Crazy, Crazy Spring

What a crazy spring it’s been! So many conferences, so little time. Here’s what I’ve been up to…

• March 8th, 2013:  I had the pleasure of presenting with Jessie Carty,  Athena Dixon-DeMary, Tawnysha Greene, and Stephanie Kartalopoulos at the AWP Conference in Boston, MA. Our panel, “Stranger in a Strange Land? The Poet in the Composition Classroom” consisted of poets involved with the teaching of composition from poet/instructors to a poet-librarian who works closely with composition instructors as well as teacher/writers who bring the discussion of poetry into the study of composition. Each panelist had a unique take on how poets and poetry can challenge and enhance the study of writing across the genres.  You can view my presentation slides at http://prezi.com/utskqtd7u_a7/stranger-in-a-strange-land/.
• April 26th, 2013: I co-organized and hosted the Academic & Special Libraries Division’s 42nd Annual Continuing Education Conference, Publish or Perish. Take a look at our presenters’ materials over at ASLD’s blog: http://asldncla.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/publish-or-perish/.
• May 2, 2013: I co-presented “Two Birds, One Stone: ePortfolios as Professional Development and Patron Programming” at the Long Island Library Conference. In this presentation, Derek Stadler (Past President of ASLD) and I (President or ASLD) discussed the benefits of creating an electronic portfolio for both employed and job-seeking information professionals. Attendees received guidance on planning for the eportfolio, selecting materials, structuring content, and choosing a web-based platform. We also discussed how librarians can translate their newly-acquired eportfolio skills into valuable patron programming. All materials from the presentation are available at the following online toolkit: http://eportfoliotoolkit.weebly.com/.

I’ll also be participating as a panelist at METRO & ACRL/NY’s “Demystifying the Working Life of a New Academic Librarian – What to Expect in the First Days, Weeks, Months & Years” on June 6th. Check out the full description at http://metro.org/events/351/. Hope you can join us !

In Which I Return to Blogging…

Apologies, loyal readership! I took a bit of a vacation from blogging, but I’ve returned. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting about what I’ve been up to these past few months, starting with the symposium I attended in December.

On December 7th, I attended the ACRL/NY annual symposium for the very first time. What an event! So many great speakers, so much great information — in other words: this event is a keeper and I’m already looking forward to attending next year’s symposium.

This year’s theme was “Cultivating Entrepreneurship in Academic Libraries,” with speakers Steven Bell,  Maureen Sullivan, Naomi House, Lisa Carlucci Thomas, and Stephanie Walker.

Bell, 2012-13 ACRL President, opened the symposium by providing great insight into institutional cultures that promote or stifle progress. Essentially, Bell asked librarians to shift their thinking of entrepreneurship from product-centric to process-centric, and to focus not on outcomes measured by profit but rather to concentrate our creative energies, as library entrepreneurs, on developing environments and personal characteristics conducive to innovation.

Naomi House followed. As a user of the INALJ digest since its early days, I was ridiculously excited to see House speak. Her perspective on being entrepreneurial during the job hunt was quite refreshing, so I was surprised to see her catch some flack for drawing attention to the fact that our profession-wide ethic of teamwork can sometimes be counter-intuitive for job-seekers. That is, due to the nature of our work, job candidates have a tendency overemphasize their roles as team players to the extent that they often understate their creative abilities or leadership qualities.  Personally, I think it was a rather astute and helpful observation, one that in no way couched our brand of teamwork in the negative.

Stephanie Walker from Brooklyn College followed House. I was completely blown away by the fact that their IT department and librarians were able to collaborate to create products they could use in-house and sell to other libraries. In an age where departmental budgets are rapidly shrinking, what better way to prove the value of your library than to generate a profit? It will be interesting to see how the endeavor proceeds and how this particular instance of library-generated profit opens up the conversation about academic libraries and self-sustainability.

Unfortunately, my crew and I had to leave early, so the last presentation we caught was given by Lisa Carlucci Thomas. Much of Thomas’s talk reinforced what Bell spoke of at the start of the conference with particular emphasis on the role that culture plays in supporting and sustaining innovation.

Again, it was a great symposium, and I look forward to next December’s!

Three Workshops in October!

I’m so excited to be running/participating in the following workshops. If you’d like to attend, please check out the registration information below. Hope to see you there!

