Is this your first virtual conference? Are you looking to meet more librarians? Do you have questions about ALA, your professional journey, or librarianship? This is the place for you!
Join us this year at ALA Midwinter Virtual Meeting & Exhibits on Saturday, Jan. 23 from 9 to 10 AM. Use this link to access the meeting. Note that ALA student members and employees with reduced hours can register for Midwinter for FREE. We have put together a fun and interactive orientation session that will help you get your bearings: to the New Members Round Table (NMRT), to ALA, and to a virtual conference setting.
Our panel guests include Dani Cook, Vice-President of NMRT; Tina Coleman, ALA’s Membership Marketing Specialists and brings 20 years of experience with ALA membership and services; and Kim Redd, program manager at ALA who has all of the answers and is more than willing to share them!
The sooner you know what the NMRT has to offer, the sooner it can be a resource for navigating the first years of your career as an information professional.
For more information about this session and other virtual events not listed in the Midwinter Scheduler, click here.
Ms. Lear, Behavioral Sciences and Education Librarian at Penn State Harrisburg, has more than two decades of experience working in libraries, including the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C., and the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore. She deeply enjoys helping people and cites library interactions with children, formerly incarcerated persons, international students, LGBT students, military veterans, students with disabilities, and other diverse clientele as enriching her understanding of what college librarianship can be (and should be). In 2009-2010 and 2013-2014, Mrs. Lear was Chair of LHRT, and she served a third term in 2020-2021. From 2008 to 2017, she served as Chair of the Archives and History Committee of the Pennsylvania Library Association. Other areas of interest are American Indian history and literature, which were the focus of her Master’s degree in American Studies at Penn State Harrisburg, and Children’s Literature, a new focus in her research.
“Be a history major, and then you can study the history of anything!”
It was my second year of college and Dr. Stott had just overheard me telling another classmate that I needed to declare a major and I couldn’t decide which one to choose. I had started in The George Washington University’s International Affairs program and although I was doing well, I didn’t feel like I fit in with the career I was training for or the fellow students that would become my colleagues. I loved to learn about the viewpoints and customs of other people. I was especially interested in Eastern Europe and Central and Eastern Asia, and I had taken courses in Russian and Chinese history. But at the time, GW’s focus was preparing new employees for the U.S. Department of State. Although the Soviet Union was being dismantled and perestroika/glasnost encouraged hopes for new approaches to global relationships, it seemed that a lot of my professors, guest lecturers, and classmates had retained adversarial Cold War attitudes. Within the Economics and Political Science courses that formed the backbone of the International Affairs program, too many of my comments were labeled as “naïve,” “unimportant,” or “leftist.” I’m ashamed to say it now, but the fact that I was the only female in most of my classes intimidated me too.
So when Dr. Stott suggested that I choose history as my major, I didn’t need much convincing. He was absolutely right about History enabling you to study anything. Over the years, I’ve worked as a subject specialist in Business, Science, Engineering, Education, Psychology, and Health, and I’ve drawn on my historical background in each of those roles. From helping public library customers figure out the value of old stock certificates; to assisting a college student in identifying children’s antiwar books like Munro Leaf’s The Story of Ferdinand; to helping a faculty member locate early news reports related to HIV/AIDS before it was known by that name—History is a body of knowledge and a method for making sense of the world that has helped me on the job and beyond it. A lot of people who believe they don’t like History associate it with the “whats”—dry facts like names, dates, and events. But the questions of “why” that History can answer are meaningful and rewarding. History can help us understand today’s people, events, and material culture, which have often been shaped by the past. History can inspire us with ideas for approaching our challenges—and help us recognize blind alleys that have already failed. History can anger us enough to take action, and it can help us make peace with things that we can’t change. Although it’s seen as an intellectual endeavor, it does important psychological and social work as well.
