Tinfoil + Raccoon

Image Problems? You Bet Your Sweet Database!

While folks were making comments on the hipbrarian article in the NYT Style section this past weekend, I was doing one-on-one bibliographic instruction via IM.  The person I was helping is a non-traditional student (early 30s) working on his first bachelor's degree.  I used to work with him, but still keep in touch because he's talented, thoughtful, earnest, and truly one of the most decent people I have ever met.  Our continued relationship is personal and professional--he bounces ideas and projects off me and I rely on him to steer me away from negative thinking when I'm in a funk.  This summer, he's in a Comp II class and has a bunch of papers to churn out.  Writing is not his strength and he knows it. He's not a terrible writer and could do enough work to just get by, but he's taking his time with drafts and asking for me to read his work. He wants to improve. 

He had started work on his second paper and pinged me via IM. He had a rough thesis statement, and what he wanted from me was advice on how to read the four books he had chosen to use for research.  I said that first I would go to the indexes to look for words related to my thesis, but offered that I'm able to skim and synthesize pretty quickly, a skill that not a lot of people have.  Then I paused. "Wait a minute.  Did you look at ProQuest for articles?"  After a few more questions, it became clear that it had not occurred to him AT ALL to use his university library website, or his employer's website to get started on his research. 

Did I mention that my friend is a webmaster for a public library?  And that he has spent a lot of time trying to make the library's databases as accessible as possible?  Think about this.  If online library resources are not on the radar of a pretty smart guy, in a decent undergraduate program, with mad web skillz and a library job, something is seriously wrong.  (Don't even think about dissing my friend...how many people in your library know ALL its resources?)

I convinced him to use the books to get started, and assured him that he could find tons of articles about the concepts written about in the books.  First, he tried his university's library website, without much guidance from me.  He came back asking about results from what I figured out was a state union catalog.  That, I told him, would only (mostly) list titles of print sources held by libraries.  I explained that he needed an article database that he could search by keyword and from which he could get full-text articles.  I reviewed the e-resources for the university library--it was just too much for what he was working on, so I told him that he could get everything he needed from the public library. 

I suggested ProQuest again, and he took off on his own, reporting back that he got very few results, none of them useful.  My hunch that he was using subject search was correct. "NEVER start with a subject search," I coached.  I explained that subject headings were made up by librarians and wanna-be librarians who did not think the same way as real people.  At this point, he gave me access to the database so I could offer some more specific advice, and challenged me, "Race you." I came up with an unwieldy list of results in short order. He was not too far behind, clicked on one that looked good, then asked "Where's the article?  All I see is an abstract."  I explained that there were limiters that could narrow his search, including one for "full-text."  Even though I use databases every day, I had to stop and study the interface and make sure I was being very clear, specific and jargon-free in my coaching.  As hard I as I try, I still catch myself using librarianese when working with patrons.  I gave him a couple more tips and he finally started getting appropriate results.  My friend had a "eureka" moment when he realized just what a powerful tool he was working with, and I regret not saving the chat transcript.  It was really a high-fiving/Chariots of Fire themesong  sort of moment.  I typed in "W A T E R    W A T E R" and told him I felt like Anne Sullivan Macy to his Helen Keller.  Maybe it wasn't quite that world-rocking, but I felt an exhilarating sense of victory before the inevitable question of "why is this so damn hard" set in.

My friend apologized for being dense, for not just knowing in his bones how to do this.  I told him that he owed apologies to no one and that, truthfully, apologies were owed to him. Something is really wrong if library services make people feel stupid. While I appreciate the discussion about the nuances and implications of the NYT article, I've found it entirely beside the point of what our concerns should be.  Patrons could give a crap about the image of the folks behind the big desks or in the stacks. I've read recently that the only survey question you need to ask a patron/user/customer is "After using the library today, would you come back?"  (I mean all points of service--phone, web, in-person.) Who wants to come back to a place where they feel stupid and helpless?  It doesn't matter if you do your job in a jacket and tie, stockings and heels, tats and vintage, rumpled Dockers and Birks. It matters even less what you look like, drink, or wear once you're out the door.  What matters is that our users find librarians who are kind, patient, and helpful, a physical space that they can navigate without a map and where they feel welcomed, materials that are useful and accessible, and resources that don't require hours of instruction.  What matters is that when you ask them, "Would you come back," they answer, without hesitation, "yes".

