The Editor Says Farewell
By Sarah Krygier, MLIS (Almost)

My adventures in library school are coming to a close, and that May 27 graduation date fast approaches. It seems appropriate to bid farewell with an editorial of sorts.

I am honored to have served as the editor of the SLIS Descriptor, and I have enjoyed every minute. I want to especially thank our loyal columnists Joy Humphrey and John D. Berry and our faithful Q & A Gurus, Catherine Heridis and Supriya Wronkiewicz. You all did a wonderful job of ensuring that each issue of the Descriptor entertained, informed and educated. Thank you. Our other contributors this year have written suburb articles, and I thank you all, as well, for making the SLIS Descriptor a well-rounded publication.

As I end my library school career and venture out into the world of public librarianship, I feel grateful that I have had the opportunity to participate in both ALASC and the SLIS Descriptor. During my four semesters at SLIS, ALASC has allowed me to feel part of a community. Other “distance” students will understand how it sometimes seems impossible to connect with classmates when you only interact with them on Blackboard, via e-mail, or in once-per-semester-eight-hour-class-a-thons. ALASC, though, helped me to really believe it when I told people, “I am a grad student.”

I have friends in various graduate programs scattered across the country, and they all experience a different level of “the grad student life.” Since I work a full-time job, complete my classwork online and only rarely set foot on the San Jose or Fullerton campuses, I had a hard time convincing them that I really had started graduate school. These same friends, along with my poor slightly abandoned family, have lived through my skipping on movie night so that I could complete my group project for 202, or passing on a spring barbecue because I had to spend a Saturday afternoon observing a public library for 204, or hearing about my recent compulsion to begin cataloging living things (where does my cat belong? 636.8309739452, perhaps!) but only when they read the SLIS Descriptor did they “get” that I, too, had immersed myself in the life of a grad student.

As I approach that graduation day, though, I realize that my life has not stopped while I attended SLIS, and I would bet that yours hasn’t either. This program has allowed me to get my graduate degree while not losing touch with friends, family, pets and hobbies. I may have passed on a couple of barbecues, but rather than feeling completely engulfed by my studies, I have felt balanced. SLIS provided a great lesson in time management.

While I do plan to take a break from library related activities for a bit after graduation, I know that I cannot stay away long, because I love libraries…and I do want to see what all I might find in the latest issue of YALS. And, you know, even though I’ll no longer live the life of a graduate student, I have yet to begin to live the life of a librarian, and that’s the life I want to live.




The Circular File
By John D. Berry, Associate Librarian, UC Berkeley


From time to time I have to look at resumes, here in academia known as Curriculum Vitaes, (CVs). No, not just for fun although they make interesting reading sometimes, but because I have to hire someone. Often I’m on a panel to hire someone, but even more often am asked to write letters of recommendation for someone.

What are WMD’s, (words of major dismissal), while going through piles of applications? Oh, things in the cover letter like, "What are my benefits going to be?" ZOTTTT! That one goes into the probable circular file pile. The potential candidate is wasting my time, they would find out if they made the cut to the interview stage, where they could ask, though even there it wouldn’t be wise. Ungrammatical sentences are certain doom in some committees. If you can’t write Standard English that’s a problem, it’s still the lingua fraca of the country – the committee will not want to waste their time, unless they are desperately seeking other qualifications.

Things like TYPOS – Nooooo! Don’t do it! Don’t interject your agenda in the cover letter; yes the whales deserve to be saved, but we want a candidate who is conversant with Marine Biology, not eco-crusading. That doesn’t meet the selection criteria.

For goodness sake, find multiple people you know who have the kind of job you want, and ask if you can see their CVs or Resumes. Model them. Don’t try to get cute with meeting the qualifications. Yes, you probably could do the job; yes, you are correct any single human being could not meet the employing institution’s hoped for candidate qualifications. But please folks, have the basics. Your MLS/MLIS, an actual BA, MA or PhD in the subject area sought. Some work experience, or internship experience, or practicum experience. Some references.

If you by chance have a Facebook page, or MySpace or some such – do be sure it’s suitable for consumption by minors – some of us look for your little footprints on the WWW to see what kind of human being you are. Normal is not a bad thing; although we are cognizant we are dealing with Homo Sapiens Librariensis, that oddball variant of Human Being.

Please remove your facial piercings and dress in interview clothes before coming to the interview. No, I don’t want to see your body art, and I DON’T want to know your agenda, whatever it is, unless I ask you – which in an interview setting I can’t usually; Thank you very much. Will any of the things mentioned above prevent you from getting a professional library job? No, not necessarily, after all, weird just is, I should know I’m at U.C. Berzerkeley. You want to be a what?

Best, John D. Berry






Joy Job Hunts
By Joy Humphrey

Whenever I’ve considered applying for a particular job, I hear two voices in my head. One is my mother’s saying, "You can do anything you set your mind to, honey. Why, if I had your personality and your smile, there would be no end of things I could do!" The other voice is my friend Jane’s, a librarian who has hired and fired many employees in her day, and who, upon reading a resume with too much spin to it, says things like, "You’ve got to be kidding!" and "In your dreams, buster!" Listening to my mother’s voice, the whole world is mine for the taking; listening to Jane’s voice, I better damn well be sure I’m qualified before I stick my hand out.

Lately, I’ve been perusing the librarian want ads. Determined to embrace my mother’s advice and not fall victim to the low self-esteem she’s always berating me for, I’ve adopted a can-do attitude while looking at available cataloging positions. I found a tantalizing opening for a cataloging librarian in a rare books library. I began reading the list of qualifications and felt my spirits soar. I knew AACR2! I could recognize a MARC record! And so what if I’d never cataloged a rare book; I sure did like them. By the time I came to, "Must have eighteen years professional experience, know three dead languages, and have a Ph.D. in manuscript illumination," my efforts to buck myself up had pretty much been exhausted. If I were to pay attention to my mother, I would send in my resume anyway, believing that my smile and personality would fill in the gaps for my lack of scholarship and experience. But if I were to listen to Jane, I would never send it in because I’d know that whoever received my resume would yell out their office door, "Hey, you guys, wanna hear something funny?"

Now, my friend Lonnie would have no qualms in sending off her resume for this particular job.
With one class left to take and no experience whatsoever, she is riding high on the prospect of being a professional. She has been applying for jobs that require collection development know-how in esoteric subjects, knowledge of at least five automated library systems, and experience managing large research institutions. I am in awe of her confidence and her persistent self-delusion. I wonder if the world will be so unfair as to find me, in a few years’ time, still dithering over job applications while Lonnie is the director of some specialty library for which she holds no relevant degrees.

