Web 2.You 2010 follow-up

Graham Lavender 7 Comments
Michael and Graham

Me (on the right) with Michael Porter, after Web 2.You 2010

It feels like years have passed since Web 2.You 2010, but it’s actually only been three weeks. At any rate, as many of you already know, the event was fantastic. The other speakers gave great talks and were a blast to hang out with, and apparently I didn’t look nearly as nervous as I felt. It was certainly intimidating to present to so many excellent librarians (not to mention discerning students), but one of my former library school profs liked my talk so much that she invited me to give it again in her class. I went ahead with that last week, and it was another great experience. And fortunately I’m not the only one who deemed Web 2.You 2010 a success; here are some other reactions:

Web 2.You at McGill – the little conference that could and does
Web 2.Wow
On Speaking in Montreal

Video clips are on their way, but for now feel free to check out my photos and slides. And for extra credit, take a look through the photos taken by a current SIS student.

Professional Partnering Program: the view from the other side

Graham Lavender 3 Comments

Last year I told you about the Professional Partnering Program, organized by students at McGill’s School of Information Studies. I told you about my fantastic partner Jared and how great it was for me to have the chance to get a taste for what an academic librarian really does and to see an academic library from behind the scenes. I enjoyed the experience so much that I recommended it as one of my tips for surviving library school.

This year I’m happy to have the opportunity to participate in the program from the other side; now that I’m a professional (wow, it still sounds strange to call myself that), I’ve been paired up with a first year SIS student. Her name is Christie Silkotch, and we first met at the PPP kick-off event in October. Unfortunately, we had some trouble matching up our schedules at the end of last semester, but finally this week I was able to show her around a few branches of the McGill Library.

Christie is keeping an open mind as to what sort of library she would like to work in, which I definitely think is the best way to go, especially in your first year of library school. The only disadvantage to this approach is that when I introduced her to my colleagues, many of them asked whether she had a particular interest in their area of librarianship, to which she had no firm answer. She was quite easy going about it, though, as I was when I was in the same situation; I knew before I started library school that academic librarianship was for me, but even now I’m quite open to a variety of positions. It’s understandable that librarians are excited to meet students with whom they share common interests, but we have to keep in mind that many (perhaps most) people come to library school without knowing whether they want to be cataloguers or political science liaison librarians.

As I introduced Christie to some of the people I work with, I was reminded how much I like librarians. Although there can be quite heated debates when it comes to policies, procedures, and the best ways to serve our clients, most of us became librarians because we want to help people. We’re especially willing to help out students, perhaps because we can remember how overwhelmed we felt when we were in their position.

We only managed to visit a few of the branch libraries, so I think we’ll try to set up a time to see some more. Christie says she found it helpful, and I enjoyed spending time in some buildings (and seeing some colleagues) I don’t have the chance to visit as often as I’d like.

Web 2.You 2010 is coming up on Feb 5th

Graham Lavender 2 Comments

As you may recall, a year ago I co-organized an event called Web 2.You. It was a terrific success, and my co-organizer, Amanda Halfpenny, has gone on to take the lead in arranging another one this year. As you’ll see below, Amanda has lined up another outstanding set of international and local speakers, and I will have the privilege of giving a presentation as well. Whether you’re a student or a professional, if you have any interest in technology in libraries, you should register ASAP.

Also, for any students wondering how to gain some experience before graduation, I highly recommend Amanda’s blog post on how to get a part-time job while in library school.

Hello!

A new year has begun and the 3rd Annual Web 2.You Conference is only a month away, so it’s time to start thinking about registering. Web 2.You is a full-day event featuring international and local speakers on the implications of Web 2.0 technologies in professional information settings. Professionals who attended Web 2.You in past years were blown away by their experience and we are confident that this year’s speakers will take it to the next level.

Here are the details:

Regular rate:
$40 full day (includes catered lunch)
$20 morning or afternoon only

Student rate:
$15 full day (includes catered lunch)
$10 morning or afternoon only

The event will take place Friday February 5th 2010 at McGill University’s Thomson House and feature presentations from Michael Porter, Jenica Rogers and Graham Lavender as well as a panel discussion on democracy and technologies.
The deadline for registration is Friday, January 29th 2010.
To register and for more details on the event visit the Web 2.You Wiki.

Please feel free to circulate this information to your network of colleagues.

See you there!

