tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16528620978510292002011-12-01T19:12:40.691-08:00Exploring the connections between libraries and learningRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.comBlogger1021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-21060888534190761592011-07-11T19:34:00.000-07:002011-07-11T19:34:20.392-07:00

Apologies to readers that this blog is going to turn pedagogy for the next few weeks. Today was day one of Concordia Language training. One idea that seems particularly relevant to library instruction is the WHAP instruction plan:Welcome--Something that establishes for students that class is startingHook--Something to get them interested (a prop, relevance, etc.), explanation of conceptsAction--A

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-1138274695454412712011-07-09T18:47:00.000-07:002011-07-09T18:47:48.886-07:00

Summer has been a whirlwind! Here are some quick updates: Just as summer started, my job changed. My new title is "Teaching and Learning Librarian," and I'll be working with instruction as well as e-learning because of a colleague's retirement. I'm really excited about the chance to spend more time in the classroom. My student intern from this year is off to IU Bloomington SLIS, and while I am of

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-89079328201637310592011-06-06T08:49:00.000-07:002011-06-06T08:49:27.665-07:00

I spent Friday attending the Kathleen Zar Symposium on Library Assessment at the University of Chicago. I really liked the one day format, the small size, and the focus just on library assessment. I also love that it was in Chicago and enjoyed seeing the new Mansueto Library. As ever, Megan Oakleaf said a lot of really smart stuff and presented it in a way that was engaging. Although she made

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-44218272944672805012011-05-14T06:01:00.000-07:002011-05-14T06:01:59.584-07:00

It's graduation day, so sending out a mega congrats to my rockstar intern Bri and wishing her, and all the other UW-L class of  2011 seniors all and only the best. The students here really are a delight. Thursday was my birthday, and while there were many happy surprises and moments, one interaction with a student stands out. G is a junior I've worked a lot with this year, helping her with her

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-66858733771035385062011-05-12T07:42:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:36:34.144-07:00

We're in the last two days of finals and all the snow has finally melted :) Now that the cycle of guide students through their last few chaotic weeks is winding down, I'm able to shift focus to summer projects. The main goal for this summer is working with a professor to create onlin modules for the required freshmen communications course. The traditional model for instruction that we've applied

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-1037398180149951932011-04-15T10:48:00.000-07:002011-04-15T10:48:37.757-07:00

Sarah Faye Cohen over at The Sheck Spot poses the fascinating and perhaps deeply personal question of  Why do you teach? Especially as librarians, I think this is something worth reflecting on and asking from time to time. I teach because it's who I am and I teach all the time, even when that may not be the required response. I started "formally" teaching in eighth grade when I was put in

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-72491593883888182362011-04-12T08:32:00.000-07:002011-04-12T08:32:13.073-07:00

Hello end of the year! La X has finally warmed up and turned green and my focus is a bit scattered as I help students wrap up the end of the semester, delight in the greenery and warmth, and prepare for ALA and summer projects. So, lots of excitement and sharing, though I don't really see the connections between the following ideas, and I would (as always!) certainly appreciate your comments and

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-37488273927248285132011-04-05T12:53:00.000-07:002011-04-05T12:53:17.145-07:00

Library Journal and Andy have already done a wonderful job summarizing ACRL 2011, and I'd like to add my top three experiences to the conversation. Tiffany Shlain's film "Connected" and her corresponding keynote. I'm excited about the discussions I hope this "autoblogography" sparks and was really moved by her visual presentation style. I appreciated the emotional and propelling story, the

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-6097371688946849202011-03-17T13:43:00.000-07:002011-03-17T13:43:16.737-07:00

I have spent the last two days at the Library Technology Conference. I gave two presentations, met some really inspiring people (@beckiejean, I'm looking at you), and attended some very informative sessions. So, to use a favorite expression of my mentor Carrie (@carriedonovan), let's deconstruct: Wednesday:  Yesterday's keynote by Siva Vaidhanyathan was based on his book The Googlization of

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-50633922153219250962011-03-01T11:13:00.000-08:002011-03-01T11:13:10.471-08:00

As anyone who reads this blog knows by now, my Fulbright year in Chile was life-changing and amazing and all kinds of wonderful. One thing the program emphasizes though, like most alumni associations, is that Fulbright is for life--not just for the grant duration. This means I have access to databases for life (which fills my geeky heart with joy!), to some networking opportunities, and to

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-33513182580524777662011-02-15T14:56:00.000-08:002011-02-15T14:56:19.700-08:00

Hello neglected blog! It's been a busy couple of months, and I've missed having time to reflect, rather than just run! One of the highlights of this semester/year has been working within an Embedded Librarianship program with two of my colleagues and two phenomenal course instructors. I have learned so much from working with this team! One of the professors started her first day of class by

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-7958554081121631592011-01-06T22:03:00.000-08:002011-01-06T22:03:25.399-08:00

Today's instruction class was a great reminder for me that, as much as I love teaching, it's really not about me. I taught a session today for a Biology class I worked with a lot last semester. We're in J-term, so the structure is a little different, and more intense, for the students. I was also working with an instructor I hadn't worked with before, but she told me she wanted exactly what I had

