NMRT Notes

Elizabeth Lieutenant
The Catholic University of America

 
What drew you to library and information sciences?

I was initially motivated to obtain a master’s degree in LIS to enhance and legitimize my research abilities. While I will always be a researcher at heart, engaging with the broader professional LIS community has inspired me to pursue a career in academic librarianship.

 
What’s your dream job after graduation?

My academic, scholarly, and professional experience and interests include higher education planning and assessment, student leadership development, academic librarianship, and critical and sociocultural theories. I envision librarians playing an integral role in redesigning higher education institutions to be more equitable, inclusive, and open learning systems. I aspire to bring my experience and passion to an academic library that is committed to advancing this vision.

 
What do you like most about NMRT?

NMRT provides excellent opportunities to become more engaged in ALA. Thanks to NMRT’s inclusive committee appointment process, I’ve served on the Shirley Olofson Memorial Award Committee and am currently a member of the Endnotes: The Journal of the New Members Round Table Committee. This leadership experience has enhanced my project management, communication, remote collaboration, and marketing abilities.

Elizabeth is set to graduate this May. To learn more about her check out her online portfolio: https://elizabethlieutenant.com/ 

Friday June 24th

What:NMRT Pre-conference: “What’s a Millennial to Do? Learning to Thrive in a Multi-Generational Workplace”
When: 9:00 AM -12:00 PM
Where: OCCC/W206B

What: Annual Conference Orientation,
When: 1:00 – 2:30 PM
Where: HYATT/Regency BR T

What: Field Trip to Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
When: 7:00 – 9:00 PM

What: Mentoring Social
When: 7:30 – 9:00 PM
Where: HILTON/Clear Lake

Saturday June 25th
What: NMRT 101
When: 8:30 – 10:00 AM
Where: ROS CENTRE/Salon 05-06)

What: Membership & Executive Board Meeting
When: 9:30AM – 12:30PM
Where: (ROS CENTRE/Signature 2)

Sunday June 26th
What: Annual Reception
When: 7:00 – 8:30PM
Where: Location TBD

OCCC-Orange County Convention Center
HYATT-Hyatt Regency Orlando
HILTON-Hilton Orlando
ROS CENTRE– Rosen Centre Hotel

NMRT is looking for volunteers to appoint to NMRT Committees for 2016-2017! Committee members will begin serving as of 1 July 2016 and will continue through the 2017 Annual meeting in Chicago. You must be a dues-paying member of NMRT to serve on a committee.

Most NMRT committees do not require conference attendance, but please note that for some committees, attendance at the Midwinter and/or Annual Conferences is expected.

As some committees fill up quickly, we recommend selecting all committees you are interested in being appointed to. If you are interested in multiple committees, please rank the committees in order of your preference. Committee information can be found here: http://www.ala.org/nmrt/oversightgroups/comm and detailed descriptions of committee work and responsibilities can be found here: http://wikis.ala.org/nmrt/index.php/Section_4:_Committees

If you are interested in serving, please complete the NMRT volunteer form at http://www.ala.org/CFApps/volunteer/form1.cfm?group=NMRT.

Offers to serve as member or chair of committees will not go out until May at the earliest. Many thanks in advance for your patience.

Please contact Kate Kosturski, Vice President/President-Elect directly at librariankate7578@gmail.com if you have any questions. Thank you for your interest in and support of NMRT!

The 2016 NMRT Professional Development Grant Award Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of the Mango Languages/NMRT Professional Development Grant Award and NMRT-sponsored Professional Development Grant Award. These $1,000 awards were graciously sponsored by Mango Languages and the New Members Round Table. This award provides funding to assist with airfare, lodging, and conference registration fees for attendance at the American Library Association Annual Conference and fosters in-person participation in ALA and NMRT professional activities.

 
Erin Prentiss
Erin Prentiss is the recipient of the 2016 NMRT-sponsored Professional Development Grant. Erin works as a Reference and Instruction Librarian at the Reese Library at Augusta University (Georgia). Erin received a B.A. in Sociology / Anthropology from Agnes Scott College in 2003, a Secondary English Education Certification from the University of West Georgia in 2008, and an MLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012. Erin has received numerous honors since joining the profession including being a Spectrum Scholar (2010-2012) and a Joint Conference of Librarian Of Color Scholar (2012). She currently serves on the Georgia Library Association’s Public Relations Committee and is an Assistant Book Review Editor for the Georgia Library Quarterly. Her professional interests include diversity in publishing and collections and local history.