Sorry Dan, Wrong "man"

It's been quite a week in the accomplishments department.  Last week, I was recruited to apply for a to-die-for job (that is, were I childfree and mobile) that would have me writing about librarianship in a city that I love.  Even had I not just taken a fabulous job and uprooted my family, it's probably not something I could have seriously considered (unless they would have considered telecommuting).  I'm really happy where I am, so there was very little regret when I said thanks, but no thanks.

But today, TODAY, I got an email from my now ex-Illinois representative, Dan Rutheford, telling me of this plum political appointment that I didn't even know I was up for.  I'm afraid I'm going to have to break Dan's heart, too.

Dear Rochelle,

Congratulations on your selection as Precinct Committeeman. I
look forward to working with you to strengthen the Republican
party at the grassroots level. I know you will do an outstanding
job.

This is an exciting year and I am proud to be your candidate for Secretary of State. I look forward to working with you.

Please visit our website at: http://www.danrutherford.org/ We are going to WIN THIS RACE!

Sincerely,
Dan Rutherford
220 West Howard Street
Pontiac, IL 61764
Ph: 815-842-2475
Fax: 815-842-3793
http://www.danrutherford.org/

My response to Dan:

Dear Dan,

Wow...this is quite an honor, considering I'm neither a Republican or a man.  Well, and that I now live in Wisconsin.  I've always been a big believer in bringing the enemy into the tent, and, by gosh, thanks for inviting me.

Rochelle Hartman
La Crosse, WI

Shifting Gears to You from We

I'll know when I'm fully at home in my La Crosse skin when I am able to say "we" when talking about how the La Crosse library does things.  In getting my bearings on the job, I've been referring a great deal to BPL. I've worried about invoking my previous workplace so much, but it serves to put things in perspective for staff and myself--at least I hope it does.  Anyway, during these invocations, I frequently find myself saying "we" when I'm talking about BPL and "you" when referring to La Crosse policies. "Why do you guys have a two hour internet limit?  At BPL we have a one hour limit."  And, it's not just in reference to the job, but to the community--parking regulations, farmers markets, traffic, recycling ("can I put my rotten furniture on the curb? We can do that in Bloomington." ....  Even though I'm still in a library and still in the midwest, I'm experiencing a culture shift.  Nothing has been terribly jarring or negative, just different. 

Last night was the first night I got home from work and wasn't worthless-stupid-tired. I also noticed that Juniorette was sleeping a lot the first week or so.  She hasn't expressed any anxiety or exhibited any stress regarding this move, but I think that her need to sleep a lot is her way of dealing with all the changes.  I've been trying to go home for lunch every day, just to check in with the girls.  My reason is that even though they say they don't really care one way or the other if they see my face midday, I like to think that they need me in some small way.  More than likely, I'm the one who needs to see their faces. 

Yesterday, I skipped the lunch trip home. I thought it'd be good for me to do something not related to work or the move, so I decided to walk downtown and grab a sandwich.  It was the right decision. I found an awesome resale shop, with all sorts of reasonably-priced, non-press board furniture, and got a much-needed dose of sunshine and fresh air. 

New neighbor Scott told me that I've missed five yard parties since I moved in (less than two weeks ago!) and wonders where I've been.  I have a lot more online social energy--Scott and I were fast friends, thanks to the wonders of Gmail chat, long before I spent my first night in La Crosse.  I think he's been somewhat puzzled by my near-invisibility since moving in.  So far, I haven't had the social energy for it, but this might be the weekend for my entre into La Crosse society.  This weekend's party is at Scott's, right across the street, so that makes it easy.  We should have a pretty good time.

First Day at Work and Other Delights

Today's big story was that it was my first full day of work.  I was soaked by a vigorous shower of information, new faces, conversations, expectations, emails, introductions, rules and meetings.  It was like one of those showers that leaves you feeling more drained than refreshed--a little too hot, a little too long-- but you know you needed it.  Everyone was terrific and welcoming and I'm so glad to be on board, even if I did appear to be a little glazed and wide-eyed.

There were two big stories today, though.  My favorite author stumbled on to the blog and responded via email.  At first, I thought it was somebody just yanking my chain, but I'm feeling fairly certain that it's him. It was an amazing surprise and a nice wind-down from the big event. 

