sup·port·abil·i·ty : Oregon Library Association - Support Staff Division

Interesting Library Tidbits

2012-02-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

The New York Public Library has digitized stereogram images in their collection, and artist Joshua Heineman began animating them. Read the New York Times article.

More breakins at the the library!

Gobblegobble

2012-01-25T16:29:00.000-08:00

So... We've all had weird things returned to our libraries, but what about break-ins?

Talking up LSSC...

2012-01-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

Today, Sylvia Bowers continues talking about balancing work, life, and classwork while completing LSSC - Library Support Staff Certification.

What help do you wish you had while taking these courses (like group support)?

It may be that I wish I had more group support, but it seems that this is something I am more willing to provide for others than seek for myself. The number of people enrolled in the LSSC program is fairly small right now, so I’m not sure it’s easy to find other participants outside of classes. Classes typically have a discussion board so that the students can interact with each other and share ideas and questions. But, since I’ve started doing the support staff certification, I have been able to share information about the program with my co-workers, I have given two presentations about it at conventions to encourage others and I’ve written about it. I do this sharing willingly and humbly, because it is meeting such a need in my life. I project I have twenty or so more working years ahead of me and I have decided this is a worthwhile investment for me.

Are any of you in the LSSC program? Let us know how it's going!

How to use what you learn in LSSC

2012-01-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Another post from Sylvia in our continuing series about LSSC - Library Support Staff Certification. Sylvia works for Baker County Library District managing the magazine and newspaper collections.

What helps you the most in completing your classwork in the LSSC program?

Working from home: I mentioned that I work from home and this is possible because our IT manager made a house call; he helped me set up my home pc for internet access and appropriate programs that would support my support staff training. The expense for equipment and the internet connection, of course, has been my own, but the library I work for supported me by allowing the technology manager to do that, and I am grateful.

My co-worker’s creative support: As much as possible, I look for opportunities to integrate my class assignments with my daily responsibilities at work, or I turn class projects into an opportunity for on-the-job training. My co-workers help me find opportunities. For example, for one class project I was able to learn all about the online and in-library resources we had for genealogy research. Myself and a co-worker attended “Family History Days”, where I gave a power point presentation I’d prepared on that topic and she put together an informational booth. This presentation led to another opportunity for a similar presentation at another local genealogy conference, as well as sharing the information at an all-staff training day. I needed help from more knowledgeable staff to create the presentation because I needed to learn about the resources for myself, I shared the information with the community and passed the information on to other staff who hadn’t yet had the opportunity to learn about these resources.

Thanks once again, Sylvia. Are you taking classes and working? Let us know how it's going for you by commenting below.

Balancing life, work, and school. What works for you?

2012-01-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

Sylvia Bowers answers another question for us about her experience with LSSC - Library Support Staff Certification.

What techniques have you learned in order to balance your work/school/home life?

I try to schedule no more than 2-hours per day during the week to do general classwork; this usually falls between 8pm to 10pm after my household has quieted down and I can focus. I block larger sections of time on the weekends to work on bigger class projects. If I’m feeling pressured to get my assignments done in too little time, I will schedule a couple vacation hours to accommodate the extra time needed to do a good job. I have only had to do this two to three times. Also, a couple of the instructors have stated up front in their syllabus the amount of time they expect to be spent on classwork and assignments. The class I am taking right now, Adult Readers’ Advisory, specified that students should be able to complete classwork and assignments in 7 to 10 hours per week. I try to use this as a guideline, so I’m not spending more time than is expected. If an instructor has not stated their time expectations then I will simply ask and this then gives a good baseline from which to plan.

The absolutely most useful thing I did when I first started taking classes was to connect to the internet at home so I could do my classwork from home. I found, though, that I was still spending too much time isolated from my family, so I got a laptop. With a laptop I can sit in the living room with my family while they’re reading or visiting and I can do my classwork. It usually takes longer to do my work because there are interruptions, but that’s okay, because this setup meets my emotional need to spend time with my family in the evening.

Thanks, Sylvia. Do you have any questions or comments for Sylvia? Just click on the link below!

But does it glow in the dark...

2012-01-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

You can watch this without sound...

What can you learn through LSSC?

2011-12-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

Today Sylvia Bowers, SSD member-at-large, answers a couple questions for us about her experience with LSSC - Library Support Staff Certification.

Which one class have you liked the most and why? How has what you've learned in your favorite class influenced your work?

These are very good questions. My favorite class with the most usefully applicable information was the Library Technology class I took from Northern Kentucky University. The class started with very basic computer use information, ended with document and internet security, with a lot of practical projects in between.

The class lasted from late August through early October. Some of the projects included creating Google docs and Google presentations, and scheduling online meetings. One project entailed pricing and "purchasing" computer systems and furniture for a fictitious library of my choice. Another fun project for this class was planning how to automate a small branch library.

A large portion of time in this class was spent learning how to cope with technology change. This is a very common challenge. We explored resources that are available and strategies that you can implement that will help a person working in a library keep up with these changes, as well as how to make good use of that technology in your job right now.

In addition to the larger projects, I learned much I can use in my job on a daily basis. For example, I learned beyond-basic internet search skills, standard computer trouble-shooting skills, and I certainly gained an appreciation for the complexity of computer networks.

I appreciated the support I got from the instructor and the institution. It was a very satisfying learning experience and I would recommend this class to anyone.

Thanks, Sylvia!

Are you curious about getting certified? Ask Sylvia questions about the LSSC program by posting in the comments section below!

How to handle difficult situations

2011-12-14T16:33:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Steward, a Circulation Analyst with Multnomah County Library, is posting today about dealing with difficult patron situations. She and Lisa Canavan presented on that topic at the 2011 OLS-SSD conference.

"There’s a problem with my library card!"

Does that make you cringe or prepare for battle?

Perhaps there is a third option? What I try to do is guide the patron to a place where we can work things out together. Here are two things you can do to guide interactions toward collaboration and not let them spiral into real problems.

Set the tone.
Your goal is to be calm, polite and helpful - even if the patron isn’t. The patron will usually rise to your standard. Try not to absorb any anger/fear/anxiety that comes your way. By setting the tone, you are also teaching the patron how to treat you.

Be aware of feelings – both yours and the patron’s.
Think about your feelings. If you seem fearful, some people may bully you. If you are dismayed that patrons get fines, you may seem judgmental. If you are determined to prove that you are in the right, you may seem combative. What do you need to do to get into a collaborative place?

Think about the patron’s feelings. What looks like anger is often fear. Does the patron think she’s "in trouble" or fear that she won’t be able to use the library? Does she need to connect with you emotionally – by being listened to or reassured - before she can hear the practical options available to her? What does she need from you to move from conflict to collaboration?

While some patrons may be too upset to follow you into collaboration, you may be surprised how many will. For me, it is also important to know that even if things don’t end well, I know that I remained polite and respectful, even under pressure. Woo-hoo!

For more information on customer service and collaboration, try Great customer connections by Richard S. Gallagher and Radical Collaboration by James W. Tamm and Ronald J. Luyet.

A janitor discovers a cache of rare coins in the State Library of Passau in Germany

2011-12-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

Tanja Höls, a janitor in a library in Germany, discovered a box full of coins that may be worth millions. The staff think the box may have been hidden in the library in the early 19th century by local prince-bishops who wanted to dodge some taxes.

Tanja will be promoted to the curating department of the library and will receive a reward.

(DPA/Newscom)
What have you found in your library lately?

Oregon Library Architecture

2011-12-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

Photo by BrianLibby

The gorgeous Mount Angel Abbey Library is one of the libraries featured in this Cubed story on Architectural Libraries. Seattle, Baltimore, and Oslo are definitely worth a look, too!

I hope I don't ever do this...

2011-12-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

One of our past presenters, Sam Wallin from the Woodland Community College in Woodland, WA, has some absolutely hilarious videos on his YouTube channel . They are called "Libraryland!" and are "little shows about working in the public library." If you hit play after following the link, it will play the entire series for you. Most are under a minute and well worth watching. Sam was part of the Marketing Your Library: Strategies for the 21st Century presentation at our 2011 conference.

It was hard to choose just one for an example, because they're all good, but I 've heard people do this before:

Oops!

Which of these videos made you laugh the hardest? For me, the laughs were cumulative - the more I watched, the funnier they got.

Have any of you used YouTube as a marketing tool for your library? How has it worked for you? What strategies have you implemented from this conference session?

There's more!

2011-12-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

Photo by chrisdonia

More anonymous paper sculptures have appeared in Scotland libraries and museums, this time with a tantalizing farewell letter.

LSSC stands for Library Support Staff Certification

2011-11-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

Today's guest post is from Sylvia Bowers who has worked at the Baker County Library District for 7 years. She manages the magazine and newspaper collections for the main library, branches & bookmobile. She also works on the circulation desk, processes books and helps with interlibrary loan. "It's a wonderful job and I love it!" she says. She started the LSSC program in January 2010, and is partway through her fourth class.

I am about 1 ½ years and 3 ½ competencies into the Library Support Staff Certification process. We all know that growth and change are challenging, sometimes difficult and often exciting. I decided to begin the LSSC program because after having worked at my library for 6 years, I felt there were fundamental gaps in my understanding of what libraries were all about (mission) that I wanted to fill, and I wanted to gain library-specific skills that would help me do my job better, such as helping a patron with a reference question. It was time for me to find a way to grow and learn and change.

Even though the LSSC program is very flexible in allowing you to choose your own path - portfolios or classes - I’ve chosen to take classes exclusively. This works really well for me because it keeps me on a schedule and keeps me focused. I’ve completed three classes and am in the middle of the fourth one right now. I really enjoy the online learning experience. I’ve taken “Reference” from Infopeople, “Communication, Teamwork and Decisionmaking” from Fresno Pacific University, “Library Technology” from Northern Kentucky University and am currently taking “Foundations of Library Services” also from Northern Kentucky University. Each class has provided a balance between practical skills I can use every day and foundational knowledge about the library profession.