 
Denise Tabscott
Denise Tabscott is the recipient of the 2016 MANGO Languages / NMRT Professional Development Grant. Denise is a Middle School Librarian for the Metro Nashville Public Schools. She earned her MLS in 2014 from Middle Tennessee State University. Denise was selected as the recipient of the 2016 National Library Legislative Day Award / Stipend for YALSA and the 2015 MNPS / Limitless Libraries Librarian of the Year (student choice). She currently is a member of the YALSA Summer Reading and Learning Taskforce committee and the Tennessee Library Association’s state conference committee. She has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to professional development already through state and local conference attendance, leading school system wide breakout sessions, and presenting at local and state conferences, Denise has attended numerous classes and webinars through the American Library Association and its divisions working to hone her skills as a librarian and teacher. Her professional interests include advocacy, unconferences, Ed Camps, and book award selection. She is currently working on her doctorate in Literacy Studies .
Congratulations to both Erin and Denise!

 
More information about the NMRT Professional Development Grant, including a list of past recipients, is available on the NMRT Awards, Grants, and Scholarships webpage http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/264/apply

By Michael Rodriguez

I am a freelance librarian, in addition to my full-time job managing a university library’s digital services and resources. By freelance librarian I mean that I perform independent, shorter-term, contract-based work that utilizes and develops skills comparable to those commonly exercised in the library context. Such work can blossom into a career, persist as a form of professional development, or simply provide supplementary income. Yet in my personal experience, early-career librarians like me are rarely aware of the countless opportunities for freelance work, and even if they are, they assume that they must rack up many years of industry experience and recognition before anyone will pay them to consult, train, or teach outside their usual 9-5 job. This is not the case. Despite earning my MLIS in August 2014, I have already taught ten paid webinars, edited dissertations and scholarly manuscripts, consulted with a local nonprofit, presented lifelong learning lectures to seniors, and taught technology boot camps as an adjunct college instructor. One year in, I am a successful freelancing librarian, with all the benefits that entails.

Benefits

Freelance work offers a major credibility boost. In the normal course of events, library professionals earn participation points for attending webinars and workshops, pay to travel to present at distant conferences, and donate our time and expertise to service on committees. This is expected of librarians, and necessary even for most freelancers as they build their standings, connections, and skills. But how cool is it for organizations to value your knowledge and skills so highly that they pay you, sometimes hundreds of dollars per hour, to share your expertise with them. This looks wonderful on a résumé, and in contrast to conference-going, webinar presenters are paid for their hard work. Freelancing is in addition to your regular working hours, but the payoff is worth it.

Types of Work

Webinar presenters and other freelancing information professionals can consult, teach, research, edit, index, run workshops, adjunct at universities, write content, design for the web, optimize websites for search engines, analyze data, tell stories at children’s programs, staff reference desks on weekends and evenings, and so much more. In the library world, there is a particularly robust market—local, regional, and national—for professional trainers. Webinars for Florida-based organizations are one of my niches, but opportunities abound depending on your skills, style, location, and initiative.

Online Presence

To begin taking advantage of these opportunities, prospective freelancers should build a professional website and social media presence. Use a free platform like WordPress to develop high-caliber websites to host credentials, portfolios, and contact information. Github for developers and Slideshare for presenters are useful; LinkedIn is essential. But a website delivers a one-stop shopping experience for prospective clients. Once, a new client filled out a contact form on my website, leading to a lucrative training contract for me. Tweeting and guest blogging also adds value when used constructively to engage with colleagues and share expertise, which helps build your reputation. Bonus: a courteous, energetic, informed online presence prepares the ground for regular employment and professional impact, thanks to the people with whom you are able to network.

