In 1994 I began using a home computer. My parents purchased, for whopping 200 dollar, a 286 DX IBM Compatible Computer. It had DOS 3.11. on it. After that there were upgrades to Windows 3.1, 95, 98, XP, etc. I was officiall a nerd.
While engaging in computers, I also attended college. I chose a major in English, but didn’t have muchin the way of were withal to use it effectively. So I ended up in road construction.
Fast forward to 2005 – I find some article about becoming librarian in a newspaper Realizing that :hey, I like books: seems to be enough rationale to purse it, I enroll at the School of Information Studies at UW-Milwaukee.I am promptly fired from my first work study job. I am not a traditional librarian by any means.
By 2007, I had found that my skill sets,lack of experience and limited network have really limited my desire and abilty to land a job, and acknowledging that I really have no desire to move outside of the midwest, I take a position at WITC Superior as a Learning Resource Center Technician. Noting that I am overqualified for the position, but possessing a bit of stubborn streak – I stick in the position for five years.
In that time, I focused on networking within my community and greater Wisconsin, in spite of being from such Northern Climes. Due to the extreme cost of traveling south for all my meetings, I was part of multi-library team that created the Lake Superior Libraries Symposium, a loose confederation of librarians in northern wisconsin, Upper Penninsula Michigan and Minnesota
So I have been asked to come in by WVLS and talk a little about where academic and school libraries are focusing in on – and it’s a broad spectrum of conversations, floor plans, role modifications, and new realities. I’m an optimist.IGNORE TEA PARTYIGNORE THE FACT YOU ARE BUSY, UNDERSTAFFED AND UNDERPAID, UNDER TRAINEDYOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE – ITS CLEAR.
Apps are 99 Cents to 5 Dollars, iPads 400-600, Cost to charge an ipad
What makes Adam Brisk an expert? I just know a little bit more than you, via experience. Josh knows more than me, he is therefore the expert. Chances are, at some point, you’re knowledge level will make you a teacher to someone less tech savvy.So get a device. Use it. Love it. Break it fix it. You are already ahead of each anyone without a kindle, a nook,
Sometimes training doesn’t require a big budget – just a wi-fi connection, a cup of coffee and quiet room. And and any company worth its salt will put out the content for free, like infomercials,RSS – Read your blogs in one place, one space, and quickly disseminate information. Services like Google Reader or Feedly are highly effective.ways of staying atop of technology, trendWebinars –for a little to no cost, experts, executives and trainers can broadcast a powerpoint, prezi or other presentation to large groups. They can be offered in lecture or roundtable format, with feed back and charts, or just images – webinars are a very effective conference tool without the over-priced coffee.Twitter – scoff if you like, but if you want to have your finger on the pulse of the top minds in libraries and it… they aren’t writing in library journal or American libraries. They are publishing via twitter on the hour by sharing original content, links, and creating conversations and connections.
Don’t know. Ask Google. Serioiusly, where do you think we get our answers?
Don’t be afraid to try something new – like Google Apps, a cloud based office suite. Its available for free for most educational institutions, has great tech support and just requires a browser for 4 support. And it doesn’t require genius level intellect to administer – and you can get most of your answer by simply “googling it”
Go outside of your peer group and library groups. It can pay dividends in great ways. In August of 2011, WITC Learning Resource Centers contacted UW-Superior and the Superior Public Library. The intent was to put on a e-book seminar of the local community (and also to network and build bridges between institutions) The event found 75 people happy to attend and ask questions about their devices … but also revealed 8 librarians in the audience also asking questions about ebooks.
Based on this revelation and success, the three institutions panned a conference and brought in other librarians from around lake Superior. The numbers swelled from three libraries in Superior to regional cooperation with Indianhead Federated, Northern Waters, UMD, CSS, Scholastica, City of Duluth, Arrowhead Public, Minnesota Library Associations, WLA, and many more.
Don’t be afraid to try something new – like Google Apps, a cloud based office suite. Its available for free for most educational institutions, has great tech support and just requires a browser for 4 support. And it doesn’t require genius level intellect to administer – and you can get most of your answer by simply “googling it”