The benefits I’ve experienced from pursuing certification have been numerous.
Read more »

Beautiful Retro-Styled Library Posters

2011-11-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

I stumbled on these posters from Nate Koehler today. They remind me of the illustrations in books I read as a child. They really are gorgeous. You can find the whole set at Nate's website or at design work life .

Why you should attend a book repairing session

2011-11-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Today's guest blogger is Melinda Williams with Multnomah County Library. Melinda has been both a Library Page and Clerk during her tenure at MCL. We are pleased to have her writing about Basic Book Repair for Libraries.

I left the conference full of energy and excitement about how I can apply the information I learned to my library life. On of the key things I wanted to review were my experiences in the book mending workshop. My main goals for the conference were to gain a more in depth understanding of book mending, learn more about how other libraries function, and network with support staff outside MCL.

The book mending workshop was educational and entertaining. My expectations were that we would specifically focus on the how-to and not the why of book mending but I was pleasantly surprised. I appreciate that the instructors, Carolee Harrison and Kristen Kern from PSU, spent time explaining book preservation theory and gave us preservation resources. A few key repairs that I think will be useful on a daily basis at the branch are reattaching loose pages and repairing a loose book cover or back. The workshop focused mostly on repairing hardback books and the materials needed in a repair kit. I was curious about repairing paperbacks but the instructors mentioned in passing that paperbacks are generally created from low quality materials and therefore repair is not cost effective. I would recommend the book repair workshop to anyone who is interested in the preservation of books in a broader sense.

I was also excited about the opportunity to network with other support staff about their experiences in their library systems. I was able to do this by volunteering to staff the registration/raffle table during lunch as well as chatting to people in my book mending workshop during breaks. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to learn about how people came to be clerks, pages and library assistants and their duties on any given day.

Libraries hate wookies?

2011-10-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

From forcesofgeek.com, a video by killingmylobster:

Why it's good to create a triangle in your workplace

2011-10-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today's guest blogger talking about our recent 2011 Conference at The Oregon Garden is Rinny Lakin, a Library Clerk with Multnomah County Library (MCL).

Did you ignore the announcements for this amazing conference because you assumed it was another exclusive club for librarians? Read on! Oregon Library Association’s Support Staff Division is here for support staff (us page, clerk and LA types) from all over Oregon! Now that you know this conference was meant for us and our statewide equivalents, did you know you have missed the last 17 of them?

SSD is here to serve us paraprofessionals all year long. In addition to the yearly conference, SSD provides viable options to stretch your wings outside your role at your library, if you so desire. You can become involved and really shine. I was dazzled to see so many MCL staff involved in organizing and presenting at the conference and beyond. There are over 80 current members, yet 140+ people were at conference!

Director of Tualatin Public Library Abigail Elder gave the keynote address titled Growing Optimism. I found it really encouraging to be reminded that I have the power to become an expert on a topic, digging roots deep, seeking mastery. What really appeals to me about improving my professional offerings this way, is that I do not need to ask permission. I don’t need to win the approval of every co-worker and boss ahead of time nor navigate red tape. These are value-added hobbies I can education myself about (she used knitting as an example, she knows which co-workers can answer knitting questions and recommend knitting resources). Why didn’t she use gardening instead? I have dabbled with my genealogy hobby, but it hadn’t even occurred to me that I could become a resource!

Managing Stress for Healthy Workplaces presented by Philip Mandel- Communication & Stress Management Expert
This dude wrote “Getting Things Done” and “Nuts & Bolts.” We talked about ways to manage stress that we probably have all heard. Breathing out for 6 seconds and inhaling from the soles of your feet up to your collar bones creates the quieting response. Acupressure stress relief points; getting enough water and sleep etc. He also talked about altering our perspectives while being criticized and different ways to work on our brains. Work on our brains!? Yes. People respond to their maps of reality. If you change your map or reality, you change your emotional state. I hope to remember his suggestion to put this on your map “behind every behavior, is a positive intention”.

The most useful thing he showed us was when talking to a patron, to create a triangle (physically and subtly in your choice of words, especially if you are on the phone). You are one point of the triangle, the patron is another and the focus becomes the third point (be that the computer screen, a physical item, or even use your hand to represent an abstract or non-present point of focus). Now you are side by side, working together on the third point. Most of us have already experienced how much better that dynamic is when we help a patron at the check out stations, rather than opposing sides of a desk. I also learned that “Eustress” is the word for positive stress and dysponesis he used to describe “making it worse without wanting to.” Is that the correct usage?

What did you miss at the 2011 conference?

2011-10-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

This gorgeous location, that's what. Wow, what a lovely video from myvolantis!

Do you have a library question today?

2011-10-12T16:05:00.001-07:00

Today's guest blogger talking about our recent 2011 Conference at The Oregon Garden is Jay Hadley, an Operations Supervisor at the historic Central Library in Multnomah County, where he supervises the work of support staff. He was also our 2011 Conference Committee Chair.

"That's very interesting and thank you for telling me that. Do you have a library question today?"

Thus was the refrain of the "What to Say: Customer Service in Difficult Situations" session at the 2011 OLA SSD Conference. The room was electric with energy and laughter, as about 80 support staff from libraries all over Oregon shared tales of their customer service experiences and practiced new techniques. Presenter Jennifer Steward played the role of a staff member trying to help a patron, and Lisa Canavan played the role of a difficult patron who kept interjecting all kinds of distractions. Jennifer kept coming back to the refrain, of "Do you have a library question?" and the participants nodded in approval as they saw different situations handled. Jennifer and Lisa, both staff at Multnomah County Library, also covered tips on body language and how to deal with potentially dangerous situations. Two are better than one, so always work with your teammates for safety.

This was just one of my highlights from this conference. It was a great day at the Oregon Garden in Silverton, with the weather reaching nearly 80 degrees. 124 attendees enjoyed the day and many had a lunchtime tour of the gardens.

Another highlight was Abigail Elder's keynote address. As the director of Tualatin Public Library, she has worked very hard to build inroads to her community. She says her best reference time of the week is the hour she spends washing dishes on Fridays at the nearby senior center. She gets all kinds of questions and has built great relationships.

That's what working at a library is all about for me, building relationships with the people in our various communities. That way we get the chance to make someone's day, which just might change someone's life!

I'm a Child of the Lib'ry...

2011-09-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

Here's another "save our libraries" effort...

You can find more information about this at Piers Cawley's blog and feel free to spread it far and wide!

Mysterious Paper Sculptures

2011-09-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

Have you all seen the amazing book sculptures left in libraries around Edinburgh? They are really quite stunning. And such a thoughtful and generous way to show appreciation for these essential institutions.

We get some lovely gifts from our patrons who sometimes bring us flowers or baked goods, and always hand them directly to us and get a big "thanks!".

The things we tend to receive anonymously are more on the weird side. I swear I heard a story about someone finding teeth in the bookdrop one morning, but when trying to track down the source of that story, no one had heard it but me. I'm sure I didn't make it up, though! Was it a misguided attempt to contact the tooth fairy? A late night brawl in parking lot?

I know we've definitely had a kitten put in our bookdrop overnight. Quite the surprise for the morning crew! Fortunately, the kitten was not injured by books coming in on top of it and eventually found a good home.

What fabulous anonymous gifts has your library received? Or, barring that, what's the weirdest thing your library has received?

"There is not such a cradle of democracy on earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration." Andrew Carnegie 1835-1919

2011-09-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

This past Monday I traveled from Eugene to Hood River for the SSD Board Meeting at the library there. What a thrill and privilege it was to visit the Hood River library, recently reopened after a year's closure due to loss of funding.

The library is in the original Carnegie building with an addition built on at a later date. Taking a brief walk around the building I spotted a delightful sculpture near the trees. Taller than I it had a small brass plaque identifying it as "Stoniferous Pine" and was made entirely of rocks and flat stones in the shape of a tree.

They were fitted into place with no mortar, held together by their careful, complicated placement.

From the Hood River County Library District's website: "Hood River County's first publicly-funded library opened on September 13, 1912." "Hood River County Library District recently became a member of the Libraries of Eastern Oregon, LEO, an organization dedicated to helping the many small, rural libraries across Oregon deliver great services to their users."

The library reopened this July thanks to enthusiastic community support, generous monetary donations, and grants; and thanks to their library Foundation which used imaginative fund raising dinners held in local homes with themes based on books, in addition to their further dedicated efforts to solicit stable funding. The Hood River library stands as a testament to those grass roots movements that often achieve what bureaucracy can't or won't.

On Not Getting What You Don’t Ask For

2011-08-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

A non-faculty member recently asked for a library carrel, in order to take an online class. I’ve been here for twenty-three years now, and we’ve almost never have support personnel ask for a study carrel, which is rather sad. It’s not that people don’t know the rooms are there – at one time, when we had a rash of newborns, we set one carrel aside for nursing mothers, and the room got brisk use.

Thinking about this reminded me of another event. Some years ago, I arranged a noon-hour tour for support staff around the science center—people from all sorts of departments, not just the library—we took a “dock walk” and learned to identify different types of fishing boats. The woman who coordinated the program told me that she had been arranging these tours for over ten years, and she had never given herself permission to go on one of the tours until our event.

It got me to wondering, how often in life do I “short” myself? Do I lack the imagination, courage or energy to carve out some time to stretch and grow some new skills? Or to have a new experience? Are there services I think are just for faculty/management because I have never asked? How often do I say, “I’m worth it” and mean it?

