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Sunday, January 13
Spirit of Librarianship Fall 2007 - Nominees and Winners
by
Jason
on Sun 13 Jan 2008 02:42 PM CST
I've had the list of Fall 2007 Spirit of Librarianship nominees sitting in my e-mail in-box for over a month but finally got around to updating my Spirit of Librarianship page last night. If you click through to the nominees page, you'll see that the SoL organizers added another new innovation last semester by choosing to include the nominees' "stalker page" photo in addition to the nomination blurbs that had been sent out for the past few semesters.
I think this is a great idea - when I was nominated, all that got sent out was a list of names and you might know who half of the people were if you were lucky. I pushed for the blurbs to be sent out and that helped you to know a bit about the person and why they were nominated. Now, the photos give a visual cue to who you are voting for - "oh, that's her name. Yeah, she's always helping me in the computer lab" or whatever.Students jokingly refer to the FIMS intranet student directory as the "stalker pages" but I did have a bit of an internal debate about including the photos on my page.
I'm probably close to the line as it is by putting up nominee's names and the blurbs about them without their permission so I know that putting up a photo potentially crosses that line in a big way. I thought about trying to contact the seven nominees but a combination of UWO's unique e-mail naming policy which means I might not find the people I'm looking for (I was "jhammon2@uwo.ca" which would be all but impossible for someone to guess unless they started "shotgun spamming" every combination - jhammon, jhammon2, jhammon3, etc.), the knowledge that my page isn't even in the Top 10 of a Google search for "Spirit of Librarianship", and yes, a bit of lack of time/laziness, made me decide that I could let this slide.
[Edit: as you see in the comments, a former classmate who still had access to the stalker pages sent me a list of e-mail addresses for some of the nominees. But that made me realise there are other factors that will prevent me from contacting all nominees in the future beside the fact that it's hard to guess the e-mail address they use - some have e-mail addresses that aren't reflective of their given name at all if they go by an alternate - ie. middle or maiden - name. Some were in their last semester and have convocated so aren't on the stalker pages anymore. And so on.]
With that said, if any of the nominees read this and want their picture removed, I will gladly do so. If anybody still at FIMS reads this and wants to pass on word to the nominees that I've done this, I'd appreciate that as well. In happier news, this term saw the first tie ever for the award. Gloria Liu and Iona Reid were the joint recipients. I'm happy to report that Iona was part of my starting cohort and, along with Lindsay Holdsworth, means that three different people from my cohort won this award which I think may be a record for total awesomeness. Iona is a deserving recipient - a lot quieter than the usual outspoken loudmouths who tend to win the award  . (Er, I know that two other previous winners, Michelle L. and Barb J. read this blog regularly so I hasten to add that the loudmouths are probably the exception.)
Anyhow, one of my personal favourite memories of Iona is her telling a bunch of people early in our first semester that she's always been known to have a calming effect on the people around her. That comment popped into my head one day as I prepared to give a particularly stressful 503 presentation near the end of our first term. I went and crouched beside Iona during a break and said "Are you really able to calm people just by your presence?" That's what they tell me. "Okay, I need calming now, please."
I crouched there for awhile as Iona rubbed my head, laughing. But lo and behold, the stress did lift and I was able to do my presentation, play the Alex Trebeck role in a Jeopardy game at the end of it plus convince the instructor to extend our time past the allotted period for the first time in any presentation that semester.
Congrats to Iona and Gloria and here's hoping that one of the few remaining soldiers from my original cohort wins the award this semester to make my cohort even more awesome than it already is and was.
Wednesday, August 8
Advice From An (Almost) Librarian
by
Jason
on Wed 08 Aug 2007 08:46 PM CST
The end of the semester at FIMS looms and for various students, the end of the program is near as well. On that note, Michelle L. has a list of Library School Advice from an Almost Librarian that's worth checking out. Congrats also to Barb Janicek who won the Spirit of Librarianship Award for the Summer 2007 semester. (That's a nice segue because Michelle won it the semester before and now I have double the reason to finally update my Spirit of Librarianship page!) Hearing the news is also kind of bittersweet in a way - Michelle and Barb were two of the closest friends I made at FIMS but after next semester, my connections to the place will be all but done as I'll have been away from the place for a full year (!) and so, for the first time, will not know any of the incoming students.