If you majored in History or you value it as I do, you can keep that interest alive as a librarian. There are several potential homes for you within ALA:
If you don’t work with historical materials or answer history-related reference questions, but you have an abiding interest in how our profession developed and where it’s headed, ALA’s Library History Round Table is a great place for you. Despite the winding path of my career, it’s been my consistent home for more than 20 years. By reading LHRT’s publications, attending its programs, and networking with its members, you can learn the history of services for diverse groups, as well as the history of collections, cataloging, and every other area of librarianship. While the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) is often described as ALA’s conscience, LHRT is ALA’s memory—and strives to keep that memory honest and inclusive. The round table’s blog and its scholarly journal,Libraries: Culture, History, and Society include not only the admirable strides libraries have made, but also the internal challenges that libraries have had with misogyny, racism, and other social issues. You can contribute to this important effort by reviewing books for LCHS and contributing to the blog, as a number of our student members and new writers do. And although professional librarians are an important part of these stories, LHRT embraces stories and volunteers coming from the retiree, trustee, and community arenas. Truly, anyone who wants to know more about libraries can (and should!) become a member of LHRT.
If you work with archives/special collections—especially technical aspects like acquisitions, arrangement/description, cataloging, preservation, and security—the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is for you. Not an academic librarian?—don’t let the “C” in ACRL scare you away. A variety of public librarians, museum employees, and other types of professionals are members too. RBMS welcomes new volunteers to serve on committees. Its blogs, journal, and other publications are vital resources and means of communicating with others.
Besides these 3 entities, other units with ALA engage in history-related initiatives. For example, within SRRT, the Feminist Task Force has a Women in Library History Project which raises awareness about females’ contributions to the profession. For those who are literary-minded, the Intellectual Freedom Round Table provides a Banned Author Birthday Calendar and other items that can help you delve more deeply into controversial books. The Library Research Round Table offers awards, a conference, and other opportunities that are open to library historians as well as other scholars. ALA also has an archives, located at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which is a treasure-trove of information and primary sources about ALA’s history.
Feel free to contact me (bal19 @ psu.edu if you’d like to build connections between your love of history and your chosen profession. Although I know the most about LHRT, I’d be happy to help you navigate RBMS or HS and find friends there as well.
Join us on Sunday, January 24 from 6-8 pm CST for the always exciting NMRT Midwinter Social as we move virtual! What better way to meet and network with your peers than by defeating them in a friendly competition – or joining them in our discussion rooms?
All conference attendees – not just NMRT members – are welcome to join as we play fun games and network with peers. Space is limited, so register soon!
Perspectives, an interview series that will highlight the work of librarians in different fields and professional specializations. Our series will focus on the experiences of our participants, what they do, what they have learned, and offer advice to those interested in librarianship and various fields. To our readers, our committee hopes this column will highlight the valuable labor these individuals perform on an everyday basis. Our interviews will provide perspective on what labor in these fields entails and current issues that affect librarianship, employment, etc. On behalf of the Communications Committee, we hope you find this new column illuminating, informative, and inspiring!
Elizabeth Crowder is a writer, a law librarian, and co-founder of The Sartorial Geek magazine. She is also Acquisitions Editor for X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine. Her work has most recently appeared or is forthcoming in Smokelong Quarterly,X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine, and midnight & indigo.
Tell us about your current job and what about your job you enjoy the most.
I’m a law librarian for a federal courthouse. I really enjoy the legal research aspect of my job best. The research questions I receive are all so different and often complex. Whether it’s taking field trips to the National Archives and Records Administration to comb through old court records that were never digitized or using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to unearth a PDF of a court handbook from the ‘90s, my job is never boring (at least not to me).
What drew you to the field of librarianship?
A natural and unbridled sense of curiosity, a love for the pursuit of knowledge, an unquenchable thirst for learning new things, and the desire to use all of those traits to help others.
In addition to your job in librarianship, what else occupies your time?
I am a writer and an editor. I am about 75,000 words into the fantasy novel I’ve dreamed of writing since I was a Tolkien-loving little girl, and have stories published or forthcoming in Smokelong Quarterly, X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine, and midnight & indigo. Additionally, I’m co-founder of a quarterly magazine, website, and podcast called The Sartorial Geek.
Can you describe a memorable moment in your career?
