A variety of libraries

If you found Dr. Byerly’s description of the Library of Congress intriguing, you can read more about the amazing institution in a new book out about the Library of Congress which is a compilation of articles. Mary Niles Maack, editor, The Library of Congress and the Center for the Book: Historical Essays in Honor of John Y. Cole (Washington, D.C. and Austin: Library of Congress and University of Texas Press, 2011). The articles were originally published in a special issue of Libraries & Culture 45 no. 1 (Spring 2010) and are well worth the time to explore.  Or you can read Jefferson’s Legacy: A Brief History of the Library of Congress  http://www.loc.gov/loc/legacy/If you want more suggestions about books about libraries, you can explore my website on the history of libraries http://www.mbkcons.com/Courses/HistoryLibraries/HistoryLibrariesLinks.htm

I think the history of libraries and the development of the many types of libraries is fascinating. Underneath all the differences, the similarities stand out. Libraries serve their publics and patrons, they provide access to information in all its various forms and attributes, and they help disseminate that information to any one who asks. Individuals who seek knowledge and information can not only find it at the library, but also educate themselves. It is up to the user to take advantage of what’s inside the library and what can be accessed through the library. As the 21^st century progresses, we’ll see many more changes in terms of how information is accessed and assessable.

When I was in my public library just this morning, I decided to explore the various types of reference materials on the shelves. There were so many sets of reference volumes, I was overwhelmed.  What impressed me the most was the scope of subjects; from Concordances to Encyclopaedia of Art, from Literary Criticism to bibliographies of authors, and from books about animals to biographical sketches of athletes. It is my hope that the library will continue to collect such wonderful reference resources in print as well as online. Of course, my favorite section is library science, just kidding. I actually made a bee-line for the fiction today and am going to indulge my interest in books about librarians and researchers. There are many such mysteries. Let me know if you want to try some.

Yesterday, I was exploring the State Library of Ohio and all it’s wonderful resources. They serve the employees and residents of Ohio, collecting many diverse subjects. Just a few years ago, they offered 40,000 genealogy books and resources to the public library saying that the State Library wasn’t in the genealogy business. Now few come in person to the library although many call for their specialized resources.  What does the State Library hold? Well, they are the full depository for Federal government documents and state documents. They have almost everything that was printed and distributed through the Federal Library Depository Program (FDLP). Government documents contain the written and now digital accounts of the workings of our government (Congress, President, Supreme Court, Cabinet, Federal Agencies, and more). Government documents libraries and divisions play an important role, keeping the citizens of the United States informed as to the workings of government as stated in the Constitution. If you want to explore what Congress did today, check out http://thomas.loc.gov . When I started out as a librarian, I was fascinated by government documents. I continue to teach about them and the rich resources hidden within. Government documents librarians are a fascinating subset of the profession. If the field interests you, seek out a practicum in one of the ‘special’ collections in university libraries.

A diversity of library types

Week 3 – The PPT podcasts – seem to cover the topic thoroughly. That said, I don’t feel that there’s a real reason for me to review these programs.  What I’d like to address is how the different libraries differ in terms of Mission Statements and Collection Development Policies. These comments are generic. Before I begin this, let me define Mission Statements and Collection Development Policies, the two key documents for any library and every library collection. Any decision you make should be supported by these two policies.

Mission Statements describe the overarching reason the library exists and the audience it serves. This policy is usually very broad and often ideal.

Collection Development Policies define the types of materials collected to serve a variety of users. The institution many have many collection development policies; one for each department or division.

Academic Institutions support the research needs of graduate students, faculty, undergraduates and administrators/ staff and support the curriculum. They collect to support the various departments and programs, and the research needs of their students, faculty, and staff. The collections are broad and deep.

Public libraries serve the community. They acquire materials to support ERI (which we’ve discussed already) to their community. We should not forget that public libraries also support school curricula in the area. They purchase materials to entertain, educate, and inform in a wide variety of formats. They provide training and educate patrons as needed. The collections are usually broad and not deep, unless they are also a research library.

School libraries serve their teachers and students.  They collect materials to support the curriculum, the needs of teachers in the classroom and background materials for teachers. They also collect materials for students, both educational and recreational.

Special libraries (corporate & organizational) serve their organization and their members. They acquire materials about their field. The collections are very narrow and usually very deep. They serve their employees and members.

Special Collections, Archives, Museums, and Historical Societies all have their own missions and collection development policies. They usually collect more narrowly and deeply than academic libraries.

What do I think? There are many types of libraries. They have different flavors and serve diverse user groups. I think they are all exciting places to work in. Some are busy, some slower. The busier libraries are exciting because there is never a dull moment. The slower libraries provide opportunities to get to know your patrons and their individual needs.

