The Electronic Frontier Foundation has put together a great table showing what information various e-readers collect about your reading habits.  (via BoingBoing.)

I’m very happy to see that ACRL is continuing to work on making its conferences more sustainable…in part by making virtual meetings better and more accessible.  ACRL committee members should take a look at Tip Sheet #7 on this list, which offers tips on managing virtual meetings–and 7a and 7b, on using DimDim, a free web conferencing tool, to meet over the Internet.  I’ve never used DimDim, and I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has.

[This post mirrors content I've posted to Re:Generations, a blog for new and emerging academic librarians.]

This is the second in a series of posts featuring librarians taking an interesting approach to the profession, or using their degrees in interesting ways. If you missed the first post (featuring Heather Ward, UN Librarian and certified mahout) you can see it here. If you know of someone else you’d like to see interviewed, please let me know in the comments.

Miriam Rigby is the Social Sciences Librarian at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. She’s been a librarian for about a year, and she was selected as one of ALA’s Emerging Leaders for 2009-2010. Above, she engages in hula-hoop outreach with UO faculty.

Miriam says: “Don’t sell yourself short, join and apply for things, and make connections.”

Q: What do you do? (What’s your job title, who do you work for, where in the world are you?)

A: I’m a Social Sciences Librarian at the Knight Library, University of Oregon, in Eugene, Oregon. Specifically, I’m the subject specialist for the Anthropology, Sociology, and Ethnic Studies Departments, as well as the liaison to the Honors College.

Q: Okay, but really–what do you do? (Describe your job in big outlines–what kinds of things might you do in any given day?)

A: My general day-to-day work includes doing collection development, training the student workers for the reference desk, answering reference questions, teaching library research sessions, committee work, general outreach to faculty and students, and so on. I’m also the elected Secretary for the Library Faculty, so I run elections when they come up and take minutes at faculty meetings.

A typical day for me might involve reading book reviews, buying books, spending a few hours on the reference desk, and meeting with a committee or a faculty member in one of my departments or teaching a library research session in a anthropology or sociology course.

But then there are also my outreach efforts, which I think are one of the best aspects of my job. I am a fairly social creature, and I’ve put this to work to make connections with faculty within and beyond my liaison departments. I’ve done this online, via Gmail chat and Facebook, and offline, through social outings for new faculty that I’ve co-organized with a sociology professor.

So a typical day for me can also include going to the cafe near the library and working on my laptop doing chat reference and working on any of my other tasks, while teaching faculty filter in and out and stop to chat for a while. I also tend to leave my Facebook and Gmail accounts logged in, so that faculty have an easy way to contact me over chat during the day.

One of the best perks about outreach to faculty over these social networking sites is that I get to know people better faster. I can also see if they are complaining about a problem with library services – which actually happens on Facebook more that you might think – so that I can solve a problem quickly. I also rarely go without plans for lunch.

Outside of my typical work day, I might find myself going to a bar after work to have a social hour with faculty and solving information needs over a beer while chatting and venting. Sometimes I go skiing with faculty and talk about library services on long chairlift rides. I also tend to find I have projects to work on outside of my typical work day, so I’ve made a habit of working for at least a few hours each weekend at a coffee shop. This meshes well with teaching faculty who have articles to write and papers to grade, so these tend to become “study sessions” where a number of us will hang out, chatting a bit, and working on our various projects.

Casual collaborations often spring up from these, as well as the occasional reference interaction; there have been a few times when I barely get any of my own projects worked on because they turn into informal instruction sessions about databases or finding aids.

By far my favorite outreach-social outings I’ve organized are the bicycle adventures. I’ve now lead three biking tours – one around Eugene, and two around Portland – and I’ve been asked to organize more. Working on the same theories that were behind my bar and coffee shop outings for new faculty – that work-related topics will be discussed while having fun (in an “old boys’ club” manner*) – I have taken on these more ambitious expeditions. Because new faculty are new to the area and I have a fair amount of local knowledge of Portland, I have been able to play tour guide on these trips.

The first was a day-trip by car to Portland, and then a biking tour of about 10 miles of Portland neighborhood streets with frequent stops at delicious restaurants, coffee shops, quirky stores and parks, and of course one of Portland’s best tasting rooms, at the Clear Creek Distillery. After this event went so well, I was asked to lead a longer trip, so along the same vein, I organized an overnight journey by train, again stopping at more of Portland’s fantastic eateries along two long (but relatively easy-to-be-inclusive) bike rides. More trips have been requested once spring temperatures return, and who am I to deny teaching faculty requests for meetings with their librarian?

