As usual in the fall, I attended the annual conference of the New England Library Association. Here's a summary of the sessions I attended and what I learned. I'm including a sentence or so on takeaways, which are specific ideas I got from the session and things I just don't want to forget about later.
Don't Forget the T: Serving Transgender Patrons
This discussion was led by my coworker who runs our Queer Book Group, and has been partnering with our local council on aging to present an international film series called Reel Queer. We also have some gender-neutral bathrooms in our building. So we are pretty much at the forefront of LGBT issues when it comes to public libraries. Anyhow, I was already pretty informed about these issues but it was still a great, informative discussion.
Takeaways: include a "preferred name" field in patron library records for those who use a name other than their legal name; "Please bring it back" basket idea to let people borrow certain books without checking them out; A Kind of Justice by Renee James is a mystery novel about a transgender hairdresser.
Making Connections Across Town and Time
This was a 2-part session. The first presenter discussed the Haitian Revolution as rich source material for displays, historical fiction, musicals, etc and wondered aloud at how untapped it still is. It was such a unique event in history, and it's still a very interesting place. Facts learned: 80% of Haitians with a college degree live outside of Haiti; over 1/3 of citizens are under the age of 15. The second presenter told us about an international program she ran in a Boston neighborhood where seniors and teens worked together to create a community quilt.
Takeways: do a display on the Haitian Revolution cuz it is fascinating; look into a book called Soft Circuits for the library collection and for my own curiosity. (Electronics in fabric? What?!)
Biblioboard: Engage Your Local Creative Community
This was a vendor demo for a product we pay for that I knew almost nothing about. He talked specifically about the SELF-e program where local authors can publish and promote their books. He mentioned that self-published ebooks account for 45% of purchases on Amazon.
Takeaways: This is something lots of our patrons will be interested in! Since we have a local author event coming up soon - and some NaNoWriMo Write-Ins, I requested some promotional materials about this service. Through a module called Curator, the library can upload photos of art in the library, which might be useful for us.
Getting Your Library Noticed: The Art of the Integrated Campaign
Two representatives from the MA Board of Library Commissioners talked about running an organized marketing campaign. They use something called a Creative Brief, which is basically an outline of your goals and your plan. It's an organizational tool and a checklist that covers everything from what you're hoping to achieve to a calendar for deliverables and social media posts. The idea is to create consistency throughout your campaign while adapting to a changing landscape.
Takeaways: The Creative Brief, other materials available at the MBLC site including ready made social media posts.
Keeping Up With Social Media
Three librarians took turn presenting, though they *all* talked about Instagram. This is disappointing because that's the one major social media platform my library doesn't use (because we can't do ALL the things.) The program description should have mentioned it was all about Instagram, not social media in general, or maybe the presenters should have talked to each other and realized they were all discussing the same thing. But they had some great ideas that could be used on other platforms, like book spine poetry and bookface.
Takeaways: Maybe we should be using Instagram; do some book spine poetry, bookface, meet the staff, and bookalike (books with similar covers.)
Community Use in Libraries: overcoming obstacles to safely sharing space
Here's another where the description was a bit misleading. This session was very specifically about using library space during a time the library is usually closed, and when partnered with another town department or organization. Although this is not something we do the presenter, an attorney, had some great information about liability.
Takeaways: We're not actually liable if someone is hurt on our property; the issue is the fear of having a lawsuit initiated. It's very hard to prove liability, but it will still eat up time and money so nobody wants anyone to even try to sue them.
Reader's Advisory Panel: Christian Fiction, Library Reads, and Book Spoilers
I already knew about Library Reads and Spoilers, Sweetie, but I'm very weak on Christian Fiction. Unfortunately, that presenter wasn't able to make it which, honestly, was a bit of a relief since I'm not interested in the genre and never get questions from patrons about it. It was kind of nice for a refresher about Library Reads, and to learn that Spoilers, Sweetie replaced the "red flag" designation with "sticky topics." I had visited the site once and saw a book that had a "red flag" because of a gay character. "Sticky topic" is a little better, but it should be more neutral, like "You might want to know..." but more concise. Because you might actually want to know for reasons that are positive, not negative. I digress.
Takeaways: Peter Heller has a new book coming out! (Celine. And I still haven't read The Painter!) Also, revisit Spoilers, Sweetie, check out the Worst Bestsellers podcast and the We Need Diverse Books app.
Better Graphic Design for Libraries: Improving Your Visual Communication
A self-taught graphic designer gave us lots of specific and useful advice about how make our promotional materials look eye-catching and professional. This was probably my favorite and most useful session I attended. Or maybe I was just so enthused because I've gotten on a hand-lettering kick and this seems to fit in.
Takeaways: She gave us handouts with specific free tools, fonts, image sources, etc that we could use for our materials. Also a handy step-by-step workflow that I will probably forget is in my notes and never look at.
Developing Your Own Readers' Advisory Roundtable
I always look enviously at the emails about our region's readers advisory meetings, but I can't ever go because of the day of the week they are scheduled. The presenters talked about what makes these meetings different from a regular book group (discussing appeal factors rather than opinions about what you liked or didn't like), sources for genre study, LSTA grant for doing all this, and doing it locally at your own library rather than with a larger group.
Takeaways: Take Joyce Saricks's online class through ALA since I have a membership; try to talk coworkers into having our own Readers Advisory Roundtable. (You know, in our spare time.); Display idea: men without shirts (I don't recall how this came up, but it's a good one!)
