who want to revisit their practice), I present to you my lessons learned and recommendations for diving into information literacy-based instruction as an information literate instructor.
1) Observe sessions
I had the chance to observe many types of workshops with different instructors (and one at another local university) and was able to glean an incredible amount from actively observing. I learned about keeping energy up (especially if you’re teaching undergraduates at 8:30 in the morning), being prepared for the topic, and different strategies such as walking around the room while talking. Observation time can give you the chance to sort out your teaching style and think about what you like and didn’t care during different types of workshops.
Take the time to sit in on a variety of instructional sessions and don’t be afraid to step out of the box to observe workshops that are in a different field or even location (such as a public library or other university, if you’re an academic librarian). Ask colleagues in your workplace if you can watch their sessions, or even float if you feel comfortable. Sit in on technology workshops, citation workshops, database workshops, and other types of sessions that can give you a varied view of instruction. While you may be teaching workshops on how to format citations, the instructor for that database class might have a teaching style that is more “you.” By observing different instructors in different settings with different topics, you’ll gain a more rounded view of what instruction means for students and for you as an instructor.
2) Consider your audience
Instructing undergraduates, PhDs, faculty and staff within a few weeks of one another really caused me to think about the audience of the workshop while I was preparing to teach and actually instructing. Teaching different types of groups requires thinking about the prior knowledge of the participant (while admitting it’s impossible to actually know this - especially when teaching a one-shot workshop), the basic skills they may or may not have, and why they are attending the session. More specifically, undergraduates may or may not have visited the library before, and one can cautiously assume they are familiar with computers in terms of web browsing, but they quite possibly are only at the database workshop because it’s required for their class. On the contrary, participants who attend the computer basics workshop are presumably there because they feel they are lacking computer skills and really want to absorb the workshop materials.
3) Conduct background information on previously taught sessions
Most of the sessions I taught had been taught before by many different people. I was provided with teaching outlines, but this only gave me part of the story. It was incredibly useful to talk to instructors who’d taught the session before to find out what works well and what doesn’t work so well (for example, some databases might not handle simultaneous use as well as others - and that’s helpful to know!), and how participants might react to the material. In a database workshop I co-taught, by talking with my co-instructor prior, I knew that one part of the workshop might take longer than predicted, so we needed to keep an eye on the time. Again, this was useful knowledge to have before getting in front of the class.
Reaching out to other instructors to prep and debrief workshops is an effective way to network with colleagues and improve your instruction. Looking back up to lesson learned #1, see if you can observe a workshop you’ll teach in the future and then chat with them afterwards to talk through some of the parts that were great or a bit confusing. Most colleagues should be open to this discussion.
4) Practice, and then practice again (by self and with others)
This might feel like an obvious step to take, but I’ve observed instructors who were clearly not as prepared as they could have been (and I’ve been there too!) - one of the steps for moving through the session was out of place, their designated search didn’t bring up the right results, or they left out a major part of the workshop.
Prior to teaching, I set aside time at least one week in advance to talk with colleagues and then actually sit down to practice working through the material. I follow all of the prescribed steps for the workshop (“now we’re going to go to the library homepage, and in the main search bar type ‘Children and Media.’ This will bring up a page that...) and talk myself through what I’m going to say. When time allows or I’m feeling particularly uncomfortable about a topic, I will practice in front of other colleagues or classmates to get feedback. By practicing , and practicing, and practicing, I’ve learned that being prepared is huge in feeling effective and comfortable in front of a classroom. I’ve also learned that you can’t predict everything that will happen, but that by being prepared for what you can control, the moments that you can’t are much easier to handle.
5) Co-teach
Not everyone might agree that co-teaching is effective or even something they want to do, but if you can find a colleague with whom you work well, having a co-instructor can be very useful to learning instructional skills and teaching styles. I found a co-instructor who’s teaching style and prep style both compliment and supplement mine. It’s been a great experience to work with someone who has his own teaching identity but who is willing to talk through instructional strategies and sessions (part of the practice part in #4!) and who is there for support during the workshop and after to provide feedback (see #7). Co-teaching can be a great way to start getting your feet wet in the vast instructional waters.
6) Teach!
