Continuous Learning

Funds shift, coworkers leave, a new director arrives. Such unexpected job changes may require you to learn a new skill—fast. In my experience, I feel as though I can learn nearly anything from books. Even if I need to take a class, watch a webinar, or participate in a hands-on demonstration, reading about a topic beforehand helps immeasurably. In that vein, one or more of these books may help you with your personal learning list.

Divided into two parts, the third edition of Communicating Professionally: A How-to-Do-It Manual for Librarians, by Catherine Sheldrick Ross and Kirsti Nilsen, addresses how communication skills apply to library work. The writing, listening, and speaking tips, along with annotated bibliographies in each chapter, will help with job interviews (on either side of the desk), reference transactions, writing disciplinary memos, collaborating on projects, or being persuasive to a board. The authors discuss the importance of understanding the audience for all communications and adjusting tone, length, vocabulary, and structure accordingly. Electronic communications, including those in collaborative online workspaces, are also covered.

Indexed. ALA Neal-Schuman, 2013. 472 p. $70. PBK. 978-1-55570-908-2

Even if you are not interested in learning more about your ancestors, someone on the other side of the reference desk or perhaps at a social gathering may ask for genealogy help. In Finding Your Roots: Easy-to-Do Genealogy and Family History, Janice Schultz presents a solid overview on how to gather and record family information. Schultz devotes most chapters to defining and describing the records used for establishing the key facts—birth, marriage, death—for ancestors, using both online and paper archival resources for governmental, church, and military records. She also covers researching European sources and offers tips for researching Native American and African-American ancestors.

Indexed. Huron Street Press, 2013. 240 p. $21.95. PBK. 978-1-937589-00-4

A few weeks ago I logged in to one of our subscription databases and discovered two options: the web-based portal I was used to and a mobile option. A database on a cellphone? Global Mobile: Applications and Innovations for the Worldwide Mobile Ecosystem, edited by Peter A. Bruck and Madanmohan Rao, explores the ramifications of the rapid rise of mobile technology worldwide. There are case studies on how mobile technology has changed health care, banking, and government. The authors also look to the future—to regulatory challenges, the ever-increasing demand for data services, and sadly, cyberlaw. The issues and concepts presented in this update will be important ones for library planning.

Indexed. Information Today, 2013. 576 p. $49.50. PBK. 978-1-57387-462-5

In Developing and Managing Electronic Collections: The Essentials, Peggy Johnson has applied her prodigious understanding of library collection development to the current challenges of digital collections. Her definition is inclusive: digital resources selected by librarians, managed by the library, and made available for users through purchase, lease, or as free resources. After a description of the several types of digital items that might be included, Johnson reviews selection processes, acquisitions considerations, licensing, and enabling discovery through cataloging and other means. She also looks at managing necessary workflows, purchase budgeting, and the communication needed to ensure ongoing collaboration between those who acquire and make collections available and those who interpret them for library users. Includes a glossary.

Indexed. ALA Editions, 2013. 200 p. $65. PBK. 978-0-8389-1190-7

Library technology can be complex and often difficult to understand. To guide you through this maze, consider the fourth edition of Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion: A Basic Guide for Library Staff (see excerpt), by John J. Burke. It starts with lists of technology skills that survey respondents reported needing. Email tops the list, which also includes using scanners and printers, working with a file management system, library databases, and presentation software. Other chapters have overviews of buying and implementing technology, current trends in library discovery systems, databases and digital collections, web-based delivery, social media, and security and privacy issues. Includes a glossary.

Indexed. Neal-Schuman, 2013. 279 p. $75. PBK. 978-1-55570-915-0

Latest Library Links

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Joe Árvai writes: “As artificial intelligence (AI) creeps further into people’s daily lives, so do worries about it. At the most alarmist are concerns about AI going rogue and terminating its human masters. But my own research as a psychologist who studies how people make decisions leads me to believe that all these risks are overshadowed by an even more corrupting, though largely invisible, threat. That is, AI is mere keystrokes away from making people even less disciplined and skilled when it comes to thoughtful decisions.”

The Conversation, Apr. 12
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Tess Prendergast writes: “As someone who teaches contemporary children’s literature, I have been following the surge of picture books about climate and environment topics for several years. While there has been some great scholarly research about such books, I have devised a simple framework for grouping these kinds of books. This four-tiered categorization may help you decided what to read, suggest, or display in various scenarios and for different audiences.”

ALSC Blog, Apr. 11
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Max Eddy writes: “It’s a nightmare scenario: You’ve protected all of your online accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA), but then your phone is broken, lost, or stolen, and you’re locked out of everything. Past You’s effort to protect Future You has made Present You’s life a living hell. 2FA is supposed to keep attackers and scammers out of your online accounts, but what if something happens to your second factor? With a little planning, you can reduce that risk and still keep your accounts safe.”

New York Times Wirecutter, Apr. 12
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Nik Altenberg writes: “About 100 librarians and their supporters rallied outside San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library on April 9 to demand the city hire security guards for every branch. Workers decried a lack of security at most of the city’s branches and said they are often forced to de-escalate volatile situations and step into the role of providing security themselves. The rally is the latest in a series of union actions [from 10 unions representing more than 25,000 city workers across city departments] seeking to draw attention to what they say is a pervasive understaffing crisis.”

KQED-TV (San Francisco), Apr. 9
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“Two years after Brooklyn Public Libraries’ (BPL) launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teen and young adults across the US and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. The new report, published April 11 by BPL and Seattle Public Library, analyzes 855 stories shared by young people who signed up for a free Books Unbanned ecard from April 2022 through December 2023.”

Seattle Public Library, Apr. 11
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Samantha Guss, Sojourna Cunningham, and Jennifer Stout write: “Recruitment and retention are both critical to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in academic libraries, and failing to improve retention has and will continue to derail these initiatives. Research that addresses retention tends to focus on proposed strategies, such as stay interviews (structured interviews aimed at strengthening employee and employer relationships) and mentorship programs. But there is no agreed-upon definition of retention that would allow us to assess these strategies. We should recognize that involuntary staying can be just as negative an outcome for the individual and the organization as leaving, setting the stage for legacy toxicity.”

In The Library With The Lead Pipe, Apr. 10
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Jackie Edwards writes: “As spring rolls around, seasonal allergies can flare up among library workers, resulting in symptoms like sneezing; runny or stuffy nose; itchy eyes, ears, and nose; coughing; and asthma. Not only are these symptoms detrimental to well-being and productivity, but they can also mean you’re less able to provide excellent customer service to library users. Fortunately, by purifying the air, preventing mold, and keeping your work area clean, you can improve indoor air quality and combat allergies in your library.”

Library Worklife, Apr.