SOLIS at WSU

Final Post from Washington, DC

2010-06-28T18:18:00.005-04:00

Welcome to Day 5 and the final post of my ALA experience! I did not have to work until noon today so I took this opportunity to walk around The Stacks some more. Free books are great, but you must have the luggage space to haul them back home! I also have come to the realization from several overheard conversations and my own observations that librarians are crazy for book bags. This may not be a big surprise to many of you and I am a "bag person" myself, but it seems like the goal of some folks here is to collect as many book bags - free, not free, plastic, cotton, polyester, recycled, etc - as possible. There should be a study done on librarian behavior patters in The Stacks. It could be interesting.

Before work I also attended the Graphic Novel Panel consisting of David Small, author of the new book Stitches, and Audrey Niffenegger, author of the new book The Night Bookmobile. It was real fascinating to hear the stories and background information on these books from the authors themselves. I have never really been into graphic novels before, but after their talks I just may check them out (at least the authors' books in particular).

For work this afternoon I helped prepare awards and set up for the RUSA 2010 Awards Ceremony and Reception. Award winners included the likes of Marie L. Radford, Nancy Pearl and other superstars of the reference world. It was wonderful to be in the room with these great librarians. Today was my longest work day (6 hours) but it flew by fast.

I will work an early bird shift (5:30am-8am!!) tomorrow for the Coretta Scott King Breakfast setting up and taking tickets, but then I am headed home. So this will be my last post from ALA and DC. I highly recommend getting involved in ALA as it seems there are endless possibilities. The Student-to-Staff program is a great way to get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes action of the conference and a great way to minimize your conference related fees. I hope that you'll apply for the program next year and that you enjoyed following along in my first ALA journey. Cheers!

ALA Sunday Update Part II

2010-06-27T16:23:00.004-04:00

Hello again! Earlier today I gave an account of Day 3 of my ALA experience. I can now give you an update on Day 4 as my day comes to an end. Early this morning I met the RUSA folks at the Literary Tastes Breakfast. My duties were to take tickets, give out programs and do some general set up for the event. The event consisted of several authors (Dan Chaon, Melvin Konner, Laney Salisbury, David Small and Adriana Trigiani) addressing the attendees about their writing. The attendees, who paid for the event, got breakfast and free books signed by the authors. Fun! I stayed for the program, which was interesting and entertaining.

After work was done, I headed out to an afternoon session: the Annual Reference Research Forum. This session was the most informative session I have attended so far. Three different research projects were introduced and discussed: The Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic Libraries (ERIAL) Project (http://www.%20erialproject.org); "Do LibGuides Make a Difference? A Quasi-Experimental Investigation Into the Impact of LibGuides" (Presented by Steven J. Bell); and "Minding the Gap: Generational Differences in Attitudes toward Reference Service in Academic Libraries" (www.uwec.edu/markgrjs).

Each presentation gave an overview of the research, findings and conclusions. I have to say that the LIS 7996 research course I took last semester was really helpful in understanding the studies presented. It was interesting to hear how some results contradicted with what was expected. I also enjoyed hearing how the studies could be improved. So far this session proved what this conference is all about - new trends, studies and research.

I also tried to attend a second session this afternoon titled: "Area Studies Librarianship, Globalization, and Interdisciplinary Studies in Today's and Tomorrow's Academic & Research Libraries." I was interested in this session because my undergraduate degree is in Interdisciplinary Studies. However, I found the presentation to be a bit dry after a great earlier session and found it hard to concentrate. Since this session took place in a small room, it was standing room only and I chose to give my seat to another more interested party.

I have a long work day tomorrow and will give a report tomorrow evening. See you then!

ALA Sunday Update

2010-06-27T11:29:00.007-04:00

Welcome to Day 4 of my ALA experience! You'll notice that I skipped over Day 3. Yesterday was so jam packed that I didn't have time to share with you.

I did not have to work on Saturday for the Student-to-Staff Program so I had a chance to wander The Stacks (or the exhibit hall) in the morning. Talk about overwhelming! Wall-to-wall vendors spread out over an enormous area. There are database providers, booksellers, furniture dealers, jewelry makers...and the list goes on and on. A word of advice that any conference goer will give you - wear comfortable shoes!! You'll be doing miles of walking.

I decided to listen in on a few demonstrations, one of which was Mango who creates language learning products. It looked interesting and they lured me in with a mango slushy, mmmm.... The demonstration lasted about 15 minutes and the group learned to say a few words in Japanese. The database looks user-friendly and seems to provide quick results through repetition. I also listened in to vendors selling automated material check-in machines and single computers that can run up to 10 monitors (a "green" company of course).

The Stacks are fun to peruse, but I'd suggest taking a look at the Exhibit Hall guide and pre-select booths you know you want to visit. Otherwise, you may get sidetracked.

In the afternoon I listened in on a session put on by the Intellectual Freedom Round Table titled "Burning Man, Libraries, and the 21st Century: The Intersection of the Individual and Society." The session was a conversation between Larry Harvey, the Burning Man event founder, and Lauren Christos, librarian and Burning Man attendee. They discussed Burning Man (http://www.burningman.com/) and the culture of the community. The main topics of discussion were freedom, rules and privacy. Learning about Burning Man and the type of society created during this one week event in August was captivating. Besides Mr. Harvey saying libraries are "like a temple" to him and a brief discussion of the now defunct bookmobile at the event, there wasn't much mention of libraries which was a bit disappointing.

I also attended the Opening General Session with keynote speaker Toni Morrison. Her speech was lively, inspiring and down to earth. Her passion for libraries was felt as she described her first jobs at her own public library and how she is an advocate for libraries today. This was a great way to end the evening.

Stay tuned for more Day 4 blogging....

ALA Friday Update

2010-06-25T19:59:00.004-04:00

Welcome to Day 2 of my ALA adventure. This morning began with a couple hours of work checking in registered attendees for the Reference Preconference. The check-in went smoothly and soon I was ready to be a tourist for awhile. Friday is a slow day for sessions (mostly preconferences) so I had some free time to see the sights. I ventured onto the Metro to take a trip to the Library of Congress. The building is gorgeous, inside and out. A peek into the Main Reading Room made me a bit jealous of those that get to work and research there. Several exhibits including Thomas Jefferson's library were on display and were fascinating. After the LOC I walked to the Capital Building which towers over all who lay eyes on it. Next stop on my tour was the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History where I saw many fantastic exhibits including the Hope Diamond and dinosaur bones. One could spend hours and hours here, but alas I had to head back to the convention center for my only session of the day.

I don't think I mentioned earlier, but this is my first ALA conference. This afternoon there were several session options for newbies to get acquainted with ALA and the conference itself. I chose to attend the Intellectual Freedom (IF) 101 session. This session was a great way to learn a bit more about what the Office of Intellectual Freedom(OIF) has to offer. There were speakers from the Intellectual Freedom Committee, the Freedom to Read Foundation (separate from ALA), Intellectual Freedom Roundtable, the Merritt Fund (separate from ALA), the Committee on Professional Ethics, and the Privacy Subcomittee. Each presenter gave a quick overview of what their area of IF does and websites for each can be found at: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/index.cfm.

The final speaker gave us 11 things to do to support Intellectual Freedom, which I thought I'd share with you:
1) Join the Intellectual Freedom Round Table
2) Celebrate Banned Books Week in your community
3) Subscribe to OIF email list
4) Follow OIF on Twitter
5) Get the Library Bill of Rights tattooed on your back (yep)
6) Attend at least one IF program at the conference
7) Watch "Choose Privacy Week" video on website
8) "like" or "fan" all of the IF Facebook pages
9) Buy jewelry from booth #2535 at conference - 60% of proceeds go to FTRF
10) Read OIF Blog
11) Talk about IF!!!

Tomorrow I have a free day from work and plan to attend a few session and check out the exhibit hall or "The Stacks."

Greetings from Washington, DC

2010-06-25T19:25:00.005-04:00

Hello readers! My name is Erika and I am going to blog for a few days about my ALA Annual Conference experience. A bit about myself - I am part of the online cohort and reside in North Carolina. My concentration is in reference services and I am just a couple semesters away from graduating from the SLIS program. I was selected by SLIS to represent Wayne State at the ALA Annual Conference as a Student-to-Staff Participant. I have been paired with a division of ALA (RUSA) and will work a certain amount of hours at the conference. In return I get free entry to the conference, free lodging and a per diem. Pretty nice, right? For those of you who are unaware of this program there is an application process through the school each winter to select a student. Forty students are selected for the program from different library schools around the country. Apply! It's a great opportunity.