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-76160016661231217612010-12-27T11:56:00.000-08:002010-12-27T13:01:06.267-08:00

My first semester as a "real" librarian is down, and it's a treat to be home and have a time to reflect. I really learned a lot this term, but have tried to condense it down to three main things:1) Ask!As the new employee in a newly-created position, I felt like I initially didn't know anything, nor did I know where to look. There were a lot of weeks of asking questions constantly. I've slowed

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-22157871792186588292010-12-11T12:11:00.000-08:002010-12-11T12:32:07.004-08:00

Today I gave my first instruction session via Elluminate. One of the absolute joys of my job is working with teachers from across the state of WI who are working to get their masters in education. These students are part of "learning communities" throughout the state, based on geographic location. In the past, library instruction has been given live. Because I am really keen on making instruction

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-12680123158418658012010-11-30T11:47:00.001-08:002010-11-30T12:12:11.586-08:00

I've been working closely with an introductory history class this semester, and one of the students came to my office with further questions from class. I really admire that she would have the courage to say that, truthfully, going up to the stacks is scary and would I mind going with her?I know library anxiety is hardly a new issue, and I fully recognize that there are some mixed feelings about

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-81453194992235178322010-11-24T18:24:00.000-08:002010-12-14T08:33:26.380-08:00

This, for some reason, never got published. I think it's still relevant, so here 'tis!___________________________________________________________________________Over the last few weeks, I've taught a required walk-in workshop for an introductory biology class. The assignment was for students to find an article from a list he gave them which provided title and author, for them to cite it correctly

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-43510516160320370702010-11-17T09:20:00.000-08:002010-11-19T06:38:15.986-08:00

I've spent most of this week at the Indiana Library Federation Conference. My former boss, now mentor/friend, invited me to give a talk with her on the international podcast project we did last summer. I also gave a talk for library school students on the transition from library school to librarian. Both went well, with good turn-out and good questions, which was exciting. I was also able--for

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-481000486806142562010-11-10T19:57:00.000-08:002010-11-10T20:16:30.120-08:00

Tonight I did a program for my freshmen res hall, and am, an hour later, still on the instruction high. The academic resource mentors (ARMs) asked me to come in at night and give a talk about what I can do for them as their res hall librarian, show them how to ILL stuff, and a quick intro to the EBSCO interface. I also had some trivia about the library that I wrote down on notecards and threw

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-42332011926056419172010-11-08T17:45:00.000-08:002010-11-08T19:04:03.289-08:00

Growing up, I studied piano. My teacher often noted that I have more of the nature of an accompanist than a concert pianist. As accompanist, my role is to sensitively adjust to the performer and do whatever I do to make that person feel and sound confident and supported. When accompanying for beginning students, this often meant skipping a page or two without any notice if they were nervous, or,

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-4535448208113180992010-10-30T22:28:00.000-07:002010-10-30T22:44:34.448-07:00

I have several photos of Hermie, an affectionate nickname for the library where I worked as a grad student, up in my office, along with other photos of Indiana and various mementos that remind me of people there. This keeps me grounded and helps remind me of the amazing people and experiences that now seem so long ago and far away--and of the energy and momentum that I sustained for those two

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-37044410552741542502010-10-13T11:31:00.000-07:002010-10-13T11:45:50.311-07:00

Learning to code xhtml by hand should have forever engrained in me that one should not assume that a link will work just because it's been coded to work!Nevertheless, this was a good reminder. As I stumble across educational technologies or resources that seem useful, I've been bookmarking them in delicious. I realized it would be helpful to see these in list form, and possibly to include

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-33468044841065186772010-10-07T11:17:00.000-07:002010-10-07T13:33:36.034-07:00

Quite honestly, I was dreading the class I taught yesterday because my first experience teaching this course here had been filled with instructional moments for me. I'm pleased with what happened this time and acknowledge that, however painful learning may be, it's important for me to also keep learning and remember what it's like on the student end. Lessons learned from this class:Students like

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-32688039632889693092010-09-23T11:11:00.001-07:002010-09-23T14:59:11.958-07:00

Today I met with a faculty member to get feedback on an instruction session I taught last week and to get more context on his course. He gave practical suggestions (when putting students in small groups to work, make sure each student has a specific role, like managing the computer, notes, etc.), but also advised me to keep two questions in mind as I teach, particularly for his course:1) Why do I

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-79659063667775488262010-09-21T14:37:00.000-07:002010-09-21T18:31:32.815-07:00

Today I had a scheduled reference consultation with an international student about using the catalog. Our instructional "bottleneck" came with the letters used in Library of Congress. She wondered what the connection was between the letters and their subjects. I didn't really have a better answer than, there isn't--just think of it as a code and don't focus on it too much. Actually looking at an

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-64579001042928755842010-09-09T20:30:00.000-07:002010-09-13T14:22:59.220-07:00

As part of my new job, I've been observing my colleagues teach. One colleague, working within an embedded class, introduced herself by saying that she became a librarian because career tests suggested private investigator, something I don't remember, and librarian. She then said that she views librarianship as private investigators without the guns. I really like this analogy, and also that, for

