The ALA JobLIST website recently added YourMembership to its features. YourMembership is likely to increase communications between prospective job applicants and potential employers by accounting for applicant interests and employer needs. In short, the newly-enhanced website provides instant, accessible, and essential support to those exploring new opportunities.

The Anonymous Résumé feature enables users to omit identifying contact features that could lead to spam and other unwanted communications, which helps to protect privacy online and gives users the ability to decide what information gets disclosed. An easy-to-use résumé template allows users to edit fonts and typefaces. A résumé can be public, incomplete prior to publication, or private, meaning no one can see it besides the individual user. A public resume can also be modified or unpublished almost instantly. A cover letter can also be added and saved so that a user can return to it later, which is a great feature when pulling together a job application.

The “My Job Alert” feature allows a prospective job applicant to select geographic preferences, industries, and job functions from drop-down menus. Once these criteria are selected, the user then decides whether they wish to receive daily or weekly email digests.

The Job Search database allows uses to sort by the date posted, job location, company, and position. Additionally, applicants can filter positions by industry and job function. The Resources page provides  résumé advice, interview strategies, social media coaching, and opportunities to schedule conversations with job search experts who have professional experience and training in helping people find jobs and make career decisions. Similarly, employers can write job advertisements, compile résumés, group candidates into pools, and create company profiles.

Visit JobLIST to take advantage of these capabilities and to get more information.

The post Job Searching Made Easier with New Features on ALA JobLIST first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The campaign overview defines its goals and objectives and gives an explanation of how this campaign dovetails with existing ALA public awareness efforts. Over the course of the campaign, the Libraries Transform brand will replace the “@ Your Library” campaign brand as ALA’s signature public awareness campaign. The campaign has several components including provocative “Because” statements that answer the question, “Why are libraries transforming?” Answers include, “Because employers want candidates who know the difference between a web search and research” and “Because why shouldn’t you be able to bring your Grande Caramel Snickerdoodle Macchiato.” The “Because” statements are part of a toolkit and made available as downloadable posters and banners.

Libraries are expected to create their own “Because” statements and encourage their end users to do the same. It goes without saying that the “Because” statements offer multiple answers to the “why libraries matter” question and/or statement posed throughout the last several years in various articles, speeches, and posts. Because transformative libraries are forever forward-thinking, the campaign outlines major trends providing perspective on how they impact libraries and what librarians should know about them. Trends like the “internet of things” focus on smaller devices, many unseen such as wearable technology and the further chasm between the technology haves and have-nots. Other trends include the increase of digital natives (those born after 1980), drones, robots, economy sharing, flipped learning, and curiously enough, the unplugged movement (of which I am a big fan). Each trend is described and its impact for librarians outlined.

Frankly, I’m quite jazzed about the campaign and can see many ways to incorporate the public awareness elements of it into advocacy efforts I am already making. How can librarians embrace and enable the campaign locally? Start early, begin speaking about the campaign to colleagues, incorporate it into one’s state or regional library association, and share it with friends of the library groups, boards, and trustees. Convene local library advocates to create “Because” statements that resonate and speak to your local community. As the campaign develops, so will your local efforts. Keep an eye out on how other libraries are implementing it by signing up for updates on the campaign’s web site.

If you’re planning on using the Libraries Transform public awareness campaign I invite you to comment below on your thoughts and ideas on how to localize it in your community.

The post Because Libraries Transform: ALA’s New Public Awareness Campaign first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

• Public library program attendance increased 54.4% over the last 10 years—in 2012, 92.6 million people participated in any one of 4 million programs offered at a public library.^[1]
• Public library services run the gamut—from toddler story time to teen centers to homework assistance programs. Today, many libraries provide career assistance with access to federal funding for effective job training centers and job development sites.^[2] Public libraries serve their communities in many different ways.
• During the past year, public libraries touched many different people in their communities:
  – 97.5% offered free wireless internet access
  – 98% offered technology training
  – 9.5% had education and learning programs
  – 98.4% had summer reading programs
  – Almost 80% offered programs that aided patrons with job training skills.^[3]

That’s some report card!

School Libraries

School libraries, too, stand ready to ensure American students develop 21^st century information literacy skills. As the educational demands for inquiry based learning and research increase, the 2015 report emphasizes the importance of collaboration between certified school librarians and classroom teachers. “School librarians [need] to develop engaging learning tasks that integrate key critical thinking, technology, and information literacy skills with subject-area content.”

The 2015 report provided some good news—94% of education professionals noted that they saw improved learning and achievement when technology was integrated into the curriculum. Half of high school students surveyed looked for information online to gain better understanding of topics studied in class. Access to information services is a key component to blended learning environments. Overwhelmingly, 82% of school librarians identified themselves as teachers of what the report references as “digital citizenship.” The consensus is in: School librarians have become a part of an expanding and integral component of the educational environment.

