Digitization 101

This training was supposed to be an in-person event. Due to the current events, it is now a webinar that is open to members of the South Central Regional Library Council (SCRLC) and the Empire State Library Network (ESLN).  If you are in NYS and would like to be better organized and more productivity, consider attending.  You can register on the SCLRC website.

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As COVID-19 impacts daily life around the world, in New York State we have been asked to engage is social distancing.  This is more than just avoiding large crowds.  The best practice "requires maintaining at least a six-foot distance between yourself and others." (Vox)

For me, this is day three of social distancing.  Saturday I went to the farmer's market and the grocery store.  The grocery store had the empty shelves that everyone is talking about, while the farmer's market had fewer vendors.  I didn't go out again until Sunday evening for a walk at a very large shopping mall. There it was easy to maintain social distancing, because most stores were closed for the day. Which brings me to today, where I only went outdoors to do some yard work.  There are weeks more of this ahead. Weeks.

Social distancing does not mean stepping away from doing work.  It does mean perhaps doing work in different ways.  It doesn't mean having no contact with people.  It does mean having contact with others in ways that keeps everyone safe from COVID-19.  It doesn't mean being selfish.  It does mean taking care of the community in a very different way than normal.

Days 1 and 2 felt normal, but today does not. And knowing that this will continue on for weeks means that somehow I - and others - need to become comfortable with this new normal. Tips welcome.

So how are you doing? What do you need help with? Leave a comment and let's get through this together.

A Mixed Bag of Resources

• Public Statement of Library Copyright Specialists: Fair Use & Emergency Remote Teaching & Research
• Vox. (Mar. 16, 2020) What are the rules of social distancing?
• SAMSHA. Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health:Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak
• Barrett-Fox, Rebecca. Please do a bad job of putting your courses online
• World Health Organization. Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 Outbreak

A Few Resources to Stay Engaged and Entertained

• 100+ Free Video Read Alouds (for children)
• Storyline Online (for children)
• Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems! (video)
• Metropolitan Opera to Offer Up ‘Nightly Met Opera Streams’ (video)
• Project Gutenberg  (books)
• Internet Archive Open Library (books) 
• The Philharmonie Berlin (music)

This is what I'm doing in the coming months.  If we end up in the same location, let's meet for coffee!

Conference

Currently, I have only one conference on my schedule:

• Jan. 24-27 - ALA Midwinter Conference (ALAmw20) in Philadelphia, PA.  Look for me in the Convention Center and in the Reading Terminal Market, where the food choices are awesome!

Teaching

I'm teaching the following this winter and spring:

• Copyright for Information Professionals (IST 735) - Jan. 13 - Apr. 28 (asynchronous online, credit-bearing graduate course)
  Basic ideas, concepts and perspectives of management as they apply to the information professions. Students learn to understand and apply basic principles of organization theory and behavior and managerial techniques needed to improve organizational effectiveness. This course is offered through Syracuse University.


• US Copyright Law in the Library: A Beginner's Guide (ALA eCourse) - Feb. 2 - Mar. 15 (asynchronous, non-credit-bearing)
  The library is a hub of content, all of it subject to copyright law. The legal reality of copyright is dynamic—changes in technology have created a landscape that is constantly adapting and can be difficult to predict. If you don't have any formal training in copyright law, it can be intimidating to know how to answer your patrons' copyright questions and to know what you can and cannot do with your library’s content and resources. It can be tough to understand the line between providing information and answering a legal question.
  
  In this eCourse, you will be guided through the basics of copyright law and provided with the foundation to become your library's copyright expert.
  
  Each week, you'll learn how copyright law informs what libraries, library staff, and patrons can do with their materials and how you can stay up-to-date as this area evolves. You'll be able to check and affirm your knowledge through focused self-assessments.  This asynchronous eCourse is offered through ALA Publishing.


• The Public Library as Institution (IST 600) - Mar. 25 - June 16 (online with synchronous and asynchronous components each week)
  This credit-bearing course covers the unique aspects of public libraries include structure, governance, funding, and community interactions. In addition, public libraries are impacted by many societal concerns. This course prepares students to examine and support those areas of public librarianship. This course is offered through Syracuse University.


• Productivity 101 - May 14, 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon, SCRLC offices in Ithaca, NY
  Productivity. It's important, but we often struggle with how to stay organized so that we are productive. We struggle with email, time management, and managing workloads. We want to delegate tasks, and even say "no" to some, but we struggle with the best way of doing that. In this interactive workshop, you will learn and use methods for these areas, and become more productive. Both paper and digital methods will be discussed.

Other Stuff 

First, I am now the president of the Onondaga County Public Library Board of Trustees.  It is a honor to be able to serve this library and the OCPL system in this way (32 libraries in total)! 

Second, in 2017, I became involved in the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival. This is a continuation of the campaign begun by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After the 2016 elections, I wanted to get involved some how in making a difference in our country. Like many others, I looked for an effort that resonated with my values.  I particularly wanted to get involved in something locally. This is where I''m donating my energy working with the NYS Poor People's Campaign and the CNY organizing committee.  Why am I posting this here? Because I just want to share something that is important to me.

It is amazing to think that the year 2020 is nearly here!  I remember when people were panicking over the change from 1999 to 2000.  Well, as 2020 approaches, this is my travel and presentation schedule for the start of the year.

Conference

Right now, I only have one conference on my schedule for the first part of 2020.

• Jan. 24-27 - I will be at the ALA Midwinter Conference (ALAmw20) in Philadelphia, PA.  The last time I remember ALAmw being in Philly, the city received 11 inches of snow in one day!  That made getting to Midwinter (and the ALISE conference before it) rather difficult.  Let's hope that the weather is more cooperative this time.
  
