Blogging Archivists

I read with a great deal of interest the post on Archives Found about blogging archivists because I had asked a similar question (although not as eloquently) a few months back.  I also wondered about the lack of archivists actively using Twitter, Facebook or any other social networking media to stay connected.  I assume this lack of activity is probably because archivists are used to maintaining records and not creating them.  Furthermore, archivists tend to deal with the “old” rather than the ”new.”  Blogging and social networking are new and using them would possibly force people out of their comfort zones.  I am making a lot of assumptions here but I haven’t seen anything to the contrary.  If I’m wrong, please tell me why.

Like Archives Next, I’ve noticed the abundance of librarians who are tearing up the blogosphere and creating a new pedagogy for library instruction.  And, after some digging, I’ve found some archivists who are also paving the way for new archivists by sharing project information, helpful suggestions, etc.  The problem is that these blogs are not getting the same publicity as library blogs.  Archivists have to be more proactive in their marketing:

• Advertise your blog on twitter, facebook, friendfeed and the like
• Add your url to your signature on your email
• Comment on other archivist blogs and leave a link
• Share your problems and the solutions, talk about project ideas and post pictures of your archives

I’ve said before that I work at a small university where I don’t have the opportunity to attend a lot of workshops and conferences, so I rely heavily on blogs and tweets to keep current and learn more about my profession.  I rely on the expertise of those who have been working in the field for longer than I have, but I also like being able to commiserate with those who are new to the field.

I know there are professional journals out there that offer the same professional support that I’m talking about but I like the instant gratification that comes from blogging and social networking.  And I believe that we, as a profession, need to move forward by granting blogs and other web 2.0 technologies professional legitimacy. 

 

 

Wednesday is Hump Day

Today began a little manic and it’s just continuing to be so.  It’s all of my own creation, so I have no one to blame but myself.  A couple of days ago, I had to drive my husband to the airport and he had to be there by 5 AM so I set the alarm clock for 4 AM.  For some reason, I never reset the alarm clock, so I’ve been getting up at 4 AM all week.  Yes, I know.  You would think I would have fixed it by now but…

• 4 AM - The alarm goes off.  I slam my hand on the alarm clock to shut if off and go back to sleep.
• 6:30 AM - Wake up totally frantic, thinking I’m going to be late for work.  Then I remember today is Wednesay and I go in at 9 instead of 8 because I have to stay until 4 tonight.  Grab the remote, flip on the tv and see if the world has survived another night.  It has.
• 7:30 AM - Check the dog to see if he’ll go outside.  Our dog is moody and will not go outside unless he’s ready.  I know he’s only 12 lbs, but it’s easier to let him think he’s in control.
• 7:45 AM - Take a shower and get dressed.
• 8:30 AM - The dog wants to go outside now.
• 8:45 AM - Leave for work.  Good thing I live about 3 minutes from the job because…
• 9 AM - Arrive at my office, fumble through tote bag full of librarianish stuff and purse full of diva-ish stuff and realize I do not have the keys to my office.  That is the peril of switching bags (purses for all you non-fashionistas) on a daily basis.  You’re liable to leave the keys anywhere.
• 9:30 AM - Return to the library with keys.  Turn on computer, start to check email and realize I have 2 minutes to get to the reference desk.
• 10 AM - At the reference desk, I go over the assignment from last night’s history class.  During last night’s class, I gave a bit of bibliograpic instruction and found out that one of our databases wasn’t working as it should have.  I think it was user error, but I want to verify.  I post the assignments for next week and begin checking email.  I then log into Bloglines to see what’s new in libraryland.  A lot of interesting stuff that I’ll comment on later.
• 11:15 AM - I’m asked to be on the search committee for the Systems Librarian position that has opened up.  I’m pretty excited.  This will be my first search committee as a staff member.  I feel all official and everything.
• 11:30 AM - It’s back up to the archives to start processing material.  I think today I will work on scanning pictures to add to the Back Mountain Historical Association’s database.  I haven’t done that in a while.
• Noon - Start scanning pictures.  I wish that I could get permission to set up a Flickr account for the archives.  We have so many really cool pictures that I’m sure people would enjoy seeing.  Instead the pictures are sitting in drawers or in photo albums and scrapbooks.
• 1 PM - Time for lunch.  A McDonald’s ceasar salad and sweet tea. 
• 2 PM - Start scanning pictures again.  Check on my peeps at Twitter, FriendFeed and Facebook to see what they’re all up to.
• 2:41 PM - While I’m waiting for scanner, I go into my folder and update my monthly activities report.  I’m not sure if other staff members keep activity reports or not, but I’ve learned that it’s best to keep a record of your activities.  If for no other reason than when you go to renegotiate your contract (or look for another job) you have a record of the things you’ve done.
• 3:36 PM - Getting ready to go to the Reference Desk.
• 4:15 PM - A patron calls and wants to know how to access an article in a newspaper from 2006.  I can’t access right away through our database, so I offer to call the patron back as soon as I’ve located the article.  A few minutes later, I have it.  Just as I’m calling the patron back, he calls me on the other line.  He located the article using Google, I located the article using Newspaper Source.
• 5:25 PM - I was supposed to get off at 5 but my replacement didn’t arrive until 5:25.  So I gather my bags and head back upstairs to the archives to lock up for the weekend.  I don’t have to come back until Saturday morning.

