Thing 15 - Some Perspectives

I've gone through the suggested readings, and of course they reminded me of other writings and conversations on similar topics that I've read or heard over the past few years. A co-worker and I were talking the other day, and we'll probably ask that all our librarians read the linked articles in Thing 15, since only a few of us are participating in the program. Everyone needs to be aware of what's going on, and sometimes it's too easy to be focused only on next week's replacement list deadline.

I thought that "Away from Icebergs" was especially good - well, they all were - but also liked the suggestions made by Michael Stephens in "Into a New World of Librarianship." Many of his suggestions were actually extensions of what good librarians have been doing for decades, if not for centuries: putting users' needs first when planning; embracing new tools as they are developed, and yet; not buying technology simply for its own sake. And very important in this world of fast technology changes, making decisions quickly (although well), because by the time an extended planning process is complete, the world may have moved on.