* Sometime in the hopefully not-too-distant future, I expect my essay about this will appear in C&RL News.

Q: When did you get your MLIS/MLS, and what school did you go to?

A: I received my MLIS in 2008 at the University of Washington in Seattle. Before that I had earned my MA in the Social Sciences (Cultural Anthropology) at the University of Chicago in 2004.

Q: What other jobs have you had before this one?

A: This is my first official librarian position, so I don’t have a long history of other jobs.

As far as library-related jobs go, I was a student worker at the Reed College Library for a few years as an undergrad. That mostly consisted of shelving and sitting at the checkout desk.

While I was at the University of Washington earning my MLIS, I had a student job cataloging government publications from the 1940s-70s. It was primarily copy cataloging, though I was able to make a few original item records.

Something that I’ve noticed in all of my jobs is that the more variety of types of tasks I have and the more I work with people, the more I enjoy what I do. So, the nice way to put it is that I’m not exactly cut out to be a cataloger. I did enjoy stumbling upon some curious old government publications including Mark Trail comics, food processing standards, and a Charlie Brown characters comic about eye disease treatment for children (Linus gets to wear an eye patch I seem to recall.)

I found much more interest though in some of the reference volunteer work and practicums I had during my time at the iSchool. I spent a year volunteering at the Seattle Art Museum Library as a reference assistant. This was a fun position, as being a corporate library the work was less about teaching people how to do research than to put together research packets for museum employees. I learned quite a bit about art doing this, and overall the work was a bit like a treasure hunt.

I enjoyed a one-quarter practicum at the Capitol Hill Branch of Seattle Public Libraries, during which I learned that while public libraries definitely keep things interesting for me, I’m not sure that I would want to work in one for the long-term. My final practicum while I was in my MLIS program was at Seattle University, and was probably the most useful learning experience of my whole time at the UW. I created an online guide, provided reference service and light bibliographic instruction, and was able to sit in on collection development meetings; all of which helped me gain great practical experience to balance out the theory-heavy coursework in my MLIS program.

Outside of libraries, I’ve been many things including a nanny, a binocular inspector, a personal chef, a shop-girl in a suit store, a jack-of-all-trades (but mostly office worker) at a big art gallery in Portland. I’ve also enjoyed volunteering at a therapeutic horse riding ranch and building scenery for small theater productions.

Q: What’s the most useful thing you learned on your way to this job–either in school or along the way in your career?

A: Figure out what you enjoy doing, and find a way to get paid to do it. Perhaps a bit cliche… but that’s pretty much my approach towards my outreach efforts, and it’s working out well.

Q: What are you learning now? Or, what do you wish you were learning now?

A: I’m currently a few months into starting to learn Mandarin Chinese, which is great. It’s been years since I’ve tried to pick up another language, and it’s waking up parts of my brain I had been neglecting. There is a strong Asian Studies program at the University of Oregon, many of the teaching faculty in my departments are China scholars, and there is also a large portion of the student body from China, so it seems like a useful language to learn (beyond my general interest in picking it up.)

To a similar purpose, my colleague John Russell and I have been collaborating with three teaching faculty from assorted social science departments for a reading group. It has been a great refresher for me on some key theories in the social sciences, and also helps me keep up with the fields for which I’m a subject specialist.

I’m also still figuring out quite a bit about being a reference librarian. I picked up a number of new responsibilities this year, including supervising student workers, being the liaison to the Clark Honors College, and serving on a hiring committee, and I have been active on a few new regional and national committees.

Honestly, in many ways, my entire job is a learning experience as I go. I would probably get bored it it wasn’t.

Q: If the stars align and everything goes according to your heart’s desire, what else would your career bring you?

A: I would love to have more opportunity to travel internationally. I hope that my Chinese studies will lead to work related traveling to China, possibly to attend the annual Hong Kong Book Fair. Eastern Europe and Antarctica are also both on my list of places to get to. Every once in a while the New Zealand Military advertises for a librarian at their station in Antarctica, so that might make for an interesting sabbatical!

Q: What are you reading right now?

A: Of course I follow Reference User Services Quarterly, and College and Research Libraries, but I’m currently between books that might be considered particularly library-focused. For the reading group I’m in, I just finished reading a few chapters in the latest translations of Foucault lectures, Birth of Biopolitics, and I’m about to start in on an essay by Heidegger, The Questions Concerning Technology.

