Twenty Questions with Bobbi Newman

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

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Bobbi Newman