When I was first hired I felt out of my element as there were so many aspects of the world of legal librarianship that were completely foreign to me. Pretty early on in my tenure, I received a research question that involved creating a replicable search in Westlaw that could find the exact number of Court of Appeals opinions a specific judge authored. The searches I was given as examples were well-crafted and complex but I came up with a simple proximity search that yielded surprisingly accurate results. The idea for the proximity search only came to me because I was new to the field and thought, “There has to be an easier way.” Turns out, there was! That was the first time I felt like not only did I have what it took to thrive at my job, but I was also bringing a new and valuable perspective to the table.
What are some things you know now about your job/librarianship, that you wish you had known before entering the field?
I’m an introvert who can morph into an extrovert in a professional setting. As a librarian, I’m asked to be extroverted a lot more than I originally anticipated. In my job, I am tasked with copious amounts of training and public speaking responsibilities. I also chair various committees, teach webinars, and interact with myriad people throughout the day. Since I am currently a branch librarian for one of our circuit’s satellite branches, I also manage an employee, and have to deal with a lot more building maintenance issues than I assumed I would.
What kinds of professional development do you do?
Anything and everything! I love expanding my knowledge/skillset. Currently, I am taking coding and database management classes. AALL has a wealth of professional development resources for law librarians. Pre-pandemic I’d attend monthly lunch and learns with local law librarians (from law firms, academic libraries, etc.). I even co-chair a federal law librarian Professional Development committee.
What are some current professional obstacles in this field that upcoming professionals should know about?
You can have the best programming, the greatest resources, and the most dedicated staff in the world and it won’t mean a thing if no one knows about it. Be prepared to aggressively market your resources, prove your relevance, and demonstrate your value to stakeholders on a regular basis.
What do you think some misconceptions about librarians/libraries/librarianship are?
That our profession is obsolete or that we only deal with books. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Is there one piece of advice you have received in your career thus far that stands out the most (that you carry with you in your work)?
Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself or do things that scare you.
What professional advice would you give to graduate students who are about to enter the field?
Apply for any job that looks interesting to you and that plays to your strengths. Even (especially) if you do not think you are qualified. I had an interest in law librarianship with experience in only academic libraries and I didn’t let that stop me from putting my best foot forward and applying anyway. And here I am, almost five years later, thriving in a job I absolutely love. I can’t imagine doing anything else for a living.
The November discussion focused on a topic that we all face regardless of our profession – changing work environments. Our work environments are often changing and in some type of fluctuation. Generally, we face change because of a change in leadership, a new coworker coming onboard, a change in our own employment status, a change in job responsibilities, or in the case of 2020, a pandemic changing how we offer services and where we do our work. This month, our discussion was focused on ways our jobs may have changed and advice that we would give others on how to adapt and cope with changes at work.
Panta Rhei
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus often argued that life can be summed up as panta rhei, or life is flux. Change is essential to life because nothing is permanent. With that understanding, we need to be prepared for change in all aspects of our lives. Yes, change is difficult and often unexpected, but instead of fighting change, we should embrace it. We cannot stop change from happening, but we can decide how we accept and adapt to that change.
Coping with Change
How can we cope with change and the stress that comes from change? First, it is necessary to identify how we each deal with change on an individual basis. Do you practice avoidance coping which “is a maladaptive form of coping in which a person changes their behavior to avoid thinking about, feeling, or doing difficult things,” or active coping where you address the problem head on? Avoidance coping can be a natural response to any situation, but avoiding the change or problem can just lead to even more stress. So, if you naturally lean towards avoidance coping, try to change your thinking, and come up with ways to address the changes head on.
Good news is there are many ways to deal with change and stress. Are you now working remotely because of the pandemic and feeling unsupported and alone? Maintaining relationships with coworkers and friends is so important during stressful changes. Find new ways to communicate with others outside of traditional in-person meetings. If you are feeling negative in any way, your colleagues may also be feeling the exact same way you are. You can help and support each other. Do not be silent about your needs; ask for help, and then listen to others as they communicate their needs to you.
One of the most important things you can do during any stressful change is to continue or start taking time for yourself. Remember that it is important do something that makes you happy; plus, whatever you are doing has the added benefit of distracting you from whatever is stressing you. Take mental health days if you are feeling mentally or physically unwell. Go for a walk outside and give yourself a needed break from technology. Sometimes, taking five minutes to take in the beauty of nature can really uplift your mood. Speaking of nature, buy yourself another house plant. Who says 10 house plants is too many house plants? Call your local shelter and adopt a furry familiar (best decision I ever made). Bake three dozen cookies or a new pie each week; people love sweets and will gladly eat them with you. Continue with your exercise routine. Take up a new hobby. Just DO something that brings you joy and happiness. You cannot be a productive, happy, and healthy worker if you do not take care of yourself.
