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27 Questions with Lori Reed

January 28, 2010 By

1. Your One Sentence Bio

  • Lori Reed, mom, library enthusiast, lifelong learner, passionate about helping people, team Edward!

2. Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?

  • I moved my blog from LibraryTrainer.com to LoriReed.com yesterday. I chose my name because it will remain constant. I want the freedom to change directions with my blog as needed.

3. What is your professional background?

  • I worked for several years as a firefighter/EMT and discovered that I love training. I conducted training for firefighters and EMTs for a while then moved to computer training (better hours and pay). I worked for a few for-profits and found that I really missed the environment of public service. A job came open at the library in Charlotte for someone to do computer support and training and it seemed like the perfect fit. 10-years and three jobs later and it’s still a great fit!

4. What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?

  • I coordinate the staff development at my library. This means that I don’t get to do as much training anymore. Instead I do more strategic planning. I look at the mission and vision and goals of the library and translate those back into competencies that staff need to achieve the library’s goals. I work with managers and staff to see what skills our staff need to accomplish the library’s goals and to get their jobs done well. I rely on a core group of staff trainers to facilitate most training sessions. I also serve as an internal consultant to help staff trainers develop their courses and materials.

5. What training do you think is most important to libraries right now?

  • I think the most important thing is that we be strategic with our training. If you align your training with your library’s vision, mission, and goals then you are right on track.

6. Where do you get your training?

  • Wherever I can! North Carolina State Library’s Master Trainer Program, Mecklenburg County, InSync Training, Learning Round Table, ASTD, ISPI, conferences, blogs, Twitter, friends…maybe the question should be where don’t I get my training.

7. How do you keep up?

  • The first rule of … wait … wrong question. I follow other people who keep up with subjects I’m interested in. It saves me a lot of time! I live by GTD principles and use my Outlook calendar and tasklist religiously. It also helps to have a clear personal definition of keeping up. For me keeping up means keeping my inbox at or near 0 and having some idea of what is going on in the world. For other people keeping up may mean knowing about every new idea or gadget that is coming out.

8. What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?

  • I think traditionally libraries have been slow to adapt and change. The world around us is changing at a faster and faster pace. To remain relevant and cherished by everyone in our communities we need to adapt faster. We need to take risks and be willing to try new things that might fail. We need to look at failure as a success and staying the same as a failure. We need to reduce the digital divide that exists among libraries. We need to continue to market our services. We’re being asked to do more with less–maybe it’s time to get more creative with funding and partnerships. We desperately need a new universal brand that reflects 21st century libraries!

9. What are biggest challenges for trainers?

  • Training is not always the solution. Training does not solve problems that stem from poor management or software that’s not intuitive. These are bigger issues at an organizational level. Traditionally trainers have not been in a role to contribute to organizations at that higher level. That needs to change. Trainers need to be part of the strategic planning of libraries and need to have the flexibility to implement complete performance solutions. When training is called for, developing quality training takes time. It’s more than happy butts in seats. Like everyone else, trainers are being asked to do more with less or worse to deploy bandages that will not solve long term performance or organizational issues.

10. What exciting things are you doing training wise?

  • We recently implemented a curriculum for staff training. We also received a generous donation of Lumenix (a learning content management system) from Handshaw, Inc. I’m working with my staff trainers to convert existing face-to-face training into self-paced, online training. It’s a very slow process because it takes exponentially more time to create self-paced modules that replace what we were doing face-to-face. I’m hoping to implement live, online training this fall. Fellow ALA Learning blogger Paul Signorelli and I are co-authoring a book on leadership for trainers that should be available this summer.

11. What do you wish were you doing?

  • I’m doing everything that I want to be doing, I just wish there were more hours in the day to do more and to sleep more.

12. What would you do with a badger?

13. What’s your favorite food?

  • Anything that is shared with good conversation and good company.

14. If you were stranded on an island, what one thing would you want to have with you?

  • A lifetime supply of insect repellent.

15. Do you know what happens when a grasshopper kicks all the seeds out of a pickle?

16. Post it notes or the back of your hand?

  • Post in notes are a GTD nightmare! I use my Outlook/Blackberry tasklist to action items. I use eWallet on my PCs and Blackberry for random information that I need to remember like passwords, printer IP addresses, security codes, etc. eWallet is well worth the small cost!

17. Windows or Mac?

  • Doesn’t matter just give me a browser.

18. Talk about one training moment you’d like to forget?

  • Potty training!

19. What’s your take on handshakes?

  • Ackward early in my career, but now I’m comfortable with them. If I know you though, watchout, I’m more likely to hug you than shake your hand!

20. Global warming: yes or no?

21. How did you get into this line of work?

  • See question 3.

22. What is the best part of your job?

  • Just about everything! Seeing the ripple effect that occurs as a result of good planning and strategy. Seeing staff whom I’ve worked with get promoted to new jobs. It’s all good!

23. Why should someone else follow in your shoes?

  • Everyone else has a good point of wearing your own shoes, but if you have a passion for learning, love helping people, don’t mind public speaking, and have good problem solving skills then you might want to consider a career in training workplace learning and performance.

24. Sushi or hamburger?

  • Hamburger.

25. LSW or ALA?

  • I belong to both, and they both have pros and cons.