Networking

Networking leads to opportunities and recognition. However, connecting with people is not about manipulating them into hiring you—rather, networking should come from a genuine desire to share knowledge and fun with more new people. Talk at conferences, attend local workshops and meetups, start local meetups, and become involved in local nonprofit work. Explode the library bubble by tapping the innumerable businesses and nonprofits that host networking events and workshops and boast deep pockets. Once I cold-called a webinar company, another time I wrote to a call for webinar proposals, but most of my work resulted from my leveraging relationships and trust I had built across my network. One national organization invited me to teach a webinar as a direct result of my befriending the organization’s membership coordinator at a conference. Almost every freelance gig of mine arose from a personal connection—only a handful did not, and those were my most recent opportunities, once I was somewhat established. I have never felt tempted to sign up for any freelancers’ website such as Upwork or Elance.

Due Diligence

Freelancers who also have steady employment (part-time or full-time) must ensure they review and comply with their organizations’ human resource policies governing external employment. Be particularly cautious of any conflicts of interest, real or apparent. Often organizations will force employees to disclose outside employment, ask permission from their supervisor, guarantee that their external work will not impact job performance or scheduling, and not use company resources like email or printing for side jobs. The other facet of due diligence is to submit complete tax returns and maintain a paper trail for at least three years. Some freelance work is “under the table,” cash in hand, without producing a paper trail. Regardless, best practice is to report all income.

Compensation

To build their reputation, freelancers might find it advisable to perform discounted or pro bono work when starting out. My very first webinar I offered to teach for free, but it was so well received that the sponsors paid me anyway! After one year of freelancing in my niche, I command anywhere from $175 to $500 per one-hour webinar. Often you can negotiate higher fees simply by asking. Resist the temptation to undersell your services. Clients are not doing you a favor by hiring you—rather, your work adds value to theirs.

Embrace Imperfection

This temptation to undersell your effort and expertise arises from imposter syndrome—the sense that your abilities fall short of expectations and that other people will find out. Many early-career librarians might undersell themselves to avoid seeming arrogant, and others may recoil from near occasions of criticism. What has worked for me is to “fake it till I make it.” Once, having agreed to consult for a local agency about Google Hangouts on Air, I taught myself the software in the three hours prior to my consultation. One of my go-to mottos comes from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: “I’m making this up as I go.” The trick is to embrace the inevitability of your own imperfection. Once you have mentally recognized this, adapting to circumstances is much easier. Powering through imposter syndrome is essential to becoming a successful freelancing librarian.

Michael Rodriguez is the E-Learning Librarian at Hodges University in Florida, where he leads web design and electronic resource management. He is an energetic freelancing librarian, copyright specialist, and LITA blogger. Contact him at topshelvr@gmail.com

By Jennifer Bayer
Whether you are a tenure-track academic librarian at a university or a youth reference librarian at a small public branch library, your goal is to provide excellent services to your patrons, no matter what those services may be. Regardless of how librarians are labelled, we are all working towards a more information-literate population. However, despite the commonalities that are shared amongst every library and librarian, there can be hesitation when considering collaboration with another library, especially a different ‘type’ of library. This article attempts to convince all readers, especially those new to the profession, to reach out to a library outside of their comfort zone, and suggests how to best attempt collaboration.

It is not difficult to find examples of collaboration between public libraries and local government, public school systems, or small businesses. Similarly, collaboration between university and college-based librarians is a given; it is common for research-focused librarians to seek out others in their field for ALA posters, research articles, or programming. However, there are scarce real-life examples or research articles encouraging academic librarians to reach out to their public librarian counterparts, or vice versa. According to the library world, the silos of public and academic libraries appear divided, with collaboration being outside the norm.

One might say the lack of supporting literature and examples on this topic makes sense: why would a subject selector for Engineering have any reason to partner with a youth librarian? Alternatively, an adult reference librarian may not ever think of contacting an academic outreach librarian for partnership on programming, perhaps because they think their audiences too dissimilar. However, in both scenarios, a partnership could result in a community being served by the entire library population, not just one library silo at a time. We will revisit these scenarios later on.

For now, we will assume the audience has agreed with the proposal that increased collaboration between public and academic libraries is beneficial for their community. They want to put it into place, but how do they start? The following three steps can guide librarians when building a collaborative relationship:

1) Find a connection
If contacting a public library, starting with the branch manager is a good first step. They will be able to discuss their programming schedule, how their library is structured, and perhaps most importantly, what their budgetary and personnel restraints are. They may then direct you to the youth or adult reference librarian, who will likely be your most useful point of contact when it comes to the fine details, as well as actually executing the proposed event or program. They are out in the trenches every day and are well versed on their patrons and community needs.

