Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

As I look back over the past few months of this course I thank @michael for challenging us to think outside the box. I have enjoyed the use of blogging to present our ideas leading to much interaction between all of us and I thank all of you who made comments and gave me suggestions. I used the assignments and reflections to “think out loud” about ideas that pertained to my life both in and out of the library and I have come up with some plans to pursue that I don’t think would have occurred to me otherwise.

My takeaways from this course are summed up in the following quotes from the section on “Color Me Curious” in The Heart of Librarianship (Stephens, 2015)

• No amount of training or professional development can move us forward if an individual is uninterested in learning or growing.
• Curiosity about the world and how people create, use, and access information should fuel our practice.
• Acting on what our curiosity reveals might lead to some innovative approaches to service.
• ……be looking forward and talking with key players about what other learning opportunites the library might offer.
• You don’t need to know how to use a mouse in order to have curiosity, you just need to love the world and want to be engaged in it (John Blyberg).

It is my desire to keep on learning always that gave me the impetus to pursue my MLIS.

So as we end this course I leave you with a toast to all of us. Best of luck to all who are graduating and to those of us who still have a ways to go……remember to stay true to yourself and your ideas. Here’s to Us!

References and Resources

Halestorm. “Here’s to Us”. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRXXGMSOiQM

Stephens, M. (2015). Color Me Curious | Office Hours. In The Heart of Librarianship, page 34.

While I was exploring the Infinite Learning materials in Modules 11 & 12, I was first drawn to the concept of “Learning Everywhere” and then to “Library as Classroom” thinking that they would give me suggestions for how to expand learning opportunities in the library and for my community. Many of the readings connect to those topics I have marked as “Directors Brief? Comp O?” and they are serving as my inspiration for that assignment.

I then moved on to listening to the lecture for the “Professional Learning Experiences” section of the module and when I went to that page I fell in love with the following quote.

“We are born to learn, but somewhere along the way many of us pick up the idea that we must be taught in order to learn………….We must regain our sense of wonder and our desire to learn.”   — R.Tennant, “Strategies for Keeping Current,” Library Journal, 9/15/2003, p.28.

In further exploration of the module I hit upon the article by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic (2015) which discussed the ways in which a person’s personality determines the ways in which they learn. I would place myself in the following categories:

Deep Learners:

• intellectually curious
• open to new experiences
• aesthetically sensitive
• sensation-seeking
• “intrinsically motivated” and prefer immersing themselves in the learning experience
• tend to lose sense of time when they’re learning, and they’re generally interested in a variety of topics

Hungry Mind:

• generally more interested in learning than others
• gravitate toward books, keep up with current events, and enjoy solving brain-teasers and puzzles
• they know what they don’t know and think of those deficits as knowledge gaps they’re always striving to fill—which keeps them asking “why?”

When I finished my first graduate degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology I said I was “done with school”. At that point I had been going non-stop for 17 years, beginning when I was not yet 5 years old. Soon after I began my professional career the head of my agency introduced me to joys of “going to Convention” (interestingly in the speech world we always refer to it as a “convention” but in the library world it’s a “conference” – a “conference” in the speech world is typically a one day event as opposed to the longer multi-day events). Over the years I have become affiliated with a number of professional organizations in both the speech and library worlds. As I spoke to in a previous blog, “we are all parts of a greater whole” and I have found networking through these educational opportunities to be an essential aspect of feeling joined to that greater whole.

I whole-heartedly agree with the findings of both Michael Stephens (2018) and Holly Clark (2019) regarding ongoing professional development. Over the years I have found that I have gained much more useful information from shorter presentations at conferences/conventions than I have at all day trainings. Invariably the speaker spends the majority of the day giving background information and the results of research studies and then rushes through the real “meat” of the presentation which are the real world applications we are hoping to take home with us. I fully take advantage of on-demand webinars ($99/year for open access to everything available on SpeechPathology.com and free access on edWeb for all things education and library related). Recently I was able to brush up on evaluation of stuttering the night before doing an evaluation by watching a one-hour webinar.

Forced opportunities for mentorship were not as successful as when people have been given the opportunity to seek out a mentor when needed. At our quarterly speech department meetings we typically set aside time for “sharing” where people are invited to either ask for suggestions from the rest of the department or share relevant information from an education opportunity they attended. In this way we can mentor each other in a more natural way.