26. What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?

  • Only one? I’m going to break the rules and say the ALA Learning bloggers. I think it would be amazing to get these 12 people all in the same place at the same time. I can’t imagine what the energy would be like!

27. What cell phone do you have and why?

  • A pink Blackberry Curve. I really wanted an iPhone but I can’t get a signal in my house using the Blackberry Storm or the iPhone. Verizon gives library employees a 19% discount which is substantial off a bill with two phones and two data plans. I also must have a phone that syncs directly to Outlook (See questions 7 and 16).

Lori Reed

Lori Reed, Managing Editor of ALA Learning, has more than 15 years experience in training and is the Learning & Development Coordinator for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library where she oversees the learning & development of a diverse group of staff at twenty libraries. Lori’s passions are performance consulting, learning strategies, and e-learning. Lori is coauthor, with Paul Signorelli, of Workplace Learning and Leadership: A Handbook for Library and Nonprofit Trainers. Lori also blogs at LoriReed.com and can be reached at lori[at]lorireed.com.

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27 Questions with Sarah Houghton-Jan

January 27, 2010 By

1) Your One Sentence Bio
I’m an iconoclast who often wishes she could better convince others to find the strength to stand up for their ideals.

2) Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?
I do blog at LibrarianInBlack.net. For my entire library career, librarian or not, I was referred to by library users as “that librarian…you know, the tall one in black.”  So, I figured that was a nice name…a bit of a riff on Johnny Cash, and the initials are LIB, which is also a nice library reference.

3) What is your professional background?
I have a BA in English Literature (minor in Psychology), an MA in English/Irish Literature and Mythology, and my MLIS with a focus on technology (which, back in the day less than a decade ago, was a specialty in and of itself, believe it or not).

4) What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?
I train primarily as a consultant, not in my day job as the San Jose Public Library‘s Digital Futures Manager. I train online and in-person, doing a lot of work for Infopeople, California’s library staff training organization. My past jobs, though, have involved training the public, and definitely training staff (something I still try to find time to do).

5) What training do you think is most important to libraries right now?
Dealing with the massive influx of information, change, and how to set up intelligent ways to stay current in our professional areas, including how to position ourselves as the info and media overload experts in our communities.

6) Where do you get your training?
I go to as many relevant free webinars as I can, find the greatest per hour training benefit at InfoToday conferences, and also try to take occasional professional development classes through ALA & its sub-divisions.

7) How do you keep up?
I rely primarily on my several dozen RSS feeds that I read through Google Reader, but have started to rely more on Twitter and the occasional serendipitous Facebook post from my professional contacts.

8 ) What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?
Our biggest challenge is to stop fooling ourselves, each other, and our customers that we can “do more with less” (or let’s be honest, even “do the same with less”).

9) What are biggest challenges for trainers?
Convincing the library power holders that training is an essential use of staff time and should be a priority, and finding ways to reach as many people as possible with the little time and money we have.

10) What exciting things are you doing training wise?
Our training group at work is currently getting ready to launch a databases-themed 23-Things/43-Things style learning course for our staff to help them get more comfortable with our online eResources.

11) What do you wish were you doing?
Resting.

12) What would you do with a badger?
Make friends with him or her.

13) What’s your favorite food?
The vegan garlic bread that I make, dipped in a good marinara sauce.

14) If you were stranded on an island, what one thing would you want to have with you?
Assuming that a “thing” means not a person or a beloved pet, then I would want my iTunes library of 13,000 songs with a solar panel to keep it going.

15) Do you know what happens when a grasshopper kicks all the seeds out of a pickle?
The pickle cries.

16) Post It notes or the back of your hand?
Post It Notes.  I’m known for writing notes to myself everywhere, including in the car while driving, on my legendary long commute…which is why my husband so thoughtfully bought me a tiny digital voice recorder to use instead.

17) Windows or Mac?
Linux, darn it.

18) Talk about one training moment you’d like to forget?
I got very ill, to the point of needing to go to the hospital, 15 minutes into an 8 hour training.  Fortunately, the wonderful Carole Leita was there as my assistant (which was the universe’s idea of a cosmic joke–I should have been her assistant).  But she took over for me, while I spent the next two days in the hospital.  Horrible for me, but I was so thankful to her!

19) What’s your take on handshakes?
They spread germs and they’re kind of gendered and culturally-biased intrinsically. I’d rather that we greeted each other the way that Farscape‘s beautiful character Zhaan did (a motion with the hands like you’re bringing water up to your face–what beautiful symbolism!).  Go watch Farscape, even if you’re not a science fiction fan.

20) Global warming: yes or no
Assuming the question is “does it exist?” then, yes.

21) How did you get into this line of work?
What I liked about English graduate work was the research, and I faultily believed librarianship meant research all the time.  Ha!  I was had! My teaching background in English served me well and launched me into doing training, bibliographic instruction, and all that jazz during library school–and forever thereafter!

22) What is the best part of your job?
Having the chance to equalize the intellectual playing field in our society for anyone who chooses to use the library.  That’s amazing.

23) Why should someone else follow in your shoes?
No one should do exactly what I did – they have to find their own path with their own shoes.