As far as leisure reading goes, I am a few pages from finishing Haruki Murakami’s novel Kafka on the Shore. His style could be described as that of a current day, Japanese, Philip K. Dick, in that it’s light science fiction, mostly grounded in regular daily life, but with weird things that happen. Most of his novels are set in recent-day Japan, with fairly ordinary people going about fairly ordinary lives in which curious events start taking place. This one is particularly full of libraries and cats. I am mildly concerned that I am soon to have read all of his novels though, so I am trying to pace myself with other authors.

I recently received the gift of Foam of the Daze, a novel by French author Boris Vian. So, despite knowing nothing about it, I am looking forward to reading it next.

I also follow over 50 blogs (according to Google Reader, which I use to manage them). I have a mix including libraries & information-related blogs, including In the Library with the Lead Pipe, Stephen’s Lighthouse and Academitron, comics-based blogs such as Dinosaur Comics, and silly photo blogs like Cake Wrecks, Awkward Family Photos, and (of course) I Can Has Cheezburger.

Q: Any words of advice for new librarians?

A: I’m still quite new myself. I guess I would refer them back to my answer for the most useful thing I’ve learned for my career. Also, just get involved in anything that sounds interesting or useful to you. There are a lot of opportunities to learn from other librarians when you join committees on interesting topics.

I’ve also found that if you put effort into applying for different scholarships, grants, and competitions, you’re likely to win a few of them (especially if you join committees and volunteer for a variety of projects.)

One example of this for myself is that I was recently accepted into the American Library Association’s Emerging Leaders Program. I am looking forward to the workshops and collaborative projects with other Emerging Leaders at the ALA Midwinter and Annual conferences in 2010. All I know for sure at the moment is that I’m on a project with a few other academic librarians and that we’ll be creating something useful for the Association of College and Research Libraries, and presenting on it at ALA Annual 2010. Whatever we are up to, it seems like a great way to get involved and to network with more librarians.

So overall, don’t sell yourself short, join and apply for things, and make connections.

Outreach on skis, Rigby-style.

Thanks, Miriam!

I’m not sure why The Denver Post is calling it “carbon-positive,” when in fact the point seems to be to make it carbon-neutral (or better), but the Anythink Brighton library (Adams County CO) seems pretty amazing.  It has a geothermal HVAC system under its parking lot, a whack of solar panels–and it hopes to be selling energy back to the grid within a year.  Substantial amounts of energy, according to Pam Sandlian Smith, the libray’s director.

To which I say: very cool.

Flickr photosets here and here and here.

I’m an academic librarian, and I spend a lot of time thinking about higher education, research, and related topics.  But I’m also a reader of novels, a watcher of movies, a listener-to of music, and a General Member of the Community.  (Which community?  Oh, well…lots of them, I guess.)

As such, I just have to spend a minute singing the praises of my local public library system, which recently won a national award for its services.  The Multnomah County Library is awesome.  I’ve somehow managed to read fifty books this year, and I can’t even begin to tell you how many of those I got from the library.  (Most.)  Not to mention the movies and TV series I’ve borrowed, and the music I’ve found, and the zines I’ve read (they collect zines!) and the fact that recently I got to visit their Special Collections division, and saw Charles Dickens’s signature.

Just last night a friend told me about their electronic books and on-demand videos (they use Library2Go and NetLibrary, among other products I probably haven’t even discovered yet.)  Right this minute, I could be watching a free showing of Declining by Degrees, or The Persuaders, or listening to a Michael Moorcock book or a Shakespeare play on my iPod.  (Well right now I’m at work, but you know…) All I have to have is a library card, a little time on my hands, and interest.

Libraries are pretty incredible institutions.  Communities that understand and values libraries are, to my way of thinking, healthy and inspiring places to live.  I’m so glad and grateful to part of this community, and to have access to this mild, modest, totally kick-ass library system.

Whoah.  Kirkus Reviews, a standby of library and publishing reviews, just died.  So did Editor & Publisher.

Image:  Flickr Creative Commons by kevindooley.

[This post mirrors content I've posted to Re:Generations, a blog for new and emerging academic librarians.]

This is the first of (I hope) a small series of posts profiling librarians doing unusual, unexpected, and interesting things with their careers. I’m starting out with my own network of friends and colleagues, but if you know of someone you’d like to see interviewed here, please let me know in the comments.

Heather Ward is the Librarian for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, she has worked as the Humanities Librarian at the University of Oregon and in several positions with USAID in Afghanistan and Thailand. She’s been a librarian for about twelve years, and a certified mahout for…a little less than that. She blogs about libraries and life at Lisons et Dansons.

