Monthly Archives: June 2012

June Foodie Pen Pal

Posted in Uncategorized by

June was the first month I participated in the foodie pen pal swap (organized by the fabulous Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean). You’ll have to forgive the lack of photos in this post – my box came just before I left for ALA, so I didn’t have much time for photos. (I did, on the other hand, have time for eating the contents. So there’s that at least.)

I received a wonderful/delicious box from Alessandra at The Orange Lens (who, coincidentally, shares a last name with my co-convener of the ACRL-NMDG, which confused me every time I saw it in my email box – why is Lindsay mailing me about food? Oh…..sigh.) The contents were as follows:

  • A giant bag of granola (plus the recipe!) – this came in handy while we were in California. Granola is a wonderful travel snack.
  • A whole bunch of wonderful s’more bars (and the recipe) – I’m actually eating one now for dessert. OMNOMNOM.
  • Texas honey – We love honey in this house, and I’m really curious to see if it tastes differently from the honey we buy locally. I’m thinking about making a honey syrup for cocktails out of this one!
  • Werther’s Originals – my favorite old person candy. (I feel qualified to both define it as such and to identify with old person candy. I’m a librarian who wears cardigans and bifocals, owns three cats, and knits. So what if I’m only 26, I’m PRACTICALLY 80.)
  • A can of coconut milk and a recipe for ice cream! – it is currently 90 degrees in Michigan. This recipe will come in handy.
  • Also! A delicious pretzel Luna bar that I almost forgot to mention. This was probably the best part of this box because it saved my butt when I was presenting at 10:30 am and realized I didn’t have anything to eat for breakfast.

I’m pretty sure that’s the whole contents. Honestly, the package was magical and wonderful and much appreciated, but then I went to ALA (see previous entry) which kind of fried my brain. That’s why coming home to a fridge full of s’more bars was the best thing since ultra pasteurized milk (which allowed us to leave a gallon of milk in the fridge for a week and have it still be good when it came time to eat those s’more bars). If I had been smart I would have written this right when the package came. But, you know, ALA.

ALA Annual Recap

Posted in Library by

For anyone reading this who isn’t a librarian – ALA Annual is the giant annual convention of the American Library Association that takes place every year at the end of June/beginning of July. It’s kind of a big deal. This is my recap of the good, the bad, and the annoying.

1) Cancelled sessions make me sad
It felt like half the sessions I was planning to attend this year were cancelled – including every single session I wanted to go to on Monday. I was really looking forward to the one about data visualization. I’m honestly kind of confused about what was going on with this year’s cancellations. I got 3-4 emails about sessions being cancelled in the days running up to the conference, including one on Saturday while ALA was actually happening. I’m understanding about these things usually – emergencies happen and I’ve been there – but these were mostly panel presentations with 3+ people speaking. Did everyone’s aunt/grandparent/cousin/guppy pass away the day before the conference?

2) People get weird around free books.
ARCgate is a thing. Which is sad. I will not comment on that, but I will share something that I saw, that made me very angry. I was waiting for a cooking demonstration at the What’s Cooking @ ALA stage (my FAVORITE cookbook author was there!). The author had unpacked a few books, and then went to go check on something. As soon as she was out of sight people got up and took the books she had set up. They continued to take them after I reminded people that the books are not to be taken before the presentation. In fact – I wasn’t even sure that these books WERE free, until after the demo when they were given away. Seriously people. It’s just a cookbook. You can buy it, or better yet borrow it from your library. It’s not like all of you are going to be rushing out to buy fermented tofu any time soon…

3) I’m beginning to question the utility of conferences in an increasingly networked world.
I really didn’t hear anything new at ALA, at least not from the sessions I attended. Sure, it’s possible that I just picked badly, but I also think that part of the problem is the multitude of places to make ones voice heard. A number of the sessions I attended featured people who had already published or blogged about their programs/successes – including several who had been featured in ALA/ACRL publications. Maybe I’m too connected to the librarian-web, but I was disappointed that there weren’t many new voices.

4) Anaheim had FABULOUS WEATHER.
It was 20 degrees cooler in Southern California than in West Michigan. No, I don’t understand it either.

5) I still love working with new librarians.
For real. I love meeting new kids and getting them involved with ALA. I know it’s weird to say that, since I’ve been grumping about ALA and ACRL lately, but I really do love the people (or at least most of them).

6) But as much as I love the people, I think it’s time for a break.
I’m not planning on attending ALA next year. Or rather, I’m not planning on attending the way I usually do. Normally I do the whole conference (since I always have to travel), but since 2013 is in Chicago, I can do just one day. Maybe that’ll help me recover from my grumps. Although 2013 is an ACRL year, so that might just reinforce them.