So that’s my day.  Long and interesting.  Sometimes, it’s hard switching hats from reference librarian to archivist.  Because of the scheduling, by the time I get involved in a project at the reference desk, it’s time for me to go back to the archives or vice versa.  On the other hand, I like that I’m not stuck doing one job day in and day out.  I like variety.

 

Monday on Tuesday

Today is Tuesday and it is one of the longest days in my work week because it doesn’t end until after 11 PM.  I usually don’t mind but I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I’m a tad bit cranky.  That’s one of the plus sides to being in my position.  Because I divide my time between the Reference Desk and the Archives, I don’t have to be *on* all day like librarians who staff the desk all day.  Whether they’re having a bad day or not, they have to be cheerful and helpful.  If I’m having a bad day, I know that I can hide out in the Archives for a couple of hours.  Trust me, that’s for the benefit of the public. 

Because I didn’t get the opportunity to post yesterday, I’ll give a brief run down so I can get to work.  Yesterday, I arrived a little after 8 AM and came straight up to the Archives because I had a patron who would be using the scanner and some pictures later that morning.  One of my many responsibilities is the maintenance of the collection for the Back Mountain Historical Association.  Mostly what this entails is accepting donations (usually pictures) and scanning them to be added to the online pictorial collection.  Today, however, the former archivist for Misericordia University is coming in to look at some pictures for a book he is putting together on the history of the Back Mountain community.

While he is working on his project, I am working on mine:  a bibliographic instruction session for the history class that I teach on Tuesday evenings.  Both of these are firsts for me, so I am incredibly nervous.  I have never taught a bibliographic instruction before nor have I ever taught a history course before.  I am probably over preparing for both, but I’d rather be over prepared than under prepared. 

Around 10 AM, I go to the Reference Desk.  I’m only scheduled to work the desk for an hour and a half a day but sometimes I stay longer.  Especially since we are short staffed and it helps the other staff members to catch up on their work or go to lunch or what have you.  For the most part, whatever I’m working on can be done at the desk so I don’t need to be in my office.  There are few reference questions because there are few students on campus.  Two hours later, I am back in the Archives.

Around 2 PM, I am interrupted for a birthday party.  We librarians love to celebrate.  In the staff lounge, there is German chocolate cake, apple pie and cherry cake.  I can’t decide which I want, so I jokingly say “Surprise me” and end up with a sliver of German chocolate cake on top of cherry cake.  A winning combination!

After the festivities, I go back to my office to finish working on my bibliographic instruction.  Around 3:15, I get a frantic phone call from my daughter, she’s itchy and has red prickly bumps all over her legs.  So I gather my things and leave the library.  I get home to find out that she has been walking through the woods and had an allergic reaction to something out there.  I give her an oatmeal bath and put a bit of benadryl on her.  A few hours later, she’s fine. 

So that was yesterday and today is…going to be the longest day ever.

 

What is a Librarian’s Day Like?

This post was inspired by a tweet from Librarian By Day to let people know what librarians do on a daily basis.  There is also a wiki set up with information about other librarians who are participating in this project.  If you want to join, add your name, job title and blog link to the list.  The invitation code is:  library.

Like most librarians, I am a multitasker and often do jobs outside of my “official” job description.  Officially, I am the University Archivist, which means that I maintain the University’s history.  I am also a reference librarian and liaison to the History Department.  So I man the reference desk, answer questions, help students with their research, make sure the History Department’s reference section is up to par, conduct bibliographic instruction and keep the printers printing and the photocopiers photocopying.  Lastly, I am also an instructor for the History Department.  I teach American History since 1865.