 Having worked in all types of libraries as a librarian and as a researcher, they are all interesting and different. I loved working in the public library because it was always busy, always a challenge. At New York Public Library, I was always on the reference desk and always answering questions.  It was quite a challenge. After I worked in a public library, I went to an academic library at the University of South Dakota. Wow, was that a different experience. The reference desk was slower, except at night and before final papers were due. I spent less time on the reference desk but worked closely with faculty. I went into the classroom and taught about our subject specific resources. I had to know about the specialized resources in all the disciplines. It was the first time I worked in an LC library. Before that all libraries I used were Dewey Libraries, except for the research libraries of New York Public Library. At the University of South Dakota, I taught faculty and graduate students about online searching, and ran all their searches myself. Those were the days when librarians and highly trained specialists searched very expensive databases. Eventually, I brought CD-ROM databases to the library to replace microfilm loops. (Ask me sometime and I’ll explain what that resource was). From there, I worked in a special library, at the State Library of Ohio. There I provided very specialized reference as a consultant, serving librarians throughout the state.

In each position, I needed to use my knowledge to help patrons find what they needed.  Listening was so important. If I didn’t listen carefully, I couldn’t determine which resources would help the patron answer their question. I had to know the types of resources in each library, and the types of questions they might ask, or the types of questions the resources could answer. In each case, I had to educate myself and learn all about their reference tools.

When I work as an independent librarian, that is as an researcher for others, I have to know what types of resources in each library or archive so my time is used effectively. It’s always fun to discover a new resource or figure out how a set of records works.

There’s always something to challenge the mind when working in different types of libraries and with different collections. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to libraries and their collections. They change and they evolve, and sometimes there are ‘hidden’ collections, forgotten collections, and highly specialized materials. Outstanding librarians know their collections and their users.

Writing to Learn - Reflective Journals

I want you to think about the journals as an opportunity to learn while you write. What do I mean? Well, if you want to hone your ideas, you need to express the ideas. In the world of librarianship and academia, that means writing about a subject. I use my journals and my blogs as an opportunity to ruminate about a subject and then analyze the subject, and finally to come to some conclusion about the topic that I want to share or explore. That’s what your journals can be for you.

William Zinsser has a great book Writing to Learn which talks about using the writing process to formulate theories and then hone them into usable ideas and debates. Ultimately you will learn “how to write – and think – clearly about any subject at all.”[1]Check out his book and see if the process works for you.  If you want something more fun to follow, Spilling Ink helps you start writing one word at a time.[2]That’s all it takes. The basic idea is that in order to write a polished paper or memo, you have to start with a rough draft. How do you get there? You start with words and ideas, shape them, revise, think, write, repeat. Your journals are an opportunity to do just that; think, write, revise, think, redraft, repeat.

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[1] William Zinsser, Writing to Learn (New York: Harper & Row, 1988).

[2] Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter, Spilling Ink (New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2010).

Technology - new & old

1/19/12

In your reflective journal postings, many of you asked me to talk about my own experiences and provide more personal reactions. You also asked that I talk a little about the themes I saw in those journals.

Remember that I’m working a week ahead of you to prepare my lectures, aka video podcasts, then I’m posting my blog in “real” time. So the previous posts are mostly about week 1.

In week one you were all getting used to the technology, BB LEARN has its own quirks and disadvantages which you are slowly mastering. For many of you, this is your first time in an online class so the technology adds to the learning curve.  So far, so good.

As librarians, we need to be able to work with new and old technology. I treat technology as a tool, which it is. It’s just like learning how a reference tool works. I have to know how to open it, save my place, save information or take notes, and what all the buttons do. For books, it’s what the parts contain and how to access them. Embrace the technology, explore different reference books, read different genre of fiction. To me, it’s all the same.  I read almost every genre, I love to listen to books, e-books are tough because my eyes get tired, but not my ears! If you treat software programs and technological devices just like new reference tools, you’ll find your own comfort levels.  The great thing about technology is that there’s always someone else who knows more than you do.  Oh wait, there’s always a librarian or researcher who knows more also.

Librarianship and Information Science is all about finding information through a variety of access points. Computer programs and computer devices are just access tools to information and entertainment. Try them, experiment with them, and develop a comfort level. Consider the time an opportunity to learn.  Consider it a teaching moment for yourself.

Would you be surprised to find that I don't have many of the electronic / technological devices you have?  Part of me wants to be disconnected from the constant barrage of information. Yet, I seek knowledge all the time.

This is an impromptu blog post. I just finished reading all your reflective journals and I'm overwhelmed. Not only with reading them all (I'm exhausted), but with your ideas. You all have great ideas, great questions, and insight. I cannot wait to see what you think of this week's readings.

Keep using the reflective journal as a sounding board, a place to talk about what you are thinking. Remember you don't have to discuss all the readings. Use the journal as a place to think about the issues that arise and bother you or spur you on to a new way of envisioning librarianship.

I'll post something more coherent tomorrow that responds to your posts and your ideas.

Libraries - where do they fit?

This week focuses on the history of libraries from the ancient Near East to the present, from archives and records centers to today’s amazing libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies. The textbook takes us on a whirlwind tour of the very first libraries and archives to those in the medieval and renaissance periods. It then jumps to the United States and focuses on the mission of libraries. I’m not certain that the two halves of the chapter go together. They do provide an sense of the evolution of libraries and the materials that are housed within.  Since I teach entire courses on the history of the book and on the history of libraries, it’s not fair for me to emphasize one aspect of the chapter over another.