In Praise of Standing in Line

2011-08-09T13:44:00.001-07:00

I was only able to attend the first two hours of the SSD conference last month. Even in that relatively short time, I ended up standing in a couple of lines.

Queuing up is a standard activity at pretty much every conference. (A notable exception was Online Northwest several years ago, when the conference planners had designated one of the men's restrooms as a women's restroom for the day). We line up to get food, to visit the rest room, or visit a popular exhibitor. We frequently complain about it while we're doing it, and mention it on our conference evaluations.

Standing in line has its good points, though. Since I was at SSD for a short time, I never would have seen many of my SSD colleagues if I hadn't encountered them in the line for breakfast or the restroom. It was great to have a chance to catch up with folks I hadn't seen for a while (over a year, in some cases).

Standing in line is also a good way to meet new people. Don't be afraid to say "hi" and introduce yourself as the line snakes slowly toward the desserts. You can find out about other libraries and maybe make a new friend. At the very least, the line seems to move faster when you've got someone to talk to.

OLA SSD Officers for 2011-12

2011-07-22T14:23:00.001-07:00

We now have a new slate of elected officers for 2011-12 :

Chair : Sean Park (Coos County Library Service District)

Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect : Margaret Harmon-Myers (Eugene Public Library)

Past-Chair : Susan Bacina (Valley Library, Oregon State University)

Treasurer : Rea Andrew (Newberg Public Library)

Recorder : Eugene Newbill (Oregon State Library, Salem)
Archivist : Margaret Harmon-Myers (Eugene Public Library) -- Yes, Margaret now holds two posts. She wanted to and there is nothing in the SSD by-laws saying someone can't do so. So thank you doubly, Margaret, for your double duties!

The SSD Board also consists of the following unelected but no less important members :

Member-at-large : Elaine Bortles (Pacific University)
Member-at-large : Sylvia Bowers (Baker County Library)

IT Team :
SSD Website : Sean Park (Coos County Library Service District)
SSD Blog : Rebecca Roth (Multnomah County Library)
SSD Facebook : Kate Schwab (Multnomah County Library)

Continuing Education Committee Chair : Carrol Barton (Lane Community College -- semi-retired)
2012 Conference Committee Chair : Anybody interested??

If anyone is interested in becoming more involved with SSD, the Continuing Education Committee or the Conference Committee are good places to start.

Please consider becoming more active in SSD... It's a great professional development opportunity! We welcome all OLA/SSD members. Not a member? There are SSD scholarships for first time joiners!

Please contact me, Susan Bacina (Valley Library, OSU), if interested :
Email : susan.bacina@oregonstate.edu Phone : 541-737-7328

2011-07-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

Report on the 17th annual conference of the Oregon Library Association’s Support Staff Division
July 15, 2011 – The Oregon Garden
By Susan Gilmont

I just got back from the 17th annual “Gateways” conference of the OLA Support Staff Division. It was a wonderful experience. You couldn’t have a better setting than The Oregon Garden, and our attendees were quite pleased by the venue.

One of the great things about support staff is that we have long memories. We don’t forget who helped us along the way. Thus, the conference began with a tribute to retiring State Librarian Jim Scheppke to thank him for his consistent support of support staff. Two of our past chairs, Donetta Sheffold and Jey Wann, as well as Susan Bacina, our current Chair, saluted Jim. Susan gave Jim an orchid and a loud, vulgar, gaudy trophy inscribed, “Thanks, Coach!”

The keynote address was one of the best I’ve ever heard.
Read more »

2011-07-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Conference 2011

Growing Together: Support Staff in Action

Friday, July 15, 2011 | 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Oregon Garden Resort, Silverton, OR
http://www.oregongarden.org/

Cost of attendance is $70 for OLA members and $85 for non-members.
We are pleased to announce our keynote speaker is Abigail Elder, recently-elected OLA Vice President/President-elect and Tualatin Public Library Manager.
Don’t miss out on this great value for important and timely sessions. Registration includes free admission to the Oregon Garden and a boxed lunch to take on a garden stroll.

Basic Book Repair for Libraries, an all-day workshop* capacity reached! Please contact Rea Andrew for upcoming book-mending workshops.

What to Say: Customer Service in Difficult Situations

How to Get the Training You Need: Professional Development Options for Oregon Support Staff

A Day in the Life of A Library Assistant

Marketing Your Library: Strategies for the 21^st Century

Technology Petting Zoo including e-readers, iPads, iPhones and more!

Managing Stress for Healthy Workplaces, a presentation by Phil Mandel

Registration is now open. The link to the registration form is below
https://web.memberclicks.com/mc/quickForm/viewForm.do?orgId=ola&formId=101057

Registration deadline is July 8th.

Read more »

A Single Voice Can Make a Difference

2011-04-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

In many areas of the world today, citizens are taking serious risks to speak out against their government. People have been imprisoned, even killed, for daring to speak up. Despite the danger, the protests continue.

In the United States, it can be easy to take our right to freedom of speech for granted. The US constitution guarantees our rights. Oregon's sometimes controversial constitution is even more liberal when it comes to freedom of expression.

It's safe and legal to express yourself in public in Oregon, but that doesn't mean it's easy. And it's not just the big political arena where this is true. It's also true within our professional organization, the Oregon Library Association.

At the annual OLA conference a couple of weeks ago, the membership voted on a number of changes to the by-laws.
Read more »

2011-03-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Barriers to Participation in Library Associations: a Quick and Dirty Literature Review

Susan Gilmont (Past Chair, OLA Support Staff Division), March, 2011

I tried to look at works on barriers to participation in professional associations for librarians and library workers. There is a dearth of literature on this subject. I did find some work on the broader topic of professional development, including professional development in libraries, in which library associations were mentioned. Some rewarding insights may be found in these writings.

I found two studies that addressed release time and travel support for committee meetings and other activities associated with library associations. A 2001 study of small colleges (125 respondents) showed that 63% of librarians received travel support for committee meetings of national associations while 14% of “non-professional staff” received similar support. 78% of librarians received support for committee meetings for regional associations, while 42% of “non-professional staff” received support (Gaskill and Morrill, 2001) A study of academic librarians in Oklahoma found important correlations between employer-provided funding and/or release time and meeting attendance, association membership, committee service, and other professional development activities. (Havener and Stolt, 1994)

Read more »

Getting to Work

2011-02-19T11:18:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, during an impromptu conversation about the pros and cons of telecommuting, a co-worker said, "anyone would like to work from home if they could." I was surprised at the sentiment, because I definitely wouldn't. There are several reasons for that, including the fact that we already have one works-at-home person in our household & there's not room for two, and the fact that I'd find it hard to concentrate on work at home.

According to my co-worker, the reason most people would like to telecommute is to avoid their commute. But my commute is a positive thing for me. Most of the time, I commute by bicycle. In the unusual times that's not possible, like when the streets are icy, I ride the bus (which requires walking nearly a mile). I occasionally walk for a change of pace, or if my bike's in the shop for repair. On the few days that I have to drive to work, I don't feel I'm as alert as I should be when I arrive. Walking up two flights of stairs doesn't have the same invigorating effect that biking 3 1/2 miles does.

Several years ago, I wrote an article about alternative transportation for the Going Green issue of the OLA Quarterly. Library staff shared their experiences getting to work without driving, or without driving much. It was inspiring to hear how much people enjoy their commutes.

Re-reading the article just now, I'm sad to note that some of the things state employees on the capital mall used to enjoy are no longer true: we no longer get unlimited-use bus passes for a one-time $8 fee, and "smart commuters" not longer get coupon books. I'm not so sad about the loss of the coupon books, but the fact that a monthly bus pass can be nearly as expensive as parking has caused some to give up the bus and start driving to work.

I know alternative transportation isn't for everyone, for any number of reasons. I also think telecommuting is a great option for folks with appropriate jobs. For me, though, I'll continue getting to work under my own power, and consider myself lucky that I can.

OLA Participation Survey

2011-02-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

The Oregon Library Association and Support Staff Division Executive Boards are interested in why support staff would not join, or if they join, not actively participate in, the Oregon Library Association and the Support Staff Division. To that end, we would like to pose a couple of questions --

Have you experienced any barriers to your participation or involvement? What are they?

Also, have you had to write up a justification for your participation or involvement in professional organizations?

We'd be grateful for any additional comments you'd wish to share, as well.

Please send any responses to me at : susan.bacina@oregonstate.edu

All responses will be kept confidential and are for compilation purposes only.

Thank you,

Susan Bacina

OLA SSD Chair

Life After Zeno

2011-01-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I put a symbolic finish on my Zeno yard project (see my November post) by getting the final bunch of brush into the yard-debris cart, and thus out of my yard. That leaves me free to consider other yard projects that have been languishing in the months since I started the Zeno project. Because I have a big yard, and my yard-work attention span isn't always very long, this means that I pull a few weeds, collect a little kindling, pull some ivy, rake some leaves, etc., but don't concentrate on any one thing.

Seems like something similar has been happening at work. After a quiet week between Christmas and New Years, when I could work on a few off-beat special projects, the new year brought an unusual number of deadlines and multiple priorities. It's hard to sit down and concentrate on any one thing for very long, and I find myself multi-tasking a lot.

This is probably reality for many, if not most, of us in the "doing more with less" library world. It's not a totally bad thing; after all, variety is good, and I wouldn't want to have a job in which I did exactly the same thing, day after day.

Now, what is it I was going to do after I finish writing this?