So now to a breakdown of my day:

I arrived at work at 8 o’clock in the morning.  The first thing I did was check the archives email account to see if I have any requests.  If there are any, I reply letting the requestor know that I’ve received the message and I will contact them again once I have the requested information.  Then I go through the rest of the email and save all emails that are relevant to the university, the Sisters of Mercy or the Back Mountain community.  Next I check phone messages for requests and I return phone calls.  For the most part, people usually contact me by email because it saves them from having to rewrite requests and it saves on misunderstandings.  After I finish responding to requests, I check my personal email and reply to those.  Last I check Google Alerts to see if there’s anything about our university in the news.

If I have a request for information, I’ll start research immediately.  If not, I check Bloglines to catch up on what I may have missed at a conference or on another librarian’s or archivist’s website.

Today, I had a research request.  Recently, our county underwent a reassessment of property taxes.  The reassessment has left many folks devastated because, in some cases, their taxes have almost doubled.  So I had request for information about appealing the taxes.  This was not an overly involved search, but I wanted to make sure that I provided links to the appropriate documents and fees as well as information about the appeals process.

Next, I put together information about the difference between primary and secondary sources for a history class.  I’m also in the process of putting together an information sheet on evaluating sources for the same course.  They also requested information about APA — that was pretty easy, I just pointed them to the link on Blackboard.

By now, it’s 12:45 and I’m getting ready to go to lunch.  After lunch, the second part of my job begins:  Reference Librarian.

At the Reference Desk, a couple of students come and ask me questions about finding backdated journals.  One journal is available online, so I show the student how to search Journal Finder to find the journal and then how to access it online.  The second journal is stored with the printed materials, so I show the student where those are kept. 

Another student asks me how to create a PowerPoint presentation.  This is the third request like this that I’ve received, so I’m thinking I’ll put a little something something together and see if I can get Tech Services to post it under the “How To…” guides.

Things slow down now so I start putting together reference material for the history course that I’m teaching.  I’m hoping to introduce information literacy into the course, but I’m not sure how to do it with only 4 weeks left in the class.  Maybe it’s something I can work on now and then implement next time I teach.

It’s nearing the end of the day, so I check all of my various email accounts to see if there’s anything I need to respond to before I go home for the day.  There’s nothing, so I log off the computer and say my “good byes.”  It’s 5 PM.

Now to my other job:  wife and mother.  A woman’s work is never done.

 

The Importance of Personal Learning Networks

I am writing this in response to DS Water’s request to help her demonstrate the importance of Personal Learning Networks.

My name is Dani Vaughn-Tucker and I am an Archivist, Reference Librarian and history instructor at a small Catholic university set in the beautiful mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania.  This is where I blog about everything related to those three aspects of my professional life with a bit of the personal thrown in to show that librarans are more well-rounded than what popular culture would lead folks to believe.

 

1.  What do you think are the 3 most important aspects on personal learning networks I should cover?

• How to find experts in the individual’s area of knowledge - sometimes just locating someone can be tough, but once you find one person to connect with it’s usually easy to create a network
• What technologies are available and how to use them effectively - there’s so much out there that it can be overwhelming, so people need to know which ones are just “for play” and which ones are valuable
• How to join in the conversation - when I first started venturing into the world of social networking, I was afraid to join in conversations, I was afraid I’d be rejected as an “outsider.”  But people need to be shown that it’s ok (even expected) for them to join in the fray, ask questions, offer opinions, etc.

2.  Why is your personal learning network important to you?  Which tools are the most important part of your learning network, and why?

My personal learning network is important to me because I work at a small institution where we simply don’t have the opportunity to attend big conferences and workshops, so I’ve had to create my own professional development network.  This network also helps me to meet people in the field that I would, otherwise, never get to meet.

I use Diigo, del.icio.us, Twitter, Facebook and Friendfeed to keep  myself informed.  My del.icio.us account is more personal than professional but there are things there that I think may be of interest to everyone regardless of their profession.  I use my blog to synthesize what I’ve learned or to bounce ideas off people and see what they think.

I think the social networks are the most important part of my learning network because they help keep me connected to professionals in my field.  I find it especially useful when individuals tweet their blog posts or topics from conferences they’re attending.   

