The Grande bibliothèque du Québec —Quebec’s bibliothèque nationale in downtown Montreal--was full of people of all ages at 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon. The elderly and the well-dressed mixed amiably with the young and the scruffy in the reading rooms at the document check-outs. It had been a long time since I’d visited—I usually use libraries which are nearer to where I live or the one at McGill—but I was looking for the English translation of Ensemble, C’est tout by Anna Gavalda for the next... Read Full Story
T wo terms that you probably cannot go without hearing these days –particularly so if you are in the library and information field - are social networking and Web 2.0 . The two terms, of course, go together, where one, i.e. social marketing , essentially explains what the other, Web 2.0 , is about. Professionals and corporations have come to realize that Web sites such as Facebook and Second Life are not only for college students but can be key tools for building connections and for customer... Read Full Story
I'm finding writing this blog quite cathartic, so I thought the next thing was to write about five reasons why I love and hate being a school librarian. Why I love it The children The children do make it worthwhile. I love the way they think, the enthusiasm and the way they seem to appreciate what I do for them. The challenge Every day is a challenge. From the moment you unlock the library to the time you leave, its non-stop. Remember at those job interviews they ask you about prioritization... Read Full Story
S tarting off this blog and learning about other library blogs and Web sites has been an eye-opener for me. With this post I highlight just a few of the blogs and Web sites from my sidebar that I believe are worth further mention. CMRLS (Central Massachusetts Regional Library System ) - For my part this is a beautifully laid out Web site with lots of resources for librarians and not just for those in the CMRLS. ilovelibraries.org - This a new site launched by yhe ALA (American Library... Read Full Story
"The great end of life is not knowledge but action." Thomas Henry Huxley, British biologist (1825-1895) A dvocacy has pretty much become a major buzzword within recent years. The term was, at a time, only associated with the legal profession, for after all, this is what a lawyer is; an advocate: one that speaks on behalf of, or pleads for the cause of another. But now, the term has become applicable to all such persons and activities that plead for and promote causes, whether inside or... Read Full Story
T hank you for visiting my blog. The LibVocate is all about advocacy for libraries, librarianship and information science. Libraries and the progress of civilization go hand in hand, so it seems almost pointless to question why the need for advocacy for such an institutional staple as libraries. According to the ALA (American Library Association) ALA Fact Sheet 1 , there are 117, 378 libraries in the United States. The OCLC (Online Computet Library Center) in a 2003 report, Libraries: How... Read Full Story
This happened to me only last week. The library was quite quiet and there were only a few children around. It was the end of the day and I didn't want to start any big tasks. As the end of term was fast approaching I thought I would just remind a couple of them and see if I could get them to take some books out. Here's how the conversation went: Me: So, have you got your books sorted for the end of term then? ( in a light friendly tone, it's good not to sound too desperate to improve the... Read Full Story
When I began this job less than a year ago I was shocked at how few of the children knew how to find a book using the Dewey Decimal System. I'm not one to stand there and lecture them until their eyes glaze over, so I had to find a way to make them want to learn how it worked - enter the Daily Question! The Question This can be anything as long as an object is the answer. I find riddles and jokes the best. I put them on a board with a hint or clue. If you want to repeat this be ready for an... Read Full Story
The MLA has recently announced that they will sponsor 15 Official Conference Bloggers for their May 2008 conference in Chicago. I am attempting to become one of those fifteen. I am currently enrolled, as many are, in MLA’s Web 2.0 101: Introduction to Second Generation Web Tools CE course. This course is absolutely fascinating. The discussions have been meaningful, engaging and the topics are applicable to my job. I have created 3 blogs now, including this one, one for the library , and a... Read Full Story
I went to see the Golden Compas recently and I have to say I was completely gutted. You have to understand the children I work with rave about Northern Lights. "It's brilliant they tell me, you have to read it!" Well, I am quite lazy about reading some things. We have several copoies of this book and they fly off the shelf and I know its OK for the kids to read so I have been concentrating on the other books we've been getting. So I thought I'd watch the film... It'd have to be as good... Read Full Story