Okay, that's not completely true - I'm (virtually) meeting the occasional incoming student who stumbles upon my blog and contacts me. I'll also have connections via various part-timers who are still around. And even the line of close friends winning SoL might not end - I've got high hopes for the newly minted Master Philosopher, the returning Quinn Dupont to sweep to SoL glory in his final term at FIMS! 
Thursday, April 12
So Much Randomness In The World
by
Jason
on Thu 12 Apr 2007 11:19 PM CST
Apparently having a full-time job in a city an hour away from where you normally live is not conducive to keeping up with e-mail, Facebook, blog posts, personal diary entries, baby diary entries, regular web surfing activities as well as all those other things that make up this thing we call life. For instance, last night, I went to a boat and trailer show with the in-laws. There were no computers there. Tonight was pre-natal class and again, not a computer to be seen.  So here's some randomness of what's going on in my life and head...Congrats to Michelle Lake who won the Spirit of Librarianship Award today. I'll update my Spirit of Librarianship page this weekend if I get a chance. I first met Michelle when she was the only person in the whole of FIMS who responded to my invitation to join me at Book Expo 2006. My immediate thought at that time was "wow, this is a person destined to win the Spirit of Librarianship award someday!" Had some good news of my own today - a paper I submitted to CLA won 2nd place in their national student essay contest! This is probably the best result I could hope for as first place was a trip to the CLA conference in St. John's which is right around the time Shea is due. So if I'd won that prize, the broken legs she would inflict on me would've made the trip quite difficult anyhow.  So I'll take the CLA gift certificate, the cash prize and the library directory and run. (This is a good place to mention that for the purposes of this blog, all papers and presentations I've posted should be considered in "draft" form and not an official publication. This has come up as a concern once or twice with other pieces I've posted here then submitted elsewhere. Someone suggested that calling everything I post here a "draft" even if it was handed in and marked is a good way to get around the concern that any jury or whatever might have. And really, that's the truth - the paper that won (er, placed) was revised at least a little bit from what I originally posted here. My Alberta user fees essay - which I also just heard that the online Partnership journal wants to publish pending some revisions - is the same thing. The one posted here (search the blog for "tits" ) is so vastly different from what it has become so as to be almost a different paper.)
Apparently the hockey playoffs started yesterday but I haven't seen a minute of a game yet and barely glanced at the scores for the games so far. But here's my predictions for round one anyhow.
Calgary beats Detroit in 7
Anaheim beats Minny in 5
Vancouver beats Dallas in 6
Nashville beats San Jose in 7
Buffalo beats New York Islanders in 4
Tampa Bay beats New Jersey in 6
New York Rangers beat Atlanta in 5
Pittsburgh beats Ottawa in 7
My pick for the Cup? I hate to say it but I think Vancouver could really do some damage this year (meanwhile, my Flames over Detroit pick is the one I'd be least willing to bet money on.) The other finalist? Why not Pittsburgh as a Cinderella story? Man, they're an exciting young team.
Not much else I can think of. If you sent me an e-mail or a Facebook message, I hope I'll get to it this weekend.
Tuesday, April 3
Winter 2007 Spirit of Librarianship Nominations Announced
by
Jason
on Tue 03 Apr 2007 07:53 PM CST
I can't believe it's been a year since I won the Spirit of Librarianship Award! And now with the self-serving comment out of the way, let's get to the people who really deserve the attention...
(I'll update the SoL page when the winner is announced. If anybody has a digital camera, can you take pictures of the nominees on the stage and the winner and send them to me so I can add them to the page as well?)
---
Hi all,
I would like
to thank everyone who nominated someone for this award we have a lot of
strong contenders for the award this year. The following list contains
all the nominees for this year’s award:
- Matthew Bingham
- Peter Bladlund
- Chantale Boileau
- Rachel Chan
- Erin Fields
- Natasha Hesch
- Michelle Lake
- Jessica Olliver
- Megan Potts
- Tina Steed
- Danielle Winn
We are looking forward for the voting to begin. But first there are a few rules:
1. Everyone including students, faculty and staff are eligible to vote for any of the above students.
2. All votes must be submitted by a UWO email address, those that are not from a UWO email address will not be counted.
3. All votes must be in by Monday April 9th at 10 pm.
4. You can only vote once, and for one person.
5. All votes must be made to Student council email address, mlisstudentcouncil@gmail.com
6. You must vote for someone even if you nominated them.
7. Nominees are eligible to vote.
This is a very strong group of students; a list of the nominated students with the nomination testimonies will follow.