My overall reaction to the readings is that libraries and archives haven’t changed all that much over the millennia. They still collection the knowledge of the world and make it available to those who come looking. Whether we call the institution library, archive, record center, or museum, it’s all about making the information and the resources available to everyone. In the same manner, you as a librarian and information professional should seek knowledge where you can find it, learn a little about everything. The MLIS is just the start of a life of learning, of seeking, and of sharing information and knowledge wherever you can find it. I’ve said before that librarians should know a little about everything. I think this series of readings about the history and overall mission of libraries reflects that drive, to know or collect a little about everything. As we read on semester, we’ll see that different libraries collect at different depths and breadths, but that’s for next week. As a mantra, let your curiosity rule, learn, explore, read, surf, talk, discuss, and share, most of all think and reflect on what you’ve learned and apply it to the next bit of knowledge.

Want to read more about the library at Alexandria and other libraries in the ancient world? There’s a new book about these ancient and medieval collections. Try Stephen Greenblatt The Swerve. The first three or four chapters talk about a library at Herculaneum and also the Alexandrian Library.  There are other, more scholarly books such as Lionel Casson’s Ancient Libraries. Michael Harris wrote a textbook on the history of libraries from which Dr. Rubin cites many examples. These books and many others discuss not only the libraries but how we know about them.

Now I want to take issue with one of the readings, the one by Melvil Dewey.  The citation at the top of the page says the article is from 1989, but it was written in 1876 in the inaugural issue of Library Journal. You should know that Melvil Dewey died in 1931.  He founded the American Library Association in 1876 and “changed librarianship from a vocation to a modern profession.”[1]There’s a nice biographical sketch of him on OCLC’s website http://www.oclc.org/dewey/resources/biography/ . What I think is most interesting about his speech is that it rings true today as it did in 1876. Libraries and museums have similar overall missions.

Merging or converging libraries, archives, and museums. They can connect art, records, and text. A prime example is the website at the University of Pittsburgh Special Collections where they have linked the Audubon Bird plates with the accompanying text “Ornithological Biography” (See the link on the right side of the page) http://digital.library.pitt.edu/a/audubon/ . For the first time, this library connected the images with the extensive text, all in a digital environment. Scientists, biologists, historians, environmentalist, and other researchers can study the two texts together. They were published separately due to British copyright and deposit laws of the early 1800s; a story for another day perhaps.  

This interconnectedness is a perfect example of what the web can do for scholars. It brings disjunct and discrete collections together into one virtual place for study. Just like this class, we are all separated by distance and yet, together in the virtual ‘classroom’.

It is important to consider the evolving nature of libraries, archives, and museums, and historical societies for that matter. Where do they all fit within the world of cultural institutions? How will librarians and information scientists work within these institutions? Most importantly, what future can we create that keeps us relevant for our patrons? I don’t have the answers to these weighty questions. I’m not the person who will change the world of cultural institutions. I’m a person who navigates the sea of information and makes sense of it. That’s my role as a librarian and educator.  What do you see as your role?

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[1] http://www.oclc.org/dewey/resources/biography/

Making Time

I promised myself that the blog would be reactions to the readings and assignments, but I need to talk about time management first. 

There’s a certain convenience to taking a class online. You can do the work at your own pace each week and learn in your own style, sort of.  But taking an online class requires discipline. You must discipline yourself to do the readings, to log in every day and look at discussion posts, and respond to your fellow classmates. Set up a schedule each week and stick to it.  One day to read the materials, one day to post (by Wednesday), one day to respond (by Sunday), time to do the assignments. One assignment requires you to go somewhere and observe, one to talk to a professional, one to read serious, scholarly journal articles, one to look at a website and evaluate it.  All that takes time.  It’s different than going to class, discussing the materials with the professor during the lecture / class period. You have to make the time each week.  If you are taking several online classes, then you really need to schedule them. 

 

How much time should you be spending on the course? The rule of thumb is 3 hours for every credit hour. That means spending 9 hours a week minimum on the course. If you aren’t spending at least 6 hours a week, then you aren’t working at the class.  Going to school is a job. Your job. And it’s your job to focus on the work at hand, the assignments, and interacting with your fellow students. You should work on the class when you are fresh, not at 3am, not at midnight.

Yes, I have to spend more time than that each week on this course. It’s a new one for me, so I have to do all the readings, think about your assignments and what I want to see out of them, read all your postings and then post grades. I have to create a video podcast and talk to you. And I’m blogging. That’s lots of work.  At least 10-15 hours per week.

Believe it or not, I’m teaching three courses this semester, one online, one in person, and one point to point. That’s lots of work, lots of teaching, and lots of time. Put a life and a commute on top of that, and I’m working hard.

Okay, that’s enough about time management.

One more thing. I have office hours. Come see me, or chat with me. Send me e-mail. If you want to meet at a time other than Tuesday 11a-1pm; 4:30-6pm. Let me know. I am around.  I’ll also have office hours in Columbus 4-5 on Wednesday afternoons starting Feb 8. You can see me there.

We are all going to have a great time this semester learning from one another about libraries and information centers.

Now I’m going to take some time to think about my next blog on the history and mission of libraries.