One year ago...

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.

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. 

Getting into the flow

Starting a new job and new classes at the same time - or even just the start of a new school year - is quite exciting and invigorating.  It means new responsibilities, new deadlines, and a new routine.  As I sit down on my first Sunday of the semester to begin my homework, enter due dates into my calendar, and start to engage myself in unfamiliar topics, I get a bit apprehensive about my abilities to complete all of this work and do it well.

Then I remember that I work much better when I'm in a routine... in a flow... Once I get rolling, my calendar and to-do list doesn't seem quite as daunting, because I'm in the middle of it and don't have time to worry about every single thing I have to do.  I do better when I'm busy because when there's too much time to think, anxiety creeps in.

It will be a challenging semester, no doubt.  But it will also be incredibly energizing as I learn about things that directly relate to my new position, that I can apply immediately or down the road.  I'll get to research applicable topics to student and academic affairs, institutional environments, and developmental theories.  I'll get to learn from my colleagues about their experiences and their thoughts on these issues.  And I'll come out of this semester even more prepared to be a higher education professional.

So while the stress of a new term looms right in front of me, in a few weeks (or later this week), I'll be so immersed in it, I will remind myself that these are times I learn the most and thrive... and that is my motivation to have a successful final semester.

First Week in Higher Ed: The Other Side of Orientation

This was my first week as a higher education professional outside of the library.  And boy, was it something!  My first day at the School of Information as Recruiting and Admissions Coordinator also marked the week of the UMSI incoming student orientation.  This meant that the days were filled with meeting students(!), answering questions, printing last minute materials, coordinating room changes, adjusting working groups, and so much more.  To me, there was no better way to dive into my new job.

I learned so much in my first week.  I learned that there is so much more to putting on a large event (like orientation) than one realizes as a student.  I felt lucky knowing the people I was working with, the specializations for UMSI master's students, what "501" meant, and the culture of UMSI.  But I also realized how much more I had to learn.  I had never thought about all of the behind the scenes "stuff" like ordering balloons for the check-in table, what it's like to organize current student volunteers for events (even though I'd been recruited to participate as a student), or that catering orders might need to be adjusted.  I never realized how much work goes into these days, and that the people working the events would still have email coming in from student groups, prospective students, students who need schedule changes, and other responsibilities that are outside of orientation.

And this all allowed me to gain even more respect for the higher education professionals that make students' experiences at UMSI special.  It made me even more excited to have the opportunity to have my new position be at a place that cares SO MUCH about its students.  I cannot wait to start my final graduate school semester and put my full self into working at UMSI to continue its tradition of being an incredibly unique school that focuses completely on the student experience.  I'm so grateful that I get to start my higher education career (outside of the library) at a place where I can learn and grow as a professional, in a way that is completely about the student.  So here's to starting the 2012-13 year!    

What's Next? Question Answered

Yesterday was my official last day working at the University of Michigan Hatcher Graduate Library.  I first started working there in 2004, as an undergraduate student.  It was a place I loved going and from where I couldn't stay away.  My student position led to my first job out of college, before I left Ann Arbor and tried other fields and professions.  I couldn't stay away.  In 2009, I moved back to my favorite city and had the chance to take on another role at the library (to spare you all of these details in this post, I'll simply post a link to my website http://alissatalleypixley.com in case you're interested).  This led to my interest in obtaining a Master of Science in Information, and to my position as a University Library Associate (ULA).  It's been an amazing journey these past eight years, and I'm incredibly grateful and feel extremely lucky to have worked with so many professional, intelligent, and thoughtful colleagues.

My previous positions in the library and in academia peaked my interest in higher education more generally, so, as I wrote in November 2011, I applied and was accepted to the Higher Education program at UM.  So when I started thinking about my future careers after my two year ULA appointment was up, I knew I wanted to intersect my master's degrees.  And it just so happened that the School of Information, from where I graduated in April, recently opened a position for a Recruiting and Admissions Coordinator.  I immediately applied and was hired a couple of weeks ago.

It will be a busy and exciting time in my professional life.  This position will allow me to use the skills that I learned at UMSI such as customer service (in my reference classes), information literacy, and non-profit management, with those I practiced in my last position including instruction (speaking in front of people, knowing how to put together meaningful information in an allotted amount of time) and supervision of students, with my knowledge of higher education gained in that particular master's program.  I'm thrilled to be able to combine all of my previous work experiences and use the transferable skills from each position to advise prospective students, plan events, manage online communities, and everything else that will crop up as I grow into this job.