I arrived in DC yesterday to find that I should have packed more tank tops and less pants - wow is it hot! I had a meeting with the RUSA folks in the afternoon so I decided to head over to the convention center a little early to get my badge holder and program. There weren't too many folks around yet so I was able to get my bearings. I checked in with my RUSA supervisor and got the details of my schedule and also stayed around for a few hours to help prepare session packets. This was a good warm-up for the weekend and a great chance to meet and mingle with a few ALA folks.
I left the convention center to check-in to my hotel and meet my roommate. Soon it was time to meet about 30 Student-to-Staffers for dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant nearby. The food was fantastic and the company was even better. This dinner was a great opportunity to sit down and meet library science students from all over the country. Plus, it gave us all a few friendly faces to pick out in the crowd at the conference. After a long day of travel and work it was time to head back to the hotel and rest up for the weekend.

SLIS is holding Mock Interview Workshop - June 5, 2010

2010-05-31T18:24:00.003-04:00

RSVP HERE!

Join the SLIS for a Mock Interviewing Workshop from 1-4pm on Saturday, June 5^th, 2010! This event will take place in 202 Kresge. All students participating in this event will go through a realistic job interview with current information professionals. In order to provide a true interview experience, students are asked to do the following:

Dress professionally
Arrive on time
Bring a sample job posting that you would like to "interview" for (this
could be any professional position that you would apply for)
Bring a resume and cover letter written for that job
Be sure to include any links to your projects or electronic portfolios

SPACE is LIMITED, in order to secure a spot please RSVP.

Additionally, to complete your registration, please send a $25 deposit check to the SLIS Office.

Attention: SLIS Career Services

106 Kresge Library
Detroit, MI 48202

The $25 deposit will be refunded at the event. Its purpose is to ensure an accurate count of students attending the event. If you do not attend the event and do not cancel your registration at least three days prior to the event by emailing asklis@wayne.edu, you will be charged the deposit fee of $25.

For more information about this event, please contact Kim Schroeder at 313-577-1825 or ag1797@wayne.edu.

Career Clinic March 27, 2010

2010-03-06T22:17:00.003-05:00

The WSU School of Library and Information Science Alumni Association presents a career clinic on March 27, 2010 from 9am to 1pm at WSU's David Adamany Undergraduate Library. It is free for students, but to ensure we have enough resume reviewers and speakers, please RSVP. Excerpt:

Prepare to head into the job market with solid professional advice and a knock ‘em dead resume. Whether you are a student hunting for the first time or if you are an information professional that wants to ensure your resume is ready for anything – this event is for YOU!

SEE MORE DETAILS and RSVP HERE!

ALA's "Finding and Keeping Library Jobs" Webinar

2010-01-18T19:19:00.005-05:00

ALA's free webinar, "Finding and Keeping Library Jobs," that was held earlier today, January 18th, offered information that LIS students may find useful as they begin their job search. The presentation was conducted by Diane K. Kovacs who is a librarian, web teacher and a consultant. Her presentation discussed many resources to help librarians find and choose a job.

If you were unable to attend the webinar, Ms. Kovacs maintains a website which has a link to her PowerPoint presentation and other resources. She was generous enough to allow me to share the login information with the students at WSU. To access this information on her website select the link for "Finding and Keeping Library Jobs: Employment Researching, Networking, and Professional Development Resources." You will then need to login as a guest with the enrollment key of "jobs."

2009-09-08T18:24:00.003-04:00

FYI for anyone intersted in Archives or Records Management

2009-08-10T17:43:00.010-04:00

On August 25, 2009 the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Great Lakes Region will be holding its annual E-Records Forum.

The keynote speaker will be Ken Thibodeau, PhD, Director of the NARA Electronic Records Archives (ERA). Dr. Thibodeau will discuss ERA's initial launch, challenges faced, opportunities, lessons learned, and next steps for this "archive of the future" present, here and now.

This event is co-sponsored by the National Archives and Records Administration, the State of Michigan Records Management Services and the Archives of Michigan.

When: Tuesday, August 25th 9a.m.-Noon
Where: Forum (1st floor) at the Michigan Library and Historical Center building located at 702 W. Kalamazoo Street, Lansing, Michigan

This event is free. Pre-registration is required to ensure adequate space for attendees.
Register at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=OJbF0aYqBr8AfRSgq_2bIzkg_3d_3d

Questions about the E-Records Forum can be addressed to Marybelle Yeazel at Marybelle.Yeazel@nara.gov or 937-425-0624.

ALA introduces "Getting a Job in a Tough Economy" toolkit

2009-07-02T08:40:00.004-04:00

Good luck to all the new grads out there! ALA is developing a toolkit for library job-hunters. They also welcome your feedback, so check it out at http://www.getajob.ala.org. A short description:

The “Getting a Job in a Tough Economy” toolkit is an interactive website with tips, narrative and suggested links and readings, a blog, podcasts, timelines and activities/checklists for new librarians and support staff, those looking to change position, people who have been laid off, and others who are having difficulty finding the right position. The site will be a one-stop resource including and/or linking to information prepared for members from units within ALA, as well as linking to information about best practices in job searching from any field. The toolkit will shine a spotlight on the resources that ALA already offers, highlighting why they are especially valuable in the current economy.

ALA Core Competencies

2009-06-19T21:59:00.004-04:00

The ALA adopted these core competencies as policy at the Midwinter Meeting this year. They outline what LIS students should know after graduating from an ALA-accredited program.

Click HERE to view these statements.

Library Day at Comerica

2009-06-12T09:02:00.002-04:00

In case you missed this on the listserv. From Christine Ayer, an LISP alumni:

Who: Librarians, library staff members, LIS students, library fans and "groupies" and their families
What: Library Day at Comerica Park on
When: Sunday, August 9 at 1:05 PM when the Tigers take on the Minnesota Twins!

There are a block of seats available, for $12 each. Orders must be placed by July 10 and the order form and additional info can be found on Christine's blog http://mylibraryideas.wordpress.com/

2009-06-10T14:51:00.001-04:00

Open SLA Positions

2009-06-05T22:30:00.003-04:00

SLA @ WSU is currently accepting nominations for officers.

The following positions are available beginning in the Fall of 2009:

President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer

Please send your name, telephone number, email address, position desired and a short paragraph explaining why you should be selected for the position.

Send this information to sla_wsu@wayne.edu

SLA @ WSU Event

2009-06-05T22:26:00.002-04:00

SLA @ WSU Conversations with Professionals

Who: All LISP students and alumni

What: Conversations with Professionals Event with guest speakers from the Michigan Professional Chapter of SLA, Sophia Guevara, Colleen Lyon, and Nathan Rupp. Learn about the benefits of membership in a professional organization.

When: Friday, June 19th 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Where: Kresge Auditorium on the 1st floor of the Purdy/Kresge Library

RSVP: Please e-mail back2stacey@msn or sla_wsu@wayne.edu if you plan to attend

SLA@WSU and SAA@WSU Event

2009-05-12T14:12:00.002-04:00

Join SLA and SAA at WSU for a tour of Crain Communications Library and Archives with Anne Wright. Learn about the functions of a small corporate library, physical collections and digital archives.

Crain Communications is one of the largest privately-owned business publishers in the U.S. They are an industry leader and an authoritative source of vital news, and information to industry leaders and consumers worldwide. They provide a wide range of newspapers, magazines and Web sources to the business sector.

Who: LIS Graduate Students and Alumni
When: Thursday, May 21st at 5:30 pm (the event should be about an hour including refreshments)
Where: 1155 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, Michigan 48207 (on-site parking available)

If interested in attending, please RSVP to:sla_wsu@wayne.edu, af7865@wayne.edu, or rudderb@yahoo.com

Tech Camp UnConference

2009-05-09T11:22:00.000-04:00

Almost 50 people have already signed up for the Tech Camp UnConference, but there is still space for YOU! It will take place at MSU's Main Library next Friday, May 15, from 9-4. The price is right: it's FREE!

For full details, please go to http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Tech_Camp_unConference or find the Facebook page by searching Facebook for "The Tech unCamp."
This will be a day of technology talks, and in the tradition of Unconferences, the participants will decide what is discussed. If you have topic ideas, let us know by posting them on the wiki or Facebook page.
(And, importantly, food will be provided in the morning and a snack in the afternoon!)
See you there!

Holly Hibner (Salem South Lyon), Sonya Schryer Norris (Library of Michigan), Elizabeth Bollinger (MSU Libraries), and Chris Ayar (Evanced Solutions)

Oakland Press Articles

2009-05-06T19:54:00.003-04:00

The Oakland Press has run a few articles on libraries this week.

Libraries Booming in Recession

Media Specialists Critical Part in Learning (written by Troy School District Media Specialists)

Library Millage Nixed in Bloomfield Hills

Law Library Might Move

SLA@WSU Event

2009-05-06T19:46:00.002-04:00

SLA@WSU Presents: Conversations with LIS Professionals

Join SLA@WSU and Adrienne Kreger-May, an Integrated Information Solutions Specialist from LexisNexis for an informal presentation with time after to ask questions.