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-18794431235179917612010-07-09T15:01:00.000-07:002010-07-09T15:07:23.058-07:00

Today, I taught for six hours, nearly straight (three sections of a two-hour class, twenty minute break between each). Honestly, it was really fun and I'm not as exhausted physically or mentally as I expected to be. I get such energy from students by helping them realize how the library is there for them in so many ways.That said, I'm not sure I could do this every day without burning out, and

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-84227224524201677512010-07-06T16:54:00.001-07:002010-09-13T14:01:58.675-07:00

I wrote this posting several months ago but never posted it. Other than my job title and location ( I am a librarian now!), everything else is still relevant. On days when I'm frustrated with technology or in meetings all day or for whatever reason not feeling the passion and love for what I'm doing, this is a helpful reminder.Today was really one of those days when I am so thankful to be on the

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-29535040874570445362010-07-02T19:58:00.000-07:002010-07-02T20:34:56.269-07:00

I really enjoy mixing things up when I teach, but my philosophy on teaching with technology is that there must be a clear purpose, reason, and goal for using a technology to meet a learning outcome and class goal. I also admit that I enjoy the thrill of trying new things that work and in coming closer to that ever-elusive goal of having students that get it, are engaged, and learning, as well as

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-39690807122681224452010-06-25T08:05:00.001-07:002010-07-02T19:42:58.981-07:00

First off, having one Annual and one Midwinter behind me made this sooo much easier. Conference is still huge and overwhelming, but I have to say that it was much less so this year, or perhaps that I had a better perspective and stressed out about not being able to do it all? In any case, good things all around, and here's to keeping that momentum going!Highlights:Emerging Leader Seminars! Friday

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-58741134118658025592010-05-24T19:11:00.000-07:002010-05-24T19:27:29.736-07:00

Hearing appreciation from library users may be one of the most rewarding aspects of working with the public. In a time when library budgets are being so frequently and drastically cut, it is refreshing to see gratitude from the people who are using library resources and services--to hear that libraries and what they are offer are important to people beyond those of us that work there.This blog

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-72507756670963059002010-04-26T17:36:00.000-07:002010-04-26T17:53:55.940-07:00

I wish I were announcing my future job/school here, but we're not there yet :)Today I officially turned in all of my paperwork and coursework to graduate and shared a desk shift with a retiring librarian on her very last desk shift. She talked about the things she's hoping to do in retirement (travel!Yay!), gave me advice on the job hunt, and mentioned that tonight was new beginning night.So, to

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-8810038338718356972010-03-31T09:15:00.000-07:002010-03-31T09:32:26.106-07:00

I love that goosebumps moment when I learn something and suddenly everything else looks different. For my final research paper (as a SLIS student at least), I'm studying effective ways of starting a one-shot session. This has involved reading instructional design and teaching pedagogy, but the article that really struck me today was Joan Kaplowitz's "The Psychology of Learning: Connecting Theory

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-81395976392260292902010-03-24T14:30:00.000-07:002010-03-24T14:41:14.300-07:00

Today involved a lot of draining and high energy projects. I like that kind of work, but I was definitely feeling ready to not think about libraries by 5:00 and wondering if anything I do has an impact.As I was heading out, a student from one of my instruction classes caught me, "Hey! It's Rachel! You're my librarian! Help?" We worked on scanning and articles. As we wrapped up, she thanked me for

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-21954618658919545992010-03-23T10:48:00.000-07:002010-03-23T14:34:58.805-07:00

I taught my last one-shot session at this university, and I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. I still have a long way to go, but in the three years since I started here, I know I've learned a lot. I've listed the things that stand out most now (an hour post teaching).Planning is great, but only if it allows for flexibility and adapting to student needsPacing is key. I still tend to talk fast, but I know

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-52244918081987518512010-03-02T20:38:00.000-08:002010-03-02T20:51:12.679-08:00

I'm doing my capstone internship in the data & statistical services department of the main library this semester. My supervisor asked me to create "interactive outreach" for data services twice this term, focusing one on data resources and the other on the census (beyond the larger project of an assessment of our resources and services).Each month, the library holds an "InfoShare" in the the main

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-80994662691995350932010-03-01T20:11:00.000-08:002010-03-19T18:08:06.843-07:00

The news about the earthquake in Chile has been heavy on my mind, since the region where I lived--and where my host family, former students, and many close friends still live--was among the hardest hit. I've talked with my host family and they are all alive (as are all of my friends and former students), but all tell me the situation is "critical" as they try to return to normal lives, and that

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-74552177348288378692010-02-24T19:22:00.001-08:002010-02-24T19:36:01.091-08:00

Since returning from Chile, I really struggled with how to apply what I learned as an English as a Foreign Language teacher to my info lit sessions.Tonight, while reviewing notes from the pedagogy class I'm taking, I had a breakthrough: I can't apply most of what I learned, and that's ok. Much of good teaching really is discipline specific, and teaching in that context (a native speaker teaching