Congratulations to all the students who have been nominated and good luck.
Thank you!
Spirit of Librarianship Committee
---
Matthew Bingham
Everybody
knows Matt, because he makes an effort to be everybody's friend. He
works part-time at the GRC, and always has a smile on his face. He's
the class clown, and always makes us laugh!
Peter Bladlund
Peter
is one of those people who stand out in the MLIS program. He is a very
supportive person, whether you're his partner for a project or a
classmate. In a team environment, he doesn't sweat the small stuff,
believes in the capabilities of his group members, and is very
personable. He always goes the extra mile to help people, and what I
find the most encouraging about Peter is the fact that he reaches out
to you FIRST when you're having assignment difficulties in comparison
to you reaching out first. This is the type of nature Peter has, rare
to find, and appreciated by all in his presence.
Chantale Boileau
Chantale
Boileau should be rewarded with the Spirit of Librarianship Award
because she has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the profession.
Throughout her time at FIMS Chantale has been on the Executive of
Librarians without Borders and the Student Chapter of the Canadian
Library Association. She works hard to share current information, and
is a great resource for jobs in the Ottawa area. She is also a great
person to work with, she is always going out of her way to make life
easier for others.
Rachel Chan
Since her first
semester at FIMS, Rachel has been very active in extra-curricular
activities and has even worked as a Job Web Assistant. She’s been the
SOGS Rep for the Student Council and has worked to increase the success
of the CLA’s Peer to Peer and Professional Mentorship Program through
her role as a participant on that committee. She’s also very involved
with Ask Ontario, a major initiative dedicated to creating a 24hr.
virtual reference service for Ontarians. Rachel will be an accomplished
librarian one day in the very near future and is deserving of this
award.
Erin Fields
Erin Fields has been a positive
presence in this program since she arrived. She is always smiling or
laughing, and is always there for comfort or cheering up when it is
needed. She is the rep for the Archive Association, is a member of CLA,
and is currently the chair of Librarians Without Borders. Erin truly
represents everything which the Spirit of Librarianship award stands
for.
Natasha Hesch
She is friends with everyone in
the class (of first term) and always has a smile for everyone, and has
gotten to know upper-term students as well. She is doing very well in
her classes and asks intelligent questions in class. She is a great
combination of friendly, fun and studious and is always willing to lend
a hand to fellow students.
Michelle Lake
Testimony One:
I
would like to nominate Michelle Lake for the Spirit of Librarianship
Award. Michelle has been an inspiration to many fellow library students
-- her love of the profession is communicated through her enthusiasm
and her activism, in short her infectious spirit of librarianship!
This
semester, Michelle organized a reading and awareness campaign for the
Faculty of Information and Media Studies in support of Freedom to Read
Week, receiving coverage in the UWO community -- and was an eloquent
host and participant in this successful event.
In addition,
Michelle has been an active participant on the MLIS Student Council,
responsible for a housing blog, an especially useful tool for students
who come and go on co-op in this program -- providing access to
information for the rest of us...Michelle builds community &
promotes discussion in this program (where interests are diverse!)
through her regular communications with colleagues, through email and
through her blog "Yarns from M" -- drawing our attention to
controversies and new innovations. (see:
http://msmeshell.blogspot.com/)
Active in attending conferences,
Michelle eagerly shares information and excitement with her fellow
students. She fires off emails and letters to support access to, and
widespread use of, our libraries. Michelle Lake deserves the Spirit
of Librarianship Award this semester as she has proven herself to be an
excellent communicator, defender of the profession, and exemplary
student in this program.
Testimony Two:
Even if you haven't had
the pleasure of getting to know Michelle Lake personally, or met her in
one of the various activities she has coordinated and attended, you
probably still know her name from the many emails she has sent, sharing
information that she feels the MLIS population would be interested in
or benefit from. Michelle is all about sharing information, whether by
email, on her well-maintained and relevant blog, or over a cup of
coffee in the Grad Club. But it's not just because she is a true
information professional that she exemplifies the Spirit of
Librarianship. Neither is it just because she has sat on Student
Council each term, representing her peers and helping them with housing
issues. Nor is it just because she organizes events, like the Freedom
to Read Week reading, or because she attends events and encourages
others to participate (she is a faithful attendee at Trivia Nights).
