Interview With Linda Absher

Hello to all of my loyal readers. This week I have Linda Absher, a librarian who currently works in Portland, Oregon at the Portland State University Library. She pretty much has my dream job by the way. However, she has worked in a variety of library environments, not to mention she has her own website entitled "The Lipstick Librarian." Where she discusses the "prettier" side of librarianship. It's nice to see we still have fashionistas in our profession (besides me of course). Well I know I am excited so lets get to the interview.

What is your educational/professional background?

I have an AB in English Literature (what else) from the University of California, Davis. I received my MLIS from the University of California, Berkeley. At the time it was the School of Library & Information Studies; it’s been revamped and is now the School of Information Management, a program that does not have (and did not seek) ALA accreditation.

Since library school, I have worked in academic, special and public libraries, including IBM and Multnomah County Library. I am currently a reference librarian for the humanities for Portland State University in Portland, Oregon.

When you graduated college/graduate school what were your career goals/have they changed since?

Career Goals: the first goal was employment. The fact that I am an academic librarian surprises me since at the time, everyone in my program wanted to be one. I figured my best chance in getting a job was becoming a special librarian, unaware that at the time many corporations were downsizing and closing libraries. But I accepted a complex project as an internship with Golden Gate University, which led to a position with them after graduation.

As for changing goals, I’d say the bibliographic sparkle that made the profession so enticing has worn off for me. Not sure why, other than I’m at a mid-career stage. Currently I am one of a very rare breed: a tenured librarian. I would like to become a full professor, which would entail more service and publishing, two things I enjoy doing. I would also like to write a book that has nothing to do with the profession, but I do have one obstacle: I’m lazy.

When/how did you decide the LIS career path was for you?

I was working as an office drone right out of college; one of my workers was leaving because she was accepted into the librarian program at Berkeley. I was shocked because, quite frankly at the time I had no idea one needed a graduate degree to become a librarian. It stuck in my mind, though for a variety of reasons mostly boiling down to the fact that I was terrified, I didn’t apply to the program until almost ten years later. In the interim I worked at a slew of subsistence jobs, which included shoveling popcorn at a movie house, receptionist, and record store clerk. Ultimately weariness and poverty won out over fear.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

Is there a typical work day for librarians anymore? I do work reference hours; I provide collection development services, including managing a budget. Since our library has a subject specialty model, I am the subject specialist and liaison for the World Languages, Applied Linguistics and Communication Studies departments for Portland State. I also provide bibliographic instruction as well as develop research guides and learning objects for the campus and community.
Because I’m tenured, I also do research on librarianship; right now my interests are diversity and vernacular materials. I try squeezing that in between questions from students as to why they shouldn’t cite Wikipedia in their papers.

What is your favorite/least favorite thing about your job?

It’s probably the same thing, I love being a librarian. If I could no longer refer to myself as a librarian, I would feel a sense of loss. I enjoy trying to come up with solutions or (believe it or not) answers on the spot. I’m also extremely nosy, which means I get paid to listen to people trying to explain what they’re doing or what they’re preoccupied with—it’s intellectual eavesdropping.
But sometimes the whole aura of being a librarian becomes a bit tiresome. I have made somewhat of a name for myself by writing about the professional stereotype, but there are times when it is an obstacle, in expected and unexpected ways. I do believe once people find out I’m a librarian, I’m placed in this nice little mental box, unable to see the value of what I do beyond being something quaint and or quirky. And I don’t think my experience is unique.

What is your salary range/What can students interested in working in your type of LIS profession look to make as far as salary (both starting out and over time)?

I will say I make over $50K/year—average to high for a front-line academic librarian with over five years experience. My salary went up after being granted promotion and tenure, a process that took approximately six years. As for salaries today: I’m not too familiar with starting salaries, but they seem to have gone up somewhat since I started in the mid-1990s.
I’m hesitant to speculate about salaries in this day and age. That being said, I think salaries are higher in that many positions require a fair amount of tech savvy, even for positions that may not seem at first glance to need it (e.g., YA librarian, et al).