3.  Can you provide examples of how your Personal Learning Network has enhanced student learning within your classroom?

I began teaching my first history course last night; a five week Expressway Course that meets one night a week for four hours.  During my introduction to the class, I asked if the students (all adult learners) have regular access to a computer and, if they do, are they familiar with social networking or any other web 2.0 tools.  They knew about them but weren’t familiar with them, so I see this as an opportunity to encourage them to explore the cyber community and learn how to use these tools to supplement their in class learning.  And, once they graduate, to create a professional network.  This weekend, my plan is to put together a little demonstration that I can show them the next time class meets. 

4.  Your tips for educators on how to get started setting up their own Personal Learning Network.

My tips for how to get started setting up a Personal Learning Network are:

• Talk to people face to face and find out what they’re doing online and then check them out
• Create an account in Google Reader or Bloglines, then surf the net for the blogs of movers and shakers in your field of interest then add their blogs to your reader
• Check out who’s reading their blogs and find out what tools they’re using and give them a try; find the ones that work for you and
• Join in the conversation
• Have fun!

 

Talking About Twitter

One day I happened to be working at the Reference Desk when I was called away to help a student with a printing problem.  Normally, when I walk away from the desk, I close my email and just throw everything else to the bottom of the screen.  I do this as a professional courtesy.  If someone else needs to use the computer, I don’t want them wondering if they are interrupting something important or whatever.  Anyway, this particular time I didn’t do any of the above as I was just walking less than two feet away from the desk and the other computer was not in use.  When I returned to the desk, two of my co-workers were reading what I had left on the computer.  I did a quick mental inventory to see what could possibly be so interesting that my privacy would be invaded in such a bold manner.  Yes, I know, there is no privacy on a company computer.  But, sheesh, how about a little common courtesy.

Anyway, when I arrived back at the computer, my co-workers sheepishly walked away and I opted not to say anything.  My bad.  Anyway, a few minutes later, one of my co-workers asked “What’s Twitter?”  That was what was on the screen.  Twitter.  I was happy that she asked actually, because I saw this as an opportunity to encourage my co-workers to try something new.

I told her that Twitter is a social networking site that encourages people to share in 140 characters or less what they’re doing.  She sort of rolled her eyes, which was my reaction when I first heard of Twitter too.  I started laughing because I remembered thinking Who has that kind of time?   But it’s not like you have to post every minute, just whenever you feel like it.  My other co-worker asked me how I use it and how I find it relevant to library use.

Well, let me list the ways:

• Because our library doesn’t pay for conferences, I use Twitter as a way of keeping current on what other librarians / archivist’s are learning about at the conferences they attend
• I find out who is posting something that may be of interest to me for my position as a librarian and archivist
• Networking, again, this goes back to not being able to attend conferences.  I don’t get the opportunity to mingle with other librarians, so this puts me in contact with people I would never have met otherwise
• Keeping track of new technologies like Jott (thank you, David Lee King)  

I’m sure there are many other uses that I’m forgetting about, perhaps, you can list some?  I did, however, find this best practices guide helpful and I will point it out to my co-workers.

 

Socializing on the 4th of July

Declaration of Independence

Ok, I think I’ve already admitted to being a big fan of Michelle’s because she has forced me out of my social networking comfort zone, but now she has pushed me over the edge!  :-)  Her take on how the founding fathers would have used social networking to distribute information about the Declaration of Independence is a riot. 

Although not a web 2.0 app, but could you imagine the crawlers on the bottom of CNN, MSNBC and Fox News?!  And, oh my gosh, we would be at orange on the Homeland Security Advisory System.

 

Twittering on the Cell

Now I’m feeling au courant because I can now use my cell phone to update Twitter.  I don’t know why, but I was having the dangdest time trying to figure out how to use my phone.  Which was really irking me since my husband insisted upon getting me one with all sorts of texting capabilities, web browsers, etc.  And it’s pretty to boot.  :-)  So anyway, you’d think as a librarian I’d just be able to locate help. 

Well, it took me 3 weeks to google ”How do I use Twitter on my cell phone?”  And I found the answer.  It’s not brain surgery or anything but I’m just happy that I can now take Twitter with me.  I doubt I’ll ever tweet anything important like an arrest or an earthquake, but if something funny happens, you’d best believe I’ll tweet it. 

 

Web 2.0 Wednesday on Friday

I am so frustrated with myself.  Earlier today, I accidentally deleted my original Web 2.0 Wednesday post along with all of the comments.  So I’m trying to repost my flickr photos now.