Zeno's Projects

2010-11-19T12:05:00.000-08:00

I was on vacation in late October and early November. Since we weren't planning any major trips, I had a list of projects to get done at home, including trying new recipes, learning new music, and selling some stuff on Ebay. However, the weather was gorgeous, and I didn't want to spend much time inside, so I concentrated on one project in our yard. I had started it in February, simply planning to prune the ivy away from a brick border during a time it was too wet to do much else. Once I got started, I discovered a lot of other over-grown things, and began to feel I'd never finish. I eventually named it Zeno's Yard Project, after the best-know of Zeno's paradoxes.

This Zeno's paradox basically says that it's impossible to get anywhere, because you always have to cover half the distance left, and then half that distance, and then half that distance, etc., etc. I was fascinated with it as a child; I remember trying to keep moving my finger smaller and smaller distances, but never touch the wall I was standing by. My Zeno Yard Project was something like that. I did finish it (after all, it is a paradox), but it involved a lot of work, and some serious sawing of 30-year-old arbor vitae and cotoneaster, not to mention pulling dried blackberry canes out of 10-foot-tall holly trees. and pulling up half-inch thick ivy vines. (For those concerned about invasive species, I'm replacing these invaders with native plants)

So what does this have to do with libraries? Well, after I got back to work, I started to notice that I've got a number of Zeno project here, too. They tend to be pretty technical services oriented, although I imagine folks in other library disicplines have them, too. Mine are usually lists (fequently in Create Lists in Millenium) of records than need to evaluated, and possibly updated or deleted. They frequently point out other problems that need to be addressed. They also typically aren't particularly high priority, so other demands take my attention away from them for months at a time.

I bet most of you out there in support staff land have similar projects. I'm not claiming to be in control of mine, but I have come up with some coping ideas:

Scope small: It's easier (and safer) to eat things in small bites. Don't get distracted from the thing you set out to accomplish. For instance, if your goal is to clean up check-in records, don't start cleaning up order records.
Harvest the low-hanging fruit: Do the easy stuff first. It's possible that will be enough.
Ask for help: You might need someone with different expertise to handle some of the project. Or, with a more general project, you may be able to turn it into a group event, where everyone pitches in for an hour.
Say "no": This is tough! If the project is really low-value and low-priority, a diplomatic "I'm sorry, but other priorities will keep me from working on this" is worth a try. (Of course, this is assuming this isn't a project that you assigned to yourself!). At the very least, asking to postpone the project, and giving a recommended date to start, may help.

We're all juggling multiple priorities in busy workplaces. Recognizing and managing Zeno projects can make our work a little easier.

Newly elected SSD officers, etc.

2010-10-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hello, All,

This is my first attempt at the blog, so please bear with me.

Here forthwith are the newly elected SSD officers :

Jay Cooper (Eugene Public Library) -- Chair-elect

Margaret Harmon-Myers (Eugene Public Library) -- Archivist

Rea Andrew (Newberg Public Library) -- Treasurer

Eugene Newbill (Oregon State Library) -- Recorder

These are the latest election results, but the SSD Executive Board is also made up of the following :

Susan Bacina (Oregon State University) -- Chair

Susan Gilmont (Oregon State University) -- Past Chair

Carrol Barton (Lane Community College) -- Continuing Education Committee Chair

Lauren Mathisen (Lake Oswego Public Library) -- 2011 Conference Committee Chair

IT Team :

Sean Park (Coos County Library District) -- Web Master

Becki Roth (Multnomah County Public Library) -- Blog Master

Kate Schwab (Multnomah County Public Library) -- Facebook Master

We also have two vacant Member-at-Large positions, so if anyone out there is interested in becoming a member of our group, or knows of anyone who might be interested, please let me know.

Susan Bacina
Support Staff Division Chair
susan.bacina@oregonstate.edu
(541)737-7328

Hard Times Can Make For Good Parodies

2010-10-06T16:50:00.001-07:00

Nobody can deny that times are hard in many ways now. The news is rarely hopeful, and most (if not all) libraries are coping with either current or upcoming budget cuts.

There's nothing funny about it. And yet humor is a valuable way to deal with tough times.

Here at the State Library, I've been writing one or two song parodies every year for performance at our winter staff party. I'm lucky that several of my co-workers are willing to get up in front of the rest of the staff and risk making fools of themselves year after year. Below, we're singing about our scheduling software, to the tune of "Ding Dong, Merrily on High"

I've found that the worse things are, the easier it is to write a parody. Last year, both H1N1 and unpaid furloughs provided inspiration.

Last week, OLA past president Connie Anderson-Cohoon forward this video to the OLA executive board

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8QjjKrEK7Y

It's worth watching, despite the danger of ending up with an ear worm. These library folks are definitely using humor (and a good deal of skill and talent) to point out the importance of their services.

Do any other libraries have parody traditions, or other ways of using humor to deal with difficult realities? If so, please share!

Fall is in the Air

2010-09-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

It's late in the afternoon on the Friday before Labor Day weekend. The weather outside is warm and sunny. I'm having trouble concentrating, and looking forward to three days of leisure (well, if you consider serious yard work leisure).

I'm also feeling antsy. This happens every year in the late summer, when the morning and evening air has a distinct crispness to it, even on hot days. It means fall is coming. And, for years, that meant a new school year was coming.

I've been out of school for a heck of a long time, don't work for an academic library, have no children, and my youngest nephew is in college. Yet this time of year still brings on a slightly nervous, slightly anticipatory feeling; a combination of being afraid you won't like your new teacher (or vice versa) and excitement about wearing your new school shoes for the first time.

I think it's good that the passage and time and changes in the seasons effect us in more than intellectual ways. It's nice to feel, in addition to knowing, things.

In libraries, we know a lot of stuff. And we also know our jobs make a difference in people's lives, now and in the future. It's just as important to feel that, too; to have the deep conviction that what we do matters.

It's almost as good as new school shoes.

Skype

2010-08-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

Wow! I really am a geek just not the techy kind. I successfully navigated through Skype and had a wonderful video conversation with Susan Gilmont. All it took was asking my IT department to download it and set up and account. How simple is that? The next step is an SSD video meeting. This is a new adventure for SSD.

SSD Board Elections

2010-08-09T11:31:00.001-07:00

It's election time for the Support Staff Division. Visit www.olaweb.org and click on OLA Units / Divisions / Support Staff to get to the ballot. The election closes on 8/14/2010.

Thank you!
Cathy Zgraggen, SSD Past Chair

A Couple of (not necessarily related) SSD Thoughts

2010-08-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

Thought 1: Three weeks ago, SSD gathered for its 16th conference. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day. Mo Cole's keynote address was full of good advice, interspersed with a lot of fun. Every session I attended was interesting, informative, and definitely worthwhile; I wish I could have gone to all of them. It was fun to be able to peak into the book repair workshop. And, as always, I enjoyed reconnecting with SSD friends I hadn't seen for awhile.

At the same time, I was a little sad. 16 years ago, the SSD conference regularly had over 200 attendees. Attendance began to drop off eventually. After one year, when we seriously considered dropping the conference entirely, we decided to down-size in order to continue the conference while still at least breaking even financially. This has served SSD well. But I hope, some day, the economy, and support for support staff, will once again allow SSD to have a larger conference.

Though 2: Several months ago, I wrote about my concern over the fact that support staff in some Oregon libraries do not receive support from their institutions to participate in OLA and SSD. At the OLA leadership retreat this past Monday, outgoing SSD chair Susan Gilmont and incoming chair Susan Bacina brought up this issue. It led to a lively discussion; I didn't attend the second day of the retreat, but I understand the discussion continued then, leading to some action items. I'll let The Susans fill us in on those.

But I do want to say how encouraging it was to hear OLA leaders strongly supporting support staff who are willing to be involved in OLA. There was no question that all who participate actively in OLA are equally valuable. I can't think of anything else to say, except "Wow!"

Pictures from the Conference

2010-07-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

How to Chair a Conference in 100 Difficult steps, part one

2010-07-24T15:15:00.000-07:00

I bet you thought I was going to say something like, "How to chair a conference in 10 easy steps", didn't you? Alas, it ain't easy, and it takes a lot more than 10 steps.
Chairing the 16th Gateways Conference for the Support Staff Division was a tremendous experience. Yeah, yeah, I know, people always say that, but it really was - tremendous, occasionally awful, stressful, gratifying, exhausting, fun; I can tell you how it feels when over 80 hungry, sleepy people find out they are not going to be fed the hot breakfast they were promised because the conference center "forgot" to arrange for it! For about 5 minutes there I teetered between throwing up and bursting into tears. But I had an empty stomach, so nothing to throw up, and had sweated out every drop of moisture, so no tears were forthcoming. I suppose that was a good thing. Everyone was looking to me to do something and I realized that I was not alone: I had a past conference chair beside me who stepped up to help, and I had a radio! All I had to do was turn it on, push in a button and say "Al, where's our breakfast?" Unfortunately, although Al came at a run, he had no solution to offer, having no breakfast crew available and not enough time to cook a breakfast even if he had. We eventually got some food, cold and meager as it was. But nobody starved. I found myself in an odd mood of fatalism - and I just rode it along on autopilot. Many wonderful people worked together to make the day an ultimate success, and after all, as someone said, once started the conference just takes on a life of its own and will not be stopped. It did, it wasn't, and hopefully most attendees got what they wanted from it and left satisfied. My mantra became, to quote Keynote Speaker Maureen "Mo" Cole, "It's not about you," or rather me.
More to come.....

Finding Your Voice

2010-07-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

In late June, I came down with an obnoxious summer cold. After a couple of days, I completely lost of my voice, and couldn't speak above a whisper for the better part of 5 days. For a motor-mouth like me, this was a big deal. It was tolerable at home (although the cat wasn't convinced I was really one of his people). It was weirder at work: I couldn't change my voice mail greeting, had to answer the phone whispering "This Jey. I have laryngitis", and couldn't take part in informal over-the-cube-wall chats. But it was worst going out in public. I avoided to going shopping, even to the grocery store, and used self-check-out so I wouldn't have to try to talk.