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-20971807763483463922010-02-14T16:39:00.000-08:002010-02-14T16:55:01.019-08:00

Connecting/connections with students has been a topic at the front of my mind this term. Tonight on the desk I recognized two students by name, one from the intl tour project and another from the biology class that I've worked with several times. The first student and I have chatted several times since the tour, and she's IMed and emailed me since with questions. The biology student walked by the

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-7596996698342696352010-02-11T17:03:00.000-08:002010-02-11T17:16:49.813-08:00

I know I've said this many times, but I really enjoy our students so much! There have been a couple things this week that just confirmed that for me:Meeting with my student blogger. Karlie just has so much energy and enthusiasm, and is so much fun."Write a Valentine to the Library!" We put two whiteboards out in the lobby with posters saying "Write a Valentine to the Library!" and a giant heart,

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-69832921476702033722010-02-10T18:00:00.000-08:002010-02-10T18:22:57.468-08:00

I really like teaching days where I have the same course back to back. Today I had one section where the students were just not volunteering for anything, responding to any of my jokes, questions, anything. I put them in small groups and had them discuss--thinking maybe it was a comfort issue. But no, no reaction or participation there either.The next class, I brought in a stack of notecards and

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-25366454845318909402010-02-07T05:05:00.000-08:002010-02-07T16:36:23.072-08:00

Teaching in Chile for a year was a phenomenal experience that spoiled me. I could teach what I wanted as I wanted, I was sent to professional development training every month, and the department was small enough that I got to know many of the students well both in and out of class. Most of the students were very free about offering me feedback and telling me what they needed. I really enjoyed my

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-5259432271363386702010-01-30T06:27:00.000-08:002010-02-02T18:04:47.066-08:00

This article really resonated with me. WOW. But how to get there?

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-18075634872196653762010-01-25T06:05:00.000-08:002010-01-25T17:38:05.419-08:00

Inspired by Librarian Scenester and the Library Day In The Life posts, I thought I'd also like to join the conversation in my last few months as a library school student. Beyond being a last semester MLS candidate, I also work as the graduate assistant to Teaching & Learning for Wells Library. This semester my coursework is an independent research project on effectively beginning a library

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-65421768387632389912010-01-18T10:51:00.000-08:002010-01-18T11:06:21.188-08:00

Yesterday I went to a discussion on working with international patrons, which may have been one of the most interesting sessions I've had :) This is definitely one of my favorite areas, and it was fun to hear what libraries across the country are doing to help non-native speakers of English, students and scholars preparing for study/work abroad or returning from that process, and second

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-53526832800517992592010-01-18T10:46:00.000-08:002010-01-18T11:04:45.110-08:00

My first session of the day was the ACRL New Members Discussion Group where I was one of three presenters on Teaching & Technology. One presenter came with the angle of a systems librarian who had been required to teach: How do you teach technology when you live and breathe it, but don’t have any teaching experience? Many of her ideas were ones that I was taught in work training: don’t use jargon

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-72900854872616371492010-01-18T10:45:00.000-08:002010-01-18T10:46:29.138-08:00

We ended the day with an open call-out for things people would most remember and learn. I’m curious about the possibilities of doing this when I teach since it seemed insightful. The key “takeaways” from our group today were:-Leaders release energy from others-It’s ok to say no ☺-Taking care of yourself, giving yourself space, is essential-Whatever you bring to work or to interactions with others

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-84976728950528254722010-01-18T10:44:00.000-08:002010-01-18T10:45:45.619-08:00

In terms of work/sessions for today, I had “leadership training” all day with the Emerging Leaders program. We had several speakers throughout the day, some ice breakers, and small group discussions. Bullet points of the key ideas I hope to take away are below:To be most effective in my work, one needs to:• Observe others• Establish what you need to get where you want to be• Learn from all

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-78365650866629876282010-01-18T10:41:00.000-08:002010-01-18T10:43:56.892-08:00

Today was such a fulfilling day professionally; I learned so much and met some wonderful people. In the nerdy fan-girl sense, I met two of my library heroes today: Lauren Pressley and Deb Gilchrist (AAAH!!), and was within 10 feet of Jenny Levine (though I didn’t have the courage to introduce myself after her talk)! Seeing library school friends whom I haven’t seen since their graduation (2 years

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-41584447967210107652010-01-13T19:28:00.000-08:002010-01-13T20:08:19.413-08:00

Tomorrow marks another rite of passage in librarianship for me:my first ALA Midwinter conference and first time meeting my cohorts in the Emerging Leaders. We've had communication through the ala connect portal, twitter, and facebook over the last few months, and I know I'm joining a group of enthusiastic and creative people with a huge variety of personalities and backgrounds. I'm looking

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-15545957621431326202009-12-18T16:56:00.000-08:002009-12-18T17:36:19.971-08:00

From Lib and LearnWith the close of the calendar year and the academic fall term, this is by nature a time of reflection. This time last year, I was tieing up my year in Chile as "Professor Miss Rachel" to the students above, and getting geared up to return to library school. I didn't have any idea if I'd be able to finish my program here, if I'd be able to pick up after a year off, if I still