24) Sushi or hamburger?
I’m vegan, so I’ll say–a nice veggie Dan Dan noodles.

25) LSW or ALA?
LSW.

26) What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?
Neil Gaiman.  He inspires me through so much of what he does.  Plus he’s a literature/mythology buff and author who has embraced technology as a way to get his work out there.  I think we’d get along really well.

27) What cell phone do you have and why?
An old Treo, but I’m looking for a new phone and eyeing the Droid options.

Sarah Houghton-Jan

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23 Questions with Lauren Pressley

January 25, 2010 By

Hi everyone! I’m very excited to be joining the ALA Learning team, and am glad to get to introduce myself in such a fun way. It’s hard to follow so many creative answers, but I liked the format, so here we go…

1. Your One Sentence Bio

  • I’m just another geeky librarian.

2. Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?

  • I do! I blog over at Lauren’s Library Blog. I know; it’s not really a descriptive name, is it? I started it during library school, when I wasn’t really sure what I was going to end up doing. The vague name allowed me to talk about whatever classes I was taking at the time. A year or so ago I thought about moving to something more descriptive, but apparently I’m not too creative, and just stuck with the same old name. :)

3. What is your professional background?

  • I blogged about this just the other day! I’ve been hanging out and working in libraries for most of my life, since elementary school as a volunteer. All of my full-time work has been at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. First as a microtext specialist, and now as an instructional design librarian.

4. What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?

  • I’ll teach pretty much anything. I teach credit-based courses for undergraduates, one-shot classes for students, workshops and classes for library staff, and even classes for teaching assistants and faculty. Of course, I tend to teach different things to these different audiences; topics range from basic information literacy skills for first year students to information issues for those about to graduate to pedagogy or syllabus design for faculty.

5. What training do you think is most important to libraries right now?

  • All training is important. Over and over I hear from people about how hard it is to keep up with things. Trainers that keep up can help other staff members by synthesizing current trends and information and providing the most relevant information in easy to digest sessions.

6. Where do you get your training?

  • Three years ago I would have said, “from blogs.” Now I’d say it’s a combination of things: blogs still provide a lot of good content, Twitter points to new information fast, the library literature is full of in-depth information. I listen to a lot of technology related podcasts. I read a lot and spend a lot of time having conversations with people about trends and what they think is important. I also get a lot out of going to conferences and attending sessions. But pretty much, I take it anywhere I can get it, so I’m sure I’m leaving things out.

7. How do you keep up?

  • See answer six. :)

8. What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?

  • Time–at least in the libraries that I regularly talk with. It seems that everyone is trying to do more with the same, or less, staff as before. So it’s not very meta, or very big picture (which is very unusual for me), but it is very practical. Finding time to do everything that needs to be doing seems to be a challenge for a lot of us.

9. What are biggest challenges for trainers?

  • Well, to piggy-back on question eight, for me it’s planning training sessions that people can actually find time to attend! And it’s hard to know what’s going to resonate with a group. Just last semester I offered a class that several people requested, and no one signed up. I offered another on a whim and at a busier time of year, and it was the best attended workshop I’ve ever led. Figuring out what topics people will be interested in, as well as the timing that will get the most attendees, can be a bigger challenge than it seems.

10. What exciting things are you doing training wise?

  • I just wrapped up a program called “teaching teaching” that I worked on with another colleague. For one semester we offered a weekly hour long “class” on basic teaching principles for teaching library staff across campus. There was still demand the next semester, so I  facilitated weekly hour long discussions on topics of interest to teaching library staff. We had really good turnout throughout the entire program, but all agreed that now that everyone has a baseline of understanding of teaching topics, we could offer it every few semesters. Now I’m pulling together an online resource for this same group on teaching technologies.

11. What do you wish were you doing?

  • I feel very lucky. I love what I’m doing and am quite happy with it!

12. What would you do with a badger?

  • Take photos of it and post them to Flickr.

13. What’s your favorite food?

  • I like most any food, as long as it’s Vegan.

14. Post it notes or the back of your hand?

  • My phone, or maybe Evernote. I’m not a big fan of scraps of paper around my workspace, and I don’t like writing on myself all that much. I keep a notebook for longer notes, and use my phone for short reminders.

15. Windows or Mac?

  • Fluent in both, but I’m also using Ubuntu. The three computers I run each have their own OS. My favorite of the three is my Mac.

16. What’s your take on handshakes?

  • I’m a fan. Handshakes should be firm.

17. How did you get into this line of work?

  • Incredible luck, supportive supervisors and administrators, and with intense enthusiasm.

18. Why is the best part of your job?

  • I get to do so many interesting things! No, wait… it’s that I get to think about big picture issues and do something with it! I mean… it’s that I work with really awesome people! Oh, shoot. I’ll never be able to pick the best part. :)

19. Why should someone else follow in your shoes?

  • Ummm, I picked “my shoes” out because they were a good fit for where I wanted to go. I’m guessing people with other destinations or interests might choose different ones. Others will have to judge which shoes will take them where they want to go.

20. Sushi or hamburger?

  • Some sort of vegetable sushi.

21. LSW or ALA?

  • I adore both. In very different ways.

22. What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?

  • I’d time travel to the future (that’s not off limits, is it?) to meet baby boy Borwick. It’d be fun to get to know a little bit about who this little mystery person will be.