How do you think your education prepared you/didn't prepare you for your current career?

I was lucky in that I attended library school right before the World Wide Web was introduced. Berkeley at the time was incredibly forward thinking in terms of computer skills and training. As part of my course work, I completed C and database programming classes. In addition, I learned to work in a command-based, UNIX environment. These skills were what got me interviews. I also have to give a shout-out to Marcella Genz, who was my reference instructor: she was the person who made me truly think and develop a reference philosophy. There’s not a work day where I don’t base my reference interview on something I learned from Marcella.
Surprises: The biggest surprise was how much public speaking/interaction I’ve had in my career—that wasn’t brought up in library school. I do think many people still choose librarianship because it seems like a secular nunnery: it’s a profession where one can cloister themselves with as little interaction with others as possible. Alas, it is a myth: I have done more public speaking as a librarian than in any other position. We teach; we present; we give tours, story times—in short, we do a lot of very loud talking. All in the name of information literacy.

What changes do you forsee for the field of Library and Information Science in the next five to ten years?

I think librarianship will continue being more and more technologically sophisticated. Even with the background I came out with from Berkeley, there are very few positions now for which I would be qualified—I don’t see that changing. In fact, the only change would be the speed at which technology is morphing.
The biggest challenge for us as a profession is convincing those around us that they truly do need us, even with these big, sophisticated tools--*because* of these tools. The technology is so powerful it deludes folks into thinking they’re expert information researchers, when all they’re doing is pulling so much dreck that they’re unable to filter or assess what they find. I’m hoping there comes a breaking point where people are so overwhelmed with what they find they realize they need some sort of expert to deal with all this content, but at this point, most people are perfectly content with the first 3-4 hits in Google.
But I am a patient librarian. And a proactive one to boot. You should be one too.

What advice do you have for current/graduating library and information science students?

Don’t become discouraged by the job market. Despite what you may have heard, it’s always been tough to find librarian position, a fact that was presented to me during my library program orientation in the early nineties. Try to be as technologically sophisticated as possible, even if you’re looking into positions that seem to have little to do with technology. You’d be surprised at how many library positions have been completely transformed over the last ten years.

And though it may sound like heresy, you may want to think about positions outside librarianship. The skills we learn in school aren’t just applicable to librarianship—I know of one graduate who works with an insurance company handling complex disability claims; she’s very highly regarded (and financially rewarded) due in no small part to her ability to ferret out information from a variety of resources.

Carolyn Sosnowski

Hello to all of my faithful blog readers out there. This week I have a new interview with an employee of SLA or the Special Libraries Association. Carolyn manages SLA's Information Center and is also the association's e-learning manager. She has fourteen years' experience in libraries, including seven years at SLA. In addition to her research and professional development duties, she writes the Info Sites column in SLA's Information Outlook magazine, in which she recommends sites of interest to information professionals. I know you are all excited after reading that bio so lets get to the interview!

What is your educational/professional background?

I received a BA in History from the University of Virginia and then my MLIS from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I've been a librarian in special libraries and information centers for fourteen years. I have worked for large companies and small ones, in for-profit companies and non-profit organizations.

When you graduated college/graduate school what were your career goals/have they changed since?

My main goal was to work in special libraries. In school, I was mostly interested in film and the arts, but that focus changed as I realized there weren't that many librarian jobs in that area! My main areas of interest now are research, coordinating information services, and applying technology applications (including social networking tools) to the work of information seeking and sharing.

When/how did you decide the LIS career path was for you?