It's not just because she takes advantage of professional development
opportunities (having attended the CLA conference in 2006 and OLA in
2007). Michelle isn't worthy of the nomination only because she manages
to juggle working at London Public Library with a full MLIS course
load, with academic success, or because she has worked in libraries in
Hamilton, London, and Guelph. No, it's not for any of those reasons
alone. Michelle Lake exemplifies the Spirit of Librarianship because
she does ALL of those things, with a smile on her face, a positive
attitude, and a willingness to help her fellow students every step of
the way. She is genuinely passionnate about librarianship. She has
contributed to every aspect of the program and is committed to the
profession, to FIMS, to her studies, and to her peers. That is why
Michelle deserves the nomination.
Jessica Olliver
Testimony One:
Ms.
Olliver is very engaged with the student community and has a great
interest in the MLIS program and its ties to the professional
community.
Ms. Olliver has been a SOGS rep for Student Council
since September, and she is hoping to become more involved with council
this summer.Ms. Olliver is also an active member of OLA and currently
working to get a student chapter at FIMS. At the moment, she is
contemplating having an “OLA Day” once a term where students could
focus on professional issues such as resume building, interview skills,
networking, etc.
Testimony Two:
Jess Olliver deserves
the Spirit of Librarianship Award because of all she does to make the
library school experience more enjoyable for her peers. She is a very
active member of the Student Chapter of the CLA, and participates in
planning and running fun events. She also worked with the Student
Council to bring guest speakers to FIMS this semester. It’s amazing,
but Jess also finds the time to act as a MLIS SOGS Rep. Jess is always
thinking of ways to serve and help others and is truly committed to
librarianship.
Megan Potts
Megan would be a deserving
recipient of this award for a number of reasons--she is an articulate
and constructive contributor to class discussions, is always willing to
take time to assist fellow students, and is a positive influence on
anyone and everyone she meets. Megan epitomizes the ideals of the
profession with her helpful attitude, her interest in learning, and the
courtesy with which she treats both students and instructors alike.
Megan is a leader and role model to her fellow students, is both bright
and hardworking, and she represents all the most positive aspects of
Western's MLIS program. For these reasons, she deserves this nomiantion
for Western's Spirit of Librarianship Award.
Tina Steed
Testimony One:
As
past Chair of the CLA, Tina successfully increased membership and made
innovative changes to the executive. She has been an active member of
the CLA her entire time at Library School and is currently serving as
the Treasurer. Additionally, Tina has been active on the Student
Council and currently serves as a Social Rep. Tina is always willing to
help out fellow students, and exemplifies the spirit of our profession.
Testimony Two:
Tina was my peer mentor during my first
term here (September - December 2006) and we have been friends since
the first day we met. In fact, even before I arrived on campus, Tina
answered my panicked email and IM messages daily, and answered them
thoroughly and honestly. She is an incredibly warm and friendly person
who genuinely cares the well being of her fellow classmates. Moreover,
she is passionate about the field and is genuinely excited to get out
there and make a difference. I would not have made it through my first
semester without her, and I continue to value her friendship and
support.
Danielle Winn
Over her tenure in the MLIS
program, Danielle Winn has consistently made positive social and
professional contributions to the program. Throughout her schooling,
she has been active in student groups and social and professional
activities. This term, while balancing the academic commitments of this
program and the demands of a teaching assistant, she has volunteered
her time as MLIS Student Council Chair and Communications
Representative for the student chapter of the CLA. In these roles she
has helped to organize fundraisers and social events, and bring in
guest speakers from the wider library community. Her warm, outgoing and
fun personality certainly brightens the sterile halls of North Campus
Building, and her enthusiasm for librarianship permeates all of her
endeavours.
Thursday, March 22
UWO FIMS "Spirit of Librarianship" Award - Call for Nominations
by
Jason
on Thu 22 Mar 2007 05:30 PM CST
Meshell, who recently posted a great article called "Huckleberry Who?" on her blog that ties in nicely to my posts on the question of "Is there a Universal book?", forwarded me the call for Spirit of Librarianship nomination for this term.
I try to do a good job remembering to cite where I get my info/links for this blog (although not always successfully). I also try to remember that my "audience" for this blog continues to become wider so putting a generic "SoL Call for Nominations" headers as I initially did might be mis-leading to some people. Something anybody putting information on the Net has to keep in mind - it's more rare than it used to be but I still hit web sites that don't list full contact information for the organization or if they do, they won't list a state with the city or an area code with the phone number.
