MidWinter Recap
Dates: February 2, 2015
Where: https://davidlankes.org/?page_id=7048
Question: How can The Radical’s Guide to New Librarianship be of most use to the library community?
Why It Matters: This in-person session (with an imperfect online companion) was a general session to provide feedback and direction on the Radical’s Guide. What worked or didn’t from the Atlas? Did the publishing plan make sense?
Introductory and Concluding Comments:
MdNotes from R. David Lankes on Vimeo.
Slides in PDF Format
Key Points Discussed “In the Room”
- Need to cover the idea of library programs transforming student learning in schools and colleges
- Need to present libraries as “magical and special” not testing centers
- Provide guides and specifics of having conversations with the community
- Talk about avoiding the “edifice complex” where librarianship is more than a building.
- Talk about how librarianship’s focus on knowledge is fundamental to global development goals. If you are seeking economic and cultural development in any country, knowledge sits at the center of the work.
- Provide common terms and definitions
- Help frame ways of getting out the value of libraries and librarianship
- Advocacy – how to do it for the profession and the community
- Use the language of aspirations – so much more fruitful than talking about problems.
- Talk about filling the gaps – what should we be doing instead of traditional functions (if not answer reference questions, then what?)
- Talk about finding time to do all of this
- How do you tell the stories of the community?
- What are the characteristics needed in new hires for libraries, realizing these folks may have 20 years to go with an organization.
- Decrease the complexity of the Atlas – show us how to get started.
- Talk to the front liners and folks who don’t go to ALA and conferences
- Provide the message in smaller “chunks”
- Build a shared sense of urgency – we can’t coast on our cultural cache
- Show how libraries need everything behind the walls of the university – make sure to produce newly minted librarians with a range of skills
Transcript of Online Session
Special note, this was a last minute addition and so therefore good audio of audience feedback was not provided (as you’ll see from the comments).
Transcript
ALA Session Recording
Posted when available
Join the Conversation
There are two ways to share your thoughts and join the conversation. Either use the comments at the bottom of this page (including links to video or blogged thoughts), or use the hash tag #NewLib to comment via twitter. |
In my opening comments I told the story about giving books out at a food pantry and in my haste said this was a Chattanooga Public Library…It was Betsy Kennedy at Cazenovia Public Library in New York. Sorry Betsy.
p.s. you so rock.
David,
Unfortunately I couldn’t attend the virtual session since the access was blocked. Therefore hereby a modest contribution to the theme.
May I suggest that you elaborate in the guide on the role of the librarian in the sense of HOST by Mark McKergow and Helen Bailey, 2014 (http://www.hrreview.co.uk/analysis/analysis-hr-news/mark-mckergow-and-helen-bailey-the-six-new-roles-of-engagement/54146 ).
They defined roles of engagement for leaders. Transposed to the radical guide we would have a librarian that acts as facilitator and host in multiple roles: Initiator, inviter, space creator, connector, gatekeeper, co-participator and ……..
Please excuse me if this concept is already mentioned in the MOOC. I cannot check this because the pages of the module about Librarians and Social responsibility are nor accessible.
Regards,
Thei