Final Reflections

I will finish this semester with many new ideas about my role as a Librarian, and what a library itself is.  I realize that the library will always be changing, and that I am not alone in my belief that the learning that people will use the library for will be taking different shapes in the future.  I was pleased to learn, during my library visit, that a local director feels the same way that I do; that the library is going to shift to a place of social learning and interaction not just a place for reading and books.  Every time I start to get worried about the current state of libraries, or how people say that libraries are "dead" I go back and think about how libraries have evolved over the years, from private institutes, religious holdings, and beyond.  The library constantly evolves, and we as a profession will keep evolving with it.

I also have to keep reminding myself, and this is a lesson that has been reinforced from this class, that the library is for everyone.  That we really need to have books for any patron on our shelves.  Ideally, we'd have the equal amount of information for each patron on every subject, but that isn't realistic.  But, we can make an effort to reach out to every patron that might come to the library.  We get almost no request for books on LGBT youth, and have never had a request for a book about LGBT youth from a parenting perspective, but my boss read a positive review about a book on the subject, and the book was available in paper back, so I advised her to purchase the book for our collection.  We don't have any books on that subject, and there may be a parent that we serve who would need this book.

Another thing that this course, and just pursuing my MLIS in general has given me is a new level of confidence in my work.  I am a good librarian.  I know a lot about many different areas, so I am able to help patrons with many different questions.  I am a patient person, and I am accepting.  I also understand my job, my boss has told me I "think like a librarian".  So, when it comes time for me stand up for myself at work, I am doing this more.  There are some personal issues (that I do not need to get into in a scholarly blog) that sometimes come up, but this schooling is helping me to stand up for myself based on the knowledge that I am  dedicated to my job, and I am learning, supporting, and defending the ideals of librarianship.

I've also come to respect and understand my profession from a larger scope.  I know that I love being a teen librarian, and I doubt that I will ever change from what I do.  But, it's been interesting to look through the different blogs, Think Tanks, and general discussion to see what other types of librarianship my classmates are considering.  It's good for me to get out of my myopic existence and see this profession from other perspectives.

Finally, I have realized that I am a crusader for access to information.  I am passionate about the ALA and publishers getting their acts together and making it so everyone can have access to e-books, not just the rich communities that can afford the subscription services and high prices of the books.  Authors and publishers have a right to make money off of the books that they write and produce, but I believe they should also remember how important libraries are to bringing in new readers and introducing readers to new authors.  We are the advocates of literacy, and we need to be able to share the new technology that is available.

Blogging About Professional Blogs

The list of professional blogs that was included in our project outline was slightly out of date, but I did find a couple of blogs that I found interesting.  I've also chosen to include a blog that I follow faithfully, that is partially the work of a former librarian and is very relevant to my line of work.

The first blog that I am going to review is DIY Librarian which is maintained by Tara Murray.  I tried to find information about her on the blog, but I couldn't find an "about me" section.  I didn't find all of her posts relatable, but I did enjoy some of her topics.  Of specific interest to me are her posts on copyright including her most recent post about Microsoft, and her post titled Do Creative Commons licenses work for creators?.  I am always interested in learning about copyright and how the laws and limitations affect my work in the library.  I was especially interested to see her opinion on Creative Commons licenses because Ms. Murray is both an author and a librarian so she can see both sides of the copyright issue.

The second blog that I am going to discuss is the newly redesigned Public Libraries Online.  I am actually going to be writing for this blog, and before my first blog is published I decided to start reading the site to see what the tone of the blog was, and what topics have been covered.  I actually really like this site, the blogs are short and to the point.  The blogs are all written for use by public librarians, so I find many of them relevant.  I've especially enjoyed the posts about giving romance books their due (even if I am not a big fan of them), and the post about a child's first visit to the library.  There was also a post about the 80/20 rule and how that can help boost circulation.

Another blog I love, and had to include, is Forever Young Adult.  This blog is awesome!  They review books, movies, and TV all related to teen literature.  They also bring out nostalgic posts like their Childhood Relics Cover Story  There are author interviews, in fact one of the major contributors to the blog is author Brain Katchor.  This blog helps me keep up with TV shows that I should know about, but don't/can't watch since I do not have cable at home.  While this blog may not be considered a professional blog, one of the owners is a former librarian, and these women are obviously dedicated to young adult literature.

