Adventures in Library School, Part One

So, I've decided to become a librarian...

I recently started the Master's Program at the Palmer School at Long Island University. As many of you probably know, they have a remote office in Bobst Library and offer classes here in the building.

I came into the program thinking, "Oh, I've worked in libraries for a while, this will be a breeze." While, so far, the work is introductory, I am actually learning a lot.

In my "Intro to Library & Information Science" class, the instructor gave a lecture on the permeability of library knowledge in other occupational fields. The main theme of the lecture was that librarianship does not limit you to working in a library. Much of the theory that applies to librarianship can be applied to jobs in the business world, sociology, journalism and elsewhere. In addition, there is the "knowledge industry," those companies that produce and service everything from library furniture to online databases and library systems like Aleph & ILLiad.

One is not confined to libraries by obtaining a Master's in Libary Science. Though jobs outside the library world do not interest me at the moment, it's nice to know that the job market will be flexible to accomodate my degree and that changing careers will not be outside the realm of possibilities.

In my "Reference Sources & Services" class, we're learning the basics of what it means to work as a reference librarian. Almost half of the textbook deals with the customer service aspect of the job, as well as staff performance, evaluation, development, and continual learning.

It is comforting, in a way, to have a textbook reinforce the things I learn at my job. It's also nice to know that when Access Services implements things like the Service Excellence Initiative or various ClimateQual-related activities, it is a mark of what a good library should undertake.

A library's virtue is in its ability to share knowledge, not only with patrons but also among all tiers of library employees. By trying to improve our services, we are evaluating our workplace and our "work selves," something in which a library should constantly engage.

I'm also bringing a lot of what I'm learning into my collaboration with the Access Services Advisory Council, which is currently working on a project for the Service Excellence Working Group. My library classes have informed my approach to the project, and the Council, of course, has already done amazing work. As we gather information from our colleagues and analyze it, we are on our way to preparing a cohesive and thorough report that accurately represents the concerns of each Access Services division.

I plan to post more as I come across interesting library school-related bits of information. For now, I'm glad I've taken the plunge.

Communicating: speak clearly, listen carefully

For my first post here on the Access Services Blog I am going to talk a little about a class I attended a few weeks ago called Managing Communication Successfully.

In case it’s not obvious the class was about improving ones communication skills. I quickly learned that improving my skills was not just about learning to speak better but also learning to listen better. There are two sides to communication: speaking and listening. During any given conversation we usually participate on both of those sides and should be aware of the barriers that may prevent clear communication.

A few Communication Barriers are:
Unclear message or instructions
Poor listening skills
Languages and cultures
Communication styles
Stress and emotions
Noise
Making assumptions
There are of course many more that we have all experienced.

The class did not just dwell on the problems of communication though. We also discussed constructive ways to improve our communication skills. Both speaking and listening.

Deliver clear messages.
Be succinct
Be specific
Be generous

Ask open questions that encourage longer answers.
Open question: What help do you need? (This prompts a dialog.)
Closed question: Do you need help? (This prompts a one word answer.)

Listen actively.
Face the speaker and make eye contact
Focus on the person’s words and non-verbal language
Ask questions related to what the speaker has been talking about
Empathize

Many of us working in public service positions don’t even think about how much our jobs are really about communication. From writing emails to coworkers to speaking directly with a patron to assist them we are participating in some form of communication every day. Being able to speak and listen well not only makes us good at our jobs it can also make our jobs easier.

(just for fun take an online test about your communication skills at: http://testyourself.psychtests.com/testid/2151)