Long Long Long Time No Blog

It has been quite some time since ink has been spilled on the Delray Beach Public Library Empowerment Zone. Things have gone routine with the EZ and with no "new" news, creativity for this blog has been stifled. But, there is now some news to report.

1st. Last summer I submitted an online application to give a workshop at the 2011 Florida Library Association Annual Conference. In November I was sent an email notifying me that my program was not selected to be presented on. No reason was stated, and I was pretty disappointed with the news. I was then encouraged by Brad at NEFLIN (one of the SSLLI Leaders) to submit an online application for a poster session at the 2011 FLA Conference. So...

2nd. Last week I filled out this online application, and am waiting to hear back to see if the EZ is at least poster session worthy.

I plan on attending the FLA Conference regardless, but being a presenter would be extra motivation for my library to send me, and would be an excellent way to network and get the word out about the EZ. While there I plan on seriously evaluating the programs that were approved for presentation to see what makes them more special than my EZ proposed program.

3rd. Starting Thursday January 6th the EZ will now be open from 1-4:30pm on Thursdays instead of 9-12pm. I have been wanting to switch one of the EZ days to afternoons since last summer, but due to the large number of afternoon classes we have been teaching this had not been possible. Monday morning has by far become the busy morning (unless it is cold, raining, or a holiday week) and switching Thursday was almost a no-brainer. Thursday afternoons the public computers are very busy, so we should be able to shift the appropriate people from the time managed computers to the EZ. This will give us the opportunity for even greater word of mouth advertising, and instead of telling people to come back Monday morning (or the following Thursday morning) as we have been doing, we can just shuttle them immediately into the EZ. I am hoping the numbers really climb with this switch. More to follow.

4th. I plan on trying to get an article published on the EZ in either American Libraries, Library Journal, Public Libraries, or the FLA publication. I would like to talk about the entire procedure of setting up the EZ, and give an overview of what has followed since opening, including statistics.

That is all for now on the Empowerment Zone. I will have more after January 6th.

Results

Today the EZ hosted the first ever Resume Writing Workshop for the library. We had 13 people in attendance which allowed for an intimate atmosphere, with a lot of questions being asked and answered. Dr. Jadwick was exceptional, and used props for examples, along with an excellent PowerPoint presentation. I was a bit disappointed that several of the EZ regulars were not in attendance, but for a first event it was still decent.

In other news 7 people have now signed up for the Workforce Alliance mobile unit that is scheduled for next Monday. We have also decided to change the time of the EZ on Thursdays from 9-12pm on Thursdays to 1-4:30pm. I am hoping that the later time will draw more people in, plus with having one morning slot and one afternoon slot this gives our patrons more flexibility.

EZ Update

Last Wednesday on page 4 of the Delray Forum there was an article dedicated to our upcoming EZ event in November. On November 3rd from 10-12 the EZ will be presenting a resume workshop in the library's large meeting room. I have had announcements strategically placed all over the library for the last month or so, and have been giving out handouts to patrons who are interested. I also went to several community centers in Delray Beach, and the Chamber of Commerce to give them handouts on the program. Plus, the following week the Workforce Alliance will be visiting to help people look for jobs, etc. They have a mobile unit that will be parked in our lot on November 8th from 2-5pm. So far only 4 people have signed up for this, which doesn't surprise me, since the EZ basically offers the same services minus the bus. I visited the Lake Worth public library a few weeks ago when they had a smaller mobile unit there and the driver/IT guy told me they had 11 participants for the afternoon.

The EZ has slowed down a bit since August, and we are unsure if this is due to people giving up, moving away, being able to afford laptops, finding work, etc. Monday has now become the busier day, when before Thursday was always busier. We plan on moving the Thursday time to the afternoon in 2011, and hope that that will bring in larger numbers of patrons. We seem to get a lot of people that arrive around 11am, which reinforces my theory that those looking for jobs are late risers. Staff continues to hand out flyers and mentions the EZ whenever patrons complain about the time management software, or lack of time on the public PCs. The EZ has been mentioned in the Sun Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, and Delray Forum multiple times now, along with being mentioned on the library's facebook page. This level of advertising along with word of mouth should have us at capacity, but as I mentioned we have slowed down. If the two November events fail to bump our numbers up, a strategy session will need to be planned.