Academic Libraries

In higher education, academic libraries provide a supportive environment for learning, teaching, and research within a university culture. This is true today more than ever. Academic libraries today are re-purposing space to optimize budgets but also to build digital collections, to collaborate with inter-collegiate databases, and to offer e-library resources. The 2014 National Survey of Student Engagement reported that 33% of 1^st year college students found that their experience with an academic librarian “contributed ‘very much’ to their knowledge, skills, and personal development in using information effectively.”^[4]

Academic libraries have traditionally been the central access point for research in a university and college community. Big data poses new challenges. Academic librarians have helped researchers share, analyze, and reuse it effectively.

Issues and Trends

Digital literacy, equitable access, and assessment remain high on the the list of issues and trends in the changing landscape of the library world. According to the 2013 Program for the International Assessment for Adult Competencies report, 36 million people, ages 16-65, struggle with basic tasks such as completing a job application or reading a story to their children. Coupled with these individuals are the one in six American adults who struggle with Basic English proficiency. Equitable access, digital literacy, literacy classes, service planning, and delivery as well as recruitment are all key issues that can impact a library’s ability to serve these individuals, those with limited English proficiency or low literacy skills—an ongoing challenge.

The ALA as Advocate

The American Library Association remains a strong advocacy organization to uphold the tenets of intellectual freedom and promote the importance of individual rights. In its role as advocate, the ALA supports the USA Freedom Act as it strives to protect patron privacy. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracks challenges to books. In 2014, 52% of the books challenged or banned included diverse content—non-white characters, LGBT characters, issues about race, issues about religion, and issues about a disability or mental illness, including suicide.

The ALA continues to work in developing children’s collections that promote the diversity of a community. Jamie Campbell Naidoo explored this issue in The Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Material Collections for Children.  In turn, YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) issued its report, The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action,–it called for connected learning to 21^st century jobs as a learning approach that would move beyond the formal classroom as a platform for the development of teen services at the library.

Exemplary scores: New issues, continuing trends, new approaches—librarians ready to provide programs, seek solutions, and collaborate with one another.

Libraries as Anchor Institutions in Their Communities

Libraries engage every segment of our society—from early literacy through lifelong learning, through digital literacy to college study spaces. Libraries assess their individual communities’ needs and are ready to respond. In 2014, the Ferguson Municipal (MO) Public Library stood as a shining example of a library’s pivotal role as an anchor institution within its community. The Ferguson Municipal Public Library provided information, internet access, and children’s services. Perhaps most importantly it provided a quiet space amidst a storm to anyone who chose to use it. It stood as the American Library Association defines a library—as a “protectorate of the tenets of a democratic government.”^[5] Ferguson’s community, along with many communities in America, cherish the services of their community library.

References

[1]American Library Association. The State of America’s Libraries 2015: A Report from the American Library Association.

[2] Ibid, 6.

[3] Ibid, 11

[4] Ibid, 8

[5] Ibid, 2

The post The State of America’s Libraries 2015 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The annual program begins each year at ALA Midwinter, to be held in Boston in 2016. Emerging Leaders also present their work at a poster session during ALA Annual Conference, which will take place in Orlando. Additionally, participants may get the chance to participate in an ALA committee or taskforce.

Applications and references must be submitted online no later than August 1, 2015. Applicants may elect to seek sponsorship from a number of ALA divisions in order to help defray the costs of attending the required conferences, although this is not required.

Thanks to its robust reputation, Emerging Leaders is a great opportunity for newer librarians to gain experience within ALA, network, and add to their resumes. As 2015 Emerging Leader Anna Coats, Head of Youth Services at Livingston (NJ) Public Library, states, “The point of Emerging Leaders is to get you more involved and in an upward trajectory in ALA.” Many former participants go on to serve on ALA committees, in addition to securing leadership positions. The program is also a great way to collaborate with people and organizations outside your normal day-to-day work environment. This can be truly inspirational and have a positive effect on your regular work.

To help your application stand out, Coats suggests discussing any leadership experience you may already have, and to be specific while doing so. It doesn’t necessarily have to be running a department or singlehandedly chairing a committee; the little things like volunteering to take on a project that no one else wanted or mentoring a library school student count as well. Additionally, she advises to be clear about your goals and what you hope to get out of the program. Of course, it is also important to thoroughly look over your application before submission in order to make sure it is as clear and succinct as possible.

For more information, including specific selection criteria, visit ALA’s Emerging Leaders website.

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Many of these locations are reachable by the Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) system or close to the Moscone Center, where the conference is held.

Unique Libraries

The San Francisco Main Library, located just a few blocks away from the Moscone Center, has a fantastic History Center located on the 6^th floor with photo and book arts collections. Also, be sure to take the ALA tour of five new/renovated branch libraries.

