What Is A Librarian?

A chronicle of my first semester in Wayne State University's Master of Library and Information Science Program, where I hope to learn how to be an archivist or librarian.

[humansofnewyork]

[kironlis6010]

by humansofnewyork:

"I don’t think the library is threatened. Circulation of physical books has never been higher. But I wouldn’t even agree that libraries are in the book business. I think they are in the information sharing business. And it just so happens that books have been the primary method of sharing information for half a millennium. The library isn’t going to compete with the internet. It’s going to be part of the internet. New York libraries have one of the greatest collections of information in the world, and one of our goals is to have it all curated, linked, and navigable.” "But once you’ve uploaded all your information, haven’t you made yourself obsolete?" "Absolutely not. Libraries provide a third space that is neither home or work, where people can come together and do thinking work. There will always be that need. And a third of New York depends upon the library system for not only free books, but free computers as well. This is especially important to immigrants, because you don’t have to prove anything to get a library card."

[wilsonlibunc]

9 Ladies Dancing!

The Dancing Bull-ettes. From Johnson C. Smith’s 1985 Golden Bull Yearbook.

[kironlis6010]

Final Reflections

While this should be much easier to do since I have already turned in my career portfolio, I still find it difficult to articulate what I bring to my future professional position. I already came to the program with a vast knowledge of U.S. History which I am sure will serve me well as a future archivist. From my Information Technology class, I have gained some basic computer skills and knowledge. From my Archival Administration class, I have an understanding of appraisal and arrangement theory. However to say what I bring to my future profession is difficult to say, because much of what I have learned from this class, or at least what I think is important, stems from basic ethics and morals. Since they have to be taught, then perhaps it isn't as basic as I think. Intellectual freedom, for example, is the cornerstone of our democracy, so I hope this is something that I can uphold in my profession as an archivist. Then there is the respect for people's privacy that we see continually challenged within libraries. Like the librarians who fought against the USA Patriot Act, I will always try to safeguard the privacy of the people who use my repository and the privacy of people's whose items are in my repository's collections. Finally, the idea that there should be an equality of service was something that I thought would be standard. However, this was reinforced throughout the semester. This goes along with the discussions that we had with homeless or mentally ill people using the facilities which we will work at. We must find ways to treat them with dignity while still providing adequate service to our other patrons.

I am definitely cognizant of the funding issues that librarians and archives face. The best plan is only as good as its funding. While programs mentioned in the Think Tanks might have been great with its first grants of funding, I began to question if they were sustainable over time. This was particularly true with some of the maker space programs at the Chicago Public Library. While I never want to be the person to end a good idea before it has really taken off, we must think about long-term cost of programs before we introduce them to our patrons.

I am more accepting of technology than I was before the beginning of the semester. This is due in part to the knowledge that I have gained in my IT class. This has led me to focus on Archival Administration (AA) and Digital Content Management (DCM). In face, next semester, I am focusing on my DCM electives and core requirements, which means taking Information Architecture.

Vannevar Bush, a Library and Information Science leader, said, ''In business, the boss earns respect primarily by knowing his job. He takes a step beyond this when he knows his men. One further step comes when his men believe he has their true interests genuinely at heart.''(Bush, 53). As I take leadership roles within the Library and Information Science profession, I hope the people that I lead believe that I have their true interest at heart. This is a better way to lead than through simply giving orders or using the power of your position. It inspires people to work together and to work for you. Other leadership qualities that I hope to possess are personified in the persistence of Augusta Baker and Victoria Proctor Powell Florence, who had to within segregated system, earn their degrees and serve their patrons. Women and men such as these will serve as my inspiration during the difficulties that I may face as an LIS professional.

[todaysdocument]

December 9 is Christmas Card Day!

Christmas Card from Superior Paul C. O’Connor, Society of Jesus of St. Mary’s Mission at Akulurak, Alaska to Assistant Director Charles G. Burdick of the Civilian Conservation Corps’ Alaska Region, ca. 12/20/1938

From the series: Correspondence Relating to Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Activities , ca. 1937 - ca. 1942

(H/T to othmeralia and their Christmas Card Day post!)

[kironlis6010]

Revisit Assumptions/Assertions about LIS

You must be organized to be a librarian

Mastering technology is a must

It’s all about libraries and archives

I’m not sure what the difference is between information science and computer science

Above are my assumptions about library and information science that I made at the beginning of the semester. I still think librarianship and working in the archives takes a certain bit of organization. I have learned that libraries is also about an organization of language and from that language comes metadata that helps us organize books, documents, and other artifacts. A librarian and archivist also must master technology and computer programs or be able to find someone who can if she want to remain relevant as the world changes. While it seems as if archivists seem to be hold-outs in recognizing this. I realize that this is key to my future employment. Of course the program is not all about libraries and archives. There are other aspects to this degree. The difference between computer science and information science still seems a little blurred. The best way that I can explain it is that computer science deals with the hardware and the programs that assist with the input of data and information science does the actual input and interpretation of data for others to use.