In other words, it was an isolating experience, and made me feel conspicuous and uncomfortable. It gave me more empathy with those who, for reasons of disability, language, etc., have barriers to communication in their everyday lives - especially when those barriers aren't going to go away like my laryngitis did.

It also made me think about the importance of finding and using your voice, whatever it is. It may be speaking, writing, singing, painting, cooking, or gardening. It may be acting as the enthusiastic leader or the energetic follower. It may be speaking up for those who can't speak for themselves, or bringing up the difficult topics when no one else will.

And it may be acting as the positive person who brings encouragement and hope during tough times.

We all have opportunities to find and use our voice in our libraries and our personal lives. We're lucky to work in a field that values diverse voices.

I'm looking forward to seeing many of you and hearing your voices at the SSD conference next week!

SSD breaks ground on Youtube!

2010-07-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow support staff. Please take 1-1/2 minutes out you schedule and click on the attached video link. It just might be the best investment of your time you make today!

Feel free to contact me if you have questions, comments or interest at cathyz@deschuteslibrary.org

Thank you,
Cathy Zgraggen
Deschutes Public Library

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEnThh1sIow

The Haunted Library

2010-06-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

I work in a building that was built in 1939. As I mentioned in a previous post, it's a beautiful building. It does, however, have closed stacks that can be seriously creepy to work in. Not surprisingly, there have been rumors around for a long time that the library is haunted.

I'm a skeptic myself. The only person I've talked to who claimed to have seen something mysterious was a renovation worker who was running a jack hammer alone in the stacks at 2:00 a.m.; sounds to me like enough to make anyone hallucinate. Not that stacks aren't scary at time. Footsteps on the floor above sound disturbingly like they're on the floor you're on, which can lead to the feeling that someone invisible is walking towards, then through, you. It's also possible to be fairly close to someone else in the stacks, but not realize they're there because you can't see them.

If the library was haunted, though, I like to think that it would be a benevolent haunting. Maybe Cornelia Marvin, the first Oregon State Librarian, is still hanging around, making sure we're staying true to her vision for libraries in Oregon. Maybe a voracious reader from years past is attempting the impossible task for reading everything on our shelves. Maybe employees from long ago, with the insatiable curiosity that's common among library folks, are eagerly watching us adapt new technology.

Yes, I'm a skeptic, but I have no problem thinking that the library I work in is strengthened by all those who have gone before me - even if they're not still hanging out in the stacks.

"What a Good Idea!"

2010-06-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here at Eugene Public Library we have a fun, helpful practice of morning and evening P.A. announcements. Remember from your school days those reminders that let students know about upcoming events? Well, here staff receives a musical reminder that the library is opening in 5 minutes (action stations!), including "Here comes the sun" and currently "Morning has Broken". And about 10 minutes before closing the public is alerted with a song to start packing up and checking out materials . Staff can make suggestions about songs to use and periodically the songs are changed. We've had Sound of Music's "So long, farewell" for example and right now it's "Happy Trails" which sets some people laughing and sends public and staff off lighthearted.

Gateways Conference is sweet 16!

2010-05-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that the Support Staff conference has been happening since 1994. Get ready to come celebrate with your peers from around the state on Friday, July 23rd at the Salem Conference Center. Attend great sessions including "Treasures from the Vault - Special Collections"; "On the Front Lines: Support Staff and Intellectual Freedom"; "Author Author: Support Staff Writers", and more. Or sign up for the all day Book Mending Workshop.
Great food, Gift Basket raffles, Keynote speaker Maureen Cole - Director of Oregon City Library, a display of the history of OLA's Support Staff Division all await you.
See you there!
Margaret Harmon-Myers, Conference Committee Chair

Seeing through a visitor's eyes

2010-05-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes first time visitors to my library comment on how beautiful it is and I smile, say thank you or some such and immediately think of all the ways the architecture is unsuitable to a library setting. There's the dim lighting over reference desks and much of the stacks. The open, circular staircase in the center of the building which allows sound to travel from first floor to the floors above, sound that can be cacophonous with crying kids and loud cell phone users. The shortened open third floor allows sound to spill over into sections of the second floor disturbing those patrons who are studying or reading; and of course second floor noise carries up to the quiet areas on the third floor.

Well, the other day my perspective changed when before the library opened a coworker beckoned me out to the public area on the second floor and pointed to the windows at one end of the building. There I saw what I hardly pay attention to, something visitors notice, and it filled me with joy. Spring green trees framed in the morning light by the stained glass windows that reach straight up from second floor to third. It was breathtaking.

Over the next few days I looked around at the rest of the library differently. I stood in the circular tiled rotunda looking at the smooth polished wood framing the curves of the central stairs, up, up to the far domed skylight on the 4th floor. From the magazine area on the second floor I saw the rich red wood of the third floor ceiling, curved in a wave pattern. The two oversized carved chairs - usable art pieces. I'm with the patrons - I think it's all beautiful.

Enthusiasm: it's not just for kids

2010-05-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

I work at the Oregon State Library. Because of both our mission and the architecture of our 70+-year-old building, we're a little different from most other libraries in the state.

One of my occasional duties is giving library tours. They're generally for state employees, or for visitors from other libraries. However, this week, I gave an hour-long tour to a group of 20 5th graders. The kids, from Chenowith Elementary School in The Dalles, were very well-behaved and interested. But what struck me most about them was their enthusiasm.

Not that the adults who tour the State Library aren't enthusiastic. They like learning about the history of the building, and enjoy the behind-the-scenes trip into our warehouse-like closed stacks.

The elementary school visitors liked those things, too, and asked good questions. But they liked pretty much everything else, too. They were impressed that our federal documents collection includes a game to educate kids about the danger of underage alcohol use. They were interested in the genealogy research folks can do in our Reference Room. They were impressed with the Talking Book and Braille Program. They paid attention and asked good questions. They liked our heavy bronze doors, and even thought getting to ride in the freight elevator was cool.

After they left, I started thinking about enthusiasm, how important it is for positive attitude, but how elusive it sometimes is. I probably sometimes sound like Marvin in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: "Don't try to engage my enthusiasm, because I haven't got one."

However, the kids were right. Our building is beautiful, the collection is full of treasures, and even the freight elevator can be kind of fun. I see it all every day, so I start taking it all for granted.

So, to engage my enthusiasm, I'll start paying more attention to things I see every day.

If you'd like to highlight cool stuff that you see every day at your library, post an comment!

Bright Ideas

2010-04-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

In our library, we collect almost 40 different newspapers, from all over Oregon, in addition to the New York Times, the Seattle Times, and the Wall Street Journal. The retention varies for some, but we generally keep a year’s worth of papers in our stacks. These papers are stacked in piles on the outer wall of one of our tiers of stacks. Every month, it is necessary to weed the oldest issues. It is a rather exhausting task, especially when you have to lift up piles of heavy newspapers again and again to check the dates. Finding where the oldest month ends can be rather difficult, especially when each newspaper puts the issue date in a different area of the cover. It is almost as if newspaper businesses made a pact to keep things interesting for people in libraries! Personally, when I am completing a task that requires a lot of exertion, my mind constantly thinks of ways to make it easier. I thought, “What is the most difficult part of this?” Shifting the piles takes physical effort, but there is not a lot of struggling involved. Lifting stacks of issues over and over, however, can be very frustrating.

Then it hit me! Why not turn the newspapers sideways, alternating direction for each month? This would work with daily papers and those published less frequently. I would simply turn every four issues a different way for a weekly, every 30 or so for a monthly, etc. This made it much easier to grab the entire pile. Of course, I double check the issue date on the top and bottom, but I don’t have to “guess and check” to find where one month ends and the other one starts. Genius! Of course, I didn’t personally come up with this pile alternating procedure, as you see it with stacks of paperwork all the time. But the idea of applying it to the newspaper stacks did come to me (eventually…). So I am not trying to “toot my own horn” but simply to say, even if it takes a while to think of it, a good idea is still a good idea. And now, I often have someone else to do the big monthly weeding, so it is even easier for me (because I don’t have to do it very often!) Regardless, when I do perform this task, it will be much easier than it was before. Does anyone else have a bright idea that you or your organization have put into practice?

Jessica Rondema

Oregon State Library

Support for Professional Activities

2010-04-02T12:53:00.001-07:00

In a recent post on this blog, SSD Past Chair Cathy Zgraggen solicits nominations for SSD officers for the coming membership year. In Library Journal's Paraprofessional of the Year award article , award winner Allison Sloan credits a former boss with encouraging her to become involved in the Massachusetts Library Association.

Unfortunately, the current economy may have created conditions in which may be difficult for support staff to participate in professional activities. Recently, some SSD members with an impressive history of involvement in the organization have been unable to continue that involvement. This makes me both sad and worried.

I certainly understand libraries are trying to do way more with considerably less these days, and that giving staff time off for professional activities can make it difficult to provide the service patrons expect and deserve.

I don't know if MLS librarians are having the same experience of no longer being supported in their professional activities. I'd like to think that it's spread over all levels of staff, but suspect that support staff are more likely to be effected.

I've been lucky to to have significant support from my library for my involvement in OLA. I know it has, at times, taken me away from my usual job duties for significant amounts of time. Yet I also know that I'm a better employee because of the opportunities for growth I've had by being involved in OLA and SSD.

There's no easy answer to this problem. But here are a few suggestions:

For managers: Make sure you're treating staff at all levels fairly regarding support for professional activities. Be flexible. Realize that your staff will have opportunities to learn and network, which will make them better employees.

For support staff: Make sure your boss and co-workers know how much time you may be spending on professional activities, and what you'll be doing. Be flexible. Be willing to do some professional activities on your own time.