Finally, do not forget the reason why you became a librarian or decided to work in your specific field to begin with. Remembering your ‘why’ can help you navigate so many changes because you are reminded of your goals and what is ultimately important to you at the end of the day. Did you become a librarian to help people? Find a new way to hold reference meetings or get materials to patrons. Did you become a librarian because you love working and teaching with primary source materials? Think about how you can teach classes online and bring the materials to people in new ways. The ‘how’ you accomplish your goals may change, but your goals do not have to.
Change is a constant in all our lives, but it does not have to be stressful.
References:
Joshua J. Mark, “Heraclitus of Ephesus,” Ancient History Encyclopedia (Ancient History Encyclopedia, December 1, 2020), https://www.ancient.eu/Heraclitus_of_Ephesos/.
MS Elizabeth Scott, “Why Avoidance Coping Creates Additional Stress,” Verywell Mind, September 17, 2020, https://www.verywellmind.com/avoidance-coping-and-stress-4137836.
Payments on Federal Student Loans, which have been suspended from March 13, 2020, will resume after January 31st, 2021. The CARES Act originally provided for payments to be suspended through September 30th, 2020. All provisions of the act were later extended through December 31st, 2020 by Executive Action, and were extended through January 31st, 2021 by the Secretary of Education.
If you are in Income Driven Repayment and your family has grown, or your income has gone down since you last made a payment, you can recertify your new income at studentaid.gov and lower your payment before it is due in February. If your family has not grown and your income has not changed significantly, you need not recertify your income until your IDR plan anniversary in 2021.
If you are not in an IDR plan yet, you may find that applying for one lowers your monthly payment, and can make you eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness on eligible loans for eligible employees of eligible employers.
The NMRT Communication Committee is looking, and our committee sincerely hopes to get more student voices involved and hear about all the things you are working on!
Is a student member presenting? Any fun chapter activities going on, or would you like to highlight any member accomplishments? What are your research interests? Any cool outreach activities you have recently planned or implemented in your practicum or on-site at your job? The Communications Committee would love to hear from you! If your student chapter has anything to share or would like to write a piece to be featured on the NMRT blog.
Please reach out to the Communications Committee member, Josh Rimmer (J. Rimmer84 @ gmail), for more information. The Communications Committee appreciates your consideration, and we hope to be in touch with your student chapter soon! Be well, and stay safe!
How we are serving, connecting, and communicating with library patrons during the COVID-19 pandemic
By Lauren Puzier
Lauren Puzier is the User Experience Librarian at the UAlbany Libraries. Her research interests include the incorporation of new and emerging technologies in higher education, user-centered and service design, and reference services. Previously, she was the Acting Head Librarian for the New York Library at Sotheby’s Institute of Art.
(5-minute read)
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many libraries in the United States to focus on providing remote services and reimagine on-ground services. At the same time, many of our patrons are not or cannot visit us and may not be easy to reach. We are communicating new service methods, protocols for health and safety, new and changing hours, policies, and more. The NMRT November discussion asked the question of how libraries are serving, connecting, and communicating with library patrons during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Special Website Content
Members shared that their libraries are reaching out to patrons in a variety of ways, from using social media channels, email communications, website alerts and banners and new signage in the buildings. Alert bars have become a staple on library homepages since March 2020. One member noted that “there’s a link at the top of our website linking to information about using the Libraries during the COVID-19 crisis” (Birkenhauer, 2020). Alert bars may include text or icons and links to dedicated pages about new policies or important changes to library services, events and hours (Pomer, 2020). Alerts bars can be quickly updated as local situations change. They have been commonly applied to websites of all types of institutions and businesses with COVID-19 content. This widespread usage of alert bars helps users visiting the webpage; they can quickly scan the homepage for the alert at the top, where they expect to see it, and quickly locate the important information.
