Blog Project: Week of June 13-19

Let's start with Annoyed Librarian.

In Improvisational Innovation, discussion is sparked by the Play, Learn, Innovate symposium sponsored by Library Journal.  In one of the discussions, we learn that  the "rules of improv act as a frame for broader discussion of fostering innovation and creativity."  These rules are: always say yes and agree, make statements(don't ask questions), and there are no mistakes-just opportunities.  These rules are supposed to create innovation.  They also remind AL of a particular librarian that she had worked with in the past who had similar rules.  This librarian put their department through many re-organizational changes in a short  period, only five years.  Her adherence to rules similar to the ones listed above caused chaos and havoc.  Questions couldn't be asked.  Mistakes were never made, just turned into instances for opportunity.  However, because of all the attention and innovation (and sometimes chaos) caused by this librarian, she eventually went on to bigger and better things. Goes to show that innovation can be a good thing, in the long run, even if it causes chaos and havoc in the short term.
My thoughts:  I think that the improv rules are interesting, and wonder if they could be applied to daily life.  Makes me think of the movie, Yes Man, with Jim Carrey.  He had to say yes to everything, and sometimes his life got crazy, but he experienced so many things that would have never happened initially.  Sometimes a little chaos can be good.  It's gets our attention and people take notice.

Libraries or Librarians? is about an opinion article written to discuss AB438, a bill in California that would make it difficult for a municipal government to outsource libraries to private contractors, like the LSSI (Library Systems and Services.) The ultimate goal here is to save money.  Many municipalities are facing huge budget cuts, and many libraries face the possibility of closure.  The bill is supported by the Service Employees International Union and says that any outsourcing still has to protect union jobs.  If a library is privatized, none of its librarians can lose their jobs.  People are arguing that public libraries should be public, not private, but if they are outsourced, the services are usually the same as before, or better.  The outsourced libraries do the same thing as public libraries.  There has been alot of success with these outsourced libraries.  Services have actually improved, with more traffic, more hours of operation, more staff......  AL believes that the American Library Association should get involved and pass some sort of resolution to do whatever it takes to keep the libraries open.  This all boils down to are the libraries or the librarians more important?
My thoughts:  I don't really know about the politics of a library system, but I would say that whatever can be done to keep the libraries open is the best option.  There will be jobs for librarians within those privatized libraries. I guess maybe they won't be union jobs, though.  I have never had a union job, so I don't really know what that is all about.   Libraries are very important to a community and I can't imagine one closing for lack of funds, when there are options out there.

Heyjude

Too Easy-with EasyBib is about using the EasyBib App for your smartphone.  You can scan a book's barcode or type in the name of the book and are provide with a citation in either APA, MLA or Chicago style.  These citations can be emailed to yourself or wherever, or stored on EasyBib.com's bibliography management service.  Currently, they are working on a customizable library version.  The library version will eventually offer a number of features to extend library features.  A library interface will connect to library home page, catalog, and much more.  The author also finds it a useful way to keep a record of resources or just to create a reading list.
My thoughts:  This application seems to be extremely useful and has potential for doing alot of great things.  Unfortunately, I do not have a smartphone, so cannot utilize this wonderful app.

In Uplifting School Libraries, the author discusses a blog post called Not Your Mother's School Library by Doug Johnson.  He writes about some library college workshops at Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information School in Boston, and how cutting edge they seem to be and not what he expected.  HJ is surpriesd at his surprise because these workshops are similar to courses taught in the CSU Master of Education(Teacher Librarianship) program.  In the courses she teaches, HJ uses current technologies to keep up, like blogs, wikis and Facebook.  She teaches her students how to use these online tools and incorporate them into their schools and meeting the needs of students.
My thoughts: I agree with HJ that these course don't seem very cutting edge and also seem very similar to courses offered in any MLS program.  Of course, before I started the program, I might have felt differently, like Doug Johnson.  Many people unfamiliar with what librarians actually do would probably be surprised at those courses.  I get confuse looks all the time when people find out I am in a graduate program to be a librarian.  Most people don't know that a graduate degree is required.  I didn't.