When: Monday, May 18, 2009 from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m

Where: 3rd Floor Purdy-Kresge Graduate Student Lounge

Please RSVP to: http://us.mc358.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=sla_wsu@wayne.edu

The student chapter of the Special Libraries Association will hold a Meet & Greet for the first 15 minutes of the program. Please stop by and learn how you can become part of SLA@WSU

Light refreshments will be served

$5.5M Grant over next three years to help MI Dept of Ed. with data management

2009-04-17T09:35:00.002-04:00

New Bridges: Building Michigan’s Capacity for a Longitudinal P-20 and Workforce Data Decision Support System

The scope of the work outlined in Michigan’s grant application is focused on developing an automated analytical data store and reporting infrastructure, as well as building the capacity to add postsecondary data, workforce data and e-transcript system enhancements to its student data system. Building on work partially supported by a SLDS 2005 grant, Michigan proposes a blend of three foundation and seven expansion activities.

Future records managers sticking around Michigan should keep their eyes peeled for opportunities arising from this (I hope!)

Scholarly Publishing Lecture

2009-04-10T14:28:00.002-04:00

What: Scholarly Communications Lecture presented by Lee Van Orsdel of the Grand Valley State University Libraries

Who: You! Faculty and graduate students

When: Thursday, April 23rd from 11 a.m. until 12 p.m.

Where: Kresge Library Auditorium

The lecture will focus on alternative methods of publishing, the cost of journal subscriptions, open access and author's rights. For more information, contact WSU Librarian, Anne Hudson at al7470@wayne.edu

Reading Into The Future

2009-04-08T19:39:00.003-04:00

An essay written by Eva Gronowska, a 2007 graduate of WSU's Library and Information Science program, is featured in Newsweek! Reading Into The Future discusses the challenges and opportunities faced by libraries and librarians during this recession.

Congratulations Eva!

Training Session

2009-04-08T19:34:00.002-04:00

Join the students of LIS 7410 (Software Productivity Tools) for a free instructional training session!

What: Learning how to Share and Secure Content in MS Word 2007

When: Monday, April 27th, 2009 from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m.

Where: Purdy/Kresge Library - Room 304 (LIS Lab)

Please RSVP to cj1564@wayne.edu by April 21st, 2009
**One participant will win a $10 Starbucks gift card!!**

SOLIS Game Night

2009-04-08T19:29:00.003-04:00

What: Gaming Night and Student Mixer

Who: All LIS students and Alumni

When: Thursday, April 16th, 2009 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. (following the new student orientation)

Where: Kresge - 3rd Floor

Join us for a night of games, food and fun! Play Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Mario Kart and X Games Skateboarding with SOLIS, ALA, ASIS&T, SAA and SLA. There will be raffles throughout the night and pizza, pop and salad will be provided.

Please RSVP to solis@wayne.edu

SOLIS's Presentation of LibraryThing is now available on Mediasite!

2009-04-07T20:37:00.002-04:00

If you missed the event or are an online student you can now view a recording of this presentation via Mediasite.

An instructional handout was also provided to attendees. You can access this document via SOLIS's home page or on our archive page.

While you are on the SOLIS's Mediasite page, you may be interested in watching our Fall 2008 panel discussion on Web 2.0 and Libraries.
Enjoy!

LISP student organization elections

2009-04-07T19:14:00.002-04:00

American Library Association student chapter/ALA

A President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer need to be elected. Contact Maureen Simari at ala@wayne.edu

American Society for Information Science and Technology/ASIS&T

ASIS&T brings together diverse streams of knowledge, focusing what might be disparate approaches into novel solutions to common problems. &T counts among its membership some 4,000 information specialists from such fields as computer science, linguistics, management, librarianship, engineering, law, medicine, chemistry, and education; individuals who share a common interest in improving the ways society stores, retrieves, analyzes, manages, archives and disseminates information, coming together for mutual benefit.

All of the current board members are graduating. The organization needs to elect a President, Treasurer and Secretary. Contact Heidi Hanson at ay9275@wayne.edu

Special Library Association/SLA

All of the current board members are graduating. The organization needs to elect a President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. Contact Gladys Santiago at gjava66@gmail.com

Student Organizations in Library and Information Science/SOLIS

The primary purpose of SOLIS is to serve as liaison between faculty, staff, students and other LIS student organizations at Wayne State University. The organization also supports the future of librarianship and professional development through the dissemination of information, networking opportunities and informational events. All LISP students are granted membership in SOLIS upon enrollment in the LIS program at Wayne State University.

The organization needs to elect a President, Vice President and Vice President of Events. Contact Jill Essenmacher at solis@wayne.edu

Become a SOLIS Board Member!

2009-04-07T18:19:00.001-04:00

Are you a go-getter who is interested in professional development? Are you looking for ways to get involved with the LIS community and build your resume?

If this sounds like you, consider joining the SOLIS team. SOLIS will be holding elections for President, Vice President and Vice President of Events positions this April.

As President you will: serve as liaison between students, LIS student organizations and the Program's administration, faculty and staff; preside over meetings; plan events and organize professional development opportunities for students; collaborate with the other student organizations; attend faculty meetings; recruit students to serve on committees; manage correspondence, etc.

As Vice President you will: help the president organize events, coordinate the volunteer program at the Detroit Public Library, assist with the management of SOLIS, etc.

As Vice President of Events you will: help coordinate and plan events, create flyers and listserv messages, maintain the SOLIS bulletin board, etc.

Nominations for President, Vice President and Vice President of Events are being accepted now until Friday, April 24, 2009 5:00 pm.

Votes will be gathered from Sunday, April 26- Friday, May 1, 2009 ending at 5:00 pm.

If you would like to be added to the ballot, please email the following information to solis@wayne.edu. Please be sure to include the title of the position(s) you want to be considered for in the subject.

One paragraph stating why the nominee is the best candidate for the office position
• Nominee's name
• Nominee's telephone #
• Nominee's email address

E-mail Solis@wayne.edu

Employers are looking to recruit people who demonstrate leadership and community involvement. Getting involved in student organizations is a great way to gain this sort of experience.

Thank you for your consideration!

The Darien Statements

2009-04-07T10:32:00.001-04:00

I've been catching up on my social networking and came across this link to The Darien Statements which is the result of a discussion on the role of libraries and librarians.

Art in the Library

2009-04-02T13:41:00.002-04:00

If you enjoy libraries with flair and fun, check out "The Art on the Library Walls" from the NY Times. The slideshow features art in 3 school libraries in the Bronx.

SLA @ WSU Event - DSO Tour

2009-03-28T15:27:00.003-04:00

Join SLA@WSU for a tour of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Library and Archives and Orchestra Hall.

Who: All MLIS students and alumni
When: Thursday, April 16th, 2009 at 5:15 p.m.
Where: Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Park in the parking structure on the corner of Parsons and Cass and tell the parking attendant that you are there for the tour. You will not be charged for parking. Enter Orchestra Hall through the stage door entrance behind the Hall, about halfway down the alley. Enter through the glass doors and tell the security guard you are there for the Library Tour. We will meet in the lobby and Ethan Allen, DSO Librarian, will conduct the Tour.

If interested or for more information, contact sla_wsu@wayne.edu or rudderb@yahoo.com

And the oddest book title of the year goes to....

2009-03-28T09:34:00.002-04:00

The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-miligram Containers of Fromage Frais

From the article
"The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-miligram Containers of Fromage Frais, published by Icon Group International, has been crowned the winner of the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year. The Bookseller received just over 5,000 votes on its online poll, with the study into the future of the diary product packaging securing a 32% share of the total vote since the shortlist was announced on 20th February."

SALE on LISP T-shirts!

2009-03-24T18:37:00.009-04:00

Small, medium and large short-sleeved shirts were $15, but are on sale for $10. XL-XXL were $18, but are now $13.

Small, medium and large long-sleeved shirts were $20, but are now on sale for $15. XL and XXL were $23, but are now $18.

Our shirts come in a variety of colors!

All shirts sport a design which includes "Wayne State University, Library and Information Science Program" and the image of a card catalog on the front and "Keeping order in Detroit since 1918" printed on the back.

Proceeds from our t-shirt sales go toward the Solis Textbook Scholarship and help SOLIS put on quality programs and events for the LIS students at WSU.

Please visit our merchandise page for ordering information, a complete list of available sizes and colors and a picture of the shirts.

Be sure to get one before you graduate!

Literary one-hit wonders

2009-03-17T20:35:00.004-04:00

One-hit wonder is a term that usually applies only to musicians who are lucky enough to have one popular song but then fade into oblivion. Check out this Times article about authors and their one book that made them famous.

Grant Writing Basics Workshop

2009-03-15T14:23:00.000-04:00

Grant Writing Basics
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Bernath Auditorium
Undergraduate Library, Wayne State University
$40/general participants
$20/currently registered students.
5 Library of Michigan CEUs Available!
To Register
For More Information, contact Lothar Spang: 313-577-3367

Agenda
Coffee and Registration 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Opening Remarks 9:00 a.m.
Lothar Spang, WSU Libraries

What is a Grant? 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Lothar Spang and Heather Harrison, WSU Libraries
Marisa Conti, University of Michigan Taubman Medical Library

Break 10:15 a.m.