Co-organizers:

Amanda Halfpenny, MLIS II McGill University
Adrienne Smith, MLIS I McGill University

Comments

Graham Lavender 7 Comments

As a blogger, it can be frustrating when no one leaves comments on your posts. My stats indicate that people are reading, but is anyone really engaged with what I’m saying? To be fair, I don’t leave as many comments on other blogs as I probably should, but comments sure make a blogger feel appreciated.

So I was very happy to see that I’ve generated a bit of a discussion on my post about dressing professionally on the Re:Generations blog. It’s especially encouraging that the comments aren’t all from people I know personally (though many of them are).

In conclusion: go leave comments for your favourite bloggers today!

Come join the ILSS at the CLA Montreal Chapter’s Salon des Bibliothécaires

Graham Lavender Leave a comment

As President Elect of the CLA Montreal Chapter, it gives me great pleasure to invite you to join me and some other fantastic people for the first Salon of the season. Leave a comment if you can make it!

—————————————————————————————————————————

The CLA Montreal Chapter is starting off this season’s activities with its first Salon des Bibliothécaires!  Do you work at a library or information centre?  Are you a library school student? Throughout the year we organize several informal meetings where we chat about different topics.  We invite you to come and join us at our Salon des Bibliothécaires, everyone is welcome!

Salon #1: Virtual Reference

It’s all about Virtual Reference for our first Salon of the season!
Wondering how to get started?  What would work for your library?  Do you already provide virtual reference services? Come and chat with us, tell us what you do, learn from what others are doing, and have a great time!
Amy Buckland, Paul Century, and Leticia Cuenca will join us to talk about their experience working as virtual reference librarians.
We provide the snacks, you provide the conversation!

Where: EM Café, 5718 Avenue du Parc (corner of Bernard)
When: Thursday, Oct. 8th at 6:00 p.m.

Please RSVP to Leticia Cuenca at leticiacuenca@gmail.com

—————————————————————————————————————————

La division montréalaise de l’ACB donne le coup d’envoi à sa programmation de la saison avec le Salon des bibliothécaires! Vous travaillez dans une bibliothèque ou dans un centre de documentation? Vous êtes étudiant en sciences de l’information? Au cours de l’année, nous organisons plusieurs activités décontractées pour permettre la discussion sur différents sujets. Nous vous invitons à vous joindre à nous au Salon des bibliothécaires – tout le monde est invité!

Salon #1 : la référence virtuelle.

Au premier salon de la saison, on parle de référence virtuelle! Vous vous demandez par où commencer? Ce qui fonctionnerait dans votre bibliothèque? Vous offrez déjà un service de référence virtuelle? Venez discuter avec nous, parler de votre expérience, découvrir ce que les autres font, et vous amuser! Amy Buckland, Paul Century et Leticia Cuenca seront des nôtres et nous parleront de leur expérience à titre de bibliothécaires de référence virtuelle. Nous offrons la nourriture, vous vous occupez de la conversation!

Où : Au EM Café – 5718, avenue du Parc (coin Bernard)
Quand : Le jeudi 8 octobre à 18h

Veuillez confirmer votre présence à Leticia Cuenca à leticiacuenca@gmail.com

The ILSS takes on Re:Generations

Graham Lavender Leave a comment

Are you interested in academic libraries? If so, you should definitely check out Re:Generations. From their website:

The new CACUL Re:Generations Committee will encourage active engagement in CACUL from new or prospective academic librarians with the goal of revitalizing the organization and making it more accountable to the needs of new librarians. It will contribute to this goal by:

  • Providing advocacy for the needs/ issues/concerns of new librarians to CACUL executive.
  • Dovetailing this new engagement with CACUL with the professional needs of new librarians by providing mentorships, networking events, internships, support for research and new programs that will be of benefit.
  • Facilitating knowledge growth and sharing of memory within the profession

But perhaps even more interesting is their blog, where a team of academic librarians writes on a variety of topics. I’ve become a contributor, and my first post there is now available. I’ve called it Subject guides: an undervalued resource.

Library bloggers like to write about big ideas. Academic freedom, the digital divide, and intellectual property are popular topics in the biblioblogosphere. Today I want to discuss something a bit more mundane but certainly relevant to academic librarianship and hopefully interesting as well. Today I want to talk about subject guides.

Read the rest of my post.