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-15899510459696535782009-12-17T14:22:00.000-08:002009-12-17T15:53:50.834-08:00

As I've probably mentioned, I work for absolutely amazing people. I am continually inspired and amazed by the work they do and the spirit with which they do it. As a student, I've gotten a lot of direct mentoring from sharing the "ask" desk with librarians. Tonight I'm on with the head of reference, and Emily shared stories about past students and where they are now. She mentioned how much she

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-24055284317504948232009-11-20T18:14:00.001-08:002009-11-20T18:23:58.185-08:00

Char Booth is one of my library heroes, and her blog (infomational) always provides inspiration. Today her post on student strikes was a scary flashback to one of my more difficult experiences in Chile. Students barricading themselves in buildings to protest tuition hikes? Students being injured and university officials struggling to meet them for negotiations? This is all too familiar. We're

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-18194240177753651462009-11-16T08:12:00.001-08:002009-11-16T08:14:13.461-08:00

Today LJ also announced a teaching award, where the winner said very similar things as the other faculty members I mentioned earlier. Is good teaching really so transparent that it can be condensed into bullet lists and almost cliché expressions? Or are all these ideas just re-iterating the basic tenets of teaching?

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-23112294219872702842009-11-16T06:25:00.001-08:002009-11-16T06:45:58.136-08:00

Via The Kept Up Academic Librarian (one of my favorite blogs), I read teaching wisdom from three finalists for the Cherry award for teaching.In sum, these three exceptional professors recommend:"Every professor needs to find his style" (Elliot West)Evaluate and reflect: "look out at every class to figure out what's working and what's not." (Elliot West)Accept silence to hard questions: ""Never

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-48987140855983945632009-11-14T07:56:00.000-08:002009-11-14T08:19:08.196-08:00

Today at the reference desk, a graduate student asked me if Cybersociology magazine is a source she could use in a research proposal. I checked the library resource list to see if we had more information on the site (we didn't), googled the magazine (link to it, not much else), and googled the authors (nothing that the magazine didn't already say). We very briefly talked through it, and she

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-23774820916516607872009-11-06T08:05:00.000-08:002009-11-06T08:20:56.091-08:00

Brian P. Hall offers a powerful article on engaging students in the Nov. 1 Chronicle of Higher Education (behind the pay wall). Hall teaches at a metropolitan community college and questions if he could have done more to "engage" students--particularly those who don't respond well to group activities, who drop the coruse, who end up in jail. While I can't speak to his particular situation, I can

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-12326663626405831032009-11-01T19:41:00.000-08:002009-11-01T19:53:20.488-08:00

Tonight I went to a concert honoring 100 years since violinist Josef Gingold's birth. Gingold was a faculty member here and has taught some of the most renowned violinists, including Itzhak Perlman, Jaime Laredo, and Joshua Bell--the latter two of whom played tonight at the university auditorium.Growing up, I aspired to be a violin teacher and had a fan-girl crush on Joshua Bell. He was from a

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-29045516558561939732009-10-29T10:09:00.000-07:002009-10-29T10:24:27.163-07:00

Library Journal recently published an article about the value of the MLS degree and suggesting that there are too many grads and LIS schools for the market.As one who just recently entered the market, this article hit close to home. When I started library school, fresh out of undergraduate education, I had no idea what to expect. Would it be as challenging as writing my undergrad thesis? Were the

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-75960445001693599052009-10-27T19:22:00.001-07:002009-10-27T19:56:39.866-07:00

This blog is, as much as anything else, my reflections on what I'm learning from my work and experiences as a library student. Today I co-taught a class with my colleague and role model John Watts. It was inspiring and re-energizing to get a new perspective and to teach with someone who brings so much energy and natural humor into the classroom. This class was also memorable because of the

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-71885816089181775502009-10-17T07:15:00.000-07:002009-10-21T17:42:16.661-07:00

The Chronicle of Higher Education had an interesting blog post saying that, according to an ARL panel, open access to research is "inevitable," but that it will take us a while to get there.It seems that every day there is some "new" news or discussion about the future directions of libraries, publications and the dissemination of scholarly information. I'm never sure how much truth to base in

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-24200304471473903552009-10-08T13:52:00.000-07:002009-10-08T14:18:08.191-07:00

Over the course of the coming year, my supervisor and I will be working on a research project together--and yesterday the data collection began!We're interested in finding out how to start a one-shot instruction session. What's effective? Does traditional teaching pedagogy apply in a one-shot scenario, where you only see the students once and not for very long? If so, to what degree?Since

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-19114331847654682422009-10-08T13:29:00.000-07:002009-10-08T13:51:40.470-07:00

The official proclamation of National Information Literacy Awareness Month is by now not news, but I think, in the spirit of information literacy, it begs for questioning and evaluation. The emphasis, as suggested by the title and used throughout, is on awareness of information literacy,"to recognize the important role information plays in our daily lives, and appreciate the need for a greater

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-46299727838181326202009-10-04T15:55:00.000-07:002009-10-04T17:14:10.308-07:00

