The Library As a Place

In case you missed it, I'm attending the Medical Library Association conference in Minneapolis this week.  I've been chosen as an official conference blogger and will be blogged a couple of times a day on my experiences as a new member and first time conference attendee.  I know most of you won't be following me on the official conference blog, so I will be reposting my posts here.


It seems an unofficial theme of "the library as a place" is going around.  From T. Scott Plutchak's Janet Doe lecture today to talking to librarians who round at lunch yesterday to talk of closing the reference desk at the Rethinking Libraries in Hard Times session this afternoon, everyone seems to be saying the library as a physical space doesn't exist anymore.  Or shouldn't exist or can't exist depending on who you talk to.  This is not an uncommon idea in any sort of library circles and an argument we've all been hearing for quite some time.


But what I haven't heard much talk about (in sessions or just in conversation) is a defense of the library as a space.  Arguments from those of us who have active, vital physical libraries.  So I'm here to take up the banner, at least for my own library.


The majority of my library users are residents and attending physicians.  Some do their own searching, some don't.  Some only use UpToDate to answer clinical questions, some prefer me to do a quick search.  Some like their articles hand delivered to their office, some will only accept them via email.  But they all have one thing in common: they like to pop by and ask me questions.  I have very few users whom I have never seen personally, and those that I haven't, it's because their practice is outside the hospital.


My library has a steady stream of visitors all day.  Surgical residents who drop by to take a look at an atlas, faculty members who come by with research questions, busy clinicians who use what little free time they have to peruse the latest copy of a print journal.  The common thread here is that they are visiting a physical space with physical resources and working with me, live and in person.


I'm rarely out of the office because I don't know when I'll be called upon to help answer a question or locate a resource.  The library itself is open 24 hours a day and stats show that it is used 24 hours a day.  And by the number of books scattered around in the mornings, they aren't coming in to use the computers.
So in my hospital the physical library is necessary.  I'm sure, after an adjustment period (probably full of complaining docs), we could move to a virtual library and I could roam the halls providing library services to those in need.  But this model works for my hospital and my patrons.  So I am defending (and will continue to do so) the library as a place in my institution.


Debate time: what are your thoughts on the matter?  Could you move to a mostly virtual library?  Have you already done so?

Trying To Do It All

In case you missed it, I'm attending the Medical Library Association conference in Minneapolis this week.  I've been chosen as an official conference blogger and will be blogged a couple of times a day on my experiences as a new member and first time conference attendee.  I know most of you won't be following me on the official conference blog, so I will be reposting my posts here.

Even a lolcat needs a break from being funny.

I tend to be a bit over-ambitious when it comes to setting a conference schedule.  I remember while at an ALA conference I attended while a library school student, making a mad dash across Chicago in attempts to make it to a session that I JUST HAD TO ATTEND only to arrive and discover that they had changed the location.


Luckily, MLA being the nicely contained conference that it is, I knew this wouldn’t be a problem.  I figured with sessions being only a floor apart it would, in fact, be possible to attend two sessions in the same time slot.  Hear one or two speakers, move quickly to the next and hear one or two more on a completely different, but entirely interesting, topic.


I always fail to consider exhaustion.  As in, the constant moving around, networking, learning, and trying to keep up with the lightening-pace twitter stream is bound to leave me brain-fried and unable to remember what day of the week it is.


I blame the solo librarian syndrome.  As a solo librarian, it is my job to do it all, because there is no one else to do it.  So if I don’t do it, it doesn’t get done.  I have somehow developed the misconception that it is possible for me to always be able to do it all.  Because top speed is how I function at work, top speed should be how I function at MLA.


Which is how I almost fell asleep at the Ovid party.

So new members and first time conference attendees, learn from me.  Don’t try to do it at all.  It’s not necessary to go to every vendor party, to try to attend multiple sessions in the same hour and half, or follow the twitter stream as if your life depends on it.  It’s okay to miss something.  It’s okay to take a break and recharge your personal (or phone) batteries.  You don’t have to do it all.

No Menu Plan Monday Today

I don't have a menu plan for this week since I'm conferencing it up in Minneapolis for MLA until Wednesday.  I imagine I'll be eating takeout or whatever frozen dinners are languishing in my freezer until I can get to the grocery store, but I'm not really all that concerned at the moment. :)

I'll be back next week with a great (hopefully!) menu plan featuring some new recipes.