What Grant Reviewers Look For in a Grant Application
Ed Egnatios, Senior Program Officer, Skillman Foundation
De Angelo Alexander, Program Officer, Skillman Foundation
10: 30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Lunch 12:00 p.m.
Location: Community Room

Basics of the Foundation Center 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Monique Andrews, WSU Libraries

Sleuthing Out Grant Opportunities 2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Deborah Charbonneau and Annette Healy, WSU Libraries

Grant Grrlz: Writing Grants as a Team 3:20 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Heather Harrison, Alice Cruz, Sara Ausberger, WSU Libraries

Final Remarks and Survey 4:30 p.m.

Websites for Book Lovers

2009-03-14T15:34:00.003-04:00

This website was included in American Libraries Direct 3/11/09, in case you missed it!

http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2009/10-websites-for-book-lovers/

2009 Job Fair

2009-03-14T14:50:00.002-04:00

Just a reminder that the annual LISP Job Fair is going to be held on Thursday, March 26th at the McGregor Memorial Conference Center.

Additional information is available at http://www.lisp.wayne.edu/jobfair/jobfair.php

RSVP at http://lisp.wayne.edu/jobfair/student-registration.php

Participants include:
Gale Cengage Learning, http://www.gale.cengage.com
K-State Libraries, http://www.lib.k-state.edu
Michigan State University Libraries, www.lib.msu.edu
Wayne State University, www.lib.wayne.edu
West Bloomfield Library, www.wblib.org
Willard Library, www.willard.lib.mi.us

Take the fear out of getting printed

2009-03-12T12:43:00.001-04:00

March 25, 2009, 4:00-5: 30

Student Lounge, 3rd Floor, Kresge

WSU Student Chapter of Special Libraries Association invites all students and alumni to a session with Dr. Robert Holley, Professor, School of Library and Information Science, WSU, on the ins and outs of getting published:

Selecting the right journals

The submission process

Tips for content and writing styles

Organization and structure of the article

Dr. Holley has published over 70 articles himself, and is a peer reviewer for several journals. He believes students have a better chance to publish than they realize. This is an opportunity to get informed, to ask your questions, and remove the fear of sending your article off for review!

Please reserve your spot at sla_wsu@wayne.edu .

SLA tour of the Special Collections Division @ MSU

2009-03-02T10:14:00.001-05:00

Saturday, March 21st
1pm – 2pm

A Tour of the Special Collections Division at Michigan State University Libraries, focusing on the MSU Comics and Zines Collection, with Randy Scott, Comic Art Biographer and Assistant Head, Special Collections Division and author of Comics Librarianship: A Handbook. Special focus on cataloging of special collections.

We will meet me in the Special Collections Division, ground floor of the main library at 100 Library, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1048.

MapQuest:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=East+Lansing&state=MI&address=100+Library&zipcode=48824-1048

Check out the Comics collection !

If interested, please email: sla_wsu@wayne.edu , or Bryce Rudder at rudderb@yahoo.com to sign-up and for car pooling information. Leah’s cell phone: 313 820-0442.

SOLIS Event: Demonstration of Library Thing 3/11 @ 4pm

2009-03-01T15:53:00.002-05:00

Web 2.0 Demonstration: LibraryThing

Wednesday, March 11
4 - 5:15pm
Kresge Room 310

Heard of LibraryThing, but don't know how to use it? Learn the how, what and why of one of the hottest and fastest growing web 2.0 technologies at SOLIS's first web 2.0 demonstration. Fellow LISP student Mercedes Miramontes will show you how to get started using LibraryThing and answer your questions.

Handouts and refreshments will be provided.

This is great opportunity to learn something new, build your resume and demonstrate to future employers that you are in the know when it comes to web 2.0!

Please RSVP at solis@wayne.edu

ALA Student Chapter at WSU tour of AADL's 'Green' Library

2009-03-01T15:41:00.005-05:00

Tour a "New Green Library" in Ann Arbor
Thurs. March 5th @ 6:30 p.m.
Meet in Lobby
Malletts Creek Library
3090 E. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Constructed in January 2004 and winner of the 2005 American Institute of Architects Michigan Award for Sustainable Design this unique library was built with many sustainable
design features including:

Solar heating, convection cooling
Vegetated green roof
Naturally captured & filtered storm water
Native plants & grasses
Many uses of renewable materials

Learn more about the Mallets Creek Library!

View pictures!

RSVP ALA@Wayne.edu
Questions--call Maureen (734) 718-9219

Kids and reading

2009-02-27T20:07:00.008-05:00

I am not sure the Harry Potter and Twilight series are the answer, but this article suggests that there is even more reason to encourage kids to read. Maybe the findings of the study will encourage more parents to take an active role in reading to their children.

Share your ideas with SOLIS's new Liaison to Online Students

2009-02-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

In order to better understand the unique needs of students in the online LIS Program as well as traditional students who primarily take online classes, SOLIS has created a new officer position.

The Liaison to Online Students will work to communicate with distance learning students in order to find out what types of communication, outreach and events suit them best.

Online student, Mercedes Miramontes was recently elected to this position and she wants to hear from you! Please contact her offlist at ea1350@wayne.edu. We encourage you to share your ideas on how SOLIS can better serve you. Do you want more events taped and posted on Mediasite? Do you think Solis should create a blog just for online students? Do you think Solis should reinstate its presence on Blackboard?

We want to find ways to get online students more actively involved in SOLIS and the other student organizations, but we need to hear from you!

New ASIST blog!

2009-02-27T14:46:00.001-05:00

The ASIS&T Student Chapter recently launched their new blog!

They will be posting all of their main communications and informative bits there.

Feel free to subscribe to the blog for information about ASIS&T or to keep in touch with upcoming events.

Any ASIS&T member is welcome to contribute, if you're interested please contact the president of ASIS&T at WSU.

Event: "Leaders on Leadership" interview with Erroll B. Davis Jr.

2009-02-23T14:46:00.000-05:00

All LISP students are invited to attend a taping of the Emmy-winning Detroit Public Television series "Leaders on Leadership".

Erroll B. Davis, Jr., Chancellor of the University System of Georgia will be interviewed on Monday, April 6. He is responsible for the state's 35 public colleges and universities, and administrative responsibility for the state's 58 public library systems. Previously he was Chairman of Alliant Energy Corporation - an energy holding company with $8.3 billion in assets and $3 billion operating revenues.

Please see the full press release for more information.

Monday, April 6, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Detroit Public TV studios
7441 Second Avenue
(southwest corner of Bethune, one block north of the Fisher Building in Detroit)
Please arrive 20-30 minutes in advance of taping.

Pre-registration is required

Limited free parking is available.

Please contact lfobes@wayne.edu with any questions.

SOLIS Textbook Scholarship

2009-02-21T12:34:00.000-05:00

Any graduate student, including distance education students, who is currently enrolled in the Library and Information Science Program and who has consistently demonstrated active involvement in SOLIS, the ALA student chapter, the ASIS&T student chapter, the SAA student chapter, the MAME student chapter and/or the SLA student group is eligible to apply for the annual SOLIS Textbook Scholarship. Recipients will be selected based on their involvement in and pro-active contributions to the LIS student organizations at Wayne State University.

Please visit the SOLIS website at http://iis.lisp.wayne.edu/solis/SOLIS/scholarship.html for application instructions and more information about the Textbook Scholarship. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2009.

LIS Job Fair

2009-02-21T09:48:00.000-05:00

LIS Job Fair

When: March 26, 2009

Where: McGregor Memorial Conference Center at the Main WSU campus

Who: LIS students and alumni (registration required)

Please visit http://www.lisp.wayne.edu/jobfair/jobfair.php for more information and to register!

ALA Event

2009-02-21T09:34:00.000-05:00

Detroit Area Library Network (DALNET) and WSU Integrated Library System (ILS) Presentation

When: Wed. Feb. 25 at 4:00 (presentation will be about 1 hour long)

Where: Kresge Auditorium Room 101

What: The presentation will cover Wayne State University's on-line catalog OPAC and other operations such as acquisitions, cataloging, circulation, course reserves, and serials control. The DALNET Information Gateway includes public online access to DALNET Digital Projects, Databases and Guides created by DALNET members and other member Library Catalogs.
Presented by Steven Bowers of DALNET and John Rutherford of WSU

Who: All students, faculty, and staff are invited

RSVP to ala@wayne.edu

ALA@WSU-American Library Association at Wayne State University
All LIS Students are welcome to join
ALA@WSU membership is Free
Email: ala@wayne.edu
Facebook: ala@wayne
Website: http://iis.lisp.wayne.edu/ala

2009-02-16T23:25:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd share this article for the archival folks out there. From the NY Times article "Digital Archivists, Now in Demand":

Literature, film, scientific journals, newspapers, court records, corporate documents and other material, accumulated over centuries, needed to be adapted for computer databases. Once there, it had to be arranged — along with newer, born-digital material — in a way that would let people find what they needed and keep finding it well into the future.
The people entrusted to find a place for this wealth of information are known as digital asset managers, or sometimes as digital archivists and digital preservation officers. Whatever they are called, demand for them is expanding.