Thanks to everyone for your support in whichever way it was provided in helping me get to where I am today.  It will be fun to explore this new role and I hope you'll enjoy following me as I learn and develop in a new environment.

The calm before the beautiful storm

For now, this is my last regular reference desk shift at the Hatcher Graduate Library.  I expected a flood of new students asking questions, incoming faculty wandering around, a bustle of folks figuring things out... instead, it is quiet.  It feels like the calm before the storm, but its the storm that is needed to re-energize us and propel us forward into the new year.

That's one thing I love about being involved in higher education as both a student and an employee.  I love that the school year is so busy you don't have time to think but yet everything is productive and meaningful.  I love that when summer comes, ambitions to do the projects that get put on the back-burner are high, but that the summer is too short to possibly complete all of them... and we need a small break in the action that is academia.

I love that when August hits, email ramps up, orientation tours start, and planning for fall accelerates.  I love that come late August, the temperatures start to cool down (or heat up) and you can begin to see the hint of color in the leaves.  By the time September 1 hits, the streets are closed for student move-in (and you can't drive anywhere) and the summertime freedom of taking our town back from the students is no longer a reality.

But what I love most is that the seasons change, they happen, and they're all wonderful.  As much as I look forward to summer, I look forward to fall.  And I'm lucky to have this time to appreciate and reflect on this transition, because the closer we get to the Tuesday after Labor Day, the busier I'll get.  And I love that.

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!

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 :)

Mini Series Part 2: Reflections on an MSI

Last week, it finally hit me.  I'm GRADUATING later this month.  It hit when one of my Professors said, "we'll take some time at the end of class next week to fill out your course evaluations" and when I said, "yep, I'm graduating next mont... oh wait.  It's April.  I'm graduating this month."

So here it is, my attempt at reflections on my MSI.  Last Monday, I wrote about time and balance (which was weighing heavily at that time) and so this week, I'll write about something prevalent right now: extracurricular involvement.

At the end of my first year, I was asked to run for Treasurer of the School of Information Student Association (SISA).  After a bit of deliberation (partially due to my worry about the amount of time it would take :), I decided to run, and I was fortunate enough to win the election.  Little did I know at the time just how much of an impact this would have on my time at SI. 

Being a part of SISA has allowed me to meet new great people, network, and build my resume.  It's allowed me the chance to plan events (something I love to do), facilitate student involvement (something else I love to do), and gain administrative and budgetary skills.  My participation in SISA has been invaluable as I learned to work with fellow Officers, other SI students, SI administrators, and SI staff.

These are skills that would have been very difficult to obtain without extending my time at SI into an extracurricular activity.  So, here's a shout of encouragement to get involved when you can - it's about taking the opportunities that come and making the most of them.   Until next week...

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 :). 

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.

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.

Refreshed and Ready to Roll - Community Connections Happening!

There's something about spring break as a student... knowing that the first half of the semester is over, getting a chance to unwind, and then coming back refreshed and ready to finish the term strong.

This is a busy time of year and a very exciting one at that... here's a preview of some of what I'll be doing, and subsequently writing about this term. 

This week, I'll be participating in a meeting at the Detroit Center that includes Detroit Center project leaders and U of M Librarians.  The aim is to start finding connections between their work and how the library can assist their work.  The meeting is a short introduction to the many possibilities that can come from this parternship.

Later in March, I'll be working with Arts of Citizenship on putting together lunches for their Engaged Scholarship Initiative which aims to civically engage graduate students. 

I'm looking forward to moving into the summer with a lot of possibilities ahead, and one Master's degree behind me.  Thanks for coming along for the ride.

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 :)

This blog post is about blogging

It's that time of the semester - that time that may vary individually, but inevitably hits students at least once.  It's that time where you feel like no matter what you do, it's not enough.  It's that time where you feel like there is no end in sight.  It's that time when you work non-stop, only to still have more to do.  It's that time when you... blog, instead of working on something else.

So yes, it's that time, and you may question why blogging takes precedence over that "something else," or why I would blog when I've got so much else to do.

Answers to these questions are, of course, personal, but I've got some that I'd like to share.  First, blogging is a chance to reflect, and take, say, 20 minutes to escape from the pressing pressure of homework.  Second, blogging is something that I hope will benefit both me and others in the long-term.  To me, blogging is professional development; I'm trying to blog to grow my professional profile and connect with others who have similar interests.  Additionally, blogging gives me a chance to step back and think: what was important in the last week that others might find interesting too?