From my colleagues, I have learned to think about libraries in a different context. It wasn’t until recently that I began using my public library again as a place to study and write. The ideas that I had about libraries came from visiting them as a student in elementary and middle school. This was mostly as a space where I went to go check out books on a Saturday and maybe hear a story. Or, as I became older, it was a place where pre-teen hanged out at before they could move on to hanging out at the mall. Thinking about public libraries beyond those terms was something of which I was not aware. This includes the idea of maker spaces for libraries, having robots in the library, or employing advocates to help homeless people. I never conceived that librarians would have to be so creative about how to serve their communities. Although I do not envision myself in a traditional library setting, some of the ideas introduced I will continue to carry with me, because I believe that they can be expanded to other information agencies.

[kironlis6010]

Technology Sandbox

The core resources that libraries should be using to reach a wider audience are blogging, Facebook and other social media, and Twitter. These are tools that libraries can use to get the most information to people who want to see it. Perhaps it is due to my age group within my generation, I think that the social media platform that I actually read post on is Facebook. Other platforms such as Flickr, Instagram, and Tumblr, I tend to scroll through especially with pictures or if the post is too long. I also think this is why Twitter is such a good tool as well. It limits the characters, so you have to be clear and concise about what you post.

While these tools are great for reaching a wider audience, they also depend on the survival of the company in an ever-changing online world. We all remember the popularity of Myspace when it first emerged, and how it ebbed over a short period of time. This is one reason why I think that libraries, archives, and other information agencies should set up their own independent blogs, and have a way to subscribe to them through RSS readers and feeds. Even without the RSS, people can still visit their blogs and the information agencies do not have to worry about the demise of private companies when trying to reach a larger audience.

If my information agency was a transparent one and did not have a Twitter account, I would definitely set one up for it. However, maintaining the Twitter account would not be my strongest skill. I still have not settled on how to use my personal professional Twitter account. The idea of starting a company to help information agencies with their Web 2.0 needs or starting any company whatsoever does not appeal to me, so that idea would definitely be out. I did a group project for my Information Technology class on Google+, and I have been asked by a friend, who is an instructional designer for a local university, to do a webinar for teacher in the community surrounding the university as a part its community outreach program. I turned her down for several reasons: I do not have the time to do now, and Google+ is not a very intuitive platform. Perhaps if I could do a webinar on another platform, I would be willing to do one. While I do wish this would all go away, I realize that is not a realistic stance to take. I must become more familiar with these types of platforms if I want to be employed by information agencies. 

[lecieltumultueux]

Quick question today! How many different library cards do you currently have?

At the moment I have 6 active cards (hometown, university, national library, volunteer library, work library, alumni card at old university) and I still carry around my card from my…

[libraryjournal]

Alas, just one from @nypl.

[kironlis6010]

I have 3: One from my hometown library, one from my previous university, and one from my current university

[kironlis6010]

Follow a Professional Listserv

Code{4}Lib Listserv

https://listserv.nd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CODE4LIB

During the ALA Resume Workshop Cole Hudson suggested that we look at the Code{4}Lib website to gain more knowledge technology within libraries. At the time, my interest in libraries and technology had begun to widen. I looked at the website that night after I returned home and subscribedto its listserv.

On the listserv, you can either chose to receive job postings, general postings, or both. I chose to receive both even though I was more interested in job postings. I wanted to know what type of technology jobs that libraries posted, the qualifications that they asked for, and the salaries associated with those jobs. Jobs that have been posted on the listserv include: Research Data Management Librarians, Web Service Librarian, and Content Management Technicians. Many of the jobs posted are from university libraries. The list had more job offerings in my areas of interest than on the lisjob listserv from the school. This alleviated some of my concerns about finding a job when I completed the program.

In addition to the job postings, the community on the Code{4}Lib help each other with technical problems that a person  might have at his or her library. Often the issue are beyond my comprehension, but there are moments when I understand a few of the queries that people post. For example, a person had questions regarding Drupal, an open source content-management program that business and governments use for blogs, on November 1 and the next few day several people attempted to answer the question. The listserv is also used to inform people about upcoming conferences, calls for papers, and other opportunities.

