From the start, people in the crowd knew they were in for a treat. As soon as Gayle K. Porter, a clinical psychologist, walked up onstage to begin her Friday morning talk—titled “We Need a Revolution: Combating Stress and Depression in the Workplace,” sponsored by the National Library of Medicine—she queued music and told the … Continue reading Combat Stress without Stressing Out
Have you ever seen something in your work that you wanted to change but did nothing about it? What stopped you? Maybe you didn’t do it because you were too busy, but maybe you also felt that creating change was too daunting and you didn’t feel capable of making it happen. So many talented people … Continue reading Let’s #makeithappen
I look forward to this year in which I have the privilege of serving as ALA president. To prepare for this important role I acted on the very good advice of a number of our past presidents and took advantage of every opportunity in my president-elect term to lay a strong foundation for what I … Continue reading The Year Ahead
The Mario-themed, cube-shaped lamp cha-chings when punched. “That light was awesome,” said a Texas participant in the online chat sidebar. A bike rider’s jacket features an embedded turn signal indicator on the back. At the ALA Virtual Conference, held July 18–19, attendees learned that these are just a couple of ideas hatched in makerspaces, and … Continue reading Virtual Conference Talks Trends, Ideas
It’s no surprise: As a profession, we are facing a rapidly developing issue of growing significance, and that is e-content. It comes down to this: Libraries often cannot offer the types and amounts of e-content our users want and need. A lot of material is simply unavailable for us to access and circulate in electronic … Continue reading Essential Bookmarks
It’s amazing how quickly things change in the world of technology. When I wrote a book in 2005, I printed out all my research sources so I could highlight and take notes on them. I kept track of things I found on the web using a social bookmarking tool that only helped me find the … Continue reading Tools for Optimal Flow
I wrote here a few months ago about reading—its power and ubiquity and transcendence of format: “The authors and publishers get it; the ways in which the stories are displayed come and go, and what matters are the story and the storytelling.” Events in the ensuing months—the Department of Justice settlement with publishers, which may … Continue reading Amped-Up Ebook Apps
As digital content continues to grow in diversity and importance, libraries must make use of multiple strategies to support access for their users. ALA’s Digital Content and Libraries Working Group has been exploring issues of business models, advocacy, education, accessibility, privacy, and libraries as providers of content. But innovative approaches to making digital content available … Continue reading An Anaheim Evite to Explore Diverse Approaches to E-Content
Transforming sounds like such a magical process. In a glittery whirlwind, Cinderella is transformed from rag-covered servant to bejeweled beauty in a ball gown. Unfortunately, transforming rarely occurs in fairy-tale fashion. It’s a process that takes time, determination, and effort by dedicated teams. Glass slippers and fairy wands are strictly optional. In our May/June 2012 … Continue reading Transformations
How many “channels” are you using to get that next job? Caitlin Williams of San José State University’s faculty staff has been in the field of career development for more than 20 years and led last week’s webinar on the importance of building your online presence purposefully. With the focus on social media tools and … Continue reading Using Social Media for the Most Effective Job Search
Participants logged in from as far away as Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Alberta in Canada to Hawaii, Oregon, California, and other regions of the US to chat and interact with program presenters and authors during the two-day Public Library Association (PLA) 2012 Virtual Conference, March 15–16, held in conjunction with the ALA division’s national conference … Continue reading Doing PLA Conference – Virtually
Most librarians are educators in one sense or another, even when the role is not explicit. The best teachers learn from others and learn by doing. This is a good rule for improving at virtually anything: Seeking inspiration and accepting criticism makes your work richer and more well rounded. Many of the ideas I present … Continue reading Reflective Teaching for Librarians
