Comments on: The “kept-up” distance learning librarian

By: Information Wants To Be Free » Blog Archive » My year in blog

Information Wants To Be Free » Blog Archive » My year in blog — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 13:25:15 +0000

[...] July 2005 Number of Posts: 12 Words written: 12,227 Favorite Posts: This was a good month for me without the job search hanging over my head. The job hunt: What I learned, ALA Wiki: What I learned and what I’m doing with it and The “kept-up” distance learning librarian were my faves. Important Events: Bought first home in Vermont! Started the Library Success Wiki. [...]

By: Roy Tennant

Roy Tennant — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 00:05:08 +0000

A great post that I’m sorry to say I only stumbled across by doing a vanity search in Google’s new blog search engine. Meredith, I swear I have your blog on my “smart” FIrefox bookmarks, but somehow I missed it (sorry!). In any case, you have some great advice. I only wanted to respond to this sentence: “The main thing to remember is that you don’t have to read everything. ” Hear! Hear! That is exactly why I started Current Cites fifteen years ago. I wanted there to be an easier way to skim the cream, so I thought that if a team of volunteers could do it each month and publish the result then it would save others a lot of time and effort. Still going strong at http://lists.webjunction.org/currentcites/ . Sorry for the late comment, and keep up the good work!

By: Catherine

Catherine — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:53:49 +0000

I am 9 days from finishing my MLS and taking Diane Kovacs class. See above post. I agreed with your post, but wondered where is the hardware component. For those in the small libraries we also have to have an understanding of networks, servers and all the rest–esp. if we are going to
participate intelligently in buying the hardware. I would expand your list to say that no one thinking of working in a library should be without the hardware side knowledge.
Catherine

By: Diane Kovacs

Diane Kovacs — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 14:23:54 +0000

Well said FYI – I teach a course for UIUC GSLIS LEEP program – Web Design for Organizations and your posting confirms what I decided needed to be taught in that course. I forwarded your posting URL to my students enrolled this summer. Thank you
Diane

By: Library Voice » Keeping Up with Technology

Library Voice » Keeping Up with Technology — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 13:46:15 +0000

[...] Meredith has written a great post advising library school students where to go to learn more about technology. My library school offered some basic computer courses which helped to build a decent foundation of technical knowledge. However, I’ve always been a hands-on kind of person, so I looked for a various ways to apply classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios. [...]

By: Frank

Frank — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 06:45:49 +0000

I would second what everybody else has said and add that I think every student currently in library school (or information school, or whatever the appellation is) would gain immeasurably by reading this post (and by reading the blogs and journals linked in it). If I had had this post in front of me when I started my program, I would have gotten off on a much stronger footing.

I can relate to Rikhei’s comment that tying the tech classes I took back into the core librarianship courses that I took was self-directed and very difficult. Most of my tech knowledge either pre-existed my librarian education or proceeded on my own pace and in my own time — or it was knowledge I got from the jobs I have worked, not from any particular course (although I do wish I had taken more tech courses in my program, many of which were very good).

I guess the bottom line is that there’s no magic formula for learning the skills that Meredith is talking about, and while it’s unfortunate that skills such as described above are not taught in library school, to an extent, I doubt they CAN be taught: if you aren’t already intrepid when you decide to become a librarian nowadays, you aren’t going to be taught to be intrepid by a graduate curriculum. The most you can expect is that grad school will make a point of emphasizing the necessity of being fearless and innovative and point you in the directions you need to go to experiment with and develop those traits.

By: Pam

Pam — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 19:58:18 +0000

That was the best post ever! As a current LIS student, I have come to the realization that all the “core” classes I’m required to take won’t leave much time for me to learn the really meaty stuff: technology itself. You’ve given a great list of places to start & that helps me (and others I’m sure) tremendously!

By: Meredith

Meredith — Sat, 23 Jul 2005 03:29:54 +0000

Well, Abbey, librarianship is one option, but you could also think about teaching English at the high school or college level (though jobs in universities are pretty scarce nowadays). It’s great to see someone your age with such a passion for literature! The best thing you could do in college is explore everything you’re interested and see what ends up making the most sense for you. I thought I wanted to study neuroscience when I first got to college, but luckily I took lots of other classes and realized that I was more interested in History. I think your dad probably wants you to pick a college major that’s more “practical” than English, but if you think you want to teach or be a librarian, it’s a great thing to study. You definitely don’t have to start college knowing exactly what you want to do. Most people don’t even figure it out when they finish college!

By: Abbey

Abbey — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 23:59:46 +0000

Hey, I’m a senior in my high school and I am SOO in love with English–mainly just the Literature & book part of it–but my dad says that i can’t do anything much with just studying & reading literature in college. So I thought about being a librarian….lots of people recommended that idea to me & so I looked into it.. I love to read, I read almost, as some would say, consummably! It’s my passion to learn new things in literature about the world or whatever else & i want to pass that knowledge & desire on to people that enjoy the arts like i do.

By: Meredith

Meredith — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 20:10:22 +0000

Rikhei, at the blogger party, I had to have Michael Stephens introduce me to Roy Tennant, because I was too nervous to go myself. It was like 7th grade all over again! What a geek!

Just remember, you’re a blogger too. And I’d be willing to bet you have “fans” as well. I know you have at least one (me).