Tinfoil + Raccoon

Librarian Day in the Life--7.28.09

(A shorter version of this post appeared in the La Crosse weekly newspaper, Second Supper, July 30, 2009. I particularly like writing for them because I did not have to sign away my rights to my content. They have a home page where they run major stories and reviews, but my stuff only shows up in the full issue interface at issuu.com )

One of my goals for writing for Second Supper was to get away from writing so much about libraries. In that regard, this week's piece is a big ol' bucket of fail. I had started another piece--it was about going to my first library conference after taking a break for a couple years. It just couldn't get it to gel, so put it aside. Not to worry! It's still in the hopper because I know you are dying to hear about why tech support IS reference and how my friend, Steve, stalked Neil Gaiman until he got close enough to chuck a zine at him without getting arrested.

This week I am participating in the Second Annual Day in the Life of a Librarian. As if librarians don't talk enough about their jobs as is, once a year they feel the need to broadcast their labors to the larger world. What follows is an abbreviated version of a typical day in my mid-sized, midwestern public library.

8:15 am -1 pm

In at 8:15 after dropping off daughter at TC. Check weekend mail, 90% of which is spam. (I know, I know! If only I'd incorporate Acai Berry into my nutritional regimen, my life would be transformed--My skin would clear up, I'd drop 40 lbs and start pooping magic, fruit-flavored rainbows.)  Realize I forgot my lunch and my Ritalin. Back home I go. At least this gives me a chance to say "Good Morning" to youngest daughter and "Good-bye" to Truck Drivin' Husband.

Start of day, take two: Say hi to staff and settle in.

Web guy comes in to pitch a programming idea to me. It involves bikes and a partnership. I'd estimate that about 15-25 % of ideas we toss around come to fruition. I think that's pretty good. I like to hear ideas and encourage others to think big and share stuff, even though it may seem implausible. I send him to the Director to see if she faints or cheers. I hear later that she cheers. This does not mean will be doing it, but that we can brainstorm ways to make it happen.

Try to remember my login/password to our new web interface. The fact that I cannot remember means that I have not worked on my pages recently. *Shame.* Finally, I remember. One less dumb question I have to ask Web Guy. (You know how librarians say there's no such thing as a dumb question? It's a lie. Especially when it's from a librarian who should keep better track of her multiple log-ins.)

A coworker who follows me on Facebook asks if I got my Second Supper article done, as I mentioned my impending deadline a few times over the weekend, including a status update that said, "Rochelle Hartman is not so sure about this piece she's writing that's due tomorrow." Before co-worker leaves office, she asks, "What is Second Supper?" Ouch! So, I school her and will hand-deliver the next issue to her desk. 

One of the three Rons stop by my office. My office is right next to the public access computers (we manage 40 workstations), and my door is almost always open, so frequently, patrons will stick their head in to ask for help, rather than going to the Reference desk. Sometimes those interactions turn into relationships, as has happened with the three Rons. Ron #1 has been my pal for a couple years, now. He's a retired pastor who comes in to the library just about every morning to check news, email, financial stuff. The other two Rons are guys I helped set up email accounts and gave basic internet instruction to. They were both quick studies, so they don't ask for help much any more, but they do usually stop in and say howdy.  This is actually one of the best parts of my job. Working in public libraries, in my experiece, is like working at Cheers--only with books and computers. Well, but without the beer (except during Oktoberfest when library staff have been known to get a contact buzz from Festers checking their email).

Put in a call to the County Crisis team about doing a welfare check for patron we've been concerned about for a couple weeks. 

Work on content for new website.  

Shhhh. Do you hear that? Nothing! That's the sound of the end of children's summer reading program last week. It's been a tantrum-free library so far today.  

Social worker looking for person we're worried about. He wasn't around, but she said she’d come back.  

Lunch in my office with door closed. Patron comes in anyway to ask what our policy is on watching "naked porn" on the computers. The policy is "no.”