Success must lie somewhere between self-effacing modesty, and untethered confidence. I don’t
want to sell myself short and wind up with a job that isn’t challenging. On the other hand, what happens if I come off as so confident, I actually get hired for a really plum position and find I’m in way over my head?

At least I’ll have my personality and smile to fall back on.





Interview Day
By Sherman Gong Lee

Seven individuals, all with a master's degree in library science, have been scheduled to meet with an interview panel of three at the ****** public library. The position that we are all gunning for is the full-time reference librarian position. I've been working as a reference librarian (extra help) for the last five weeks at the library. The interview panel consists of three people: the county librarian, the library's branch manager, and a librarian named Mark from a neighboring county to act as an impartial member of the panel. I see two of the interviewers on a daily basis, so perhaps I will have the hometown advantage.

I run through everything I've read and everything I've been told about interviews. You have to present yourself as someone who really, really wants to be there and who really, really wants the job. Be positive, be peppy (is this a word?), convey an image of a team player. If you can't do any of these things, then do a good job of faking it. Don't slouch or put your hands in your pocket. If your make a fist or clinch your teeth together it is a sign of stress and conveys to the interviewers that you don't want to be there. If you press your lips together, you'll look like an unhappy person. Try to keep a space of two millimeters between your upper and lower lip. Take a ruler into the bathroom and see how much space you will have to work with. Lean forward in your chair, not backwards. Don't cross your legs or your arms. Keep your hands away from your face: don't itch your nose, don't scratch your eyebrows, don't pull on your earlobes. Keep your hands in your lap.

The interview is held in a small room with an even smaller desk inside. Three feet of desk separate me from the interviewers. Sitting in front of each person is a bottle of water, a small notepad and a pencil. I resist the urge to ask why I don't get anything to drink. The branch manager introduces me to the others. Look into each person's eyes as you shake their hands. Smile. Don't squeeze too hard. You're holding a hand, not a tube of toothpaste. And the interviewers don't want to shake the limp hand of the dead either. I take a seat and I am then asked twelve questions (see column to right).

The minute my mouth opens, the pencils start scraping on the notepads. My first mistake is to look down at one of the notepads to see if they are writing words or drawing stick figures. I lose my train of though. I stop speaking and the scribbling stops. Uh-oh. I forgot what I was saying. I try to recover as best I can. Take a breath. Concentrate on the question. I get though the questions the best I can. Speak slowly and succinctly. Don’t spit out your answers as fast as you can.

Finally, I answer the last question. Everyone smiles and I am told that the interview is over. It's time to get up and leave. "Thank you very much," I say to the group. I go downstairs to the reference desk and start my day. I try not to think about the interview, but it is impossible to stop going over every imagined mistake that I believe that I have made.

After lunch, I arrive back at the library five minutes before my scheduled time on the desk. I see the branch manager sitting at the reference desk. She's helping a patron. The patron leaves the desk. I go up to my supervisor. She swivels around in the chair and looks up at me. "I have a question to ask you," she says. What? "Would you like to be our new reference librarian?" She has a smile on her face when she asks me that. I say something. I don't remember what it is. "Is that a yes?" She still has the smile on her face.

To reach Sherman Gong Lee, MLIS, e-mail him at XXX@yahoo.com.



Interview Day: The Questions
By Sherman Gong Lee


1. What is your public service experience, including bibliographic instruction, reference desk, and
collection development?

2. What is your knowledge and/or experience of library technology; online searching;
OPACs, Internet, basic computer skills?

3. Do you have any experience setting up displays?

4. Can you tell us about a particularly tense or chaotic situation at the reference desk and
how you handled the incident?

5. Why do you want to work in a public library?

6. Considering your working career, tell us about the most stressful event you ever faced
and how you coped with it.

7. Describe the most significant achievement or written project/presentation/report which
you have had to complete.

8. What would you do if you were at the desk and both the phones were ringing and there
were three or four patrons demanding your attention?

9. Name two books you have read within the past two months and describe one of them
as though you were recommending it to a patron to read.

10. What qualities do you think we should look for in a prospective reference librarian?

11. The role of the reference librarian has changed a lot in the past five years and will
continue to change. How do you see reference service changing in the next five years?

12. Is there anything that you would like to add about yourself or do you have any
questions?



Ph.D., Right (or Dead Wrong) for You?
By Paige Fujisue

Working toward your MLIS, you may be wondering about the next rung in the ladder. Is it for you? What is it like? Can you handle it? How impressed will everyone be at my next high school reunion? I hope that the following will help answer some of these questions.
Why Get a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science? The 2006-2007 Occupational Outlook Handbook says that a Ph.D. is helpful for those who want to become a professor or a library administrator. Marcia J. Bates states that the Ph.D. prepares students to become scholars in "A Doctorate in Library/Information Science". It can also be appropriate for those wishing to specialize in a field.

What Do You Do in a Ph.D. Program?
A Ph.D. requires mastery of a subject and contribution to a field. Students must read all published materials specific to their focus and demonstrate their knowledge through course completions, high grade point averages, and/or examinations. Designed to measure expertise, examinations are fashioned by experts and customized for each student.

Bates articulates that students must also "learn to identify and shape research problems…[and]
learn research methods" to produce a dissertation—a document that is typically between 100 and 300 pages. She warns that unlike master’s programs, in which papers are graded, dissertations are held to the highest standards and Ph.D.s awarded only when those standards are met.

Who Should Pursue a Ph.D.? In "Notes on the Ph.D. program", Douglas E. Comer asks is you (a) want a research career, (b) want to be a professor, and (c) have the intelligence, tenacity, focus, innovation, curiosity, and self-direction to see this substantial commitment through. One needs to be dedicated full-time to a program. Less than one percent of the population has earned a Ph.D. and Elizabeth Lane Lawley states that "the rate of doctoral student attrition…has been estimated…to be as high as 50%" in her 1999 doctoral dissertation "Making Sense of Doctoral Student Attrition in Library & Information Science". Bates attributes "sheer exhaustion" as a major factor.

Reality Check
Bates asserts that a Ph.D. does not fashion better practitioners; it prepares one for a career in academia. Comer offers several warnings. (a) A Ph.D. is a stepping stone to conduct research; it is not a goal in and of itself. (b) A Ph.D. will not cause others to respect your opinions nor will it distinguish you from your peers. On the contrary, you may no longer be top dog among peers, just simply run of the mill. (c) A Ph.D. neither guarantees employment nor higher earnings.

If I haven’t discouraged you yet, take heart. Comer counters that people who inherently love
doing research and earn their Ph.D.s "meet and work with some of the brightest people on the planet,"break new ground, and love their job.