When reaching out to an academic library, do some research first: Does your local university have an outreach or event team? If your local college is smaller, who is the face of the library? You may not need to go to the Dean of the Libraries in order to connect with the proper individual, but if you are unable to deduce who is the best match for your proposal, don’t be afraid to contact senior personnel to get your communications to the correct individual.

Additionally, be persistent! Whether you are contacting an academic or public library, do not be dissuaded by hesitation or uncertainty on their part. They may be hesitant because they are worried about their budget, or skeptical simply because this sort of thing hasn’t been done before. Keep reaching out – persistence and a friendly face can go a long way.

2) Have a need
Reaching out to a university or public library just for the sake of connecting or networking is great; however, having determined what ‘need’ you want them to fill is even better. Public libraries, much more than academic libraries, rely on programming and special events to attract and retain patrons. Although no two libraries’ event schedules are alike, in general, events are geared towards youth, teen, and adult. Academic libraries, in contrast, generally serve two populations: students and faculty members.

Recall the two potential partnerships mentioned earlier in the article. A youth librarian and subject selector for Engineering could develop a STEM program geared towards local youth. As for the academic outreach librarian, a Q&A session for incoming freshmen and their parents at the local public library could help boost the academic library’s visibility and reputation.

2) Be clear on expectations
If linking yourself with an academic or public library for an entire series of programs, with the potential expectation of making it an annual event, proves too difficult or has too many logistical barriers, participants may want to test the waters with a one-time program. Starting with a single programming event will allow both sides to feel out whether the partnership is a good fit, and if this collaboration is likely to be successful moving forward.

In addition, be sure not overextend your library in order to make a programming event happen. Making big promises that can’t be kept will damage your partnership, and make it less likely that the collaboration will last. If your budget or personnel can’t handle something, be up front and honest. All libraries, even the largest research universities, have budgetary restrictions, and honesty about your limitations is best in collaborative ventures. It can be easy to get excited about new opportunities and connections, but that excitement is better placed in creating programming.

In conclusion, go forth and network! Put aside the stereotype of the introverted, aloof librarian and make some new friends; you could be pleasantly surprised at what develops.

Jennifer Wilhelm Bayer is an adult reference librarian at Larry J. Ringer Public Library in College Station, Texas. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in History from Texas A&M University, and her Masters in Library Science from the University of North Texas. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, reading to her daughter, and dragging her family on vacations.

Better Late than Never!

T.J. Szafranski
Thanks to the wonderful work of the Social Committee, the best ever NMRT Midwinter Social took place at the Seaport Hotel on Saturday, January 9. The annual event, which is open to anyone at Midwinter, featured a team trivia contest this year. The trivia was hosted by T.J. Szafranski who was described by the attendees as pretty good and could have been worse and a younger, but not as funny version of Pat Sajak.

Over 70 players were split up into twelve teams depending on the month they were born in. The teams then competed in 5 fun-filled rounds of trivia. In one round, teams were given 10 quotes and had to choose whether Mahatma Gandhi or Kanye West said them. It sounds easy, but it proved challenging. The competition was fierce all night long. Going into the final round, the March team held a 10 point lead over second place, but with 40 points up for grab, it was still anyone’s game. Thanks to a nearly perfect final round, the September team ended the night with 108 points, just one point ahead of 2nd place March, and five ahead of 3rd place February.
Overall, the social was a great opportunity to meet new friends, have some drinks, and show off some knowledge. While no scientific poll was taken, it appeared that every single attendee had an enjoyable time. If you make it to Midwinter next year, please mark the Social on your calendar. It’s always a fun time! (And if you’d like to see the trivia competition return again, please let us know).

 
Wondering how you would have done at the trivia? Here are just a few of the questions we asked:
1. New York Public Library is one of two public libraries to be a member of the Association of Research Libraries. What is the other one?
2. What’s the only U.S. state whose 3 most populous cities state with the same letter?
3. The first four British bands to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and who?
4. What Disney character wore this outfit?