So there we have it. Hopefully highlighting the takeaways will help me remember them, and act on them!
Showing posts with label conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conference. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
MLA Conference
I normally go to the New England Library Association Conference in the fall, but I've only ever gone to the Massachusetts Library Association Conference once, and that was just for one day. But this year I was asked to be on a panel which was scheduled for 8:30am (I didn't know the time when I agreed to it - ugh!) so I went for two days so I could spend the night there before my panel.
I went to sessions about various topics: mindfulness, desk-less reference, Girls Who Code, Wikipedia, digital impact on library spaces, and my panel on Reference in the Digital Age. Rather than summarize each of them, I'm just going to list some of my take-aways.
- Our minds wander 46.9% of the time (yay, it's not just me!)
- Learned basic mindfulness practice
- Just a few minutes a day of this for two weeks should result in improved mood and memory
- I should read 10% Happier by Dan Harris
- R. David Lankes is a guy to follow because people were quoting him all over the place
- All library staff should know: how to download content, issue new library cards, fix copier jams, checkout and renewal, and what's happening in the library that day
- Reduce service points to the smallest desks possible
- The Millis Public Library now only has one loan rule: everything goes out for two weeks, fines .10/day, and patrons love the simplicity
- Get every space in the library to work in 2-3 different ways depending on how it's used at different times of the day (flexible physical spaces were mentioned repeatedly)
- In 1984, 37% of computer science graduates were female; today it's 18%
- Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani has a TED talk that I should watch soon.
- 50-90% of physicians and 94% of medical students use Wikipedia
- Librarians should love Wikipedia because it's a discovery tool. You get lost in it, but you learn so much!
- The majority of Wikipedia editors are white, male, and under 40
- Got lots of info about editing Wikipedia articles, some guidelines and where to start
Ok, that's a hodgepodge of information! As usual, I came away wanting to do all of the things, but past experience tells me that is unlikely. I heard so many great ideas about library spaces and service that I think will be helpful as we start planning our library renovation, some from the session about digital impact on library spaces and some from my panel on reference in the digital age. I also really want us to start a Girls Who Code club, though I know there will be challenges. Attending a session on mindfulness was a surprise even to me, but the title of the session contained the word "focus" somewhere which is something I'm desperate to do. I learned a lot and will be implementing it right away! I really, really doubt I will start editing Wikipedia articles, but I think it's a lot of fun to think about.
All in all it was a really good conference. Not one session was a dud!
I went to sessions about various topics: mindfulness, desk-less reference, Girls Who Code, Wikipedia, digital impact on library spaces, and my panel on Reference in the Digital Age. Rather than summarize each of them, I'm just going to list some of my take-aways.
- Our minds wander 46.9% of the time (yay, it's not just me!)
- Learned basic mindfulness practice
- Just a few minutes a day of this for two weeks should result in improved mood and memory
- I should read 10% Happier by Dan Harris
- R. David Lankes is a guy to follow because people were quoting him all over the place
- All library staff should know: how to download content, issue new library cards, fix copier jams, checkout and renewal, and what's happening in the library that day
- Reduce service points to the smallest desks possible
- The Millis Public Library now only has one loan rule: everything goes out for two weeks, fines .10/day, and patrons love the simplicity
- Get every space in the library to work in 2-3 different ways depending on how it's used at different times of the day (flexible physical spaces were mentioned repeatedly)
- In 1984, 37% of computer science graduates were female; today it's 18%
- Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani has a TED talk that I should watch soon.
- 50-90% of physicians and 94% of medical students use Wikipedia
- Librarians should love Wikipedia because it's a discovery tool. You get lost in it, but you learn so much!
- The majority of Wikipedia editors are white, male, and under 40
- Got lots of info about editing Wikipedia articles, some guidelines and where to start
Ok, that's a hodgepodge of information! As usual, I came away wanting to do all of the things, but past experience tells me that is unlikely. I heard so many great ideas about library spaces and service that I think will be helpful as we start planning our library renovation, some from the session about digital impact on library spaces and some from my panel on reference in the digital age. I also really want us to start a Girls Who Code club, though I know there will be challenges. Attending a session on mindfulness was a surprise even to me, but the title of the session contained the word "focus" somewhere which is something I'm desperate to do. I learned a lot and will be implementing it right away! I really, really doubt I will start editing Wikipedia articles, but I think it's a lot of fun to think about.
All in all it was a really good conference. Not one session was a dud!
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
NELA 2014
Hey! It's time for my annual summary of the New England Library Association Conference. Here are the sessions that I attended this year.
Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom
This was sort of what it sounded like. The presenter began by telling us that YouTube has been blocked in Pakistan for two years and showed a video of Pakistanis hugging a YouTube mascot and begging it to come back. She talked about the assumption that technology makes everything more democratic and open, and the reality that democracy is eroded by surveillance. This was an interesting topic and she was a good speaker, but the session began at 8:30 and I'm afraid I wasn't quite awake enough to appreciate it as I should have.
Mixing It up for Millennials: Programming for 20- and 30-Somethings
Representatives from three different libraries shared stories of successful programs for younger adults. The Nashua, NH public library hosted A Night Out for 20-somethings, an after-hours event in which lots of vendors and organizations set up tables and the library made their space atmospheric with dim lighting and a piano player. The vendors included visual arts groups, music schools, a fabric/yarn store, a church singles group, and a sports shop. The library had a booth with information about downloading ebooks, a chocolate tasting, and Cards Against Humanity. It sounded like a great event that would be especially helpful to new post-college folks moving into the area.