Who Offers Ph.D.s?
The three primary Ph.D. programs in California are the University of California, Irvine’s Donald
Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley’s School of Information Management and Systems, and the University of California, Los Angeles’s Department of Information Studies. To search for schools throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico go to petersons.com. In "Program Search" select "Information Science", "Information Studies", or "Library Science". Due to its scholarly nature, Bates stresses the need to select a program based on people who share your research interests rather than on geography.

How Much Does It Cost?
It appears that most if not all Ph.D. programs are paid for with fellowships or assistanceships.
Fellowships are awarded monies that cover all educational and related costs such as housing and food. Assistanceships are monies exchanged for labor, typically in the form of teaching or research. Some schools provide these opportunities for students, some don’t. Either way, options are extremely competitive. To learn more, go to petersons.com.

The Bottom Line
If you eat, drink, sleep, sweat, breathe, snore, and burp research; if you think you have what it
takes; and if a Ph.D. is necessary to reach your goals, GO FOR IT! Those of us who determined that Ph.D. stood for Pounding HeaDache will be rooting for you…and perhaps hoping that you’ll be a nice boss.



Avoiding the Massacre…
By John D. Berry
There is this tendency to yell "Charge!" to your self verging upon graduation. Your adrenaline is up, victory (your diploma), is on the horizon or in hand and your job hunt is underway. All your courses are in column behind; you’re ready to rock n’ roll.

However, there are hostiles out there, for real. Unless you want to meet the fate of the troopers at the Greasy Grass, (the Little Big Horn), you’d better listen up. If you don’t know what or where that was and what happened there – it’s a look up for you. While this is written with academic librarians in mind, it is applicable in other venues.

You are anxiously scanning the position announcements, every print and non-print resource you can lay your eyes on, but like most people you are future focused and never look behind you—uh—you might wanna do that thing.

So you say, "What the heck?" Okay, here is the drill. Read the position announcement; does it say "tenure-track"? Are there more than one tenure-track positions available for that institution? If there are more than one—warning flares are up. Okay, start looking at past position announcements for that same institution. Be patient and go back a minimum of five years if it is an academic institution. Did you find more tenure-track position announcements? If you did, bad news is on the horizon. Start going back another five years. Did you find more tenure-track announcements? If you found a repeat, or worse multiple repeats, more than once in the last 10 years you are in danger of encirclement and the fate of a certain General Custer.

You say, "Huh?" Okay, it goes something like this: Institution X needs bodies and their librarians are tenured. So they hire newbies (like you), put them on the hamster wheel, and make them run full speed. When re-appointment or tenure time comes along, they deny the majority of their librarians, or even all of them!

Why you ask? Well, if they give you tenure they usually have to pay you more and/or promote you. Also, you might actually endanger the status quo and/or look around and say, "The emperor has no clothes." If they don’t grant you tenure, they can say comforting things to you and each other like, "We are a training ground for new librarians. We teach them what they need to know, then they can go on to bigger and better things" while ignoring the minor fact that they are holding your future hostage at gunpoint the whole time. A real comfort, eh?

It’s just amazing to me, that nobody in Ph.D.-library-school-heaven, has actually done a published longitudinal research and survey dissertation on this topic from the published data – it’s quantitative research folks – oh, but I forgot for a moment, it would also be useful.

There are institutions out there just like this folks, so don’t be cannon fodder at the Greasy Grass. History does repeat itself so check the records. The evidence lay in our own hands. Your homework has just begun, survive and do well.



An Interview with Debbie Carton: YA Librarian Extraordinaire
by Jodi Mitchell

Debbie Carton has been a dedicated and passionate teen librarian at Berkeley Public Library (BPL) for over 16 years.


Jodi: Tell me about teen services at BPL and how you fit into that particular service.
Debbie: At BPL, teen services has undergone a major structural change. We used to have 5 teen/reference librarians, one at each location. You supposedly spent half your time teen, half reference. In fact, I spent at least 75% on teen. With a large teen population at my branch, there was plenty to keep me busy. Now Teen Services has been restructured, so that there is much more of an emphasis on training other staff, doing outreach to underserved communities, and partnering with youth-serving agencies. We have 4 fulltime teen librarians, housed at Central, who spend 8 hours (and every fifth Saturday) per week at a branch.

Jodi: How did teen services develop at BPL and why?
Debbie: In 1989, 5 teen/reference librarians were hired for BPL. This was a direct result of the passing of an important ballot measure that restored full hours to the library, and necessitated hiring lots more staff to keep the libraries open. At the same time, the library made a huge and unprecedented commitment to providing quality services to teen patrons.

Jodi: Do you feel this service is crucial?
Debbie: Teen services are absolutely essential. Libraries invest a great deal of time and money in creating happy childhood memories of the library, which they hope adult taxpayers will remember at election time. But if you suddenly ignore those child patrons when puberty strikes, you lose the opportunity to make them truly committed, thinking, resourceful individuals who also have warm feelings about the library. Also, teens are the group that gets ignored-- and tossed out of the library-- and they more than anyone need advocates within the library.

Jodi: Why are so few libraries focusing on this population?
Debbie: I think in part because it is a difficult population to reach. You have to genuinely like teens in order to work with them. Also, teens are admittedly sometimes difficult, especially in groups. They’re not always cute and cuddly like little kids.

Jodi: How do you feel about current "YA" literature?
Debbie: I think there is some great stuff out there, and also a lot of dreck! I think we have to remember too how big the range is of maturity and reading ability. If I could have a word with publishers, I’d ask for more funny books. So much angst! All the time! Did it ever occur to folks that sometimes you read not to see your world reflected, but to escape from it? Favorite authors: Francesca Lia Block, Ursula LeGuin, Malcolm Bosse, Gordon Korman, Mary Roach, Ray Bradbury and first-time novelist John Green (Looking for Alaska).

Jodi: Tell me about your library work with teens. What were/are your biggest achievements?
Debbie: The Playreaders program I started at North Branch won an Edwards "Excellence in Services to Young Adults" award. Equally satisfying is the way I constantly get visits or mail from former teens, who keep me informed as to what they are doing. Some have actually become librarians, or are in library school! All of them clearly feel warm and fuzzy about libraries and books and reading still.

Jodi: Can you tell me more about your Playreader group?
Debbie: Playreaders did exactly what the name says: They read plays out loud, changing parts frequently so everyone got a chance to have a crack at the good roles. The plays they read were selected by the teens in the group, and ranged from Shakespeare to original Playreader creations, with a heavy emphasis on modern comedy. It started over 15 years ago, and grew to over 40 kids, some of whom would show up weekly to read, eat popcorn and candy and have a good time. It was informal, relaxed and demanded no extra work from the teens. It’s a great way to explore theater literature easily, the way theater should be experienced-- out loud.