  Besides attending sessions and visiting the Exhibit Hall, I would be happy to talk with people about the iSchool Public Libraries Initiative and the research we are engaged in.  Please do let me know if you want to meetup and perhaps do lunch at the Reading Terminal Market.

Teaching

• Copyright for Information Professionals (IST 735) - Jan. 13 - Apr. 28 (asynchronous online, credit-bearing graduate course)
  Basic ideas, concepts and perspectives of management as they apply to the information professions. Students learn to understand and apply basic principles of organization theory and behavior and managerial techniques needed to improve organizational effectiveness. This course is offered through Syracuse University.


• US Copyright Law in the Library: A Beginner's Guide (ALA eCourse) - Feb. 2 - Mar. 15 (asynchronous, non-credit-bearing)
  The library is a hub of content, all of it subject to copyright law. The legal reality of copyright is dynamic—changes in technology have created a landscape that is constantly adapting and can be difficult to predict. If you don't have any formal training in copyright law, it can be intimidating to know how to answer your patrons' copyright questions and to know what you can and cannot do with your library’s content and resources. It can be tough to understand the line between providing information and answering a legal question.
  
  In this eCourse, you will be guided through the basics of copyright law and provided with the foundation to become your library's copyright expert.
  
  Each week, you'll learn how copyright law informs what libraries, library staff, and patrons can do with their materials and how you can stay up-to-date as this area evolves. You'll be able to check and affirm your knowledge through focused self-assessments.  This asynchronous eCourse is offered through ALA Publishing.


• The Public Library as Institution (IST 600) - Mar. 25 - June 16 (online with synchronous and asynchronous components each week)
  This credit-bearing course covers the unique aspects of public libraries include structure, governance, funding, and community interactions. In addition, public libraries are impacted by many societal concerns. This course prepares students to examine and support those areas of public librarianship. This course is offered through Syracuse University.

Later in 2020

There is definitely more to come later in the year.  If you are interested in discussing a workshop for your organization, contact me.

It's June and I have several conferences on my schedule for the remainder of 2019.  If you are attending any of these, let's get together!

Conferences

• June 20-25 - ALA Annual Conference, Washington DC - While I've been to events "around" the ALA Annual Conference, this is my first time as an actual attendee, and I'm looking forward to it!  This is the third annual conference to be held in DC in the last 12 years.  In 2007, there were 28000+ attendees and 950+ exhibits), while 2010  had 27000+ attendees. Due to its size, if you want to cross paths with me, please message me here or on Twitter, so we can arrange to get together.
  
  By the way, I would be happy to talk with people about the iSchool Public Libraries Initiative and the research we have done over the last year.


• Sept. 24-26 - ALISE Annual Conference, Knoxville, TN - This is the first time in recent history (if not ever) that the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Annual Conference is being held without being adjacent to another library conference.  While I appreciated networking with people who were attending the other conference, it will be nice to be able to focus solely on the topics and sessions at ALISE, including those on assessment and accreditation.


• Nov. 13-16 - NYLA Annual Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY - Yes, the NYLA conference will be back in Saratoga Springs (and again in 2020).  As a member of a public library board of trustees, I've found the conference to be even more important to me.  I look forward to what new information I'll learn this year.

Courses at Syracuse University

In the fall, I will be teaching these courses at Syracuse University in the School of Information Studies.  If space is available, non-matriculated students can enroll in them.

• Management Principles for Information Professionals (IST 614) - Aug. 26 - Dec. 10 (on campus, graduate course)
  Basic ideas, concepts and perspectives of management as they apply to the information professions. Students learn to understand and apply basic principles of organization theory and behavior and managerial techniques needed to improve organizational effectiveness.


• The Public Library as Institution (IST 600) - Oct. 2 - Dec. 10 (online with synchronous and asynchronous components each week)
  This is a new course, which I am developing and which will be offered regularly.  The description is: Unique aspects of public libraries include structure, governance, funding, and community interactions. In addition, public libraries are impacted by many societal concerns. This course prepares students to examine and support those areas of public librarianship.

Looking ahead to 2020

I want to note that the ALA eCourse I gave this year on US Copyright Law in the Library: A Beginner's Guide went very well. I think it is a good sign that students wanted to learn more. I will be giving this eCourse again in February 2020 and it will be expanded to six-weeks in length.  Look for more information on this in the fall.

I always feel as if I should do a year-end blog post that wraps up the year. So here it goes.

Copyright

These are the stories which stand out to me and the Digitization 101 blog posts which go with them.

• The Public Domain is About to Get Bigger on January 1 - Beside the public domain getting bigger, this also means that I and others can't automatically refer to the 1923 date. That may be take a little getting used to!
• Music Modernization Act - I know there is more for me to learn about this act and so likely more blog posts to come on it. However, here are two from this past year.
• Details of the Music Modernization Act which has been signed into law
• The Durationator Facebook posts on the Music Modernization Act
• Intellectual Property and the new U.S., Mexico and Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) - This was written before the act became law and is still relevant.
• Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act - Providing materials to the print disabled - no matter their physical location - is the correct thing to do.

Looking ahead to 2019, the next edition of Copyright Law for Librarians and Educators: Creative Strategies and Practical Solutions by Kenneth Crews will be released.  The delay in publication has worked in our favor as he has been able to incorporate recent changes in U.S. copyright law into this edition. 

Do I still blog about digitization? Yes, there were some blog posts about that this year.  I should really rename this blog, but too many people know it as Digitization 101.