Our library system has done well with providing trainings that are regionally based and hands-on when teaching specific technology based skills. Quarterly meetings at the system level bring together members from the 33 libraries to share information.

The “23 Things” initiative reminded me of the way INFO 203 is structured and I found that to be immensely helpful in getting introduced to the skills needed to participate in the online learning environment.

As my library has begun to expand into offering more adult programs, I recently served as a presenter and facilitator at 2 technology based programs. Without realizing it, I was trying to build “New Media Literacies” (USC Annenberg, 2013) amongst the attendees such as encouraging them to

• “play” (experiment as a form of problem solving)
• use “distributed cognition” (interact meaningfully with tools that expand mental capacities)
• share “collective intelligence” (pool knowledge and compare notes with others toward a common goal)
• use “judgment” (evalute the reliability and credibility of different information sources)
• develop “transmedia navigation” (follow the flow of stories and information across multiple media)
• use “visualization” (translate information into visual models and understand the information visual models are communicating)

Having taught those sessions is leading me toward considering taking INFO 250 – Design and Implementation of Instructional Strategies for Information Professionals in an upcoming semester.

References:

Blowers, H. (2006). About the Learning 2.0 project.

Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2015). How your personality determines how you learn.

Clark, H. (n.d.). The essentials of great PD: How educators are reimagining professional learning.

Stephens, M. (2018). Personal, Actionable, Accessible

USC Annenberg. (2013). Create circulate connect collaborate.

Ever since I read the article “Don’t hate the phone call, hate the phone” (Bogost, 2015), I have had the AT&T jingle “Reach out, reach out and touch someone” in my head. Not only was that a nostalgic glimpse into my youth, but it got me thinking more about the ways in which I use my phone to “touch” multiple people, in a variety of ways, throughout each day.

My husband would say I have a love affair with my cell phone and after reading the Deloitte survey (2016) one might think that I am a British mobile user between the ages of 18-24. I am hyperconnected throughout the day via text, messaging, and e-mail – all accessed through my phone. When we need to know information right now I just say “OK Google” and find us the answer. I end my day playing games and start each day looking at my phone, and I never turn it off. I am seriously considering the need to update my phone simply for the reason that it no longer supports the Dunkin’ App. We have a landline, with a wall phone because it still works when the power goes out, but I never answer it because if someone really wants me they know to call my cell. It’s the only number I ever give out.

My husband, on the other hand, barely knows the purpose of a cell phone. He still has a flip phone, hardly ever has it turned on unless he is expecting a call, and he hates to text. This is not to say that he is not technologically savvy. He is the moderator on a well regarded tool company forum and he is the one our neighbor calls whenever she needs IT help (she can’t find her imported pictures – again, the printer won’t print, Skype isn’t working) but he just doesn’t see the need to use a smart phone when his computer suffices and he would rather talk to someone instead typing a text.

Bogost (2015) says, “One of the ironies of modern life is that everyone is glued to their phones, but nobody uses them as phones anymore”. Again one might think I was one of the Millennials who are reported to think that phone calls are “intrusive” and make “unbidden demands for someone’s undivided attention”. This is exactly how I feel. But let’s put it into perspective. I am working 2 jobs and I am a student. My time is very limited and it is much easier to make simple contact via text than it is to make a phone call which as anyone knows can lead into much more conversation than just confirming “I’ll meet you there at 8:00”. On a regular basis I am texting the parents and teachers of my speech kiddoes to arrange for therapy, coordinating with another local librarian, contacting my assistant at the library, and coordinating with members of various church related groups – and these do not include any personal contacts that I may be making. Even as I’m writing this I am engaged in an ongoing FB Messenger with a teen about an upcoming youth retreat I am coordinating.

Bogost (2015) also comments on the changes in phone styles over time and how today’s smartphones actually are not that good for making calls.

It’s very true that the hand set on this phone was much better for hearing the speaker and you could have those extra long cords so you could still walk around while you talked with it propped between your shoulder and your ear so that you could use your hands. As he also mentions, calls were also typically made in a more private setting so that there was not as much noise competition.

I don’t know if the divide between my husband and myself is based on our upbringing but there is a definite difference between our families in general regarding use of technology. My in-laws are 10-17 years older than my parents, with the distinction of them having lived during the Depression and World War II and my parents being Baby Boomers. My husband grew up in the “country” while I was more of a “city girl” who grew up on Long Island. My in-laws have a cell phone for use in emergencies but they still have this phone hanging on their kitchen wall. They have never owned a computer although they have asked us to look up information for them.

