tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post9189288553900578886..comments2024-02-03T13:58:08.805-05:00Comments on Letters to a Young Librarian: Libraries, the Universe & Everything – a Letter to a Younger Me, by Ned PotterJessica Olinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282500023825318766noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-63399657052438449882013-08-13T10:11:39.094-04:002013-08-13T10:11:39.094-04:00Thanks Lisa!
Hey Sarah, you definitely can't ...Thanks Lisa!<br /><br />Hey Sarah, you definitely can't please everyone, and trying do so is not just a minor issue, it's an active problem holding back the profession (or rather the industry). <br /><br />In terms of inspiring rather than placating in a University setting, there are two levels to it - things I can control, and things I can't. For the things I can't control - big library policy decisions etc - basically every time I hear a colleague say 'Yeah but if we do X it'll upset Group Y' I keep on plugging away with the notion that A) upsetting Group Y may be a price worth paying, B) their upset will likely be very vocal initially and then fade over time and C) oftentimes Group Y will be upset whatever you do, anyway... :)<br /><br />In terms of my actual work, I am basically less cautious than a lot of my colleagues, without being reckless - I rely on good communication skills to allow me to be direct and fairly informal with academics and students, because I think that's the only way to build relationships which actually MEAN anything (and allow you to achieve some progress). <br /><br />Librarians like to cover EVERYTHING to make sure no one misses out - if we weren't in such a state of crisis that'd be fine, but that's no longer workable - it's the equivalent of diluting a concentrated drink to make more, so much that in the end no one wants it because it's flavourless. So I leave info out of my webpages to make them smaller and more useable, I don't cover everything in my teaching so I can focus on the good stuff - all things for which there are very strong counter-arguments, but which I think yield tangible gains that make them worth the risk. <br /><br />Generally I always try and approach the services I provide from the point of view of what is most required by the students and academics, not from the point of view of what the library *has*, or has offered in the past. <br /><br />I also try and DO things as far as is practicable, rather than over-analysing myself into paralysis, or spending so much time checking it's okay with other people that I allow opportunities for spanners to be thrown into the works. <br /><br />I must stress though, I do all this in a minor way. It's fairly subtle, not full-blown anarchy. I am not trying to paint myself as some kind of maverick who daringly does what he pleases (people like that are often a lot more boring than they think they are, I've noticed); I work within the limits of what my bosses would expect of me because ultimately you get more done when you're part of the system than when you're outside it. Ned Potterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17687100444162753686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-85607009361249980622013-08-12T06:26:39.138-04:002013-08-12T06:26:39.138-04:00Love this, off to make sure others see it and love...Love this, off to make sure others see it and love it too. Lisa Jeskinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03225170710100027643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-75267625946842531732013-08-12T03:54:58.274-04:002013-08-12T03:54:58.274-04:00This is a fantastic letter and very inspirational....This is a fantastic letter and very inspirational. A number of items resonated with me here but one of the biggest was the trying to inspire people rather than placate. I feel that I am often trying to do this and it can really wear you down while not really getting anywhere - you can't please everyone, right? I'd really like to hear more about how you do this in a University setting. <br /><br />I also like the advice about not being a martyr to the profession - librarians sometimes have a knack of instilling the guilt.<br />Sarah Wolfendenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15118506095814426048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-39763276605191439342013-07-12T10:05:34.161-04:002013-07-12T10:05:34.161-04:00I'm not sure I'd really understood it was ...I'm not sure I'd really understood it was 7 years ago either... <br /><br />I think people need reassurance - librarianship is a much more dynamic and intense profession than those outside it would ever imagine. In terms of doing all of the things all of the time, and not panicking about not doing so, you might find this useful? http://thewikiman.org/blog/?p=1926 Ned Potterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17687100444162753686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-51162161139704874322013-07-12T09:07:11.096-04:002013-07-12T09:07:11.096-04:00Great letter. I am still in the library factory be...Great letter. I am still in the library factory being made in to a capital L-Librarian and much of this is really how I've been feeling! Particularly inadvertantly stumbling in to the perfect career. It's good to know I don't need to be doing ALL OF THE THINGS ALL OF THE TIME too, I tend to get overexcited and just want to do absolutely everything. This was a very reassuring letter - apart from when it made me realise 2006 was 7 years ago. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17156961799356906193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-42835245714369438932013-07-12T08:40:20.145-04:002013-07-12T08:40:20.145-04:00Fantastic, thank you Hannah. I've found you on...Fantastic, thank you Hannah. I've found you on Twitter now... Ned Potterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17687100444162753686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-57085860449838809802013-07-11T19:29:34.101-04:002013-07-11T19:29:34.101-04:00This is inspiring, and definitely motivates me. I ...This is inspiring, and definitely motivates me. I view Twitter as a hugely important professional development tool, too, as it lets me interact with so many great info pros around the world. But I tend to be an observer; I need to take that next step and more actively lend my voice to the conversation!Hannah Q. Parrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03117675685235366681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-60193273614596524722013-07-11T10:17:36.038-04:002013-07-11T10:17:36.038-04:00Thank you Ginger!
I feel quite strongly about th...Thank you Ginger! <br /><br />I feel quite strongly about that - I feel we're hungover from another era (on gin, of course :) ) and really need to change. Communicating well is so important, we can't be clinging on to outdated fears about being taken seriously! Ned Potterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17687100444162753686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-40191425406883030902013-07-11T10:01:11.660-04:002013-07-11T10:01:11.660-04:00Such a great letter, Ned. The whole thing resonate...Such a great letter, Ned. The whole thing resonated with me, but especially the bit about informality: how it helps us be more authentic, build relationships, and only turns off the wrong people anyway.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02374234986516531798noreply@blogger.com