I found the Code{4}Lib listserv to be very informative. It was also a little daunting for me at first because many of the issues I did not understand. However, I have so much to learn in such a short time period. It is very intimidating. Overall, I did found the community to be very helpful and welcoming.

[kironlis6010]

Blogging about Professional Blogs

inkdroid by Ed Summers

Earlier this semester I started following the blog inkdroid by Ed Summers. Summers currently the Lead Developer at Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH) at the University of Maryland. Previously he worked for the Library of Congress (LOC) and has 20 years of experience working with libraries and archives in the public and private sector. I choose to follow this blog because of Summers’ connection with technology for libraries and his previous work with the LOC

I must admit much of what Summers writes about is beyond my comprehension. Hopefully, I will better understand some of the terminology as I take more technology classes. One interesting project that he has been working on in his spare time, which he talks about in his post on August 30, is cataloging tweets related to the protest and political climate surround Michael Brown's death in Ferguson, Missouri. As someone who has worked at the LOC, the home of Twitter Archives, Summers is someone who is very interested in recording history through social media, particularly Twitter (you can read more about the Twitter Archive here).  Summers created a command line utility (which he makes available through his blog) to search as far back as Twitter would allow him to capture tweets. That is about two weeks. Unfortunately, he could not retrieve tweets from the first two days following Michael Brown’s death, but he was able to capture over 13.5 million tweets. He used another open source code to sort the tweets into manageable packets.

Since his August 30 post, he has been approached by three people to share the tweets that he compiled. He notes in his "On Forgetting" post, that one person worked for a defense contracting company and the two other people were professors from research universities who approached him about the tweets. He ignored the contractor for his own ethical reasons, and he explained to the university professors that due to Twitters service terms agreement he could only make available the Twitter IDs that mentioned Ferguson. However, he could share more of the information that he collected with his employer, University of Maryland. In this post he linked to the Internet Archive page where he uploaded people’s Twitter ID.

I like inkroid for several reasons. In his post Summers covers a wide variety of topics, social justice, archival practices, social media, coding and technology which are all related to library and information science. He makes archives seem current and timely rather than a place with moldy old books, documents, and artifacts. Also this is the first time that I read about someone addressing digital-born artifacts.

After following Summer’s blog for a few months I also began to follow him on Twitter

But You Don’t Look Like a Librarian

I follow a lot of librarians on my tumblr feed, but this one stood out to me the most “But You Don’t Look Like a Librarian…” because I don’t think I look like a librarian or whatever that may be. The Blogger does not give her specific name, so it is much more casual than Ed Summer’s blog, which all about his profession. She describes herself as follows: “I am an academic librarian with a wide range of interests from information literacy to archives. I am also surrounded by otherwise intelligent people who think it's clever to ask me where my glasses are. I shush them and move on.” I find that wildly hilarious.

This blog gives a glimpse into the daily life of an academic librarians. For example, two weeks ago she explains students’ amazement at learning how to use a JSTOR and Google Scholar with a Harry Potter gif:

She also post about Public Service Loan forgiveness programs and points out that it would be something that most librarians should look into because we do often work in the public sector and we have very expensive degrees which we have to pay back.

Plus she discussed her University's library inviting local high school librarians to discuss information literacy, collections, and helping ease students’ transition from high school to college. I think this is an amazing example of community outreach especially for a university that can sometimes be insular.

I really enjoy the blogger’s sense of humor, and it’s refreshing that she might be my age too. I think she does a wonderful job of balancing personal and professional interests on her blog. I think my blog would be more like hers over time.

[kironlis6010]

Review of The Hollywood Librarian: A Look At Librarians through Films

Above is the trailer for a new show premiering on TNT called The Librarians. The main characters in this show, librarians, are charged with safekeeping information from falling into the wrong hands. The announcer at the beginning of the trailer seem astonished that librarians would be responsible for protecting humanity from evilness. This is probably because he thinks that librarians should be in a dark quiet hole reading a book or shushing people instead of fighting the battle of good and evil. When will people ever learn this is the essential duty of a librarian?!

In The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians through Films, Ann Seidl attempts to unpack the stereotypes that pop culture has perpetuated about librarians. These stereotypes run the gamut from the dowdy yet cranky shushers to the erudite temptresses of the library. Regardless of the stereotypes Seidl demonstrates that librarians care about their communities (and other communities), providing people access to the tools that they need to be successful, and they often do their jobs at great personal cost to themselves (poor salaries, long hours, and sleepless nights). They also do this in a climate that seems increasingly doubtful about their utility. But this is not everyone. I found it interesting that the people who were most concerned about the closure of the Salinas Free Library, which is featured in the film, seemed to be the people who had children or were immigrants. For them, the library provided services and accessibility that they would not otherwise could not find any other place.