When I was growing up, I worked in a couple of the libraries in the schools I attended, then took a bookshelving job in a public library when I was in college. I liked the atmosphere and the people, and saw first-hand the types of career opportunities that were available. I enjoyed working with books and information and could see myself doing that for the longterm.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

Currently, I manage the information center at the Special Libraries Association and also work in Click University, our professional development area. I conduct research for staff, help association members and even non-members find the information they need (resources, statistics, etc.), and help plan and present continuing education offerings. Some days I work on just one or two things, and other days I have a long list of tasks to accomplish, such as writing a blog post, organizing content for a program, answering member questions, helping staff find information. It does vary quite a bit, and being organized and having the ability to prioritize is crucial.

What is your favorite/least favorite thing about your job?

I like working with our members and helping them succeed in their jobs and careers. On the flip side of that, it is difficult to hear from librarians about how their jobs are in jeopardy or that their library is closing.

What is your salary range/What can students interested in working in your type of LIS profession look to make as far as salary (both starting out and over time)?

I work in a special library, and salaries in special libraries are generally higher than those in public, school, and academic libraries. Specific career paths will definitely affect salary potential. Do your research about salaries before accepting an employment offer. SLA (as do other library/information associations) publishes a survey that can offer guidance about salary depending on job responsibilities, geographic area, and years of experience, among many other factors.

How do you think your education prepared you/didn't prepare you for your current career?

I think my education was a good foundation for the work that I do, but working in the tech lab in the library at Greensboro while I was earning my MLIS offered a different, practical training that was helpful as well. The classroom is very different than the workplace, so getting that hands-on experience even before graduating is a necessity in order to hit the ground running. Beyond giving you practical skills, internships and library jobs help you make professional connections, which can lead to career opportunities.

What advice do you have for current/graduating library and information science students?

Visit libraries to see information services in action, and ask questions. Join and be active in an association that will help you along the career path through continuing education opportunities, networking with colleagues, and leadership training. Education does not end with the diploma! And, be flexible. The economy can be challenging to deal with, and that first job may not be ideal but it will be a good start if you make the most of it.

What changes do you foresee for the field of Library and Information Science in the next five to ten years?

A continuing emphasis on technology, especially mobile applications and social networking, in all types of libraries. More of a focus on analysis for those who are doing research. Hopefully, barriers to information sharing being removed and a recognition that librarians are not just people that deal with books, but strategic professionals who track, organize and manage information in its many formats!

Special thanks to Carolyn for participating in our blog. Stay tuned for our next fun filled interview and as always if you have any special requests for interviews please email untlissa@gmail.com and we can get that arranged.

Interview with Blane K. Dessy

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful summer. I know you all have been patiently waiting for my next posting! This weeks interview is with a federal librarian by the name of Blane K. Dessy. He is currently the Executive Director of the Federal Library and Information Center Committee which is a consortium of the many Federal libraries in the U.S. government. Prior to this, he was the library director at the Department of Justice and the Department of Education. In addition, he has also worked as a state librarian, a consultant, and a public library director as well. In addition to his position as Executive Director, he currently teaches Management as an adjunct at the Catholic University School of Library and Information Science. So as you can see he is a very busy man and I was very lucky to get this interview!

What is your educational/professional background?

I have a Bachelor's degree in English literature and Master of Library Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh (1976). However, I have always engaged in continuing education so that I stay current and learn new things. After graduating from Pitt, I attended library management training seminars at Miami University in Ohio, took graduate classes in the field of education, and have regularly attended conferences, workshops, etc. As part of my various jobs, I have also been trained to be a group facilitator, a Government contracting officer and a grants manager among other things. My personal interests in training go beyond library issues to things such as budgeting, planning, marketing, etc. I think that librarians need to obtain a broad education in order to be effective. Think outside of library and information science education.

When you graduated college/graduate school what were your career goals/have they changed since?

