Slow life, slow librarianship
It's been a quiet summer over here, focused on family, recovering from the stress of the academic year, and doing a lot of reading. I'd had fantasies of getting a…
Posted inabout me ALA american libraries career librarianship writing
Saying goodbye to American Libraries magazine
I’ve been pretty good about not making big life changes during the pandemic. We didn’t get a pandemic dog, even after finally getting our yard completely fenced-in last August. I’ve…
Thoughts at Mid-Career Part 2 – Ambition: You are Not Enough
This is the second in a series of essays. You can access the first here, though it's not necessary to read them all or in order: “So maybe my great…
Posted inALA american libraries librarianship writing
Reputation is everything: On problematic editing and sponsored content
First, full disclosure: I am a columnist for American Libraries. They pay me to write columns every other month in which I state my opinion on various things relating somewhat…
Opening up knowledge on the tenure track
I'm not a hero. I'm not an open access warrior. I'm not one of those people who would risk their career on the cross of Open Access. I'm not a…
Posted infree the information! instruction libraries open access our digital future tech trends writing
Mobile Learning: The Teacher in Your Pocket
There's a great new book out on mobile technologies in libraries and I was fortunate to have been asked to contribute a chapter on mobile learning and mobile instruction in…
Posted inassessment instruction librarianship libraries writing
My critique of Value of Academic Libraries and a happy update
My critique of the Value of Academic Libraries initiative has just been published in OLA Quarterly (it's the first article in the PDF). I wrote it on the fly after…
Posted inabout me research tenure track writing
Lifting the veil on my “system”
I am a huge fan of research log and research process reflection assignments. Because research is a means to an end (the paper) and because people are often doing it…
Invisible goalposts, support and having a plan
This summer, I was engaged with quite a few projects (several of which I was in charge of), but was able to make time to focus on scholarship just about…
Posted inamerican libraries writing
Follow my American Libraries columns online!
The folks at American Libraries have done a beautiful job with their Drupal-based website. It's a heck of a lot more polished than their old site and contains not only…
Finding the work/family/fun balance and identity as a librarian/parent
This is a post mainly for those professionals who are passionate about their careers and are considering having children but wonder/worry what impact it might have on their life and…
Posted ingender librarianship speaking Work writing
A rant about men (like Clay Shirky)
A lot of people have written about Clay Shirky's post "A rant about women" and I'm here to give my two cents FWIW. First of all, who in their right…
Posted insocial software writing
Community-generated children’s book for charity
For the holidays, I bought Reed an awesome personalized book. While I still have the personalized book my dad made me when I was 3, I must admit that the…
Posted inabout me librarianship speaking writing
Big things I’ve learned 2000-2009
Going into a new decade (I know technically it's not a new decade until 2011, but don't be such a kill-joy!) is a good time for reflection. After seeing all…
Great new books on my “to read” list
I must admit that the last time I read a non-baby-related book was probably last Fall. And now all these great books are coming out from the LIS presses that…
LIS Publications Wiki
Now this is a great project to come from an LIS class! LIS Publications Wiki Welcome to the Library and Information Science (LIS) Publications wiki. This wiki gathers information about…
Posted inlibrarianship reference writing
Internet Cool Tools for Physicians
My friend, the incredibly awesome David Rothman, has co-authored a book (with another fantastic medical librarian and a physician) on Internet Cool Tools for Physicians. The book is designed to…
Posted inblogging librarianship writing
I’m REALLY not the Annoyed Librarian (nor am I annoyed)
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine commented on the fact that I hadn't written anything about the Annoyed Librarian being paid to blog for Library Journal. That was…
Inmates running the asylum?
At the beginning of the conference I went to in Iceland, the President of Iceland's Library Association discussed how they'd assembled all of these great experts from around the world…