The Haverhill, MA public library shared several programs they organized, but the most interesting is their Get Lit book group, which takes place at a local bar. It's pretty well known so I had heard about it before and it was great to learn more about it. They use social media pretty heavily and have had a lot of success reaching out to authors on Twitter, and even have lots of Get Lit swag. Libraries tend to shy away from alcohol-related events, which I kind of think is a shame. There's an assumption that any booze will lead to extreme drunkenness and problems, but this is not the case with this group.
Finally, a librarian from the public library in Peabody, MA told us about a whole wealth of programs they put on. Many were instructional, like beer brewing, coffee roasting, and meditation, but they also have a film discussion group and several book groups. They rely a lot on the talents of their staff who can teach lots of interesting skills, but they also do a lot of grant-writing. Interestingly, they have an adult programming advisory board, which I think is a fantastic idea. Most libraries have advisory groups for teen programming, so why not for adults as well?
NERTCL Luncheon with Peter H. Reynolds
This luncheon was sponsored by the section focused on children and teens, so it was no surprise that I was unfamiliar with this author and illustrator of picture books. But now I will be checking out some of his books for sure. He shared one call The Dot, in which a kid is convinced that she can't draw, but when pressed she makes a dot, and then decides she can make a nicer dot, and so on until she feels confidently artistic. It's pretty great! He was also just a funny, dynamic speaker. (I can't say much positive about the food, unfortunately.)
Reconnect with Readers' Advisory through LibraryReads
My library supports LibraryReads, in that one person in my department has been maintaing a LibraryReads display, so I thought it was high time I figured out what this was all about. Also, I know (and admire) one of the presenters and was especially interested to hear her speak. LibraryReads publicizes a list of ten new books every month that librarians are excited about. In this session, we learned how to get involved by requesting advance copies, nominating titles we love, and writing blurbs. They also talked about how LibraryReads benefits us when we participate, which was what I really needed to hear. I already had an Edelweiss account but have never ever requested a book through it, so I'm very happy to now be reinspired to use it.
Stand Up & Shout: The Youngish Leader on Changing Direction
A lot has changed in library leadership recently, and the path from newly-minted librarian to director can be short and swift. Two young library leaders shared their experiences and provided valuable advice about taking on a leadership role when you feel unprepared for it. I'm not necessarily interested in being a library director (nor am I especially young anymore) but again, I knew one of the presenters and was especially interested in what he had to say. My biggest takeaway from this session is that you are never ready for a director job until you are in it - no other library job is like it, so there's just no way to prepare other than just to do it. The presenters do advise to use experiences like committee work to help build skills, and to "fake it 'til you make it." The two guys presenting met during leadership training and make a great team. They were funny and inspiring and full of good advice. I don't think I'll be applying for any director jobs soon - I really like my job - but it doesn't seem so impossibly out of the question anymore.
This year I attended NELA for just one day, which I don't like as much as staying for the whole thing. I had to get up super-early, and didn't have the benefit of a nearby hotel room for emergency cat naps. And of course I missed out on all the after-hours fun. But I learned a lot, got inspired, and met up with some librarians who I really like a lot but rarely get to see.
It was a little bittersweet, because my library director recently announced that he's moving out-of-state. He's very involved in the profession and well-known around here, so of course everyone I talked to at the conference asked me about his departure and the open position. There are very many open library director positions right now, so I've been a bit worried about our ability to fill it well. Although I'm still sad that he's leaving, it was very heartening to hear that our library is such a desirable place to work and there seems to be a lot of interest in that job. Hopefully that means we'll get another great director!
Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom
This was sort of what it sounded like. The presenter began by telling us that YouTube has been blocked in Pakistan for two years and showed a video of Pakistanis hugging a YouTube mascot and begging it to come back. She talked about the assumption that technology makes everything more democratic and open, and the reality that democracy is eroded by surveillance. This was an interesting topic and she was a good speaker, but the session began at 8:30 and I'm afraid I wasn't quite awake enough to appreciate it as I should have.
Mixing It up for Millennials: Programming for 20- and 30-Somethings
Representatives from three different libraries shared stories of successful programs for younger adults. The Nashua, NH public library hosted A Night Out for 20-somethings, an after-hours event in which lots of vendors and organizations set up tables and the library made their space atmospheric with dim lighting and a piano player. The vendors included visual arts groups, music schools, a fabric/yarn store, a church singles group, and a sports shop. The library had a booth with information about downloading ebooks, a chocolate tasting, and Cards Against Humanity. It sounded like a great event that would be especially helpful to new post-college folks moving into the area.
The Haverhill, MA public library shared several programs they organized, but the most interesting is their Get Lit book group, which takes place at a local bar. It's pretty well known so I had heard about it before and it was great to learn more about it. They use social media pretty heavily and have had a lot of success reaching out to authors on Twitter, and even have lots of Get Lit swag. Libraries tend to shy away from alcohol-related events, which I kind of think is a shame. There's an assumption that any booze will lead to extreme drunkenness and problems, but this is not the case with this group.
Finally, a librarian from the public library in Peabody, MA told us about a whole wealth of programs they put on. Many were instructional, like beer brewing, coffee roasting, and meditation, but they also have a film discussion group and several book groups. They rely a lot on the talents of their staff who can teach lots of interesting skills, but they also do a lot of grant-writing. Interestingly, they have an adult programming advisory board, which I think is a fantastic idea. Most libraries have advisory groups for teen programming, so why not for adults as well?