Research

I announced earlier in December the iSchool Public Libraries Initiative, which began earlier in the year.  The number of things we could do keeps growing, which is a happy problem to have.  We are not working with individual libraries, but rather want to focus our efforts on research that will help all libraries.  Thanks to everyone - too many to name - who has been enthusiastic about this. Thanks also to MSLIS students Heather Elia and Sabrina Unrein, who have been working with me, and to Georgia Westbook, who will begin working with us in January.

Conferences

I am blessed every year to be able to attend several conferences in person.  This year was no different.  Below are those conferences and links to my posts about them. 

• ALISE 2018 Conference - The next ALISE conference will be in September 2019 in Knoxville, TN.
• Special Libraries Association Upstate NY Chapter Spring Conference - The next Upstate NY Chapter spring conference will be April 12, 2019 in Syracuse, NY.
• Joint Conference of Librarians of Color Conference - The next JCLC will be in 2022.
• New York Library Association Annual Conference  - The next NYLA conference will be  November 7-10, 2019 in Saratoga Springs, NY.  At the 2018 conference, I was honored to have been selected as the 2018 NYLA Dewey Fellow representing the Leadership and Management Section (LAMS). Thank you, LAMS, for your recognition of the work I have done in and for the library community.

If you have followed my conference attendance over the years, you'll know that which conferences I attend has shifted.  I think that shift is natural for many professionals as our information needs change and we need to connect with different communities.  I'm sure there might be some changes in 2019.

Getting Things Done

For several years, I have had a paper-based work journal and a paper to-do list, which I carry everywhere.  The work journal contained notes from meetings. The to-do list contained a super long list of work-related items to get done, along with important personal items.  I have roughly followed the David Allen Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology, since obtaining the audiobook in 2010 (blog post).  Over the years, I've listened to many of the GTD podcasts and tried to implement key parts of the process with moderate success.

At JCLC, I went to a standing room only session on using bullet journals (blog post), because I'm interested in anything that could make my to-do list better.  The bullet journal combines my to-do list with the journal, and make both more usable.  Here are the things I like about the bullet journal:

• It focuses on creating a daily to-do list, which draws items from a separate to-do list for the month.  This means that I am focused on what I need to get done today and what I can get done today.  If I don't get something done, it is easy to migrate it to the next day, if necessary.
• There is a place to put to-do's that are in the future. GTD would refer to these as the "someday maybe" list.  However, these future to-do's are placed in specific months. So I can easily capture, for example, something that is a to-do in April.
• As part of the bullet journal, you create an index, which is built as you use the journal.  This is so simple, yet it is something I hadn't thought of!
• The journal becomes a place to collect thoughts on specific ideas or projects, and you can do that in a more organized manner.  One suggestion I saw was to start compiling notes on a project at the end of the journal and work forward.  So I'm doing that with my notes for the iSchool Public Libraries Initiative.  All of my notes are in one spot at the back of my bullet journal.
• I feel more organized, because I am more organized.
• By creating daily to-do lists and capturing information on what I've done in a specific day, it is apparent how much I cannot fit into one day.  This was important to re-learn.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of videos on the bullet journal method. Some people treat their bullet journals like an art projects and those videos are "nice", but I really like people who are less interested in making their bullet journals pretty and more interested in making them functional.  A great place to start learning about them is the web site by bullet journal creator, Ryder Carroll.

Since I began my bullet journal in October, I am not starting a new journal for 2019.  However, later today I will review my to-do list and create my to-do list for January 2019, and do some other setup tasks so that I'm ready for January 2.  That setup will likely take me 30 minutes and in some ways will be similar to the GTD weekly review.

Reclaiming My Time

In 2017, U.S. Congressional Representative Maxine Waters uttered the words "reclaiming my time" during a Congressional hearing.  Those words sparked social media posts and Internet memes.  As I think about 2019, those words capture something I need to do; I need to make sure I'm using my time wisely.  I need to reclaim time that isn't focused on my goals or top to-do's, and I need to ensure that I have time to relax.  With the Internet, 24-hour news cycles, the ability to work (or take classes) at any time, our lives are as if we are all living in New York City - the city that never sleeps.  In other words, it is easy to do-do-do, yet we know that taking breaks from "the noisy confusion of life" is necessary.

What will this reclaimed time look like?  My hope is that work will shift into more normal work hours and time for non-work activities will be when other people are available!  (As an academic and consultant, I can tell you that work time can become all the time, and that isn't healthy.)  Wish me luck!

Over 14 Years

This blog is over 14 years old with 2,841 posts in total. While I don't blog as incessantly as I did in 2005 (528 posts), I'm please that I added 93 blog posts this year.  Blogging here is one constant in my life and something I hope to have more time for in 2019.  I want to do more posts again were I'm doing original writing, and not just reporting on what others are doing.


Okay, that's my 2018 wrap-up.  How was your year?

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FTC Disclaimer: Digitization 101 is an Amazon affiliate and receives a small commission if you purchase a product or service from an Digitization 101 Amazon link. (Trust me, I'm not getting rich off of Amazon.)

In November, the EveryLibrary Institute NFP - the non-profit research companion to EveryLibrary - announced its new Board of Directors, who will take office in January.  I'm pleased to be among an interesting and active group of library supporters, who are joining the board.  Who is the EveryLibrary Institute (ELI)?

The EveryLibrary Institute is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that works to systematically address the slide in public opinion and support for library funding among the American electorate by partnering with foundations, philanthropic organizations, associations, non-profits, and academic institutions to enhance public perception of libraries and librarianship through research-driven direct engagement with American society.