Dive in and do it! Until you start teaching, you can’t possibly start to reflect and improve on what you can do better. When I started teaching, I did not have a teaching style and was merely trying to get through the material. By working with a co-instructor, having my mentor observe my sessions, reviewing the workshop evaluations from participants, and reflecting alone I was able to get critical feedback that has improved my teaching. I found that the more I taught, the more comfortable I got with different audiences (making quips about dissertation writing with PhDs, telling undergraduates that this tool will really save them time - because who wants to spend more time on citations then you have to) and the more comfortable I got in general. And the only want to do this was to start teaching - ready or not!
7) Reflect and debrief
This may be the most important step, not necessarily to start instructing, but definitely for becoming a more effective instructor. Having a co-teach or observer at some of your first sessions (and even as you progress) can make all the difference in being a great instructor. At the beginning of my teaching, I stayed behind the podium and, as mentioned earlier, just tried to get through the material. After receiving feedback, I started walking around the room, pointing more to the screen and became more interactive in my teaching style. I also worked through some of the examples in the workshop that simply didn’t work as well as I wanted. Additionally, reflection has helped me consider what I need to do more of in terms of preparation -- more practice, more background information, whether I want a co-instructor or not. These are valuable lessons on which to build for each and every instructional session I teach. Don’t be afraid to do this outside work - take this time in your office to write notes, or wait til you get home and can sit and think for a few minutes outside of the setting. It will be critical to improving your teaching to debrief each session, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Think about what went well, what didn’t go so well, and what you can improve on next time. A couple of bullet points can put things into perspective. And if a session had a lot of issues, think about how you can prevent them if possible, and more forward to making the next workshop that much better.
What you learned that other people should know about to improve their own practice
Instruction at the library is something many librarians can do by choice. It’s a requirement for some positions, and is expected that should assistance be needed to instruct or float (walking around to help students stay on track during the session), librarians will step up. There are library resources for instructors including teaching outlines, informal mentors, and research-based practice on which to draw. However as a beginning instructor teaching topics on which I needed fluency, I needed to do a significant amount of work on my own. This pre-work came to be what made me comfortable teaching, and it has played an important role in my teaching effectiveness. So, to all instructors just starting out (or those who want to revisit their practice), I present to you my lessons learned and recommendations for diving into information literacy-based instruction as an information literate instructor.
1) Observe sessions
I had the chance to observe many types of workshops with different instructors (and one at another local university) and was able to glean an incredible amount from actively observing. I learned about keeping energy up (especially if you’re teaching undergraduates at 8:30 in the morning), being prepared for the topic, and different strategies such as walking around the room while talking. Observation time can give you the chance to sort out your teaching style and think about what you like and didn’t care during different types of workshops.
Take the time to sit in on a variety of instructional sessions and don’t be afraid to step out of the box to observe workshops that are in a different field or even location (such as a public library or other university, if you’re an academic librarian). Ask colleagues in your workplace if you can watch their sessions, or even float if you feel comfortable. Sit in on technology workshops, citation workshops, database workshops, and other types of sessions that can give you a varied view of instruction. While you may be teaching workshops on how to format citations, the instructor for that database class might have a teaching style that is more “you.” By observing different instructors in different settings with different topics, you’ll gain a more rounded view of what instruction means for students and for you as an instructor.
2) Consider your audience
Instructing undergraduates, PhDs, faculty and staff within a few weeks of one another really caused me to think about the audience of the workshop while I was preparing to teach and actually instructing. Teaching different types of groups requires thinking about the prior knowledge of the participant (while admitting it’s impossible to actually know this - especially when teaching a one-shot workshop), the basic skills they may or may not have, and why they are attending the session. More specifically, undergraduates may or may not have visited the library before, and one can cautiously assume they are familiar with computers in terms of web browsing, but they quite possibly are only at the database workshop because it’s required for their class. On the contrary, participants who attend the computer basics workshop are presumably there because they feel they are lacking computer skills and really want to absorb the workshop materials.
3) Conduct background information on previously taught sessions
Most of the sessions I taught had been taught before by many different people. I was provided with teaching outlines, but this only gave me part of the story. It was incredibly useful to talk to instructors who’d taught the session before to find out what works well and what doesn’t work so well (for example, some databases might not handle simultaneous use as well as others - and that’s helpful to know!), and how participants might react to the material. In a database workshop I co-taught, by talking with my co-instructor prior, I knew that one part of the workshop might take longer than predicted, so we needed to keep an eye on the time. Again, this was useful knowledge to have before getting in front of the class.