Revisiting Assumptions

At the start of the semester we had to introduce ourselves and give some of our assumptions/beliefs on librarianship.  I love my job, and if you look at my assertions from earlier in the semester you can see that.  Something I've struggled with, and didn't mention earlier though is the fear that my beloved profession might not be relevant in the next 5-10 years (or even sooner).  You hear a lot about the downfall of the library, and how libraries are no longer needed in today's technological world, but over this semester I've learned that that isn't true.

Libraries aren't only "the place where the books live" (as describe on Buffy the Vampire Slayer), they are the placed where learning is fascilitated.  Yes, children and teens go to school to learn, and teachers are there to teach them and give them information, but librarians continue that job and we expand upon it.  There will always be people that need help learning.  People who need help with resumes, choosing books to read, and having a place to socialize.  Libraries aren't going to die, they are going to evolve.  The libraries we have today aren't very similar to the original libraries, aside from being places where information is stored.  So, who are we to think that just because libraries are changing now means that they won't exist anymore?

I still feel the same way about my job as I did before, except that after this semester I am more confident that my job will be around when I am older.  That the library will survive, it may look different than it did when I started (almost a decade ago?!), but it will still be standing.

Comparative Analysis of Professional Journals

The two journals that I've chosen to compare are: VOYA (Voices of Youth Advocates) and School Library Journal.  VOYA was an easy choice for me, since it is my most used library related publication, but then I had a hard time finding a second source that doesn't directly tie into what I am studying.  I chose School Library Journal, because I do read it on occasion, and I do get some good information in the journal, but I am not planning to work within a school library, so the journal is not specifically focused on what type of librarian I am.

The intended audience for both journals is librarians who work with youth.  VOYA has a smaller demographic because it is for librarians who work with middle, junior, and high school aged children, while School Library Journal is for librarians who work with children in grades K-12.

Both journals publish book reviews.  VOYA breaks their reviews down into Fiction, Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror, Non-Fiction, and Professional books.  School Library Journal has their reviews separated by age group, and then by media because School Library Journal also reviews audio books and videos.  VOYA also includes articles with book lists, or that deal with technology topics, and programming information.  School Library Journal includes more legal information, like questions about copyright infringement, and information about upcoming technology and how it will change the teaching landscape.  Both journals focus on children/teens and literature, but VOYA is focused on the more casual side of this topic, wheres School Library Journal is for the academic side.

I don't believe either journal is peer-reviewed, although both do have an editorial staff.  VOYA does offer to have teens write review of books that are then published in the journal, but each teen review must be accompanied by a librarian review as well.

VOYA is very approachable.  It is one of the first journals I used frequently when I started working at the library.  The style is conversational, and there is a very positive tone to the articles and editorials.  I've been able to relate to most of the articles, even though I work in a small library with a very limited budget.  I rely on this journal the most for reviews and it is the one that most influences my book purchasing.  School Library Journal on the other hand has help me learn about new technology to be aware of, and it has helped me understand copyright issues when dealing with in-library (or in-school) displays.  I don't rely on this journal nearly as much as I do VOYA, but the information that I have used from it has been important.

Mid-Semester Review

The main things that I've noticed from my participation throughout this semester is that I love my job, and am very focused on working in Teen Librarianship, and that I am very passionate about the current state of e-books and libraries.

I honestly hadn't realized how passionate I am about how publishers will not cooperate with libraries to make e-books available and affordable to them until we started discussing it in class as part of my team's Think Tank activity.  I know that when my library has discussed subscribing to Overdrive and offering e-book loan to our patrons that I didn't really see a call for it in our community.  We don't get many requests for e-books, and the cost to subscribe to the service would be 1/8 of our entire collection development budget (that does not take into account the cost of then purchasing the use of any e-books from the service).  It really bothers me that some people don't see how much this affects those that are economically disadvantaged already.