It's hard to believe the current semester of library school is almost over. It definitely goes faster when you're not there! Here's a link to my Spirit of Librarianship page if you want some info on the award, past winners and nominees, etc. otherwise, go ahead and nominate somebody!
---
Hello everyone,The time has come again to collect nominations for the Spirit of Librarianship award.The
Spirit of Librarianship Award is presented each term by the MLIS
Student Council to an MLIS student who “exemplifies the spirit of
librarianship” in their daily life as a student. It is based on a
positive collegial attitude and contribution, a willingness to help
whenever a need arises, and an interest in fellow students. Any current
Master of Library and Information Science student is eligible, except
those on co-op and those who have previously received the award.To
nominate one of your fellow students, please send an email to
mlisstudentcouncil@gmail.com by March 29th. In this email please give
not only the name of the person being nominated, but also write a short
summary as to why you are nominating them. Please note: only
individuals can be nominated for the award.After all
nominations are gathered, an email will be sent out with a list of all
nominations and explanations as to the voting process. All questions
are welcome, and can be emailed to mlisstudentcouncil@gmail.com or by
asking a member of Council.Spirit of Librarianship Committee
Sunday, January 7
Good Luck Everybody!
by
Jason
on Sun 07 Jan 2007 06:48 PM CST
Tomorrow's the first day of Winter semester for FIMS students and I have to admit, I'm pretty glad I'm not there. You tend to get pretty wrapped up in things (for good and bad) while you're immersed in that environment. Then when you graduate, it all drops away...almost immediately. For example, I just realised tonight that I never updated the Spirit of Librarianship page with last semester's winner and a few other things I had wanted to add (a list of "rules" for the award that I developed with a couple other people plus the name of the up-until-now anonymous sponsor of the $50 CLA gift certificate that SOL winners can use to buy a student membership or other CLA swag. And don't worry, I asked his permission before naming him publicly.)
Anyhow, hope everybody back there reading this has a good semester! 
Saturday, December 16
"The Librarianship of Love"
by
Jason
on Sat 16 Dec 2006 08:30 PM EST
"Love is, above all, the gift of oneself." - Jean Anouilh, Ardele
"We can and do spend too much time worrying whether librarianship is a craft or an art, a job or a profession, irrespective of whether it is one or the other, all or none, librarianship has three major values: service, intellectual freedom, and preservation of the cultural record. We seek to serve each user of the library by supplying the collections that she or he needs and the assistance necessary to gain the most out of those collections. We stand with every legal expression of thought and the unalienable right to make those expressions. We care deeply about the preservation and onward transmission of the cultural record and do what we can to ensure that the baton is not dropped on our lap.
These are noble ideals and they do not arise from a void. Many librarians hew to these values because they are altruistic; others because they think of them as a natural part of the profession they chose. My believe is that the force behind these ideas and the reason so many struggle to overcome adversities and realize these values is: dare I say it? - love. A committed librarian is a person who loves humanity and seeks to help individuals and society; a person who loves learning and the achievements of humankind; and, above all, a person who loves truth. There is a librarianship of love and, often unknowingly, we practice it daily."
I will hold in my heart the values that define librarianship.
- Michael Gorman in Our Singular Strengths
Tuesday, December 5
And The Spirit of Librarianship - Fall 2006 - Goes To...
by
Jason
on Tue 05 Dec 2006 11:32 PM EST
...Lindsay Holdsworth. Congrats to probably the biggest volunteer in the entire MLIS program. (I know she makes my head spin, just watching what she's involved with.) Kathleen C. took some abuse tonight for breaking the "Spirit of Peer Mentorship" chain that led from Sabina to me to her. (The first two won the award, Kathleen allegedly broke the chain.) But upon further reflection, we realised the chain was connected by nominators, not peer mentors. Sabina was my peer mentor but she also nominated me for the award. Then I nominated Lindsay. So that's the real Skull & Bones connection of the award. (We won't mention my summer nomination who didn't come through with the SoL victory nor the fact that, although of course we were both deserving, Lindsay and I each happened to win in a term where no one else from our cohort was nominated to split the vote.  ) I'll have photos just as soon as I can figure out how to get my digital camera to talk to my computer. (Sometimes, they're like an old married couple on the step giving each other the silent treatment.)
