Constant Changes

Well, the library tech. who has been running circulation here at our library has accepted a job and will be leaving us. So, I have been trying to spend as much time with him as possible to learn the ins and outs of what he does each day. Upon his departure, I will be taking on all of the tasks and duties that he is currently responsible for. I have been fortunate to have his help up until this point, freeing me to concentrate on other aspects of my job. I will now turn more of my attention to directing the circulation department.
I have also decided to focus more of my attention on Facebook, rather than Myspace, when it comes to Social Networking sites. I think that it looks more professional and many students seem to be migrating toward Facebook. I should be ready to go live with the Facebook page and our self check-out starting at the beginning of our winter inter-session.

Holidays

In preparation for the end of the semester and the Holidays, I have worked with the circulation staff to clean up our reserves. We have sent notices to all instructors with reserves and have heard back from most about what materials to keep and what to return to them. We have also been preparing for the various holiday parties that will take place next week. All of which should be fun.
As I finish the semester, I have been working hard to plan for the Library 10A course that I will teach during the Winter intersession and during Spring semester. I have written my syllabus and created a web page with links to all assignments and readings. I have also created a wiki that I intend to use with the class. Things are going well as the semester comes to an end, and I am finding myself wiped out at the end of each day. Im looking forward to the break.

Update

So, I have been negligent in paying attention to my blog. But I have returned.
The new signs for "Quiet" are up and seem to be working. I am also currently working with Ken and Jeff to get our self check-out system up and running. After talking with some people at UCLA, I believe we have addressed most of the problems that were occurring and I think that the self check-out should definetly be up and running by the Winter Inter-Session.
I have also been given the Library 10A class to teach during Winter and have begun my preparation. I must have at least my syllabus and first two weeks lessons prepared before leaving for Italy in December, because I teach almost immediately when I return.
Finally, I have also sent out letters to faculty members to have them review what materials they have placed on reserve so that I can remove and return unnecessary items in order to save space and in order to update the reserves for the Spring semester.

MySpace and Shatford Library

Well, today I will unveil the MySpace page that I have created for the library. It is a work in progress, and I already see changes that must be made. Some of the circulation staff are already becoming friends of the library, and hopefully students will also. I am now seeing this page as more of an information provider than a communication tool, but hope that students will use the email features to ask questions of the library staff. I also hope that the pictures will allow students to identify who works in the library for when they do need assistance. I have included the URL, and would love comments from you the reader and invite you to become a friend of the Shatford Library if you have a MySpace page.
myspace.com/shatfordlibrary

New signs to help keep the Peace (and Quiet)

The new "Quiet" signs and bookmarks have arrived and are now placed at the entrances to the library. I have received very positive feedback about how professional they look and that they seem to be working. Now it is important that the staff and I enforce the silence we are requesting so that students take it seriously. Here are some pictures of the new signs.

Liaison duties and Budget

This week I attended the languages division meeting to introduce myself as the library liaison. All of the instructors were very friendly, and I was able to offer my assistance in creating a Wiki should they want to do so. I also attended a workshop introducing the PCC budget to me. This helps in understanding where our funding comes from and why it can take so long to get monies.
I also have continued with my teaching of Bibliographic Instruction classes and have received praise from the instructors I have worked with. I think I enjoy teaching these classes most of all of my duties here.
Today I also had a telephone conversation with the Emerging Technologies Librarian at UCLA, Michelle Jacobs. I was able to get her input on using social networking sites in the library. She prefers Facebook, as does my own dean and I may have to re-focus my attentions on Facebook as opposed to Myspace.

Signage

The new signs for the library are finally finished. I also have bookmarks designed to hand out to rowdy students to help bring down the noise. The Circle K club on campus may help as well with patrolling the library to keep it quiet, but they have not contacted me yet with their ideas and needs.
Some other options have been discussed in our staff meetings for maintaining the third floor as a Silent Study Area. I think moving large "group study" type tables downstairs may be the best idea. Having solo study carrels on the third floor would definetly discourage group chatter.
Today, we also had visitors from UCLA come to explore librarianship at the community college level. It was fun to show off our library a bit and talk about my recent experiences with job hunting and interviews.

Silence in the library.

Our library is currently having difficulty maintaining quiet space for study. The student center is under construction and student have few places to congregate on campus, and so many end up in the library. I have been working on signage that I hope will help control noise levels in the library. Jesus, our production artist, has worked with me to create proofs of these signs that I have shared with the other librarians. I am currently going over some revisions prior to publishing the final signs for use. It is my hope that with these signs in place, librarians will feel more justified and secure in enforcing quiet study, knowing that there is a policy in place and posted for students to read. These signs will do very little if as librarians we don't work together to show students that we are enforcing these policies.

Circulation meeting

Some time has passed since my last post. In that time, I have had the opportunity to teach my first BI here at PCC and have planned and held a meeting with my circulation staff.
The BI lesson went very well and I really enjoyed it. I am repeating the same Counseling 10 BI tomorrow, and will also be holding a BI for Speech 1 next week. I also have set hours at the Reference Desk now and find that for the most part I am well equipped for my work there. At times I still have difficulties because of my lack of familiarity with the collection and my own reliance on electronic resources. Some of the instructors here use the old periodical indexes, microfiche, and microfilm collections, and I need to practice more with these.
The Circulation staff meeting went very well and provided a comfortable/open forum for the circulation staff members to share their concerns and some of their personality. I enjoyed speaking with them all and getting to know a little about them while also discussing some minor policy changes.

