Aside from joining professional organizations, there is an incredible emount of thinking that goes along with how to promote yourself as a professional librarian. In this sense, I am glad that I took some to head out into the “real world” before deciding to continue with graduate school because I feel that it really prepared me for understanding how important appearances really can be.
This was really very good to discuss before our poster sessions. The class was divided into 14 groups and we each had to present an issue that affects libraries. Our group chose the Dewey Decimal System and explored whether or not it was still supporting patrons. We all created large posters, set them up in the library and calmly explained what the issue was and where both sides stood on the matter to other students, librarians, professors and the general public made their way around our displays. I enjoyed this presentation much more than any other I’ve done; it seemed fairly pressure-free to discuss these topics on a one-on-one basis rather than presenting for 10 minutes in front of a large audience.
Group 13: To Dewey or Not To Dewey
Our group with our poster
The added bonus to this project was that the group that had the most relevant topic would be able to apply to present it at the next ALA conference. Group 14 won with a great poster on EBooks and some of the relatively sticky issues that accompany having such items available in an academic library. Congratulations Group 14!
Check out the blogs of my group members:
Imagination’s Way
Inzer-Ideas
LibraryPage.net
VIsibly Collected
Fox in the Library 