5.  What two celebrities are pictured?

6. What candy bar is this?

Answers:
1. Boston Public Library
2. Ohio (Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati)
3. The Who
4. Ariel
5. Lorde and Prince
6. 100 Grand

By Peter Brunette
In February, the NMRT online discussion focused on a question that we’ve all probably faced in-person or online in some manner: with the internet and its various resources, such as Google and Wikipedia, along with e-books, are libraries and librarians still relevant? I can recall talking to a non-library user recently who lamented about how books would disappear since “everything is online now”, therefore making libraries disappear.
Such conversations can be just as difficult to contest when so many articles are written in newspapers or popular magazines about the demise of the traditional library. We can scrutinize the credentials of the article’s writer, speculate upon why he or she might not see the inherent value in the services libraries supply, but it’s even more difficult when the article’s writer is a librarian. In January, Steve Barker, a librarian in the Washington D.C. area, wrote an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal suggesting that today, the professional librarian isn’t necessary when online technology does what they used to do. You can find that article here: http://www.wsj.com/articles/in-age-of-google-librarians-get-shelved-1452461659 .

Mr. Barker’s opinion piece brought a great deal of discussion among librarians, most notably the current ALA President, Sari Feldman, and ALA’s President-Elect, Julie Todaro, who argued that libraries and their staff are more relevant than ever, “At a time of information overload and growing gaps between digital ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots,’ the roles for dynamic and engaged librarians are growing. Though their skills and the technologies they use may be changing, they have never been more valuable to people of all ages, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds.” You can find their full response here: http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/librarians-digital-age-wsj-response/)

As librarians, we all know how relevant we, our services, and our institutions are to our communities and society in general. We know that libraries are more than just book repositories, and we use the Internet and new technologies to perform our jobs better than we ever have before. But, how do we convince non-library users that all of this is true?
Through February’s discussion, many people discussed topics for elevator speeches when coming across non-library users who believe libraries are obsolete. Here are some topics that were brought up during the discussion:

• Over centuries, people have speculated upon the death of physical books whenever a new technology has arrived, the most recent of which has been e-books and e-readers. However, all these new technologies haven’t deterred people from still reading (physical) books; in fact, recent reports have suggested that e-book sales declined in 2015 (such as this article from February in the Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/03/ebook-sales-falling-for-the-first-time-finds-new-report). While people may prefer physical books for various reasons, it is clear that they are an ingrained part of our culture and won’t disappear as fast as technology changes.
• Pre-Internet information isn’t as readily available online as current information. While a great deal of historical artifacts and collections have been digitized, plenty of historical documents haven’t been digitized due to copyright restrictions, privacy concerns, or lack of digitization materials or funds. This is why archivists are just as vital today than they have been, whether through digitization efforts or preservation of historical documents. Similarly, we need librarians who will preserve digital content for the future, particularly with how easy it is for website links or content to disappear. Resources like the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine (https://archive.org/web/) are important for saving our current information for later generations.
• Computers are only as smart or intuitive as the person who uses them. Therefore, they cannot think for themselves or do tasks beyond what they are programmed to do. Even with a completely virtual library, a librarian is still necessary to create the programs, organize the information, and collaborate with patrons to find the information they desire. Likewise, while anybody can access information online, finding correct or reputable information is more difficult. Google can offer thousands of results, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the first results are the best or correct results. Patrons need librarians to guide them through the resources available to them. The Internet has made website evaluation an excellent skill to possess, whether for students trying to do research or public patrons who are just looking for information on a particular subject.
• Despite that people are more connected because of the Internet, people still crave in-person interactions. By nature, we are social creatures, and regardless of the library, patrons may come to the library to meet with others or chat with librarians. Those experiences can’t be completely replicated online.
• Additionally, librarianship is remarkably complex, from quasi-social work to computer programming, all of which requires professional librarians. As technology has evolved, we have evolved with it to meet our patrons’ needs better. Card catalogs have changed into digital catalogs, which continuously improve. Databases have become easier to navigate and manipulate to accommodate a variety of research skills. Even most libraries have changed from being havens of complete silence to community centers where people can meet, collaborate, and partake in programs and events for people of all ages. So, as search engines become increasingly effective at understanding how people search for information, so will librarians and their resources.
• Libraries are neutral areas that have been proven to be places of refuge in times of strife and uncertainty. A prime example of this is the Ferguson Library in Missouri, who stayed open during unrest in the Ferguson streets to serve all their patrons in 2014, proving that libraries are integral parts to the communities they serve. In addition, libraries can help communities thrive and learn new skills amid chaos. As the world changes, patrons may rely on their libraries to learn about topics such as sewing, water purification, gardening, and raising livestock.
• Not everyone can afford or justify the expense for technology and internet access compared to more basic necessities, such as food, shelter, electricity, heating, or other family/children needs. Therefore, libraries offer patrons, regardless of economic status, with a place to use the Internet and technology for free. As people are forced to use computers to perform more tasks, such as filing taxes, apply for jobs, or fill out immigration papers, libraries offer patrons more opportunities to perform these tasks that they couldn’t at home, along with librarians who can guide them how to use computers and the Internet. Additionally, even some college students rely upon the library to complete assignments and courses that they may not be able to without such academic support.