Prezi, The Zooming Presentation Editor
Event: A Workshop Sponsored by the Academic & Special Libraries Division of NCLA
Date: Friday, Oct. 19th.
Location: Instructional Media Center (IMC) B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library, LIU Post 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville, NY 11548
Time: 10am – 12pm
Register: Fill out and return this form. $10 for NCLA members/$20 for non-members.
Description: Tired of PowerPoint? Looking for something to “wow” your students, colleagues, and/or potential employers? Join us on October 19th for our hands-on Prezi workshop where you’ll learn how to create stunning presentations using the free, zooming editor!

Interviewing for Library Positions 
Event: A Discussion Sponsored by the LIU Palmer School and the Academic & Special Libraries Division of NCLA
Date:  Thursday, Oct 25th.
Location: LIU Post, Humanities Hall, Room 008
Time:6 – 7:30 pm
Register: This workshop is free and open to library school students and librarians/information professionals. Please RSVP to ellen.mehling@liu.edu<mailto:ellen.mehling@liu.edu> if you would like to attend this workshop.
Description: This workshop will cover what you should do before, during and after a job interview.
Presenters: Danielle Apfelbaum of the Academic and Special Libraries Division of the Nassau County Library Association and Ellen Mehling of LIU’s Palmer School of Library and Information Science.

ePortfolios for Librarians
Event: A Workshop Sponsored by the LIU Palmer School and the Academic & Special Libraries Division of NCLA
Date:  Tuesday, Oct 30th.
Location: LIU Post, Schwartz Library, Bibliographic Instruction Lab
Time: 6:00-7:30pm
Register: This workshop is free and open to library school students and librarians/information professionals. Please RSVP to ellen.mehling@liu.edu<mailto:ellen.mehling@liu.edu> if you would like to attend this workshop.
Description: In this workshop, attendees will receive guidance on the following: choosing appropriate portfolio materials, organizing portfolio content, and selecting a Web platform.
Presenter: Danielle Apfelbaum of the Academic and Special Libraries Division of the Nassau County Library Association.

Applying for Academic Library Positions: Part III

Okay, I took a break. Sorry to keep you all hanging! After attending two conferences (one as a presenter and one as an association rep) and completing two graduate courses, I’m ready to get back on the blogging track.

At the discussion in April, there were a lot of questions concerning the day of the presentation. As with the previous post, I’m going to break it down question by question.

How many evaluators are there for a typical presentation? It depends on the institution. (Sorry, I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s the absolute truth). Case in point: at one presentation, I was told I’d be presenting to five people. Because of administrative commitments and sudden illness, I ended up presenting to two people. However, after fifteen minutes, one of my audience members had to depart for a meeting. That left me with — count it — one person.  At another presentation, I ended up presenting to somewhere between ten and fifteen staff members (librarians and non-librarians). The point: you can never be sure about the size of your audience, so don’t sweat it.

Do I treat my audience like librarians or do I address them as students? Address them as students. It’s awkward, I know (teaching Boolean search techniques to experienced librarians = like preaching to the choir), but the whole point is to give your evaluators an idea of what their students will experience if you’re hired for the position. That said, plan for a presentation that showcases what you’d be doing if you were actually teaching.

Are there usually questions from the “class” during and/or after the presentation? Again, it depends on your audience. During one of my presentations, I had several questions. They ranged from “Why are we using this database?” to “How do I figure out the right keywords?” During another presentation, I was asked no questions.

What are some unexpected/surprising things (unexpected or surprising from the presenter’s point of view) that can affect how evaluators rate the presentations? The number one unexpected/surprising thing that can affect how an evaluator rates your presentation: how you handle technical difficulties. As librarians, we’re expected to be fluent in new and emerging technologies and to employ them with adroitness in the classroom. But what happens when the network goes down or your laptop crashes or — in my case — IT updates the instructor’s station and forgets to reload the Smartboard floating toolbar? You plan ahead and you roll with the punches. Ask yourself this question and you’ll be prepared for anything: How would I present this lesson if the building were suddenly evacuated and I had to teach in the parking lot? Sounds a little extreme, I’m sure, but technical difficulties are a given at any institution, so there’s nothing more impressive than a candidate who has thought of and prepared for EVERYTHING. Did I also mention that over-preparing reduces your odds of freaking out (major presentation killer) when your tech turns against you? Just saying…

Are there any absolute DON’Ts? Everyone knows not to be late, not to show up unprepared, etc. So I will leave you with a single DON’T: Don’t be anybody other than who you are. If you’re a naturally dry presenter, try to be conscious of the tone of your voice and body language; adjust accordingly. Don’t try to become a comedian. In short: just do what you do and do it well.