Afternoon on the Reference Desk

• 11 laptops checked out and in
• 1 disk drive checked out
• 4 computer log-ons
• take money for prints
• Troubleshoot printing software
• "Is season 6 of 24 ready for me?
• "How do I check my email?"
• "Can I use your phone?"
• "Can you get this book for me?"
• A complex question! Market analysis assignment for student.
• IM patron wants to know status of her job application
• “Can you verify a phone number on this website? You are always really nice when I call. Are you single?”
• “Do you have an almanac I can check out?”
• Talk to IT guy about printing problems
• Email from webmaster at another library asking for help in finding stuff to help him write a website accessibility policy
• “What does it mean when the card catalog says an item is a "web resource?"”
• "Do you play internet games? Do you play Gangsters on MySpace?" (Sorry, no.) 
• One of the Rons stops by to say hi.
• Crisis Team member returns and we identify patron who has been the cause of concern. She’ll observe for awhile.
• “I still can't log in.”
• Shush moment: Can you please turn your music down?
• Patron wants DVDs about coffee and Ethiopia--not related--for kids. Nothing on coffee--suggest YouTube.
• “Do you have a cord for my camera?” (No) “How about an SD card reader?” (Yes)
• 2006 issues of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar
• "Can you find the address for editor of the St. Louis Post Dispatch?"
• "Can you find the phone number for the lady who does the Bucket List speech?”

Oh no! Someone broke the Internet (Runescapers, I’m looking at you!)! Staff and patrons twitching with anxiety. Okay--it’s just me. Back on in 10 minutes. Can stop hyperventilating now.

Last check of email and tomorrow’s schedule.

5:34 pm Home time and Secret Life of the American Teenager. (Don’t judge! I work hard for my low-brow entertainment.)

If you'd like to know what other librarians' days look like, check out this page: http://librarydayinthelife.pbworks.com

Amazon on Kindle: "We don't talk about our enforcment actions"

Anyone who has been following the discussion about whether or not it's okay for libraries to loan Kindles knows that Amazon has appeared to be giving mixed messages about the exact interpretation of their Terms of Service. I asked Norman Oder at Library Journal if he could contact someone higher than a first-named support staff person to give a definitive answer.

The definitive answer is that Amazon seems to be taking the don't ask/don't tell approach to the Kindles- in-libraries issue. Oder writes:

Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener confirmed to LJ—as he did last year—that the policy bars library lending, but “we don't talk about our enforcement actions.”

The rest of the story is here. Maybe Amazon could give some chill-out lessons to the recording industry.

A Visit to Wisconsin Job Center in La Crosse

I wrote this for an in-house blog, but I think it's something that a lot of libraries are thinking about, so I decided to share it. It was a very valuable community connection to have made, and I like to think that we can become more of an informal partner.

 

Why I visited the Job Center 

I had wanted visit to Job Service, so that we, as a staff, could better understand their services and how we could play a role in helping people who use the agency. I also wanted to see if we have a role in a community where many people do not have minimal skills for jobs that increasingly call for tech skills. We see a lot of job seekers who lack basic internet skills and wanted to know how the Job Center worked with these people. I got in touch with Kathleen Olson, Employment and Training Specialist at the Job Center, who arranged for me to visit on March 2.

 

What is the Job Center?

Kathleen started my visit by explaining that the Job Center is not just one office or organization, but a one-stop shop that houses and partners with numerous other organizations that work with various segments of jobseekers. The umbrella organization in the state is the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development which oversees two Job Centers in each of the state's eleven regions. La Crosse is part of WDA #9, an eight-county area in Western Wisconsin.

I asked Kathleen to walk me through a first visit for someone looking for employment services. First off, everyone who uses the Center for any reason, signs in at the reception desk. A new visitor is required to fill out a Resource and Referral Form. The first side gets your personal information and asks what sorts of information you want. It covers a broad range of categories, in addition to employment-related resources, including GED, food assistance, housing and domestic abuse.  The second section narrows down your specific circumstances for job referral (criminal record? homeless? senior? at-risk youth?) The form also asks what agencies you are already working with. The back page allows people to register for one-on-one assistance.

 

What services does the Job Center offer?