I'm sure you're not out of town, so what's on your menu for the week?

Reflections On My First Day at MLA'11

In case you missed it, I'm attending the Medical Library Association conference in Minneapolis this week.  I've been chosen as an official conference blogger and will be blogged a couple of times a day on my experiences as a new member and first time conference attendee.  I know most of you won't be following me on the official conference blog, so I will be reposting my posts here.


Saturday was my first official day at MLA and I found that it was a great introduction as it was very low key.  I'm already feeling overwhelmed as I sit in this huge ballroom taking advantage of the free WiFi and official blogger tables.  

I started the day with my chosen CE for the year, Searching in Support of Systematic Reviews.  I took away a lot of great information (and some terrific handouts!) but mostly I learned that when the physicians at my hospital say they are interesting in writing a systematic review, they really have no clue what they are talking about and probably not all interested in writing an actual systematic review.  However, I did learn the process and the librarian's role in the systematic review process so I feel, that if called upon, I could do an adequate job in contributing. 

I was a bit worried about finding someone to have lunch with, but thanks to a trip to the ladies room, I met another hospital librarian AND found someone to have lunch with.  So, if you are looking for new connections, I highly recommend a trip to the restroom.  :)  In all seriousness, new friends and colleague connections abound, so if you are feeling lost, just find someone how looks friendly and ask them where they work.  Everyone here has been very nice and helpful so far.

I spent my time between lunch and the Welcome Reception people watching near the registration desk.  I met a number of very nice people just by sitting at a table, and had a great time watching all the librarians coming and going.  Medical librarians are one of the most diverse groups of librarians I've seen yet!  It quickly became clear to this new MLA member (and new medical librarian in general) that there is a place for everyone in MLA.

My favorite part of Saturday was the Welcome Reception.  After attending ALA in 2008 where I was completely overwhelmed by the exhibition hall and number of vendors, I was relieved to find that the MLA exhibits are much smaller and cozier.  I was able to find some food and a grab a drink while wandering around to a few vendor booths with my new colleague connection mentor.  I even ran into a few library school friends and some other people I know while wandering around.  

I made a special trip to the MLA booth to check out the store (I sort of want an official tshirt now) and the chapter/section booth.  I learned that you can join 3 extra sections for free until the end of the year.  This is a great opportunity to try out new sections, make new connections, and learn new things.  I'm thinking about the Leadership and Management section as I'm a solo and can use all the management help I can get. 

I was supposed to finish the day by attending the MD Consult party, but I got so caught up in chatting with new colleagues that I completely missed the party and apparently missed some really great food.  But I really think I came off with the better deal - after new friends and colleagues are really what I'm here for?

5 Things I'm Looking Forward To at MLA'11

In case you missed it, I'm attending the Medical Library Association conference in Minneapolis this week.  I've been chosen as an official conference blogger and will be blogged a couple of times a day on my experiences as a new member and first time conference attendee.  I know most of you won't be following me on the official conference blog, so I will be reposting my posts here.

I'm very excited to be attending my first MLA conference and sharing my experiences with you.  I graduated from library school in December 2009 and became a medical librarian in May 2010, so not only am I new to medical libraries and MLA, I'm also new to the profession in general.  By way of introduction, I thought I would share what I'm looking forward to most here at MLA'11.

Top 5 Things I'm Looking Forward to Most:
1. My CE course on systematic reviews.  I consider myself a fairly decent searcher and I've been known to generate some excellent results on almost no information.  However, I'm at sea when it comes to major reviews.  I've read a few articles but I have no idea where to begin a systematic review.  I have a physician who is in the beginning stages of research on a new project and I know he is going to require a comprehensive review of the literature.  I've done what I can but I recognize my limits and when I need more knowledge on the subject.  Hopefully this course will help me better serve this physician and prepare me for other reviews I may do in the future.

2. New Member Breakfast.  I only joined the medical librarian force a year ago when I became an accidental medical librarian.  I don't know very many people in the field so I'm really excited about meeting other new medical librarians and hopefully learning more about MLA overall, despite the fact that this Sunday event starts at 7:30.  In the morning.  I hope there is enough caffeine. 