One of the most poignant parts of the film was at the end when inmates at San Quentin Prison, who had benefited from a local library's literacy program, donated money to keep the Salinas Free Library open. These inmates recognize the importance of literacy and the services that libraries can offer communities. One inmate pointed out that the money had been diverted from libraries to finance more prisons highlighting how troubling budget priorities of many governments throughout the country. Many inmates also recognized that library programs kept children out of trouble and hopefully away from prisons.

Overall, the film showed the many facets of librarians’ lives from working with children to aiding adults in marginalized communities. It was a very interesting documentary. I had hoped that the film would present a more diverse view of libraries and other information agencies, however the film focused mostly on public libraries. I would have like to have seen more on archives and medical libraries. 

[nypl]

[kironlis6010]

nypl:

Shopping for a reader can be tough! Perhaps you don’t know which books she owns already, or if she’s the paperback or hardcover type. Don’t worry; we have you covered! These literary gifts will thrill every type of book lover on your holiday shopping list. 

Great Ideas!

[kironlis6010]

Mid-Semester Reflection

Well, it is the middle of the semester. Actually, in the interest of full disclosure, it is the end of the semester, but I can remember how I felt at the middle of the semester. That was the moment that began to feel overwhelmed about the whole process. At first things felt easy, but the assignment started to become due rapidly. I never had a problem with the difficulty of the assignments, there were just so many of them with so many different parts. It was hard to keep everything straight. What I also surprised me were our discussions about ethics within librarianship. Before the beginning of the program this was something that I did not think about much. I found it interesting that the American Library Association had set of ethics.

Another question that I began to ask during my assignments and Think Tanks was who or what was going to fund great idea or programming that was brought up during our discussion. I began to think in real terms about the heavy financial constraints that many libraries and archives faced. While this should not limit the ideas that people have, it is something that has to be thought about when implementing plan.

So close but we still have a long ways to go and a lot to think about.

Citations

Code of Ethics of the American Library Association. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics

Photo credit to Kiron Johnson

[uchicagoscrc]

“Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.”  ― Richard P. Feynman

Good luck on your finals, UChicago! 

[ummaannex]

We love these photos - good luck to UMich students as well! 

[kironlis6010]

Study hard! We are almost there!

[kironlis6010]

A Comparison of Two Professional Organizations

Society of American Archivists

The Society of American Archivists (SAA) is the leading professional organization for archivists in the United States. Founded in 1936 as a byproduct of the American historical Association, the SAA currently has 5,000 individual and 650 institutional members. Its mission statement is, “SAA promotes the values and diversity of archives and archivists. We are the preeminent source of professional resources and the principal communication hub for American archivists.”

There are four levels of membership for the SAA: Individual Full Membership; Individual Student Membership; Individual Associate Membership; Institutional Membership. The individual Full Membership cost is based on a person’s income and status within the profession (retired or unemployed), but range from $50 to $250. This type memberships affords individuals the privileges to hold office, appointive position, vote for officers, councilors, and members of the nominating committee, vote on all matters requiring a vote by the Society as a whole, to be members of constituent units of the Society, and benefits of the Society’s programs and services. Individual student memberships cost $50. A student membership gives students most of the benefits of full membership with exception of holding positions within the SAA. Individual Associate Memberships are for people living in the United States who support the objectives of the Society but are not professionally involved with the custody or control of archives, private papers, or instruction of archives. Individual Associate Memberships are also for people outside the U.S. who are involved with their own national archival association. These members are allowed to be members of sections, roundtables, and task force and receive the benefits of Society’s programs and services. The cost for this membership is $100 for U.S. residents and $125 for members outside the United States. The final membership is Institutional Membership, which is for institutes and agencies responsible for the custody, study, teaching, control, or use of records, archives, and private papers. Members of the institute with institutional memberships receive the benefits of the Society’s programs and services. Also each institutional member are allowed to have one contact person who is eligible to vote, hold office, and serve on appointed groups. Institutional Memberships are $500 for sustaining and $300 for regular institutional members.

Student members receive access to American Archivist Online, a complimentary subscription to Archival Outlook, a discount on Annual Meeting and workshop registration, a discount on SAA published books, ability to participate in SAA Sections and Round tables, and to participate in SAA’s Mentoring Program. SAA’s mentoring program is for member students or those archivists just beginning their career. Protégés receive guidance on resume, care goals, or continuing education opportunities, workshops, and annual meeting program sessions. Mentors introduce their mentees to their colleagues. Mentors also serve as resources for policies, procedures, and other information. Non-members can access the online career center where they can search for jobs and post their resume.