Jodi: How do you personally keep teens engaged and motivated? How do you get them to come back?
Debbie: I am a very warm, affectionate, personal person. Although I am careful not to cross professional boundaries, I do not hesitate to hug a teen, crack a broad grin, or share a candy bar. Mainly, I am friendly and show interest in them. So few people actually are interested in teens, that this makes me stand out. They know I mean it when I say, "Please come back to the library soon--it was great meeting you."

Jodi: Where do you feel services to this population are headed?
Debbie: We still have committed teen librarians throughout the country. Many of us are extremely vocal about the need to involve teens in assessment of library services. Teens, if you ask them, will tell you exactly what they want in terms of a library. I see a lot of ads for teen librarians in the trade journals--I also know that teen librarians are the first to go when budgets are axed.

Jodi: What is your overall hope in regard to servicing this population?
Debbie: If we can help make teens aware of the power of the written word--as a tool for media, in art as a way to move and influence others, as a political weapon, as a way to assume power for those that feel they have none--and if we can offer them a place where they feel they are listened to, where their opinions and ideas matter, we can be a real force for good.

Jodi: Anything else you want to add about teen services?
Debbie: The literature is wonderfully diverse, the service is challenging but so gratifying when it works, and the teens themselves are utterly wonderful. Working with this patron group truly gives me hope for the future of humankind. Many of them have ideals and beliefs, they are not jaded and they have the energy to make things happen. And many do make things happen, for the good.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jodi Mitchell will be graduating with her Masters Degree in Library and Information Services in December 2006. She is a strong advocate of teen services in libraries, and plans to write a Young Adult novel loosely based upon her own extraordinary teen years.




10 Best Things about Doing a Practicum at My Local Public Library
(In No Particular Order)
By Lydia Harlan

1. I have the opportunity to experience the things I’m learning about in my summer class.

2. I learned the shortcuts for the online catalog.

3. I don’t have to make an extra trip to the library to pick up books I put on hold.

4. Experience, experience, experience.

5. I have a lot of creative outlets through programming and displays.

6. Children’s / Y.A. programming means snacks!

7. I spend my summer afternoons in an air-conditioned building.

8. Librarians are at my fingertips to answer any question I might have.

9. The kids are hilarious. Really.

10. I remembered why I wanted to be a librarian in the first place.




Basic Survival: Tips For the New Student
by Paige Fujisue

Remembering the plethora of information that can bombard new students, I wanted to present some basic survival tips as a foundation for new classmates. Rather than list a comprehensive and overwhelming array of resources, the essentials noted here will prepare you for your first semester. Serving as a starting point, understanding the details and the how-to’s are up to you. Some information may be more helpful to Special Session students.

Bookmark these sites:

http://tigris.sjsu.edu. Also known as Blackboard, this is how you will access your classes, classmates, and professors. After registration, your professor will provide a password in order to sign up for each class’s Blackboard. I suggest you check each class’s Discussion Board at least every other day.

http://sjlibrary.org/gateways/academic. Familiarize yourself with the Articles & Databases feature. Most of your research will come from these scholarly articles. InterLibrary Services can mail materials from the Library Catalog to your home if you live far from campus.

http://slisweb.sjsu.edu. A central location to help students with questions about the program, computing, faculty, graduation requirements, class descriptions, etc. Did you see the New Student Checklist at

http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/slis/checklist.htm?

http://lu.com/odlis/odlis_e.cfm. Online dictonary for library and information science students. Rather than be overwhelmed with the jargon you overhear and read in textbooks and professional journals, educate yourself by learning definitions one at a time.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sjsumlis. Sign up for this free and excellent resource. Once you are a member of this group, click on the link to the database and you will have access to students’ comments on professors. Not all classrooms are equal in quality and you want to make sure you get the best education. At the end of the semester, contribute your own comments.

http://ala.org. The American Library Association is the national association for library professionals. Whether or not you choose to join, their website is a rich resource to help you learn more about the profession.

http://my.sjsu.edu. Before the beginning of each semester, you will need to
register here for classes. It will also allow you to pay for your classes online.
In addition to professional associations, you have the privilege of being an automatic member of the American Library Association Student Chapter (ALASC) at http://slisgroups.sjsu.edu/alasc. If you are a Special Session (distance) student, you are also automatically a member of Library & Information Science Students to Encourage Networking (LISSTEN) found at

http://slisgroups.sjsu.edu/lissten. They are a great way to connect to fellow students, network, become involved, and take on additional responsibilities early in your career. The main difference between these two organizations is their affiliation. ALASC is connected to the American Library Association, LISSTEN is connected to San Jose State University.

http://slisgroups.sjsu.edu/alasc/amazonbooks.html. While this link to purchase textbooks won’t give you bargain basement deals, they do provide revenue for the ALASC, a student organization that works for the betterment of all SLIS students. Select from the displayed textbooks or use the search box. Either way, your purchases help ALASC help you.

If you haven’t already done so, you need to sign up for the mandatory SLISADMIN listserv at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/ecommunication/listsubscriptions.html. This is where all announcements about tuition, graduation requirements, scholarship opportunities, registration announcements, etc. are distributed.

Logins and Passwords. The number of logins and passwords necessary for the SLIS program are numerous so I’d advise writing them all down on one sheet of paper. So far I’ve found the need to register with the following school-related accounts.
1. http://tigris.sjsu.edu to access your classes through Blackboard
2. http://my.sjsu.edu to register and pay for classes.
3. http://sjlibrary.org to conduct research.
4. Sometimes your professors will grant you access to other databases and will provide the login and password valid for that semester only. I suggest you write these down too.
5. http://illiad.sjlibrary.org/illiad/logon.html to have King library materials mailed to my home address.
6. While you don’t need a login to access your academic advisor, I would write this information down as well to ensure that you remember who this person is and how to contact your advisor since communication does not generally begin until the close of your first semester.

One fun tip I simply must include is a travel tip. As long as you have a student email address through SJSU (http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/ecommunication/wahootoc.htm), you can book discounted costs to travelers at http://www.studentuniverse.com/. Don’t you agree that some learning simply must be experienced!


Summer Vacation – On the Wing with Eagles By John D. Berry

Ok, I admit it I am biased. Although I love being a librarian I also love not working and, unlike 40% of crazed Americans, I take my vacations. Lest you think U.C. librarians are really well off, we are a two-income family.