Self-Censorship in Libraries

2009-02-14T16:19:00.000-05:00

This was included in the recent American Libraries Direct email. This article from School Library Journal explains how some librarians "self-censor" in order to avoid the item being challenged.

http://tinyurl.com/self-censorship

Library Student Bill of Rights

2009-02-07T16:52:00.001-05:00

The December issue of Library Journal has an interesting article called the Library Student Bill of Rights. It lists ten "rights" that library students have.

Here is the link:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6618863.html?q=library+student+bill+of+rights

Or you can find it through the Library:
Booth, Char. Library Journal. New York: December 15, 2008. Vol. 133, Iss. 20; 76, 1pgs.

SLA@WSU tour of the Allesee Dance and Opera Resource Library at the Michigan Opera Theater!

2009-02-05T12:52:00.000-05:00

All LISP students are invited to attend the SLA@WSU tour of the Allesee Dance and Opera Resource Library at the Michigan Opera Theatre on Thursday, February 12^th at 4:15 pm.

What:
The Michigan Opera Theater Archive is the official repository of the Opera's forty year history, as well as home to the beautiful Allesee Dance and Opera Resource Library - specializing in research materials specific to dance, opera, and related performing arts. Students from the IMLS cohort have developed a unique online archival catalog designed specifically for the MOT and created the first searchable database of all MOT performances. Several students from our LIS program are involved in management and digitization of materials, photographs, and audio recordings in a production environment as well as cataloging numerous library items. The digitization process and state of the art tools like Archivists' Toolkit for EAD encoding will be demonstrated – see behind the scenes of how this library is set up.

Tim Lentz, Chief Archivist for the Michigan Opera Theatre is offering tour

participants a 25% discount on tickets for the following performances:

Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Feb. 12, 7:30 PM

Aladdin - The Grand Rapids Ballet Company, February 28, 5PM

Romeo and Juliet - American Ballet Theatre March 13, 7:30PM

Brundibar, MOT Children's Chorus March 21, 5PM

Where:
Michigan Opera Theatre

Allesee Dance and Opera Resource Library
Detroit Opera House

1526 Broadway
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 961-3500

When: Thursday, February 12^th at 4:15 pm
RSVP: Please e-mail sla_wsu@wayne.edu if you plan to attend.

Spotlight on LIS Careers

2009-02-04T20:53:00.000-05:00

In case you missed this, here is a great article about getting started in the field and offers suggestions about coping with layoffs. This topic transcends the library and can be useful to others facing unemployment, so hopefully you will find it helpful!

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA411587.html

This is a featured article of Spotlight on LIS Careers, a new resource for LIS students. Kim Schroeder, the LIS Career Advisor selects the articles, so if you have a suggestion, email her at ag1797@wayne.edu.

Check out the Career Advising site for LIS students at http://www.lisp.wayne.edu/current/careeradvising.php

ALA tour of Southfield Public Libary Tomorrow!

2009-02-04T12:28:00.000-05:00

Thurs. Feb. 5 @ 6:30 p.m. Tour of Southfield Public Library

26300 Evergreen Rd., Southfield, MI 48076

http://www.sfldlib.org

Meet in the lobby of the Southfield Public Library

This is a beautiful state-of-the-art library, view a new section arranged “bookstore style”, African dance troupe will perform, Poetry open mic night. Get behind the scenes look at equipment and library logistics.

If you need a ride from WSU Main Campus please let us know.

Tour RSVP ALA@Wayne.eduor call Maureen Simari 734-718-9219 for more info.

ALA Student Chapter @ WSU - Winter Semester Events!

2009-02-01T14:12:00.001-05:00

ALA Student Chapter @ WSU

Upcoming Events:
Thurs. Feb. 5 @ 6:30 Tour of Southfield Public Library, This is a beautiful state-of-the-art library, view a new section arranged “bookstore style”, African dance troupe will perform, Poetry open mic night. Get behind the scenes look at equipment and library logistics
RSVP ALA@Wayne.edu

Wed. Feb. 25 @ 4:00 DALNET & WSU ILS Presentation in Kresge Auditorium, 101 Kresge Bldg. Learn more about the Detroit Area Library Network (DALNET) and our Integrated Library System, Wayne State’s on-line catalog
RSVP ALA@Wayne.edu

Thurs. March 5 @ 6:30 Tour of Malletts Creek Library "a new green library" in Ann Arbor
RSVP ALA@Wayne.edu

Questions?? call Maureen (734) 718-9219

Student Mentoring - Michigan SLA

2009-02-01T14:09:00.001-05:00

Get the "K.A.S.H." you need to succeed as an information professional!

Knowledge
Attitude
Skills
Habits

Are you wondering how to stand out from the crowd when you finally hit the job market? Would you like to be paired with an information professional who can help you learn more about the profession? If so, the SLA mentoring program may be for you!

Michigan Chapter - Special Libraries Association

Visit the link below to learn more:

http://units.sla.org/chapter/cmi/mentor.html

SAA Resume Workshop

2009-01-28T18:54:00.000-05:00

This event is being held by the WSU Chapter of the Society of American Archivists

SAA Resume Workshop

Saturday, February 7, 2009
11:30am - 1:30pm
Reuther Archives in Detroit

Five panelists will assist students in forming better resumes. All participants must bring their current resume and cover letters. All current LISP students and alumni are invited to participate.

Please RSVP to Tyniece Stevenson via email to as5850@wayne.edu
by Thursday Feb 5, 2009.

Keeping Up

2009-01-27T21:52:00.000-05:00

librarian.net, the shifted librarian, iLibrarian, Library Stuff, these are just a few examples of the hundreds of library blogs that you can find on the web today. In fact, for seemingly any given topic, there are so many blogs out there that trying to keep track of even just the ones that are of particular interest to you, can be a pretty difficult. Fortunately, the writers at Read Write Web (yet another blog) have come up with a solution. By following 13 "easy" steps, they teach you how to build what they call a"Social Media Cheat Sheet" that allows you to keep track of the most important blogs in your field, including their past and most popular posts.

Fiction reading makes a comeback

2009-01-16T15:40:00.000-05:00

I don't know if you've all seen this article in the NY Times, but it's glorious news. The age of the book is far from over, my friends. From "Fiction Reading Increases for Adults":

After years of bemoaning the decline of a literary culture in the United States, the National Endowment for the Arts says in a report that it now believes a quarter-century of precipitous decline in fiction reading has reversed.

I get a strong sense this is happening because the economy is bad and when the economy is bad, people go to the library more. And why shouldn't they? Everything is free and that rules.

How will you promote reading? This article addresses fiction specifically, but what about poetry? What about nonfiction works? How do we guide people's eyeballs and minds back to all the bounty the written word provides?

Upcoming Event! SOLIS/ALA tour of the Walter P. Reuther Library

2009-01-15T17:57:00.000-05:00

SOLIS/ALA tour of the Walter P. Reuther Library
Wednesday, January 28th
4 - 4:45pm
5401 Cass Ave.
http://www.reuther.wayne.edu/

All LISP students are invited to join SOLIS and the ALA student chapter at WSU on a tour of the Reuther Archive led by Reference Archivist, William LeFevre. This is a unique opportunity to get an insider's look at the largest labor archive in North America.

Please RSVP at solis@wayne.edu

We hope you will join us!

SOLIS Meet & Greet: Tuesday, September 16th, 4:00-5:00 p.m.

2008-09-14T09:21:00.000-04:00

All are invited to the SOLIS Meet & Greet this Tuesday, September 16th on the third floor of the Kresge Library (LISP Common Area) between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. We plan on discussing upcoming SOLIS events and service projects, and soliciting input from current students about what they'd like to see SOLIS offer in the future. Please come and join in the fun.

shameless plug

2008-06-05T17:52:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted here! But, since we're in the spirit of promoting blogs today, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and plug my post-LISP blog: librarianone.blogspot.com.

(Todd & Jessica, your blogs are on my feeder and I'm looking forward to reading you)

Hey LISPers

2008-06-05T15:26:00.000-04:00

I have a question: I recently purchased a joint MLA/ALA membership, but I'm yet to learn my MLA membership number. Has anyone recently beome a member and received a number?

I want to register for the MILI Workshop in Lansing, but I can't without a code (or at least pay full price).