23. What cell phone do you have and why?

  • I was one of those people standing in line for an iPhone the day they came out. I have been immensely happy with it, though I’ve had to work hard to keep the technology as a tool to make my life easier, rather than a technology that drives my life (for example, by making it too easy to check email all the time). It’s a great little device, and I love how it lets me do things that a bag of gadgets used to let me do.

Lauren Pressley

Lauren Pressley is the Instructional Design Librarian at Wake Forest University. In this role she works with librarians and faculty to improve the design of their teaching and to share information about integrating appropriate educational technology. She also works with emerging technologies. Lauren’s passion is helping people learn about the changing information landscape and think about what that means for them as consumers and producers of information. Recently Lauren published So You Want To Be a Librarian and Wikis for Libraries. She was an ALA Emerging Leader in 2008 and was a recognized as a Library Journal Mover & Shaker in 2009. She frequently writes and presents on education, instruction, technology, and the future of libraries. Lauren also blogs at ALA Learning, tweets as @laurenpressley, and can be reached at lauren@laurenpressley.com.

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27 Questions with Buffy Hamilton

January 22, 2010 By

1) Your One Sentence Bio

A modern day Southern (and shorter) version of Bunny Watson from Desk Set; also a fierce shieldmaiden of intellectual freedom and loyal friend.

2) Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?
Yes, I blog at The Unquiet Librarian; my library brand is The Unquiet Library, which was inspired by Matthew Battles’ book, Library:  An Unquiet History.  In addition, I am generally pretty talkative, so the moniker fits.

3) What is your professional background?
I have eighteen years of experience with the Cherokee County School District in north Georgia; I have worked as a high school English teacher, instructional technology specialist, elementary teacher, and school librarian.  I opened  The Unquiet Library at Creekview High School in July of 2006.  I proudly wear the red and black of The University of Georgia (M.Ed. English Education, 2003; Ed.S., Instructional Technology and School Library Media, 2005).

4) What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?
I primarily teach high school students from a wide range of backgrounds and interests in grades 9-12 who visit with teachers in various content areas.  I collaborate with classroom teachers to teach a diverse range of skills and learning experiences—searching skills and strategies, information evaluation, website design, social media tools, web 2.0 tools, information management tools and strategies, digital citizenship, presentation zen, blogging skills,  and basic computer skills.  All of my lessons are supported with research/project pathfinders through LibGuides.

5) What training do you think is most important to libraries right now?
The most important training I am doing right now is teaching learners how to become fluent in self-filtering information —how to know when it is appropriate to use a particular resource for a particular research or information seeking task, and how to manage those information sources as they learn how to cultivate a personal learning network.   Expanding our definition of information literacy and helping posit information literacy as an essential literacy is critical right now as we encounter multiple forms of information in a dizzying array of formats or “containers”.  Authority is no longer black and white; emerging forms of social scholarship are changing the information landscape, so helping students take an inquiry stance on what counts as authority and when it counts is a must.

6) Where do you get your training?
I primarily learn and grow through my personal learning network via Twitter, Google Reader (an insane array of RSS feeds from many information sources), Facebook, YouTube, and free webinars.  In addition, conversations via Skype and Google Talk/chat are incredibly enriching for me.  In the past year, conferences have also become a significant source of learning.

7) How do you keep up?
I am blessed with the gift of efficient and effective time management, Energizer Bunny like stamina, and Google Reader.

8.)   What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?
Reduced funding in the face of increased demand is a major challenge for all libraries.   For school libraries in particular, we are fighting the negative effects of the standardized testing movement as NCLB (No Child Left Behind) marginalizes inquiry and our collaborative partnerships with teachers who are under pressure to “cover” material.

9) What are biggest challenges for trainers?
My biggest challenge is being able to meet the demand for instruction as I do all the training/teaching for nearly 1700 students and 100+ faculty.  This challenge is magnified when I am engaging in more in-depth and extensive collaborative units that demand more of my time while still trying to meet the needs of other classes I have scheduled.  These challenges are also intensified by the fact that I am also responsible for collection development, website development and our social media presence, library advocacy, and overall program administration.  I am most fortunate to be supported by my fellow librarian, Roxanne, and library clerk, Tammy as well as Wayne and Todd, my network gods.

10) What exciting things are you doing training wise?
My Media 21 project that I have implemented during the first semester of the 2009-10 academic year has been by far the most fulfilling and exciting training I have engaged in since opening my library.  I have essentially served as a co-teacher daily for two sections of 10th Literature/Composition students, teaching them a diverse range of new skills, including the evaluation of social media, blogging, the use of wikis, the development of learning portfolios with Google Sites, cloud computing tools and skills, how to develop a personal information portal, social bookmarking, and presentation zen.

11) What do you wish were you doing?
Although I sometimes wish that I was not always going in 100 directions at any given time, I am actually really doing exactly what I want to at the moment—building a library program that makes a difference in the lives of my students and faculty and changing people’s perceptions about the possibilities of a high school library.    I have an amazing network of colleagues and friends who inspire me and inform my practice—I am truly blessed to do what I do.

12) What would you do with a badger?
I would warn it to be nice to me because I have four long-haired dachshunds.