On September 25-26, I attended the Georgia Conference on Information Literacy in Savannah. While I've attended other conferences before, this was the first for me that was so focused on this topic. It was so refreshing and inspiring to hear about info lit not just from librarians around the country, but also course instructors. This was also my first conference presentation talk.For me, the

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-35963829615053228952009-09-19T11:05:00.000-07:002009-09-19T11:31:30.581-07:00

Today I presented at "The Write Time" Conference with Mary and Emily. This was a really neat venue--an interesting mix of students and professional writers. The focus of our panel was on idea generation (through wordle and delicious) and places to find information for free--through your local library resources, and through things like The American Memory Project. It was also a delight to have a

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-23431771619400939892009-09-12T18:59:00.001-07:002009-09-12T19:31:56.676-07:00

The start of classes, preparation for the upcoming Georgia Conference on Information Literacy, and work with the Society of Scholarly Publishing, has slowed this blog. I certainly have more appreciation now for librarians that manage to keep up engaging blogs along with everything else. Some days I find that I have ideas, but don't have the time/energy to really consolidate them into something

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-52453826535257220472009-08-25T13:18:00.000-07:002009-08-25T13:20:03.981-07:00

Quick link to the video the marketing team did here.Love it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxTAmmBDVFE

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-37589250618175609392009-08-24T14:09:00.001-07:002009-08-24T14:19:06.595-07:00

Several weeks ago, there was some attention given to the "Library Day in a Life" project (http://librarydayinthelife.pbworks.com/), which is a listing of librarians who blog about what they do in a typical day.As  a library student working part-time at four library jobs, I rarely have a full day of work to write about, unless attending class and doing homework were considered.This is orientation

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-67490580110222842412009-08-23T13:06:00.000-07:002009-08-23T13:14:36.837-07:00

This is a bit delayed, but still relevant (I hope!). With moving and finishing summer school, the blog has been neglected.Two weeks ago, we gave a general orientation to the new freshmen football players. This may be among the highlights of my instruction career (thus far). The students were polite, engaged, and fun to work with. The logistics also made the whole event entertaining: 25 huuuuge

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-4510777466015469812009-08-04T11:20:00.000-07:002009-08-04T11:22:45.128-07:00

http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=2721I referred to this book earlier. I've written things before, but I guess I STILL can't get over the excitement of seeing my name, with my mentor's, in a book of teaching happiness. I've read it, and there really are some fun teaching ideas for anyone interested in library instruction.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-7129560431198228192009-08-03T07:17:00.000-07:002009-08-03T07:23:57.642-07:00

Even though my time in Chile spread things out, I've now made the full 1 year cycle and am starting to feel nostalgic. Many of the classmates I started with are either now leaving to start their first professional positions, or have been professionals for some time now. Besides the dual degree (3 year program), I think I may be one of the few left of the group I started with. Some of my

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-47566008121997981712009-07-31T08:04:00.001-07:002009-07-31T08:08:33.362-07:00

The recording of audio tours continues. We are using Garageband because of the ease in editing sound and adding photos, as well as its easy availability in the computer lab. We also considered Audacity, also a great tool and on all the lab computers, but it isn't as helpful for the photos.In any case, I learned this week that for Garageband to read the microphone, you have to select voice effects

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-20173892881567794272009-07-26T18:26:00.000-07:002009-07-26T18:39:26.132-07:00

Today I had a couple moments that reminded me why I love librarianship. I'm currently working in a variety of positions: instruction assistant, reference assistant, graduate assistant to the instructional services librarian, and government documents/microfilm/current periodicals assistant. I've seen the same students from instruction at the ref desk from time to time, but today was the first time

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-7243018845028692452009-07-24T04:24:00.001-07:002009-07-24T14:54:25.864-07:00

This year marked my first ALA conference, my first poster presentation, and my first experience buying a book to which I had contributed a chapter. Clearly, no need to put everything on one date :)I wasn't really sure what to expect with ALA. There were several forums to help prepare first time attendees which I attended. I'm not sure anything can prepare a person for several days of being with

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-79695912631803474062009-07-08T12:14:00.000-07:002009-07-08T12:22:35.024-07:00

After teaching in Chile, I thought NOTHING would surprise me in the classroom. I stand corrected.Over the last few days, I've taught four X153 classes--an overview of the library, the catalog, and a database, spread over a two hour session. Having this much time has been a luxury :)One activity that has gotten great results is the library "team tour": sending the students to each section of the

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-53274342343961046552009-07-06T07:32:00.000-07:002009-07-06T08:05:33.853-07:00

Today I taught a new class for the first time--a two hour marathon giving an intro to library resources and services and specifically "how the library will help you with critical thinking." The class doesn't have a specific assignment.One of my summer project was to revamp this lesson plan for the rest of the graduate instructors, really trying to make it active-learning focused and to give them

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-22567573144079582302009-06-26T15:53:00.000-07:002009-06-26T15:57:14.074-07:00

I'm attending ALA annual for the first time in a couple weeks, and really excited about it (maybe I should quit using that phrase: if it involves good things with libraries, of course I'm excited). I applied for a first time attendee mentor through the NMRT, and have been so amazed by how kind and helpful Sarah has been--answering many library questions, offering helpful advice, and suggesting