After the conference, Jeff and I took a day to go to Disneyland. Honestly, it was fun. Neither of us like big rides, but we went on some fun themed ones (the Snow White ride has some MAJOR narrative holes), saw a pardoned Thanksgiving turkey, and ate at a Rainforest Cafe. It was fun, silly, and nobody got sunburned. That day also served as out totally-not-a-honeymoon-but-still-kind-of-a-honeymoon trip. (For the record, we’re doing something real next year – 2012 has just been too hectic for a REAL vacation.)

Convention Bound

Posted in Uncategorized by

Tomorrow morning Jeff and I head off to ALA in Anaheim, CA. For those of you who aren’t librarians, ALA is shorthand for the American Library Association’s Annual Convention. This year is my third, and Jeff’s first, and the first time I’ve been to the west coast in over 10 years. I end up going every year in part due to committee commitments, but it is actually a great learning and networking opportunity. I always meet someone new and learn something new or get ideas for a program. I also always find at least a couple new authors to read. (ALA combines academic, special, and public libraries, so there’s a lot more trade/popular fiction that at the academic events I usually frequent.)

While I’m not super excited about the location this year (last year we were in New Orleans, and 2010 was in DC), I have the best schedule EVER. All of my meetings and presentations are on Saturday, but I’m not  double booked for once. I even have time for lunch! The rest of the conference (I’m there Saturday-Monday) is open, although I have a number of events penciled in. Then, on Tuesday, we’re going to Disney! I know it’s lame, but we’re really looking forward to it. It’s an opportunity to have fun, and we might as well. The convention center is right across the street from Disney and it seems like it would be a missed opportunity not to go for a day. We’re calling it our non-honeymoon honeymoon, since we’re putting a real honeymoon until next year (at least) when we have more time.

Selling Open Access

Posted in Library by

During today’s R&I retreat we had a discussion on how to sell (via an elevator speech), publishing in open access journals. It was interesting listening to some of my colleagues talk about the issue, because I realized that I see it (and sell it) completely differently. I do not attempt to change the world or convince my faculty that open access is the way of the future. Why? Because I can’t make any promises. I can’t promise that your work will get more citations. I can’t promise that your tenure and promotion committee will value your commitment to open access. I honestly think some of the pressure to publish open access is hurting the movement. Imagine you’re a faculty member looking to publish in big name journals to get tenure, maybe your department has a point system that requires publications in certain venues. This librarian shows up and starts talking to you about the economics of information, about how open access is the future, and about how EVERYONE would have access to your research. What’s your response going to be? You’re probably going to smile nicely and say “Wow. That’s interesting.” while silently edging towards the door. You don’t care about the economics of information or about the future at this moment, unless the future is in reference to your future employment. Tenure reviews are no time for trailblazing. And anyway, why do I care about what every day people have access to? I only care that my peers (aka other academics and researchers in my field) have access to. That’s why I’m publishing in Big Name Journal.

Contrary to the scenario I just outlined, I do believe in Open Access and I do believe that it has the potential to shake up the economics of information. But I see my role as more of an informational asset to faculty, the person with the knowledge and skills to help authors identify good venues for open access publications, rather than an advocate for OA itself. I’m no expert on scholarly communication outreach, and I haven’t had a lot of work come to fruition yet, but I have started the conversation with several individuals. Here are the top points of my elevator speech:

Did you know you can publish an open access article in Nature? (Replace Nature with any big name journal in the field that offers open access options.)
Many people see open access journals as second or third tier – places for research that might be interesting, but wasn’t good enough to make it into a REAL journal. To combat this I like to talk about open access options in the big name journals. I remind faculty it’s exactly like publishing a normal article in the journal, it just comes with the added benefit of a larger audience.

Did you know we can help you pay author fees for open access articles?
We are very lucky to have an open access publishing support fund that will help authors make their articles open access. This will REALLY get the attention of faculty members. I know a number of people who were interested in open access options, but they just couldn’t afford it (and at $700-3,000 – who can?).

Open access is a great opportunity to get your work in the hands of people in the field.
This will not work for every area, but if your fields have a branch with practitioners, this is a valuable idea. I have one faculty member in geology who is doing work involving providing safe water in Haiti. While I’m sure he’s happy to get academic kudos for that work, it probably means more to him to get that information in the hands of people who are actually doing the work on the ground and in the communities. (It helps that he already has tenure.) Mention this to people working on anything with public health, social justice, etc. topics – it probably won’t convince a skeptic, but it could push someone who is already interested in the idea over into the implementation stage.

You do not have to do this alone.
We have people. They know things. They can help you. I can help you in the early stages, but if/when my skills hit their limit I have colleagues to call on who know more than me. We can walk you through the many, many open access options out there and help you identify the one that best fits your needs. If we don’t find one that works for you now, that’s ok too, we’re just happy to have the conversation. OA publishing is scary. It is a disruptive movement that seeks to change an area that is by definition very conservative – academic publishing. It takes time to become comfortable with the idea (and with your rights as an author). Don’t worry, we’ll walk you through it.