Beyond the elevator speech, people offered other advice on advocating libraries and their resources to non-library users. First, librarians need to understand why people in their communities don’t use the library, which may mean actually talking with those constituencies. For those people who are ignorant of what libraries offer, librarians must be prepared to share facts and statistics, such as number of resources, library usage, and programs and services offered. Also, provide people who haven’t been into a library in years (or even decades) and opportunity to visit a modern library, which may challenge their outdated or traditional perspective of what a library is or should be.
Of course, there will always be dissenters who believe libraries are obsolete no matter what facts or information that you provide. Some individuals will always believe that everything they need to know can be found online or can be fixed by some technological advancement, and everything they don’t use must be obsolete. Other individuals will always believe their tax dollars should only be used for government branches that they see as more important, such as the military or the police, and everything else must be useless. While these two cases don’t cover all the types of dissenters out there, librarians must accept that there are some dissenters who will never change their minds and can only discover how vital libraries are with personal experience.
However, as librarians, we need to advocate ourselves, the importance of our work, and how we serve our communities. We are a constantly evolving profession, and if we want our constituencies’ perspectives on libraries to change for the better, we need to make them aware why we are more relevant now in the information age than ever before.

How effective is your new employee training program?

By Annice Sevett

Employee turnover is both a challenge and an opportunity. Whether it be to retirement, a promotion, or another reason, losing personnel can hurt an organization if the new employee is not the right fit and, most importantly, is not trained effectively. Once the hiring process is complete, the process of training begins. Effective training ensures that the employee feels comfortable in their new setting and gets off to a good start. If training is not effective, employees may feel more obligated to leave or be ineffective at their job. This article will go over some tips and tricks to ensure that your training program is effective.

New employees will start their first day nervous but excited. An effective training program sets the tone right away. The first step is to prepare for training. Although it may seem like a lot of work, being prepared for the employee’s first day is crucial to ensuring a smooth transition for both parties. The training program should fit with your organization’s mission and core values. A few standard items that you may want to include are a schedule, perhaps sent to the employee before they start, handouts, and a list of objectives they should learn in their first days.

When crafting a schedule, there are a few key things you’ll want to keep in mind. People often find a tour of the building a good beginning to their new position. This includes showing where the bathrooms are located, something we often take for granted when we use them every day. Other possibilities to include on a schedule that new employees like when starting a new job is time to meet with the other people they will be working with. This can make all future communication run smoother. Related to this is to make sure employees meet those they will be communicating with most often in administrative roles. Learning who does what will make the employee comfortable when questions arise. Another thing that might fit into a schedule is walking the employee through what is done where. Although some locations may not be in the employee’s regular work functions, knowing they exist helps them see the overall picture. When scheduling, make sure to give the employee breaks so they can process all the new information they have learned. Along the way, set aside time to catch up with the employee and ask them what they need and/or what would help them learn better. This will provide you with important feedback as to how effective your training is. With this feedback, tweak the schedule if needed.