Actually--there were three stories.  Young Gidget, our almost year-old kitty, caught her first mouse today.  New neighbor Scott had mentioned there being lots of mice, and Mr. Raccoon said he thought he heard some scrubbling in the walls his first night here.  Good to see her killer instinct kick in after a year of crunchies and moisties.

(Added 6/2 am)  And, while not quite a Big Story, Juniorette and I crossed state lines last night--just because we could. We are literally five minutes from Minnesota.  La Crescent is on the other end of the bridge that crosses the Mississippi. I'd been avoiding the trip because I'm slightly bridge-phobic.  But, it was a fine bridge and at no time did I feel like I would drive off the side into a watery grave. We thought we might eat dinner in a different state, but La Crescent was pretty small, and I could only find a Subway. 

Can't wait to see what adventure is in store for me today.

Trust Like a Raise: Good Enough for Mortgage App?

I found this CNN/Money story reporting study findings by two economists who say that trust in management is equivalent to a 36% raise. The article refers to a study by John Helliwell and Haifang Huang titled How's the Job? Well-Being and Social Capital in the Workplace ($5 for full-text of study). Here's the wonky abstract (emphasis mine):

The well-being results show strikingly large values for non-financial job characteristics, especially workplace trust and other measures of the quality of workplace social capital. The compensating differentials estimated for the quality of workplace social capital are so large as to suggest that they do not reflect a full equilibrium. Thus the current situation probably reflects the existence of unrecognized opportunities for managers and employees to alter workplace environments, or for workers to change jobs, so as to increase both life satisfaction and workplace efficiency.

If only I could convince my mortgage person that my income will jump considerably more than what will be reflected in my new paycheck. 

Hello Wisconsin!

Say hello to La Crosse Public Library's  newest Information Services Manager-to-be (ermm...that would be me).   I received my Letter of Offer today, and assuming the criminal background check and drug screen come back okay, I will hit the floor running on June 1. (Thank goodness I gave up opiates for Lent!)    The folks I interviewed with were sharp, funny and passionate about their work and community.  The library was impressive to me, and to the locals I interviewed while I was in town, including the hotel maid who talked my ear off about the library's services and programs.La Crosse itself was charming and downright exotic to this lifelong central Illinoisan.  It just felt like a good place to be.  The Raccoons, Jr. are on-board and up for the biggest adventure of their lives and Mr. Raccoon has been waiting patiently for me to shake things up a bit.  Consider them shook! 

Big thanks to all of you who have offered advice and encouragement along the way.  Your friendship and collegiality have been invaluable.

The flip side of this is leaving a community I've known my whole life and colleagues I've known, admired, and learned from,  the past 10 years. I'm sure I'll shed more than a few tears the next few months, but am excited about giving my best to a new community and library. 

Changes: The story continues

Hi all!  I can't thank you all enough for your comments and support on the blog and via email and IM about my announcement of a possible life change coming my way.  There's already been meaningful change because the hard part was making that initial paradigm shift.  I know that I have a lot to offer, that challenges shouldn't make one automatically dive under the covers, and that there are many positive things that could come from moving my family from what we've always known. I'm selling it to my girls (and myself) as a great adventure.

In terms of specifics, I've decided to err on the far side of caution.  No details about location, key players or specifics from the institutional process.  I want to be respectful of my potential employer--not just the person I've been in contact with, but with all potential colleagues.  Here's what I am willing to tell: I've been offered an interview for a public library management position on March 20.  Thus far, the process and contact have been entirely positive, collegial and astoundingly expeditious.  I've participated in a few academic searches, so have been pleasantly surprised about the fact that I sent my application less than two weeks ago, and already have an interview on the calendar.  I already like how this library works!  I'll write more, soon, about the sort of homework I've been doing to prepare for this project, starting with my cover letter.

I'm feeling very confident about my qualifications and suitability for this position, and don't feel particularly anxious about the interview. Now that I've opened the door, I'm ready to bust out. It's been a trick to balance my extreme enthusiasm and high expectations against not only the possibility that it might not work out, but the possibility that it might!   It's given me new admiration for those of you who have gone through multiple job searches.

UK Study Says Librarians Most Stressed Profession

Found this Times Online story at LISNews today:

Delegates at a conference of the British Psychological Society in Glasgow today will hear the results of a research project which suggests that being a librarian induces more stress than working for the emergency services, driving a 125mph express, or teaching a class of ill-behaved children.