To be honest, when I graduated from library school, my career goal was to find a job…any job that would give me professional experience and, of course, some money. While in graduate library school, I had concentrated in Communications, so I took courses like Group Dynamics, Organizational Analysis and Design, Counseling, etc. I even did an independent study in Bibliotherapy. Needless to say, this was not the most traditional library science education and I couldn't have described what job I wanted. So, I applied for a lot of entry level jobs and actually got a job as a library director right out of school. I had taken Management in grad school, but I had never managed anything or anyone except myself, so I had a lot to learn. However, I did learn that I really liked management and policy, so I began to build a career in which I could learn more about this and get positions of greater responsibility. Once I solidified my career goals two or three years after graduation, I looked for opportunities to advance. I've never regretted my choices, but I have had friends tell me I'm not a real librarian since my interests are in management. I really love marketing and public relations.

When/how did you decide the LIS career path was for you?

I had always loved going to the library as a child, but it wasn't until undergraduate school that I realized I could be a librarian. I had a part time job in the university library in technical services and I found that I really liked the work, the people, and the environment. I had that job because my older brother (also a librarian) told me to work there because it was pretty easy work and it was air conditioned. Sorry, that's the truth…but I fell in love with the profession as a result. After getting my Bachelor's, I did some graduate work in English Lit., worked for a short time, and then returned to graduate school to get my MLS. I have never regretted this decision.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

I am in an administrative position, so a lot of my time is spent communicating. I go to a lot of meetings, some that I call and some that I am invited to. I spend a lot of time communicating via email and I am on the phone a lot. My daughter teases me by saying that my job consists of going to meetings and drinking bad coffee. As a manager, the work involves dealing with issues on a more conceptual level (policy) and dealing with people. As a person rises in his/her career, the technical skills become less important and the human and conceptual skills become more important. I spend a lot of my time thinking about the future, thinking about the next year or the years after that so that my organization stays viable. I also spend a lot of time writing and speaking, so remember that your communication skills are extremely important.

I don't spend that much time on technology at all, except in the planning and evaluation sense. I use technology, but my more important skills are effective communication and conceptualization skills.

What is your favorite/least favorite thing about your job?

I know that this sounds strange, but I really don't have a least favorite thing. A lot of librarians might think that I have a terrible job--budgeting, personnel, planning, evaluating, communicating, but to me, it's always interesting and always challenging. No two days are alike because the situations are always changing.

What is your salary range/What can students interested in working in your type of LIS profession look to make as far as salary (both starting out and over time)?

Salary ranges for Federal librarians are generally pretty good. Federal librarians also receive wonderful fringe benefits and have a great retirement plan. There is no hard and fast rule, but most beginning librarians start as a GS9 which is about 50K a year plus benefits. Many librarians in the Federal government advance to the GS12 level which begins at 75K. Of course, some librarians earn more than that. Before anyone gets too excited, just remember that DC, where most Federal librarians are, is a very, very expensive city, so the cost of living has to be factored in.

How do you think your education prepared you/didn't prepare you for your current career?

In retrospect, my education prepared me very well for my career. I came out of graduate school with a lot of knowledge about how organizations function, how people work and communicate, and how to listen and resolve problems. This has helped me far more than the technical skills that I acquired at the time. In my career, I have not had to use the bibliographic and resource skills that I had acquired. By the time that technology was becoming prominent, I was already in management positions where the issues were more policy-oriented. As you advance in your careers, you will find that the technical skills begin to fall away and the management and conceptual skills become more important. I was lucky to leave graduate school with a grounding in those topics.

What advice do you have for current/graduating library and information science students?

I have several pieces of advice for graduating students.

1. Don't stereotype yourself as a librarian. You have acquired great skills in a lot of areas and you have more career options that you may think. During my career, I have been in charge of HR Offices, EEO Offices, and even Facilities Offices. This is because I have the management and organizational skills to do these things. You also have those skills, so don't think too narrowly when you describe yourself. The famous cultural historian Jacques Barzun once wrote that we should never confuse our profession with our function. Our profession is librarianship as it's now defined, but our function is bringing people and information together.

2. Be as flexible as you can; don't lock yourself into one type of thing…I knew people in graduate school who only wanted to be catalogers or reference librarians or children's librarians. It's a big world out there, don't limit yourself. Also, if you can be geographically flexible, that's a big help. There are good jobs out there, but you may have to move to get one.

