cdp23...thing 16

Libraries are definitely something I am very passionate about. My love of them started as a child. My mom, an avid reader and lover of books, was and still is a weekly library patron. Living in the northeast region of the U.S., winters can be pretty rough, but no matter what the conditions, our weekly journey to the library was always a must.

Working at a library, especially one as wonderful as mine , is a dream job. Being an advocate for my library is something that I do without even thinking about it. Besides the usual, like speaking highly of it wherever and whenever I can, I have also tried to combine some of our children's programs with community groups or events. IE. my daughter's ballet company performs a story ballet every spring. The last two years our library has invited the company to perform excerpts of the ballet while dressed in full costume after a librarian reads the story aloud to the audience. This small act is a step in the direction of blending my library with my community. The more effort that is put towards this I believe the more residents will realize the value of public libraries.

As Laura mentioned in her blog, being called the "library lady" when patrons, especially kids see me outside of work, is my badge of honor. I love being associated with my library and gladly take on the role as an advocate whenever possible.

cdp23...thing 15

My professional events experience...Once again I find myself at a loss of much experience to share. I have not attended many library many conferences. I have however, been involved with organizing some events in my library. Most recently an around the world program we held following our summer reading theme of "One World, Many Stories". I've also been on staff day committees, etc... What I found works the best is, first and foremost, relating to your target audience. With our children's programs obviously the kids are number one but at the same time we keep in mind that adults are also attending, and with that in mind, having crafts or presenters that involve parents working and enjoying with their children works the best.

On a side note...programs with perks, or incentives are also something I've discovered brings in an audience. Laura (my cdp23 partner) and I attended a local library conference. Going from booth to booth we stopped and talked with many vendors. Through this process we discovered new software, the best bindings for books, exciting new library furniture, etc... But what we also found out was how much we liked collecting all the free items at each table. By the time we circled the room we both felt like a kid that just finished going around the block on Halloween.

What would I like to do in the future??? I would like to attend conferences that are dedicated more towards children's literature and needs since I work in the Children's Room at my library. I enjoy brainstorming with fellow colleagues and would prefer to do that rather then actually talk on a topic by myself.

cdp23...thing 14

Working as a clerk in the children's room at my library I am not sure any of the mentioned thing 14 "products" is something I would have a need to use. I did look into all of them and I do plan on passing on the info to two of my daughters that are soon to be college age. Also, although our department caters only to children up to sixth grade, I may find a child that this info would be helpful for them in their school work or library research. Having knowledge of different products that we can share with our patrons is just another way of serving the public. So learning about them is always a good thing.

cdp23...thing 13

Google docs...now this is something I have been wanting to try. It was so easy to get started since I already have a google account. I quickly created a simple word doc and listed Laura, my co-worker and fellow cdp23 participate, as someone who can share and edit. I am anxious for her to get email notification and hopefully we can begin working together on a shared document. I think this has many possibilities. Of course, we work in the same department, but this is still a great way for many people from other locations to share and contribute to the same doc, etc.

Drop Box...once again, this is something I have heard fellow employees talk about using in their off time but I have not used it first hand yet.

Wikis...I think wikis sound like they are the best of all the above programs put together. Who hasn't called upon wikipedia to do a quick search. There is a nice sense of community knowing the information there has been placed and updated by many different people from all over.

cdp23...thing 12 (b)

As a side note...social networking, facebook in particular, I feel is the best way to spread news to teens. Case in point, our library held a teen tie dye program. After the first session I took pictures and posted them on my teenage daughter's facebook page with a brief caption explaining the program and where to call to register. I plan to find out at the next sessions how many of the teens attending found out about the program through facebook.

cdp23...thing 12

Of course with everything in life there are advantages and disadvantages. The same holds true for social networking.

On one hand, it is wonderful to have the ability to connect with fellow professionals literally from around the world with just the click of a button (or mouse). I was beyond excited to receive an email from a new librarian in England that read and commented on my blog a few weeks ago.

However, on the down side, sometimes it feels like social networking has no bounderies and privacy rules are out the window. The sense that "big brother" is watching my every internet move creeps up on me. My facebook profile is very basic, not telling much about myself at all, but still sommehow I get ads plugging items that is completely tailored to my interests and hobbies. How do they know this info? By somehow following the sites I go to and who I am in contact with. Like I said...it's like having someone looking over your shoulder that you just can't shake.

cpd23...thing 11

Mentoring...This year one of my daughters was accepted into a scholarship program at her school and the one thing she is excited about the most is she will be given a mentor. Soon she will have another adult in her life that is willing to help guide her through her high school years. What wonderful giving and taking takes place through mentoring.

In the department I work in there are two full time librarians that I have always admired. Both of them have been at my library for many years and I have learned so much from them. I have considered them my unofficial mentors since I began working at SSPL. Their knowledge, compassion and willingness to pass on information to a fellow co-worker makes each day for me a learning opportunity.

One of the above mentioned co-workers is also participating in "cdp23things". I received an email from her today asking me if I would be her mentor!!! I can not describe how honored I am. Not only she a librarian (and I a lowly clerk, lol) but she is also my senior by ten+ years. Her wanting to learn from me just shows that mentoring holds no boundaries of age, education, etc...what a wonderful "thing"!!!

cdp23...thing 10

This weeks "thing" has me at a total disadvantage. I am not a librarian so I can not blog first hand about my education. However, I do work at a library. I am a clerk in the Children's Room at Saratoga Springs Public Library, which is in upstate New York. In some ways I feel I am qualified to be a librarian but not because of schooling or degrees but because of my work experience. I have many job duties and am often called upon to handle reference questions of all types. I have a very good knowledge of books, in particular children's literature, both old and new. I know our stacks inside and out. I can help patrons sometimes quicker then our librarians can. I know that life experiences doesn't not hold the weight formal education does. Being a single mom my first thought in getting my current job was this is a way to support my family. But the more I work at my library the more I love what I do. With that thought in mind, I always jump at the chance to broaden my horizons and learn more. I have considered going back to school to get my degree and hopefully one day I will become a librarian. Being a part of this program and getting to "meet" other librarians gives me hope and incentive. Thanks!