Pages dedicated to COVID-19 specific information are also used by many member libraries. Some libraries are using standalone pages to outline updates and changes or creating sets of static Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to help users find answers quickly. These self-service webpages not only help users find important information quickly, but also decrease email volume and phone calls, freeing up staff time for managing other areas of change. (McKendrick, 2013, p. 17).
Social Media
All respondents noted that their libraries were using social media to connect with patrons during the pandemic. Popular platforms include YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. One member’s library used Instagram posts to help make patrons aware of new policies the library had set prior to reopening to the public.
The sudden move to online learning was a challenge many academic libraries faced over the spring at institutions across the country. While administrations and teaching faculty grappled with mode and digital delivery of courses, library staff had to adjust or create services for newly remote patrons (Gallagher & Palmer, 2020). Educating those new to remote learning about what services a library offers to distance students and how students can access them is a big task. One member noted that their academic library designed “a library crash course on blackboard to show students about our services” (VanDyne, 2020).
Email
Mailing lists are an excellent way to send out communications to library users. Most participants’ libraries used email to communicate to patrons over the spring and summer. A participant shared that their library had their Personal Librarians “email all first year and transfer students weekly and a lot of this year’s content has focused on new services, protocols, etc. during the pandemic” (Birkenhauer, 2020). Personal Librarian Programs help “students to view the librarian as a person that was approachable with whom they can connect on campus” (Henry et al., 2012, p. 399). A consistent email from a personal librarian can be a great way to share important library updates and changes related to the pandemic while helping remote students connect with someone at the library.
How much email is too much?
I have noticed open rates on our Personal Librarian emails are not as high as years past. I’m wondering if our students are overwhelmed by email (since almost everything in their lives has gone virtual!) and our messages are just not a priority at this time. (Birkenhauer, 2020)
With so many people facing the realities of Zoom fatigue, a newly coined phenomenon which Wiederhold (2020) describes as any “tiredness, anxiety, or worry resulting from overusing virtual video conferencing platforms” (p. 437), it is not unreasonable to assume many library patrons are also facing email overload. Email overload is defined as “the feeling of being overwhelmed by the constant flow of messages appearing in the inbox and the inability to manage the high volume of messages effectively” (McMurtry, 2014, p. 31).
Signage
Libraries that reopened or changed physical layouts and spaces relied on signage to help patrons navigate the buildings. A participant shared that their academic library designated a team to determine what types of signs would be needed, where signs would be placed and how many had to be printed. “Before reopening, we had a Signage team that developed signs on topics such as mask-wearing, hand washing, closed stacks, and food policy changes.” (Puzier, 2020).
Library Signs: Example of messaging for library patrons. Lowe, A. M. (2020). Masks are required [digital image]. UAlbany Libraries.
Advice
Most participants found that social media was the best way to get messages out to patrons over the spring and summer of 2020. One noted that academic faculty were most receptive to email communications. Students tended to open emails from the library less often than prior to the pandemic (Birkenhauer, 2020). Another library saw an increase in mask compliance by making regularly scheduled announcements over the loudspeaker reminding patrons of new policies in the library. Finally, a participant suggested “I would say try to think outside the box. My ideas are to be more entertaining than educational but it’s the connection that’s most important.” (VanDyne, 2020). While we struggle with Zoom fatigue, email overload and the COVID-19 pandemic, a little entertainment can go a long way. Proof of that may be the 900,000+ people who hit play and now know the steps and rules of Duke University Libraries’ new “Library Takeout” service, designed to help patrons access library collections safely (Schramm, 2020). The entertaining music video and song already has 808,000 views on YouTube and 127,000 plays on Spotify.
Henry, C. L., Vardeman, K. K., & Syma, C. K. (2012, August 10). Reaching out: connecting students to their personal librarian. Reference Services Review, 40(3), 396-407. https://doi.org/10.1108/00907321211254661
McKendrick, J. (2013, July). Beyond FAQs: the tangible benefits of online self-service. CRM Magazine, 17(7), 17-18.
McMurtry, K. (2014). Managing Email Overload in the Workplace. Performance Improvement,53(7), 31-37. https://doi.org/10.1002/pfi.21424
