Stuff I’ve been thinking about

Interesting list; Doug Johnson on the attributes today’s “best” librarians should have:

1. A healthy attitude toward technology.
2. Good teaching skills. The author is a school librarian. I think teacher librarians have an advantage over non-teacher librarians, in that they have teacher training. Teaching is something many librarians do everyday, but I don’t think library school prepares us well for this.
3. An understanding of the use of technology in the information literacy process and its use in fostering higher level thinking skills.
4. Experience as skill integrators and collaborators. The author refers to collaboration with classroom teachers. I agree: for academic librarians, working with lecturers and tutors is essential.
5. Been models for the successful use of technology.
6. Provided in-building support. I interpret this to mean that a good librarian can use the technology and work anywhere within the organisation, to deliver the information and support needed.
7. A whole-school view. I think this applies to all librarians whatever sector we are in. Most libraries are not independent; we are dependent on funding from some other organisation (school, city council, university, business). A broad understanding of the organisation in which your library sits is essential. How does the organisation work? What are its goals, the problems it faces?
8. Concerns about the ethical use of technology.

(It annoys me that I can’t remember which blog I first saw this list on.)

InfoSciPhi on why he is a librarian. (First seen on this week’s Carnival of the InfoSciences, hosted at TangognaT.) He also has an interesting post on the whole Library 2.0 kerfuffle issue.

Ellyssa Kroski at InfoTangle has this very useful overview of Web 2.0 and its impact on the ordinary web user (I consider myself one).

Feel-good librarian, on making a difference.

An oldie but a goodie: the Rambling Librarian‘s series on becoming a librarian (seven posts – follow the links at the end of each).

I have had lots of thoughts and ideas percolating lately – problem is, this usually happens during the day. I’ll be doing some task and something will occur to me (“must write about this”; “must find out more about this”). Unfortunately, by the time I get home or have the time to sit down and think about whatever it was, it all seems very vague and no longer as interesting as it did when the thought first popped into my head. That’s if I can even remember what it was!

I think I’m going to have to start trying to write things down as I think of them. Ideally I would make these notes electronically, but that’s not always feasible. Maybe it’s time to start using a notebook specifically for this purpose. Pen and paper may help!

I wanted to use my other blog as a record of All The Big Issues and so on, but I haven’t managed to make enough time to keep it regularly updated. Lately I’ve also been thinking about what to do with that blog – do I want to maintain it? Get a few more collaborators? (Would have to review its purpose, if so.) Not sure. I also have my wiki, which has also been neglected lately…

Categories: librarianship, blogging, writing, juggling