Well, we wasted the bank account and went to Maui for vacation. Now, for the first few days we were at a "resort" time share in Kaanapali, but interestingly enough for such high-end digs, the waste-water treatment plant is a mere mile or so up current—which they don’t mention. Draw you own conclusions as to the health issues. So, we stayed out of the ocean for awhile, then we left the crush and went over to the good side of the island, you know, the side where George Harrison and Chris Christopherson and folks like that have, not just houses, but estates or "compounds."

Surfing and boogie-boarding ensued on the Hana side. You know folks, if I had a recommendation to make, skip the resort side of Maui and spend your time on the Hana side of the island. Inter-island air travel can set you down in the Hana airport, and you can get a Dollar Rent A Car there. Sure it is more expensive to do it that way, but you will NEVER regret it. An additional plus is you don't have to drive the road to Hana, which is no longer as bad as reported, but can still be hairy and time intensive. Rent the small SUV or car, not the Hummer.

But then, the very best, absolutely the very best, was the Maui Hang Gliding out of Hana Airport. http://www.hangglidingmaui.com/

Armin is a first class pilot, and a very good guy and an excellent teacher. On your part, you get to sit second seat and fly, NOT what you do in enclosed airplanes folks, this is like flying w/ the eagles especially when he shuts off the engine. He will even teach you how to steer if you have never done anything like this before. Really, really worth it and all I can say is I'm going to learn how to do that so I can fly one myself! As for flying, this still says it best below, now with new meaning to me.

==========================================
High Flight by John Gillespie Magee
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds,
--and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless falls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, nor eer eagle flew--
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high, untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
=======================

The pilot who wrote this was in the Royal Canadian Air Force, training in Spitfires in the Second World War. He came to Britain, flew in a Spitfire squadron and was killed at the age of nineteen on December, 11, 1941. His poem was declared as one of the first poems of the war, by the Librarian of Congress, Archibald MacLeish, who also acclaimed Magee as the first poet of the war.

You see, it's all Library related within 7°, even on vacation, and I hope you took yours!

Regards to all, John D. Berry, U.C. Berkeley



Bridges Across the Globe
Attending IFLA’s 72nd World Library and Information Congress
by Paige Fujisue


Returning from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Congress in South Korea, people have asked me about my trip. I say it was one of my best life experiences.

Having been awarded a lottery grant from San Jose’s College of Arts and Sciences, I arrived bright-eyed and bushy tailed. I was like a sponge soaking in everything I could. I met many wonderful people from Macau, Pakistan, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and 29 other countries. Their willingness to help me learn about the history and culture of their countries was priceless.

Warm smiles graced the faces of many and conversations came rather easily. At first, I felt blessed to meet so many nice people. Later, I was astonished to learn that I had mingled and dined with a national library director, a presidential librarian, and a vice presidential librarian. Their approachability and humility was indicative of many conference delegates. This underscored the opportunity to learn about the people behind the titles, and I found myself immersed in the company of passionate leaders. These librarians work to not only refine the profession, but bring attention to pertinent issues of our field.

Though I found some conference
sessions beyond my comprehension, I persevered and found inspiration. Kay Raseroka challenged the current concept of literacy in her paper "Information Literacy Development Within Oral Cultures" and the Africa program exposed me to global responsibilities that library and information professionals must shoulder. In the future I hope to elaborate on this. For now I’ll summarize it as the need for current and future professionals to recognize the dominance of Western philosophy in the LIS field and its global consequences.

I encourage anyone reading this article to consider attending an IFLA conference. The 73rd World Library and Information Congress will be held in Durban, South Africa; hosted in the African continent only once before. I hope to attend myself, and am contemplating taking a group of SLIS students with me. If you are interested, please contact me at pfujisue@slis.sjsu.edu. I suggest you also investigate these funding possibilities: ALA’s Bogle Pratt International Travel Fund, the Rovelstad Scholarship in International Librarianship, San Jose’s College of Arts and Sciences Lottery Grant, your employer, and the inevitable mom & pop fund.




Haycock addresses e-portfolio, other changes at SLIS in SLA-SF presentation By Heather Gamberg

When Dr. Ken Haycock, director of San Jose State University’s School of Library and Information Science (SLIS), spoke before the Special Libraries Association’s San Francisco Bay Region Chapter (SLA-SF) on September 19, only about a dozen students were in the audience. It was surprising that so few students attended the event, which took place in San Francisco, but perhaps they didn’t hear about it. For those who missed it, I wanted to share some of what I learned.

I was surprised to learn that Dr. Haycock intended to retire before he accepted the directorship. Instead, he decided to devote five years—and no more—to SJSU SLIS. And he plans to accomplish much during that half-decade. The many changes he has made and has in store include offering a program to working professionals who want to get their degrees (Executive MLIS), a master’s degree in archival studies, and continuing education courses. The current continuing ed system through the Education Institute (http://www.thepartnership.ca/partner/) was a quick way to get in the game and may evolve.

Of course, current students—especially those graduating this semester—have already experienced another major change: the new graduation requirement of the electronic portfolio. (This is done in place of writing research papers on two topics selected from 12 possible.)

This change stirred up some worries from students, including me. I am graduating this semester and was nervous about having to compile a portfolio. It has to show that students meet 14 competencies (also something new under Haycock’s leadership) that had not previously existed during my time at SLIS.

I have not completed the e-portfolio, but I do think it will be a valuable asset once it is done. I also believe it doesn’t require as much new work as writing two papers would. My approach—and my advisor’s suggestion—has been to line up my schoolwork and projects done in the working world with the competencies. Then I write short essays demonstrating how these meet the competencies.

Along with many students, I expressed concerns about this new graduation requirement not being "grandfathered" in. However, I was surprised at how accusatory, mean, and personal the e-mails got. Indeed, Dr. Haycock’s speech to SLA-SF included words to describe the kinds of messages he’s received from students in SLIS, and one of them was unforgettable: vitriolic. Did you know that "vitriol" means sulfuric acid? I think you’re supposed to attract flies with honey, not acid.

Incidentally, Dr. Haycock said the e-portfolio was implemented right away for good reason. If the school were to ease in the new requirement, applicable only to new students, it could take seven years—the amount of time students are allowed to complete their degree. That explanation seems a bit dramatic to me, but I am glad to report that Dr. Haycock also said the e-portfolio would be evaluated differently for incoming students than for students who haven’t had the opportunity to develop it over the course of their SLIS education. In other words, evaluators will be more forgiving this semester, and will expect more from students in the future.