I understand where the publishers are coming from, but I also think that this is just making it harder for the poor to be able to access this new technology.  I haven't really used e-books because I know I can't afford to pay $10 (at least) for each book I read.  I rarely buy books, I almost always check them out from the library instead.  The fact that these publishers are making it almost impossible for libraries to get their books (by most of them not even offering libraries the chance to purchase the books), just makes people like me unable to use this format.

The ethics paper also made me think some about my job at the library.  One of the first questions I was asked when I interviewed here was how I would handle the homeless patrons.  I said I would treat them just like anyone else, because I already did that working at a local cafe.  In fact, one of the more well known local homeless guys had his own table at the cafe and would come there almost every day, so I was used to working with the homeless.  While working on the Ethics Case paper I really had to think about the impact that the library has on the homeless population, and the impact they have on us.  At my library we've only had to ban one homeless man that I know of, and he did not get banned because he was homeless or smelled bad.  He was banned because he was a violent schizophrenic who refused to take his medication and was also hitting on underage girls.  That kind of behavior would get you banned from any library (I'd hope).

Job Analysis Pt. 2

Youth Services Librarian, St. Louis Public Library

According to the ad for a Youth Services Librarian at the St. Louis Public Library, the position requires someone with "outstanding verbal and written communication skills."  They are also looking for someone who has a strong commitment to serving a diverse population.  The position also requires that the candidate have an MLS from an ALA accredited school, and 3-5 years experience working with youth.  They want someone who can do storytelling and that has program skills.  They also want a librarian who has a strong knowledge of children and teen literature, and someone who can do community outreach.

Right now, I have over 8 years experience working with youth.  I have planned and run programs for most of my time at the Benton Harbor Public Library.  I also run collection development for the Teen Department, have developed a Junior Graphic Novel collection, and helped in the selection of our Adult Graphic Novel collection.  I have volunteered to run story time at my library when my boss was unable.  I was in charge of story time for the last month of our Summer Reading Program because my boss had a broken arm.  I also have run teen and youth book groups.  I've done community out reach to local schools (even those that are out of the normal age range of the patrons I serve in the Teen Department).

I also have strong written skills.  I've done well in my past writing classes, especially Technical Writing.  I have some grammar and punctuation problems, but I am pretty good at editing, especially with some help.  I've been published in VOYA (Voices of Youth Advocates), and I am going to be published next year in the Johns Hopkins Press.

What I lack to be qualified for my dream job is my MLIS.  I need to finish my Master's Degree, and I plan on doing the Graduate Certificate in Public Library Services to Children and Young Adults.

Director of Exhibitions, Indiana State Museum (Indianapolis)

This job would require some different skills than the job as a Youth Services Librarian.  According to their ad, the Indiana State Museum wants someone who has strong management skills and who is able to manage staff schedules and budgets.  This person would most likely also have to be creative.  He or she would need strong communication skills as well.  

There is a certificate program within Wayne State University that would work well for this position.  So, if I wanted to be the Director of Exhibitions at a museum I would want to complete my MLIS and then do the Graduate Certificate in Arts and Museum Librarianship.  Another option would be the joint Master's program with the MLIS and the MA in History Degree program.

I am not sure what else I would do to get the job as the Director of Exhibitions other than to try to get a lower level job at a museum now so that I could start working within that environment.

Job Analysis Pt. 1

Looking through the ALA website at job postings I found one that I liked.

Youth Services Librarian for St. Louis Public Library.
http://joblist.ala.org/modules/jobseeker/Youth-Services-Librarian/20832.cfm

After I did this search I figured I'd try to "think outside the box" and see what other career I might want that would be related to the MLIS study.  Another job I'd consider would be the Director of Exhibitions, Indiana State Museum.
http://www.indianamuseums.org/index.asp?p=7

One of my favorite things about working in a library is putting together displays.  And I love art, and art history.  Researching different artists and art forms could be very interesting, and figuring out how to display them would be challenging, but use the skills that I've developed working in a library.

I know that there are many other jobs out there that I might enjoy that go along the lines of what I will learn for my MLIS.  I might enjoy being an archivist, or working in advertising.

Professional Associations

There are two professional associations that I think would be especially useful for me to join as a librarian.  I have been a member of one of the associations before, but had to let my membership go because I could no longer afford it.  These two groups are the Michigan Library Association (MLA) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) which is a subdivision of the American Library Association (ALA).

