By John Mack Freeman
Everyone has a brand. Whether you’re managing it or not is an entirely different question.
I’m getting my MLIS right now, but before this, I was the marketing director of a statewide photography company and I’ve worked in PR and content development for a lot of other people. I think it’s incredibly important to have a personal brand. I know that it’s not something that we like to think about. Everybody wants to be unique and … Read the rest
By Alejandro Marquez, M.L.S.
When homophobic graffiti was discovered recently at Fort Lewis College, the administration and students were quick to condemn such actions. We are a small liberal arts college located in the four corners region of Colorado. We offer free tuition scholarships to Native American students from any tribal affiliation and the Native students (over 40% of our enrollment) are actively involved in a culture of tolerance and civility. The librarians of John F. Reed library, along with the … Read the rest
By Mike Parchinski and Scott R. DiMarco
A man walks in to a supermarket deli. There are a few people in front of him waiting to be served. The woman at the front of the line is impatient and rude. The man behind her is shy, inarticulate and indecisive about what he really wants. The next couple has contradictory ideas and appears to be taking their frustration out on the worker behind the counter. Each interaction has the potential for … Read the rest
“Workers should not have to choose between the job they need and the family members they love and who need their care.” - Acting Secretary of Labor Seth Harris
For twenty years, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has allowed millions of eligible employees to take unpaid leaves for specified family and medical reasons. These workers have been able to care for themselves and their families without fear of losing their jobs or medical insurance. Since President Clinton signed it … Read the rest
By Diana J. Lennon
By Tricia Lantzy
Working in a library has many perks: being constantly surrounded by books, working with great people and being an important part of your community. Unfortunately, not everything about working in a library is so ideal. We tend to sit long hours while we are working, usually in front of a computer screen. In my experience, we also tend to sit long hours during our leisure time at home when we are reading books, watching television or spending … Read the rest
By Caitlin P. Williams, Ph.D.
Mentoring, whether formal or informal, engages newer workers, acclimates them to organizational culture and grooms them for greater levels of responsibility. The workplace is changing: flatter organizations, fewer advertised positions and a higher degree of uncertainty characterize the “new normal.” These new circumstances present challenges, many of which can be met by developing strong mentoring relationships in the workforce. Mentoring styles and strategies are evolving to better serve workers’ current professional development needs.
How Mentoring “Used to” Look… Read the rest
By Caitlin Williams, Ph.D.
Would it surprise you to learn that up to 44 percent of U.S. workers report that they are or have been bullied at work? Even greater numbers of workers have reported witnessing bullying in the workplace. And the US isn’t alone; other countries across the globe report high incidences of bullying. And for most of these countries, reports of bullying are on the rise.
Furthermore, the United Nations-sponsored International Labor Office (ILO) has reported that professions that were once regarded as sheltered … Read the rest
By Melissa C. Jeter
“Don’t know why there’s no sun up in the sky”- Lena Horne
I knew that there was a storm brewing in the economy before I chose to become a librarian in 2006. Indeed my knowledge was confirmed in library school when I studied financial management and grant funding. However, I had an inkling of an idea that the talents and skills I learned in my previous career as a community worker would allow me to weather … Read the rest
By Laureen P. Cantwell
Editor’s note: the first part of Cantwell’s article, in which she discusses how term/temporary academic librarians can navigate and alleviate the stresses of contract work, was published in the June 2012 issue of Library Worklife.
Testing Your Network Connections
How many of us librarians and information science professionals have troubleshot network connections? There are several punny overlaps: we query a patron to diagnose the issue, and we might discuss the pitfalls and critical features of networking … Read the rest
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