Once someone is established as a client they can get as much or as little help as they want. Some people use the Center as an information source and mostly go for computer access so that they can look for jobs or housing, do interest inventories, work on computer skills and resumes, and apply for jobs online. This group of people is referred to as "job-ready." For the most part, they have the hard skills (those needed to do a given job) and the soft skills (job hunting etiquette, interview skills, and even something as simple as personal hygiene) and are not in need of assistance or other services.

 

Clients who receive direct services often lack hard or soft skills or both. Within the Job Center are offices for other agencies that can help people with specific problems. Steve Johnson from Independent Living Resources is a Disability Navigator who keeps office hours at the La Crosse Job Center. He works with job seekers who have disability-related barriers to finding employment. He also works with other Job Center agencies and outside employers. Often, his clients have multiple barriers to employment. He works with a lot of mentally ill clients who, as a result of their illness, have become homeless or have a police record. Some of his clients are veterans who struggle with not only physical disabilities, but with PTSD and addiction.

 

Some of Johnson's clients also receive services from the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP). I spoke with DVOP specialist David Wolf who not only has office hours in La Crosse, but who works with incarcerated veterans to make sure they have the needed skillsto look for work after their release.

 

There are numerous other grant-based programs that provide training and/or employment for targeted groups. There's a complete list of programs and partner organizations here. There's also a transportation program that helps people buy used vehicles with no-interest loans, get a voucher for auto repairs and receive reimbursement for specialized, disabililty-related transportation needs. More information is available at Transportation Connection.

 

Not grant-funded and available to all clients are workshops including Job Club, Jump Start Your Job Search, Basic Resume Writing, Job Seeking, Advanced Resume Writing and Interviewing.  You can use services without setting foot in a Job Center office via JobCenterofWisconsin.com. This is a free resources that allows job seekers to search for employment opportunities in Wisconsin and adjacent, out-of-state counties. With the website, you can create and post a resume, write cover letters and reference pages, apply for jobs, and save your searches.

 

 

Here are some specifics about computer use and other services at the Job Center office:

• Computers are first come/first served, with no timing or time limits. If people are waiting, computer users are asked to be considerate of others and move along.
• Computers are to be used only for job searching or skill development. The receptionists do casually monitor use and give reminders about guidelines.
• For a fee, clients can send or receive faxes ($1/page), print (first 10 pages free, .15 after that), and purchase resume paper and envelopes, larger manila envelopes and floppy discs. 
• All computers have Winway resume software loaded on them. Winway is much easier to use than Word.
• There is typing tutorial software to check out.
•   

Job Center does not offer any productivity skill-building training (basic computer use, keyboarding), but refer people to Western Technical College or other community training opportunities.

The philosophy at the Job Center is that people need to learn to do for themselves. They believe that learning how to do things on your own is part of the employment process. They do not fill out forms, do resumes or do anything else that a patron can do themselves. They do offer limited one-on-one coaching with clients to review and critique resumes and letters. These are not "how do I make a resume," sessions, but review of complete documents that are in pretty good shape to begin with.

 

Many of the services and programs offered through the Job Center are grant-funded, so it's good to check the website or call to see if a particular program is still available. Because there is no full-time web person, it's a good idea to call for verification of programs and the training schedule. Services will likely get a boost because of the stimulus bill.

 

How my library can help

As a result of this visit, we've come up with the following responses:

The best way we can help is to refer people to the Job Center.
We can also help by offering training in basic computer skills. We're working on getting this going. Staff tried to offer training sessions a few years ago, and they never jelled. My hunch is that this is the perfect time to try them again.
I have an idea for offering less structured, open practice sessions for jobseekers, in addition to specific training sessions. Rather than promoting it, we could start out by having the Job Center refer clients and see how it goes.
Soon, we will be making Mavis Beacon typing software available for in-house check-out at the Reference Desk. We will be looking for other training software as well. (Share ones that you know about and have used!) 
Staff members from Reference are encouraged to attend training sessions and workshops at the Job Center as observers.

If your library is adjusting or adding service in response to the economy, please link to your posts or leave comments here.  