3. Rethinking the Librarian's Role in EHRs, PHRs, and EMRs: A Place at the Table.  This 5th annual lecture series sponsored by STAT!Ref (Sunday at 4:30) is of special interest to me because my hospital just purchased an EHR system and I would love to get involved.  Except I have no clue how such things work or what I can do to help.  I'm hoping to get some interesting tidbits and advice from librarians who been in my shoes.  

4. The Janet Doe Lecture. I'm very excited about the Janet Doe lecture (Monday at 9:00) because the speaker is T.Scott Plutchak who happens to be the director of UAB's Lister Hill Library, my resource library.  The title of his lecture, “Breaking the Barriers of Time and Space: The Dawning of the Great Age of Librarians” is very intriguing to me as I love anything that has to do with reaffirming the awesomeness of my chosen profession. 

5. Shopping at the Mall of America and generally exploring Minneapolis.  I've never been to Minneapolis and I love any chance to explore a new city.  For years I've been wondering what all the hoopla about the Mall of America so I'm making a special trip out there to see if for myself.  After reading all the great blog posts about places to eat around town, I'm dying to try out some of the restaurants.  Anyone want to go exploring with me?

What are you most looking forward to at MLA'11?


Since most of you aren't at MLA, what do you look forward most to at conferences?  If you've never been to a conference, what would you like to do/see/learn? 

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

I don’t really have enough for a full blog post today, so I thought I would just through a few thoughts out here today.

In Need of Lunch Ideas

Yesterday I told you how I’m giving up meat for Lent.  Originally, I was mainly concerned about having difficulty going out to dinner and finding vegetarian options on the menu, but, when I was packing my lunch this morning, I realized how much I depend on meat for lunch.  I usually try to eat leftovers for lunch, but when I’m out of those (like today), I usually eat turkey sandwiches, frozen dinners, or soup.  The only vegetarian lunch options I could think of (besides leftovers) were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and vegetarian soups.  I need some suggestions for lunches that can be easily and quickly packed and taken to work.  Any ideas?

Writing Cover Letters

I’ve been trying to write a post about drafting a good cover letter and failing miserably.  My cover letters were well written, but it’s been so long since I’ve written one that I’m having trouble coming up with good ways to explain it.  If anyone has any ideas, suggestions, or resources on writing cover letters for library jobs , I would appreciate it!

Boycotting Harper Collins

Have you been keeping up with the “Boycott Harper Collins” movement?  I have, but rather sporadically, mainly through Agnostic Maybe.  While I like the idea of a boycott, I wonder how much of an impact it’s really going to have.  Yes, libraries have a lot of purchasing power, but when compared to the rest of the country and all the bookstores purchasing Harper Collins books, libraries are chump change.  I sincerely hate the restrictions the publisher is putting on libraries, but I’m not sure that a boycott is truly the most effective way to make our voices heard.  But I also don’t have any better ideas.    

Medical Library Association Annual Conference

In case you missed it on Twitter, I’m an official conference blogger for the Medical Library Association’s Annual Meeting in Minneapolis in May.  I will be blogging twice a day on the official conference blog about what’s it is like being a new member participating in my first conference.  The conference runs May 13-18 and I will be sharing several of my posts here too so you can keep up with what I’m doing.

Speaking of Conferences

I’m also attending the American Library Association’s annual conference in New Orleans in June.  If you’re going to be there, let me know and we can try to meet up!  But the really exciting part is that I’ve been asked to be part of a panel on management, new librarians, and new managers.  The discussion panel, which is hosted by the Emerging Trends Discussion Group in the Human Resources section of the Library Leadership and Management Association, will be on Saturday, June 25.  I’ll share more details including time and specific location when I have them.  But if you are going to be at conference you should totally come and watch me attempt to public speak.  It should be highly entertaining!  

And just because...

…I love to show her off, here are two pictures of Caty being exceptionally cute.  