NERTCL Luncheon with Peter H. Reynolds
This luncheon was sponsored by the section focused on children and teens, so it was no surprise that I was unfamiliar with this author and illustrator of picture books. But now I will be checking out some of his books for sure. He shared one call The Dot, in which a kid is convinced that she can't draw, but when pressed she makes a dot, and then decides she can make a nicer dot, and so on until she feels confidently artistic. It's pretty great! He was also just a funny, dynamic speaker. (I can't say much positive about the food, unfortunately.)
Reconnect with Readers' Advisory through LibraryReads
My library supports LibraryReads, in that one person in my department has been maintaing a LibraryReads display, so I thought it was high time I figured out what this was all about. Also, I know (and admire) one of the presenters and was especially interested to hear her speak. LibraryReads publicizes a list of ten new books every month that librarians are excited about. In this session, we learned how to get involved by requesting advance copies, nominating titles we love, and writing blurbs. They also talked about how LibraryReads benefits us when we participate, which was what I really needed to hear. I already had an Edelweiss account but have never ever requested a book through it, so I'm very happy to now be reinspired to use it.
Stand Up & Shout: The Youngish Leader on Changing Direction
A lot has changed in library leadership recently, and the path from newly-minted librarian to director can be short and swift. Two young library leaders shared their experiences and provided valuable advice about taking on a leadership role when you feel unprepared for it. I'm not necessarily interested in being a library director (nor am I especially young anymore) but again, I knew one of the presenters and was especially interested in what he had to say. My biggest takeaway from this session is that you are never ready for a director job until you are in it - no other library job is like it, so there's just no way to prepare other than just to do it. The presenters do advise to use experiences like committee work to help build skills, and to "fake it 'til you make it." The two guys presenting met during leadership training and make a great team. They were funny and inspiring and full of good advice. I don't think I'll be applying for any director jobs soon - I really like my job - but it doesn't seem so impossibly out of the question anymore.
This year I attended NELA for just one day, which I don't like as much as staying for the whole thing. I had to get up super-early, and didn't have the benefit of a nearby hotel room for emergency cat naps. And of course I missed out on all the after-hours fun. But I learned a lot, got inspired, and met up with some librarians who I really like a lot but rarely get to see.
It was a little bittersweet, because my library director recently announced that he's moving out-of-state. He's very involved in the profession and well-known around here, so of course everyone I talked to at the conference asked me about his departure and the open position. There are very many open library director positions right now, so I've been a bit worried about our ability to fill it well. Although I'm still sad that he's leaving, it was very heartening to hear that our library is such a desirable place to work and there seems to be a lot of interest in that job. Hopefully that means we'll get another great director!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
NELA 2013
Whoops - thought I posted this days ago and here it is sitting in my drafts. Well, better late than never!
Hello! The reading - and reviewing - is going pretty slowly, partly because I was just at the New England Library Association conference for a few days, where I presented about my Not-So-Young Adult book group. It was held in Portland, ME, one of my very favorite places. For those interested in librarianish things, here's my rundown of the conference.
Sunday
Extending the Harwood Practice to Libraries
The Harwood Practice was introduced in the keynote speech by Richard C. Harwood. I missed the keynote, but thought I'd get at least the basics at this session on how to apply his ideas. Unfortunately, it was mostly Q&A about the keynote so I felt like I walked in to the middle of a conversation. It's an interesting conversation though, because Harwood's aim is to end divisiveness and acrimony in favor of focusing on shared goals for the community.
Working with Trustees and Friends
I almost didn't attend this session because I felt it would be more relevant to library directors, but it turned out to be quite interesting. Panelists included a library director, a long-time trustee, and the MA Board of Library Commissioners' liaison for Trustees and Friends (who also happens to be a friend of mine.) All panelists were good speakers with interesting things to say about the sometimes complicated relationships between all these parties.
Annual Banquet
I always attend the Sunday night banquet at NELA, even if I don't know the featured author. This year the featured author is retired Maine game warden John Ford, author of Suddenly the Cider Didn't Taste So Good, and This Cider Still Tastes Funny. His books are stories about his experiences as a game warden, and this guy is really funny! I grew up in Maine and he reminded me of so many other older Maine guys who tell crazy (and likely embellished) stories that tend to revolve around things like hunting and fishing. He was a very good speaker and kept everyone laughing. The food was unusually good for a conference too.
Monday
BYOD: Supporting Patrons' Devices in the Library
Two presenters discussed the ways in which they provide information and support for patrons having trouble using various devices, especially trying to download ebooks from the library. A third presenter talked about using old computers as dedicated catalog stations, which was a little technical for me and didn't quite fit in with the other subject matter. In general, it was a pretty good session though I kind of wish I had instead attended Library Trends: Pew Research which was apparently fantastic.
Not Your Average Book Group
Really great, fantastic session! Ok, I was a presenter so maybe I'm biased. I spoke about my Not-So-Young Adult book group, where adults gather to talk about YA books. Another presenter has one about cookbooks and she demonstrates a few recipes from each one, which sounds like a TON of work but she has amazing attendance so I'm sure it's worth it (plus she likes to cook.) The third presenter talked about her adult summer reading program, which is a great thing to remind people about - every library does summer reading for kids, and usually for teens, but not necessarily for adults. And we deserve fun prizes too. Finally, our fourth presenter discussed his nonfiction book group, which is totally something we should have at my library but I think we all have a full course load already. But I'm always surprised how often book group members request nonfiction. It was a fun and popular session and people seemed to really like it.