Day in the Life: Liveblogging

Woke up, got out of bed. Dragged a comb across my head. Found my way downstairs and had a cup.  And looking up (from FriendFeed) I noticed I was late

Really, that's pretty much how it started, minus the Paul McCartney narration. I like the idea of this meme because it will make me more mindful of how I use my time today. 

Today I put on a lady dress, in anticipation of meeting with our city's well-kempt grant writer. All my other looks-credible attire is more for fall and winter, so now I am wearing a nice, above-the-knee linen sheath dress, which will prevent me from sitting yoga-style at the ref desk. But, dang, I look pretty good.

8:30-8:45--Arrived at work, entered my status on digital whiteboard, gathered some notes and legal pad, then left to meet with city grantwriter/development guy to talk about writing an RFP for the library to become a Foundation Center Cooperating Collection. Grant writer is very excited about the prospect of having easy access to the Foundation Center's online database and will happily write a letter of support for the RFP.  It was also good to get out of the office and made me realize that I should be networking in the community a little bit more. 

10:15--Stopped by Co-op to grab some lunch stuff when I realized that I'd left a beautiful pasta salad on the counter at home.

10:30--Back in office. Logged into computer & checked phone messages (2). Sorted through pile on desk to check for unfinished ref questions and for stuff I don't need.  Looked at intranet and Incident Reporting System (IRS). Hooray! No incidents between last night and this morning. Amazing what a quiet place it is when there are no patrons. Responded to a couple emails.

11:00--Talked to boss lady about next year's materials budget (and about bringing spanikopita to her house this weekend).  Reported to her about meeting with grant guy and updated her on where I am in the process.  Started Day in the Life post.

11:2-noon--Responded to back-up call at busy ref desk. Hunted down source of loud audio coming from computer headphone 15 ft away. What I am learning is that most people are not used to having an actual knob for volume on a keyboard and choose to let audio blast rather than ask for help in turning it down. Even the bright orange sticker with + and - and directional arrow on the knobs don't seem to help much. My aural sensitivity does not serve me well in a lively, well-used library.

1-5 pm--Reference desk.

• Trying to pick out fabrics & finishes for new office set.
• Explained what email was to a guy who only wanted to play Spades on Pogo.com. Pogo requires registration to play, I guess.
• Helped woman find phone for her public defender while she told me about living at Salvation Army and losing custody of her daughter to her crazy mother. Sad.
• Tried to convince fellow that 973.03 and 973.3 are really and truly different numbers. Then I told him that libraries are really hard to use and not to feel bad about asking for help. And to please not reshelve the 973.03s into the 973.3s.
• Several phone/address look-ups
• Three Four Six "please turn volume downs"
• Helped autistic boy find book about mermaids, because we didn't have anything age appropriate about Michael Jackson (young patron does not need to know about vitiglio, sleepovers and Jesus Juice). 
• Several computer log-in assists.
• A book pull or two.
• Finally picked finishes and fabrics for desk set. 
• Confirmed sighting of notorious trouble-maker who isn't supposed to be here.
• Helped Crossword Lady: Peer Gynt (dancer)
• Used Reader's Guide Retro to verify and ILL
• Listened to patron's ongoing job search saga. I helped him set up email for his online apps. He's getting the hang of it.
• Let patron use my computer to do a quick print-out
• Was happy to see Miss14 show up at ref desk. We're going to Farmer's Market right after work.
• Ladies and gentlemen, the library is now closed.

Twitter: Well, he don't beat me

I'm sorry to say, but this is the best thing that can be said about Twitter right now. Twitter is not beating us, not holding us hostage and not physically harming us.  But our collective relationship to Twitter right now is sort of like being married to an alcoholic. It's unpredictable, unreliable and opaque, but expects that we'll always be there, full of unconditional love.  We're supposed to live off the good times and be grateful that Twitter has given us a place to hang our Tweets.  You know what? 15 years ago, I left a marriage with two kids under the age of 3. My mom asked, "Sis, he don't hit you, does he?"  Nope, he didn't hit me, but I was deeply and unhealthily unhappy and knew that it would never get any better, solely based on what I needed.  He was and is a nice guy, a good dad, but I had to get out. 

