It’s a sign of just what this semester’s been like that it’s taken me a full month to post about my recent election as President-Elect of the Upstate New York Chapter of the special Libraries Association. (In case they haven’t updated it by the time you click: yes, the election is actually done.) My term doesn’t officially start until January, but I’m already getting down to business: specifically, making arrangements to travel to the SLA Leadership Summit in Atlanta in January, and finding space and speakers for the April Chapter meetings.

Prez-elect is a one year gig, but it also involves spending 2013 as President, and 2014 as Past President. I’m looking forward to this; my involvement in UNYSLA, taken with my place on the SLA Academic Division Board, indicates that I made the right call backing SLA with my membership dues. I have a feeling the next three years will be highly educational, and not just because I’m on board for three straight Leadership Summits.

This year’s Summit comes hard on the heels of the week I’ll spend out in Trumansburg, NY, for a Cornell-sponsored leadership shindig. I’m a bit apprehensive about that one: not just because of an additional hour’s drive every day in central NY in January, but also because it’ll involve things like my first real 360-degree eval. I tapped about thirty folks for that one, so it should be interesting.

The whole thing’s gotten me thinking about leadership in libraries again, and specifically leadership in my current position. I’m worried that some or all of this stuff will end up conflating leadership with management, and while I’m sure my managerial skills could use work I’d prefer these events give me what it says on the tin. I’m the head of digital projects group, chair of a committee, I push the occasional project, et cetera and so forth… but I’m not sure that makes me a leader, though. Not sure these events will clear up the ambiguity, either.

But I guess we can hope, yeah?

In any case, I’m off on Winter Break starting tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, enough stuff will be squared away that I won’t have to bring nearly as much work home as I did over Thanksgiving. But even if I do, I still can’t feel other than blessed: 2011′s been a rough year for many, and I seem to be coming out of it with more than I probably deserve.

Happy holidays, all. And if, as seems likely, I don’t post again in the next week, Happy 2012.

But today, I just have a bit of screenshot serendipity from last night:

Aw, yeah. Let’s hear it for large, round numbers.

And on a related note, the book chapter we wrote about DigitalCommons@ILR is finally in DigitalCommons@ILR. So check that out, too.

I have an odd relationship with the physical Syracuse University. While I’ve been as immersed in Cornell’s environs about as much as a human my age can be, I only spent 14 days at SU during the two years I studied there; distance programs are like that. And more than half of that class time was spent in a building that’s not even the iSchool’s official home, which was being renovated back in 2007.

But that didn’t cause me a moment’s hesitation when I was invited to talk to this Fall’s IST 511 (Introduction to the Library and Information Profession) class about academic librarianship.

Jill Hurst-Wahl was the main lecturer that evening, and my portion preceded the Syracuse University Library’s own Natasha Cooper (who’d been one of the instructors for my own IST 511 class four years ago).  I put together a presentation, the slides of which can be found here. (As usual, a lot of the meaning is lost without the voiceover, but I do think that slide #6 is complete unto itself.)

I really enjoyed the experience, and it was great to answer questions and discuss elements of academic library work both during the class, in the hallways of Hinds afterwards, and on Twitter over the last couple of days. I’m grateful to everyone involved, and I’d jump at the chance to do this again in the future.

Two points of follow-up:

1. I was thrilled to see that the iSchool was also covering the more esoteric elements of library professional development:

2. I was asked during the initial Q&A period about librarians jumping from public to academic libraries, and vice versa. I asked around on various social networks, and found examples of both.  One prominent local example is Susan Currie, director of the Tompkins County Public Library, who spent many years working and leading at Cornell and Binghamton University. Most of the other examples were shared directly with me, but I’d be glad to discuss them over email if folks are interested.

I mentioned this on the usual social media suspects, too. But I wanted to make sure there was at least a record of it here, and maybe some of y’all don’t follow me there?

In any case, this piece was a riff on something I ad-libbed during my webinar last month that seemed to resonate with folks. I tried to expand on the notion and make it a bit more general and hopefully inspirational.

If not, then at least I got to use a copyrighted image in a way that I figured was fair use. That’s always worth it.

One difference between this gig and the last one I posted: I’m on the search committee for this one, so I really won’t be able to discuss it. Still wanted to get the word out, though.