3. Your degree may get you in the door, but it's you that will be evaluated. Sharpen your communications skills; stay current with the literature; be a good colleague; dress for success, etc. Librarianship is a very tolerant profession that gives its members a lot of personal latitude. Don't abuse the privilege. Having the degree is important; having a great work ethic and being nice is more important for your success.

What changes do you foresee for the field of Library and Information Science in the next five to ten years?

I think that the changes will be much the same as they are now--rapidly changing technologies, changing audiences and demographics, financial limitations, etc. How we do things is changing rapidly; why we do these things remains pretty much the same. What I would hope to see is that librarians see themselves differently--not as custodians of collections and not as technology trapeze artists, but as people who are committed to the expansion of knowledge and the betterment of their communities.

Thanks again to Mr. Dessy for taking time out of his busy schedule to be interviewed! Stay tuned as we have many great interviews to come in the upcoming year. Also, if you have individuals that you would like us to interview or specific professions you want to know more about please email us we love feedback!

Interview with Ruth Kneale

Hey guys we've got another new interview for you (I know you have all been patiently waiting!). This weeks interviewee is Ruth Kneale the author of the widely popular book You Don't Look Like a Librarian. For those of you who have yet to read it its pretty awesome especially for a librarian like me with tats and piercings! Needless to say, shes anything but the stereotypical librarian. But, enough jabbering from me lets get to the interview!

What is your educational/professional background?

I have a Bachelor's of Science in astronomy, and a Master's in Information Resources and Library Science. My professional background is all astronomical - I've been working in one way or another for observatories since I was an undergrad. My first real job was with the Steward Observatory's Mirror Laboratory; I changed jobs to the Gemini 8m Telescopes Project in late 1991 and worked for them for over ten years. My first post-grad job was for the new Gemini Observatory (which is what Projects become when they grow up, in astronomy), setting up a research library in Hawaii. After a couple of years I jumped ship for the daytime side of astronomy and came to work as a systems librarian for the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope project of the National Solar Observatory, where I still work.

When you graduated college/graduate school what were your career goals/have they changed since?

One of the benefits for me of going to grad school while working full time is that I had a very definite idea in mind - I knew exactly what I wanted to do. It was great to be able to immediately apply something I learned at school to my work situation. My goals haven't changed much since then - I still want to make sure that information is sorted, organized, findable and available to folks.

When/how did you decide the LIS career path was for you?

During my time with the Gemini Project, I was put in charge of organizing and managing all the technical documentation for the project; that task really brought home to me how much I enjoyed organizing information and making it available and easily findable by the staff. That, in conjunction with my home experiences, led me down the street to the library school. (My mother was a librarian as well and I learned about librarianship from behind the desk at an early age.)

What does a typical work day look like for you?

That's a tough one - every day is different! Typically, I'll wake up the computer (while making coffee) and then check and answer email on several accounts. I deal with any requests that have come in, then touch base with my boss to see if he's had anything come up that needs attention. I then turn to my never-ending to-do list; some of the items on it right now include combining three separate documents on a similar topic into one, and annotate; finish migrating some software to a new server; process some released technical documents; add new items to our staff publication web page; cross-check two mailing lists for commonalities; update some instrumentation work areas with new information; and write a newsletter article. So I work on any one of those items, keep up with my email, and deal with any issues that pop up over the day (ranging from helping someone fix a template issue with Word to configuring a new computer). Near the end of the day I skim my list of library blogs and/or my library magazine pile; I may not work in a typical library but what happens in public and academic libraries does have an impact on my job, so I keep up as best I can.

What is your favorite/least favorite thing about your job?

The favorite thing is easy: the people I work with. I've got a great staff who not only understands the skill-set I bring to the party, but actually uses it. That rocks! The least favorite thing is probably the never-ending software issues I have to handle, across the board - users, servers, visitors, anyone who's having problems with their software brings their computers to me to fix.