If I could leave a relationship with two little kids, no job, and no permanent place to stay, I sure as heck can walk away from Twitter. It seems melodramatic, but I think that Twitter is banking on the fact that it has had tremendous loyalty from the start.  Up until yesterday, I was ready to stand by my API, but after watching how Twitter let my Twits down during ALA, I decided it was time for a trial separation. The "perpetual beta" excuse just doesn't cut it for me any more. I love Twitter enough that I would pay at least a few bucks a month for stable, reliable access, but don't see that happening any time soon. I'm encouraging all you other Twits to stage an intervention and join Steven Cohen, Josh Neff and others over at FriendFeed. You can find me under tinfoilraccoon or rochellehartman. I'll keep my access open for now. 

Dear Twitter: Please get your ass into rehab.  It breaks our hearts to see you like this, but we can't continue to enable you. You come in and out at all hours, don't tell us where you're going and you've let us down when we've most needed you.  It breaks my heart even more to tell you that I'm leaving, effective immediately. I'll be keeping track of your recovery efforts. We love you and wish you the best. xo --rh

Dear Horizon 3.0.8 OPAC: You're on notice, too.

CiL Day 1

Oh, where to start?  Last night I slunk up to my room early, tired, socially overwhelmed, and wanting to go home.  Today, I'm back in the groove and very much appreciating the Computers in Libraries experience.   Attended two sessions that gave me lots to chew on and one that had me cracking up the whole time. The chewy ones were: a) how the New York Observer overhauled its website from straight-up news reporting to become more of an online community, using open source and social networking tools; and b) a quick, but dense overview of how mobile search and searchers are different, with a quick overview of bunches of search mobile-specific search apps.  I will wait till I can get my hands on full-sized keyboard before I tackle those notes.

The presentation that had much of the room in stitches was the Library Society of the World panel discussion and demo.  All I'm going to say about it right now is that it was a powerful, if silly, example of community-building via social networking applications (with bonus Rick Astley soundtrack). Outside of making me laugh, I was particularly pleased at being given an opportunity to do some outreach before the session. I was headed into the room when the door monitor stopped me and asked, "are you one of the bloggers?" As I proceeded to give her an entirely too-complete answer, she politely stopped me, dropped her voice and confessed that even though she had a blog, she didn't understand RSS. I gave her as brief a jargon-free tutorial as I could. After a couple minutes, her eyes lit up and she finally understood what RSS was. She had more questions, all of them very basic stuff, so I gave her my email address and said I'd be happy to help her along. It was a great interaction and an excellent reminder of how the patrons I provide service to daily aren't necessarily looking for the newest and hottest stuff. It's good to be mindful of this as I run around the CiL candy store this week.

On My Way to CiL

My open-ended ALA sabbatical really started when I witnessed  the birth of my accidental family, the ragtag, attention-deficited kids of The Library Society of the World about a year ago.  But today, I am officially off the teat and climbing out from under the saggy, smothering bosom of my library association mama and looking to see if I can get my minimum daily professional development requirements elsewhere.  After years of longingly following the adventures of Computers in Libraries  (CiL) and Internet Librarian attendees from afar, I am just hours away from my very first CiL.  I'm not sure what my expectations are, in terms of professional development.  My last several years of ALA attendance was almost wholly spent in governance activities.  It's been a long time since I went to a conference as a n00b and as a learner/consumer.   

I'm also going so that I can get the lay of the presentation land.  It's time for me to think about sharing my expertise from out behind the keyboard, so I'll be studying presentations and presenters as much as I will be their content.  Mostly, though, I am excited about meeting my new Library Society of the World and Twitter pals, and seeing old friends again.  All the snazziest PowerPoints in the world are nothing compared what I expect to get from the intensive, fun, F2F with some of the funniest and smartest people I've had the pleasure to meet.

Don't cry, Mama ALA!  I'm not running away or disowning you.  I just want to get out of the yard and run down to the playground to see what the other kids are doing.

Is Your Library in the (Adult Entertainment) Zone?