Professional organizations like OLA depend on the participation of their members. Let's hope that we'll continue to receive the support we need to make that participation possible.

Nominate yourself for an SSD position on the Board

2010-03-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

Please consider nominating yourself or someone else (with their express permission) for a position on the Oregon Library Association / Support Staff Division Board. The election is in July at the SSD annual conference. You may be asking, “Why am I sending out a call for nominations so early?” This will provide you time to get approval from your supervisor or manager. The positions are:

· Chair-Elect – 1 year term, acts as Chair the following 1 year term, acts as Past Chair for a 1 year term
· Recorder – 1 year term
· Treasurer – 2 year term
· Archivist – 1 year term

You may be wondering just what the Support Staff Division is. Our bylaws state:

PURPOSE
The purpose of the Support Staff Division shall be to provide a framework for information sharing, continuing education and moral support for all library support staff. Specifically, the aims are to provide a forum to encourage new ideas, discuss concerns and solve problems; promote awareness of library issues; inspire and promote professional growth through networking, conferences, workshops and mentoring; exchange ideas on processes, systems, and policies; provide a medium for the exploration of new ideas and technologies; foster cooperation among all Oregon libraries in all the various public and technical areas throughout the library; and to increase awareness in the library community of the evolving roles played by support staff.

Position descriptions per our bylaws are as follows:

Duties of the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect
Assumes the office of Chair after one year as Vice Chair.
Assists the Chair; becomes familiar with the By-laws and procedures of the Association and Division. Attends meetings and chairs meetings in the absence of the Chair.
Duties of the Treasurer
Has approval authority for all expenditures below $250.00. Obtains signature of Division Chair for all expenditures above $250.00 (two signatures are necessary for expenditures above $250.00). Submits bills and receipts to OLA Treasurer.
Maintains records of all expenditures and profits for the Division.
Duties of the Recorder
Records minutes of the Division's Executive Committee Meetings.
Assures each Executive Committee member receives copies of the meeting minutes before the next meeting.
Duties of the Archivist
Maintains all historical data, scrapbook and photo album of SSD conference and other events, including keeping conference programs and accompanying material.

Thank you!

Cathy Zgraggen
Supervisor, La Pine Public Library
Deschutes Public Library
cathyz@deschuteslibrary.org
541-312-1094
http://www.deschuteslibrary.org

Know More.

In Praise of Ambiguity

2010-03-01T17:06:00.000-08:00

In the library world, and particularly in Technical Services, we've got a reputation for being very literal, even unimaginative. Of course, we all know that we're really outside-the-box people with big imaginations and hearty senses of humor.

Fortunately, our work life provides us with the occasional giggle.

This morning, I made a note on the back of an old catalog card from a stash that we use for scratch paper. As I sometimes to, I turned the card over to see the title. It was the wonderfully ambiguous Fighting with Food. You can come up with all sorts of things that it could be about! Knowing that it was published by the U.S. government in 1918, I can infer that it was something about the war effort in World War I, but it still gives me a chuckle.

My previous favorite ambiguous title was 1958 Fish Stockings by Watersheds. I know it's about stocking fish in different areas of Oregon, but it conjures up an image of fish trying to pull stockings over their fins.

Be a Better You: Advancing Your Career through Certification - session at PLA

2010-02-24T16:35:00.000-08:00

Those interested in certification may be interested in this session at the PLA conference in Portland.

Administration/Leadership:

Be a Better You: Advancing Your Career through Certification

Friday, March 26 8:30 - 9:45 A.M.

Room: Oregon Convention Center – E141-144
• Nancy Bolt
Consultant, Nancy Bolt and Associates
• Peg Hooper
Branch Director, Jefferson County Library-Golden Branch
• Bryan Fearn
Reference Librarian, Henderson District Public Libraries
• June Kruer
Branch Manager, Charlestown-Clark County Libraries
• Dorothy Morgan
Business Manager, Liverpool Public Library

Let's take conference learning beyond the closing session! There are hundreds of professional development opportunities for librarians and support staff! During this session we will talk about how to choose programs that are right for you right now and long term. We will also explore national and regional certification programs with your colleagues who are participating and how they relate to state certifications.

Benefits and Learning Objectives
• Participants will be able to link their professional development with their career goals.
• Participants will learn tools for selecting conference, workshop and course participation.
• Participants will understand the ALA/ALA-APA certifications for librarians and support staff.

Long-term followers of the national library support staff scene may recall that among her many awards, Dorothy Morgan is the 1997 winner of COLT’s Outstanding Support Staff of the Year award, 2000/2001 president of ALA’s Library Support Staff Interests Round Table, and 2005 winner of the Dynix ALA-APA Award for Outstanding Promotion of the Salaries and Status of Library Workers. And, of course, Nancy Bolt is one of the program managers for the Library Support Staff Certification program.

Jey's Favorite Reads for Stressful Times

2010-02-08T11:16:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks, everyone I've talked to in the Oregon library world has been feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. I'm not sure what combination of events is causing this (although I'm sure the economy is one of them), but it seems to be hitting all kinds of staff and all kinds of libraries.

We're all familiar with the standard advice for dealing with stressful times, so I won't repeat it here (especially since it usually doesn't include baking & eating chocolate chip cookies). However, one of the things I find useful during tough times is re-reading a favorite book. Or two. Or three. Here are a few of my favorites. Please post your own! We could develop a whole De-Stressing Bibliography!

Any of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries by Dorothy Sayers. Extremely well-written and intricately plotted. I always end up wishing Sayers hadn't given up writing mysteries for more scholarly pursuits.

The Moonstone by William Wilkie Collins. One of the very first mystery novels, and a heck of a lot of fun. The plot is complicated, but the narration, from the point of view of a number of different characters, is wonderful, and absolutely hilarious in places. The authors other mysteries ramble on a bit, but I'm always sad to get to the end of this one.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. I'm a big Willis fan, and this is my favorite. It's a hilarious, intricate time travel novel. It's even funnier if you've also read The Doomsday Book, which is an intense page-turner, but with a darker theme.

Ursula LeGuin is also one of my favorite authors. My favorite re-reads are The Left Hand of Darkness and The Lathe of Heaven. Like most of LeGuin's work, these books explore complex social and philosophical topics in an elegant and compelling way. The Left Hand of Darkness is also good to read during a heat wave, since it's also so cold in the novel.

Here's hoping our stress levels will be going down soon. Bring on the good books and chocolate chip cookies!

SSD Presence: Facebook

2010-01-24T15:54:00.000-08:00

We've had a blog developed for us, established a Flickr account, we are on the web at www.olaweb.org and now we are looking at joining the world of Facebook. Establishing these virtual identities is not an easy task. Several people share words of wisdom or post articles on the blog however most of the updating falls to 1 person: Sarah Cunningham. And she needs HELP! Would someone like to try their hand at maintaining our Facebook presence? The idea is to share the wealth! How about it? Contact me: cathyz@deschuteslibrary.org if you'd like to take on this fun and rewarding task.

Expecting the unexpected

2010-01-06T15:34:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and a new decade, and an obvious time for reflecting on the past and thinking about the future.

Whatever we end up calling the decade of the 2000s, nobody can deny that it was an eventful 10 years. Though it started out quietly, despite fears of the Y2K-induced end of civilization as we know it, the decade quickly shaped up to be eventful in ways we'd just as soon avoid. For most of us, these things were totally unexpected.

As we look ahead to the next 10 years, it's easy to feel gloomy thinking about the unexpected things that might happen. However, unexpected doesn't have to mean bad.

For me, the 2000s brought the unexpected opportunity to re-connect with the great folks in SSD. I expect SSD to continue to do great things in this decade, and look forward to the unexpected ones with eager anticipation. Our libraries are all facing the usual challenges, exacerbated by the economy. Yet delightful, expected good things are bound to happen.

I don't want to sound all Polly-Anna-ish and say that nothing bad will happen, but it's important to remember and anticipate the good stuff, too.

So: best wishes for the new decade, and keep your eyes open for unexpected treasurers.

Book Mending Tip of the Month

2009-12-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

This month I will show you a fast and easy way to mend books with ragged edges. You can use this method for the edges of the book or the sides.

The book I have here has both corners and sides needing some touching up.

Lifting the cover up, you will find the board is made up of several layers of paper. Run your thump up as if you are flipping pages in a book. As you do that, take your paint brush with some glue on it and feather it back and forth brushing in between the pages.

Now lay your brush down, working with both hands, pinch the corner ends together also working the cover trying to make the material come together.

With the sides, just brush them lightly with glue and again pinch material together trying to make the cover ends meet, as much as you can.

When the glue is dry, the corner(s) and/or side(s) become hard. This will reinforce these areas.

Give it a try, the more you do it the better you will be.

Are We Ever Not at Work?

2009-12-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

It can be hard to find a good balance between your work life and your professional life. It's unrealistic, if not downright silly, to think that we can divide our lives into neat categories that don't overlap, or that we're always just focused on one thing.

For us library folks, though, I think there's an added dimension to the work/other life split. Are we every really not at work? We love libraries, reading, inquiry, and intellectual freedom, and we're always willing to talk about them. That's great. We're ambassadors to the wider world.

My job has an unusual focus. I primarily work with Oregon government documents. Many people think that means dry, technical reports full and statistics, and that's certainly part of it. But government documents are all over the place. I've picked up many at events like the state fair, and even even got a Tourism Commission document from the hotel during our EOLA road trip in October.

I imagine that others have stories about how their library specialties and personal life overlap. So please share!

Support Staff Scholarships Available!