As a board member, what will I be doing? Well...

The board is charged with supporting and extending the EveryLibrary Institute’s core mission to understand and improve public and voter perception of libraries and librarians. Their role will include setting strategic priorities for the Institute’s research, publishing, training and programmatic agendas, along with building partnerships inside and outside of libraries for success.

I have already been collaborating with EveryLibrary Institute on gathering and analyzing public library data. I look forward, in my role on the board, in helping ELI collaborate with other researchers on data that will help public libraries understand the public's perception of them.

Thanks to John Chrastka, for inviting me to join the board. He has already hosted board orientation events and our first board meeting is scheduled for late January.  Clearly he will put us to work fast!

This fall, I am embarking on research related to public libraries and am building a small (for now) research team (The iSchool Public Libraries Initiative). Often teams form quickly with no forethought in regards to team building and creating the best environment for thriving.  This team is still in its forming stages and I know it would be good to provide some foundation for it. Part of that foundation needs to be understanding what is important to each one of us and how we each normally work.  Rarely do we discuss our normal work habits or what habits we expect from others. And rarely do we share those tips or thought processes that led to our habits, or what we wish our habits were.

This blog post is my attempt to list those things that influence me, in terms of getting work done and interacting with others. Do I do all of these things perfectly?  No.  Do I do them all the time?  No.  But I aspire.  As my team comes together, I hope they will share what influences their work habits with me.  Just talking about it, I'm sure, will make us work better together.

By the way, I have slowly worked on this post for a couple of months as I have remembered, found, and pulled together resources.  I suspect that it still isn't complete.  If you were me, what would you add?  Please leave that information in a comment. Thanks!

 

Productivity

• Productivity 101: A Primer to the Getting Things Done (GTD) Philosophy (LifeHacker)
• From David Allen and Getting Things Done
• Five Simple Steps That Apply Order to Chaos
• Podcast Episode #3 – David Allen guides you through a Mind Sweep (23 minutes)
• Podcast Episode #7 – Guided GTD Weekly Review (32 minutes) 
• Podcast Episode #40: Best Practices of Email Communication (29 minutes)
• I want to emphasize the importance of stating in your email who needs to answer the specific questions.  If you assume, rather than stating it, you may receive replies for no one or from everyone, and neither of those scenarios is helpful.
• If you are asking a question, be sure to make sure that someone skimming the email sees a question mark!  In other words, don't ask a question without actually asking a question.  (Trust me, this happens all the time.)  
• The Effective Emailer (Guy Kawasaki) 
• Writing emails people will read, understand and reply to (Alexander Skogberg)
• The correct way to email (Sarah Begley) - Added 09/27/2019
• What Makes Writing Effective: Interview with Rick Horowitz (11-minute podcast)
• Use the "Four Ds for Decision-Making" model (University of Nebraska Kearney) 
• How to Teach Yourself to Read an Entire Book in a Single Day - For me, the lesson in this article is not about reading a book in one day, but the fact that you don't read every work the same way. Being a productive reader means understanding what you are trying to learn from the work, and then reading in a way that allows you to learn it.
• Should you walk out of that bad meeting, even if it’s rude? (Aytekin Tank)

 

Personal Interactions

• From Heather Plett
• What it means to “hold space” for people, plus eight tips on how to do it well
• How to hold space for yourself first
• On holding space when there is an imbalance in power or privilege
• Reflecting (SkillsYouNeed)
• 10 Steps for Winning Every Argument (Pivotal Point Training & Consulting Inc.)

 

 Team Building

• Curious Minds Podcast Episode #103: Daniel Coyle on How to Build Amazing Teams (39 minutes)
• Consensus decision-making (Wikipedia) - This is a long Wikipedia article and all of it may not be useful.  However, it is important to consider how a team makes a decision and that is why this has been added here (e.g., agreement versus consensus).
• Six Thinking Hats (book) by Edward DeBono 
• Edward de Bono briefly explaining the six hats (7:40 minute video)

This is an updated list of my activities from August through November.  If you see something that interests you, please follow the link for more information.

 

Webinars

• Sept. 4 & 5, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. ET - Understanding and Defending Copyright in Your Library: An Introduction Workshop for ALA Editions.  This is a two-part webinar.  Additional information, including learning outcomes, is available on the ALA Editions website.
  Series Description: As a librarian, you are a defender of copyright and of proper and ethical access to information. In this two-part workshop, you’ll learn all about copyright, so you can help discern how your library and community can use print and digital materials within the confines of copyright law.
  Part 1: In the first 90-minute session, learn the basic rules of copyright law in ordinary terms and how to put its usage into context.
  Part 2: In part two, we’ll build upon part one and tackle two important areas crucial to libraries: Fair Use and e-books. Did you know there’s an actual test to determine if the use is fair? You’ll learn about that test and how e-books and other digital materials intersect with U.S. copyright law. Given that digital works are generally licensed and not sold, we’ll also look at how we can advocate on behalf of our libraries and community members.
• Sept. 18, 10:30 - 11:30am ET - Assuring Library Materials Can Be Used by Your Community for PCI Webinars.
  Having materials in a library’s collection is good; having those materials in the formats needed by the library’s community is much better. The act of supplying content in the formats that community members require is critically important to meeting their information needs.
  This informative webinar will delve into ways of discerning the format needs of a community, including using the census and other data, along with existing reports, to discern the best way of provisioning material for the community.
• Oct. 23, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. ET - Moving Your Services into Your Community for PCI Webinars. (Registration is not yet open.)
  We’ve heard the refrains of eliminating the reference desk, embedded librarians, and the like. We also hear of the need to get out into our communities. Yet meeting our community members where they are – not where we are – is still a challenge. If we are free to move about our communities, and deliver services outside of the library, what might that look like? What innovative or imaginative twist can we use, which will spark the community’s attention and interaction? How can we assure that our efforts are accomplished in both safe and respectful ways?