A couple weeks ago, I was grumping to a non-library friend about a surge in the number of porn trolls at the library.  I'm not talking booty-shaking videos, I'm not talking scantily clad women or pictures from naturist sites. I'm not talking breast cancer research. I'm talking hardcore, purely prurient, obscene, boom-chika-wah-wah stuff.  At my previous library we had filters, courtesy CIPA, that we were legally obligated to turn off when requested by an adult patron.  We were advised by city legal that we, as librarians, could not determine what was obscene, and should not be policing content at all.  So, we steered the trolls to recessed monitors and tried not to get too much of an eyeful when asked to turn off the blocking software.

We don't block or filter at my current library, which I'm fine with, since it's been my practical experience that it would just create a different set of problems. Owing to a snazzy new incident reporting system, though, we're much better able to track habitual problem patrons of all stripes, porn trolls included. At this point, anyone who is viewing obscene material gets one warning and told that they will lose internet or library privileges if it happens again.   

It doesn't happen ALL the time, every day, but when there are several IRs in a week, many of them for viewing obscene material, it wears me down, personally and professionally It's got nothing to do with being a prude (don't even go there with me)--it's just a generally stressful situation for a lot of librarians and occassionally, patrons when it happens.     

So, back to my friend. After I finished whining she quipped, "You guys aren't zoned for that, are you?"  It was a funny, throw-away line, but the more I started thinking about it, the more sense it made, so I decided to see what our municipal code had to say about Adult-Oriented Entertainment. Some municipalities have specific zones set aside for adult entertainment businesses.  Ours does not, but does have specific guidelines for Adult-Oriented Establishments, per Chapter 7.01(T)*.  There are two critera that we do not meet, making us ineligible as a venue for viewing adult-oriented entertainment. Briefly, the partitions between viewing booths computer workstations are not tall enough (need to be 6') and our flooring material is (ewwww!) not non-absorbent.  Sorry Porn Dude, you are in the wrong zone. Buh-bye.

******

* I really appreciate our municipal code for giving us such precise language to work with. See 7.01 (T)(1)(g&h)

What are Your TechNOTs?

Jenna Freedman picked up on my post in which I confess that I ain't all that when it comes to tech applications, and comes clean about her techNOTsaviness.  Her confessions include:

I'm dreading this whole DTV conversion, cuz I have an oldish tv at home, and no cable.

I didn't have sound on my computer at home for years because I'd misplugged the speaker cables. And I used to be a theater electrician, so I know something about plugging.

I won't call this a meme or call anyone out, in particular, but what about you? Are you perceived as a techie or a "computer person" by your friends, but have areas of tech brown-out or ennui?  C'mon! Share your ignorance and techrankiness with the rest of us.  Who are we to mock? I just made my first chart, ever, in Excel only yesterday. In fact, it may have been my first ever use of Excel for a real project.   

Digital cameras leave you cold? Do you still literally DIAL your phone?  Still holding out for a revival of Betamax? Do you feel faint when a patron whips out an SD card and asks how he can put his picture on Match.com?  Do you think about a career change when you read proposed tech competencies for librarians? I know I have librarian friends whose only computer access is at work, by choice.

I'm not looking to hear from those with active loathing of all things tech, or from any evangelizing whiz kids (unless you are an evangelizing whiz kid with a secret shame you need get off your chest).  Most of us fall somewhere between Lud and Geek.  This confessional assignment is for you.    

Historic Steamboat Photos

Anita Doering, Manager of Archives at La Crosse Public, just sent a link to the now-live collection of steamboat pictures that marks the launch of the UW La Crosse Historic Steamboat Photographs collection. It's part of the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center. Anita says that the project was launched with about 500 photos, but that there are a few more to go. Pretty nifty. More about the project.

The UW-La Crosse Historic Steamboat Photograph collection consists of over 40,000 black and white photographic images of steamboats on the inland waterways of the United States, primarily the Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri rivers and their tributaries. The photos depict steamboats in every phase of their life span — from construction to destruction — and every aspect of their daily operations from the 1850s to the present.