Also, please check out my personal LIS-focused Blog: wwww.librariesaretakenforgranted.blogspot.com

2008-06-05T09:22:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone - I wanted to let you know that, since graduating, I've got a new blog. I've decided to keep an electronic record of my trials and tribulations at the position that I'll be starting in a few weeks. Here's the link:

http://journeyingjessica.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there! ;)

2008-05-09T16:50:00.000-04:00

Back during National Library Week, ew.com did a photo gallery on "18 Sexy Trips to the Library Stacks." Check it out! :)

My Reading Log - a review

2008-04-22T13:06:00.000-04:00

The Library Network's iBistro catalog links to My Reading Log. They recommend it as a tool to help patrons keep track of books they've read as well as books they'd like to read. Since I've been using the iBistro catalog for almost two years now, I thought it was time to give it a shot.

The one thing that My Reading Log has going for it is that it is simple. Patrons who are internet "newbies" will appreciate the lack of information overload, but that's if they can get the darn thing to work in the first place.

The first thing I did when I created my account was try to read their little introduction. I glanced it over, seemed like a normal, easy-to-use-site, so I carried on. I got to my home screen and tried to add a book...

When you add your own book, instead of searching by ISBN (or whatever other number you have), you have to make sure to enter in all of your own data. The site isn't intuitive enough to take a title and just automatically find it's author/pub info/etc. I guess I was expecting this...

So I did a search via ISBN. I accidently put the ISBN in wrong and after waiting a couple minutes (they say their search function takes a while, they weren't kidding), they added something to my "Want to Read" list that had absolutely no information in it. No error message came up - just a blank record added to my list. Durrrr....

I finally got the ISBN right, added the right book to the list, and now they tell me that the author's name will be all in one field (Last Name) as opposed to two (Last Name, First Name). Which requires the user to go back in and fix every single one of them, if they're a perfectionist like me! My frustration is building....

Next I scrolled down and noticed that there's another search option available. I tried to search Lincoln Park's catalog, since they're my "home library." I did a search for a title that I know to be in the collection - Cancer Schmancer (by Fran Drescher). It opened up a new window and promptly gave me an error. I clicked ok, to see if maybe it'd still work, but then I got another (different) error. :-( Now that I know THAT doesn't work, I did a Amazon book search and it gave me what I wanted - but that doesn't necessarily mean that it'll connect back to My Reading Log in any way. The WorldCat search also works in the same fashion.

Also, as a side note, the user must guess that the "My Account" link goes to their home page. I've always associated "My Account" with changing password information, user information, etc.

To make a long story even longer (not that any of you have read this far), I must say that My Reading Log has completely disappointed me. At this point I have no desire to explore any of the other options on the site.... but if anyone else comes across something here that's useful, feel free to give me your $0.02.

Information overload at LOC

2008-04-12T23:05:00.000-04:00

Thought I'd share. From "Library of Congress Groans Under Data Strain":

"Even with the falling cost of storage, the Library of Congress is still confronted with an almost incomprehensible volume of data, prompting officials to forge partnerships with a slew of government and commercial organizations.

As well as helping the library design its storage systems and build specific preservation tools, officials also need help in deciding which digital data needs to be preserved, and which does not."

Thought you all should know...

2008-04-11T08:16:00.000-04:00

"In 2003 the directors of about a dozen Cuban independent libraries were sentenced to 20-year prison terms; entire library collections, including classics such as George Orwell's "Animal Farm," were burned by order of the Cuban courts. The detained Cubans have been named prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International. After independent libraries in Cuba are confiscated, the government replaces them with new state-run institutions stocked with censored books and electronic games. For details, readers can refer to a press release being prepared by the Friends of Cuban Libraries ("Secret Plan Revealed to Replace Confiscated Libraries"), to be published on April 12."

From "War Declared on Library of Congress by Venezuela."

LISPers forever!!!

2008-04-09T17:52:00.000-04:00

Blogging is all about personal opinion. It is with this in mind that I disclose to you a particular opinion I have.

I love my profession. I am so enthused to begin being a librarian that I simply cannot wait to get that piece of paper in my hand. The people I have met throughout these last couple years have been fantastic, and I never knew I could get along so well with anyone. Not just my peers in the program, but also the professors and my colleagues at the many different jobs I’ve held.

Which is why commencement in May is going to be a bittersweet event.

Back in January I asked (or begged) Dr. Bajjaly, our phenomenal LIS Program Director, if I could teach a section of LIS 6080. He agreed to let me do so. I am so thrilled to be able to remain a part of the program at Wayne State, and I’ve vowed to work my buns off in order to make sure every one of the students taking my section is successful in my class.

And I’ve been given the opportunity to go do a book talk for a ladies’ club this Friday. Ethical issues aside (I’m not technically a librarian, nor would I get paid a librarian’s salary to do this book talk) I think I’ll do it… After all, I’m a total schmuck for this job.

Blogs, anyone?

2008-03-07T13:19:00.000-05:00

I was just cruising around to see if anyone has posted in a while, and it made me wonder if any other students had their own personal/professional blogs that they'd like to share. Here's mine. Simple Odyl

I'd love to check out some other's blog and/or web pages. Please post.

The times, they are a-changin...

2008-02-13T08:14:00.001-05:00

This made me laugh this morning:

From Annoyed Librarian:

A commenter on the guybrarian post last week wrote:

"wait a minute - just what makes a guybrarian a guybrarian? i think it's a little more subtle than penis + mls = guybrarian.

for example, take your comment on jackets. don't most guybrarians enter the profession so they can avoid ever having to wear a jacket and tie until they are embalmed in a casket? if they were willing to wear jackets and ties, wouldn't they be 'library directors' instead of 'guybrarians'?"

That was certainly what male librarians used to be called--library director. That hasn't necessarily been the case for a while, but it certainly was for a long time.

I wonder - do they have a male term for nurse? Or teacher? These are both (or were at one time) known as female occupations. What about female CEOs? Do they get a special name now that they've taken over a "male job" ? (I mean, besides cutthroat bitch.)

A sad demonstration of Detroit

2008-01-21T18:14:00.000-05:00

Detroit Public Schools Book Depository, Ground Floor

This and other photos like it are by Sweet Juniper on Flickr.

I now have very little respect for Steve Jobs.

2008-01-17T13:12:00.000-05:00

From Papercuts:

Apple’s Steve Jobs on the Amazon Kindle book reader: “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore. Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year. The whole conception is flawed at the top because people don’t read anymore.”

Library Ninja

2008-01-01T21:57:00.000-05:00

All I have to say about this is.... ha ha. :-D

Most Beautiful Libraries

2007-12-30T13:59:00.000-05:00

Of all the places to learn and study, these are among the greatest. I only wish I had the funds to visit a few of them. ;)

Click here

Free For All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library

2007-12-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

Okay, this book by Don Borchert is pretty good stuff. No, it's not as funny as The Society of Librarians Who Say Mofo, but not much is. Let me begin by saying that I could give a rat's tushie whether Borchert is actually an MLIS degree carrying librarian, or not. Patrons don't see the difference between a library page and a librarian. Heck, my mother doesn't see the difference either, except that she knows that once I get that golden MLIS I'll be able to pay my own bills--barely--for once in my adult life. (Btw, getting an M.F.A. in poetry doesn't pay the bills.) If librarians want to get all huffy about the fact that Borchert isn't a "real" librarian, then maybe they should write their own book. And I, for one, am getting sick of real librarian, Scott Douglas, writer of the admittedly funny McSweeney's Dispatches From a Public Librarian, barging into nearly every comments section of nearly every online review of Borchert's book and letting us know that his (Douglas') book is coming out in April and that it can be pre-ordered from Amazon. I'm sorry, I don't like relentless self-promotion. It smacks of, well, relentless self-promotion.

Back to the book. Borchert is a library assistant at a suburban public library in California. He offers the layperson a view of the public library that many don't ever see. He doesn't write it sarcastically or mockingly, but with compassion, genuine humor, and a few hefty ounces of honest to goodness pissed-off-edness at some real rude mofos. I do think every library board member, library trustee, local city mayor (whose office funds the local library), local newspaper reporters, and library patrons and non-patrons should read this book. I especially think parents who drop their kids off at libraries for hours at a time should read this book. Public libraries are not necessarily safe havens of knowledge and light. They do have a lot of books and other cool stuff to check out for free! They can be places where children learn the pleasures of storytime, where people learn English when they are new to this country, where school kids can get homework assistance, or where adults can learn the basics of computer literacy. But they are also repositories of our society's weirdos, freaks, and screw-ups. They are places where people game the library card system by signing up their 18-month old for a library card and then rack up huge fines on the kid's card, where homeless people have a warm or cool (depending on the season) place to hang out, where school kids are left for hours to wait for their working parents to pick them up, and where people drop all manner of disgusting and inappropriate things into library bookdrops. Believe me, I'm getting the MLIS and becoming a librarian because I want to be a part of libraries that offer the former, but I also recognize that libraries currently contain the latter.

Borchert (and his daughter, who just got her MLIS degree) is welcome in my library any time. Librarians everywhere should give a standing ovation to Borchert. He's done something remarkably good for the profession: he's been honest about it.

The future of libraries...