Does the applicant typically get any kind of feedback re: his/her performance, specifically for the presentation or overall as an applicant? Would this feedback be given immediately after the presentation? I suspect that all applicants get the, “Thanks for coming in. You did very well,” routine regardless of performance. The fact of the matter is that interviewers are simply NOT invested in providing interviewees with feedback, so don’t expect or ask for it. The time for feedback is BEFORE the interview. If you’re concerned with your presentation, practice. Round up a few current colleagues, classmates, or fellow library school alumni and have THEM evaluate your performance prior to your interview. (Can’t get everyone in one place? Try Skype or Google Hangouts with Extras.) You’ll get a handle on your strengths, weaknesses, and, based on the comments and suggestions you receive, you’ll learn how to gauge the quality of your performance on your own.

How about you? What are your day-of presentation tips or concerns?

Applying for Academic Library Positions: Part II

Success in delivering a knockout presentation is, in part (a big part, mind you), a function of the extent to which a candidate has prepared. More often than not, interviewees spend too much time worrying about content at the expense context, so I’ll be highlighting both in this post.

Context:
The key to context is understanding your presentation environment. What technology will be available to you? Will you be in a standard classroom or a computer lab? Will you have a projector, a SmartBoard, a clicker? Knowing the instruction environment will not only help you to utilize your resources effectively, it will also help you to anticipate and preemptively troubleshoot the dreaded technical difficulties to which no interviewee is immune.

Content:
During the discussion, we came back to the same set of content-related questions over and over again, so I’m going to address each of them separately.

“How long should my presentation last?” First, ask your interviewer. In cases where your contact does not provide you with a clear set of expectations, never hesitate to ask for clarification. Generally speaking, though, expect to present for a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 30 minutes. Again, these situations are always institution-dependent; so, that said, a potential employer may ask you to present a complete instruction session.

“Will I be assigned a topic or do I have to come up with one on my own?” Again, it depends on the institution. In both cases where I presented, I was given specific parameters, but customization was all on me. My advice? If you’re asked to demo a database, choose one with which you’re most comfortable. If you’re asked to present a lesson based on one or more of the ACRL Informaiton Literacy Standards, try to do it within the context of a class that the institution actually offers. Ultimately, your presentation is about showing the interviewers what you have to offer their students. Demonstrating that you understand their needs — before you’ve even been hired — will score you major points.

“Should I use PowerPoint, or lecture, or…?” As with chosing a database to demo, select your delivery methods and technologies based on comfort level and the content you intend to teach. I use Prezi, but only because I feel totally confident in my creations. If you prefer slides, go ahead and rock the PowerPoint. Think of it this way: you’re already going to be nervous about the interview process (anyone who says s/he’s not is a total liar), so why add the anxiety of using a new technology to mix?

As always, if you have questions or suggestions, leave a message in the comments section, and don’t forget to check back for the next installment of Applying for Academic Library Positions.

Applying for Academic Library Positions: Part I

On April 4th, I had the pleasure of joining Ellen Mehling (Director, Westchester Program and Internships, Palmer Graduate School of Library and Information Science, LIU Post) and Elizabeth Mezick (Associate Professor, B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library, LIU Post) in the discussion, “Giving a Presentation in Application for an Academic Library Position” at LIU Post. As someone who recently gave two such presentations (and was hired for both positions), I was happy to share my experiences. There was such an overwhelmingly positive response to the group’s discussion that I’ve decided to address the subject here on my blog. Tune in over the next few weeks as I discuss successfully scheduling, preparing for, and delivering a presentation in application for an academic library position. Up first: scheduling.

Scheduling:
The only given about scheduling a presentation is that it varies by institution. Of course, obvious factors (e.g., the availability of applicants and personnel committee members) affect the scheduling of a presentation, but internal issues — like the threat or arrival of a hiring freeze — can either push appointments ahead at light speed or bring them to a screeching halt. The main thing to remember: there will always be variables beyond your control, so plan for a presentation on short notice, but don’t be surprised if delays occur.