Reaching out to other instructors to prep and debrief workshops is an effective way to network with colleagues and improve your instruction. Looking back up to lesson learned #1, see if you can observe a workshop you’ll teach in the future and then chat with them afterwards to talk through some of the parts that were great or a bit confusing. Most colleagues should be open to this discussion.
4) Practice, and then practice again (by self and with others)
This might feel like an obvious step to take, but I’ve observed instructors who were clearly not as prepared as they could have been (and I’ve been there too!) - one of the steps for moving through the session was out of place, their designated search didn’t bring up the right results, or they left out a major part of the workshop.
Prior to teaching, I set aside time at least one week in advance to talk with colleagues and then actually sit down to practice working through the material. I follow all of the prescribed steps for the workshop (“now we’re going to go to the library homepage, and in the main search bar type ‘Children and Media.’ This will bring up a page that...) and talk myself through what I’m going to say. When time allows or I’m feeling particularly uncomfortable about a topic, I will practice in front of other colleagues or classmates to get feedback. By practicing , and practicing, and practicing, I’ve learned that being prepared is huge in feeling effective and comfortable in front of a classroom. I’ve also learned that you can’t predict everything that will happen, but that by being prepared for what you can control, the moments that you can’t are much easier to handle.
5) Co-teach
Not everyone might agree that co-teaching is effective or even something they want to do, but if you can find a colleague with whom you work well, having a co-instructor can be very useful to learning instructional skills and teaching styles. I found a co-instructor who’s teaching style and prep style both compliment and supplement mine. It’s been a great experience to work with someone who has his own teaching identity but who is willing to talk through instructional strategies and sessions (part of the practice part in #4!) and who is there for support during the workshop and after to provide feedback (see #7). Co-teaching can be a great way to start getting your feet wet in the vast instructional waters.
6) Teach!
Dive in and do it! Until you start teaching, you can’t possibly start to reflect and improve on what you can do better. When I started teaching, I did not have a teaching style and was merely trying to get through the material. By working with a co-instructor, having my mentor observe my sessions, reviewing the workshop evaluations from participants, and reflecting alone I was able to get critical feedback that has improved my teaching. I found that the more I taught, the more comfortable I got with different audiences (making quips about dissertation writing with PhDs, telling undergraduates that this tool will really save them time - because who wants to spend more time on citations then you have to) and the more comfortable I got in general. And the only want to do this was to start teaching - ready or not!
7) Reflect and debrief
This may be the most important step, not necessarily to start instructing, but definitely for becoming a more effective instructor. Having a co-teach or observer at some of your first sessions (and even as you progress) can make all the difference in being a great instructor. At the beginning of my teaching, I stayed behind the podium and, as mentioned earlier, just tried to get through the material. After receiving feedback, I started walking around the room, pointing more to the screen and became more interactive in my teaching style. I also worked through some of the examples in the workshop that simply didn’t work as well as I wanted. Additionally, reflection has helped me consider what I need to do more of in terms of preparation -- more practice, more background information, whether I want a co-instructor or not. These are valuable lessons on which to build for each and every instructional session I teach. Don’t be afraid to do this outside work - take this time in your office to write notes, or wait til you get home and can sit and think for a few minutes outside of the setting. It will be critical to improving your teaching to debrief each session, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Think about what went well, what didn’t go so well, and what you can improve on next time. A couple of bullet points can put things into perspective. And if a session had a lot of issues, think about how you can prevent them if possible, and more forward to making the next workshop that much better.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Continual Professional Development
Professional practice means something different with each new professional development. This week, I had the valuable opportunity to visit another academic library, talk with their instruction coordinator, observe an instructional session, and have a conversation with the library's Dean. Having only spent time at the University of Michigan Library and one public library, this experience was both eye-opening and a great lesson learned.
Each of the pieces of my visit to the other university library was worthwhile in it's own way. The discussion with the instruction coordinator allowed me to peer into the inner-workings of how another library structures it's staff and views instruction. The instructional observation showed me how an actual lesson was constructed and executed at another library. The conversation with the Dean provided me with an inside view of an administrator's priorities and vision for the changing world of academia from the perspective of libraries and higher education.
The structure of this other academic library was very different from UM's library. The staff there are tenure-track faculty which allows them different challenges and opportunities within their work. The person I spoke with discussed their own goals and the goals of the instructional staff, but said that because there is no supervisor telling them what to do, that they have a lot of freedom in their positions and can focus on what they feel is important.