EZ Press Release

NEWS RELEASE
Delray Beach Public Library FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
100 West Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33445

DATE: October 11, 2010
CONTACT: Bonnie Stelzer, Director of Community Relations
PHONE: 561-266-9490
FAX: 561-266-9757
WEBSITE: www.delraylibrary.org

The Delray Beach Public Library Reaches Out to
Job Seekers

Job seekers are encouraged to check out the Delray Beach Public Library’s Empowerment Zone (EZ), located in the 2nd floor Technology Center at 100 West Atlantic Avenue. Several FREE programs will be offered by the Empowerment Zone during the month of November 2010 including computer classes for the beginner to experienced user.

* On Mondays and Thursdays, from 9:00 a.m. – 12 noon Library card holders can visit the Empowerment Zone to receive help with Job Searching, Resume Creation and Critique, Typing practice, and assistance with E-Government Services including food stamps and unemployment applications.

* On Wednesday, November 3rd at 10:00 a.m. the Library’s Empowerment Zone will offer the first in a series of programs for job seekers with an in-depth, Resume Writing Workshop presented by Doreen K. Jadwick, Ed.D., Employment Specialist, Palm Beach State College. This program is FREE and open to the public. Space is limited so arrive early!

*On Monday, November 8, 2010 from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. the Library’s Empowerment Zone will co-sponsor the Workforce Alliance mobile resource unit. The mobile unit, equipped with multiple workstations, will be strategically placed in the Delray Beach Public Library’s parking lot and will offer internet access computer stations, and staff professionals who are available to help job seekers prepare resumes, do on-line job searches, register on the employment website Employ Florida (www.employflorida.com), discuss career opportunities and provide current information on available jobs.

For further information on the many FREE programs and services offered to the community by the Delray Beach Public Library, contact the Director of Community Relations at 561-266-9490 and for further information on the Empowerment Zone please contact Brian Smith at 561-819-6405.

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Steal this Blog from Ask-A-Librarian

So you’ve just finished watching your favorite TV or news program, or listening to your favorite radio show. For the last hour, they touted the brilliance of someone’s latest novel or nonfiction read. The damage is done – your interest is piqued. All you’re thinking now is, “I’ve got to read this book.”



You… and maybe just a few other people. (Anyone remember Tickle-Me Elmo?) Well, the first step is to head straight to your library’s catalog – either in-person or online – and see if you’ve beaten the rest of those viewers or listeners to the punch. Your library may have anticipated the wave of heightened interest and ordered extra copies, so you may be able to stake your claim then and there. But if not – if your library’s copies are already checked out – make sure you place a hold on that title. Your library will put you on a waiting list just for that title. As the items are returned, they are set aside for those next on the waiting list. Your library will notify you as soon as your book is ready. And if for some reason your library doesn’t own a copy of the book, don’t despair - your library’s Interlibrary Loan service may be able to borrow the book from another library system.



Your library’s catalog lets you place holds – and sometimes even Interlibrary Loan requests – online from the convenience of your computer. If you need help finding a book, placing a hold, or just getting more information on how to place an Interlibrary Loan request through your library, visit Ask a Librarian today and get live help from a real Florida librarian. No matter what you’re looking for, we’ll help you find it.



What can we help you with today?



Ask a Librarian provides Florida residents with live chat services with a real Florida librarian from 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday (ET), and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday (ET). You can also send an e-mail your local library’s staff.

PBCLA 1st Quarterly Meeting 9/10/2010

Yesterday afternoon I attended my third Palm Beach County Library Association meeting at the Palm Beach Gardens campus of Palm Beach State. It was a good opportunity to network with fellow library professionals in the area, and there was an excellent presentation on Twitter by Jenny Saxton, Reference Librarian, Miami Dade College Kendall Campus. I have twice signed up for Twitter, and twice forgotten my user name and log in information. After yesterday's presentation I am thinking of trying out the whole "the third time is a charm" cliche. If you would like to watch the presentation point your browser here. And the link to her handout can be found here.

Long Time No Blog

It has been over a month since I have updated my blog. I had a feeling when I started it that there would come a time when I would lose some interest.
But, this week I feel that the Empowerment Zone could use some news updating.