In addition to The American Archivist and Archival Outlook, SAA publish a biweekly newsletter In The Loop, which is a play on name of the area where the SAA’s offices are located in Chicago. The American Archivist, which I discussed in an earlier blog, is the organization's scholarly journal. Another publication that they publish is the Archival Outlook. The Outlook is a bi-monthly publication that is printed and published electronically. It has a circulation of more 6,200. Archival Outlook gives readers an update on the important business of the Society, regional business, and profiles archivists in the profession.  Articles range from 700 to 1,400 words. The September/October issue for 2014 has feature articles on the Chicano Movement Archives in Colorado, collaboration between University Archives and community organizations, a report on August 2014 annual meeting, and Hispanic students experience with archival material. In addition to their publications, SAA keeps their members informed through their website and social media. SAA has a website, a WordPress blog called “Off the Record,” a RSS feed, a Facebook page, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts.

International Council on Archives

As someone who is interested in working outside the United States, I was excited to learn about the International Council on Archives (ICA). Established in 1948 out of the League of Nations Permanent Consultative Committee of Archives, the ICA is a non-governmental organization of 1400 members in 199 countries and territories that is dedicated to the records management and the preservation, care, and use of the world’s archival heritage through its representation of records and archive professionals around the world. As explained on the ICA website: “The mission of the International (ICA) is to promote the preservation and use of archives around the world. In pursuing this mission, ICA works for the protection and enhancement of the memory of the world and to improve communication while respect cultural diversity.”  The ICA works closely with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Council of Europe, and the International Committee of the Blue Shield.

Similar to SAA, the ICA has several types of memberships. Its four types of memberships are divided between institutional and individual.  The four categories are as follows: “Category A) Central archive directorates or national archival institutions, which are governed by primary legislation and are responsible for the development of national archival policies and programs; Category B) Territorial, national associations concerned with the administration or preservation of records and archives or in archival training and education; Category C) Local, territorial, national or international institutions concerned with the administration or preservation of records and archives or in archival training and education. Category D) Individuals of all nationalities who are at present or have been in the past professionally involved in the information management or heritage fields.” Individual members receive the following benefits: priority access to ICA programs and opportunity for funding projects; receive profession journal Comma which is printed twice a year for full members; access to members-only areas of the ICA website; online access to most recent ICA publications; ability to participate in ICA working groups; membership to regional branches; “opportunity to join two if the 13 sections covering professional issues as diverse as municipal archives and archival education free of charge”; access to discussion forums; ability to advertise and issue invitations to their events on a global platforms”; able to become an office holder; invitation to ICA Congresses and Annual Conferences; right to speak at the ICA General Assembly. Dues for full-individual members is €100, which affords them postal delivery of Comma and Flash and access to members only part of the ICA website. Associate members pay €30 for access to the members-only section of the website and most recent publications for download. Students, retired persons, and unemployed members pay €20 for the same access as associate members. Institutional memberships receive the same benefits as individual members. Their fees are based on the home country of the institution.

The ICA has two publications: Comma, its scholarly journal and Flash, its newsletter. Unfortunately, I was unable to gain access to either the journal or the newsletter.

The ICA holds an annual conference every year, except for the years that are Congress years. The Conferences are open to all, but members receive registration benefits. There are three elements to conferences: Governance meetings; professional programs; The National Archivists Forum. The 2014 Conference took place during October in Girona Spain and coincided with the 9th European Conference on Archives and the 13th Image and Research Seminar.  All three events were under the common title of Archives and Cultural Industries. The 2015 Conference will take place in Sub-Saharan Africa in a yet to be decided country. Annual conferences are a new development for ICA, which use to have roundtables instead. The roundtables were by invitation-only and a call for papers was not issued for them.

The ICA has a RSS feed, but it does not participate in any of the other popular social media such as Facebook and Twitter. They also have an e-newsletter and listserv, which I joined.

I will probably join both organizations, especially the ICA given the affordable student membership fee. Also, the SAA’s mentorship program would be incredibly beneficial for my networking and my career. 

Citations

Conseil International des Archives. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://www.ica.org/

Society of American Archivists. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://www2.archivists.org/

[whimsybookowl]

Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.

Anne Herbert  (via whimsybookowl)

[bookpatrol]

Bronx Traveling Library, 1950’s

[mylifeinthelibrary]

Ferguson Library, once again looking out for the children in its community. This is the kind of wonderful service your donations have helped make possible.