Another interesting piece of our discussion focused on the instructional goals that this librarian identified. Information literacy came up several times in the conversation which led me to believe that this was a large focus for his/her work. Additionally, the focus for this person's work was on the research process and helping students understand that process, as well as sources, in a more embedded way meaning that they believed the focus should not be on "one-shot workshops" but rather on intentional learning that included follow up.
The instructional observation also provided me a different view of this type of work. The instructional session was held in a large lab and the instructor "took over" the computers because there was not a large projection screen on which to show the demonstrations. There was time left over for students to work on their research while the instructor floated around.
The conversation with the Dean was very interesting to me, as I like to take a big picture view of situations. Without revealing too much, the focus of her/his vision was on partnerships and collaborations. They believe that the future success of libraries on university or college campuses depends on this. For me, this was exciting because it's exactly what I want to do in my career.
I probably could have written about 10 pages of reflection after my visit yesterday in conjunction with my visit today to the Detroit Center (which I'll focus on connecting next week) but for now I'll leave it at this and the overall value add to my professional development. The greatest lesson I learned was how continually learning and expanding my view of libraries and higher education can only enhance my career. The networking is key, yes, but especially because it's a great way to see what's going on on the ground in these fields which will continue to inform my work as I move forward.
Each of the pieces of my visit to the other university library was worthwhile in it's own way. The discussion with the instruction coordinator allowed me to peer into the inner-workings of how another library structures it's staff and views instruction. The instructional observation showed me how an actual lesson was constructed and executed at another library. The conversation with the Dean provided me with an inside view of an administrator's priorities and vision for the changing world of academia from the perspective of libraries and higher education.
The structure of this other academic library was very different from UM's library. The staff there are tenure-track faculty which allows them different challenges and opportunities within their work. The person I spoke with discussed their own goals and the goals of the instructional staff, but said that because there is no supervisor telling them what to do, that they have a lot of freedom in their positions and can focus on what they feel is important.
Another interesting piece of our discussion focused on the instructional goals that this librarian identified. Information literacy came up several times in the conversation which led me to believe that this was a large focus for his/her work. Additionally, the focus for this person's work was on the research process and helping students understand that process, as well as sources, in a more embedded way meaning that they believed the focus should not be on "one-shot workshops" but rather on intentional learning that included follow up.
The instructional observation also provided me a different view of this type of work. The instructional session was held in a large lab and the instructor "took over" the computers because there was not a large projection screen on which to show the demonstrations. There was time left over for students to work on their research while the instructor floated around.
The conversation with the Dean was very interesting to me, as I like to take a big picture view of situations. Without revealing too much, the focus of her/his vision was on partnerships and collaborations. They believe that the future success of libraries on university or college campuses depends on this. For me, this was exciting because it's exactly what I want to do in my career.
I probably could have written about 10 pages of reflection after my visit yesterday in conjunction with my visit today to the Detroit Center (which I'll focus on connecting next week) but for now I'll leave it at this and the overall value add to my professional development. The greatest lesson I learned was how continually learning and expanding my view of libraries and higher education can only enhance my career. The networking is key, yes, but especially because it's a great way to see what's going on on the ground in these fields which will continue to inform my work as I move forward.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
New Future Developments
Well, life keeps changing at warp speed. Lots of changes happen from one day to the next, not to mention how much happens in a week!
Part of the change this week is that part of my next endeavor is set. Nope, not a job - another degree. As I began my MSI, and started thinking about what it is I wanted to do long-term, I realized I wanted to be involved in budgeting, managing people, facilitating, project management...and so, I decided I wanted to give myself the best chance I could to go into administration in higher education. With a little investigation, I discovered that I could most likely complete the 30 credit Masters of Arts in Higher Education in one extra semester. One extra semester! I consulted with some professors and colleagues, and decided I had to do this. So, I applied over the summer and was accepted just last week.
I'm excited to start pairing my knowledge of information with new knowledge I'll gain of higher education. When writing my essay to the School of Education, I started actualizing how the two degrees really complement one another and also will provide me with a wealth of job opportunities when I start looking. My heart is in the library, but there are so many ways that the library could collaborate with other departments - I could help facilitate that.
My real goal for my career is to create partnerships between the community and higher education, and the library is one place this can happen. But there are other places as well, that I'll be excited to start exploring in my new coursework.
I'm still going to be looking for jobs. Ideally, I would like a part-time position or a full-time position with fairly negotiable hours (say 35 hrs/week over the fall semester while I finish the ED degree?). Not a lot to ask in this tough market, I know. But as I wrote a few weeks ago, it never hurts to ask, so I'm throwing this idea/request to my readers in case they hear of anything to pass along.