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-89659701403031766992009-06-25T19:38:00.000-07:002009-06-25T19:41:21.418-07:00

I was searching YouTube tonight for something else, and stumbled on a video from a project I briefly worked with in Chile. My former students, as teachers to be, gave free English classes to high school students from the area. I sat in on classes as the native speaker presence and to help where I could. It was great fun to have the role reversal of them in charge of the classroom and me as the "

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-75353445202050161062009-06-24T18:05:00.000-07:002009-06-24T20:05:38.688-07:00

One of my summer work projects has been helping my supervisor with her research. My job as a "research assistant" when I was an undergrad meant finding everything on a given topic for a professor--great future training. Since I now work for a librarian, I don't get that assignment as often, and my "assistance" has been in the form of cranking and interpreting her statistics. This is something

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-88766870944534837162009-06-23T10:48:00.000-07:002009-06-23T11:00:36.790-07:00

Today marks the beginning of summer session II--and I am back to being a student! No more life of luxury of "just" working and getting the groundwork laid for my cv, portfolio, and research. I'm taking a government information class, in part because I was told it is a class that will make me more employable (every library needs someone who likes gov docs!), and, in part, because of a scholarship;

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-29629822232048244602009-06-22T07:57:00.001-07:002009-06-22T08:25:51.906-07:00

It never ceases to amaze me at how much I can learn about a class by the course instructor. When I met her this morning, she said she would be insistent about keeping them on task. Interpretation: Be prepared to fight for their attention.I'm still not sure how much talking and lack of respect to tolerate, and when/how to go into "real" teacher mode and insist that they pay attention to me. Really

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-6064903853375276382009-06-16T19:50:00.000-07:002009-06-16T19:54:45.998-07:00

Today I co-taught 2 classes with a colleague, all of which were for high school summer camp, preparing them to apply to college. It was great to get a new perspective and idea of how others teach. We learned, as the first class arrived, that they wouldn't have internet access due to a misunderstanding. This actually proved to be a really great thing and forced us to improvise an engaging class

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-4154777534286049242009-06-09T15:24:00.000-07:002009-06-09T15:51:43.432-07:00

One of the things I most enjoy about learning is finding interdisciplinary connections. As an undergrad, I studied three different areas in large part because seeing these links brings me joy. Though violin has become a significantly smaller part of my life since starting library school, I still enjoy reading violin blogs. Today, while reading for pleasure, I saw a connection to teaching

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-48873684354077256272009-06-08T16:59:00.000-07:002009-06-08T17:20:28.979-07:00

Growing up, common answers to my many questions were "let's look it up," and/or "why don't you call the reference desk?" Yes, I am the child of a librarian, and beginning to think I fell in love with this profession honestly. In any case, asking questions at the desk has been a lifelong habit, and still one that I turn to when perplexed.Tonight I inadvertently got to do a little reference desk

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-42625527781061002192009-06-05T07:17:00.000-07:002009-06-05T07:21:07.076-07:00

Today I got to give a general, 30 minute "welcome to the library" presentation to first year orientation leaders. What a treat! I still haven't gotten over the wonder of how much we have here, and it was a treat to share that with students. They were engaged, had great questions, laughed at my search example of scholarly (and popular) materials on vampires, and seemed genuinely surprised by how

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-20159026709628277712009-06-05T05:31:00.000-07:002009-06-05T05:36:11.434-07:00

One of the delights of working the information desk is never knowing what to expect. Will it be a slow night when I don't speak to a single person in a four hour shift? Will I get asked about staplers and printers? Will I get to help someone find the articles that will lead to brilliant research?Or will it be like last night, in which I had several questions of the printer variety, one about the

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-46425685150780892182009-06-04T12:20:00.000-07:002009-06-04T13:59:39.277-07:00

I have always found I am most productive and creative in the morning. If at all possible, I try to devote an hour or two before starting my "real job" to writing, and/or reading professional lit. Recently, I've been putting in this time at the library. I was running late this morning, which meant that I ran into a colleague. I always learn so much from John and get an entirely new

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-5539798386757680292009-06-04T09:50:00.001-07:002009-06-06T07:38:20.950-07:00

Today I got to teach a one-shot for a class I'd never before worked with, a business/professional writing. Creating a class webpage from scratch and starting with something that was completely unfamiliar, rather than a variation on something I've previously done, was a great chance and challenge. The students were assigned to find material for jobs that are appropriate to their majors (all in the

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-48780914275818839412009-05-29T13:44:00.000-07:002009-05-29T17:27:44.452-07:00

Lunch was roundtable discussions, and I attended the one about institutional repositories, which proved pretty heated. The moderators (one publisher, one librarian) did a nice job of calming people down and keeping things positive.Closing SessionSpeakers: October Ivins, Philip Davis, Douglas LaFrenier, Karen Schmidt, Diane Scott-Lichter, Adam WeissA very high profile and interesting group of