2007-11-19T17:51:00.000-05:00

Amazon's new Kindle, the Sony Reader, and the Epson Seiko e-reader. I can just see it now, people coming in to the library asking for book downloads onto their electronic reader devices. People say "It'll never happen. Nothing beats the feel of a book in your hands." To them I say: "Have you seen today's youth? What are they more apt to be holding - a book? Or an electronic device of some kind?"

What do you think? :)

2007-11-13T14:35:00.000-05:00

Have you heard about the Wyoming Libraries scandal? To refresh your memory, they created mudflap girl stickers to distribute to would-be library patrons. Another blog I read, Feministing, has a different take on it.

"Reader Emily, who works as a shelver at a public library in Wyoming, sent us a link to this graphic, which is part of a marketing effort by Wyoming Public Libraries. Being a lover of libraries and subverting sexist symbols, I was initially excited. I naively thought maybe Wyoming was hoping to convey, "Reading is sexy!" or "Ladies with intellect are really hot!" Which, in my opinion, might be a defensible appropriation of the mudflap girl.

Of course, I was wrong. Here's the explanation of what they were going for:

Also in the second segment of the campaign is mudflap girl. This Campaign's only purpose is to market the ChiltonLibrary auto repair database. Mudflap girl stickers meant to be put on vehicles, were sent to auto repair stores across the state advertising the Chilton database.

Did you catch that? This is about getting people (primarily dudes, of course) who are interested in car repair to come to the library to use a computer database. In other words, not a whiff of subversion or reappropriation. It's just plain ol' tired sexism. Marketing the mudflap girl, without any irony or anger, to her traditional audience: men who like cars and babes.

Now, I, along with a big handful of other lady-librarians, consider myself a feminist. So why doesn't this mud-flap-girl-drama bother me? Because I'm also hard-core into libraries, and any publicity is good publicity.

And really, why not? In order to market efficiently you have to appeal to what your customers want. So dudes like hot chicks. Duh. Use that to your advantage. Get them into the library. I'm of the impression that the smarter people get, the higher the probability that they won't actually objectify women (and they'll learn that it's ridiculous to do so when so many women are much smarter than the average man - :-D but that's just my personal opinion).

What do you all think?

2007-10-03T15:15:00.000-04:00

Library Science Related Podcasts

So, you're done with class for the day, finished studying, read your latest edition of American Libraries, along with your favorite library blogs, and you are STILL craving information on the latest trends and news in libraries? How about listening to the several quality library related podcasts that have made their way to the Internet. These are a few that I have been listening to; each cover different aspects of librarianship:

Longshots is a podcast hosted by Sarah A. Long, Director of the North Suburban Library System of the north/northwest suburbs of Chicago. She was also President of ALA in 1999-2000. Each week Sarah interviews a leader in the field on innovative services they are providing at their libraries as well as different issues that their libraries face. She has recently included video to some of these interviews. Most of the interviewees are librarians, managers, or directors of public libraries. The interviews last about 15-25 minutes.

LibVibe is a great way to catch up on library news from around the country. The host, Marv, presents brief news stories about libraries and librarians, such as the recent story about the prison library that was purging religious book, ALA's plans for banned books week, or the latest library closing. The podcasts sometimes include commentary from librarians involved in the story. Each podcasts is usually less than 1o minutes long.

Library Geeks is an hour long podcast hosted by Daniel Chudnov, Information Technology Specialist in the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the Library of Congress. The podcast focuses on every thing involving information technology from Web 2.o to FRBR and OpenFRBR. The latest installment features WSU LIS Program alum, Gary Price of ask.com and resourceshelf.com.

Library Luminary Lectures are hosted by San Jose State University's ALA Student Chapter. Each program is a lecture given by an expert in the field on topics such as outsourcing, community outreach, open access, and what hiring libraries look for in candidates.

These podcasts can be downloaded to your computer from the links I've provided or you can search for them in iTunes. If you have any other library related podcasts to recommend, I'd like to know about them.

2007-09-25T18:11:00.001-04:00

U of M Library cancels 2500 journals

2007-09-24T10:50:00.000-04:00

President of college stays in the dorm with students. What do you think?

2007-09-20T12:38:00.000-04:00

I saw the saddest thing today while looking around at the various websites of public libraries. http://www.jcls.org/

:-(

2007-08-13T10:39:00.001-04:00

The Annoyed Librarian made a very interesting post today.

"Last week someone left a comment on the More Hip Librarians post that puts in concrete terms my own view of the alleged "librarian shortage." The person wrote:

"My cranky two cents on the putative librarian shortage:

My wife is a registered nurse. There really is a nursing shortage. If she puts a resume up on the internet, she immediately gets e-mails and phone calls from recruiters wanting her to interview for real jobs, available right now. Any time she wants a raise, she can just get another job. Her pay has been going up several thousand dollars per year, for several years. Experienced Master's level nurses can easily make six figures these days. A nurse can blow into town on Friday morning, and be working by Monday. That's what a 'shortage' looks like. Does any of this sound like the library field?

There is no librarian shortage."

I couldn't agree more. It's a simple matter of economics. If there's a shortage of something in demand, then the price for that thing goes up. If the price of the thing isn't going up, then there isn't a demand. And if there isn't a demand, then there can't be a shortage. Librarian salaries aren't rising, thus there isn't a shortage of librarians. Any idiot should be able to understand this, and yet most of the ALA idiots can't seem to grasp this simple concept.

Now what there definitely seems to be is a shortage of morons willing to spend a couple of years in graduate school so they can go work in the middle of nowhere for $20K/year. But that's not a librarian shortage; it's a moron shortage. I never thought I would be saying this, but we do apparently have a moron shortage in this country, despite all evidence to the contrary.

The idiots I hear talking about how they can't find librarians never seem to make the connection. If you can't find librarians, then you need to pay more money. If you can't afford to pay more money, then the problem isn't a shortage of librarians, the problem is a shortage of good jobs. Libraries seem to want intelligent and capable people to pay for a library degree and then take low paying jobs in undesirable places. Many libraries only think they have a demand for librarians, when they really just have a desire for librarians. For some strange reason, these libraries find that their demand for morons doesn't satisfy their desire for librarians.

But the ALA keeps rolling out the lies and propaganda. One would think that any decent human being would be disgusted to continue telling such lies, but maybe the folks at ALA have been telling the same lies so long they actually believe them."

2007-08-09T16:57:00.001-04:00

Hey, apparently we're HOTT in Connecticut, too!

2007-07-25T19:52:00.000-04:00

Resource Sharing - am I really so wrong???

Time for some shameless blog promotion. I welcome your comments on this (and every post). Even though I'm living in library sin I am very open to hearing why I should NEVER share my resources. I'd also like to hear arguments on why it's ok to do what I (and others) do.

Check out this and other posts at my "Knowledge is Cool" blog.

2007-07-24T17:38:00.000-04:00

The allure of the library job vs. the ever-destructive force of the unions.

Every time I see a job posting from the listserve in my inbox, I think, "could this be the one?" Quickly scanning the subject for job title and location, I am assured that it is not. Let's face it, there aren't many jobs in Michigan, let alone jobs for students. I came to the conclusion long ago that if I wanted to find a cushy library job I'd have to move out of state.

Which is not to say that I don't already have a cushy library job. Well, I did...

It surprises me even today how much faith we put into unions. I WAS working at a fantastic library with a fantastic boss and fantastic fellow employees. But since a "certain" library can't control their spending, they ended up having to move one of their employees into MY position, and I was therefore bumped down to a lower-paying, less-hours job.

I don't understand how it becomes my fault that an "unnamed" library director wasn't doing her job. Because of her, my life is now in shambles, and what could have been a very promising position is now gone in a cloud of smoke.

My question is - do we really need these unions? Am I going to have to deal with this from every library position I get, regardless of how far out of Michigan I go to get it? Why is it that the hardest, most dedicated workers always seem to get the shaft? Is there anything we can do about it? Is there any way to make it so that the unions STOP protecting those that screw up, slack off, and otherwise make our lives harder?

More to the point - can I please have my job back?

2007-07-19T19:46:00.000-04:00

An interesting thing happened today...

This morning, I visited my local 7-11 to buy a coffee. I was wearing my supercool LIS tshirt, and the middle-aged clerk behind the counter asked me, "How is library science going?"

I replied that it was going well.

He then proceeded to tell me how he was going to go into library science but decided not to because he thought there was no future in it. It was a dead-end.

Well, it took me a few seconds to realize that I was a litte bit offended that this stranger was talking down about my profession.

He then told me that everything is on the internet now. I really didn't want to argue the finer points of what is and what is not on the internet; I just wanted my coffee. Later I thought of all the different answers I could have given him from rude buzz-offs to sacchrine pleadings to learn what the library really has to offer. Instead I took the safe route and hurriedly answered, "Not everything."

His next comment was that he uses the library, the library at his home, which he apparently spends $50 a month (or was it $50 a week?) at the bookstore on. I told him that I haven't bought a book in years.