Until next time...thanks for reading!
Part of the change this week is that part of my next endeavor is set. Nope, not a job - another degree. As I began my MSI, and started thinking about what it is I wanted to do long-term, I realized I wanted to be involved in budgeting, managing people, facilitating, project management...and so, I decided I wanted to give myself the best chance I could to go into administration in higher education. With a little investigation, I discovered that I could most likely complete the 30 credit Masters of Arts in Higher Education in one extra semester. One extra semester! I consulted with some professors and colleagues, and decided I had to do this. So, I applied over the summer and was accepted just last week.
I'm excited to start pairing my knowledge of information with new knowledge I'll gain of higher education. When writing my essay to the School of Education, I started actualizing how the two degrees really complement one another and also will provide me with a wealth of job opportunities when I start looking. My heart is in the library, but there are so many ways that the library could collaborate with other departments - I could help facilitate that.
My real goal for my career is to create partnerships between the community and higher education, and the library is one place this can happen. But there are other places as well, that I'll be excited to start exploring in my new coursework.
I'm still going to be looking for jobs. Ideally, I would like a part-time position or a full-time position with fairly negotiable hours (say 35 hrs/week over the fall semester while I finish the ED degree?). Not a lot to ask in this tough market, I know. But as I wrote a few weeks ago, it never hurts to ask, so I'm throwing this idea/request to my readers in case they hear of anything to pass along.
Until next time...thanks for reading!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Open Access Week & Organizing
Happy Open Access Week! Here at the UM Library (where I work part-time), we had two formal events - one small and one large - to celebrate this week of scholarship, information sharing, and participation in open resources. Open Access Week is, "a global event now entering its fourth year, [...and...] an opportunity for the
academic and research community to continue to learn about the potential
benefits of Open Access, to share what they’ve learned with colleagues,
and to help inspire wider participation in helping to make Open Access a
new norm in scholarship and research" (openaccessweek.org).
On Tuesday, we did just that. In partnership with the Copyright Office and MPublishing, I organized a brown bag event to bring together people from all positions in the library to discuss open access, what it means to them, and what it means to higher education and scholarly communication. It was a fairly "easy" event to organize - people from Copyright and MPublishing were more than happy to work with me, and we publicized in the library newsletter and via email to the library. The turnout was perfect for a discussion - we had several folks from different libraries (some librarians, some staff) and several people from the partnering offices. It was an incredible opportunity to hear people directly related to open access issues converse amongst themselves as well as with those of us not quite as familiar with the topic.
For people looking to host events or raise awareness, my experience organizing a brown bag showed me that it was a great way to bring people together to have discussions about issues. It's informal, but provides a space for people to talk - which is often what's needed to start a conversation. Plus, as the organizer, you get to interact with and learn about a subject or topic that you're interested in. Open Access week was a great way to make this happen here.
On Tuesday, we did just that. In partnership with the Copyright Office and MPublishing, I organized a brown bag event to bring together people from all positions in the library to discuss open access, what it means to them, and what it means to higher education and scholarly communication. It was a fairly "easy" event to organize - people from Copyright and MPublishing were more than happy to work with me, and we publicized in the library newsletter and via email to the library. The turnout was perfect for a discussion - we had several folks from different libraries (some librarians, some staff) and several people from the partnering offices. It was an incredible opportunity to hear people directly related to open access issues converse amongst themselves as well as with those of us not quite as familiar with the topic.
For people looking to host events or raise awareness, my experience organizing a brown bag showed me that it was a great way to bring people together to have discussions about issues. It's informal, but provides a space for people to talk - which is often what's needed to start a conversation. Plus, as the organizer, you get to interact with and learn about a subject or topic that you're interested in. Open Access week was a great way to make this happen here.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Starting the search
As November is upon us, April seems far away. That is, until I remember that that is the month in which I will graduate with an MSI, and will want to be employed by then or soon thereafter.
So the job search is upon me, and the idea of it is looming heavier week by week. Of course, I've already set aside time to look for and apply to jobs but, of course, somehow those hours get pushed away by homework, work, instruction prep time, or any other number of things that come up.
