I've been on leave for the past month, so bear with me as I do the catch up dance...
I don't shy away from multimedia. Ooooohhh, I embrace it. My daily intake of YouTube/Vimeo videos is at least two, and I try to squeeze in at least one podcast a week. As is most of my web usage outside of work, I tend to use multimedia on a personal front; comedy, baby animals, 90s music videos and movie trailers are my go-to. However, I have used these tools for professional development purposes. Webinars set up in advance for us can be great, but it's nice to explore library-related topics on my own and watch tutorials, conference talks, listen to podcasts, etc. It gives my eyes a rest from reading articles and blogs.
For the example below, I started by searching for library-related videos, relying on whatever caught my eye... I began with one of my favourite library bloggers, Ingrid Abrams, then explored the YouTube channel for her library system, Brooklyn Public Library. I stumbled across this inspiring talk by rapper KRS-One, about his experience being homeless and finding some refuge at the library. If you can, take 10 minutes to watch this.
"Your mind is wherever you tell it to go."
Though I've listened to Q's debate on the future of libraries pretty much as soon as it came out, I decided to listen to a podcast I hadn't heard about until today, LibPunk. As an avid punk music fan, stumbling across this made my ears perk up. This podcast is a NSFW, informal, alternative podcast where three librarians discuss relevant topics.
Episode #39 was titled "How can we make Library School useful beyond a piece of paper?"
It was an interesting discussion, because while all three enjoyed their programs, they felt it wasn't quite enough. They discussed if perhaps an apprenticeship program would be more beneficial, where you take a few classes but mostly need to work xx amount of hours in a library setting. Personally, knowing that I wanted to work in public libraries, I took as many courses relevant to public libraries as possible. Did it prepare me for the daily challenges I face with the public? Not really, but it provided some tools and knowledge in terms of information literacy, research, critical thinking and management. Then again, I wouldn't hesitate to say that anyone interested in working at libraries with the public (whether it's with university students, toddlers or adults) should have previous work experience with the public. My years of retail experience prior to library school have taught me a lot about how to serve the public.
This was an interesting venture, and I hope to discover more interesting podcasts along the way...
No comments:
Post a Comment