Of blogs, tweets, and education.

It's become apparent that I'm much more communicative on Twitter these days.  This fall I started my last semester of my MLIS and my classes include one on research methods, a library management (much needed), and an online class on the 'History of the Book' which, while interesting in a libral arts kind of way, isn't going to contribute to my abilities or skills as a librarian at all, but at least I don't have to drive to it.

I've taken online classes before, in particular from Rutgers on Social Web 2.0 for libraries which was fairly useful in helping me articulate why it is important for public libraries to expose their data and services in a multiplicity of ways essentially allowing our users to determine the most efficacious manner to interact with us is for them instead of us dictating how to interact with us (its ON THE WEBSITE).

That one, as this current one, invariably involves much - mandatory - discussion.  If you've ever been 'forced' to be social online you will find that its fairly exhausting (except for that person or two who has online verbal diarhea...)  Last time it left me unable to compose the burning blog posts I would like to compose for my Eeyore blog.  I'm anticipating the same this time, which combined with some conference blogging for ASIST (shaky yeah!) AND fighting for library funding in my county (voting in November...) will probably leave me mute.

I will be yakking on Twitter:  www. twitter.com/eeyorelibrarian

Even if its for Eeyore?

via "Awful Library Books" which is my favorite blog-du-jour lately:

Passion for Donkeys

A Passion for Donkeys
Svendsen
1988

From anonymous submitter:

“It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to get into the donkey-breeding business. I understand that passion is the key to life, and I like to think I’m open-minded, but anyone with a passion for donkeys probably needs psychiatric help.”

I may need help!

Image by Brian Vallelunga via Flickr

Week 1 - Web Services Coordinator

So this week was fairly chaotic, and it was partially my fault for not being able to say no.

This was my first week working by myself as a Web Services Coordinator for my rural public library (Publib1.0), the gal who had it previously is also in charge of all teen programing and she is a teen librarian at heart. She managed to persuade management to let her give up the 'assigned' 8 hrs she was committed to managing our website so that she could have more time on the Reference Desk (and probably a lot less stress!). I have been working on call as a public service assistant since September with no regular hours and since being an Online Branch Manger/Librarian is one of my 'dream jobs' I was super excited about this turn of events. I still am pretty humbled that I was able to secure such a high level professional job before graduation - albeit extremely part-time. The fact that this is so few hours fits really well with my 'lifestyle' right now as I wanted to concentrate on primarily staying home with my son this summer (after being such a distant mom with grad school and all) as well as the fact that I still have another full-time semester left on my MLIS in September. In other words fellow un/underemployed librarians - no more job hunting for me until January ;-)


The quandary of course is that 8hrs is NOT enough for this job. I'm maintaining standards and growing our Joomla based CMS website, Co-ordinating the efforts of our content -providers (Ref. head, Readers Advisory head, Teen Head, Kids Head, Foundation, etc etc etc). Still working out snags in our system that our developers left us (long story for another day when I have a better understanding of the problems, igh). Simply going from zero Joomla experience to having to teach people how to use it (like already happening) has been an intellectual challenge.

In some ways I'm glad for the challenge, in others I feel emotionally exhausted over the totality of my responsibilities and the straight jacket my employers have put me in. Obviously I'm doing work outside of the office at this time. I probably will be doing that all summer until the rubber hits the road in September.

I can't even ask for more hours right now. We are broke. In November we are going to the voters and begging for money which, if we don't get, there won't be more hours for anyone. In fact, we're going to have to cut back and probably reduce open hours and services. Again, that's another story for another blog post. Budget issues are not my speciality.

So ideally I'd like to Library 2.0 us - Facebook, Twitter, etc. Let's get us out there, let our patrons decide how they want to interact with us. Develop a social network policy, not necessarily to be on the forefront of change (to many shuderers) but to at least use reasonably stable and proven venues.

And then there is the InTRAnet. It is NOTmeeting the needs of our staff. As a Web Services Librarian, in theory, that should be my area of concern as well. Right now its nobodies...

eight hours, eight hours, eight hours.

So my first week wasn't a complete disaster - being Eeyore things could have gone a lot worse. But when the Director 'all of a sudden' needed something added to the Front Page and I spent half and hour trying to photoshop an image for it before giving up in despair because I am not a graphic artist at all before I finally called the Big D into my office and told her that THIS is simply going to have to wait until next week when our graphic artist is in the house because as the Librarian in charge of our webpage I did not want a photo that looked like a talentless hack with no photoshop skills created it (me). I put my foot down on keeping our most visible and landed on page professional looking, and the Big D agreed. I'm not sure if I handled the whole situation the best way possible. Upon reflection I think I should have come to the conclusion that this THING that the Big D wanted would have to wait for early next week and that was that. Things need to be communicated in advance if they require coordination between multiple units within the organization (graphics, publicity, web).

Of course, standing up to people and saying no and not trying to take on the world just because someone asks is a perpetual weakness for me. Maybe management class in the fall will cure of that?

Busted

My MLIS school is in the middle of a director search. Because of employment laws and such we can't talk about the individual candidates, I understand the privacy concerns. However, a fellow student with a blog (dangerous objects these blogs) had been blogging about her impressions of the directorial candidates (without naming names or institutions or anything). I felt she was being discreet (maybe other then naming her school - but I've probably slipped and done that in tweets - oops). Personally I don't have time or money to go and sit in on the candidates speaches and forums and such and was happy a friend was blogging about it. I'm close enough to graduation I don't feel a huge stake in this - but I'm still curious and concerned and would like to stay informed.

She was asked to yank her posts. Then we all got this email:

this email is to remind you about the confidential nature of the Directors Search process. If you are blogging, twittering, facebooking or using other social software to formally/informally report, or comment on the candidate visits, you must stop and delete all postings immediately. When such discussions and statements are posted on a blog or on any other web software, they are considered published, and therefore are stripped of their confidentiality. As result, such postings jeopardize the integrity of the search process, and must stop.

The student did take down her posting in compliance with the school policy which is pretty much the only action she could take. I am starting to get frustrated with administrations all around.

Oh well, back to my regularly scheduled end of semester chaos.

I am 500% Siryous

For those of you having trouble reading this it says: "Make the printers free or lower. What if it is a life or death. I am not lying, I'm 500% serious."

Note: We do have some flexibility to print things for free in response to a reference question and assuredly, if you were having a genuine life or death we would surely print for you for free. We don't want death in our library. I feel bad this kid didn't get the help he needed at my branch - but maybe he learned a valuable life or death.