'Tis the Season...Of Conferences

Spring and summer seem to be conference season.  All of my library blogs have been full of conference schedules, rehashes, and opinions on anything and everything to do with conferencing.  I went to ALA Annual last year, which was an incredible experience.  I wish I was able to go again this year, but being unemployed for four months really put a hole in any potential conference budget I may have had.  I also really wish I had gone to MLA, but I didn't know I was going to be a medical librarian until it was too late to get the early registration fee and get approval from work.  SLA Annual is next week, and even though it's near by in New Orleans, I wasn't even thinking about going until it was too late. 

I love conferences mostly because I love to travel.  Everything about travel excites me, from the plane ride to staying in hotels to experiencing a new city.  But I also love conferences because of all the people.  When the librarians descended on Chicago last year, I felt as though I was part of a group.  Everywhere you looked there were librarians with their large name tags, frumpy clothes, and bags loaded down with freebies.  It was very thrilling to know that I was part of such a large contingent.  

I had hoped that going to ALA last year would help me get a job.  Obviously, it didn't, but I did come out with some great contacts and a great experience.  Even though I've only been to two library conferences, here are my 10 tips to having a better conference experience.

1. Wear comfortable shoes.  I can't stress this enough.  Big conferences tend to be in big cities and conference locations can be massive.  Be prepared to walk a good bit from presentation to presentation and then be prepared to dash across town in a half an hour.  Heels are not good for this activity.  I know this from experience.

2.  Dress appropriately.  This can mean a variety of different things, but what I mean here is dress nicely, but comfortably and suitable to the weather.  Conference dress tends to be business casual, but if you are presenting or planning on meeting any VIPs, I would dress more business than casual.  Also, conference spaces tend to be freezing, so wear layers and bring a sweater or a jacket.  You can read more about my strong feelings toward librarian's fashion sense here.

3. Stay at the conference site or main hotel.  Obviously, this is difficult to do, especially if you are on a small budget, but it's something I plan on doing from now on.  I choose to stay a little off the beaten path at ALA last summer and every time the bus came by to pick us up, it was already full.  I was always late and frustrated to boot.  Plus, it's a good idea to stay where a lot of people are for the best networking opportunities. 

4. Talk to strangers.  Some of the best conversations I've had at conferences were on the bus, in lines, and waiting for presentations to start.  It took me a few times to get over my reservations, but once you see how interesting it is to talk to other librarians, you'll want to talk to everyone.  The bus was a great place to meet people in Chicago; once I ended up sitting next to an assistant dean of libraries at a major academic institution and we had a great conversation in which she shared lots of job hunting tips.  So talk it up!

5. Bring more business cards than you think you'll need.  I thought I had brought enough to ALA, but ended up giving them all out in the first two days.  I brought tons to my state conference and barely handed out any, but I was glad I had brought so many.  Better to be safe than sorry. 

6. Attend some social functions.  Many of the evening events cost money, but are worth it.  They are good networking places and after a long day of conferencing, you need to relax, get a drink, and have some fun.  My favorite events have been the library school receptions.  It's great to see old friends and professors and see what everyone's up to. 

7.  Devote at least a half day to the exhibits.  This is especially true at ALA and probably events like PLA and MLA.  Exhibit areas seem to go on forever and you want to have plenty of time to see everything, talk the people you need to talk to, and get your free stuff.  On that same note, allow some time at the end of the conference to go back through and get any other freebies you may have missed.  Vendors are handing out tons of stuff at the end, so don't miss out!

8. Plan your schedule before you go.  You should always know what you want to go to, but allow for some flexibility.  You may hear of something awesome or you may want to accompany and new friend or colleague to something you wouldn't normally be interested in.  Don't be afraid to get up and leave; if something isn't interesting, it's okay to leave and find something else.  

9. Don't over schedule.  I'm a big planner so I had a huge schedule ready to go on the first day.  I was so tired and my brain was on overload by 4:00, I couldn't make it to the president's speech.  That was dumb because I heard the keynote speaker was amazing.  I learned my lesson since then and know now that the value of conferences isn't in the presentations, but in the conversations on buses, interesting people you have lunch with, and new ideas you gather from the exhibits.  

10.  Have fun! A conference is a great professional development resource, but it should also be fun.  You should come away from a conference with excitement about your profession and fresh ideas ready to be implemented.  Meeting new people, learning new things, and networking with colleagues is really what a conference is all about.