Proposal for Implementation of MySpace.

Below is the proposal for implementation of MySpace in the Shatford Library that I wrote for an Infopeople online course.

Proposal to implement MySpace as a social networking tool to draw attention to library services and events.

What is MySpace?

MySpace is a social networking website where the focus is on each individual user’s profile. Each user has a profile and develops it as an online representation of their identity. They can include pictures, their interests, and other facts about themselves. MySpace allows for a lot more self-expression than Facebook (another social networking site) because in MySpace members can actually alter the style sheets on their site, tailoring the look to their own personality. Members can then start adding friends who are listed on their profile with links to the friends' profiles. Friends can only be added if they add you as well, so people can't just go around adding anyone to their profile regardless of whether they're really a friend. Once they've added all their friends, they are basically publicly displaying their social network online. From there they can see who their friends of friends (and friends of friends of friends) are, in order to make new connections. Each profile has a message board where friends can write messages and ask questions. Most of these sites also have collaborative spaces – groups, discussion boards, etc. – but the site is really centered on the individual's identity development as opposed to collaboration. Perhaps this is what has made it so appealing for young people, who often visit these sites 10 or more times per day to see what their friends have written on their message board and who has changed their profile that day. (This description has been taken nearly word for word from Meredith Farkas’ Infopeople online course.)

What can MySpace do for our patrons and library?

A Shatford Library MySpace page would create an online presence where students and patrons can interact with library staff and faculty, as well as their peers. Many students already have MySpace pages and access the site regularly. If they were to add the library as a friend, the library would then be able to inform them of special events, workshops, or programs by posting to their bulletin board. Students would also have a familiar outlet to discuss problems or concerns they might have about the library. A well maintained Shatford Library MySpace page might rejuvenate the library’s image and have students reconsider preconceived notions of libraries.

Evidence that MySpace can make a difference.

Here are two examples of library MySpace pages that are successful in providing information and drawing patrons into the library community.
Brooklyn College Library: http://www.myspace.com/brooklyncollegelibrary
Denver Public Library: http://www.myspace.com/denver_evolver

Policy Issues.
The Shatford Library MySpace page will be monitored by a librarian in order to remove inappropriate content such as foul language and discriminatory comments.

Third Week

As I begin my third week at PCC, I am preparing to teach my first BI and to present information about Podcasting to my colleagues. I have also grasped a better understanding of how the circulation desk runs here, but still have much to learn. I am currently scheduling a meeting with all of the circ staff to make certain we are all on the same page. All in all, things are going well. I only hope that today, my first paycheck arrives without any difficulty.

Link to Flickr

As I take a course on Web 2.0, I have the chance to explore different social networking and 2.0 sites. Here is the link to the Flickr page that I just set up. Not many pictures now, but this will change. http://www.flickr.com/people/14290488@N06/

Much to learn.

As I start my career at PCC, the college is also going through its accreditation process. Today we attended meetings discussing the process and the use of Student Learning Outcomes to provide tools for assessing student learning. Although I understand the importance of these issues, it is difficult to take all of this in as I am still grappling with my new position and responsibilities. I will continue to spend more and more time behind the circulation desk this week and truly focus on stepping into my role as supervisor of the circ department.
Yesterday, I was able to observe another colleague teaching a bibliographic instruction lesson, and I am really looking forward to getting back into the classroom and teaching. This should happen very soon, I believe that my services are needed to help fulfill commitments to teach BIs.

Balancing Act

As a new librarian, Im finding it difficult to balance all that I want to do. This is partially due to moving to a new home at the same time I am starting a new job and feeling my concentration pulled in several directions. This should calm down. Im very excited to start work on a Myspace page and Facebook page for the library. I hope that both of these pages will be useful and fun for our students. It will aslo be fun for me, creating the pages.
I have also started work with another librarian, Leslie, on exploring the uses of Google Scholar at our library. There are ramifications that I did not think of at first, but in the long run, I think that it would be beneficial to the students of PCC.
Finally, next week I will begin work on the circulation desk in order to slowly take on my responsibilities as the supervisor/manager of the circulation department.

First Week

Today I complete my first week as a librarian at PCC. I am just now completing many of my introductory meetings and am slowly taking on more of my duties at the reference desk. It will take time for me to master all that my job description asks for, but today I was able to set my priorities with my supervisor. I have the added challenge of managing the circulation desk while also performing my duties as a librarian. I will take my first few weeks to learn all I can about my circulation staff and department, hoping that with a solid foundation here, minimal supervision will keep things running smoothly, and I will be able to focus my attention on teaching, reference, and my other required duties. It has been a busy and hectic week, but a good one.

Intro to me.

Hello, welcome to my experience as a new librarian at Pasadena City College. Here I will post the experiences I have as I embark upon the exciting career of librarianship. Don't be mistaken, librarians rock, and we will soon control everything with our access to information. Talk to you soon.