And that’s where my pitch ends. I offer to answer questions. I let it sink in. But I do not pressure or try to convince anyone to change their behavior. Quite frankly, it’s not my job to shift the paradigm in this case. (BUZZWORD BINGO!) It’s my job to help my faculty understand their options and to support them in their teaching and scholarship, no matter where they choose to publish. I would love it if they all published OA and became copyright rebels. But I’ll be happy if, by the end of the year (2012-2013 academic year), everyone is at least aware that we have a grant fund for open access publishing. (Really aware. Like that they can say “Yes. I have heard of that. It is an interesting program.” Not just that I sent them an email that may or may not have gone immediately to trash.)

Campus CSA – supporting farmers and students

Posted in Uncategorized by

I joined my first CSA the summer of 2010 – my first summer out in Michigan. I was definitely unprepared for it. I had a whole share (big mistake!) and the farm I used at the time (which no longer does a CSA) had a habit of handing out produce that was somehow simultaneously soaking web and full of giant organic bugs. I know that bugs are par for the course, but seriously, these were epic bugs. Although I sort of failed at my first year and decided not to sign up for a second year at the old farm, I still wanted to support local farmers. I figured I would just buy produce at the farmers market we have on campus (major perk to being on a rural campus!). But then our campus farm announced they were going to start a very small CSA. I signed up on the spot.

The first year was a challenge for them – the weather was terrible with several flash floods in our area (which is not known for flash floods). They were still setting up drainage and irrigation, and still learning what would grow best on their land. It was hit and miss, but they grew the BEST garlic I’ve ever had. I signed up again for this year, and so far we’ve got some great carrots, garlic(!), a giant zucchini, and kale. The veggies aren’t as unusual or exciting as my old CSA (I’ve actually heard of all the things I get at GVSU), but they’re good and I know how to cook them.

Belonging to a CSA is always rewarding – you get to celebrate bounty with your farmers and learn a little more about the realities of the food chain. For someone like me, who can’t have a garden (we live in a condo), it’s a way to eat seasonally and locally. Belonging to my campus CSA is rewarding for another reason – I get to support GVSU’s students as they learn in a non-traditional environment. As an academic librarian, I support learning in material ways (with books) and in more abstract ways (helping students learn how to manage information overload). But there is something SO FUN about talking to the students who work the farm, seeing them get excited about their crops, and learn about farming and entrepreneurship. Honestly – I would probably join the CSA even if all I got were a few heads of VERY expensive garlic. CSA’s are never REALLY about the food, but this one is even less about what I get. It’s about participating in my University and supporting our students as they learn about the world outside the classroom. The story I always tell is about a student from last year who was just SO EXCITED about this butternut squash that he was going to go home at eat for dinner. He’d never had butternut squash (which I find incredible – but then again my parents planted me a separate squash garden I loved it so much) and now he’s eating one that he grew with his own two hands. It’s rewarding to play a role in that – even if it’s just by buying their produce.

Why a librarian is like Q

Posted in Library by

As some of you might know, I’m up for review in January/February – my second review and the last one before I go up for tenure. It’s a little surprising that it’s already time for this review – it feels like just last week that I started my job. I should make it clear – I’m not really worried about getting a contract renewal – I am doing the things I need to be doing, I’m reasonably good at my job, and I haven’t had anyone share concerns with me. But it’s still a bit nerve wracking – presenting everything I’ve done over the past two years to my peers, and then to a group of outside faculty.

Right now I’m attending a seminar offered by our Faculty Teaching and Learning Center designed to help us develop our “integrative statement”. This statement is supposed to present our work and our philosophy as a sort of a story and show how we contribute to the university and to our students. As a librarian, the process is very different than my colleagues in other departments. I don’t have my own students or my own classes – I teach when I’m invited in or when a student needs individual help. Part of my job is what I would call administrative. I’m responsible for the depository collection and managing my purchasing fund budgets. I work 9-5 Monday-Friday 12 months a year, unlike faculty who have a very different schedule. (Note: I’m not saying they work less than I do. Just that we have different schedules.)

What I’m finding most useful about this seminar is that I’m challenged to describe what I do to people who aren’t familiar with librarianship. I think this is something we as a profession don’t do enough – challenge our own views of ourselves and try to make what we do make sense to faculty colleagues. My group’s mentor is big on the idea of metaphors and I decided to describe myself as Q to the university’s secret agents (aka the faculty and students). It’s my job to provide them with the tools and gadgets (research skills and databases/books) they need to successfully complete assignments. I don’t have control over whether or not those tools are used in the field, and I don’t always get to see what comes of my (and the student’s) work, but when it’s all over I go back to the drawing board and see what else I can provide to make their work easier. Sometimes I get exasperated (like Q) when my gadgets don’t seem to be of use (or when they come back in pieces), but mostly it’s fun to be able to play a supporting role to students and faculty and help them be successful.