What is your salary range/What can students interested in working in your type of LIS profession look to make as far as salary (both starting out and over time)?

This is a tough question to answer. I do make a very decent living, eleven years after graduation. Starting salaries for systems librarians can vary widely based on location and the skill set you bring to the table; in general, though, systems librarians rank slightly higher on pay scales.

How do you think your education prepared you/didn't prepare you for your current career?

The school I attended focused primarily on the theory of things; I took all my practical classes as electives outside the core class requirements. I also had the benefit, as I mentioned earlier, of working full time at the same time, so I was also able to get on-the-job training, so to speak. So, for the philosophical take on things, I was pretty well covered; for the hands-on, day-to-day "get it done" part, there was a lot less coverage.

What advice do you have for current/graduating library and information science students?

Be persistent. Be open to the possibilities. Most importantly, think (and look) outside the box! Librarians can and do work anywhere - if there's a particular type of work you want to do, you will lose absolutely nothing by approaching organizations and companies and asking them about it. You might be surprised at the responses. Never stop learning, either - and be open to all kinds of learning, including learning by playing. In my opinion, it's the best way to learn how to use a new tool, whether it's a smartboard or a social network.

What changes do you foresee for the field of Library and Information Science in the next five to ten years?

I can't predict any specific changes - so much has changed in the last ten years! - but I do believe that libraries and librarians will continue to be critical for communities, knowledge distribution and sharing, and information management. I also believe that more organizations and institutions will begin to use the embedded librarian model (that of a librarian working within and as a part of a particular project team, not as a central shared resource). I firmly believe that it is and will be a good career to be in!

Special thanks to Ruth for participating in our blog. For those of you interesting in learning more about Ruth please check out her website http://www.librarian-image.net/book/author.html or email her at ruth.kneale@gmail.com

Interview with Debbie Cox

I recently spoke with UNT graduate Debbie Cox, a full time reference librarian at Lone Star College - Montgomery. In a personal interview, we sat down together in her office and had a very interesting and informative conversation.

Debbie Cox has been a Reference Librarian with LSC-Montgomery for the past 14 years. Debbie’s previous career was as a college English teacher. She has two master’s degrees - one in Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas, and one in British and American Literature from Southwest Missouri State University. Debbie is passionate about her profession, and she serves as the library liaison for English, Art, Speech, Communication, Drama, Education, Human Development, Human Services, Psychology, Sociology, and Religion. You’ll see her running around the library and hear her cheerful laughter in every corner!

What is your educational/professional background?
Before I became a reference librarian, I taught English at a private college for several years. After that, I taught English at Austin Community College. In 1994, I earned my MLIS from University of North Texas, and became a full time librarian at Lone Star College – Montgomery, where I have also served as an Adjunct Instructor of English. In 2009, I won the Faculty Excellence Award at our college - the first time a librarian at our campus had won it! I was very excited! It was quite an honor.

When you graduated college/graduate school, what were your career goals? Have they changed?
I wanted to be a full time community college teacher by the time I was 30. I had earned my first MA, been a full-time faculty member, published a novel, and owned/operated my own small bookstore. With all of that behind me, I needed a new goal. I decided I wanted to be a reference librarian.

When and how did you decide the LIS career path was for you?
In 1989, while I was running a small bookstore, I decided to shift gears toward an LIS career. I truly enjoyed my small bookstore, and I loved providing books and information to my customers. My reluctance to charge customers for the information they sought, however, inspired me to begin a career where I could give people information instead of charging them for it!

What does a typical work day look like for you?
My days are varied, and I would like to lay to rest the rumor that librarians do the same thing every day. I spend the first hour or so of my day answering emails and voicemails from students and faculty. A two-hour shift on the Reference Desk has me answering questions from students and faculty in person, on the phone, or through the college’s instant online messaging system (PhP). The next hour includes lunch and office time, which I often spend catching up with emails/voicemails and serving as faculty liaison. Another hour and a half at the Reference Desk has me focusing on patron questions, with the down time between questions spent on continuing library projects. The last few hours of my day are split between communication updates, more faculty liaison, collection development, and cooperative projects with my fellow librarians. I also teach an average of three Bibliographic Instruction classes per week in any subject discipline that comes my way.

