What a librarian looks like

Back in September, an acquaintance of mine blogged about an activity he’d done with a group of students at the University of Texas-Arlington.  I tried a similar activity in a research seminar I’m participating in this semester.  Participants are mostly faculty (with a smattering of grad students) in the sciences and humanities.  Nominally, we’re all there to talk about information visualization and the intersection of the arts and science.  Having them draw a picture of what they think a librarian looks like seemed like an interesting idea.  I had hoped to avoid the buns-and-glasses stereotype, but I guess it’s a hard image to shake.  Here are a few of the drawings:

In addition to the drawings, I also asked them to list examples of what a librarian does and what you can find in a library.  Though their drawings are disappointingly stereotypical, their written answers showed a deeper understanding of the role of librarians and libraries in fostering teaching and research at our institution.  Their answers indicated that they understand the basic duties of many librarians on our campus (even for folks outside of public services positions), the wide range of material we collect, and even the changing use of our physical space.

I’ve often heard fellow librarians (particularly those of us in academe) talk about how few of our users understand what we actually do.  But perhaps they know more than we give them credit for.  Even though I’m disappointed that buns and glasses still predominate, I am heartened by the fact that my fellow seminar participants think of the library as more than just a place to check out books.

Anyone else out there soliciting feedback about what our users think of us?  If so, let’s chat about it in the comments below.

Tips & Tricks for Time/Project Management

Some of us use to-do lists, emails sent to ourselves, things we find on Lifehacker or 43 folders, various Google apps, etc.  And some of us just manage to keep everything in our heads.  But regardless of how we do it, we all find ways to manage our time and our projects.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the inbox zero principle and “tasks” in Gmail.

Have a favorite technique for staying organized and on task?  Digital or analog,  share it in the comments below.

“We should be so lucky!”: The Kind of Problems You Wish You Had

Here at the University of Colorado-Boulder, we recently completed a partial renovation of our main library.  We added a technology-equipped learning commons (open 24/5!), a coffee shop (serving high-quality caffeine from local business The Laughing Goat), several new instructional spaces, a more welcoming reference area, and much more (read all about it here).

We anticipated that the new spaces would be popular with students, but the response has been even better than we expected.  The library is busier than anyone has ever seen it (especially for this early in the term), and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

But in the midst of our excitement, there is concern.  If the library is full of students and faculty now, what will it look like during midterms and finals?  Will we be able to handle the increased traffic?  Will quality of service suffer?  And how do we spin all of this to our advantage (convincing administration that we need more space, funds, staff, and resources)?  It’s really the kind of problem you wish for, which has caught us a bit off guard.

Is your organization facing a similar challenge?  Maybe you’ve recently introduced a new collection or service, and are overwhelmed by the response you’ve received.  I’m interested in hearing other stories about what to do when things go well, rather than just when they flop.

Comment away!

The Rhythms of Professional Life

Listening to NPR earlier this week, I caught Frank Deford’s most recent commentary, “In Sports and Life, Once-Lazy August Is Filling Up.”

Among Deford’s musings on the increasingly hectic pace of August were these gems:

Once upon a time, August was just sort of a valuable nowhere time that got us safely, leisurely from the peak heat of July to the autumn of September, when everything would begin again.

Then things changed. First, everybody started going back to school before Labor Day. Who’d ever heard of such a thing?

Then everybody started saying “24-7.” That put the pressure on August to stop being so lazy and catch up with all the other 24s and sevens.

As an academic librarian, the rhythms of my professional life tend to correspond to the school year, with a quickening in the fall and a gentler pace in the summer months.  The kind of work I do depends on the season, as well.  For example, instruction tends to happen in the fall and winter, with a greater emphasis on research time in the summer.

But academe is not the only place art librarians find themselves, nor is it a homogeneous environment.  Tell us about the rhythms of your professional life, how the work you do changes over the course of the year.  Have changes in technology, communication methods, or other features of professional life had an impact on these rhythms?

It would be great to hear from a diverse group (academics, museum professionals, corporate or special librarians, public librarians, etc.).