 

Courses at Syracuse University

At Syracuse University, I will be teaching the following courses.  If space is available, non-matriculated students can enroll in them.

• Management Principles for Information Professionals (IST 614) - Aug. 27 - Dec. 7 (on campus, graduate course)
  Basic ideas, concepts and perspectives of management as they apply to the information professions. Students learn to understand and apply basic principles of organization theory and behavior and managerial techniques needed to improve organizational effectiveness.
• Copyright for Information Professionals (IST 735) - Aug. 27 - Dec. 7 (online - asynchronous, graduate course)
  Geared for library and information professionals, this course provides a firm foundation in the fundamental rules of American copyright law, and equips them with the tools to make informed decisions about copyright issues.
•  Collection Development & Access (IST 635) - Sept. 28 - Dec. 19 (online - asynchronous and synchronous, graduate course)
  Advanced investigation of collection building, acquisition, and maintenance in libraries and information centers; user and collection analysis, collection development policies, digital resource acquisition and licensing, consortium collaboration, and ethical issues.
• Syracuse Reads Program - Late September for five weeks (on-campus, freshmen, not open to others)[updated 11:10 a.m.]
This is part of an expanded first year experience for all incoming freshmen.  As part of this, all freshmen are reading and will be discussing Trevor Noah's book Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. This is a wonderful book, that is about a mother and son, race, identity, poverty, and more.  I'm thrilled to be one of the substitute discussion facilitators. 

Coffee and Beignets

 

Travel

In September, I will be representing the SU iSchool at the Joint Council of Librarians of Color Conference, Sept. 26-28, in Albuquerque, NM. Look for me at the Exhibit Hall at the SU booth. If you're at the conference, I hope you'll stop by.

I'll be attending the New York Library Association (NYLA) Annual Conference, Nov. 7-10, in Rochester, NY. I'm very excited about the location, which is relatively close to Syracuse.  Also the keynote speakers - a social worker who works in a library and someone who links patrons with community resources - seem very timely.  If you will be at the NYLA conference, let's find time for a cup of coffee.

 

The Great New York State Fair

Every year, the Central New York Library Resources Council coordinates library workers to staff the New York State library booth at the New York State Fair in the Science and Industry Building.  This is fun, hot, tiring, and a great way to interact with people who are (or should be) using their local libraries.  Coming to the Fair? Stop by and talk to whomever is working.  (I'll be there on Aug. 23 in the afternoon.)

Coffee and Beignets

It is never too early to promote webinars and others events, so here is what I have coming up later this year.

Webinars

• Sept. 4 & 5, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. ET - Understanding and Defending Copyright in Your Library: An Introduction Workshop for ALA Editions.  This is a two-part webinar.  Additional information, including learning outcomes, is available on the ALA Editions website.
  Series Description: As a librarian, you are a defender of copyright and of proper and ethical access to information. In this two-part workshop, you’ll learn all about copyright, so you can help discern how your library and community can use print and digital materials within the confines of copyright law.
  Part 1: In the first 90-minute session, learn the basic rules of copyright law in ordinary terms and how to put its usage into context.
  Part 2: In part two, we’ll build upon part one and tackle two important areas crucial to libraries: Fair Use and e-books. Did you know there’s an actual test to determine if the use is fair? You’ll learn about that test and how e-books and other digital materials intersect with U.S. copyright law. Given that digital works are generally licensed and not sold, we’ll also look at how we can advocate on behalf of our libraries and community members.
• Sept. 18, 10:30 - 11:30am ET - Assuring Library Materials Can Be Used by Your Community for PCI Webinars.
  Having materials in a library’s collection is good; having those materials in the formats needed by the library’s community is much better. The act of supplying content in the formats that community members require is critically important to meeting their information needs.
  This informative webinar will delve into ways of discerning the format needs of a community, including using the census and other data, along with existing reports, to discern the best way of provisioning material for the community.
• Oct. 23, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. ET - Moving Your Services into Your Community for PCI Webinars. (Registration is not yet open.)
  We’ve heard the refrains of eliminating the reference desk, embedded librarians, and the like. We also hear of the need to get out into our communities. Yet meeting our community members where they are – not where we are – is still a challenge. If we are free to move about our communities, and deliver services outside of the library, what might that look like? What innovative or imaginative twist can we use, which will spark the community’s attention and interaction? How can we assure that our efforts are accomplished in both safe and respectful ways?

Graduate Courses

At Syracuse University,I will be teaching the following courses.  If space is available, non-matriculated students can enroll in them.

• Copyright for Information Professionals (IST 735) - Aug. 27 - Dec. 7 (online - asynchronous)
  Geared for library and information professionals, this course provides a firm foundation in the fundamental rules of American copyright law, and equips them with the tools to make informed decisions about copyright issues.
•  Collection Development & Access (IST 635) - Sept. 28 Dec. 19 (online - asynchronous and synchronous)
  Advanced investigation of collection building, acquisition, and maintenance in libraries and information centers; user and collection analysis, collection development policies, digital resource acquisition and licensing, consortium collaboration, and ethical issues.

Travel

I'll be attending the New York Library Association (NYLA) Annual Conference, Nov. 7-10, in Rochester, NY. I'm very excited about the location, which is relatively close to Syracuse.  Also the keynote speakers - a social worker who works in a library and someone who links patrons with community resources - seem very timely.  If you will be at the NYLA conference, let's find time for a cup of coffee.

