Tag Archives: One Big Library

Staying current: a survey response

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Ann Ercelawn, a dear friend and co-moderator of the SERIALST discussion list, posted a survey on that list yesterday that asked for responses to a series of questions relating to how we keep current within the LIS field. Below is the response I sent her. It’s not as detailed or complete as it should be but I was in a hurry ;-)

1) What are the websites that you find most useful?

I find that I rarely go to a library-related website anymore, instead relying on RSS feeds. And if a library-related website doesn’t offer an RSS feed, I am highly unlikely to refer to it much again.

2) What listservs do you find indispensable?

Here, too, I am finding myself really paring down my participation in listservs. I’m still subscribed to SERIALST and I also pay attention to SFX-DISCUSS-L, LIB-STATS, LIS-E-JOURNALS, and ERIL-L. That’s about it, though.

3) What are the most important formal publications (in print or online) that you read on a regular basis?

Serials Review, LCATS, D-LIB, Library Journal. Increasingly, though, I am not reading formal publications as much, instead, as in the case of websites and listservs, relying on blogs, wikis, and RSS feeds to obtain the information about what’s going on in my areas of interest. I am much more selective about what parts of formal publications I read.

4) What are the top 5-8 blogs that you read?

Walt at Random, Thingology (LibraryThing’s ideas blog), Roy Tennant’s Digital Libraries, Peter Scott’s Library Blog, One Big Library, Lorcan Dempsey’s Weblog, LISNews.org, Information Wants to Be Free, Hectic Pace.

5) Are there podcasts that you listen to on a regular basis?

Not really, but ones I have listened to and/or recommend include Library Geeks by Dan Chudnov, and the podcasts output as part of the SirsiDynix Institute.

6) What other resources do you consult or recommend?

I am a huge fan of RSS because it saves me so much time and money. Use a free RSS reader like Google Reader or Bloglines and begin collecting library-related feeds. You won’t be sorry.

Attending NASIG

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Soon I will be among friends at the 22nd annual NASIG conference held this year in Louisville, Kentucky. Mark Lindner will be along for the ride as well, which is great. The theme of this year’s conference is “Place Your Bet in Kentucky: The Serials Gamble.”

I will be joining several others in a panel presentation focusing on alternative careers in librarianship to be held on Saturday afternoon. The abstract for our presentation is “Regeneration,” “diversification” and “redesign” are buzzwords tossed around constantly in today’s job market. Those with M.L.S. degrees are facing a sea change of options in their career paths. While these new opportunities can be exhilarating and exciting, they can be somewhat daunting as well. This panel of librarians will discuss the unique twists and turns of their very divergent careers and offer suggestions on how to market your M.L.S. degree for nontraditional jobs. We anticipate and encourage a high level of discussion between the panel and the audience.

Bloggers whom I anticipate will be there — that is, aside from Mark (Off the Mark) and myself — include Karen Schneider (Free Range Librarian), Anna Creech (Eclectic Librarian), Dan Chudnov (One Big Library), Diane Hillmann (contributor to LITAblog), and maybe others I don’t know about yet.

I may or may not be blogging about NASIG experiences and sessions during the next several days. Stay tuned.

Excellent advice from Dan Chudnov

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Dan Chudnov is someone whom I really admire and respect, whose enthusiasm and inventiveness for all things library techie-related is infectious. This morning he posted a long piece on his blog (One Big Library) giving advice to others about coping with frustration, disappointment, and burn-out over acceptance, or lack thereof, of new technologies in libraries. I don’t think I’ve read anything more pertinent and worthwhile on this topic than what Dan has written here.