According to the instructions, we were supposed to post something unique about where we live using a web 2.0 technology.  I decided to change the directions a tad and focus on my job because I’m incredibly proud of the changes I’ve made in the 3 months that I’ve been working in the archives.

When I first started, the place was a bit unorganized and there was a backlog of materials that needed to be processed. So I began by cleaning out the outer office first because that is the first area people see when they walk up to the archives. I cleaned out the bookshelf (which is a beautiful piece of antique furniture) and took out all of the materials that simply didn’t belong, e.g. pirate hat, scarves, erasers, etc.

Next I put all of the boxes and unprocessed materials into the inner office and had my student workers go through them and weed out duplicate materials and anything that did not fit into one of 3 main categories:

•  University history
• Sisters of Mercy history
• Back Mountain community history

Because I was new to the library and the archives, I didn’t have the emotional connection to many of the items that people who have been there for years have, so it was easy for me to weed materials.  It’s also easy for me to say “no” when people want to donate materials that don’t fit within our collection development policy.  I do my best to help them find safe homes for their items though.  I’m not totally heartless. 

Anyway, enjoy the pictures…

www.flickr.com curiouschild34’s My Office photoset

 

Hiring a Library Director

We are in the process of hiring a new director for our library, so naturally the  conversation amongst my co-workers is focused on what kind of person we need to run our library.  Of course, everyone agrees on the basic things:  no micromanagers, open door policy, easy to talk to, etc.  But on a deeper level, we know that we need someone who is innovative and is willing to move our library and, ultimately, the campus out of its technological comfort zone.  We need someone who is willing to try something new and explore new avenues of providing information to our students.

As the conversation about the qualities we are looking for progressed, I began to think very specifically about not only what I want in a director, but what I need in a director.  In theory, we are supposed to be patron focused, but I think we need to be a little staff focused too.  We need to be a bit selfish in thinking about the qualities that we are looking for in a new director.

I come to the library field at a strange place in my career.  For five years I worked in an academic library as an Archivist’s Assistant and Reference Librarian but because I was part-time, I was left out of the loop.  Therefore, I’m not up on the workings of academia and how the wheels turn.  So I’m basically learning by trial and error (and, trust, there has been a lot of error).  Furthermore, I wasn’t as driven to be active in librarianship because it was a part-time job that was helping me to meet the needs of my family.  That’s not to say that I was any less dedicated to the profession than full-time librarians, it just means that my focus was on raising my children and not being a mover and shaker.  Therefore, I know that I am in need of a lot of mentoring from whoever becomes our director.

With this thought in mind, I have created a wish list of the things I need in a library director:

• Encourages professional development and lifelong learning.  Working at a small private institution has taught me one thing:  money doesn’t grow on trees.  Not that I didn’t know that before, but I just assumed that money for professional development would be a given, especially in an academic institution.  I was wrong.  So I’ve had to be creative in finding my own opportunities for professional growth.  I want someone who not only encourages this, but can help me and the other staff members find ways to develop professionally without it costing a lot of money.
• Has a web presence.  I want to be able to google the individual and see that he or she has contributed to the field of librarianship and continues to contribute using new and emerging technologies.  Our library has opportunities for growth technologically and we need someone who is not afraid to get their hands dirty and try new things.  I like technology and I think it can be incredibly useful in providing access to our students and we need someone who understands that libraries are more than brick and mortar.
• Can advocate not just for the students but for the staff.  Our institution has a lot of people on campus who are looking out for the students but there’s no one really looking out for the library staff.  We need someone who can go to the administration and state what we need and why we need it.   Sometimes libraries get put on the back burner because people really don’t understand that the library is (or should be) the heart of the campus.
• Has marketing skills.  Other departments have people touting their virtues and letting students, community members and administration know what they have to offer.  We need someone who can go into the community and tell people this is what we have to offer to our students and to you, the members of our community.
• Understands that their job isn’t done behind closed doors.  I want someone who doesn’t spend all of their time holed up in their office without bothering to connect to the students, staff and faculty.  For example, I am a big admirer of our president because he is one of the few people I have met who has an honest-to-goodness-true-blue open door policy.  His office is in the administration building and when he’s in there, the door is open.  If you have a problem, you can talk to him.  If you want to stick your head in the door and say “hi,”  he knows your name.  That openness contributes to the sense of family and community that we are known for.

So those are some of the things that I am looking for in a new director.  What would be at the top of your list if you were hiring a new director or even a new staff member?