On the other hand, my family has always been on the cutting edge of technology. My parents had computers before I did and they have always had better internet infrastructure than we have. My niece and nephew (ages 7 and 9 ) have never known a world without smart phones and they could swipe to find what they desired before they were 2. They have always been somewhat disappointed with my lack of videos and games on my phone but now do enjoy playing all the levels I have unlocked on Candy Crush. They don’t yet have phones of their own, but they do text me on whoever’s phone they can get their hands on.

Using our phones is how my family “reaches out and touches” one another. We are in group chats frequently and share pictures about everything we do and whatever the kids accomplish. My mother and I have had an ongoing tradition for almost 10 years where we will text when certain songs are played on the radio. My son thinks we are crazy for continuing it but it’s a way to keep in touch and I love it when I get a text that says “Surrender” or “I Hate Myself” .

During football season I spend my Sundays in continuous texts with my brother and father about how much the Jets suck and we should become Bills fans (but honestly we have invested in too much green clothing to make that switch). My friend Mary has Red Zone so she texts about every game that is on. It’s all a matter of keeping in touch.

In my side of the family each person is invested in wearable technology, with each of the 7 of us from age 7-74 having a fitbit. They are so used to playing music through a Smart Speaker that my sister-in-law literally said “Alexa play Happy Birthday” when I had my cake this year. (Alexa also responds whenever the kids say “Aunt Lisa” but that’s another story).

I connect on Social Media primarily on Facebook although I also have Instagram and Twitter accounts. What a wonderful way to have reconnected with so many people from my past and grow new connections! Again, I am going for simplicity. I only have time to deal with one of them on a regular basis and since I am managing 5 other FB pages that’s my go-to. The library and church pages are linked to our Twitter accounts so I only have to post in one place. People are able to contact us via those media, and although I would like to make our library website more interactive, people do have the ability to e-mail us through the site. We have a few tweens/teens who are within walking distance of the library who will hang out on the porch to use the wifi in the warmer temperatures but they don’t typically come in to use it during the colder months. We need to find a way to make better connections with them.

It’s technology’s world and we are living in it. We just need to remember to “reach out and touch someone” in some way throughout the day.

References

Bogost, I. (2015). Don’t hate the phone call, hate the phone. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/08/why-people-hate-making-phone-calls/401114/

Deloitte Survey. (2016). How do today’s students use mobiles? Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/public-sector/articles/how-do-todays-students-use-mobiles.html#

Media

1980s wall phone. Retrieved from https://www.allegromedical.com/daily-living-aids-c519/cortelco-traditional-mini-wall-phone-p560608.html?CS_003=9164468&CS_010=ff80818124a5c0080124a74b685b00ac&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrcqx4IWt4QIVBI3ICh1zkw9lEAQYASABEgJsRfD_BwE#124A-74B6889

AT&T Ad. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt6DvapiK-w

I Hate Myself for Loving You (Joan Jett). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpNw7jYkbVc

Surrender (Cheap Trick). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqB9lhHqmsE

KNOWLEDGEABLE & PASSIONATE – One of the considerations for prospective librarians that @Michael mentions in “The Heart of Librarianship” (pp 55-56) is the need to help people “find things”. Michael Casey says we should be enthusiastic about providing creditable resources to the community. I think we are meeting this objective. We continuously provide new materials to the community and find ways to get what they want as quickly as possible either through ILL or by ordering requested materials to add to the collection. However, we could do better in educating the public about what additional services are available using their library cards through the Finger Lakes Library System. And what are the needs that we aren’t meeting? We need to expand our participatory avenues to gain more feedback. We often ask questions on Facebook which do not always gain many responses and we do not have an ongoing blog connected to the website where responses are an option.

INNOVATIVE – I love to see the new ideas offered by various libraries and to try to envision making them work in our space. One the most exciting I’ve seen is the Idea Box found at the Oak Park Public Library. It looks like they even paint it as they change their interactive exhibits! Oh to have the space to do something like that. Over the years we have had some innovative experiences, like Ukulele Camp, even if they weren’t our own ideas, but maybe there are in-house service options to consider (the Open+ option as described by Michael Casey would be a bit too much for us but I am looking to expand our service area and hours). Seeing Ann Arbor’s Summer Game has given me an idea for our Spring Break activity – an online Scavenger Hunt. I have seen other libraries move away from “Summer Reading” to “Summer Learning” but we tend to do a combination of learning activities paired with continued use of reading logs because of our tie to the school district’s Literacy Committee.