——-

ILGWU Project Archivist- Kheel Center, Catherwood Library-16232

The Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives seeks qualified candidates for a two-year, temporary professional position asILGWU Project Archivist.  The successful candidate will continue ongoing processing and outreach efforts for the ca. 2,500 linear feet of records of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.  As part of the Martin P. Catherwood Library and with its rich manuscript and media collections pertaining to labor unions, management theory and practice, and labor relations, the Kheel Center supports the curriculum and research interests of Cornell’s Industrial and Labor Relations School and attracts scholars nationwide and from all over the world.

The Catherwood Library in the ILR School is the nation’s most comprehensive library for workplace issues, specializing in labor history, human resources, collective bargaining, organizational behavior, and international and comparative labor movements. In 2010, Catherwood consolidated with the Nestlé Hospitality Library and the Management Library to form a single structure serving Cornell’s specialized business and labor Schools. The consolidated structure serves 1805 undergraduates, 1314 graduate students, 143 resident faculty, and extensive distance education, executive education, and extension programs. Cornell University Library is a leading academic research library with outstanding collections, service and instructional programs, and a leader in digital library applications including digitization of its print collections and development of strategies for curation of the research output of its faculty.

Responsibilities: Reporting to the Director of the Kheel Center and working closely with other staff, the ILGWU Project Archivist is responsible for: creating detailed EAD finding aids for key accessions of the ILGWU records; creating topical research guides on aspects of the ILGWU records; creating EAD finding aids for ILGWU-related collections; providing reference services for the ILGWU records; working with donors of ILGWU and ILGWU-related records; aiding in preservation and digitization prioritization efforts with audio-visual and image materials; highlighting and promoting use of the ILGWUrecords through online outlets.  The successful candidate will supervise one or two student assistants and work closely with the Kheel Center’s Director, Technical Services Archivist, Research Archivist, and Digital Archivist.

Characteristics:  The ILGWU Project Archivist is a highly organized and collaborative professional who is able to approach a large, two-year assignment in a methodical and comprehensive manner.  S/he works well with colleagues, drawing on and contributing to their subject and archival expertise, but is also able to work independently.  S/he has a strong understanding of standard and traditional archival practices but also embraces the change and opportunities that new technologies bring to the archival field.  Most importantly, s/he understands researchers and the research process and can keep their needs in the forefront of their mind when making processing decisions.

Required Qualifications: M.L.S. or equivalent graduate degree and at least two years of experience in a research archives. Knowledge of 20^th century US history. Strong organizational, planning, and problem solving skills. Strong collegial, interpersonal, and written and oral communication skills. Strong service ethic and orientation.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience processing collections in a research archive. Experience creating MARC records and EAD guides for archival collections. Experience working with audio-visual and photograph collections. Experience with new media tools. Degree in US history.  Knowledge of US labor history.

Background:  Cornell University is an Ivy League comprehensive research university located in Ithaca in the scenic Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.  The town and university offer a unique cosmopolitan and international atmosphere in a beautiful natural setting of waterfalls, gorges, and lakes.  The university comprises 14 schools with 2600 faculty members and 20,000 students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and professional schools.  The Cornell University Library is a vigorous professional organization of 468 staff with a strong track record in innovation and service quality.  It consists of 20 libraries, including a nearby high-density storage facility with a capacity of 6.8 million volumes.  It contains nearly 8 million printed volumes, 62,000 current serials, 378,000 networked electronic resources, and rich materials in other formats.  Ranking 9th among 113 North American academic library members of the Association of Research Libraries, the Library was a recipient of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in 2002.

Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package including 22 vacation days, 11 paid holidays, health insurance, life insurance, and university retirement contributions (TIAA-CREF and other options).  Professional travel funding available.

Application Procedure:  Applications requested by November 15, 2011. Please include a cover letter, resume, and the names, phone numbers, and addresses for three references.  Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.  Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience.  Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Cornell University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer strongly committed to diversity.  We value qualified candidates who can bring to our community a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

To apply, please visit: https://cornellu.taleo.net/careersection/10164/jobdetail.ftl

Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, is an inclusive, dynamic, and innovative Ivy League university and New York’s land-grant institution. Its staff, faculty, and students impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas and best practices to further the university’s mission of teaching, research, and outreach.

As of November 1, I will be the Digital Projects Coordinator for the consolidated Catherwood, Management, and Nestlé Libraries. This is an academic librarian position, and will — among other things — mean I’ll be part of the consolidated libraries’ leadership group, along with the directors and the coordinators of other units within the libraries. And I don’t even need to switch offices.

