SLA Career Center

As part of the benefits of belonging to SLA, I also get full access to their career center. There are job postings, articles, resources and even salary earning available for me to look at. I really enjoyed reading about “sissy libraries” versus “bodacious libraries” in Michelle McGinnis’ article “Bold, Brazen, and Bodacious” from Information Outlook Vol.7 No.6, June 2003.  Here are some outlying points McGinnis explains in showing the difference between the different libraries.

Sissy Library

Bodacious Library

Depends on the parent organization for funding allocation.Derives and dispenses antiquated, powerless statistics that don’t mean much to decisionmakers in the organization. Library staff are apathetic and ignorant of the parent organization’s competitive environment and the forces that drive it. Assumes that the parent organization will realize the inherent value and worth of the library. Devalues the library by undervaluing staff knowledge, skills, time, and effort.

Implements innovative services for cost recovery and profit making.Provides and analyzes statistics that really say something, especially those that document correlations between information services provided to client groups and significant business events and successes. Library staff are highly involved in the workings of the organization. They have intimate knowledge of the projects in which their customers are involved. They are cognizant of current and potential issues the organization faces. They are visible and valuable to management. Time and again, proves and promotes the library’s value and worth by documenting its positive, fruitful impact on the parent organization and by having conversations with customers and management that educate them about the correlation between the library’s products and services and significant financial and business events. Believes in and communicates its value and worth to its customers. Stands by its products and services and the high-quality performance of its staff.

Obviously as a future librarian, I want to be a part of a bodacious library! Although it’s up to the current librarians to change their view on themselves as a vital part of the library.

http://www.sla.org/content/memberonly/infoonline/2003/June03/BodaciousLib.cfm

Welch Medical Library

I wanted to explore different special libraries and what better way then perusing the blogging world? I came across the Welch Medical Library which is the library that serves Johns Hopkins University, a pretty prestigious university. Based on first scanning the blog entries, this libraries seems very active with the students, librarians and community. They look like they have a lot of fun on the job, posting videos and creating challenges and contests. They post at least 2-3 days a week which I find interesting. They also create a monthly podcast about new items or features in the medical library. They post features on navigating through medical databases and using the various tools that will help students in their studies. It’s an interesting set up of a medical library in a larger academic world.

 

http://blogs.welch.jhmi.edu/

Library of Congress

If I’m in the mood to browse through blogs and I dont know where to start, I always end up first at the Library of Congress‘ blog (or sometimes the blog at Flickr – it’s that art background again). A recent post from Feb. 8th illustrates a special gift given to the library; correspondence from Hans Christian Andersen to Louis Bagger (his English translator, editor and proofreader of the original Danish literature) from 1863-1872. I especially love posts about history so this one definitely caught my interest! The letters are now in the  Rare Book and Special Collections Division of the Library of Congress. It’s just an example of the sort of items the library receives. I would love to get my hands on something as interesting as these letters!

This blog only posts about once a month, but it’s always worth looking at! I like to see what item or section of the LoC they’re showcasing, or what guest blogger they have on.

 

Special Libraries Association

When I first joined the Special libraries Association, I didn’t know where to go first. I started browsing the website and I realized how much information the SLA offers. The resources link is one of my favorites (except for the careers – I’m always looking for what’s available!). I like to peruse the information portals and news connections to see what’s going on in the world of special libraries.

I am disappointed in the chapter I joined, Museum, Arts & Humanities; their blog hasn’t been updated since Nov. of last year. There isn’t too much going on in that area. However, I do like the e-mails I receive when I signed up for the mailing lists. I feel connected to the other members as they’re sending e-mails asking questions on different topics concerning special libraries and library procedures.

Volunteering at the archives

I try to volunteer at the USF St. Petersburg archives about once a week. Jim Schnur, the director of the archives, and I sometimes talk about the issues he faces while working in an archives in an academic library. Some of these issues are donor related, management related, and sometimes ethical. They are some real thought provokers! They usually have me stumped; I wouldn’t know where to start! One issue involves a big time donor and the head of the library asking Jim to write a report on a politician from the mid-twentieth century, but Jim is not comfortable having his name attached to this report. I don’t think I can really go into detail since this is still all in the works, but it’s really a difficult decision. Should Jim go against his boss and an important donor or should he follow what he believes and not do the report? The circumstances surrounding the report may not even happen, but the librarian/archivist should always be prepared.

Video: Partenership

I watched the video on Blackboard about partnership for information professionals. Once I got past the styles and technology of the day, I realized that since it’s been about 20 years since the video was made, the theme still stands as an important part of any organization. Partnership in business is important; different people bring different perspectives and experiences to the table which enables more choices for decision making. Partnership allows people to bounce ideas off of each other.