And don’t expect the 14 competencies to remain the same. Dr. Haycock said they were developed by assessing the competencies outlined by several professional library associations. And as times change, so will the SLIS competencies.

While change is sometimes hard to take, I think Dr. Haycock’s desire to make SJSU SLIS one of the top library schools in the world is admirable. And rather than just talk about his ideas, he isn’t afraid to put them in place—in an efficient manner, no less. It may not be easy to see the future when you’re just trying to get that degree you’ve been working toward for two, three, even seven years, but Dr. Haycock just might improve your resume by making your alma mater a top educator in the field.
Heather Gamberg, who plans to graduate from SLIS in December, serves as Webmaster and Bulletin Editor for the SF Bay Region of the Special Libraries Association.



Becoming a Librarian: My Library School Experience by Rebecca Kozak Library school has been an amazing experience—and now it is almost over. Though I have spent many hours in libraries over the years, I honestly did not know what to expect from my library school experience. Beyond the scope of coursework and grades, I have discovered that the world of librarianship is a fascinating place where a passion for sharing knowledge can be transformed into myriad personal expressions. Some of the assignments taught lessons that transcended stated objectives. I’d like to share a few of my experiences over the last four years.
For 204 – Information Organizations & Management I read a novel that I otherwise would never have read – The Killer Angels - about the Gettysburg battle of the Civil War. This fascinating read illustrated the vital need for accurate information during wartime, and how leadership styles affect an organization’s success. I also participated in an energetic group "treasure hunt" in San Jose that taught me about teamwork and problem solving. During 281 - Prison Librarianship, I visited two prisons in California. In the unlikely event that we would be taken as hostages during our visit, I discovered that our lives were expendable! We had the opportunity to speak to one of the Manson women and view her artwork in the crafts room. Our teacher, Bill Mongelli, wisely refrained from identifying her until we left the premises. We also met a compassionate librarian who described how she was positively impacting inmates’ lives.

In 281 - Publishing for the Profession, Roy Tennant, an Internet pioneer, writer and speaker, granted me an interview -- and a version of that article ran in a local SLA chapter newsletter. I was also thrilled to see my article on Ayurveda resources in the July 2006 issue of Today’s Dietitian. I am grateful to instructor Laurie Putnam for her encouragement.

At the Internet Librarian conference in Monterey I heard an energizing speaker whose work I had read for 202 (Information Retrieval) -- Mary Ellen Bates. At the Medical Library Association Conference in Phoenix, I attended the inaugural address of President Jean Shipman, whose work I had referenced in Library Services for Diverse Populations (275). It has been a thrill to see these library luminaries "up close and personal."
By taking Resources for Children ages 7-12 (261), I learned two valuable skills – writing concise book reviews and program design. For Collection Management (266), I researched census data and local population segments, evaluated the religion section of my local public library and wrote on the post-9/11 growing interest in religious and spirituality resources for children.
While researching consumer health library services for Latino populations (275), I observed a demonstration of thousands of Latinos marching down International Boulevard in Oakland!

Through studying Cataloging & Classification (248) with Melodie Frances, I discovered that cataloging is not only fun, it can be funny and "irritating" at the same time. Melodie’s zany creativity in selecting items to catalog was much appreciated, as well as her frank viewpoints on the state of cataloging and its future direction.

During a practicum at Oakland’s Dimond Branch, I was exposed to possibly the nation’s most diverse population, according to census data. There was a steep learning curve as I acquired interviewing skills at the reference desk and on the telephone. Helping computer users navigate the resume template, making acquisition decisions and assisting with programming were fun and challenging tasks.

At Samuel Merritt College I learned about systems administration and improved my PubMed searching skills acquired in Medical Librarianship (220). I was also exposed to the specialized vocabulary of the occupational therapy field.

In Reference (210), I had the gratifying experience of answering children’s questions through the Virtual Reference Desk project and recently discovered that my answers are still on the Internet. I also experimented with an "Ask a Librarian" online service from the user end (anonymously, of course).
Through professional and student listservs, I have benefited from insightful opinions and clever solutions to everyday problems of my colleagues. I have gained information for the job hunt, and the shared resources have been awesome.

And so my amazing experience is coming to an end. Although I have yet to complete 289, it is not too soon to affirm that my decision to attend library school was a wise one. I truly look forward to contributing to the field and becoming a SLIS alumna.

Rebecca has worked in the legal and health fields and is executive assistant to the Oakland Fire Chief. She is grateful to Scott Walter and Blanche Woolls for their kindness during the semester she broke her arm. rkozak@slis.sjsu.edu



Internet Librarian Conference 2006
By M Ryan Hess

Anyone in the vicinity of Monterey might have noticed a creeping feeling under their feet between October 23rd and 25th. No, it was not the troublesome fault line under the nearby mountain of Loma Prieta—site of the 1988 earthquake eighteen years earlier. Rather it was a rabble of librarians rocking and rolling into the digital future that were shaking up the quaint seaside town. With not a Luddite in sight, the Internet Librarian Conference (IL06) was anything but dull. At times, it seemed like the dot.com bubble was back, with its shinny happy people optimistically heralding a golden age of information. There were Flickr Photo fans, Mashup maniacs and lots of delightfully Del.icio.us conversations. If none of these things sound familiar, ask your nearest teenager to explain. Or for that matter, ask your next boss. According to speaker Rachel Singer Gordon, founder of LISJobs.com, employers want two things from library graduates: managerial skills and technological know-how.

IL06 had lots of the technology-half of that equation to offer. Conference goers were treated to a great variety of lectures and research reports. Topics ranged from using Wikis for libraries, incorporating RSS feeds into library homepages, understanding the technological study habits of today’s university students, to reports on the state of digital repositories. However, it was the stream of social networking discussions that really shook up the attendees.
Social tagging was one of the biggest buzzwords around the conference. Using websites like Del.icio.us and Flickr.com, librarians are exploring the curious and even explosive world of Web 2.0, that user-driven region of the Internet where everything from cataloging to publishing is democratized.

In short, social tagging occurs when users attach keywords to photos, blogs, bookmarks or anything else on the web. These folksonomies are then shared and incorporated with others to form user-driven classifications of an otherwise unwieldy web. Is social tagging the next temblor to hit the world of librarians? Is it a great new tool for understanding users? Or could it be the rough form of an information profession yet to come? Such was the hurried talk in Monterey.

Whatever the case, practical application of Web 2.0 technologies was in abundance. Some of the highlights:
· Karen Coombs of the University of Houston demonstrated how social tagging can help librarians organize their library web pages. · Meredith Farkas of Norwich University and Paul Pival of the University of Calgary explored using Flickr to market libraries and form innovative professional networks. · Tom Ipri of La Salle University reported on his successful student web portal where users can individualize content on their personal university homepages, including placing library catalog search windows and RSS feeds where they want it.