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-82802376796527544322009-05-29T13:38:00.000-07:002009-05-29T13:44:04.201-07:00

Speakers: Tom Scheinfeldt, Kevin Stranack, Victor HenningTom from the Center for History and New Media spoke, and he was just fantastic. He talked about Zotero, which I was familiar with, and omeka, which I was not. There was also information on the Public Knowledge Project, which also seems to be doing some really cool things. The highlight of this panel was the information about mendeley, which

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-42533132643734169672009-05-29T13:37:00.000-07:002009-05-29T13:38:12.925-07:00

The first event of today was a mentorship breakfast where we met with our mentors and past grantees and heard about what they do. One of the speakers is a reference/instruction librarian in Nevada, and I really look forward to further email conversations with her. It seems she’s already doing exciting things, even only one year into her first “real” librarian job. I know conferences are all about

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-58720193672144762102009-05-29T13:36:00.001-07:002009-05-29T13:37:15.020-07:00

Speakers: Jocelyn Dawson, Terry Hulbert, Patricia HudsonWhy the need to be 2.0? To compete, to innovate, to lead, to position ourselves for the future, to attract new users, and to survive the competition. This was mainly a session of publishers, but I think the general issues are the same. The applications they discussed (delicious, facebook and twitter) I’m already seeing implemented in

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-80181040787594903472009-05-29T13:34:00.000-07:002009-05-29T13:36:07.613-07:00

Speakers: Kent Anderson, Ameer Ahmed, David SeamanThis gave an introduction to the kindle and other e-readers and an overview of what academic libraries are doing to meet it, particularly with phone applications. A lot of information here! It really was interesting, but went so fast with so much information that I had a hard time taking good notes.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-83402584471001031502009-05-29T13:30:00.000-07:002009-05-29T13:34:24.286-07:00

Speakers: Jay Moore, Vikram Savkar, Rich PirozziAccording to Savkar: The challenge: millenials/members of the Google Generation expect information to be parallel rather than hierarchical (search and have it appear, rather than search then systematically find), interesting, immediate, and always available. How to meet those challenges?• Protect the content and do not sacrifice quality• Don’t

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-89045707280546545152009-05-29T13:28:00.000-07:002009-05-29T13:30:34.111-07:00

Keynote AddressThis has been the highlight. Suuch an amazing speaker. I’m not usually a fan of powerpoint, but he made even that convincing. The Scholarly Kitchen blog, has great notes, but mine follow:• The themes of the world are economic, geopolitical and environmental: All of these are interconnected, and people need to understand each to fix one• “Knowledge is good”: when approaching

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-83004663478584500552009-05-29T13:16:00.000-07:002009-05-29T13:28:08.464-07:00

The Society of Scholarly Publishing is an organization made up of academic information professionals, a mix of vendors, academic presses, and librarians. They offer scholarships for students and early career professionals to attend their meeting, and I was selected this year.Like the organization, we’re a bit of mix: some people who have only been in the library or publishing business a year or

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-37414714527937626742009-05-21T18:27:00.000-07:002009-05-21T18:33:59.026-07:00

I work for amazing librarians. I know this, but today was yet another confirmation of that for me today. My supervisor and I finally had a chance to sit down for a "proper chat," instead of quick 10 minute clarifications or explanations of new projects. It's so exciting and humbling to see what she's doing, and a relief to know that it's ok that I miss teaching right now. I haven't done a

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-24215666574832431772009-05-20T17:10:00.000-07:002009-05-20T17:13:18.219-07:00

One of my non-class projects this summer is updating and revising my teaching portfolio. While looking for documentation, I found my notes (and supervisor's suggestions) for the first instruction session I taught in graduate school. Apparently, I was more organized then because I kept ALL of the teaching requests and my notes in a three-ring binder--which I have not done since. I had forgotten I

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-44744664539511647812009-05-15T17:21:00.000-07:002009-05-17T20:32:51.506-07:00

Librarians' Day is a 1 day seminar where librarians at various branches of IU meet. My supervisor coordinated the event this year and invited me to go as a "rogue librarian" (i.e., student). It was so inspiring to see so many facets of this field, see what others are doing, and to "talk shop," and just for a few hours, to feel like a real librarian.Notes from the sessions (bullet points for the

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-13641415401815750652009-05-14T15:23:00.001-07:002009-05-14T16:08:48.539-07:00

Thanks to Eric for drawing my attention to Todd Gilman's article "Not Enough Time in the Library," in today's Chronicle. I appreciate that he differentiated between "computer literate" and "research literate" and proposed specific ways that faculty can help integrate the library into their courses--benefitting their students.I think I was a typical undergrad in the sense that I dreaded "library

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1652862097851029200.post-31316288893984549822009-05-12T14:21:00.000-07:002009-05-12T18:30:40.690-07:00

One of my projects for my GAship this past spring semester was to create a marketing video for the library with the library marketing GA. Our supervisors had a rough idea in mind (highlight some of the features of the library through the eyes of a "student" who spends a whole day there). Beyond that point, they left us to our own devices. This was a rewarding project, and I'll be interested to

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949636854456596426noreply@blogger.com0