You're not going to believe this... I just lost my entire post for the day-- two sentences from the end. Because my internet browser froze. Needless to say, I will not be passing THAT particular link along to the rest of you.

However, I did find this AWESOME VIDEO on youtube, and one or two other things that I managed to reblog about below:

For example, Libraryola is a serious and dedicated library student, writing a thesis about an online government database... at least, I THINK that's what's going on... Regardless of the topic, I feel that this quote from his blog CLEARLY explains the frustration, confusion, and occasional futility of a student's attempt to pin down a website, or even a web-based library database, as a source ...Read More

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I have a job as a librarian (really a GA Graduate Assistant) on the reference desk for 9hrs a week all summer at an academic library!

There we have a lot of Sanborn maps. I am excited to learn about them.
http://sanborn.umi.com/HelpFiles/about.html

Also, we use Luna Insight. I have used the product a couple of times before, but the job will be a great opportunity to get more acquainted with the software.
http://www.luna-imaging.com/insight/index.html

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Well I'm back from my little hiatus. Actually, after being gone so long, I didn't think that anyone wanted me back on the blog. But Dan at Library Journal and co-blogger Staci told me that was silly. Long story short, I'm back and excited to be blogging again.

A lot has happened since my last post. I'm still at the same library. I still supervise the paraprofessional staff here. Since the last post we have jettisoned one employee (she actually got another job, but I sort of like to think of her being "jettisoned"), and we hired three more. So, now I directly supervise three full-time and two half-time positions. Indirectly, I supervise (I supervise the supervisor of) one more full-time and all the student workers. I'm not proud. I'm just giving context to the fact that I've been on the upward slope of the supervisory learning curve for quite some time now....Read More

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Happy DOLF Day! Today we’ve got an eclectic mix of dress codes, divas, cult books and conference advice. Enjoy!

One of my favorite blogs, A Librarian’s Guide to Etiquette, has never shirked from filing honest appraisals of the information at at hand. On February 29th, the topic was Casual Friday at the Library (and folks, this applies to conference clothing, too!!):

Fridays, Casual

Your library's "Casual Friday" dress code does not give you the license to wear sweatpants to work.

And speaking of dress codes and conferences, the American Library Association’s Annual Conference is coming—here’s a little...Read More

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As promised, today's "Monday at the Library" Dolf Moment is very user-friendly. I grew up watching the Muppets on TV. My favorite character was the Chef who always had such fun cooking, but never managed to say anything intelligible, and had a habit of accidentally throwing his knives around... If you could see me in my own kitchen today, you'd understand why. My other childhood favorites were the Critics who sat up in the special seats at the Muppet Theater, hurtling insults. "Yeah, and that was NOTHING like a good show!" Remember them?

So, with no further ado, here are The Muppets, singing @ Your Library, via YouTube. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lemspnW5ZXM)
And on a similar vein, have you checked these guys out yet?? ...Read More

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I've long been a fan of visual humor. I love that "insert caption here" visual insanity called I Can Has Cheezburger. The theory of this interactive website is that some people take really funny pictures of their cats, and some people take really boring pictures of their cats (or polar bears...). Then other people come along and add captions to the photos. By the way, this website is also a great introduction to the “Texting Cant” used primarily by today's teens, if you don’t speak it yourself. For instance, LOL means Laugh Out Loud, and spelling is usually sacrificed for shorter text or fewer key-strokes in a cell phone-originated message.

Eventually, a photo/caption pairing strikes a majority of devoted readers as REALLY FUNNY, and we move on to the next photo. Unfortunatel...Read More

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The Reference and User Services Association, or RUSA, has approved a new definition of Reference. The last one was over 20 years old, according to a recent article in RUSA’s newsletter. I've included the new definition-- as of January 2008-- here, for reference.

Reference Transactions are information consultations in which library staff recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources to help others to meet particular information needs. Reference transactions do not include formal instruction or exchanges that provide assistance with locations, schedules, equipment, supplies, or policy statements.

Reference Work includes reference transactions and other activities that i

...Read More

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Everyone needs a pick-me-up on Mondays. Even bloggers. With that in mind, I started an informal survey of funny library-related blog posts, just for fun. At the same time, one of my mentors pointed out to me that it's easier to blog when you have assigned yourself a topic for the day. AHAH! There is an easier way to be the good little blogger I always wanted to be! That's when the two ideas overlapped in my brain, and here we are. I'm officially declaring Mondays my Day of Library-related Funnies, or "Dolf Day."

I started with your basic google search. Google came up with about 376,000 entries relating to the search "librar* blog." However, I'm on page twelve, and I've only found three worth bookmarking. In fact, the best way to find library-related blogs seems to be finding blogs with links to other blogs in them. Thank goodness one of those three ha...Read More

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Is it worth it to get a second subject master's?

It isn't as if someone can answer that for some else. However, after the hiring freezes at New York Public Library and now Brooklyn Public Library, I have been thinking that I may need a second master's. A second master's could provide some more options when working at the public library is not possible. I have always wanted to continue my education. However, the thought of wasting too much time and money is pretty scary. I know that a few at Pratt-SILS feel the same way I do. I assume that at other library schools students are feeling the pinch of the economy and are looking for enjoyable and effective ways to make themselves more marketable.

What are the implications?

The GRE! I know what it is all about. I cannot say that I will enjoy taking this test; although I may learn about 50 25-cent ...Read More

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Somewhere between January 20, 2008, and March 30, 2008, POPLINE, a fact-based public health database maintained by Johns Hopkins University, put a stop on the search term “abortion.” This means that anyone entering the search word “abortion” would receive zero hits, even though information about health and abortion is available in the database.

On April 4, Michael J. Klag, MD MPG and Dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, issued a public statement on the Johns Hopkins website.  He clarified that the decision to put a stop on this specific word search was the result of an inquiry from USAID, which funds POPLINE. The decision did not have Dr. Klag’s approval. As of April 4, the searchability of the contentious word has...Read More

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A lot of people who come to library school are career changers. Some now are coming right out of college, and others have been working in a library for a while and are ready to take their careers to the next level. It is very scary to change your career. It is scary to feel like you don't know what you’re getting into. I work with other new students and find that they very much need mentors.

I was a career changer. I was working in a for profit company and decided that I didn't want to work to make a profit (more than what is needed). That is interesting in liu of the fact that everywhere I go, even in the library world, quality is judged using the business model. Okay this is kinda off of the point, but why do we call library visitors customers and patrons? Is it because they pay for the library with taxes? I pay for the war with taxes. I am not a patron of the wa...Read More

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