Heather says: “Be patient. Be persistent. Figure out what you have control over and concentrate on that. (Let the other stuff go.)”

Q: What do you do? (What’s your job title, who do you work for, where in the world are you?)

A: I am currently working short-term as the Librarian for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Q: Okay, but really–what do you do? (Describe your job in big outlines–what kinds of things might you do in any given day?)

A: Although the UN Office in Geneva has a very large research library, the OHCHR maintains its own collection with single librarian and a single staff member. So, the two of us do everything from refilling the printer, to trouble shooting the computers, to selecting, processing and cataloging books, to circulation, to answering reference questions, to performing in-depth research for patron requests. I guess it would be termed a “special library”, but it has a lot of things in common with running a small public library branch.

Q: When did you get your MLIS/MLS, and what school did you go to?

A: 1997, Indiana University. I completed a dual degree program for an MLS and an MA in history. I also worked as a Graduate Assistant running a Residence Hall Library, not all that different in day-to-day operations from the current one.

Q: What other jobs have you had before this one?

A: Here’s the short answer:

• French tutor, historical interpreter, graduate assistant, temp
• Library Assistant
• Office Manager
• Humanities Librarian at the University of Oregon (8 1/2 years)
• Outreach & Website Assistant, USAID, US Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan
• Public Affairs Specialist, USAID, US Embassy Bangkok
• Information analyst, US Embassy Bangkok
• Development Outreach Communications Specialist, USAID, US Embassy Bangkok

And here’s the long one:

My first post-MLS library job was as the Humanities Librarian at the University of Oregon. It was my dream job with a subject specialty in history and Romance languages–I eventually wheedled a medieval studies fund out of them, too. It gave me a great grounding in academic librarianship–reference, instruction, collection development, and lots of professional development opportunities, some good mentorship models, too.

Fast forward several years…my future hubby, Chuck, and I were interested in pursuing work overseas. I focused on “public diplomacy”–providing outreach and public relations/communications for the US Government abroad a.k.a. “soft” diplomacy. (See What is Public Diplomacy.) We explored possibilities in the US Foreign Service including their general public diplomacy track and their specialized Information Resource Officer (IRO) (librarian) position. Attempting to join the Foreign Service can be a lengthy process. In the meantime Chuck found a job as the IT guru for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) mission in Bangkok. So after 8 1/2 years, I left the UO for the unknown.

In Thailand I kept up my library ties, serving on the boards of two local libraries. I applied for various jobs and contacted the US Embassy Information Resource Center and the Open Source Center (makers of World News Connection) for possible opportunities. I took Thai language classes and taught a bit of Irish dance. I also read a lot, kept up my blog, and took lots of naps (highly recommended if you ever get the opportunity.)

After more research, I learned that it was easier to break into USAID’s public diplomacy program than into the more structured hiring system of the US State Department. With my reference librarian drive to help people and my interest in public diplomacy, development seemed like a good match. USAID has what they call Development Outreach and Communications specialists (DOCs). So, I jumped at the chance when a 3-month position to roll out a website opened up in a USAID DOC Office…in Afghanistan.

It was a great experience, intense, stressful at times, but what an opportunity! Part of what made it great was luck–by the time I got there, the website was done and they needed help with the regular outreach work. Part of it was just making my skills known. You need information management? I can do that. You need something edited? A website updated? An eye for detail? You got it!

A few months after returning to Bangkok, Cyclone Nargis struck Burma and the USAID office needed some outreach help. I was the logical person, because I had recent USAID DOC experience. Could I come to work tomorrow? Yes, I could. I worked with the media, arranging interviews. I wrote talking points. I put together briefing packets for VIPs. I maintained records of media contacts, US Government updates, and info from partner organizations like the UN. It was exciting and when that situation calmed down, I stayed on to help roll out their website. When they posted a one-year position, I applied and made a strong case for myself as a candidate. They hired me.

In the meantime, I was keeping an eye on more permanent opportunities with the Foreign Service. Last August, I passed the oral assessment for the IRO librarian position and I’m currently going through the security clearance process. This summer I also took the US Foreign Service Written Exam for the third time with the public diplomacy track in mind. In February 2010, I’ll have my second shot at passing that oral assessment. So, it worked well to have found a temporary job at the UN to tide me over.

Q: What’s the most useful thing you learned on your way to this job–either in school or along the way in your career? Do you have any words of advice for new librarians?

A:

Spin your skills broadly and avoid library lingo: Develop another resume aimed at non-library audiences that you can adapt as needed. Think about non-library applications for your amazing research/web/organizational/communication/leadership skills–a useful exercise in these uncertain times even if you plan to work in libraries.