13) What’s your favorite food?
Does coffee count?  If not, anything with cheese.

14) If you were stranded on an island, what one thing would you want to have with you?

Good lip gloss, sunscreen, my iPhone, and a great book (yes, I know that is more than one)

15) Do you know what happens when a grasshopper kicks all the seeds out of a pickle?
It takes a nap.

16) Post it notes or the back of your hand?
Post it notes—my workstation and workspace at the circulation desk look like a rainbow of Post it notes.

17) Windows or Mac?
Windows but I’d like to explore the Mac world.

18) Talk about one training moment you’d like to forget?
In my first ever solo webinar this past fall about widgets, my laptop crashed about five minutes into the presentation.  It took nearly twenty minutes to recover and get back in the Elluminate classroom.  Fortunately, I was able to resume without sounding too rattled and was grateful for my fellow colleagues who picked up the baton and led a discussion about uses of widgets until I was able to get back online.

19) What’s your take on handshakes?
Shake firmly but don’t crush my hand, please.

20) Global warming: yes or no
I honestly have not reached any definitive conclusions yet.

21) How did you get into this line of work?
I realized this was the perfect career for me back in 2001 because it taps into my passions for technology, reading, research, and teaching.

22) What is the best part of your job?
Seeing a student or teacher smile with satisfaction when you have helped them in some way or have helped them realize they can do something they previously could not envision.

23) Why should someone else follow in your shoes?
They can’t because I have tiny feet and have a propensity for killer shoes with four inch heels.  Find your own shoes, click your heels three times, and make your own library dreams come true!

24) Sushi or hamburger?
Hamburger from time to time (not a big meat eater) but not sushi—I have a moderate shellfish allergy.

25) LSW or ALA?
Both—I am less comfortable with binaries  as I get older.

26) What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?

This is probably the most difficult question for me as I could generate a list of people past and present.   For now, I would choose author and illustrator Peter Sis—I had the pleasure of meeting him earlier this year and would love to hear more of his mesmerizing stories and of his passion for his art.
27) What cell phone do you have and why?
My iPhone I purchased this past July—it is like having a little computer with me all the time, and it has been invaluable in my conference travels over the last six months.

Buffy Hamilton

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Stephanie Zimmerman’s Turn…

January 21, 2010 By

I will use the ORIGINAL 27 questions proposed for the T is for Training gang. Here goes (answers in bold)…

1) Your One Sentence Bio
A surrendering to something greater than myself mother and wife who likes to sing and is a training coordinator for a public library system.

2) Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?
Yes. I always warn the library-types I train that I am NOT a creative-type; I’m more of a math/science-type, and I don’t come up with very original stuff; hence, the name of this blog…

3) What is your professional background?
I have a BA in Social Work with a minor in Spanish and I almost finished a tech degree in Computer Information Systems. See question 21 for more details.

4) What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?
Strictly staff/volunteers. Millennium ILS, Microsoft Office, Social Media, and anything else staff/volunteers need to use a computer for in our libraries.

5) What training do you think is most important to libraries right now
How to do advocacy well – something I know nothing about but can see is desperately needed.

6) Where do you get your training?
I LOVE webinars, especially the free variety as that works well with my current budget.

7) How do you keep up?
If only I could! I do my best through RSS (just made the switch from Bloglines to Google Reader last week and LOVE it), tweets, Facebook, Friendfeed, podcasts, video, flickr, etc.
8) (that’s supposed to be an 8, but the coding keeps putting a cool face with shades here, whatever!) What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?
Funding, funding, oh, and funding!

9) What are biggest challenges for trainers?
For underfunded and understaffed libraries to see the value of time/cost needed for training.

10) What exciting things are you doing training wise?
Currently working on being able to offer some e-learning Microsoft tutorials through CustomGuide.

11) What do you wish were you doing?
Wish I were home with my 2 beautiful girls. For a more work-related answer, I wish I could be training the public; the patrons, on all things technology with a focus on social media.

12) What would you do with a badger?
Stand at least twenty feet away from it. Wait, make that thirty feet.

13) What’s your favorite food?
Teff, an amazing Ethiopian grain. I gave up all forms of sugar, wheat and flour over 9 years ago and have discovered so many amazing foods.

14) If you were stranded on an island, what one thing would you want to have with you?
My family.

15) Do you know what happens when a grasshopper kicks all the seeds out of a pickle?
It’s left with a seedless pickle.

16) Post it notes or the back of your hand?
Post it notes – everywhere…

17) Windows or Mac?
Windows, but wish I weren’t.

18) Talk about one training moment you’d like to forget?
I had a training while working in private industry where we were shoved in a room big enough to hold a small round table and I had to train the president, vp and 2 other high ranking people (usually the hardest types to train as they usually have other people do everything for them) for 2 straight days; agony!

19) What’s your take on handshakes?
They are a necessary evil.

20) Global warming: yes or no
I’m afraid the answer is… yes.

21) How did you get into this line of work?
Feel free to read the twisted tale here.

22) What is the best part of your job?
Watching someones eyes grow big and hear them let out an “oooh” or an “ahhh” when they learn how to do something really cool or something that will save them TONS of time on a computer.

23) Why should someone else follow in your shoes?
I have to agree with Peter here and suggest people find their own pair of shoes.