The Michigan Library Association is a group for Michigan Librarians (although I am not sure it is limited only to Michigan librarians).  Their mission is "Helping Libraries and Library Professionals Succeed." (MLA, n.d.).  According to the MLA website (n.d.) there are both organizational and individual benefits.  As an individual, if I rejoined this organization, my benefits would be:

1. Statewide Support for Libraries and Library Professionals
2. Professional Development
3. Statewide Networking and Collaboration
4. Current Information and Library Trends
5. Member Discounts
6. Leadership and Career Developments

To join MLA there is a form online that can be filled out.  There are different levels of dues depending on the person who is joining.  There are different fees for someone who is affiliated, unaffiliated, a trustee, a retiree, and a student.

The MLA publishes a quarterly newsletter, online forums, and books & directories.  They also hold many conferences throughout the year.  Two of the largest conferences that the MLA holds during the year is the Annual Conference and Spring Institute.  Spring Institute focuses on librarianship for teens and young adults. They also offer scholarships for those who are unable to afford to attend conferences.

A second professional organization that I'd like to join is YALSA.  YALSA's mission is "The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is a national association of librarians, library workers and advocates whose mission is to expand and strengthen library services for teens, aged 12-18. Through its member-driven advocacy, research, and professional development initiatives, YALSA builds the capacity of libraries and librarians to engage, serve and empower teens."

One of the biggest benefits of being a registered member of YALSA is that they offer grants and awards.  According to the YALSA site they offer at least $100,000 in awards and grants.  Some of these include conference grants, the BWI Collection Development grant, and membership recognition awards.  They also  hold many conferences and events.  They sponsor Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week every year, and produce multiple book lists including the Best Fiction for Young Adults, Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, Non-Fiction for Young Adults, and Popular Paperback lists.  YALSA has a large amount of resource links on their page.  I've been a member of the YALSA mailing list for years, and used their page for book ordering, and I've not even gone through all the resources they have available.

YALSA has an active mailing list, a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/yalsa), and a twitter feed (@yalsa).

From there webpage here is information on becoming a member (including fees):

• $125 for regular members (first year; $65 for ALA/$60 for YALSA)
• $158 for regular members (second year; $98 for ALA/$60 for YALSA)
• $190 for regular members (third and later years; $130 for ALA/$60 for YALSA)
• $58 for student members ($33 for ALA/$25 for YALSA)
• $71 for nonsalaried members (unemployed, nonsalaried, or library support staff; $46 for ALA/$25 for YALSA)
• $71 for retired members ($46 for ALA/$25 for YALSA)
• $138 for international members ($78 for ALA/$60 for YALSA)
• $84 for associate and advocate members ($59 for ALA/$25 for YALSA; appropriate for individuals who do not work in the library field but are interested in participating in the work of YALSA, such as authors, booksellers, parents, teachers, etc.)
• $84 for Trustees ($59 for ALA/$25 for YALSA; appropriate for non-librarian members of governing boards, advisory groups, Friends organizations, and special citizen caucuses)
• Organizational membership varies depending on institution size ($175-$2,000 for ALA/$70 for YALSA)
• Corporate membership begins at $570. See other corporate opportunities with YALSA.

Now that I've really looked into it, I think I will see about becoming a member of YALSA this year or next.  I've been a part of the mailing list for a long time, and I've used the list as a resource often, but I've never actually thought that I could join YALSA until I was at least working towards my MLIS.

Sources:

American Library Association. (2012). YALSA. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/yalsa/ Sept. 28, 2012.

Michigan Library Association. (n.d.) Welcome to the Michigan Library Association. Retrieved from

http://www.mla.lib.mi.us/ Sept. 28, 2012.

Banned Books Week

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Most teenagers have to read To Kill a Mockingbird while they are in high school.  This past summer I reread the book as part of a summer of classics challenge I gave to myself.  The novel is told from the point of view of Scout, the young daughter of lawyer Atticus Finch.  Scout's real name is Jean Louise Finch and she shares her story with her brother Jem (Jeremy), and their neighbor Dill.  The novel takes place over three years, in which Scout starts school, she and Jem befriend Dill and start to investigate the neighborhood shut-in Arthur "Boo" Radley, and Scout learns about racism and true heroism.