If you’re staying in Oakland or simply want to check out what’s on the other side of the Bay, the African American Museum and Libraries is not to be missed. Close to BART, this branch of the Oakland Public Library holds over 160 collections that document African American history in California.

The Society of California Pioneers’ Alice Phelan Sullivan Library was one of the first libraries established in San Francisco. The collection boasts books and documents from the Gold Rush and biographical information on the early California Pioneers.

While you’re exploring San Francisco, you might see the name “Sutro” come up (Sutro Tower, Sutro Baths, Sutro Forest, etc.). You can explore San Francisco’s 24^th mayor’s collection at the Sutro Library, where you’ll find rare items such as Shakespeare’s folios, a collection on Mexican culture, and a first edition of the King James Bible.

And if maritime history is more of your thing, be sure to check out the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Library, at beautiful Fort Mason. The library has over 3,000 maps and charts dating from 1850 to the present.

The Prelinger Library, located near Moscone Center, is an independent library with 19^th and 20^th century periodicals, maps, and books. There will also be an ALA evening gala on Sunday, June 28^th with library founder Rick Prelinger.

Cool Library-Related Nonprofits to Visit

The San Francisco Center for the Book is a nonprofit that promotes books and bookmaking. Drop in and visit the SFCB’s gallery, or maybe even coincide your visit with a book release party!

The Internet Archive’s physical headquarters is open to the public on Fridays from 1-3 pm. The Internet Archive founder, Brewster Kahle, is presenting at ALA in a session called “Building Libraries Together,” from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 27^th.

Has your public library requested software or hardware from TechSoup for Libraries? Or perhaps you’ve attended one of our webinars and have some suggestions? TechSoup is headquartered in San Francisco (full disclosure: I work there) and we will be in full force staff at ALA!

Bookstores and Literary Attractions

San Francisco has so many wonderful bookstores, so this is by no means a full list. City Lights in North Beach is not to be missed for its history in the Beat and counterculture movements. Green Apple Books might not be as well-known, but it’s regularly voted the best bookstore in local publications. And be sure to check out Marcus Bookstore in the Fillmore neighborhood, the oldest black bookstore in the nation.

A quick BART ride away from Moscone Center, the Mission neighborhood is full of unique bookstores such as the much-loved Dog Eared Books, the sci-fi specializing Borderlands, the collectively-owned Modern Times, and Mission Comics and Art.

The San Francisco Chronicle’s The Literary City maps Bay Area bookstores, literary sites, author homes, and much more. Travel to Gertrude Stein’s childhood home (Oakland), see where the Maltese Falcon was lifted (San Francisco), and see where the drive-in was in Hunter S. Thompson’s “Generation of Swine” (Daly City).

But if you absolutely don’t have the time to spare while at ALA, that’s okay too. Just make sure to take a second to watch the June fog roll in, briefly people-watch at the San Francisco Pride activities, and, while it might be a tourist cliché, grab a clam chowder bread bowl for lunch.

The post Explore San Francisco’s Libraries, Bookstores and Literary Landmarks While at ALA 2015 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

In 1939, the American Library Association adopted a Code of Ethics to “maintain ethical standards of behavior in relation to the governing authority under which they [the librarians] work, to the library constituency, to the library as an institution and to fellow workers on the staff, to other members of the library profession, and to society in general.”[1] Although the code was amended in 1981, 1995, and again in 2008, one thing didn’t change – the document remains a framework. The statements [in the code] “cannot and do not dictate to cover particular situations.”[2]

How, then, do we know what to do in such situations? “Establish ethical standards, educate staff, and take transgressions seriously!”[3] says Pat Wagner, a library consultant and trainer who believes the main reason for unethical behavior is to avoid conflict. Not enforcing front-line behavior is one of the biggest mistakes a director can make. Some common behaviors that demand attention include staff gossiping about patrons at the circulation desk, allowing special privileges for friends or favorite patrons, and not considering barriers to access.

Further, Wagner encourages libraries to engage in conversations with those both inside and outside of the library and to build relationships before issues arise so that it will be easier to deal with problems when they do. It is especially important to have a clear understanding of ethical expectations as we move into the future.

Wagner points out that issues are already arising out of use of maker spaces and curating user-created content. And with ever shrinking budgets and rapidly advancing technology, considering how best to serve the community’s needs bears discussion. “Good people can have different ethical systems and disagree about what the right thing to do is,”[4] she says.

For a list of ethical resources:

sieralearn.com/resources-for-the-study-and-practice-of-ethics/

For more information about Pat’s work:

sieralearn.com

Works Cited

[1]History of the Code of Ethics1939 Code of Ethics for Librarians (History of the Code of Ethics1939 Code of Ethics for Librarians): http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/coehistory/1939codeethics

[2]Code of Ethics of the American Library Association (Code of Ethics of the American Library Association) http://www.ifmanual.org/codeethics

[3]Wagner, Pat. “Re: Library Ethics” Message to author. May 1, 2015. E-mail.