"Well, they don't have everything," he replied.

"Some library, somewhere has what you need" I said, as I walked out the door.

_______________

This same evening, a seemingly simple virtual reference questioned was posed to "my" library, "What did Douglas McGregor die of in 1964?"

Hmm. Well, the internet certainly helped me narrow down which Douglas McGregor I should be researching, but his cause of death was nowhere to be found amongst all those html files. I tried all kinds of keyword combinations, free and fee resources, different search engines, but the answer eluded me. (Perhaps, if I was at the library, I could break policy and search through indices and microform for a newspaper obituary - spending an inordinate amount of time finding the answer to one person's question at the expense of other patrons.)

My colleague, I discovered, was also searching in vain for the answer, and she had reference books at her disposal. Still nothing.

Although we never did find the definitive answer (we did find a couple of promising referrals), I answered a much more personal question that I had been asking myself all day: "Is what I do 'dead-end'? Do I have a future?"

All I needed to help me answer this existential investigation that I'd been tossing about for a few hours was one question that I could not answer, one patron that posed one seemingly innocuous query that the internet, encyclopedias, biographical dictionaries, and biographies could not answer. I don't always have the fast answer, the simplest answer, the right answer, or even the answer at all. But I'm always there to pose the question to, and I'll do my best to help you find the answer using all of the tricks up my sleeve.

Is what I do "dead-end", "no future"? Not until people stop asking questions, using computers, reading books, coming to classes, writing papers, and needing resources that they don't even know exist.

And when that happens, I can always be a clerk at 7-11.

2007-07-09T21:32:00.000-04:00

Ok I have to admit that I wasn't too thrilled with the whole 'hipster librarian' article. But when Jessamyn West (one of the librarians quoted in the article) mentioned it in her blog, it brought everything into a new light.

Earlier this year, in the poster session class, our final requirement was to attend the Literacy Workshop at WSU. The keynote speaker was Jack Lessenberry, a 'hardcore' journalist who spoke to us about how cool we all were. Why? Because we promote literacy every day. Unfortunately, he had to mention (and dwell upon the fact) that we are the absolute worst at self-promoting.

My point? Any publicity is good publicity. And if people see the stereotype start to change, all the better for us, as we'll be attracting attention. In the long run, we'll be attracting more people to literacy of every sort, even if we have tattoos, piercings, and Dewey Decimal numbers for drinks.

2007-07-08T13:12:00.000-04:00

Librarian Stereotypes - So What?

So this popped up on a couple of discussion lists this week.

A Hipper Crowd of Shushers
By KARA JESELLA
Published: July 8, 2007
New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/fashion/08librarian.html

And then I ran across this from Jet City Orange.

http://www.tk421.net/essays/nwyt.pdf

Now, is it just me or does anyone else have no problems with librarian stereotypes? Don't all occupations come with some sort of stereotype or another? And if the stereotypes of library professionals are changed, doesn't another one just replace it? To me, this is really a non-issue. As long as I can get people to keep coming into the library and helping them while they are there, I don't really care if they think I'm a bun-haired shusher or a hip chick. The best thing about these articles is that people are talking about libraries and their benefits to individuals and the community. If that message has to be cloaked in an article about what color hair, styles of dress, or music tastes new librarians are all about, so be it. But what is it that makes what we like to do outside of the library so fascinating?

2007-06-30T21:50:00.001-04:00

You can go ahead a remove me from the blog as I shall no long have the opportunity to contribute anymore.

2007-06-26T13:30:00.000-04:00

What I Learned at ALA

Be easy on yourself - There is a lot going on at the conference: programs, events, discussions, vendors, placement services, etc. I wanted to do everything, but by the end of the first day I wanted to have a primal scream session and collapse. The next day, I mentioned how overwhelmed I felt to a woman who helped run the placement services and she assured me that this was normal and that you really have to pick and choose only a few things to do each day; if you're planning on looking for a job at the placement services, plan on spending a good chunk of your time there. Also, remembering to make time to eat is a good idea.
Social events are great for networking - Sunday night I went to the New Members Round Table Social where I not only made new friends who are also recent grads looking for jobs, but I also met the State Librarian of California, the president of PLA, and the president of the Boston Public Library. The new president of ALA was also there, but I didn't get a chance to say hi. I also made a fool of myself on the dance floor, which probably negated any possibility that any of these people will take me seriously in the future. I have to say though, that you really haven't lived until you've seen hundreds of librarians trying to dance.
The conference paradox - Although as a "newbie," the conference was quite overwhelming, it was empowering as well. There is something about being around tens of thousands of members of your profession that can make you feel pretty good about your career choice.

2007-06-25T12:40:00.000-04:00

Did you know 2.0

2007-06-23T13:41:00.000-04:00

ALA Update

After I wrote my last blog, I went to the Library of Congress for a special after hours event they had for ALA attendees. This was quite the experience. Basically, they let us roam around the main reading room and some of the librarians who work there told us about the history of the room. We even got to go below the central desk for a peek at the inner workings of the library and the stacks that are off limits to the public. All the attendee librarians were like kids in a candy store.

Then I attended the premiere of Hollywood Librarian, a documentary about librarians and how they have been stereotyped through film. This was an excellent film that was at times funny and heartbreaking. You can see the trailer on youtube if you search the title. The writer/director is asking that libraries show it to their patrons (for a fee) during Banned Books Week.

This experience is pretty overwhelming on many different levels. There is so much going on and I want to see everything and meet everyone, but I'm trying to take it easy on myself and pick and choose events carefully. Also, as a very new MLIS graduate, with my future as a librarian still in front of me, it is a little daunting to face all this information at once.

2007-06-22T15:15:00.000-04:00

ALA Conference - Day 1

Expect to feel lost. Those were Dr. Holley's words of wisdom he gave me last week when we were talking about the ALA Annual. Well I'm at the conference now, and he was right: I definately feel lost. And in more than one way. When you register as a first-time attendee, they give you a bright yellow ribbon to let everybody know that you are a newbie (the ribbon cleverly has the word "new" spelt out with a picture of a bumble bee next to it). Its like those signs they have on student driver cars that say, "look out, this person has no idea what they are doing, and they might hurt you or themselves."

Here's is some advice if you are planning to use the Career Placement Services and would like to have your resume critiqued before handing it out: get there and sign up early. Although every thing said that the service opened at noon today, there was an orientation that started at 11:30 that I did not know about this and people had already signed up to schedule appointments for the resume critiques. Now I have to wait until tomorrow to get that done. Most of the libraries that I've talked to were not interviewing here, but I have a stack of applications to fill out.

2007-06-22T11:02:00.000-04:00

LOC Announces Copyright Beta Testing

In July 2007, the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress will initiate a beta-testing phase in the development of its automated registration system, electronic Copyright Office (eCO). Requests to participate in eCO beta testing are being accepted from the public.

2007-06-15T12:37:00.000-04:00

Looking for Leadership - LIS Student Organizations

It is my understanding that many of us will be graduating and we're going to have to initiate all the newbies. Brian and I have discussed starting Wiki. It will take the form of a Student Organization Handbook. We started from scratch pretty much and we think that future leaders need not re-invent the wheel.

In this wiki, we're going to discuss EVERYTHING WE CAN THINK OF, including:

How to get money for your org
Fundraising
What type of events & workshops are popular
How to set up a general email account
How to set up your own listserv
Where to get your stuff archived and saved for future student leaders
Contact names (both from WSU and from our respective organizations)
Working with Student Council (read, getting MORE money)
Important annual events (orientations, open houses, etc)
How to get involved off-campus
Writing an annual report
Becoming an "official" group on campus (Dean of Students Office)

There are MANY more things that we'll cover. Brian and I have agreed to get going on this in July, when our scedules clear up a little. What are your suggestions? What do you want to know?

Also, many of the orgs are looking for a few good men and women to take over the leadership. It is my belief that taking on this type of responsibility will enrich your time at Wayne State and it will boost your resume to the front of the pack.

2007-03-14T11:20:00.000-04:00

Looks like the posts are afoot.

2007-02-13T01:15:00.000-05:00

I think that maybe we should upgrade our account. Or would it be too difficult for us to do so?

2007-01-24T12:39:00.000-05:00

Microsoft and Wikipedia are fighting. Check out this!

2007-01-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

TOP TEN BOOKS OF ALL TIME

J. Peder Zane asked 125 authors to rank the top ten books of all time and he presents their lists in his book, The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books. Based on the 125 lists, Zane came up with the definitive top ten books of all time. They are:

1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
2. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
3. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
4. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
7. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald
8. In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
9. The Stories of Anton Chekhov by Anton Chekhov
10. Middlemarch by George Eliot

Personally, I'm surprised Moby Dick did not make the list. On the book's website: http://www.toptenbooks.net/, Zane allows you to submit your own top ten list. I'm interested in what others think about this list. What should be on or off the list?