Community Makerspaces: How Libraries Can Help
Clint Crosbie from the Port City Makerspace in Portsmouth, NH discussed what makerspaces are, how their goals are similar to that of libraries (sharing, community) and how libraries can integrate these ideas even if you don't have a permanent space of budget. Holding classes and workshops, mini maker faires, or even having small semi-permanent spaces like one library that has an area for 3d printing. He gave a special shoutout to my local neighborhood makerspace, Artisan's Asylum, which he said is the best out there and exactly what other makerspaces strive to be. Yay, Somerville!
How to Make Those Challenging Relationships Work Better and Easier
I'm always a sucker for this kind of thing. Presenter David Lee talked about how to bring your best self to conversations and help others bring their best selves. He stressed that we have no control over others, but can control our own attitude and reaction to situations. A lot of what he talked about wasn't new to me (in fact, some of it is coming up in The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, which I'm reading right now) but it's exactly the sort of thing I need to be reminded about. Lots of great ideas and tips that I'm trying to keep in mind every day. Hopefully they'll stay in my head, because this is useful stuff.
Outreach to Queer Communities: Successes and Challenges
I'm not the only one at my library with a cool book group - one of my coworkers runs Queer Book Group (QBG) and she spoke about it in this session. This is a fairly new book group but she's been thinking about it for a while. She shared some very sad stories about teen suicides in our library's town (not necessarily of LGBT kids) and talked about making people feel like they have a safe space. She's a very good speaker - both conversational and dynamic. Another presenter spoke about the Vermont Queer Archives, and the third, the president of the Vermont Library Association, talked about Que(e)ry Party. They all had interesting stories and great points about the importance of outreach to the LGBT community.
Tuesday
Trends in E-Books
I was especially interested in this because there's a statewide ebook project in Massachusetts that aims to empower libraries through a new model of ebook lending. The goal is for us to be able to purchase content (right now we are basically leasing it) and have more control over the platforms and user experience. My library is going to be a pilot in this project, which was one of the subjects of this panel. We also heard about a library system that uses the 3M Cloud Library and has had a good experience. A third panelist talked about ebook accessibility for vision-impaired patrons. It was interesting, but obvious that we still have a long way to go before ebook lending is more streamlined and easy for patrons to use.
Urban Library Success Stories: Engaging Your Community in Positive Change
Panelists from three different urban libraries spoke about their success stories. Two were from my old library in Somerville, MA, which just built an awesome new teen room, and I was mostly there to hear them. They were really good, speaking in a conversational way and showing a couple of photos of the teens and their space. There were also people from the Portland, ME and Springfield, MA library talking about their projects, but honestly they were very PowerPoint-heavy and I find that sort of presentation difficult to focus on. But I was happy to hear positive stories from the Somerville Public Library. Even though I don't work there anymore, I still live in Somerville and want the library to do well.
Those are all the sessions I attended, but of course I also got to catch up with other librarians, some of whom I only see at these conferences. I also won a raffle sponsored by the Maine Library Association (co-sponsors of the conference). My prize was an L.L. Bean backpack full of really great hiking and camping supplies like a guide to Maine trails, L.L. Bean socks, a first aid kit, emergency blanket, water bottle, water purification tablets, knife, compass, protein bars and a ton more. Of course, I also came back with lots of inspiration and a ton of ideas!
For now though, I'm exhausted. I need to get some rest and catch up on my reading.
Hello! The reading - and reviewing - is going pretty slowly, partly because I was just at the New England Library Association conference for a few days, where I presented about my Not-So-Young Adult book group. It was held in Portland, ME, one of my very favorite places. For those interested in librarianish things, here's my rundown of the conference.
Sunday
Extending the Harwood Practice to Libraries
The Harwood Practice was introduced in the keynote speech by Richard C. Harwood. I missed the keynote, but thought I'd get at least the basics at this session on how to apply his ideas. Unfortunately, it was mostly Q&A about the keynote so I felt like I walked in to the middle of a conversation. It's an interesting conversation though, because Harwood's aim is to end divisiveness and acrimony in favor of focusing on shared goals for the community.
Working with Trustees and Friends
I almost didn't attend this session because I felt it would be more relevant to library directors, but it turned out to be quite interesting. Panelists included a library director, a long-time trustee, and the MA Board of Library Commissioners' liaison for Trustees and Friends (who also happens to be a friend of mine.) All panelists were good speakers with interesting things to say about the sometimes complicated relationships between all these parties.
Annual Banquet
I always attend the Sunday night banquet at NELA, even if I don't know the featured author. This year the featured author is retired Maine game warden John Ford, author of Suddenly the Cider Didn't Taste So Good, and This Cider Still Tastes Funny. His books are stories about his experiences as a game warden, and this guy is really funny! I grew up in Maine and he reminded me of so many other older Maine guys who tell crazy (and likely embellished) stories that tend to revolve around things like hunting and fishing. He was a very good speaker and kept everyone laughing. The food was unusually good for a conference too.