FOCUSED & FRIENDLY – This is an area I think we have mastered. In reading Aaron Schmidt’s article about “Earning Trust”(2013) I think we are meeting his guideposts of providing quality face-to-face customer service and building the trust of our patrons. We show our personality and have established strong relationships with a number of entities in our community. We help our patrons to be successful. I think our website is user-friendly, although it could use some updating, and we post regularly on Facebook, offering interactive opportunities there for our patrons.

EQUITABLE & COOPERATIVE – As I discussed in my first discussion post, “My Evolving Life”, I am currently struggling with the decision of whether or not to go “fine free”. Despite the fact that we continue to charge fines I think we do, as stated in the GCPL Customer Service Philosophy, “give every customer the benefit of the doubt and work to accommodate unique situations with equitable solutions” so that we are not alienating people due to life circumstances. Although not included in the definition of this box, we are highly “cooperative”, frequently collaborating with other community entities such a neighboring library, the school district, the food pantry, and most recently with the Historical Association to provide joint programming.

TRANSPARENT – Another of Aaron Schmidt’s (2013) hallmarks of “Earning Trust” is Honesty. This is an area we need to improve upon. We have our Board Minutes published on our website (although I am a couple of months behind and I just realized that our Annual Report has not been updated since 2013 – I didn’t even realize that was on there – oops!) and we do provide a printed Annual Report to our patrons at our Annual Meeting and when they come to the library. At this time we are in negotiations with the Post Office, who rents half of our building, to reduce their space so that we can begin an expansion project. This is a topic that I have preferred to keep less than public until we have something more substantial to present to them. Is this “hiding” something? I’m not sure, but right now I don’t have any answers to give to questions other than what I have stated so I’d rather not have rumors circulating.

INCLUSIVE – This is an area that needs much improvement. Our otherwise rather homogeneous community has become diversified by a growing number of Hispanic farm workers. We collaborate in some ways with the food pantry to provide books in both English and Spanish for their Healthy Bodies, Strong Minds initiative, and have gone to the food pantry for a library card drive, but those families have not yet come to the library and Spanish language books that we have do not circulate. Part of our need for expansion centers on the fact that we are not ADA compliant. There is a wheelchair ramp to get up to the porch and our doors can be opened to accommodate entry, however once inside there is little space for anyone to maneuver, much less in a wheelchair, and our bathroom is not accessible.

The readings for both Modules 4 and 5 left me thinking of aspects of Participatory Service and Transparency that need to be addressed in order to be a viable library in the 21st century. The impetus for change lies in my hands and that it why I am pursuing this degree.

References
Ann Arbor District Library’s Summer Game Demo. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZd6uiM34C8 .

Finger Lakes Library System eSources. (2019). Retrieved from https://catalog.flls.org/polaris/search/misc/esources.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.3

Group Mission Trips. (2019). Retrieved from https://groupmissiontrips.com/

Gwinnett County Public Library Open+. (2016). Retrieved from https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Open-handout.pdf

Gwinnett County Public Library Customer Service Philosphy. (2019). Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PH_vh3xsy_8mODFH99DvsAnCs1DATYrt

King Ferry Food Pantry Healthy Bodies, Strong Minds. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/KingFerryFoodPantry/photos/a.479703645830429/561975027603290/?type=3&theater

Schmidt, A. (2013). The user experience: earning trust. Library Journal, (LI, 11/5/13). Retrieved from https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=earning-trust-the-user-experience

Stephens, M. (2016). The heart of librarianship: Attentive, positive, and purposeful change. American Library Association. pp 55-56.

Hi! Here is the link to my Context Book Report. I read “Made to Stick” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. I put it on a separate page. I actually referenced it today when giving a talk on how to write a talk. It was something I have given in the past, to some of the same people, but they did seem to be nodding in agreement when given the suggestions I had pulled from the book regarding getting to the core of the message and illustrating it with stories that get to the heart of the matter. This assignment is already paying off!