Tips for surviving library school – and possibly even having some fun

Graham Lavender 5 Comments

It’s back-to-school time, and although I’m not heading to any classes, the fact that campus is now swarming with students reminds me that there is a new group of students starting library school. And if these people feel half as lost and confused as I did during my first few weeks, then they could use some advice. First, take a look at Biblioblond’s Thoughts on “Back to School” for MLIS Students, where she lists her Top 5 tips for incoming students. Then, if you’re not afraid of slightly stale information, you can take a peek at my post from last September.

Now, thinking back on my two years at SIS, here’s my advice:

  • Get involved with a student group. I remember when I was doing my undergrad, I thought student government and groups were totally lame, but trust me, in library school they’re worthwhile. If you’re at McGill, you can find some good info on the SIS website, and if you’re a student elsewhere, I’m sure you can find what you need online somewhere – you’re a resourceful soon-to-be information professional, after all. Figure out which group (or groups) is best aligned with your interests, and attend their first meeting. This is a great way to meet people and learn more about the field. Plus it looks terrific on a CV/resume!
  • Run for the executive of a student group. Okay, so this is an extension of my last point, but it really is that important! Each student group’s website should have info about running for exec (e.g., the McGill CLA Student Chapter – pay attention to the positions that say TBA in September: that could be you!), but if you can’t find that information online, just ask someone. The first year student who becomes VP often automatically becomes President in their second year, so keep this in mind if you’d like to run the show next year.
  • Go to social events organized by the student groups (or by anyone else, for that matter). In my experience, these events are usually poorly attended, but those of us who made the effort to go always had a blast.
  • Keep in mind that all the other first year students feel just as nervous and lost as you do – so go up to people and introduce yourself, because everyone is trying to make friends at the beginning of the year.
  • Don’t be shy to approach the second year students for help – like you, they chose this profession because they like to help people.
  • And finally, here’s one for McGill students only: join the Professional Partnering Program. It’s an incredible opportunity to get to know someone who’s working in the field, and the time commitment is completely flexible. You have no excuse for not joining this program!

Still inspired, no longer a student

Graham Lavender 6 Comments

For anyone who hasn’t already heard the good news, I’m extremely pleased to announce that I am now a Liaison Librarian at McGill! I had spent the summer at McGill as a casual employee, working on the new soon-to-be-launched Library website and applying to just about every academic library position I heard about. I became quite frustrated when I didn’t hear back from any of those libraries, but eventually I was invited to an interview at McGill and later offered a one-year appointment. I’m now in my second week in the new position and it’s all very exciting. I work with a great group of people, and I can’t wait for things to really get moving when the new semester starts in a few weeks.

I still haven’t decided what to do with this blog, since the title is no longer appropriate. I may just rename it, or I may start a new blog altogether. At any rate, I’ll keep you posted. For now, please indulge me while I link to the McGill Library newsletter, the June 2009 issue of which features a photo of me at graduation.

Oh, and one more thing. The fantastic Amanda Halfpenny has started a library blog of her own – she calls herself the Biblioblond. Go check it out, and be sure to leave her a comment!

CASLIS Bulletin Special Issue

Graham Lavender 2 Comments

If you’re like me, you’re still slogging through your final assignments: don’t give up! You can do it!

But if you’re lucky enough to be finished your semester and need a break between job applications, allow me to suggest some reading material. The Canadian Association of Special Libraries and Information Services (CASLIS) recently published a special issue of their bulletin that students should find interesting. The issue is freely available online, so go ahead and download it now. The first feature article is about student experiences with CASLIS and features a number of LIS students, including my classmate Sarah Severson (in fact, I participated in some of the CASLIS activities she helped organize in Ottawa last summer).

Scroll down to page 19, and you’ll find a piece summing up the year’s events at SIS, written by our very own Brittany Trafford. I need to remember to thank her for saying such flattering things about Web 2.You!

Current and prospective students should definitely check out this issue to get the inside scoop on how CASLIS is helping students, and to discover what’s going on at library schools across the country. As for me, I need to get back to my descriptive bibliography – but as of tomorrow afternoon, I plan to be entirely finished my MLIS!

Thoughts and advice from a fellow graduating student

Graham Lavender Leave a comment

I just came across a post that anyone interested in the MLIS program at the University of Western Ontario (or simply interested to hear another pespective on library school) should find interesting and helpful. A lot of it sounds similar to my experience at McGill, with a few obvious exceptions, such as the co-op program and life in the city of London, Ontario. Warren Layton blogs at Libre-arian:

Final Thoughts on Western’s MLIS Program