Once you have crafted a schedule, you will want to think about how to carry out essential training. Training, as most people have experienced at one job or another, can be dull. Effective and engaging training can boost the employee’s comfort level. You want to find a balance between providing the information they need but making sure it’s delivered in an engaging way. One of the best ways to do this is to make training hands on. Let the employee get their feet wet with situations that may arise. Remember to make sure they know that failure is okay and that it is part of the learning process. Having the employee trained by numerous individuals, if the position calls for it, is an effective tactic. Different people approach job functions differently and one way of training may be more effective. This is also a great opportunity for the new employee to make valuable connections that will help them feel comfortable in their new organization. Another great idea is to include gamification if possible. Icebreakers, treasure hunts, etc. can drill information into memory and presents a unique organizational culture that many employees seek. If that fits with your organization’s office culture, it can go far in making the new employee feel comfortable.

After the initial training period is over, the best way to ensure that it was effective is to get feedback. This will serve two purposes. First, it allows the organization to fill in any gaps the employee is feeling was missing from the training. Second, it provides a framework to work from when preparing for the training of future new employees, saving time and resources in the future. Feedback can be gotten in a number of ways. One way is by observing the employee. You will know if and when the employee is catching on in the way they perform in their first weeks and months. If you see something that needs to be addressed, address it as soon as possible without scolding the employee. Remember that they are new and have a lot of things coming from them at all directions. Doing a post-training interview is one of the best ways to gather data about the program. This can be done both with in-person interviews and with surveys, depending on your organization’s situation.

When training of new employees is done effectively, both the employee and the organization benefit greatly. The organization will benefit from having an individual who is ready to do their job and be productive in their new role, saving valuable time, money and resources. The employee meanwhile will feel confident in their position and will be more willing to step in and take on responsibilities because they will have a better understanding of their role in the organization and a grasp on the bigger goals of the organization as a whole. By having a schedule that is flexible, varying training techniques and getting feedback during and after the initial training period, organizations will be setting themselves up for success with new employees.

Out candidates for Vice President/President-Elect:

• Mandi Goodsett
• Dani Cook

Questions 1: Why are you interested in this position?

Mandi Goodsett: NMRT has been my home since I joined ALA in 2011, and I’m passionate about serving the group’s members and helping it thrive. Some of you may have had a
similar experience, but getting involved in ALA as a library school student was a very overwhelming prospect for me. Without NMRT, I wouldn’t have had the opportunities to network with other new librarians, gain leadership experience on the NMRT Executive
Board, or begin to understand the complicated structure of ALA. I would be honored to have the opportunity to give back to NMRT, considering everything its members have done for me. I’m also fully supportive of NMRT’s mission to help members find their path
to active involvement in ALA, wherever they fit best, and I would cherish the opportunity to determine the needs of NMRT members so we can work together to create an organization that reflects our shared interests.

Dani Cook: I’ve been involved in NMRT since I started library school five years ago. In NMRT, I’ve found a supportive entry point to the giant entity that is ALA. The support that I’ve received through NMRT’s services to new librarians (e.g., the mentorship program) and the experiences on NMRT committees have led to building substantial relationships and expanding my involvement within the profession. As Vice-President/President-Elect, I want to ensure that this support network for new librarians continues to thrive and expand. I’m particularly invested in seeing NMRT expand support for student chapters, such as reinvigorating the speakers’ bureau, as well as investigating how NMRT can help to retain new graduates in the profession, especially from diverse backgrounds.

Question 2: What skills and experiences do you bring to this position?
Mandi Goodsett: I have a wealth of leadership experience from my involvement with NMRT and other ALA divisions and roundtables. I have served on the NMRT ALA Student Reception, Footnotes, and Endnotes committees, as well as on the NMRT Executive Board as Secretary. I am currently serving as co-chair of the Library Instruction Roundtable (LIRT) Teaching, Learning, and Technology Committee, and I am a member of the ACRL Instruction Section Awards Committee, on which I served as Secretary last year. I’m also honored to be NMRT’s Emerging Leader this year. These committee appointments have given me valuable experience working on a team, meeting deadlines, and navigating the structure of ALA. I also have experience promoting the interests and needs of new librarians and LIS students from my time as an officer for the Atlanta Emerging Librarians group, and from my efforts to form and initiate a network of groups for new librarians in Ohio (see the following for more details: https://ohionmrt.wordpress.com/).  The leadership experience I have, especially on the NMRT Executive Board, has given me organizational and time-management skills, as well as an appreciation for effective communication and collaborative teamwork.