During the winter, I had the good fortune to be interviewed by Christopher DeCristofaro and Robert Johnson for their Library Pros Podcast.  Chris and Bob are technology librarians/technologists in Suffolk County (NY) and their podcast reflects their love of libraries and technology, and everything in-between.  Our conversation focused on accessibility of libraries and content, which is an increasingly important topic for all of us.  What we talked about was broader, in regards to this topic, than you might first imagine...and it was fun!

If this topic interests you, you can listen to the episode on their web site or through many podcasting platforms (e.g., Stitcher).  The episode is 75 minutes in length.

Coffee and Beignets

I have two presentations next week, which I want you to know about:

• April 11: 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET (webinar) - part of a three-person panel entitled "Can There Be Neutrality in Cataloging? A Conversation Starter" for NISO.  My presentation is entitled "Access Requires Subjectivity." The event's description is: How does one create awareness of the bias that may be introduced into automated systems? This session will look at the selection of vocabulary in establishing taxonomies and ontologies. What is the real nature of the issue? How might establishing, maintenance, and use of a thesaurus contribute to a more inclusive search/discovery process? And where should responsibility lie for developing such ostensibly neutral tools?  How can we bring more diverse voices into the development/maintenance of these resources?
• April 13, Upstate New York Chapter of SLA Spring Conference (Rochester, NY) entitled "Lead from Where You Are." I'll be leading an interactive session on "Putting the Goal Before Your Work."

Also, last year I recreated a graduate course in the Syracuse University iSchool entitled "Collection Development and Access."  I taught this class in the fall quarter and it went very well and will be teaching it again beginning later this week. This class is taught with a combination of asynchronous content and live (synchronous) sessions. Our online classes used to be just asynchronous, but now we (SU iSchool) now offer our MSLIS degree in this format. If this online format for an MSLIS program would be of interest to someone you know, please point them towards our iSchool Online web site. Of course, if anyone is interested in our on-campus format, we have information on that, too.

I want to highlight that I am giving three copyright workshops over the next four weeks.  The first two are online, while the third is on-site in Florida  Yes, the content of the SWFLN workshop will be different than the two for ALA! Please follow the links for more information.

• Feb. 28, 2:30-4:00 p.m. ET - Presenting "Understanding and Defending Copyright in Your Library: An Introduction - Part 1" (webinar) for ALA Editions.
  Series Description: Library staffs are often seen as defenders of copyright.  Indeed, copyright touches many things a library and its community do. This two-part copyright webinar will help you understand what copyright is (and isn’t) so you can defend how your library and users/patrons/community use print and digital materials.
  Session Description: The fact that the Office of Copyright exists within the Library of Congress conveys its importance to libraries and the information industry.  Yet we often ignore the details in the U.S. copyright law, because we perceive those details as being too complex.  One area where we show of lack of knowledge is with the public domain.  We are quick to say that something is in the public domain, but do we actually know how a work receives that designation? This session will place the basic rules of copyright law in ordinary terms, and put their usage into context. 
• Mar. 7, 2:30-4:00 p.m. ET - Presenting "Understanding and Defending Copyright in Your Library: An Introduction - Part 2" (webinar) for ALA Editions.
Series Description: Library staffs are often seen as defenders of copyright.  Indeed, copyright touches many things a library and its community do. This two-part copyright webinar will help you understand what copyright is (and isn’t) so you can defend how your library and users/patrons/community use print and digital materials. 
Session Description: Building upon part 1, this session will tackle two important areas to our libraries: Fair Use and ebooks.  Fair Use is a critical part of the U.S. copyright law, yet do you know that there is an actual test to determine if the use is fair?  As for ebooks and other digital materials, it is important to know where they do (and do not) intersect with U.S. copyright law.  Given that digital works are generally licensed and not sold, what should we be advocating for on behalf of our libraries and community members?
• Mar. 27, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET - Presenting "Copyright 101: Staying Legal"  (on-site workshop) for for Southwest Florida Library Network (SWFLN).
  Description: We are often quick to make decisions about the use of someone’s content, based on what we believe copyright law states. Unfortunately, most of what we know about copyright is hearsay or guesses, yet everything we do in a library is guided by copyright law. This workshop will provide a firm foundation in the fundamental rules of U.S. copyright law. It will help you stay legal and out of trouble with copyright owners, by helping you understand, explain and use the law in your library community.

Kelvin Ringold and Josh Shear interviewed me on the topic of libraries for their weekly podcast named "JKWD" (Josh and Kelvin World Domination).  We talked mostly about public libraries and the episode is choked full of information that would be of interest to library staff and library advocates.  In addition to the audio, Kelvin and Josh put links on the episode's web page to information mentioned in the podcast.  You can listen to the 68-minute episode on the JKWD web site or through iTunes, Spreaker, SoundCloud, and other places where podcasts are served.  I'm also embedding it below from Stitcher.

Kelvin and Josh, thanks for the conversation!

Coffee and Beignets

During the next three months, this is where my speaking and traveling schedule is taking me. As always, if you're in the same location as me, I hope you will say hello. If time permits, let's have a cup of coffee together!