24) Sushi or hamburger?
Neither thank you. Refer to question 13.

25) LSW or ALA?
LSW, it’s hip, it’s what I can afford, and it allows me to wear a cape when I’m in the mood.

26) What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?
Mary, the mother of God, to ask her how she survived motherhood and how to cultivate unconditional love and acceptance.

27) What cell phone do you have and why?
A Motorola E815 I got over 5 years ago because it still works, I only use it for telephone calls, and I’m too broke to afford a data plan.

Stephanie Zimmerman

Stephanie Zimmerman is the Training Coordinator for the Library System of Lancaster County (Pennsylvania), a federated system with 14 member libraries, three branches and a bookmobile, which serves 490,562 residents. She designs and implements technology and development training and consulting to the member libraries. This includes training on Innovative’s Millennium Integrated Library System, Microsoft Office Applications, emerging technologies (i.e. social media) and various other areas. Her goal is to remove the fear of technology and help others to realize the amazing possibilities it provides. Teaching others to do things for themselves and see their excitement when they break through their barriers is her greatest reward. Stephanie has been a software trainer for 15 years. Her past employment involved training on federal and county government applications. She also worked for a private industry marketing company where she traveled across the country showing manufacturers and retailers in the consumer packaged goods industry how to use geodemographic targeting software. Always wanting to help others, Stephanie graduated from Millersville University (in Pennsylvania) cum laude with a BA in Social Work. She was also a student in the Computer Information Systems program at Harrisburg Area Community College. She is a member of ASTD (American Society of Training and Development). She is also a regular contributor to the T is for Training podcast which focuses on training in libraries. She was a trainer for WebJunction’s Spanish Language Outreach project and has done training for Commonwealth Libraries. She is grateful to have landed in the world of libraries. When she began her current job in January of 2004, there were no other library trainers in her immediate area. She turned to the social web to begin networking with other library trainers across the world and immediately realized her passion for social networking and social media. All of her continuing education has been done through these networks and she can’t help but push others to discover the immense opportunities available through online collaboration. Stephanie lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her family which includes husband, Bill (a self-employed stay-at-home-dad) and two children (ages 2 and 4 months). When she’s not being Mommy, or working, you’ll most likely find her singing. Stephanie can be reached at szimmerman[at]lancasterlibraries.org.

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20 Questions for Just That Guy

January 20, 2010 By

1. Your One Sentence Bio
Just that guy.

2. Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?
Yes, but only on ALA Learning. I have much respect and admiration for the other authors here who run their own blogs or who are writing books. I think I must have a case of permanent writer’s block or something. I’ve been going by the online moniker Lawless Librarian for a while now. I believe in the rules – I just believe more strongly that they do not apply to me. Don’t tell my boss I said that!

3. What is your professional background?
I’m a library lifer. I started shelving books at the tender age of 15, and 15 years later, here I am. I’ve worn almost every conceivable public services hat, and I try to bring that diversity of knowledge to my current role as Training Manager.

4. What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?
I do staff training in a blended learning environment. I’m the Inspector Gadget of library learning. It’s rare that I’ll find a concept, tool, or trick that I don’t want to apply to training. I subject my willing (and unwilling) guinea pigs to radioactive live and virtual ILT and neuron-nuking self-paced training. Training topics run the gamut: we have a new hire onboarding program where the Training Team and I will teach the fundamental skills necessary to work in the library. We also offer a ton of continuing education — roughly 80% online and 20% face-to-face – that covers topics of interest like customer service, readers’ advisory, and communication skills..

5. What training do you think is most important to libraries right now?
I think the most important training libraries need right now would be along the lines of helping staff members help customers who need help helping themselves. Try saying that three times fast.

6. Where do you get your training?
I steal it from little kids and old ladies. You might be next, so watch out. Seriously, I’m constantly online looking for supplemental learning assets. I’ve found great content from places like the Ken Blanchard Companies, SirsiDynix Institute, Webjunction, InfoPeople, and Training Zone. I often get inspiration and ideas from notable trainers like Elliot Masie and Bob Pike.

7. How do you keep up?
Rather poorly.

8. What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?
((Usage)^2 +(Funding)^-1) = NOT good

9. What are biggest challenges for trainers?
Budget. Learner engagement. Getting folks to realize that some performance issues are not training issues.

10. What exciting things are you doing training wise?
I’m currently working on my library’s second annual virtual staff day. Another exciting project I’m currently working on is teaching the basics of my library’s circulation guidelines using characters from the Street Fighter games. Hadoken!

11. What do you wish were you doing?
Running my own pizza shop in the mountains of Appalachia.

12. What would you do with a badger?
Give it dredlocks and parade it around town as my long-lost twin.
13. What’s your favorite food?
I’m not picky. You could give me bread and water every day and I’d be fine with it.

14. What’s your take on handshakes?
They’re a little gross, if ask me. Germs, germs, germs!

15. How did you get into this line of work?
A great mentor and happenstance.

16. What is the best part of your job?
I’ll echo what others have said here: it feels great to know that the things I do, no matter how big or small, can help staff members serve our community. How awesome is that?!

17. Why should someone else follow in your shoes?
Like shaking hands, following in someone else’s shoes is a little gross. Seriously, who knows where those feet have been? Buy your own pair.