One of the major events that happens during To Kill a Mockingbird was the trial of Tom Robinson.  Atticus defends Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of accused of raping a white woman in town.  The case is one that Atticus knows he will not win, because in the 1930's there was no way that a black man's word was going to stand up against a white woman's claim of rape.  Atticus still defends Tom to the best of his abilities, but he still loses.  During the trial and after though, Scout learns about race, and about treating people fairly no matter who they are.  One part of the book that really stood with me was Jem and Scout reading to a curmudeony neighbor as punishment for ruining her flowers.  They read to her every afternoon until she dies, not knowing that the whole time they were helping her ween herself off of a drug addiction.

According to the ALA this book has been banned for many different reasons.  Here's a link to the page describing the many reasons this book has been banned: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/reasonsbanned

Included in the reasons are:

• Use of the language "damn" and "whore lady"
• being institutionalized racism in the guise of literature
• inclusion of racial slurs and the word nigger
• promotion of white supremacy
• that it would make black children uncomfortable
• and more

I honestly can't understand why anyone would try to ban this book, especially for any of the reasons above.  The book teaches tolerance, and to accept people who are different.  Atticus taught his children that people need to be treated well, and that they should be valued based on who they are, and how they act, not on the color of their skin or their position in the community.

And in honor of banned books week here's a picture of our Banned Books display:

Personal Goals

Some of my personal goals that I want to achieve with my MLIS are to further my understanding of my job, become more qualified for my job, become an accredited librarian and eligible for awards, to specialize more in my area of interest; working with young adults, and to earn a higher level degree.

Right now I work as the Head of Teen Services at the Benton Harbor Public Library (BHPL).  My boss is a woman who holds an MLIS and is in charge of the entire Junior Department.  Each library must have a certain number of degree holding librarians based on the number in the population the library serves.  From what I know, the BHPL has to have at least 2.5 librarians, and right now we have 3.  If I don't obtain my MLIS, when my boss retires, they will most likely hire someone who will become my new boss.  I don't want that to happen, and instead, I want to take over the entire Junior Department in a few years time.

I also want to understand my job better.  Most of what I know now is self taught.  I understand classification pretty well, and I "think like a librarian", but I want to have a deeper understanding of the history of my job, and an idea for what it will be like in the future.

Another thing I'd like to do as an MLIS holding librarian, is to be eligible for different awards.  YALSA, the MLA, and the ALA all give out awards to librarians for outstanding service.  I can not win any of these awards without holding my MLIS.  It's one of my dreams to be able to win an award for my job, because I am very proud of the work that I do and I'd love for it to be recognized.

Throughout my studies I'd like to focus on work with Young Adults.  Wayne State offers a certificate program for working with youth and once I get my MLIS I'd like to complete that certificate program as well.  I am also considering studiying more about urban libraries as well, because Benton Harbor may not be large, but it is a very urban population.

My last goal in obtaining my MLIS would be to have a higher level degree.  I love learning, and I grew up being a good student.  I'll be very proud to have been able to not just obtain a Bachelor's Degree, but also an even higher level degree.  Depending on the amount of work involved, and what my life is like, I am also considering getting a Phd later on, and I also would like to get a second Bachelor's Degree later in life, this time from the University of Michigan which was my dream school as a child.

Sources:
American Library Association. (2012). YALSA. http://www.ala.org/yalsa. retrieved Sept. 17, 2012.
American Library Association. (2012). ALA. http://www.ala.org. retrieved Sept. 17, 2012
Michigan Library Association. (2012). MLA. http://mla.lib.mi.us. retrieved Sept. 17, 2012

You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?

Title curtousey of The Talking Heads.

Even though I am in library school, I am already working as a librarian.  The story of how I got to this position is kind of interesting.

I originally started school with plans to become a mechanical engineer like my father.  I am a geek in all ways, and I love math and science.  I didn't do well with college though, and ended up leaving my first college after 1 semester.  I transferred from a school called Aquinas, and moved to University of Illinois at Chicago where I studied and lived with a high school friend.  That didn't work much better, and at 19-20 I left college, ran off to Canada, and got married.