One of the complaints from librarians sounds like the survey was done in some sort of pre-1950s time warp:  "being stuck between the same shelves of books all day."  Who has time to hang out in the stacks when the phone is ringing off the hook, and the microfilm printer is jammed and you're demonstrating the print management system every 10 minutes?    But other parts of the survey had mild resonance for me

They also found their work repetitive and unchallenging,

(and)

that they did not have enough control over their careers, and they were not allowed to put their skills to full use.

While I do get frustrated about 10 years as Librarian I, I am fully aware that I have made choices favoring family that seriously limit me professionally.  I'd love to stay here, and continue working in my home town community, while having opportunities to move on up.  It's highly likely that I will stay put geographically and professionally for the forseeable future.  Unless you are in a large system, there's not much chance for advancement (unless you start out as a shelver). Moving up often means moving out, which means that libraries frequently lose their best employees.  Is that the nature of the beast or do staffing models need a revamp?   Or...do we all just need an open-ended prescription for Xanax in our orientation packets?    (Caveat: it's a UK study and only five professions were looked at.)

I Need Help with Ahab's Wife: Book Discussion Groups

I volunteered to take over a colleague's book discussion group next week. While I'm a whiz at programming, discussion programs (for which I act as facilitator) are not my strength.  I've never done a book discussion group, and am really sweating this one.  The book to be discussed is Ahab's Wife.  It's also the book which needs to read. By me. By Thursday. Which is probably not going to happen.  First let me tell you this:  I have a pathological loathing for Moby Dick.  I'm not sure why.  It was assigned in high school, then at least a few times in college, and for some reason, I just could not get into it.  It may have been that I was having a bad week the first time it was assigned, but I've never been able to get past the first few pages.  Even after I read that it was really a big h*m*er*tic romp, I couldn't dig in.  So, now I'm supposed to be reading a book that spins off from another book that I've never read.  And be able to lead a discussion.

I picked Ahab's Wife last night, really hoping to like it. Hoping that it would sweep me away and be one of those books that I couldn't put down.  Hoping that it would make me want to put Moby Dick on top of my reading pile [Ulp.]  It's not.  It didn't. While I don't loathe it, I don't love it.  I can tell that it's one of those books that would take me 3-4 weeks to finish.  Mind you, if I love a book, I'll swallow it whole.  This is one of those choke-it-down books.  Nancy Pearl and Michael McGrorty would be ashamed of me. One of the things I admire about both of these fine folks, is their ability to read voraciously and (nearly) without prejudice.  Me, I'm a more finicky sort of reader.  Enough that it makes me feel like a bit of a fraud, if we're to take Michael's criterion for hiring a reference librarian:

If it were up to me, I wouldn’t hire anybody to work a reference desk who couldn’t be awakened from a dead sleep to give a book talk to a reading club.

Raccoon Readers?  Could you meet Michael's challenge? (Or, I'd settle for helpful hints about how to get through my assignment.  Keep in mind that it's a holiday weekend, and that I have three cans of paint waiting to be slopped on today and tomorrow, and that my New Year's Eve is promised to my girls.)

UPDATE: I figured out that I don't have to do the discussion til next week. Am I reading the book?  Er...no.   

Telecommuting Not all That?

Here's a piece from the NYT about telecommuting, using last week's transit strike as a jumping off point.  It's something I think about a great deal.  Telecommuting holds a great deal of appeal to me, but I wonder how I would fare as either a telecommuter or as a consultant who works from home. 

I don't suppose it's an issue I'll need to grapple with any time soon, as there's no place in my teeny tiny bungalow to set up shop.  Just a couple weeks ago, I turned down a freelance editorial gig because I'm just not able to devote big chunks of computer time to projects.  We're a one-computer house (desktop PC, at that), the computer being in the middle of a very open floorplan.  So, there's almost always something going on--the TV, a radio, a Gamecube or Gameboy, the bickering of sisters,  a cat who loves to play "catch the cursor,"  or the hovering of someone else waiting for their turn at the keyboard.   

I have some artists friends who are looking for studio space, and I  fantasize about joining them--getting a room of my own where I can work (or just exist) without interruption. As someone who has NEVER had her own space, I wonder if I'd know what to do with it.