Some weeks the answer is obvious.  Writing about the Story Collider or a conference I attended seems natural.  It's weeks like this, when there's so much else to do, that the idea of thinking about something else (blogging) is overwhelming.  So, my readers end up reading a blog about blogging.

Story Collider: Community + Campus Collaboration

Last Thursday evening I witnessed an amazing example of a community/campus collaboration: The Story Collider.  I heard about this event via Open.Michigan and decided to check it out.

The Story Collider is a group out of New York City that brings stories of science to real-life situations.  This is vague sounding, yes, so let me try to explain.  The Story Collider event I attended was produced through a partnership between Open.Michigan, the Ann Arbor District Library, and The Story Collider group.  This was not the first time The Story Collider had been in Ann Arbor, but it was the first time I had seen the performance, so I'll speak to that event.

Last Thursday's Story Collider featured two emcee's; one was a founder of The Story Collider Brian Wecht, the other was University of Michigan staff member Erik Hofer.  The emcee's introduced six different speakers who told a story about their life and science.  Now, let me preface the rest of this entry by saying I am not a "science person."  I've taken science, yes, but am by no means an Chemical Engineer, or a Cosmologist, or an English professor, like a few of the speakers were.  Yet, through their storytelling, I was taken to a place where science made sense, in the real world that we all live in.


One storyteller explained how she became to realize why she felt the way she did about science, another told about a time when they had an ephiphany about science and was able to express that to a professor, before they were even in college.  Another speaker talked about wikipedia editing, and yet another about a wild trip to Haiti to do relief work.  The other stories reflected the speaker's interactions with science then and science now (how could a museaum be wrong about something?), and about what it's like to live with a real, live scientist.


These stories touched me, and made me realize that events such as this can bring together the unlikelist of partners.  I would love to know more about how this collaboration came together, but it showed me that the opportunities for outreach are endless.


You can read more about the speakers, and check back for the podcasts of their stories.  And, if The Story Collider comes your way, be sure to check them out!

What the new year shall bring - Detroit-based work

The winter/holiday break that academics and students receive is much needed, but the itch to get back to work is just as important.  As such, 2012 is shaping up to be a fantastic year.

One of the initiatives on which I'm most excited to work is at the Detroit Center.  There are many connections to make, many collaborations to develop, and many people to meet.  The UM Library is just starting work there to connect librarians to the projects at the Detroit Center.  Many of the projects are health-based, social work and leadership based, connected with urban planning, engineering, and much more.  There are many ways that librarians can assist this work; as UM is a research institution, the projects it supports need to be research-based.  UM librarians can work with the project coordinators to inform their work so that it can benefit the UM community, Detroit community, and citizens worldwide.

The University of Michigan is dedicated to working in Detroit.  Just today, as I was searching for UM-based Detroit work, I came across a very interesting website from The Office of the Vice President for Communications at UM entitled The University of Michigan and Detroit: A Parternship for Progress.  The website details UM's commitment to work in Detroit and discusses the "base of operations" (the Detroit Center) and lists projects associated with UM's work in Detroit.

The Detroit Center is the base of operations for many of U–M’s Detroit–focused programs. Established in 2005, the 10,500 square–foot facility provides space for offices, classes, meetings, exhibitions, lectures, and collaborative work while serving as a home base for students and faculty working on projects in the city. The U–M Detroit Admissions Office is also located here.

• ARTS & CULTURE

• COMMUNITY ACTION & SERVICE

• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY

• HEALTH & SAFETY

• INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES & OUTREACH

• LEGAL RESOURCES

• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

• SUSTAINABILITY & THE ENVIRONMENT

(Source: http://vpcomm.umich.edu/issues/detroit.html) 

UM's work in Detroit also relates to UM President Mary Sue Coleman's Third Century Initiative which I learned about through Arts of Citizenship's Associate Director, Elizabeth Werbe.  The Third Century Initiative aims to, "use $50 million in existing funds during the next five years to develop innovative, multidisciplinary teaching and scholarship approaches to such topics as climate change, poverty and malnutrition, energy storage, affordable health care and social justice challenges. It will encompass teaching, research and service efforts" (http://www.ur.umich.edu/update/archives/111005/thirdcent).

The Partnership for Progress and the Third Century Initiative are just two of the many reasons that the Library should forge forth with creating a partnership with the Detroit Center.  The possibilities for collaborations are abundant, and it will be exciting to see and be a part of what's to come.

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. 

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.

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!