What is your favorite/least favorite thing about your job?
While my favorite aspect of the job is collection development (I could happily do this all day!), my least favorite activity is trouble-shooting copier/printer problems.

What can students interested in working in your type of LIS profession look to make as far as salary (starting out or over time)?
A low starting salary could begin around 29K (it shouldn't be any lower!), and established academic librarians who pursue all available venues may reach into the area of 80K.

How did you think your education prepared you/didn’t prepare you for your current career?
I definitely wished that technology had been more of a focus when I went through the program. It also concerned me that no courses during my educational career taught the Library of Congress or Dewey Decimal system; librarians were “expected” to learn those on their own.

Additionally, my graduate degree in literature has been as helpful in serving students as my MLIS.

What advice do you have for current/graduating library and information science students?
Don't settle in a job that you don't want. While your first job may not be your ideal, continue to work toward your dream. Don’t give up!

What changes do you foresee for the field of Library and Information Science in the next five to ten years?
A heavy emphasis on technology will continue to dominate our field, with an increased dependence on library databases rather than physical books. New MLIS graduates will have an edge in the field as they bring energy and advanced technology skills to the profession. The future is bright for all of us in this career field! I actually envy new graduates. The future of our field is going to be exciting!

Interviewed by Angela Colmenares

AALL Update

Hello everyone!

Sorry I did not update yesterday as I was busy running around. So let's get to the update!


Sunday (Day 2) was the first official full day of the conference. While many of the special interests groups had board meetings on Saturday, this was the big opening event. The morning started off with the general session, welcoming all the attendees to the conference. Following the welcome, key note speaker Dr. David Lankes, Director of the iSchool at Syracuse gave a tremendous speech on the state of libraries and librarians; stating that the best days of librarianship is still ahead of us. He directed our attention towards the future, and to an almost radical idea that the function and purpose of the libraries is not specifically to exist as an entity standing alone. Libraries have to be molded to fit their communities, and strive to fit what their communities stand for. With this being said, he also pushed the audience to push for their own self value, rather than the value of collections. Collections are great, but they exist only to be used because over centuries we have learned how to utilize collections. Needless to say, it was truly an uplifting presentation.


I had the liberty of attending many great panel discussions as well as presentations on a wide variety of topics. Some of the big more popular topics revolved around digital preservation of digital born objects (such as blogs, websites, etc) as well as how the digital age has provided a new set of obstacles for legal research. These are very real concerns, as more and more people turn to the internet to find and use evidence (social media has been used in court cases as well as competitive intelligence). How do we preserve digital epherma and WHAT do we preserve?

Now, I think one of the coolest things that I encountered at AALL was the exhibit hall, where all the legal vendors showed off their wares, both print and electronic. This was very cool and a unique experience that librarians can use and test drive new technology, as well as talk to executives of the vendor companies about problems and give them suggestions.


All in all, This was a fabulous experience that I suggest anyone attend. It not only helps people keep up with the current trends and topics in librarianship, but also brings together the field; where life long connections and friendships can be made.

AALL 2010 Updates

Hello All!

This is your LISSA Vice President, Jaeger Wells, reporting in from Denver where the annual American Association of Law Librarians (affectionately known from here on out as AALL) is taking place. This is my first time at a professional conference and so far it has been a blast. I just came back from the opening reception (where they feed you) and have already done some great networking! It is definitely worth going to professional conferences like this, ALA, SLA, and others because you never know who you could meet (and who potentially could help you get a job).


I will be doing daily updates of the conference just to give you all a sneak peek of what goes on at these conferences, so stay tuned!



Sincerely,

Jaeger Wells