And of course, the conference was in Monterey, so when conference goers had had their library paradigms upturned enough times, they could trade the barking of librarians for the barking of sea lions. Looming across the bay, Loma Prieta suddenly looked so much more stable.

M Ryan Hess is known by his Flickr tag, Jobless Librarian. When not studying library science, he works as a writer and editor and daydreams about dog ownership.



Why Diversity Courses Should be a Requirement for the MLIS
By Elissia Buell

Whether someone is working in archives, reference, academic libraries, public libraries, government libraries, law libraries, or medical libraries, I believe that the librarian with the best understanding of diversity in communities will perform their job better than anyone else. However, it requires more than common knowledge of diversity; I believe that every student in the MLIS program should be required to take courses in diversity along with the core courses.

It was two of my chosen elective courses, Library Services for Diverse Communities and Resources and Information Services for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Questioning (GLBTIQ) Patrons that not only opened my eyes to the inadequate resources, services, and programming in many libraries, they also inspired me to be more passionate about what needs to be done in the field of librarianship to remedy these problems.

As the population count for the United States reaches past its 300 millionth person, and as refugees and immigrants continue to settle in this country, communities become more diverse. As a result, libraries must adapt to serve these potential customers adequately. For this reason, Library Services for Diverse Communities provides students with challenges and assignments that force them to think outside of their own ethnicity, culture, and religion to learn about others.

As a mixed Latina (Mexican, Yaqui, Portuguese, German, and Scottish), I was initially skeptical of the course; I assumed that I was diverse enough to understand diversity on my own. As far as knowing other cultures, I have friends that are Japanese-American, Filipino, Peruvian, African-American, Vietnamese, and Jewish. So what did I have to learn from the course? Why should I bother when I know and understand other ethnicities already?

As it turned out, I had much more to learn than I thought. Assignments and discussions for the course were as diverse as the title: students were challenged to research religious holidays, cultural practices, different languages spoken, and the information needs for several ethnic groups. Most significantly, the final project for the course required every student to focus on a group that needed to be completely different from the student’s own ethnicity and background. As a result, every student was forced to step out of their own experiences to research and learn another ethnic group’s needs for information, programming, and services.

When enrolling for Resources and Information Services for GLBTIQ Patrons; I again thought that since I have friends who are gay, what do I have to learn? Once again, my eyes were opened to more ignored populations, patrons not being served to the same extent as others. Unlike patrons of diverse ethnicities, nationalities, or religions, GLBTIQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Questioning) patrons are not readily recognized, so it is easy for librarians to claim that they don’t have a GLBTIQ population in their community (when they actually do). Also, for many GLBTIQ patrons, the library (whether academic or public, materials or reference desk) is often the first source they turn to for information on many GLBTIQ issues and concerns.

As I completed more of the course assignments (GLBTIQ definitions, studying OCLC classification headings, library holdings and collection development, and archives), I not only learned what GLBTIQ patrons need from libraries, I became infuriated to discover that library programming, services, materials, and reference are just as inadequate as are for diverse ethnic communities.

Based on these experiences, I feel that every student, regardless of age, sex, religion, or ethnicity, needs to take both of these courses in order to get their MLIS. These courses do not teach any sort of political agenda, or try to change minds; instead they teach who the patrons are, what they need from librarians, and what we need to do to serve every member of the community.

What I need to ask is: what are the SJSU-SLIS administrators thinking when they determine what the "core courses" should be? Do they believe that all of its graduate students will be working in a homogenous, one language speaking, and heteronormative work environment? Or do they think that if the students spend their time working in a diverse community that they will magically learn all of this information on their own through osmosis?

I considered myself diverse and educated enough to understand other cultures, religions, and the members of the GLBT community, but there was so much more that I discovered that I didn’t know. If the required courses for SLIS students included GLBTIQ, ethnic, and cultural diversity education, perhaps other students would find themselves as upset as I that libraries aren’t doing their job of serving their communities as adequately as they should. Maybe they would be find inspiration and empowerment to make changes in their own workplaces, motivating others to do the same. Ultimately, this ripple effect of understanding diversity would give SJSU-SLIS a positive reputation for turning out graduates who are able to serve all communities, rather than just a few.

Elissia Buell is a MLIS student at San Jose State University and lives in San Diego.



I Say Catalog, You Say Catalogue
By Joy Humphrey

I spent part of my summer in London doing a cataloging internship at the Middle Temple Library. Middle Temple is one of the four Inns of Court where law students are called to the Bar and barristers have their chambers. It is an institution of great history and tradition, and I was intimidated at the thought of working there. Would their level of cataloging be steeped in as much formality and wealth of choice as the meals were in their 16th century dining hall? Would the books be so esoteric that I would regret that I had studied high school French instead of Old English? Turns out the cataloging was dead easy, as the Brits would say; it was being a foreigner that was the hard part.

My first day as an intern began in deep humiliation when I was unable to open the door to the library. I kept pulling on the door instead of pushing it. Unfortunately, I didn’t detect my error until I had explained to a security guard that the library was locked, at which point he simply walked up to the door and pushed it open. Things didn’t get much better after that. During a tour of the building given to me by my supervisor, she pointed to a portrait on a far wall and said, "And of course, there we have Bonnie Prince Charlie." I nodded and said, "Of course!" only I was looking at the wrong portrait. How was I supposed to know what the guy looked like?

My afternoon at the Enquiry Desk involved further embarrassments. One patron had to repeat the title of the book he wanted three times because I couldn’t understand what he was saying. I finally retrieved the correct book for him but only because he pointed to it saying, "It’s the purple one." Another patron needed to pay for a copy card for which I had to make change. I kept repeating to myself, "What looks like a dime is really five pence. What looks like a quarter is really ten pence." I was very grateful when this patron finally said, "You know, I can actually give you exact change." In the pub I collapsed in at the end of the day, I made sure my husband paid for the pints.

For the next six weeks, I concentrated on not appearing foolish. I ate my lunch with my fork in my left hand. I called "french fries," "chips" and called "chips," "crisps." I remembered to write the date with the day before the month, and to spell "catalog," "catalogue" and "authorize," "authorise." I pretended that it was perfectly normal to have a porter bring me my coffee at 10:30 and 3:30 every day, and that in the dining hall, I could eat a seven course meal for lunch complete with wine if I so chose. I hid my amazement when the lunchtime conversation casually centered around each librarian’s favorite tenor and who had seen the best production of Faust.