A few months back, I talked in vague terms about having made one of the biggest decisions of my career; that decision put me on the path to this position, and I’m thrilled that it’s finally come together. There’s definitely pressure that goes along with this; with the heavy emphasis on digitization and digital projects that’s part of this consolidation, whether I shine or burn people will be paying attention. There’s also a lot of new stuff I’ll need to learn how to do, like writing grant proposals that actually bring in funding.

But, no joke, that’s why I decided to go for this, and that’s why I’m excited as hell about it. How excited? This excited.

In all seriousness, this is huge. I love the work I do, and I love the library I work in. This gig means I can keep doing what I love doing, and do even more of it.

I owe a lot of people for this: the family who supported me. The folks at work who really didn’t need to step up and push for this on my behalf, but did. The folks I met, in Ithaca, Syracuse, and at conferences, who provided advice and empathy. Thank you all, and expect even more thanks as I run into y’all in person and online.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get to work.

Plus, my sign totally worked:

If you’re interested in what I had to say about getting faculty involved in a digital repository, but weren’t able to attend, there are a few ways you can check it out. First, here are the slides from Prezi:

Or, you could watch the video of slides with voice-over:

Both of those, plus a PDF of the slides, are available here.

Overall, I’m pretty pleased with how this went. I probably talked too long,* and so we didn’t have as much time for questions as I’d like.** But I thought the questions I did get were good, and I’m hopeful that folks might send me more.

I enjoy talking about this stuff, and I try to frame the conversation in terms of relationships: both between the folks who work at libraries and the folks who make content, and between the material within the repositories and its users/creators.

Back when I spoke at an IR Day in April, the one piece of negative commentary I received was that I didn’t use the DigitalCommons software at any point in my presentation. Frankly, I can’t imagine giving that kind of presentation outside of training folks within my library or school to use the software, and one of the reasons I’m glad give webinars or presentations in conjunction with bepress is that I don’t have to frame my presentation in a DigitalCommons-specific way.***

I try to make this stuff generally applicable, regardless of what kind of repository software you use (and maybe even to digital library projects beyond repositories). Hopefully, I succeeded this time around.

——-

* SHOCKING.
** I can’t really fault bepress for cutting things off right at an hour, though; I actually needed to end the webinar and start a chat reference shift.
*** I did talk a bit about the upload interface, I believe, but even then I tried to frame in the context of how much you could expect folks outside the library to contribute to repository workflow.

First, here’s a Library Journal piece about the library that some very cool folks within our profession have created down at Occupy Wall Street.

And if you’re not sure who the folks are participating in and/or precipitating this event, check out this tumblr. Hell, even if you think you are sure who these folks are, check that site out.

Because really, it’s just us.

“Building Content by Building Community: Engaging Faculty at Cornell’s ILR School”

Thursday, October 13, at 11am Pacific time

Register here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/155722170

In this webinar, Jim DelRosso, Web and Digital Projects Manager at ILR’s Catherwood Library, will share how they have achieved a 66% rate of faculty involvement in their repository through a variety of services. Topics include: creating interest and a sense of ownership of the IR among faculty; whom to approach and how; developing effective outreach and workflows; and sustaining faculty participation over the long term.

I’ve spoken on similar topics before, so if you’re interested it should run about 45-60 minutes, and it’s free. Can’t beat that price!

The sad fact is that The Lost Country has become a pretty obscure work.  Amazon.com shows only two used copies available for sale.  In the Duke Libraries, the last transaction record we have for your novel is in 2004, when our copy was sent to high-density storage.  It has not left the facility once since then, and our system shows no circulations in the prior decade, either.   One of the famous “laws” of librarianship is that every book should have its readers, and the current system, I am afraid, is failing to connect your book to new readers.

It has to be said that the Authors Guild is not going to help you in this regard.  They are not going to publish a new edition of The Lost Country for you, nor will they pay you any royalties on the out-of-print edition.  The Authors Guild simply does not have the ability to create a new market for your book.  Even if they were to succeed in a grand strategy to impose a licensing scheme for orphan works in general, there is no reason to believe that you would profit from it. With such an obscure work, potential users who had to pay a fee would probably just skip the planned use.

Where you can find help for this problem is with the HathiTrust.  Their goal, and the goal of the libraries that plan to participate in the orphan works project, is to make it easier for readers to find works like your novel, which might otherwise languish on shelves or in large warehouses of books.  Digital access to low-use titles through our catalogs will encourage users to discover resources, for study and for entertainment, that they might not have bothered with before.

Go read the whole thing. It’s well worth the time.