18. Sushi or hamburger?
How about a sushi-burger, or some cow carcass-sushi?
19. LSW or ALA?
If by LSW you mean Lego Star Wars, then I’m with LSW.
20. What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?
Axl Rose so I can learn how to do the snake dance. Yes, I’m still stuck in the 80s.

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

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Paul Signorelli’s “Getting To Know Me” Post

January 19, 2010 By

1.   Your One Sentence Bio
I was born; have been deeply immersed in writing, training-teaching-learning, and working with libraries and nonprofit organizations for many years; am honored to sometimes be mistaken for ALA Learning colleague Peter Bromberg when the two of us are lucky enough to be on Maurice Coleman’s T is for Training podcasts at the same; and plan to die someday—which, I believe, covers all bases.

2.   Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?
You’ll find me blogging here at ALA Learning and at Building Creative Bridges. I came up with the name because “Librarian In Black,” “Library Trainer,” and “(almost) Bald Trainer” were already taken by writers better than I’ll ever be, and Building Creative Bridges seemed like a good way to describe what I hoped to accomplish through the blog and everything else I’m doing.

3.   What is your professional background?
As far as I can tell, I’ve worked for newspapers, magazines, a couple of schools in Japan, the Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the San Francisco Public Library system, and with a variety of other groups and organizations, but if you’ve heard differently, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

4.   What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?
My position as Director, Volunteer Services & Staff Training for the San Francisco Public Library system had me providing orientations, software introductions and updates, and other learning opportunities for staff and volunteers; current training-teaching-learning efforts include writing e-learning courses for Infopeople and LE@D (Lifelong Education @ Desktop)–http://www.leadonline.info/–and conducting workshops at professional conferences.
 
5. What training do you think is most important to libraries right now?
We need to be combining sessions on practical matters (software upgrades, customer service, leadership and collaboration skills, conflict resolution, health and safety issues) with inspirational/visionary/long-term matters (how to continue serving library members and guests on site and online, maintaining libraries as on-site and online community centers, becoming collaborators with members of the communities we serve rather than one-way providers of information and services).
 
6.   Where do you get your training?
For training-learning, I try everything I can think of, including conversations with colleagues; on-site and online workshops and courses; blogs/RSS feeds; books; journals, magazines, and newspapers; webinars; conferences; speakers at ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) and ALA (American Library Association) meetings and conferences—and I’m sure that’s only about half the list.

7.   How do you keep up?
Keep up?

8.  What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing
right now?
One of the many large challenges is to recognize and respond to their increasingly huge role in being learning centers for their local and online communities while not abandoning any of the important and life-changing roles their members and guests still expect them to fulfill. 

9.   What are biggest challenges for trainers?
All too often, we have training-teaching-learning as part of our job rather than as the entire focus of our job, which leads to lots of half-finished projects, lots of stress for everyone, and less than optimum learning opportunities; focusing on our own continuing education and our primary roles as workplace learning and performance providers might be the best lesson-by-example that we can provide to colleagues whose workplace focus is equally divided to their own detriment and the detriment of those they serve. 

10.   What exciting things are you doing training wise?
Trying to be creative face-to-face and online in the way I respond to learners’ needs: delivering a synchronous online learning opportunity through live Google Chat, for example, was a fun distance-learning experiment with a University of Nevada, Las Vegas colleague and his class in October 2009.

11.   What do you wish you were doing?
Writing; oh, wait, I am writing.

12.   What would you do with a badger?
Teach it to use Google Chat so it could more effectively participate in synchronous online learning opportunities.

13.   What’s your favorite food?
Pizza.  Purchased somewhere in NY, NJ or the Philly area.  If you’re not buying pizza in one of these geographic areas it’s not really pizza.  Sorry, it’s not.  (OK, an exception for Chicago deep-dish.  As long as you qualify it.)

14.   If you were stranded on an island, what one thing would you want
to have with you?
A confirmed flight back to the mainland.

15.   Do you know what happens when a grasshopper kicks all the seeds
out of a pickle?
I live in San Francisco; can someone tell me what a grasshopper is?

16.   Post it notes or the back of your hand?
No, thanks.

17.    Windows or Mac?
OK, but definitely not on the first date.

18.   Talk about one training moment you’d like to forget?
Can’t remember; must be an occupational hazzard since at least one other ALA Learning colleague has responded similarly.

19.   What’s your take on handshakes?
A handshake is certainly a pleasant way to avoid open warfare in a learning environment.

20.   Global warming: yes or no?
Best response I’ve seen is Jill Sobule’s “happy song about global warming”; who am I to argue?

21.   How did you get into this line of work?
My supervisor at the time told me I had to take over the organization’s staff training program if I was going to keep my job; I found that to be tremendously motivating.

22.   What is the best part of your job?
Being part of what ASTD refers to as the effort to “create a world that works better.”

23.   Why should someone else follow in your shoes?
This question reminds me of a story from Martin Buber’s Tales of the Hasidism, which I will now paraphrase to the best of my recollection. The gist of it: Samuel, a very devout man who is struggling to be good in the eyes of the Lord, approaches the Rabbi and asks, “Rabbi, should I try to be more like Moses or more like Abraham?”  The Rabbi replies, “Rather than trying to be more like Moses, or more like Abraham, the Lord would be pleased if you tried to be more like Samuel.” And that’s all I have to say about that.

