Tag Archives: Libraries

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

The "Search" in ReSEARCH: Primary Sources

Image by RLHyde. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by RLHyde. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

Many librarians teach formally and informally patrons/students how to conduct research.  Dawn Casey-Rowe, a high school teacher and prominent writer for Edudemic, targets best practices for educators. This October, Casey-Rowe published an article titled, 10 Web Resources to Help Teach About Primary Sources. In this post, she talks about her experience with students after assigning a research paper pertaining to current events. She stated, “There is such an overload of information. Students need to be able to identify and decode sources, then make a decision as to what they mean in terms of causes and consequences.” Sound familiar? Casey-Rowe goes on to list resources that you might also find helpful, regardless of the researcher’s age.

One of the most common stumbling blocks in research is not understanding the best practices to conduct a search. In a related article, Holly Clark talks about the new “digital divide”as it relates to students’ ability to effectively find and process information while conducting searches. Here is a link to Clark’s full article, “Do Your Students Know How to Search?” also posted on Edudemic’s site (October 2013.)

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Futuristic Libraries by Design

Image by Steven A Johnson. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by Steven A Johnson. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

Good design takes into consideration 1) what the structure will house/display, and 2) determine how people will interact and move within the space. In the future, will libraries require large structures to secure volumes of collections? Will they be characterized as meeting spaces to inspire various creative pursuits? Or, some unique combination of the two reflecting the mission based on the intended library type? Only time will tell the fate of tomorrow’s libraries. However, this week just for fun, CMLE highlights existing national and international libraries sporting futuristic designs.

Click here to see 10 Futuristic Libraries  identified by Open Education Database (OEDb), August 2013.

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Being Influential Where You Are!

Image by Paul Wever. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by Paul Wever. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

My personal  highlight of the recent MEMO Unconference was sitting at a table of eight people with Stephen Abram, talking about being influential. Stephen was the keynote speaker the day before, but I had no idea he would stay throughout the conference, much less lead and engage in this great conversation. Stephen has many claims to fame and I have followed him online for years so I was eager to hear his thoughts.  He is the author of Stephen’s Lighthouse blog, a library trend watcher, fundraiser, innovator, thought provoker, and has held several executive leadership positions in the library field; big names like Gale, SirsiDynix, Thomson, and ProQuest. As promised last week,  I took good notes and will share freely here what transpired around the table. I was happy to see that my strategy in this area mirrors Stephen’s, but the perspectives of media specialists around the table was pretty priceless. Strategies that emerged included:

Innovate

  • Look across your workplace, and choose innovators and early adopters to help you advance your agenda (consider them your disciples.)
  • Pull these folks together, talk about what motivates you and encourage them to do the same. Begin to think about aligning your efforts with their motivations. You may be surprised at how alike your motivations truly are!
  • If you have a few innovators/ early adapters in a specific department; do a pilot in that area.  Other departments will notice!

Coach

  • Your role as media specialist/librarian with your group is that of coach.
  • Scrap advocacy as a term, talk about “what is in it for them.”
  • Your approachability will increase as your group works together, and trust in you will naturally increase.
  • Have the courage to demonstrate your expertise; dig deep,  be fearless with your group of disciples.

Solve

  • Talk to your administrators, listen well to what they find problematic. Are they looking for specific solutions?
  • Align, align, align creatively with administrators problems too, which often overlaps with what departments are trying to solve!

This technique involves being a good listener, and thoughtfully understanding  your role in your specific setting. Stephen’s reminder to all was to avoid thinking of yourself as a servant (even though sometimes it can feel that way). Constantly remind yourself that you provide an integral and necessary professional service. By adopting this mindset, your role within the library/media center and/or your district, can become transformative. As we wrapped up, Stephens reminded us that  “without change, there would be no butterflies.”

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

17 Ways To Be Happier at Work

Image by keterha. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by keterha. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

Regardless of the type of library you work in, librarians are almost always a member of a team. Lets face it, at some point in our careers, we all have had that one person who continually takes credit for other people’s work. That one person, who makes decisions without thinking through the ramifications of that singular action. Or, that one person who disengages, leaving you to jungle even more pieces to the puzzle. Finding ways to build positive relationships are essential.

What most people don’t realize is that the key to success starts (and may even end) with themselves. For example; How a person talk themselves through less than ideal situations, is important. And, that mindset is mirrored in their interactions with colleagues and/or patrons.

How can you bring light to a difficult circumstance, group, work environment, etc?

This week, CMLE is highlighting a post by INC which lists 17 Ways To Be Happier at Work (March 2013.)  Just for fun, try one thing this week to see if it helped change your perspective at work.

Note: As an eternal optimist, who hopes for a long life filled with learning, I am partial to # 17.

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Free Minitex Trials

This post was provided by Minitex, a cooperative purchasing and electronic resource service.

Minitext is offering a set of free trials for you to consider in your library now through October 31st.  Electronic resources are grouped by theme and include:

Image provided by Minitex.
Image provided by Minitex.

eBooks

  • eBook Business Collection Subscription

Nursing and Applied Science

  • EBSCO CINAHL Complete
  • EBSCO Applied Science & Technology Source

Humanities and Social Sciences

  • American Psychological Association PsycTESTS
  • American Psychological Association PsycTHERAPY
  • EBSCO Art Source
  • EBSCO Education Source
  • EBSCO Humanities Source
  • ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States

K-12 Resources

  • Rosen Publishing PowerKnowledge Science Suite
  • Rosen Publishing Core Concepts Periodic Table Database
  • Rosen Publishing Financial Literacy
  • Rosen Publishing Digital Literacy

For pricing and questions, please email cpers@minitex.umn.edu.