Monday
BYOD: Supporting Patrons' Devices in the Library
Two presenters discussed the ways in which they provide information and support for patrons having trouble using various devices, especially trying to download ebooks from the library. A third presenter talked about using old computers as dedicated catalog stations, which was a little technical for me and didn't quite fit in with the other subject matter. In general, it was a pretty good session though I kind of wish I had instead attended Library Trends: Pew Research which was apparently fantastic.
Not Your Average Book Group
Really great, fantastic session! Ok, I was a presenter so maybe I'm biased. I spoke about my Not-So-Young Adult book group, where adults gather to talk about YA books. Another presenter has one about cookbooks and she demonstrates a few recipes from each one, which sounds like a TON of work but she has amazing attendance so I'm sure it's worth it (plus she likes to cook.) The third presenter talked about her adult summer reading program, which is a great thing to remind people about - every library does summer reading for kids, and usually for teens, but not necessarily for adults. And we deserve fun prizes too. Finally, our fourth presenter discussed his nonfiction book group, which is totally something we should have at my library but I think we all have a full course load already. But I'm always surprised how often book group members request nonfiction. It was a fun and popular session and people seemed to really like it.
Community Makerspaces: How Libraries Can Help
Clint Crosbie from the Port City Makerspace in Portsmouth, NH discussed what makerspaces are, how their goals are similar to that of libraries (sharing, community) and how libraries can integrate these ideas even if you don't have a permanent space of budget. Holding classes and workshops, mini maker faires, or even having small semi-permanent spaces like one library that has an area for 3d printing. He gave a special shoutout to my local neighborhood makerspace, Artisan's Asylum, which he said is the best out there and exactly what other makerspaces strive to be. Yay, Somerville!
How to Make Those Challenging Relationships Work Better and Easier
I'm always a sucker for this kind of thing. Presenter David Lee talked about how to bring your best self to conversations and help others bring their best selves. He stressed that we have no control over others, but can control our own attitude and reaction to situations. A lot of what he talked about wasn't new to me (in fact, some of it is coming up in The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, which I'm reading right now) but it's exactly the sort of thing I need to be reminded about. Lots of great ideas and tips that I'm trying to keep in mind every day. Hopefully they'll stay in my head, because this is useful stuff.
Outreach to Queer Communities: Successes and Challenges
I'm not the only one at my library with a cool book group - one of my coworkers runs Queer Book Group (QBG) and she spoke about it in this session. This is a fairly new book group but she's been thinking about it for a while. She shared some very sad stories about teen suicides in our library's town (not necessarily of LGBT kids) and talked about making people feel like they have a safe space. She's a very good speaker - both conversational and dynamic. Another presenter spoke about the Vermont Queer Archives, and the third, the president of the Vermont Library Association, talked about Que(e)ry Party. They all had interesting stories and great points about the importance of outreach to the LGBT community.
Tuesday
Trends in E-Books
I was especially interested in this because there's a statewide ebook project in Massachusetts that aims to empower libraries through a new model of ebook lending. The goal is for us to be able to purchase content (right now we are basically leasing it) and have more control over the platforms and user experience. My library is going to be a pilot in this project, which was one of the subjects of this panel. We also heard about a library system that uses the 3M Cloud Library and has had a good experience. A third panelist talked about ebook accessibility for vision-impaired patrons. It was interesting, but obvious that we still have a long way to go before ebook lending is more streamlined and easy for patrons to use.
Urban Library Success Stories: Engaging Your Community in Positive Change
Panelists from three different urban libraries spoke about their success stories. Two were from my old library in Somerville, MA, which just built an awesome new teen room, and I was mostly there to hear them. They were really good, speaking in a conversational way and showing a couple of photos of the teens and their space. There were also people from the Portland, ME and Springfield, MA library talking about their projects, but honestly they were very PowerPoint-heavy and I find that sort of presentation difficult to focus on. But I was happy to hear positive stories from the Somerville Public Library. Even though I don't work there anymore, I still live in Somerville and want the library to do well.
Those are all the sessions I attended, but of course I also got to catch up with other librarians, some of whom I only see at these conferences. I also won a raffle sponsored by the Maine Library Association (co-sponsors of the conference). My prize was an L.L. Bean backpack full of really great hiking and camping supplies like a guide to Maine trails, L.L. Bean socks, a first aid kit, emergency blanket, water bottle, water purification tablets, knife, compass, protein bars and a ton more. Of course, I also came back with lots of inspiration and a ton of ideas!
For now though, I'm exhausted. I need to get some rest and catch up on my reading.
Monday, October 26, 2009
NELA Conference
I’ve posted very little library content lately, mostly because I don’t have a job and there is so much bad news for libraries recently that everything I can think of is either sad or uninteresting. But I have actual interesting and positive things to report this week. Hooray!
Last week I attended New England Library Association Conference – I’ve gone a number of times, and it has always been inspiring, motivating, interesting, and fun. Though there were considerably fewer people in attendence this year, there were still some great programs to choose from.
It’s always difficult to decide which sessions to attend, and more so right now when I’m unemployed. Everything seems equally relevant and irrelevant. But here are some of the highlights:
- Two good customer service sessions. The first one was about the FISH! Philosophy, as employed by Seattle’s Pike Place Fish Market. The second was Reinventing the Customer-Centered Library. Both were very inspiring and served as reminders of things I have learned about in past workshops; but customer service always bears repeating.
- Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book, presented by Anita Silvey, from whom I took a class in library school. She talked about a book she wrote about women in the Civil War, which sounds fascinating, and also about her latest book in which various leaders in politics, business, in other areas wrote about the children’s book that changed their lives. I’m inspired to re-read the Little House books now, as soon as I can get to the library.