24.   Sushi or hamburger?
Depends on who is asking.

N.B.: Special thanks to Peter Bromberg for allowing me to insert, verbatim, his answers to questions #13 and #23 here. I figured if I couldn’t match his responses for cleverness, I might as well just outright steal them and see if I could further confuse colleagues about which of us is speaking (please see response to question #1, above).

Paul Signorelli

Paul Signorelli is a writer, trainer, presenter, and consultant based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He works with clients to successfully facilitate the introduction of new technology into organizations; prepares and presents webinars and other online and onsite learning opportunities for a variety of clients; is actively involved in ALA and ASTD; continues to prepare articles for "American Libraries," the eLearning Guild's "Learning Solutions Magazine," and other publications; and co-wrote "Workplace Learning & Leadership" with Lori Reed for ALA editions. Paul can be reached at paul@paulsignorelli.com.

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Welcome Sarah Houghton-Jan to ALA Learning

January 18, 2010 By

Please welcome Sarah Houghton-Jan, Digital Futures Manager for the San José Public Library, to the ALA Learning blog. Sarah is author of the librarianinblack.net blog and was named a 2009 Library Journal Mover & Shaker. She is a well-traveled consultant, speaker, and writer, and has been published widely in both library and technology publications.

We are thrilled to have Sarah join our team!

Lori Reed

Lori Reed, Managing Editor of ALA Learning, has more than 15 years experience in training and is the Learning & Development Coordinator for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library where she oversees the learning & development of a diverse group of staff at twenty libraries. Lori’s passions are performance consulting, learning strategies, and e-learning. Lori is coauthor, with Paul Signorelli, of Workplace Learning and Leadership: A Handbook for Library and Nonprofit Trainers. Lori also blogs at LoriReed.com and can be reached at lori[at]lorireed.com.

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Twenty Questions with Bobbi Newman

January 14, 2010 By

1. Your One Sentence Bio

  • I’m not that kind of librarian.

2. Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?

  • Yes, I blog at Librarian by Day. The name is a reference to Barbara Gordon and the all the non-traditional roles librarians fill these days.

3. What is your professional background?

  • I’ve worked in libraries since I was 16.  Before I got my MLS I worked with engineers, and my first job after graduating was working with engineers, for some of you this may explain a lot. :-)

4. What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?

  • Staff, patron, and other libraries that ask me to in a wide range of subjects – reference in the digital age, social media, web 2.0, gaming, time management, tech tools etc

5. What training do you think is most important to libraries right now

  • We need to step up staff training, every staff member should feel comfortable offering basic assistance with any service or technology the library offers.

6. Where do you get your training?

  • Anywhere I can! conferences, webinars, colleagues etc.

7. How do you keep up?

  • My feed reader, Twitter and Facebook.

8. What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?

  • We need to shift our foundations so change is easier and faster.

9. What are biggest challenges for trainers?

  • shortage of staff, time, money and in some cases the unwillingness of trainees

10. What exciting things are you doing training wise?

  • The library has a gadget garage that the FIT (Future Innovation & Technology) Committee is working with to help staff become familiar with new tools, investigate potential new services and circulation to patrons.

11. What do you wish were you doing?

  • more training for everyone

12. What would you do with a badger?

  • feed it chocolate cake

13. What’s your favorite food?

  • Italian

14. What’s your take on handshakes?

  • firm is a must

15. How did you get into this line of work?

  • by luck & love

16. Why is the best part of your job?

  • making a difference, see “it” click whatever “it” is

17. Why should someone else follow in your shoes?

  • I’m going to have to agree with Pete on this one – blaze your own trail

18. Sushi or hamburger?

  • depends

19. LSW or ALA?

  • both

20. What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?

  • Barack Obama I heard him speak when he was campaigning and it was amazing, I’d just like to have a conversation with him

Bobbi Newman

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Marianne’s Day in the Library

January 13, 2010 By

When asked to write an introductory post I knew that my answers to 27 questions could never measure up with the others that had been posted, so I thought I’d let my new camera do it for me. Bobbi Newman’s fabulous Library Day in the Life Project is coming round again soon for Round Four,  and she didn’t mind that I get a bit of a jump-start and use the format for this spiel.  This time I’m using a Flickr Slideshow, if you’ll view it full screen and check for descriptions under Options or at Flickr you’ll get my notes for each image…

I’m so fortunate to love what I do and that I get to learn from other people, here,  doing much the same thing.  I’m looking forward to reading the rest of my fellow contributor’s biographical posts and the upcoming Library Day in the Life pieces, all to connect us just a little bit more.

Marianne Lenox, Staff & Volunteer Coordinator
Huntsville Madison County Public Library

Marianne Lenox

As the Staff Training & Volunteer Coordinator for the Huntsville - Madison County Public Library in Alabama, Marianne is responsible for planning, directing, maintaining and implementing a comprehensive staff training and volunteer program for her library. She consistently strives to provide learning opportunities, professional information and technical training to ensure both better library service and the professional development of the Library’s staff and volunteers.

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