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Hi Everyone, I hope your summer is off to a great start-- mine is. If we are Facebook friends, then hopefully you got to see my photos from our Alaska cruise. It was a great time, a little chilly, but kind of a once in a lifetime experience. I don’t know if you already do this, but when I’m traveling I try to visit libraries along the way if possible. Below is a photo of the downtown branch of the Juneau Public Library. They share their space with the downtown parking deck, which is cool, because that makes parking easier and it demonstrates a great partnership with other community services. I encourage you to add a little extra fun to your vacation travels by seeking opportunities to visit other libraries to see what they have to offer, especially in North Carolina that are having some great summer reading programs. And speaking of traveling, ALA was great this year with some great speakers, like Michelle Obama, wonderful programs, like screenings of the “Public” and outstanding events, like the presentation of Wanda Brown as ALA president-elect at the closing session (pic). This next year is off to a great start for ALA with many important policies and resolutions passed by council that can impact all of us. Keep an eye out for more details over the next several months. Have a great July, summer is finally here!!! Mike |
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David Hisle Coordinator of Instruction and
Graduate Student Outreach East Carolina University
1. What was the first library job you had that made the little voice in your head go, “Yes—I have found the profession for me!” Well I started out in libraries as an evening supervisor in a circulation department, and I loved the interactions with our student patrons and all the problem solving that goes with working those night shifts. But it was during my fellowship at Joyner Library that I had my real “Yes” moment. I was rotating through the building working on different projects and was asked to create a set of video tutorials. Tutorials are such a wonderful intersection of technology, creativity, and pedagogy. Conducting analyses, selecting and learning software, visual design—I was in heaven. And there’s always room for improvement, so it never gets dull. 2. What part of your job keeps you going to work every day? How do you continue to find inspiration and passion in the library field? Collaborative projects have always been a great way for me to stay enthusiastic about the job. Working with others--whether they’re my colleagues at the library or the campus teaching faculty or a student group--helps me to get out of the office and into new situations. Problem solving also keeps me engaged. Sometimes it’s having that breakthrough in a tricky research consultation with a student; sometimes it’s helping a colleague work through a technical issue. 3. Who are your library heroes in North Carolina and beyond? I’ve been lucky with colleagues my whole time in libraries, so I see library heroes everywhere. Great managers of people, wonderful teachers and presenters, senior librarians with deep reference knowledge–they’ve all taught me so much. I have to mention Bryna Coonin here, a work colleague with an amazing depth of knowledge that’s saved me (and not just me) time and again at the reference desk. When a librarian earns the nickname “the Oracle,” you know that’s someone special. Beyond NC there are folks I make an effort to follow. Alison Head’s work with PIL has been really helpful for better understanding the information behavior of our students, so I’ll mention her. We all want to support our learners but there’s so much we still don’t understand about who our students are and how they conduct their research. 4. Tell us a little about your interests and hobbies outside of the library. I’ve worked with some terrifically creative and talented people in libraries—folks making short films or music or video games or novels in their spare time. Lately they’ve inspired me to get into songwriting—something I always wanted to try my hand at but never really got around to. It turns out there are some great and supportive online communities for novice songwriters too, so it’s been a fun hobby. Hopefully at some point a few of us here at the library can collaborate on something bigger outside work--maybe a short film. Or maybe we’re all talk. I guess we’ll see! |
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Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life
by Marshall B. Rosenberg
In these polarized times, words really matter. Nonviolent Communication (NVC) was created by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg. NVC can help find common ground with anyone, anywhere and anytime in diverse situations: intimate relationships, families, schools, organizations and institutions, therapy and counseling, diplomatic and business negotiations, disputes and conflicts of any nature. Nonviolent Communication shows us a way of being very honest, without any criticism, insults, or put-downs, and without any intellectual diagnosis implying wrongness. |
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Songwriters in the Round
Saturday, July 21 • 7 pm
Macon County Public Library Songwriters in the Round will hold their 8th event in the spacious living room of the Macon County Public Library. This event is free and open to the community. Come listen to what our local songwriters community has been working on! There will be an open mic afterwards so if you write songs, you're invited to come and play one. |
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North Carolina Library Association
1811 Capital Blvd.
Raleigh, North Carolina 27604
(919) 839-6252www.nclaonline.org/ |
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