- Creating a Local History. I almost didn’t go to this one because the combination of 8:30am and the words “local history” do tend to make my eyes glaze over. But then I realized that it was about some librarians who wrote and published a local history of Nashua, NH. Writing and publishing are very interesting, and I really enjoyed this session.
- Author Elinor Lipman talked about her writing process and how her novels take shape. I always enjoy hearing authors talk about their work and I’m rather fascinated by how books get from ideas to actual printed matter with pretty covers. I haven’t read any of her books, but I want to after hearing her talk about them!
Of course there was lots more packed into those 3 days. Among other things, I got to meet a fellow Raveler (I love when worlds collide!), reconnected with some former co-workers, and ate at a fantastic Mexican restaurant in Hartford called Agave (not to be confused with the fantastic Mexican restaurant in Newburyport, MA also called Agave.) And by the way, the conference food was MUCH better this year than last year!
Last week I attended New England Library Association Conference – I’ve gone a number of times, and it has always been inspiring, motivating, interesting, and fun. Though there were considerably fewer people in attendence this year, there were still some great programs to choose from.
It’s always difficult to decide which sessions to attend, and more so right now when I’m unemployed. Everything seems equally relevant and irrelevant. But here are some of the highlights:
- Two good customer service sessions. The first one was about the FISH! Philosophy, as employed by Seattle’s Pike Place Fish Market. The second was Reinventing the Customer-Centered Library. Both were very inspiring and served as reminders of things I have learned about in past workshops; but customer service always bears repeating.
- Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book, presented by Anita Silvey, from whom I took a class in library school. She talked about a book she wrote about women in the Civil War, which sounds fascinating, and also about her latest book in which various leaders in politics, business, in other areas wrote about the children’s book that changed their lives. I’m inspired to re-read the Little House books now, as soon as I can get to the library.
- Creating a Local History. I almost didn’t go to this one because the combination of 8:30am and the words “local history” do tend to make my eyes glaze over. But then I realized that it was about some librarians who wrote and published a local history of Nashua, NH. Writing and publishing are very interesting, and I really enjoyed this session.
- Author Elinor Lipman talked about her writing process and how her novels take shape. I always enjoy hearing authors talk about their work and I’m rather fascinated by how books get from ideas to actual printed matter with pretty covers. I haven’t read any of her books, but I want to after hearing her talk about them!
Of course there was lots more packed into those 3 days. Among other things, I got to meet a fellow Raveler (I love when worlds collide!), reconnected with some former co-workers, and ate at a fantastic Mexican restaurant in Hartford called Agave (not to be confused with the fantastic Mexican restaurant in Newburyport, MA also called Agave.) And by the way, the conference food was MUCH better this year than last year!
Friday, May 8, 2009
MLA Day
I attended one day of the Massachusetts Library Association Conference, my first time at this particular conference. The three sessions I attended were, I'm happy to report, all informative and helpful.
Booktalking 10 Ways: How to Use books to Enliven and Extend the Library Program
Although I don't do booktalks, I have a strong interest in readers' advisory, so I attended this session hoping to get some ideas. Although the equipment wasn't set up until about 20 minutes into the session (!) the presenter was very good, organized, and creative. She gave us a sampling of booktalks (and I added some things to my "to read" list), and then talked about other ways to promote books through displays, blogging, twitter, wikis, podcasts and all the cool technologies that kids use these days (this was a youth services focused presentation.) I always love getting more ideas about how to promote books. Yay, books! A more detailed summary of her presentation is here.
Manage Up!
This was the best and most useful program I attended. The presenter was lively and dynamic (which helps SO much!) and we dealt with real-life situations. The program was all about how to get people above you to listen to and implement your ideas. She talked about being aware of your boss's situation, pressures, and favorite issues that they are excited about. Then she spoke about being very aware of the ramifications of your idea, and putting it all together to form a strategy of how, where, and when to present your idea. We broke into groups who each had an idea we wanted implemented, and were given slips of paper listing various pieces of information about our boss and we had to come up with a scenario about how we would try to convince them of our idea. Really good exercise! Here is a more detailed write-up of this session.
How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work
The two librarians who presented this workshop met at a leadership symposium, similar to the one I'll be attending in July (which I don't think I've blogged about yet, but will) so I think this may be a taste of things to come. The ideas explored here were about looking at what is behind our complaints and trying to turn it into something positive and constructive. One of the handouts was a Communication Toolbox where we each chose a complaint and then went through a worksheet, breaking it down and looking at what is behind it, testing assumptions, etc. I'm really interested in these types of workshops, but my problems never seem to fit in the little boxes. I stayed after the session and talked to the presenters a bit more and they helped explain things a little further and pointed me to some more resources. Included in their handout was a bibliography of further reading, which I will most likely check out. Notes on this session are here.
Session I wish I had attended: Black Belt Librarians. Attendee Clayton Cheever blogged this session and it's worth reading, so check it out.
I also stuck around to watch the Massachusetts Book Cart Drill Team State Championships, which was a hilarious and enjoyable way to end the day. The event was MC'd by children's author Mo Willams, who is also very hilarious and enjoyable. There were only 3 libraries that entered the competition, but they were each very creative and talented. This event alone was worth the price of admission!