2009-11-25T15:06:00.001-08:00

Are you interested in certification, attending a workshop or conference? Would you like financial assistance getting where you want to go? Then visit The OLA Support Staff Division homepage to learn more about SSD scholarships and completing the application process. We are here to help! Feel free to contact anyone on the Executive Committee with questions, comments and concerns. And don’t forget to visit our blog site at http://ola-ssd.blogspot.com/ to share ideas and learn more about SSD.

Cathy Zgraggen
SSD Past Chair
541-312-1094

Gateways Conference Update

2009-11-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

Good news - there are now 6 of us on the planning committee! Thank you for volunteering. If anyone is still interested, please contact me by email, margaret.harmon-myers@ci.eugene.or.us.
This is a great way to become more involved with your professional organization and very rewarding, not to mention fun!
To serve on the committee you need to be a member of OLA and SSD.
Questions? Call me at 541-682-5123.
Thanks,
Margaret

Book Mending Hands

2009-11-04T11:08:00.001-08:00

Sometimes while mending a book, you need an extra set of hands, try this...

Using 3/4 inch ply, cut 2 boards about 10 1/2 inches high by 15 inches wide. Cut another piece, 2 1/2 to 3 inches high by 15 inches wide. Buy 4, angle brackets about 1 x 1 1/2. Buy 2 eye bolts, (1/4 by 6) and 2 wing nuts.

Drill 1/4 holes on the left and right sides of one of the 10 1/2 by 15 inch piece of board about every 1 1/2 to 2 inches the full length of the board and 1 hole in the middle on each side of the 2 1/2 to 3 by 15 piece. You will use these holes for the eye bolts. Now place and screw the angle bracket at each end of the board and on both sides, creating a support foot. Taking the remaining piece and laying it down flat, place the board with the holes and brackets on top and center it. Now screw the angle brackets to this piece.

Placing the eye bolts thru the large piece and thru the smaller one, (as shown) you can adjust the thickness of the homemade vise and the height. Just unscrew the bolts and place it in the appropriate hole for the height of the book.

Your finished product....

2010 SSD Conference Committee

2009-10-28T13:50:00.001-07:00

This is a call to anyone interested in being a part of the 2010 SSD Conference Committee. The Conference will be held at the Salem Conference Center on Friday, July 23. We need 5-10 people to plan the event, which involves selecting the theme, scheduling sessions, speakers, selecting the menu and PR. Please contact Cathy Zgraggen at cathyz@dpls.us or Susan Gilmont at susan.gilmont@oregonstate.edu for more information or to volunteer your time. The conference can not take place without a committee to plan the event. It would be so disappointing to not have a conference because a committee could not be formed. It is a rewarding commitment and allows you to meet new people from the library world.

2010 Conference in Salem, A Call to Arms!

2009-10-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

To all support staff:

Your professional organization needs your help. Would you like to serve on the conference committee and have direct input into theme, sessions, Keynote speaker? Don't forget table decorations and raffle baskets! And you'll work closely with support staff from other libraries. C'mon, give it a try, you know you want to.

Given the economic situation I know that more and more of us find ourselves facing restrictions on travel and other expenses. I proposed to my supervisor that my participation could be part of the mandatory furlough hours or even voluntary furlough. But, consider that you can participate without ever leaving your work place! Almost all of the planning can be done via email. We may even be able to arrange a video conference among committee members.

If you are able to participate in this exciting endeavor or if you want more information, please comment here or contact me at my work email margaret.harmon-myers@ci.eugene.or.us.

It may come down to cancelling the July conference, which, while sad, might be a sacrifice we are called upon to make.

Thank you for considering,
Margaret

On the Road with Diane and Susan

2009-10-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

The cast:
Susan Gilmont (SSD Chair)
Diane Bolen (SSD Continuing Education Chair)
Me (Jey Wann, SSD past-past Chair)

The mission:
Present information about SSD, and support staff certification, to the Eastern Oregon Library Association (EOLA) at La Grande Public Library; give a book mending workshop at La Grande Public Library.

Our story:
Distance is the theme of this trip. Diane and I both work in Salem, where libraries (and people, for that matter) are fairly thick on the ground. Susan works in Newport, which isn't as urban, but is still close to the populous Willamette Valley.

The first hour or so of our trip, on I5 and 205, was your typical, busy freeway drive. But once we turned east, distances stretched out. It was farther between cars on the road, farther between towns, and the view was dominated by the magnificant Columbia River Gorge. Since Diane was doing the driving, I'd brought a book and my mp3 player to keep from getting bored. Not necessary; we talked pretty much non-stop. Our topics of conversation ranged from library issues to pets, family issues, and where we'd like to go if we could go anywhere, any time.

We arrived at our motel in La Grande around dusk. After dinner, I retired to my room, where I worked on tweaking my presentation for the next day.

No road trip is complete without getting lost at least once. Although the library was only supposed to be a 4-minute drive from our motel, we ended up traveling 3 miles before we found it. Now Diane and Susan know never to ask me to navigate. I think I was reading the directions backwards.

We were initially a bit disappointed at the fairly low turn out at the meeting. Again, distances, plus staffing demands, had probably kept some from attending. However, the smaller group made for more informal presentation, and more discussion. I hope my case for encouraging support staff to become involved in OLA was taken to heart. There was genuine interest, but perhaps a little skepticism, in Susan's excellent presentation about support staff certification. As Susan says, skepticism is natural now, when the program hasn't started yet, and no one knows what benefits (besides learning) support staff may gain from being certified.

After lunch, I took off my SSD hat, put on my state documents hat, and visited the Pierce Library at Eastern Oregon University. I'd never visited EOU before. Although the campus is easy walking distance from downtown La Grande, its hilltop location emphasizes eastern Oregon's wide-open landscape. The document staff at EOU can be proud of their well managed and easily accessibly state and federal documents collection.

After walking back from the university (and being disciplined enough to avoid an excellent bakery), I watched Diane's book mending workshop. Again, attendance was low, but everyone participated actively, Diane did a great job, and there were lots of books to be repaired!

Distance is relative. Many of the folks we talked to were surprised that we weren't driving straight back to Salem after the book mending workshop was over. After all, they said, they drive those kinds of distances at the end of the day all the time. We'd decided to stay the night in Hermiston, despite the local opinion that it's "just down the road".

The weather in La Grande had been cloudy most of the afternoon. As we drove down the notorious Cabbage Hill, though, the view to the west was full of bright sun, illuminating the vast, rolling landscape, and emphasizing distance.

For me, the trip was a great experience. I've know Susan and Diane for years, but definitely had the opportunity to get to know them better. (Diane's got great stories about motorcycle vacations, and Susan is the only person I know who can come up with a poetic Tudor quotation about kidney stones). I'd hoped to be able to meet for east-side support staff, but the opportunity to talk informally with librarians about SSD and OLA was rewarding. Under Susan's leadership, SSD will explore providing remote networking and continuing education opportunities.

I accepted the position of chair of SSD was a little reluctance two years ago, worrying that the fact that we were "recycling" officers meant that we were losing momentum. Since then, SSD has moved ahead. There are new people with new ideas (including this blog)on the Exec Committee, and SSD continues to support library support staff. We're all working together to make Oregon libraries better, and I'm proud to have been part of the journey.

Book Repair Workshop at La Grand Public Library

2009-09-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

SSD is sponsoring a book repair workshop at the La Grand Public Library in conjunction with the Eastern Oregon Library Association Fall meeting. The event is Friday, October 2. For more information and to register visit: http://www.olaweb.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=61036 or contact me at cathyz@dpls.us

We will also have an SSD discussion and Q&A with Susan Gilmont, SSD Chair, and Jey Wann from 10:45-11:30. This is a free event.

New SSD Certification Scholarships

2009-08-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

Oregon Library Support Staff Certification Scholarship

An anonymous donor has given $1,000 to help five (5) Oregon library support staff members apply for national certification in 2010. Certification scholarships apply $200 towards the $350 application fee to enter the ALA-APA Library Support Staff Certification Program.

• The scholarship is open to any SSD member having a high school diploma, at least one year of library experience, and who has been employed within the last three years in an Oregon library.

• Applicants will be responsible for the remaining cost of the registration fee.

For more information on the LSSCP, see: http://www.ala-apa.org/lsscp/index.html

SSD 2009 Gateways Conference: On-Line Evaluation Form

2009-08-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you for a great conference and your feedback that will help us plan future SSD conferences.

If you did not fill out an evaluation form at the conference, please take a moment and fill out the survey online: https://web.memberclicks.com/mc/quickForm/viewForm.do?orgId=ola&formId=63447

Thank you for your input!

If you have any questions, contact Conference Chair: Lori Davidson at davidsol@wou.edu / 503-838-8884

SSD Election

2009-07-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

It's time to elect our officers for the 2009-2010 OLA year. The ballot is online at https://web.memberclicks.com/mc/quickForm/viewForm.do?orgId=ola&formId=63550. The election runs through Friday, August 7. You must be an SSD member to vote.

Kudos to our candidates for stepping up and offering their skills, commitment, and leadership. And remember, there are other ways to become involved in SSD than elected offices. If you're interested, contact me, or any member of the Executive Committee.

The ballot contains background information about the candidates, and they may add additional information to this blog post. Feel free to comment if you have any questions for the candidates.

2009 SSD Conference Musings

2009-07-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

I certainly had a good time at the conference. Well, okay, after I blew out everyone's ears! Bob Welch's opening speach was very inspiring. I know I need that little reminder every now and again as to why I work for a public library. It really is to help people get the information they need or gain knowledge. I even put a hold on American Nightingale between sessions.

Lori Davidson and her team did a wonderful job planning and presenting the conference. Jackson Stalley, Karen Head, Karen Wilkinson, Kate Schwab, Margaret Harmon-Myers, Sean O'Neill, Sheila McAlexander, Stacey Fiegi, Sue Robinson, Susan Bacina - you guys rock! It is time consuming however the rewards are worthwhile when the day comes to an end. I've already heard some very wonderful comments.

