A social science? Really?

I mentioned before that I never took the research course in SLIS (which has changed names and numbers since I was there.)

After being exposed to the concepts in my current class, I have to wonder why I wasn't required to learn how to do research. Why did no one encourage me to justify the sociological importance of libraries through measurable scientific inquiry? Why do those of us practicing librarianship, especially public librarianship, not back up our enriching and enlightening programming with qualitative research?

And if we are doing this, why am I not hearing about it? I scour newsfeeds of all kinds for information like this, and there are slim offerings of research studies regarding the significance of adult programming in public libraries, for instance. How about library management? The impact of libraries on literacy rates? Where is this information?!?!

If library science is truly a social science, then we'd better get on the ball and contribute to the body of knowledge before it's too late.

So, I've started my first class in SPEA course: Public Program Evaluation.

Believe it or not, I've never taken a research course. It's just not something that ever interested me, so I seemed to always manage to skirt around it. I cracked open the textbook for the class yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by the tone of the author. The way he introduces research really drew me in: "This book is about knowing things--not so much what we know as how we know it."

I guess at this point in my career (life?) I'm ready to really explore the "how" of what we know. I can honestly say I'm looking forward to this class.

Reflections on Strategic Planning

The Hancock County Public Library provides superior county-wide library service convenient to and used by all residents through excellent programs and materials in a financially responsible way. We do this one life at a time.

This is the vision statement of my employer. I think it's a good vision statement. It answers the big questions: what we do, and how we do it.

Our current strategic plan expires at the end of this year, and I'm charged with leading the effort to construct a new one. I went to a strategic planning Boot Camp offered by the Public Library Association back in October, and my director agreed to the use of the Planning for Results model for the next plan.

Since the training, I've been focused on understanding the model and taking the steps necessary to get it started. I'm happy to report that we're on track to get the plan finished by October and move it through Board approval. It will be in place by 2010 and run through 2012.

Reflecting on this process had made me realize just how important it is to have a clear vision in place. Knowing that the goal is to provide superior library service that's convenient to residents makes it easier to drive this initiative and inspire staff to get involved.

I have high hopes for our new strategic plan. I want it to embody our vision and guide our activities for the next few years.

I'll keep you posted on our progress :-)

MPA: New Journeys

So, starting in a few weeks, I'll be undertaking a new venture. I'm going back to grad school as a student in the Library Management certificate program. Once I finish with the certificate, I plan on continuing with the full-blown Master's of Public Affairs degree.

My first class will be "Public Program Evaluation," which is extremely relevant as I continue to drive my place of employment's strategic planning process for the new plan that will cover 2010-2012.

Let's Get Functional

An idea that I used at my first job out of library school was to divide employees into teams to strategize around our libraries' functional areas. The original breakdown I used was: collection development, programming, outreach, and marketing.

In my current job, I transferred the idea with a few changes dictated by context. We're now working with five functional area teams: collection development and maintenance, programming, outreach, public services, and information technology.

The idea behind these groups is to take critical library functions and assign people from all levels of the library to teams which then analyze, evaluate, and propose changes related to a particular function. This keeps those areas under constant "surveillance," allowing for quick adjustments to policies or procedures.

Another key component of these groups is that they're intentionally small. I suggest a maximum of five people per team. This enables the team to make decisions quickly and have an intense focus when necessary.

What are the functional areas in your library? Do you use a similar model for decision making?

Video Game Interlude - Coolest Ever!

I was playing Tomb Raider: Underworld DS this morning and came across a part where I had to clear some dust away from a stone tablet. As it was the first time I had done that in the game, the tutorial came on and told me how to do it. The cool thing is that I ACTUALLY BLEW on the DS to clear away the dust! I guess the microphone senses the sound and makes the dust move. Ah, modern technology! Now I REALLY want a Wii for Christmas!!

Why I'm a Librarian

I had a very passionate discussion with a colleague on Friday that got me thinking about why I am a librarian, why libraries are relevant today, and what can be done to advance the profession.



1) The reason I became a librarian is relatively simple. When I was growing up, my mom took my sister and me to the library often. I remember spending not-enough-time browsing the shelves of my hometown public library. I was intensely interested in fantasy, science fiction, and metaphysics even back then and couldn't get enough of books about those subjects.

2) I think the basic purpose of a library today is to provide access to information. Whether this is done through answering a reference question or allowing teens to play games on the latest technology, the public is still getting information from librarians.

3) Unfortunately--and this was the crux of the conversation with my colleague--we live in an information economy, culture, and society. We're information professionals, yet we are not the first called upon to use our expertise to help further the goals of society. Large information technology companies have shown time and again that they can provide for the information needs of the world at large. Where do we fit in as librarians?

In my position as manager/librarian, I really feel that it's up to me to push for the inclusion of progressive ideas like this one. Let's invite people to participate in our library in ways they've not had the opportunity to do in the past. Let's provide an experience for our users that not only involves them in physical space, but virtual space as well.

The point is that we can provide people with places to explore, inquire, collaborate, and discover. We just have to re-invent ourselves to match 21st-century expectations.