Be assertive in promoting your skills: If you’re the perfect candidate for a job or even an interesting task at work, tell someone. You know your resume and your experience best and are best prepared to advocate for yourself. Don’t wait for someone else to do it. Once you’ve done it, document it for future reference like a job application or performance review.

Be flexible/adventurous: Temporary positions like my current one or my job in Afghanistan are a great way to try something new and perhaps get a foot in the door with an organization. It’s a chance to make a good impression that may lead to bigger and better things. If you’re able to handle uncertainty and make a leap that others might be reluctant to take, you also have a competitive advantage. Some of you might also be able to do this using a leave of absence or a summer off. There are also long-term possibilities out there for creative job hunters who need more security.

Cultivate people: Actively reach out to others. Find common interests. Keep business or personal cards with you and exchange them with other interesting people. This is not to suggest using people in a calculating way, but being open to new connections broadens your network of expertise and your life possibilities, seriously. And of course, the relationship is reciprocal. I had cards printed with my name, email and blog address, and I hand them out liberally. When you leave a job, stay connected with those with whom you had a good working relationship, whether through Christmas cards or Facebook or whatever, so both of you still feel comfortable asking when one of you needs a reference or wants to call on the other’s expertise.

Keep an eye on new opportunities: Regularly browsing listings in your areas of interest provides not only immediate opportunities, but ideas for broader applications of your skills. Because I’m interested in international work, I tend to browse the UN’s Galaxy, UN Jobs (which lists vacancies with the UN and other international organizations), various library lists including LISjobs, and US Government sites like FedBizOpps (not necessarily limited to US citizens).

Be patient. Be persistent: Figure out what you have control over and concentrate on that. (Let the other stuff go).

Q: What are you learning now? Or, what do you wish you were learning now?

A: I’ve seen a huge need for knowledge management (KM) in recent workplaces–just like a librarian, always looking to connect people with the right information/knowledge. I’m reading up on the subject, but I’d like to pursue some sort of certificate program–particularly in KM as it relates to international development and communication. It’s something that fits naturally with my current skills and experience and definitely has job security.

I wish I was improving my French speaking skills, but it’s too easy here at work to speak English.

Q: If the stars align and everything goes according to your heart’s desire, what else would your career bring you?

A: The opportunity to keep learning, help people, travel the world, and find personal, dare I hope spiritual, satisfaction in whatever work I’m doing.

As for future career plans, who knows? I’d still like to be an underwater archaeologist, an author, a musician, an expert in historical dance….but I’ll always be a librarian at heart.

Q: What are you reading right now?
A: A mystery set in 18th-century Paris called The Chatelet Apprentice and, apropos of work, a biography of Sergio Vieira de Mello, a complex and fascinating UN official who was killed in Iraq in 2003. It’s called Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World. It’s also giving me a good review of international events in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s.

Thanks, Heather!

A student just showed me ahead.com, and I think it may be my favorite new toy.

Here, I’ll let their landing page promo text speak for itself:

It’s a web-based multimedia design tool that you can use for presentations.  You can insert multiple-page documents, mp3 files, images…and I can say from first-hand experience, the interface is smooth and gorgeous.

I’ll be playing with this over the next few weeks.  I just registered for Online Northwest 2010, and on a whim signed up to do a lightning talk on the future of digital publishing…if I make the cut, look for an ahead.com presentation from me!

This one’s been making the rounds:  the world’s smallest lending library is in a phone booth in the UK.  Residents take and leave books on the honor system.

The phone booth (or “call box,” if you prefer) was bought from British Telecom for £1, making it very probably also the least expensive lending library in the known world.

EDUCAUSE is seeking examples of the six technologies it will profile in the 2010 Horizon Report.  The Horizon Report annually forecasts the time-to-adoption for half a dozen key educational technologies.  You can see the 2009 Horizon Report here.

This year (or next year, I guess), the forecast is:

TIME-TO-ADOPTION: ONE YEAR OR LESS
Mobile Computing
Open Content

TIME-TO-ADOPTION: TWO TO THREE YEARS
Electronic Books
Simple Augmented Reality

TIME-TO-ADOPTION: FOUR TO FIVE YEARS
Gesture-Based Computing
Visual Data Analysis

If you have a good local example of any of these technologies being used in higher ed in  your neck of the woods, scamper over to the EDUCAUSE web form and drop them a line.  You’ll have their thanks–and eternal glory in next year’s Horizon Report!