Now onto 2010 at the Salem Conference Center. I hope that 5-10 people will feel inspired to be a part of this planning committee. Please take some time to think about it. Ask questions of past committee members. Add them to this post. I promise to get back to you!

Thanks for being a Support Staff Member - Cathy Zgraggen

Conference Session: Introduction to CD and DVD cataloging

2009-07-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

Presenter: Richard Sapon-White
Coordinator: Susan Bacina
This workshop will cover the basics of cataloging CD’s and DVD’s. Using a combination of slide presentation and exercises, participants will learn the MARC fields that distinguish these popular resources. Emphasis will be placed on selecting appropriate records and correcting bibliographic data. If time permits, processing issues will also be discussed.

Ms. Wann's wardrobe by SSD

2009-06-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I was wearing an old LSSRT t-shirt (SSD's predecessor) while I took my laundry off the clothes line. As usual in warm weather, my laundry included a couple of LSSRT or SSD t-shirts. That night, I slept in one of my collection 3x-size SSD t-shirts.

From the very first one (green, with a beautiful golden design by Maresa Kirk) to the most recent one (dark blue with the SSD logo in white), SSD t-shirts make up a surprisingly large percentage of my casual wardrobe. Since I've been in LSSRT/SSD from the beginning, it's fun to think about where the organization was when the t-shirt I'm wearing was produced, and how much we've accomplished since then. (The picture above shows the 1996 conference t-shirt; the picture below is the new book bag, which will premier at the 2009 conference)

We won't have a new t-shirt at the conference next month, but we will have a new book bag for sale. We'll be using the profits to establish an accessibility fund, so that we can make sure SSD events are available and accessible to all who would benefit from them.

So a new book bag will join my collection (2 SSD book bags so far), and I know the money will be going to a good cause.

Bob Welch, award winning Oregon author, Keynote at SSD Conference

2009-06-17T16:16:00.000-07:00

Pebble in the water: How libraries matter more than they might know

Based on his Oregon Book Award – finalist book, American Nightingale, Welch discusses his four-year journey to research, write, promote it – and how integral libraries were to the process.

Welch is the general columnist at The Register-Guard in Eugene and twice has won top honors in the National Society of Newspaper Columnist contest. He has written 12 books, had stories of his published in numerous collections and been published in such magazines as Reader’s Digest, Sports Illustrated and Los Angeles Times. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Oregon, and found of the Beachside Writers Workshop in Yachats, Oregon.

For more information visit Bob’s website at www.bobwelch.net

SSD Conference Registration Now Open!!

2009-06-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

Click here to Register!

Breakout sessions available:

Book Repair for Libraries
Note: This is an all day session and all breakout sessions must be selected for Book Repair and there is a $30.00 supply fee. The class is limited to 12 people, though there will be a waiting list for those interested.
Presenter: Carolee Harrison, Conservation Technician with Portland State University; Kris Kern, Fine and Performing Arts Librarian with Portland State University, assisted by Diane Bolen, Willamette University & SSD Continuing Education Chair. This is the first part of an all day session. Book repair for libraries: a hands-on introduction to book structure, the basics of book mending for circulating collections, and the materials used for long-lasting repairs. Techniques covered will include hinge repair, tipping in pages, spine replacement and recasing. Participants are encouraged to bring their own books to work on; however, please note that work performed in this session is not intended for rare, valuable, or extremely fragile material. The session will also include a discussion on collection maintenance and how to prevent damage to books.

Time & Space Management & Organization
Presenter: Cindy Culpovich, owner of Organizing Your Space Organizing Your Space is here to bring order to your life. Living in an organized environment enables you to be productive, successful and creative. We can help you declutter and organize your space. Our mission is to help you become more efficient, allowing you time to do the things you love and follow your dreams. Organizing is my passion. It's challenging, fun, and immensely rewarding. The best part is helping people go from a chaotic environment to a calm environment and to see the benefits in their lives!

LSSCP: Library Support Staff Certification
Presenter: Karen Strege, co-director of LSSCP. ALA may establish a certificate program for library support staff (LSS) in January 2010. This program will cover the background, current developments and requirements and leave plenty of time for questions. Karen is a co-director of the LSSCP and a private consultant with an interest in planning and evolution. Previously, Karen was the state librarian in Montana and held other positions in public and community college libraries. http://www.ala-apa.org/lsscp/index.html

Introduction to CD and DVD Cataloging
Presenter: Richard Sapon-White, Catalog Librarian, Oregon State University Libraries This workshop will cover the basics of cataloging CD s and DVD s. Using a combination of slide presentation and exercises, participants will learn the MARC fields that distinguish these popular resources. Emphasis will be placed on selecting appropriate records and correcting bibliographic data. If time permits, processing issues will also be discussed. Richard Sapon-White is currently head of cataloging at Oregon State University Libraries. He is an active member of the International Relations Round Tables of both the American Library Association and the Oregon Library Association, as well as having served on various committees of the Association of College and Research Libraries and the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services. Mr. Sapon-White has a master s in library science from Southern Connecticut State University, a second master s degree in public health from the University of California at Los Angeles, and a bachelor s degree in zoology from the University of Toronto. In 2005 he received a Fulbright Fellowship to teach cataloging at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.

A Day in the Life of a Library Assistant
Ever wonder what your peers around the state do all day at work? Well, now you can find out! Hear what motivates or inspires other support staff. Discover the differences between your jobs and theirs and find out which joys and challenges we all share.

Why can t we all just get along? (how to deal with difficult people)
Moderator: Jackson Stalley Have you ever found yourself bracing for a meeting or conversation? Then this session is for you! Participants will learn how to manage conflict resolution, work with emotions while developing healthy, objective work relationships and valuing differences that will help create a more productive work environment.

The Huddle: A round table forum
Moderator: Stacey Fiegi This session will afford the member the opportunity to get assistance and offer solutions for the myriad of real problems facing operations in all aspects of library services. Stacey Fiegi has been with the Klamath County Library for five years. She has worked in the Circulation Department, Reference Department and the Law Library. She has an Associate s degree in Office Systems Technology and a Bachelor s degree in Business Management Marketing. Stacey is also the mother of three children, ages 22, 20, and 18.

SSD Conference 2009

2009-05-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Gateways 2009

Step up your game: Tools for your job

Keynote Speaker:
· Bob Welch ~ an Oregon author / http://www.bobwelch.net/2009/Bob_Welch/Home.html

Date:
· Friday, July 17th, 2009

Location:
· Keizer Renaissance Inn (formerly Wittenberg Inn), 5188 Wittenberg Lane, Keizer, OR / (503) 390-4733 / http://www.keizerrenaissanceinn.com/

Registration fee:
· $70.00 for SSD / OLA members (same fee rate since 2007)
· $85.00 for non-members
Scholarships to attend are available: http://www.olaweb.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=61763

Registration opening soon.

SSD website:
· http://www.olaweb.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=61036

Questions?
Contact Lori Davidson: davidsol@wou.edu

Musings on old catalog cards

2009-05-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a seriously long time since we closed the card catalog here at the State Library. However, in Tech Services, we still have a box of old catalog cards that we use for scratch paper. (After all, "re-use" is one of the 3 Rs!). I've become a little obsessed with looking at the cards before I scribble my notes on the back. It's partly to see what books the library had way back when. But it also causes me to muse about the people who did the cataloging, typed the cards, etc., in the pre-computer era. For instance, there's one in which the typist almost couldn't fit the title on the one line, so the period at the end of the title isn't all there. Was she relieved that it fit? Frustrated that it almost didn't? Then there are those neatly hand-written notes on the back; cryptic things like "t.c." Actually, I've been around long enough to know that was an instruction from the cataloger to the typist to make a title card. But what in the world, if anything, did "MMM", typed on the back of the card, mean?

I like thinking about the previous staff at my library, and how they worked with different tools, but were still doing what we're all doing today; providing access to information for their patrons.

Congratulations!

2009-04-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Susan Gilmont for receiving Library Employee of the Year at the OLA conference!! Support staff rock!!!

Trouble in River City

2009-03-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

How are you other support staffers being affected by budget cuts? I know we all appreciate how fortunate we are to have jobs, along with health and retirement benefits, given the state of the economy.

A colleague sent this out and I thought I would share it:

Notes based loosely on William Bridges Transitions: Making sense of life’s changes

Ending: When you are going through a change, [such as the City’s current budget situation], the shape of the world you are used to is being dismantled. Even if changes turn out to be positive, you need to mourn what you lose in the process. You are losing your identity as it relates to life before the change. If you aren’t that any more, what are you? This is a necessary part of the process of letting go of the past, emptying out what was.

It is unsettling to see the almost daily changes that are occurring. In my library, while the city is committed to no layoffs or demotions, they are not replacing staff as they leave through retirement or resignation; they are also encouraging voluntary furloughs.

So the workload is increasing for those of us who remain and any of us is vulnerable to reassignment. This is already happening, with several in Adult Services where I work being sent to other departments and other branches; some services are being combined or shifted to different departments. I don't mind working even harder; and I suppose I'll adjust if I end up somewhere else in this library system (but I sure won't be turning cartwheels!)

As Washington Irving said: There is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse! As I have often found in traveling in a stagecoach, that it is often a comfort to shift one's position, and be bruised in a new place.

What's that you say? I'm lucky to have a job? Yes, yes I am.

Home Sweet Home

2009-03-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you for starting this blog for us SSD staff, we have another "home" to come to.
I look forward to reading my colleagues' posts!

Margaret Harmon-Myers, Eugene Public Library