I tried going back to college a few times, unsuccessfully.  I changed majors about 5 times from engineering, to business, to interior design, back to business, then to general studies. And while I was in my early 20's, and living in Canada, I had no opportunity to get a job (since I was on a student visa I could only work on campus).  So, to pass my time I decided to visit the library.  One thing lead to another, I honestly can't remember how this happened, but I ended up volunteering at the library.  I was so happy shelving books, and it just made sense to me.  It felt like home.  I did so well with my volunteering that they let me start running some small craft programs in the Children's Department.  At that point I realized what I wanted to do with my life.

Once my (now) ex-husband and I moved back to the US I started looking for a job at a library.  I applied at one local library and was told they weren't interested in helping me find out if I wanted to be a librarian.  One library wasn't even willing to take me as a volunteer.  And actually, I was turned down for the first job I applied for at the library where I am currently employed.  I originally applied to work in the Adult Department, but they hired someone else.  The head librarian liked me though, and figured I would work well in an opening that they had in the Junior Department, so she sent my application up to my boss.

I didn't know this until this year, but my boss had already picked someone else to hire, but she figured she'd let me interview anyways.  Once I came in though, she said that I made her change her mind about the other woman who'd applied, and I got the job!

I honestly love what I do.  This job has inspired me to go back to school.  I had to get my bachelor's degree before I could work towards my MLIS.  So, that's what I've worked on for the past four years.  And now, here I am, working for my MLIS.

Here are the teens during a pajama program at the library

From the 2011 Benton Harbor High School graduation 

Two of the teens pose with me during Halloween last year

A picture taken during my joint graduation party with Divineer

I don't just work with teens, sometimes I get to work with the younger children as well.

Introduction

My name is Katie Werner, or as they call me at the library "Ms. Kat".  I am the Head of Teen Services at the Benton Harbor Public Library in Benton Harbor, MI.  Some of my job tasks include: ordering and processing books and DVDs for the collection, planning and running teen programs, watching the circulation desk, helping teens and children on the computers, and more.

I joke that I was meant to be a librarian because when I was younger I organized my baseball card collection by American and National League, then in alphabetical order by team within each league, then alphabetical by player within each team.  As a teenager I sorted my CDs into three genres (classic rock, soundtracks, and current music), then alphabetical by artist within genre.  If I had more than one album by an artist I put them in order by release date.  I've continued to organize collections as an adult including my comic books, and recently our DVD and video game collections at home.

As a librarian I hold many beliefs about my profession.  I believe that each patron has the chance to become a life-long library lover, he or she just needs the right catalyst.  By offering an assortment of media that covers multiple topics any person can find something he or she is interested in at the library.  Once that person starts coming to the library regularly, he or she may be willing to try new items that he or she would not have been willing to look at before.  One year I had a teen boy who refused to read anything except a few select manga series.  I kept suggesting novels to him, but he'd always turn me down.  Finally, I gave him a copy of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  That teen loved the book so much he read it twice, and then was willing to try new and different books.

I also believe that the heart of librarianship (at least public librarianship) lies with the librarian who loves working with the public.  No matter how strong of a collection is held within the library, no patrons are going to access it if they have to go through a grouchy, snobby, or other-wise unpleasant librarian.  If a librarian loves what he or she does it will show.  We get patrons that come to our library from other cities just because our librarians are so nice and knowledgeable about our collection.  Being a librarian takes commitment.  It's one thing to read reviews of books in journals, but it's a different level of familiarity to have read the book itself.  When working in a public library a librarian must spend a good amount of his or her own time reading books  If a librarian doesn't love his or her job, then he or she will not excel.

Last, I believe librarians and libraries must be flexible.  A library is a place for learning.  The idea of learning is constantly evolving.  There is a lot of learning that can come from books, but we should not limit ourselves to thinking that reading is the only way that someone can learn.  As a place of learning and as facilitators of knowledge we need to realize that someone may learn through audio book, or using the computer, or even taking a class at the library.  Librarians need to be flexible with how we see learning, and in what forms we insist knowledge be dispensed.