• Jan. 10, 10:00-11:00 a.m. ET - Presenting "Roam Your Community and Meet Them on Their Turf " (webinar) for Southwest Florida Library Network (SWFLN).
  Description: We’ve heard the refrains of eliminating the reference desk, embedded librarians, and the like. We also hear of the need to get out into our communities. Yet meeting our community members where they are – not where we are – is still a challenge. If we are free to move about our communities, and deliver services outside of the library, what might that look like? What innovative or imaginative twist can we use, which will spark the community’s attention and interaction? 
• Jan. 31, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET   - Presenting "Assuring Materials Can Be Used By Your Community" for the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS). 
  Description: Having materials in a library's collection is good; having those materials in the formats needed by the library's community is much better. The act of supplying content in the formats that community members require is critically important to meeting their information needs. This webinar will delve into ways of discerning the format needs of a community, including using the census and other data, along with existing reports, to discern the best way of provisioning material for the community.
• Feb. 7-9 - Attending the ALISE 2018 Annual Conference, Westminster, CO 
• Feb. 21, 10:00-11:00 a.m. ET - Presenting "Putting the Answer Up Front and Advocating for Libraries" (webinar) for Southwest Florida Library Network (SWFLN).
  Description: Since January (2017), more people are writing letters to their federal, state and local representatives. Many of these “letters” are constructed through web sites, which provide letter templates. Other “letters” are comments on sites like Countable or Facebook. While these methods of advocacy are good, it is better to craft your own message/letter which advocates your position using the information that is relevant to you.
• Feb. 28, 2:30-4:00 p.m. ET - Presenting "Understanding and Defending Copyright in Your Library: An Introduction - Part 1" (webinar) for ALA Editions.
  Series Description: Library staffs are often seen as defenders of copyright.  Indeed, copyright touches many things a library and its community do. This two-part copyright webinar will help you understand what copyright is (and isn’t) so you can defend how your library and users/patrons/community use print and digital materials.
  Session Description: The fact that the Office of Copyright exists within the Library of Congress conveys its importance to libraries and the information industry.  Yet we often ignore the details in the U.S. copyright law, because we perceive those details as being too complex.  One area where we show of lack of knowledge is with the public domain.  We are quick to say that something is in the public domain, but do we actually know how a work receives that designation? This session will place the basic rules of copyright law in ordinary terms, and put their usage into context. 
• Mar. 7, 2:30-4:00 p.m. ET - Presenting "Understanding and Defending Copyright in Your Library: An Introduction - Part 2" (webinar) for ALA Editions.
Series Description: Library staffs are often seen as defenders of copyright.  Indeed, copyright touches many things a library and its community do. This two-part copyright webinar will help you understand what copyright is (and isn’t) so you can defend how your library and users/patrons/community use print and digital materials. 
Session Description: Building upon part 1, this session will tackle two important areas to our libraries: Fair Use and ebooks.  Fair Use is a critical part of the U.S. copyright law, yet do you know that there is an actual test to determine if the use is fair?  As for ebooks and other digital materials, it is important to know where they do (and do not) intersect with U.S. copyright law.  Given that digital works are generally licensed and not sold, what should we be advocating for on behalf of our libraries and community members?
• Mar. 27, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET - Presenting "Copyright 101: Staying Legal"  (on-site workshop) for for Southwest Florida Library Network (SWFLN).
  Description: We are often quick to make decisions about the use of someone’s content, based on what we believe copyright law states. Unfortunately, most of what we know about copyright is hearsay or guesses, yet everything we do in a library is guided by copyright law. This workshop will provide a firm foundation in the fundamental rules of U.S. copyright law. It will help you stay legal and out of trouble with copyright owners, by helping you understand, explain and use the law in your library community.

2017 has been quite a year.  I even I blogged more this year than I had since 2013!  Looking back at those posts, and what was happening elsewhere, this is what stands out to me:

• It seemed as if the Library of Congress Copyright Office would go through an upheaval this year, but that did not happen. The Copyright Office still reports to the LOC and I've not heard any recent public discussions about moving it elsewhere.  Given how politics is infusing everything, the fact that the Copyright Office is staying as is, may be a good thing.  We don't need that office becoming part of a political jousting match.
• Nothing happened in terms of updating the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17).  Yes, there are sections that need updating and that updating requires deep thought, not just quick action. When the Congress does consider changes to the law, I hope they will do so without a political agenda and without undue influence from their major donors.
• A phrase we are hearing every day is "fake news." One way of combating fake news is to providing reliable and verified information resources.  Thanks to libraries and other information providers who have placed reliable and verifiable information online for others to use.  Thank you for providing not just one side of story, but providing many sides.  Thank you for digitizing older information, which helps us put into context what is happening today.
• Funding for many government agencies is in flux. That means that either funding has shifted away from them or there are rumors that they will lose funding.  Among those agencies is the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).  It is important that the IMLS survive and thrive. Why?  Quoting the IMLS:

  The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's approximately 120,000 libraries and 35,000 museums and related organizations. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive.

• One of the ways IMLS helps all of us is by hosting events, where we can talk to each other about specific issues. One such event was held in October on the National Digital Platform.  We all should be grateful for those institutions who are willing to develop a digital platform which will help all of us.
• This year Apple released its iPhone X, marking 10 years of increasingly sophisticated smartphones.  Smartphones and other digital devices are all around us. There are a growing number of wifi and bluetooth enabled devices.  An interesting activity is to count the number of wifi devices in your home.  (One friend counted 30!)  If you are surrounded by smart devices, then it may be hard to remember that is not normal for everyone.  Yes, there are people who are still using very basic flip phones.  And there are people who need to borrow wifi hotspots from their local libraries, so they can wifi at home.  There is still a digital divide in 2017 and there is still a need for digital literacy training.