Another scheduling issue touched upon during our discussion was the inevitable conflict between an interviewer’s prefered presentation time and the interviewee’s current work schedule. Ellen offered this advice: simply inform your prospective employer if a requested time slot will inconvenience your current employer. Some attendees worried that this would project a lack of commitment to the prospective employer, but, as Ellen pointed it out, it actually communicates the candidate’s sense of professionalism.

Feel free to ask questions or share your scheduling experiences below, and don’t forget to check back next week for tips on preparing your presentation.

June Wrap-up

Okay, okay — it’s nearly the middle of July, I know, but here goes on the June wrap-up anyway.

June 28th:
For the past few months, I have been working with others to get an official Palmer School Chapter of the C.W.P.-L.I.U. Alumni Association off the ground. On the 28th, we had our first general interest meeting. If any Palmer Alumni are interested in seeing our meeting notes, you can email me off-blog using the contact form here. Be sure to leave your email address!

June 23rd:
I turned 25!

June 17th:
I nabbed my first freelance indexing gig! More about that in July’s wrap-up.

June 9th:
On June 9th, I attended a Scopus demonstration. My background is in the humanities, so it was great to have an opportunity to go through this citation database with the product managers. When the database overview was over, I headed over to the Commons and attempted to give blood for the first time. Let’s just say it wasn’t as successful as the demo.

May Wrap-up

Okay, so two events in my May wrap-up actually happened at the end of April, but they’re so exciting, I couldn’t leave them out. I’ll start with the most recent.

May 26th:
My contract for Cave Wall arrived! I still can’t believe I’m going to have not one but TWO poems published in this amazing journal.

May 23rd:
On May 23rd, I presented my program, “Making the Most of Your College Visit: Tips from a Former Admissions Ambassador,” at the Levittown Public Library. According to my evaluation sheets, it was a success! I got a few questions that kind of surprised me, so I’ll tackle those in another post in the near future.

May 5th:
I attended the Long Island Library Conference for the first time on May 5th. After a minor detour, I made it to the Crest Hollow. The first session I sat in on was “The Accidental Blogger” (a.k.a. Dr. Lawrence J. Epstein). Dr. Epstein gave us great insight into how he gathered and compiled the information in his books about Jewish comedians and political folk music. While it was incredibly entertaining, I have to admit that I’m still not sure how the presentation was supposed to tie in to the conference’s theme of “Getting Better Together”.

After the first program, I attended the awards/welcome presentation in which Andrew Xia Fukuda was featured as the keynote speaker. So funny! I’m definitely adding his first book, Crossing, to my summer reading list. Although my phone died during the first half of the presentation, I did manage a few Tweets. I was really surprised, though, at the scowl I got from one of the librarians sitting near me. Luckily, I was able to fight the urge to turn to her and say, “I can’t help it; I’m a millennial.”

The last session I attended was “Mobile Technology — Keeping Up in a Fast Paced World.” In summary: lots of interesting statistics and an amazing smart phone application.

April 29th:
On April 29th, the Academic and Special Library Division of the Nassau County Library Association held its annual conference. This year’s theme was “Instructional Connections: Techniques and Tools for Teaching Information Literacy”. It was my first time attending and I feel like I learned a lot, especially about the role that gaming can play in the classroom.

April 28th:
Coffee with the amazingly talented Sandra Beasley at the Witches’ Brew. Sandra’s written two books of poetry (Theories of Falling and I Was the Jukebox) and a memoir entitled Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life which will be available in July. Check out her work; you’ll be hooked!

March Wrap-up: Part II

Professionally, March was a great month. I sat in on my first Nassau County Library Association/Academic and Special Libraries Division meeting, had the opportunity to teach another information literacy instruction session, and I attended two workshops.

The first workshop was an in-house introduction to Springshare’s LibGuides. I had already published a guide (and started two others) before attending the session, but I’m still glad that I went: I finally learned how to manipulate the template’s default column structure!

The second workshop, hosted by LILRC and H.W. Wilson Product Manager Daniel Firrincilli, was a hands-on training session for WilsonWeb’s OmniFile Full Text Select. I’m always using the Wilson databases with education and library science students, so it was nice to learn that H.W. Wilson provides a ton of free, Web-based training resources to keep librarians up-to-date on new features and enhancements.

There’s only one more item to cross off my to-do list before the end of March and that’s finishing up a social media profile for the next issue of the Metropolitan Archivist. MS Word, here I come.

Two for One

Today was a pretty great day: the library instruction class I taught went off without a hitch and my first guest blog went live on Self Employed Central. Not too shabby.