Classmate of the Day: Jeremie LeBlanc for offering a ride to Molly Bloom's tonight after the summer cohort finished their final 506 class and then a ride home afterwards. Had a good visit with lots of students from summer term plus a couple grads who showed up as well.
Monday, December 4
Reading Library School
by
Jason
on Mon 04 Dec 2006 02:53 AM EST
"For decades, reading studies have repeatedly found that 'heavy readers' not only read more books than light readers and nonreaders but also do more of almost everything else, including traveling, attending sports events and concerts, visiting museums, and participating in community organizations and politics. For many, reading is a way of being engaged with the world. These readers like to know about things and they read to find out." - "Reading Non-Fiction for Pleasure: What Motivates Readers?" - Catherine Ross in Nonfiction Readers' Advisory, Robert Burgin (ed)Since I've mentioned a few times in this blog that many students end up not doing all the required readings (and are frequently given that advice directly by upper level students), I thought I'd do a post about the type of things I have read during library school because I think it is important to do some sort of reading obviously, even if it's not always what the professor tells you to read.
Required Readings
Even if people tell you to not even try to do all the readings, it shouldn't preclude you from trying to do some of them. I'm not going to admit how much I've done this year but it's higher than "none" and lower than "all of them".
Articles You Find For Assignments
LibraryLit will soon become your best friend but there are other databases out there and everybody seems to end up with their own favourite. I grew to like Emerald which someone pointed me to early as having lots of full-text articles (always an important thing to look for.)
Articles You Find Out of Interest
I've spent some time punching random subjects I'm interested in into online databases (like LibraryLit and Emerald among others) just to see what articles I can find. CPIQ has back issues of numerous magazines and CanadianNewsstand has newspapers.
Internet Articles & Web Sites
Doing Internet searches is sort of like browsing in a library as sites lead to other sites which lead to other sites and all of a sudden, you're nowhere near where you started but finding out about something completely unique and interesting.
Library BlogsFor the latest developments, news and plain old gossip in the library world, you really can't beat library blogs. There are probably hundreds of them out there. (That last one is a Wiki so it's easy to add yourself if you're a librarian blogger. <hint>) I've got about maybe twenty that I read on a regular basis (where "reading" equals scanning the RSS feeds than clicking on interesting sounding articles) and maybe that many more that I don't often visit at all.
Friend Blogs
This partly blurs the line with the last category but I have maybe a dozen blogs that aren't necessarily all about libraries or library school but that I read to keep up with friends lives and thoughts. Many of them are linked on the left side of this page.
Classmates' Papers
Anytime I heard a classmate talking about an interesting topic or project they did, I'd ask them to send me the paper so I could have a look. I often ended up learning more about the most cutting-edge issues, the most unique takes on library-related topics and lots of local or regional information I wouldn't get anywhere else.
Library Journals, Other Periodicals
Sam Trosow gave us shit for not reading any library journals early in our 501 class so I've taken that lesson to heart and sometimes like to go into the GRC and just flip through some of the journals, stopping to read things that catch my eye. It's especially fun to pick something you'd never normally pick up - I picked up some cataloguing journal once and ended up reading a very engaging article comparing the classification system for the Internet Movie Database with traditional library classification systems. I also try to at least glance through Quill & Quire every issue to keep in touch with my old life.
Serendipitous Searches
Probably one of my greatest pleasures in life is going in the library stacks and just wandering randomly waiting for books to find me rather than me finding them. I've come across a few this way (including the one that included the quote that leads off this post.)
Books With Library Connection in Broadest Sense
Ian S. and I spent an enjoyable couple hours at the Grad Club, I think before the summer course selection meeting, talking about "pop science" books - the latest trend in books where various authors are trying to come up with broad theories to explain some element of our society in a style that's accessible to a lay audience. "Pop society" - maybe that was the term we used? Anywho, some examples of these types of books we came up with which are great for giving a lot of material and ideas for virtually any essay or assignment you might do in library school include:
Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
Freakonomics - Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. DubnerFree Culture - Lawrence Lessig
Linked - Albert-Laszlo Barabasi
The Cathedral and the Bazaar - Eric S. Raymond
The Ingenuity Gap - Thomas Homer-Dixon
The Long Tail - Chris Anderson
The Rebel Sell - Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter
The Rise of the Creative Class - Richard Florida
The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
The Triple Bottom Line: How Today's Best-Run Companies Are Achieving Economic, Social and Environmental Success - Andrew W. Savitz
The Wisdom of Crowds - James Surowiecki The World Is Flat - Thomas Friedman
(Full disclosure - I have not read all of these books although all that I haven't are on my "To Read Soon" list.)