Personally:

• I had never marched in a protest before, but in 2017 I marched in four events held in Syracuse: The Women's March, the March for Science, the People's Climate March, and the Procession of Neighbors. The latter was in support of the immigrant and refugee communities in Syracuse. 
• Out of my blog post about the March for Science came an invitation to be part of the book Science not Silence: Voices from the March for Science Movement, which will be released by MIT Press in March 2018.
• I wrote a series of blog posts on Upping You Library Intelligence, which were well received. 
• In collaboration with Copyright Clearance Center's Beyond the Book podcast, I released a blog post on library deserts which was paired with a Beyond the Book interview on the topic.  That blog post was  read over 3200 times making it my most read blog post of 2017.

Lastly, a one negative that is not attached to any one news event:

• The feeling of not belonging.  That feeling swept over immigrants, people of color, women, and many others.  One good aspect of social media is that we have each been able to find a tribe online were we do belong, and were we can be supported.

I'm sure there is much more that I should be noting and likely your list would be quite different., and that is okay.  What will 2018 have in store for us?  Let's hope that it provides lots of positives!

Coffee and Beignets

As we head into autumn, this is where my speaking and traveling schedule is taking me through the remainder of 2017.  As always, if you're in the same location as me, I hope you will say hello. If time permits, let's have a cup of coffee together!

• Oct. 17 - Attending "NDP at 3: Envisioning the next 3 years of the National Digital Platform" hosted by IMLS, Arlington, VA. (Part of the IMLS Focus Series.)
  Description: As IMLS concludes its third year of NDP funding through the National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, we will revisit what has been accomplished so far and explore future directions for this work. Meeting attendees will include a broad range of representatives of the country’s libraries, museums, and affiliated organizations. We hope to capture input that will help us move forward together, and to highlight areas where federal investment can most effectively support broad access to digital materials for the American people. We aim to identify concrete insights, including priority areas for funding, topics for future research, opportunities for collaboration, and other tangible outcomes. 
• Nov. 9-11, New York Library Association Annual Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY
• Nov. 10, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Presenting "Recruit, Retain, Repeat...Again" with Barbara Stripling.
  Description: The number of school librarians available is not keeping pace with the need. Enrollment in graduate programs leading to school media certification has substantially declined over the last decade, but school library vacancies are abundant throughout NYS. During NYLA 2016, participants noted many barriers to recruiting prospective school librarians and suggested courses of action. This session will provide an update on efforts since then. Participants will brainstorm additional ideas that can be used to recruit school librarians. Participants will also discuss possible advocacy efforts which might have a positive impact on the pathways to certification.
• Nov. 11, 9:30-10:30 a.m. - On a Women's Leadership Panel to discuss "Nevertheless, She Persisted" with Lauren Comito, Carol Anne Germain, Mary Fellows, and Sandra Michele Echols.
  Description: A forum for women in all areas of librarianship to discuss their experiences and challenges in the profession, and how to empower the next generation of female library leaders.
• Nov. 15, 12:00 p.m. ET - Presenting "Getting the most out of your MSLIS program" (webinar) for the Syracuse University iSchool.
  Description: Congratulations, you are now in a Master’s of Library and Information Science program and working quickly towards becoming a professional librarian. The time you are spending in your MSLIS/MLIS/MLS program will go by quickly. What do you need to be doing to ensure that you get the most from it? This one-hour webinar will give you actions to take to position yourself for success in your program and afterward as an LIS professional. By the end of the webinar, you will have a series of tried and true steps on which to embark.
• Dec. 6, 2:00 p.m. ET - Co-presenter of “Oops: Embracing Training Failures and Learning From Them” (webinar) for Southwest Florida Library Network. I'm pleased to be presenting with T is for Training colleagues Maurice Coleman and Paul Signorelli.
  Description: While every one of us who serves as a trainer-teacher-learner in our library settings dreads that moment when something goes wrong, we also know that what goes wrong often leads to something tremendously right: effective learning. In fact, we realize that failure is an integral part of the learning process. In this highly-interactive webinar focusing on the importance of “failure” in learning, the panelists will discuss real-world common and uncommon training mishaps and pitfalls; encourage participants to focus on what has come out of their own failures and those of their learners; and help participants walk away with concrete strategies to implement as they prepare their next learning sessions.

After five years, I have stepped down from being director of the MSLIS program at Syracuse University.  If you work in academia, then you'll recognize this as being quite normal.  If you're not in academia, let me tell you this is quite normal!  No one stays the director of a program forever. At some point, that person returns to being "just faculty."  I am making that transition joyfully!  In celebration of the change, I wrote an article for the iSchool blog and print publication entitled "Long Days Held Close to the Heart."  If you want to know more about what I've been doing, that will give you a peek. You might also read this post, which I wrote after my first semester as director.

So what's next for me, besides fewer emails and fewer meetings? 

• My teaching load is lighter this year, in order to give me time and space to dig into my areas of interest.  However, teaching-wise I've been developing a graduate class title "Collection Development and Access", which I will teach in October and then April.  (This class had been irregularly taught in the past and will now be taught twice per year online in 11-week quarters.)  I've developed this class from scratch and have put more work into it then you can imagine!  
• I have scheduled webinars and workshops beginning in December on a variety of topics including copyright, advocacy, providing services outside of the physical library, and training failures.  I am especially looking forward to the events on copyright, because I'll be speaking to library staff, who really need that knowledge.
• I'll spend time doing things in the community, which I've not been able to do.  Last week, it was working a Multicultural Fair for children. This Sunday, it will be working the NYS Library Booth at the New York State Fair.  After that, who knows!

If you have been wanting to talk with me about a project idea or a workshop idea, and haven't done it, now is the time! Visit my web site and use any of those methods to contact me.