The Delicious Burden

Libpunk

A new twist on an already familiar concept has hit LibraryLand and Kathryn Greenhill writes about it on her blog, Librarians Matter.  Greenhill has coined the term "libpunk" to refer to technologies which libraries have taken upon themselves to create and implement, using non-proprietary or open-source software and without the traditional institutional alliances.  These tools are usually created to help connect users and expand knowledge about a subject, not to make money.  She gives examples:

• Grassroots-organised library unconferences
• Casey Bisson’s Scriblio, which is a library catalogue based on blogging software Wordpress
• John Blyberg’s work on the SOPAC , a social OPAC layer over the top of a proprietary Library Management System
• The “ Five Weeks to a Social Library ” free grassroots course
• ...and many more

The idea of libpunk comes from the term "edupunk" coined recently by education blogger, Jim Groom and posted in a controversial article on Wikipedia; (yes they do have standards):

Edupunk is an ideology referring to educators and education strategies with a do it yourselfmashups, and podcasting (DIY) spirit. Most instructional uses of blogs, wikis, various among many other uses of emerging technologies might be described as DIY education or Edupunk. The term was first used on May 25, 2008 by Jim Groom in his blog, ^[1] and covered less than a week later in the Chronicle of Higher Education^[2].

Examples of Edupunk are Legos, Edusim, chalk, Hypercard, Moodle, use of the Bliki (blog and wiki mashups), students' art work on the outside wall of the classroom, and students teaching their teachers how to use technology.

Edupunk is also a rejection of efforts by government and corporate interests in using emerging technologies to exercise control over education, its processes, and its stakeholders, somewhat similar to punk ideologies. There is also an element of resistance to large and influential education businesses like Blackboard cooping emerging, collaborative, DIY technologies and techniques and repackaging them as their own product.

The Chronicle of Higher Education article mentions some resistance to course management systems and this is exactly the type of complaint I had when we moved to ANGEL at my institution last year.  The wiki and blog tools in our CMS are horribly inadequate and so, instead of using them, I taught students how to use tools such as Blogger and PBwiki for their class assignments, instead of ANGEL, which isn't social software and isn't designed to be.  So we make our own...
I like the idea of libpunk; libraries and librarians find a need, embrace it, and find solutions to the problem.  We aren't creating applications or using tools for a profit, but collaborating in order to help our users connect; to others, to information, to knowledge.  We are moving away from status quo and dependence on others for our traditional tools and finding aids.  We build our own.  Revolutionary...

Perceptions of librarians at CIT

I'm pleasantly surprised by the turnout of librarians at the CIT conference.  I arrived this morning and met my co-presenter, we talked about the conference and she said to me, "I didn't realize that this was a library conference!".  It turns out she was discussing CIT with another faculty member who told her this conference was for librarians.  Which surprised me of course, since I don't think the conference is specifically geared towards librarians, but rather to technology specialists and faculty using technology at SUNY campuses.  It was flattering to think that some faculty view this as a library conference.  Librarians just happen to be one of the main constituencies on campus who use technology heavily; presenting, talking, and using lots of the good stuff.  In many cases, libraries were the first departments to use technology in higher education institutions.  On my campus, librarians are the staff attending and presenting at technology conferences.  In fact, there are two of us from my library presenting today; six of us are here in attendance from my library alone.  The bloggers, twitter users, and presenters are librarians; participants are librarians; learners are librarians.  I'm always impressed by the amount of training, workshop attendance and staff development which librarians undertake.
There may be a flip side to this - the colleague didn't bother coming to this conference because it was a "library conference", but maybe this also means the faculty know that librarians are at the forefront of applying and using instructional technology on our campuses.   Now, if only our computing & information technology department wasn't so territorial about instructional technology, we might be able to work together more productively to create some engaging and worthwhile faculty & staff training programs.