Dani Cook: I have strong experience in managing virtual and dispersed teams, including chairing the NMRT President’s Program committee last year. Over the past four years, I’ve served on a number of NMRT committees, so have a strong sense of the mission of NMRT and how it operates. While in library school, I served as vice-president of our student chapter of ALA, so I feel very close to the mission of NMRT and have many ideas for the types of support that NMRT can offer to new and in-training librarians.

With a dispersed membership and committees, communication is critical to this position. My experiences with working with virtual teams, as well as my professional experience in writing everything from library search documentation to Chicago festival guides, will be very helpful in this position, as I understand the necessity of clear, transparent, and timely communication.

In my current professional position, I coordinate instruction and research services at an academic library. Success in this position requires organization, good negotiating skills, and the ability to keep many balls in the air at once. I’d bring these same skills to the NMRT Vice-Presidency.

Question 3: As Vice-President/President-Elect, one of your responsibilities will be preparing for your Presidential term the following year. How will you work with the current President to advance her/his initiatives while planning for your own presidency?

Mandi Goodsett: I’m very excited to work with Kate Kosturski as she oversees NMRT and pursues initiatives that are important to her. I love her proposed presidential theme
of “Opening Doors in ALA,” because I know first-hand how helpful NMRT can be for new librarians looking for ways to become involved. While I’m Vice-President, Kate’s agenda will be my top priority, and helping her reach her goals for NMRT will be a great learning
experience for me. While I gain perspective and experience helping Kate, I can also consider the organization’s needs in the coming year. It’ll be really important that I support Kate in her efforts, because it will help me understand what to prioritize in
my own presidency.

Dani Cook:  It’s critical to establish continuity from year-to-year, so I would work closely with Kate to consider how my presidential theme and initiatives can build on the work that happens in 2016-17. By deeply involving myself in Kate’s initiatives, I will have the understanding necessary to choose a meaningful theme that acknowledges the work that has happened in NMRT over the past several years. During my year as Vice-President, I would want to establish a close working relationship with Kate, and be as sponge-like as possible, learning everything I can about the administration of NMRT, to ensure a successful presidential year.

Question 4: What do you hope to learn if elected?

Mandi Goodsett:  Serving as NMRT Vice-President/President-Elect would be an incredibly rich learning experience. I hope to learn more about the needs of library school students and recent graduates so I can better serve their needs and collaborate with them. I also hope to learn more about the skills necessary to be a strong leader, so I can take these skills back to my workplace and continue to use them as a participant in ALA divisions and roundtables. Since becoming involved in NMRT, I have come to greatly respect its leaders, and if I could lead the organization with even a fraction of their kindness, strength, and success, I would consider that a very valuable lesson learned.

Dani Cook: If elected, I hope to learn about the ongoing concerns and interests of new professionals and how NMRT can address them. I’d specifically like to learn more about how student chapters of ALA operate on various campuses around the country (and Canada!), and how NMRT can continue and improve support for their work. I’m also interested in learning more about who is (and, importantly, isn’t) a part of NMRT, and how NMRT can do its part to bring in diverse perspectives to ALA.

Question 5: If elected, what time management skills will you employ to ensure that your NMRT duties remain a priority?

Mandi Goodsett: Fortunately, my experience as a very busy NMRT Secretary has greatly strengthened my time management skills. While serving in that position, I learned to set aside time each week to devote to NMRT responsibilities, and I developed efficient and careful planning methods so that I wouldn’t be overwhelmed when responsibilities piled up. If elected, I’m also ready to reduce my involvement in other professional development projects and committees to make sure that NMRT is my top priority.

Dani Cook: As I mentioned above, I’m used to keeping many balls in the air. That said, I would plan to scale back some of my other professional commitments if elected to this position, so that I can give NMRT the focus that it deserves. I will also work with my supervisor to set aside the majority of my professional development time for NMRT duties. In terms of time management skills, I’m a huge fan of to-do lists—usually old school, Post-It note style. But if elected to this position, I will use a digital tool like Wunderlist to create shared lists of my tasks, which I would anticipate sharing with the NMRT board for the sake of transparency and accountability.