But it's time to focus - and focus, for me, happens with motivation. Motivation for the job search happens when I see positions that I want, and want badly. This week, there happen to be three jobs - in the Ann Arbor area - that would be great. There's one that I'm pretty excited about, and the other two are jobs that I could see being extremely fulfilling. I can't be picky as I want to stay in this wonderful state of Michigan and, preferably, in this area, but I don't want to "waste" my investment from graduate school by taking a position with which I won't be satisfied.
That's the balance - wanting (needing) a job but not wanting to settle. Any tips for finding this balance, applying to jobs, (or any leads on job openings!) would be more than welcome....
So the job search is upon me, and the idea of it is looming heavier week by week. Of course, I've already set aside time to look for and apply to jobs but, of course, somehow those hours get pushed away by homework, work, instruction prep time, or any other number of things that come up.
But it's time to focus - and focus, for me, happens with motivation. Motivation for the job search happens when I see positions that I want, and want badly. This week, there happen to be three jobs - in the Ann Arbor area - that would be great. There's one that I'm pretty excited about, and the other two are jobs that I could see being extremely fulfilling. I can't be picky as I want to stay in this wonderful state of Michigan and, preferably, in this area, but I don't want to "waste" my investment from graduate school by taking a position with which I won't be satisfied.
That's the balance - wanting (needing) a job but not wanting to settle. Any tips for finding this balance, applying to jobs, (or any leads on job openings!) would be more than welcome....
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Networking...Pay it forward
I've been really lucky to have supervisors who have helped me begin networking. One of my former bosses was well connected and put me in touch with an administrator at a nearby library. Immediately after the initial email introduction, I emailed the contact and expressed interest in visiting the library and observing instruction. As this was over the summer, I received a prompt reply with an invitation to come sometime in the fall, when more classes would be happening.
And.... it's fall. Of course the semester caught up to me, and I realized I'd better not lose this contact by getting back in touch too late. So, Sunday afternoon I sent the message, and Monday morning I had a reply in my inbox by the time I got to my email. By today, a Thursday, I have a visit set up, including observation and at least one meeting.
There are a couple lessons I've learned from this situation.
1) It doesn't hurt to ask: Before my old supervisor left her job, we discussed my future and she immediately put me in touch with those she knew in the area. Had I been afraid to have this conversation, or afraid to email the administrator, this opportunity would not have happened.
2) Pay it forward: Besides for the good of the profession, there is no good reason for this administrator (who must be VERY busy) to go out of her way to not only contact me initially but also to respond within 24 hours to a request from me. I believe that people are inherently good and that it would be hard to turn down a student who wants to visit your library, but I also have to believe that there is a sort of "pay-it-forward" attitude that led to my success in getting this visit set up. And, really, it all is for the good of the profession. Presumably, this administrator and my former boss have been in contact and have helped each other in various capacities during their careers; attending to my request for a visit was one way that the administrator paid forward something my former supervisor may have done for her. To me, this is a wonderful example of networking - knowing you can contact colleagues and make "asks" while being assured that they would do the same for you in a heartbeat.
I'm very lucky with the colleagues I have here at UM, and I will remember these experiences as I move forward in my career to continue to strengthen the library field.
And.... it's fall. Of course the semester caught up to me, and I realized I'd better not lose this contact by getting back in touch too late. So, Sunday afternoon I sent the message, and Monday morning I had a reply in my inbox by the time I got to my email. By today, a Thursday, I have a visit set up, including observation and at least one meeting.
There are a couple lessons I've learned from this situation.
1) It doesn't hurt to ask: Before my old supervisor left her job, we discussed my future and she immediately put me in touch with those she knew in the area. Had I been afraid to have this conversation, or afraid to email the administrator, this opportunity would not have happened.
2) Pay it forward: Besides for the good of the profession, there is no good reason for this administrator (who must be VERY busy) to go out of her way to not only contact me initially but also to respond within 24 hours to a request from me. I believe that people are inherently good and that it would be hard to turn down a student who wants to visit your library, but I also have to believe that there is a sort of "pay-it-forward" attitude that led to my success in getting this visit set up. And, really, it all is for the good of the profession. Presumably, this administrator and my former boss have been in contact and have helped each other in various capacities during their careers; attending to my request for a visit was one way that the administrator paid forward something my former supervisor may have done for her. To me, this is a wonderful example of networking - knowing you can contact colleagues and make "asks" while being assured that they would do the same for you in a heartbeat.
I'm very lucky with the colleagues I have here at UM, and I will remember these experiences as I move forward in my career to continue to strengthen the library field.
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