Booktalking 10 Ways: How to Use books to Enliven and Extend the Library Program
Although I don't do booktalks, I have a strong interest in readers' advisory, so I attended this session hoping to get some ideas. Although the equipment wasn't set up until about 20 minutes into the session (!) the presenter was very good, organized, and creative. She gave us a sampling of booktalks (and I added some things to my "to read" list), and then talked about other ways to promote books through displays, blogging, twitter, wikis, podcasts and all the cool technologies that kids use these days (this was a youth services focused presentation.) I always love getting more ideas about how to promote books. Yay, books! A more detailed summary of her presentation is here.
Manage Up!
This was the best and most useful program I attended. The presenter was lively and dynamic (which helps SO much!) and we dealt with real-life situations. The program was all about how to get people above you to listen to and implement your ideas. She talked about being aware of your boss's situation, pressures, and favorite issues that they are excited about. Then she spoke about being very aware of the ramifications of your idea, and putting it all together to form a strategy of how, where, and when to present your idea. We broke into groups who each had an idea we wanted implemented, and were given slips of paper listing various pieces of information about our boss and we had to come up with a scenario about how we would try to convince them of our idea. Really good exercise! Here is a more detailed write-up of this session.
How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work
The two librarians who presented this workshop met at a leadership symposium, similar to the one I'll be attending in July (which I don't think I've blogged about yet, but will) so I think this may be a taste of things to come. The ideas explored here were about looking at what is behind our complaints and trying to turn it into something positive and constructive. One of the handouts was a Communication Toolbox where we each chose a complaint and then went through a worksheet, breaking it down and looking at what is behind it, testing assumptions, etc. I'm really interested in these types of workshops, but my problems never seem to fit in the little boxes. I stayed after the session and talked to the presenters a bit more and they helped explain things a little further and pointed me to some more resources. Included in their handout was a bibliography of further reading, which I will most likely check out. Notes on this session are here.
Session I wish I had attended: Black Belt Librarians. Attendee Clayton Cheever blogged this session and it's worth reading, so check it out.
I also stuck around to watch the Massachusetts Book Cart Drill Team State Championships, which was a hilarious and enjoyable way to end the day. The event was MC'd by children's author Mo Willams, who is also very hilarious and enjoyable. There were only 3 libraries that entered the competition, but they were each very creative and talented. This event alone was worth the price of admission!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
NELA Conference
I've just returned from the NELA (New England Library Association) Conference in Manchester, NH. This was my first conference in a few years and I'm so glad I went! I did things the right way this time; first by splitting a room with two other librarians which equals cheapness, and also by not even trying to pretend I was going to attend sessions relevant to my job or that would help me in my career.
Perhaps it seems like that defeats the purpose of attending a conference, but it doesn't. The fact is that I work in reference, which is boring, and conference programs relating to reference are boring. Also, it's stuff that I could learn elsewhere. So I just passed by all those workshops on genealogy research and government documents and attended the sessions that looked interesting to me.
Here are the highlights:
- Storytelling workshop with Motoko and Eshu. I could have listened to them tell stories for hours!
- Dinner banquet with speaker Simon Winchester. He is a fantastic author and interesting speaker.
- "The Internet is Not Flat" with Ethan Zuckerman of Global Voices. He is everything I could want in a presenter - dynamic speaker, multimedia presentation, interesting topic, and plenty of humor
- The Life and Times of Beatrix Potter. Why aren't there more sessions about authors? She had a fascinating life and wrote some of the best-loved books of all time!
- Hot Teen Titles: Sexuality and Teen Fiction. Librarians generally aren't great speakers, but Amy Pattee is funny and animated and did a great job!
- Drop-in Demo: Games and Gaming. I learned how to play Guitar Hero. I have no illusions that this will help me in my job, but it was fun! Apparently, I rock.
- Several of us had dinner with children's author Jarrett Krosoczka who is super nice and totally rocks his argyle sweaters. He has a graphic novel coming out soon, which I am rather excited about.
It was an exhausting three days, but I learned a lot and got to hang out with many fun and interesting librarians. I need to do this on a regular basis to remind myself why I got into this profession!
Perhaps it seems like that defeats the purpose of attending a conference, but it doesn't. The fact is that I work in reference, which is boring, and conference programs relating to reference are boring. Also, it's stuff that I could learn elsewhere. So I just passed by all those workshops on genealogy research and government documents and attended the sessions that looked interesting to me.
Here are the highlights:
- Storytelling workshop with Motoko and Eshu. I could have listened to them tell stories for hours!
- Dinner banquet with speaker Simon Winchester. He is a fantastic author and interesting speaker.
- "The Internet is Not Flat" with Ethan Zuckerman of Global Voices. He is everything I could want in a presenter - dynamic speaker, multimedia presentation, interesting topic, and plenty of humor
- The Life and Times of Beatrix Potter. Why aren't there more sessions about authors? She had a fascinating life and wrote some of the best-loved books of all time!
- Hot Teen Titles: Sexuality and Teen Fiction. Librarians generally aren't great speakers, but Amy Pattee is funny and animated and did a great job!
- Drop-in Demo: Games and Gaming. I learned how to play Guitar Hero. I have no illusions that this will help me in my job, but it was fun! Apparently, I rock.
- Several of us had dinner with children's author Jarrett Krosoczka who is super nice and totally rocks his argyle sweaters. He has a graphic novel coming out soon, which I am rather excited about.
It was an exhausting three days, but I learned a lot and got to hang out with many fun and interesting librarians. I need to do this on a regular basis to remind myself why I got into this profession!
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