[4]Wagner, Pat. “Everyday Library Ethics – Part One” Online video. Florida Library Webinars. Florida Library Webinars, 16 Aug. 2013. Web.  27 Apr. 2015.

The post Library Ethics first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The E-Rate program is built to “help libraries gain affordable, high capacity broadband. . . ; boost library participation in the program; and increase the efficiency of the application and review process” for eligible libraries. Furthermore, the “Got E-Rate?” page lists information about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reforms of the E-Rate programs and what this means to libraries, particularly public libraries. The page has a lot of information that may or may not be difficult for you to decipher, so I recommend taking a look at “Library Leaders: E-Rate Opportunities Take Center Stage” by Marijke Visser.

Visser breaks down the main take-aways of the E-Rate program with these points:

1. About $1.5 billion has been added to the funding for the E-Rate program
2. The American Library Association, Public Library Association, state library agencies, and other organizations will produce E-rate resources that are aimed to provide libraries that are interested in applying for E-rate funding with “communications, education, practical tools, and technical support.”
3. Increasing broadband capacity is not simply for rural libraries, but also applies to suburban and urban libraries that may need to expand their services.

After reading both of these articles, I had a few initial thoughts:

1. As a librarian, I am (typically) aware and/or reminded of the digital divide in communities. Connecting and working with librarians throughout the state and nation has exposed me to the different resources available (or unavailable) to public libraries and the disparities between communities. However…
2. …as an individual, I tend to forget about things like the “digital divide.” This is easy to do when I’m in my own little world, streaming music from my iPhone on my way to work, and watching Netflix on Apple TV at home. But…
3. ..the digital divide is real. Just take a look at the statistics, “How Americans Go Online” published by Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Library Project. The graph shows the correlation between lower income and education levels with lower access to Internet usage at home and in general. Race and geographic location affect the result.

The Internet is a necessity for not just checking email or research, but also for applying for jobs, learning new technological skills, and gaining confidence. If a person is unable to have broadband access at home, it is all the more imperative that their local library have sufficient access to not only bridge the gap in the digital divide, but also in digital literacy. What are your experiences with broadband access in your community?

Sources

“Got E-rate?” Got E-rate? Web. 22 Feb. 2015. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/goterate

“Library Leaders: E-rate Opportunities Take Center Stage.” District Dispatch. 28 Jan. 2015. Web. 1 Mar. 2015. http://www.districtdispatch.org/2015/01/library-leaders-e-rate-opportunities-take-center-stage

“How Americans Go Online.” Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/09/25/how-americans-go-online/>.

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The Pros
Library associations are great places to network. In everyday life, you may not get a chance to randomly meet other people in your field, especially not on a regular basis. Yet within an association, one can easily parlay the relationships that are fostered into bigger and better things. You may learn a different way of assisting patrons or even be offered a new and better paying job as a result.

Associations are also great ways of keeping abreast of the latest innovations and technologies that affect our daily work lives. Let’s face it, we don’t all have a lot of time to sit around and read every journal and every article that discusses librarianship. With professional associations some of the best of these ideas are highlighted and discussed with you.

Associations also provide opportunities to flex your leadership skills. Being a member is great, but being an active member can benefit you even more. Taking the lead on a committee can give you management experience you may not get as a reference librarian. This can then give you the proficiency necessary down the road when you feel like advancing your career into library management.

The Cons
I have to admit that one of my first cons is money. Most of these associations require dues annually. For example, ALA membership is $48-$135, depending on your job status, and SLA membership is $40-$200 depending on what your annual salary is. These are just the dues though — they often do not include the cost of attending conferences, in and out of state. While I think it’s great that the fees are on a scale, it is still an extra expense that many of us, right out of school and burdened with school loans, may not be prepared to pay. Another “con” might be whether or not these associations are even necessary in today and tomorrow’s world of internet information globalism. I was reading the November 12, 2014 blog post from Beerbrarian, where he discusses what tools he cannot live without. One of his choices was Twitter because “I can’t afford to go to every conference I’d like to. Library twitter is like a 24/7/365 conference. Articles, blog posts, and other useful items get shared.”

I wonder if Beerbrarian is correct: Are Twitter and other social media sites are all you really need in order to achieve all (or at least most) of the “pros” of professional memberships? Please feel free to discuss and share your thoughts in the comments.

Sources:

http://beerbrarian.blogspot.com/

http://www.ala.org/membership/ala-personal-membership

https://hq.sla.org/cvweb_sla/cgi-bin/memberdll.dll/info?wrp=membershipapp.htm

http://letterstoayounglibrarian.blogspot.com/2014/10/association-membership-for-fun-and.html

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