I gradually began to relax when I realized that, far from looking at me as some cowboy cataloger from the New World, the Middle Temple librarians were accepting of me and grateful for the help I was able to give them. Invariably I found that cataloging, even if we spell it differently, has the same problems and issues in London as it does in Los Angeles, and my skills as a cataloger were more than adequate to see me through. Although my door-opening skills remain a little rusty.

Joy is living in London and working as a cataloger via remote access for Pepperdine University Law Library in Malibu.





Strategy + Funding = Saturday Hours
By Sami Lange

Patrons and community members of Sonoma County requested Saturday hours for the public law library. The librarians at Sonoma County Public Law Library (SCPLL) used an interesting strategy to provide this. They formed a Friends of the Library (FOL) organization called Amicus Law Library (ALL) and raised more than $7,000 in funds.

According to Claudia Gray, a SCPLL technician and secretary of ALL, "the need for Saturday hours was expressed by attorneys and students who regularly visited the law library". Taking the next step, staff determined the costs associated with the extended hours. With the library located in the city courthouse, security issues were a concern. The solution was to keep the courthouse closed, with the exception of one security checkpoint near the library. The funds needed to hire extra security and increase staff time to cover Saturday hours came to $12,000 a year.

Once the need became a real concern for the community, the staff brainstormed ideas to supplement the extra funds. It was decided that a FOL group would be a positive and efficient way to raise the funds. When discussing the FOL, several of the staff members wanted to participate. Then several members of the community heard of the potential group and expressed interest as well. This made it obvious that there would be talented volunteers willing to give time and expertise to run the nonprofit. The board of trustees was notified of the idea and approved the plan.

After the idea went through a series of approvals, a Sonoma County attorney, Justin Milligan, volunteered to submit the appropriate paperwork to acquire nonprofit status. With the nonprofit status approved, Justin Milligan was nominated as the president. With this, several other members of the legal community and county stepped up to serve on the ALL board. The backgrounds of the ALL members included experience in legal, secretarial, financial, and nonprofit sectors, giving ALL a solid foundation to begin their task of supporting the proposed Saturday hours.

The first successful money-making strategy was a membership drive. Members of the legal community, patrons and borrowers of the library were notified of the drive and were asked to donate funds to support the new venture. Their options were tax-deductible amounts of $100 (ALL Member), $500 (Gold Membership) and $1,500 (Platinum Membership). Incentives for donating to ALL included free copy cards, free borrowing privileges, and the individual’s or business’s name recognized on a plaque. With the membership drive ALL raised over $7,000, which provided six months of coverage, and implemented Saturday hours.

The shift in the library patrons has been significant. Claudia stresses "we are seeing new patrons and patrons from other counties. We are reaching patrons in a broader range, and even bringing in more students. (We knew there was a need for the attorneys and students of the community.) However, with the new hours, the patrons representing themselves in court are able to come in on the weekends also. This was a need we weren’t aware of."

With the success of the membership drive well under way, the group is developing new strategies to continue the funding and keep the library’s new hours available. Fundraising ideas currently being discussed include lunches, book sales, and other catered events.

To add more hours, resources, or to retain necessary services for their community, FOL groups are a viable option for law libraries, especially county law libraries. To organize a FOL group, it takes devoted volunteers and it is helpful when board members have experience in law, fundraising, and nonprofit organizations. Without the efforts of these volunteer members, the library would not be able to provide services to an important portion of the community and the surrounding areas. Discuss the possibility of starting a friends group with your local law library, and find out if the services you need can be supplied through such efforts.
Sami Lange is currently a MLIS student at San Jose State University; she has volunteered at the Sonoma County Law Library, and currently serves as a member of the AMICUS Law Library board.


Library 2.0
By Charles Sutton

For those of you who, like myself, decided to be a librarian because you wanted
to serve the underserved and make a difference in the community, your optimism is
virtuous. Well forget it! There isn’t enough money or time. We are more likely to
become complacent, recycle the same services and programs to the same group of
users and give them the popular, mainstream collection they desire. Fortunately, there
is an option. Library 2.0 and Web 2.0 provide us an opportunity to be successful and
influential.

Library 2.0

Library 2.0 is a new service model that attempts to better serve current users and
reach new ones. Library 2.0 is important because it involves the community and gives
them an opportunity to critique and suggest library services, programs, and facility use.
One of the main strategies proposed by Library 2.0 is "purposeful change" based on
"constant user feedback". It is a relatively simple continuous improvement process
similar to the Deming Cycle – Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA Cycle) proposed by W.
Edwards Deming in the 1950s. The user becomes part of the decision-making process
and assists in tailoring services and content to meet their information needs. The Library
2.0 process measures library services by evaluating:

• If the service successfully reaches the target user.
• If there are frequent evaluations of the service.
• If the evaluations are efficient and effective.
• If the feedback is being used to make improvements.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 tools like blogs, wikis, podcasts, Instant Messaging (IM), social
networking tools like My Space and Facebook, RSS, and technology can be used to
deliver and communicate library content more efficiently, reach underserved
communities, and provide unobtrusive information exchange. These tools can be
used in conjunction with traditional and electronic library resources. All you need is a
little creativity.

There are many fine examples of web 2.0 strategies in practice. There are many
more opportunities to utilize these tools for content delivery and communication.
Begin to think about how these tools can be implemented to encourage user
participation, user feedback, and user collaboration. Incorporate Library 2.0 strategies
in your assignments and practice using Web 2.0 tools. Evaluate library services and
consider your own professional interests and passions. Ask yourself how these
strategies and tools can be implemented to meet your goals.

I have explored My Space, Second Life, Pbwiki, and recently Live Journal. I’ve
honestly done more lurking than contributing, but have truly been inspired by how
these tools can be used to deliver content, communicate information, and organize
groups. I’ve also been motivated to learn more about the various technologies since
more library job announcements are including library and web 2.0 language.
Interviewed in a School Library Journal article entitled "Mr. Inspiration1," Young
Adult guru Patrick Jones advised, "Find the niche that works for you and your
community, and do it…You’ve still got to do everything else, but find the one thing
that you’re going to excel at and then do it well."

I encourage you to experiment with Web 2.0 tools and Library 2.0 strategies.
Consider how you might implement them in your library. I am interested in what you
think. Share your comments or ideas with me @ XXXX@hotmail.com.

To learn more about Library and Web 2.0 read:
Casey, M. and Savastinuk, L. (2006). Library 2.0. Library Journal, 131(14), 40-42
Library 2.0 Reading List

Charles Sutton is an aspiring writer and library assistant at Oakland Public Library Golden
Gate Branch.