Thursday, October 30, 2008

Internet Librarian 2008: SharePoint for Libraries: Streamlining Your Intran...

via LibrarianInBlack by Sarah Houghton-Jan on 10/28/08

Shannon Staley and I presented a session at Internet Librarian on using SharePoint: SharePoint for Libraries: Streamlining Your Intranet Management.  Usually I post these as PDFs, but this was requested from me in advance by a few people intact as a PowerPoint.  It is sizable (just over 2MB), so the download will take a while.  The SharePoint cheat sheets we use here at the San Jose Public Library & San Jose State University Library are also posted below.  Finally, this is included in the presentation but bears repeating: the online training (short video clips) that we use are from CBT Clips and we're pretty happy with them.

Enjoy, and let us know in the comments section if these are helpful, or if you have materials of your own that you'd like to share too!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

15 Tips for Successful Knowledge Sharing

via Stephen's Lighthouse by stephen on 8/7/08

Lucas McDonnell has a list of 15 tips for successful knowledge sharing (check out the link for an expansion on the list):

Share failures as well as successes.
Don't oversell your own work.
Ask questions about others' work.
Ask before borrowing.
Give credit where it's due.
Be genuine, avoid 'networking'.
Don't just connect with those doing identical work.
Be prepared to provide documentation.
Talk to people you already know as well.
Take lots of notes.
Take the first the step.
Learn more than you teach.
Be patient and listen.
Talk to people about talking to people.
Expect the best from people.

Looks like a good list for any learner.

Stephen


Simplest Way to Explain 2.0

via Stephen's Lighthouse by stephen on 8/19/08

Indexed blog always comes up with very simple ways to explain complex things.

index20-759323.jpg

Now if the bottom axis was library members/cardholders and left axis was library programs/collections/services, is it easier to digest?

Cool.

Stephen

Getting Noticed

via Stephen's Lighthouse by stephen on 9/1/08

Check out Jeremiah OwYang's latest post:

How to Get Noticed

Here are the highlights of the list:

Have a goal
Develop a unique brand
Get personal
Attend local events
Lead events
Be interesting
Archive your achievements

I'd say this is a nice simple list for any library to start on.

Stephen

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Why Public Libraries Close

via Stephen's Lighthouse by stephen on 9/12/08

One of my favourite people, Christie Koontz at FSU, has published a report through OCLC.

"Why Public Libraries Close" June 30, 2008
by Christie M. Koontz, Dean K. Jue, and Bradley Wade Bishop

"Report on a nationwide study on the impact of public library closures and facility location. Staff interviews and demographics analysis using geographic information systems (GIS) inform impacts on library users and potential markets. Conducted by Florida State University and sponsored by OCLC.

Why_Public_Libraries_Close.pdf (35 page PDF)

Stephen

Reconceiving Research Libraries

via Stephen's Lighthouse by stephen on 9/12/08

In August 2008 CLIR, the Council on Library and Information Resources, released No Brief Candle: Reconceiving Research Libraries for the 21st Century.
http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub142/pub142.pdf (81 page PDF)

Abstract:

"This new title from CLIR, No Brief Candle: Reconceiving the Research Library
for the 21st Century, is composed of a series of provocative essays, the
proceedings of a lively and informed symposium earlier this year in
Washington, and a set of recommendations extrapolated from both. While
several of the subject headings are familiar—scholarly communication,
peer review, preservation of data, and e-science—the conclusions and
recommendations are not. The consensus derived from these efforts was
unambiguous in calling for more aggressive intervention to better structure
and manage the challenges we face.

This report demands change. Common themes include collaboration
between librarians, faculty, and information technology experts to articulate
strategies and tactical approaches to a rapidly changing environment. This
represents a broad research agenda that cannot be executed by a single
profession. We are asked collectively to rethink current hiring practices,
to provide for new career paths and opportunities for professional
development, and to consider redefining libraries as multi-institutional
entities. The latter entails a mandate to eliminate redundancy by calibrating
resources, staff, and infrastructure functions to the collective enterprise of
the federated institutions. This transcends the traditional concept of a library
(and by extension a university or college) while preserving the programmatic
strengths and mission of the individual schools, and in fact should enhance
intellectual productivity in a far more cost-effective fashion.

As the title of this report suggests, this is not a passing phase in higher
education. It is a transformational period that requires innovation and risk. I
sincerely hope this publication will engender further discussion, new ideas,
and collaborative efforts that respect our traditions while recognizing the
urgency for invigorated leadership and new direction."

The publication is a collection of papers from a meeting convened by CLIR of librarians, publishers, faculty members, and information technology specialists on February 27, 2008 .

Another one worth reading.

Stephen

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Fear of Feedback

via Management-Issues : News on 9/15/08

There is one relatively simple thing that every manager can do for employees but so few do, and that's give feedback. Normally the excuse is that they are too busy, but some studies suggest that they are just plain uncomfortable about doing so.