Real Books For Pleasure
I think I've mentioned on the blog already that before library school, I averaged about a book to a book and a half read per week. Since getting here, I'm lucky if I read one (non-school related) book per month. (I just checked - 24 non-school related books this year so two per month. Not as bad I as thought considering how much other types of reading I've done that wasn't book length - though I've learned that this type of reading counts too! Lots of the books that I did read were powered through during semester breaks though.)
The Best Article I Read All Year
Finally, our managment professor talked about an article from the 1950's (?) on how much of management theory is bunk and really, people just stumble from decision-to-decision making the best choices they can, given the limited information they have. He read it as an undergrad and said it was the best article he ever read as he progressed on through grad school and his eventual doctorate (of which he was sure to mention on every slide of every Powerpoint he ever created but that's getting off-topic.)
Anyhow, that leads me to my favourite article that I've read this year, interestingly enough, something that was either assigned or found during this semester's 506 class (mabye there is something to management after all? ). Barb J. sent it to me because it talked about Regina Public Library but beyond my natural bias for the topic, the actual subject matter was just incredibly inspirational. It's called "Lasting Lessons in Leadership" (PDF) and talks about why Ronald Yeo, one of the former head librarians at Regina Public Library was such a successful manager which in turn, made for an innovative, nation-leading library system.
(I asked the original publisher of the article for permission to reprint the article but never heard back from them. But since the original journal (10MB PDF) that included the article is available freely online, I didn't think it would be a problem to reprint it here. Shhh!)
Classmate of the Day: Time to resurrect a long forgotten "feature" of this blog - classmate of the day, where I acknowledge people who have made my life at library school a bit more fun, enjoyable or easy. We have a double winner today - Linda Bussiere who hosted an incredibly fun farewell party for a few people from our cohort - some who are done for good, some who are done for the term - on Saturday night at her home. Also have to thank Lara Andrews who gave me 24 beer as a very personalized Advent calendar (and as a thank-you for helping her move a couple times this year.) I've only got a couple weeks left here but will do my best!
Friday, November 24
Spirit of Librarianship Fall 2006 - Call For Nominations
by
Jason
on Fri 24 Nov 2006 12:16 PM EST
The two people on student council who would normally run the SoL Award process were both nominated (along with Council chair) so I ended up volunteering to take it over since it was guaranteed I wouldn't be nominated (well, I could be nominated I guess but I wouldn't have been able to accept having won it before.)
So anyhow, this is the blurb that went out last night. I would encourage anyone reading this who's eligible (basically any student, faculty or staff) to vote. It's a very strong field of candidates once again so I won't try to bias anyone by saying who you should vote for - totally non-partisan, that's me!
I'd made some noises at Council about expanding the Awards program a bit but nothing happened this term unfortunately. I see no reason why we don't have awards for things like volunteer of the year, highest academic average (one for part-timers, one for full-timers), maybe a "rookie of the year" award out of the first-termers, "unsung hero" for those who don't have a big presence but still are helpful, friendly and effective at school, on and on. It wouldn't be hard to do (future councils, are you listening?) and would help "spread the love" instead of having only one award.
---
Voting for the Spirit of Librarianship Award is now active! All
students, faculty and staff are eligible to vote. You may vote any time
between now and Thursday November 30 at 11:59 pm. Late votes will not
be counted. The winner will be announced at the "Destressor", a social
event that is tentatively scheduled for Monday December 4 at 4:30pm at
the Grad Club. Below is a list of the nominees and the blurbs which were
submitted that explain why each person was nominated. You can only
vote for one person and your first vote is final. (If you nominated a
person that does *not* count as your vote and you have to re-vote for
them for it to count. Sorry for this inconvenience.)