Developing relationships

I have been ruminating for the past week on how to develop a comprehensive profile of our academic faculty.  I have been on this campus for the past six years, and was an undergraduate here, so I know quite a bit about the major stakeholders on campus.  What puzzles me is the lack of focus in our library on reaching out to these constiuencies and getting more input regarding library collections and services.  Well, I guess that is what I'm here for.  I'm beginning to realize (and its a bit of a "duh" moment for me) that one of the major reasons for pulling me into this position isn't because of any wonderful fuzzy feelings about my management style or administrative abilities.  I think they want me to schmooze.  Its finally come to management's (I feel like Samson on Carnivale) attention that we need to develop relationships.  That we cannot continue to do business the same old way and expect our budgets to keep shrinking and still make everyone happy using the same old formulas and uneasy alliances.  In fact, I am getting the distinct feeling that it is what they want me to do.  And that is not a problem for me.  I'm confident I can work proactively with the faculty and address their concerns, but I'm also feeling a sense of "wow, why haven't we done this before?" or "I can't believe we aren't doing this now!" and a somewhat sinking feeling of "..ohmigod, why did this happen this year!".
Today we had a meeting to discuss our electronic resources purchases (and, even thought it is called an "evaluation" meeting, it was most...decidedly...NOT) and our new library faculty kept saying things like, "we need to do more promotion" and "why don't we ask the faculty if they use this" and I sat there, next to the person I am about to replace, and thought about all the little things that could have been done to develop relationships on this campus...but weren't.  No one had any answers to questions about what databases our faculty and students were using for research.  We know what we are teaching in classes, but have not asked the faculty to give us information about the resources they want their students to use. 
So, I don't think, in the end, it will be about schmoozing, per se, but taking the time to ask tough questions (both in and outside the library), find out faculty's concerns about the library and ask all the librarians who are involved in working with faculty (whether it is instruction, reference, IT, access services, serials, etc.) to brainstorm and do outreach every way they possibly can.  I will be here to provide guidance, coordination and give them the tools and resources to do this, but it cannot possibly be just a one person job. 

Library managers

Just found out I have been awarded a scholarship to attend this summer's ARL Library Management Skills Institute I: The Manager.  While thrilled and excited to be picked, I'm also a bit mortified that my career path is leading down this way.  Its a bit of a Catch-22: while wanting to manage, I'm still not quite sure if I want to be a manager.  Does this make any sense at all?  I've been managing the library website development for over two years now, but with, a) no "real" authority and b) a whole staff of knowledgeable and hard-working individuals who contributed expertise and their skills.  I was more a leader than a true manager.  Maybe they are the same thing, but I don't think so.  In a lot of ways, I just had to get the group focused and on track, maybe just make a decision because we could go around endlessly in circles if no one decided.  Does that make a manager?
I know going to a 3-day workshop will not magically make me a manager, but I do need and expect a lot from this institute. A.) Confidence B.) Strategies and C.) Give me some clues to how to deal with difficult people!!!  I know, I know - its the $64,000 question, but I need help...

Getting stuff done

So now that: a) my scholarship application is sent in, b) I've attended the copyright & digital rights workshop, c) arrived home last night from the ALCTS Basic Collection Development & Management workshop, and d) the semester's last day of classes are next Tuesday, I can finally breathe a little!

Still, there is so much to do, but it feels like I am making progress.  Since this whole shift started happening in January, I am actually planning and preparing to take over.  This past Monday and Tuesday, I attended the CD workshop and although it was more of a refresher course (lots was covered in Ms. Johnson's book) it was a great opportunity to ask questions and interact with some librarians from all over the country.   Also, discussed what I learned with colleagues here at Milne and discovered that I will be the person making the changes we have been complaining about for months!  Scary thought...

Go Rudy!

Rudy is taking charge on her blog - she has started a collection development discussion group and now its time for the rest of us to step up.  I'm finding a real lack of communication about collection development issues online, whether its listservs or blogs (with the exception of Jenica's blog and Steven Harris' Collections 2.0 blog) and from the perspective of someone brand new to the specialty (although I've been a librarian for eleven years) this is frustrating.  I won't have much to contribute yet, but I'm eager to find out what the major issues are, and how librarians "in the trenches" are tackling the problems.