Please send your vote with the subject heading "SOL VOTE
- <Nominee Name>" in the subject line to the following email
address: mlisstudentcouncil@gmail.com
Thank you for your participation! The Spirit of Librarianship CommitteeJason HammondMary Brown
PS - if you would like to learn more about the Spirit of Librarianship Award, you can visit: http:///www.jason.hammond.net/spirit.htm-------------------------------------------------------------------
Spirit of Librarianship Nominees - Fall 2006
Emily Gusba
Iona Henderson
Lindsay Holdsworth
Dave Hudson
Barb Janicek
Michael McAlpine
Megan Potts
Magda Skowran
Gillian Webster
Emily Gusba
Emily
is energetic and friendly in class. She has helped organize
extra-curricular activities for our class and eagerly supports other
peoples ideas. She worked hard to make class sweatshirts. Emily is
good at working with others and is always helpful.
Iona Henderson
Iona
is always cheerful, outgoing and energetic every time I see her. She
is always there to listen to anyone who has problems and is heavily
involved in councils. Her positive attitude and genuine concern for
everyone makes her an awesome person to be around and work with. Her
tireless attempts to expose MLISers to the professional and social side
of librarianship should earn her the spirit award. As a member of the
peer mentoring committee, she has spent countless hours connecting us
with working professionals. Iona also works to build connections
between students, through her coordinating work with the peer
mentorship group. Her efforts on the social committee include trying
to convince us that even if we are in library school, we should still
have the occasional evening off. Even better, she gives out food to
her classmates! Iona once came to class with home-smoked Pacific
salmon, fresh off the plane from the west coast.
Lindsay Holdsworth
Put
simply, Lindsay is a dynamo. In addition to taking five classes per
semester for each of the last three semesters (and maintaining an
honour roll average overall), she's worked a part-time job at the
London Public Library and volunteered on a number of student
organizations in high-commitment, high-responsibility positions
including Treasurer for CLA and Chair of Student Council. When we met
with our Advocacy professor earlier this term, the professor observed
that she felt like she was teaching at
least three future CLA Presidents. I don't know who the other two
people she was referring to were but I am pretty sure Lindsay
was the third one!
Dave Hudson
I'd
like to nominate Dave Hudson. He is a great classmate who is
enthusiastic, inquisitive, very helpful, friendly and an all around
good student. The job of a librarian- we are taught, is to find
information for information seekers. He has helped many in my class by
sharing his knowledge with those of us who may be lacking it with
regards to assignments. I think he would be a wonderful candidate for
this award.
Barb Janicek
I'm
nominating Barb Janicek for the Spirit of Librarianship award. Barb is
a dedicated student and a supportive colleague. Always there with a
helpful suggestion, a sympathetic ear or just a videotape of your
favourite show (that you missed, because there's no time!); Barb
represents what is great about the MLIS program. Barb's advocacy on
behalf of her fellow students is inspirational, as is her attention to
detail and strong work ethic. Her calm demeanor and good humour make
her an excellent future librarian and a valuable fellow-student.
Michael McAlpine
I
would like to nominate Michael McAlpine for the Spirit of Librarianship
Award. Michael has no previous experience in libraries and from the
beginning of the semester he has shown enthusiasm for learning about
librarianship and a dedication to the ideals of the profession. He is
an eager, hard-working guy who is always willing to help someone in
need and he is excited about his future in the field. Michael loves
the MLIS Program and his devotion to both his studies and the
profession of librarianship is inspiring to those around him.
Megan Potts
I would
like to nominate Megan Potts of section 002. She is always attentive
in class, she always participates in class discussion and offers extra
insight into course material. She is very friendly and very
enthusiastic about being in this program. She offers help whenever
asked for it.
Magda Skowran
I'd like to nominate Magda Skowran because she embodies the energy and optimistic attitude that I think librarians should have.
Gillian Webster
I'd
like to nominate Gillian Webster for the Spirit of Librarianship. I
feel that Gillian exemplifies the true spirit of library and
information science through her dedication to organizing social outings
for the stressed out students of this programme. We all work hard at
our studies, and often it is refreshing to get out with our colleagues
and friends and blow off some steam. From my past experiences on
student council I know how much time and effort goes into organizing
these events. Gillian has also been responsible for fundraising within
the MLIS programme, and takes time to attend and support social events
including the trivia nights on Wednesday evenings, and the speakers
that are brought in by the MLIS administration for lectures. As well,
she is an active member of her community, working part-time at the
London Public Library, and publishing short stories in some campus
feminist publications. For these reasons I feel she is an ideal
candidate for the Spirit of Librarianship this semester.
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