Last Thursday (August 12) we had a dozen people use the Empowerment Zone and it seems like things are really revving up. Yesterday we had a half a dozen people use the room, and Mondays have typically been slower than Thursdays. My reasoning for using Monday (besides the ease of scheduling the room) is that people would be looking for jobs first thing Monday morning just like most employed folks head off to work first thing. This does not seem to be the case as many patrons are showing up after 10am to use the Empowerment Zone. We also seem to be getting a lot of people that come at 11am, which means they only get one hour in the Zone. I have been trying to encourage people to come at 9am since that enables them to have the most time, and I am now writing down what time people are signing in for further research.

Another new thing I have been doing in the Empowerment Zone is a survey of how people heard about the EZ. Most of the respondents either heard about it from a friend, or from a library worker. So far no one has reported reading about it in the local papers (although we have had several articles published, and it is in the events portion of the Palm Beach Post) and only one person reported reading about the EZ in the monthly library calendar. This leads me to believe that word of mouth advertising from staff is the most important way that we can let people know about the Zone. Every time someone complains about the lack of computer time, or the time management software, or the length it takes to fill out various egov forms, I tell them that they can come Monday and Thursdays from 9-11am in the Tech Center and work for three hours straight on the computers in there.

Yesterday I submitted an online application to present on the EZ at the 2011 Florida Library Association in Orlando. My goal is a 60 minute presentation on the creation, and evolution of the EZ here at my library, along with steps for other public libraries to follow if they want to incorporate a similar program. I am hoping to get accepted since I think this would be good experience for me presenting to a large group, and the exposure for my library would be worthwhile as well. Someone I work with mentioned that I do not have enough to present on, but I hope to prove them wrong. And since the conference isn't until next spring I have plenty of time to come up with material for the presentation. Other people have been more encouraging.

Finally, someone from Palm Beach State College who works in the Career Center, and holds a doctorate in education, has agreed to give a resume and career workshop for us in November. I am very excited about this event since it was difficult locating a guest speaker, and this event should draw people to the library that I can then tell about the Empowerment Zone. The tentative date for this is November 15th, from 10am-12pm. I will be working with our PR person to fully advertise the event.

Other than that things have been pretty typical around the library lately. In one month I will reach my 2 year mark here, and I am developing a new project now that the EZ is up and running. To be continued...

EZ Pics as Promised

I was planning on taking some pictures of the Empowerment Zone last Thursday, but then the AC went out in our building and I didn't want to move, yet alone take any pictures. Today we had a good turnout (6 people) with some new faces, and I took some pictures that I will be using for my SSLLI Graduation Presentation.

Check them out!

Empowerment Zone Sign

Today I picked up a huge sign from Fast Signs in Lake Worth for the EZ. It simply says Empowerment Zone in over 5 inch letters. It came with suction cups so that I can stick it on the glass walls of the Tech Center every Monday and Thursday when the Zone is in session. I tested it out today, and you can really see it even from way over where our ref desk is. I am going to put it up tomorrow even though the EZ isn't open as I am hoping to generate some questions and get some interest. I plan on shooting some pictures on Thursday to use for my presentation at the SSLLI graduation. I will post them on here. Today I did one of my last assignments for the SSLLI, and when that is done I am considering posting it on here since it is all about the EZ.

I just added up the EZ stats for June and 36 total patrons used the EZ. This is down from 44 in May. Not bad if you consider June is a big vacation month, and we had help last month from the housing lotto. I would really like to switch one day to the afternoon in August, but since we are starting up our computer classes then, I am not sure it will be possible.

Finally, last week's PBCLA election did not go to the underdog. Me being the underdog. I was thoroughly trounced by two library directors, but did manage to get at least some votes from others outside of my library. I now have the distinction of being the first person to lose a PBCLA election, since in every other election the candidates ran unopposed. So, this is at least some notoriety, and I plan on running in the future and being more active at future meetings. I still plan on helping with the web site and I posted a few things there yesterday. Congratulations to those who won, and I will continue to help out the organization in any way I can. I think the worst thing about losing was that I was 150 miles away in Cocoa at my last SSLLI session and therefore I couldn't even vote for myself.

Palm Beach County Library Association Annual Meeting

Tomorrow is the Palm Beach County Library Association (PBCLA) Annual Meeting at The Society of the Four Arts, Gioconda and Joseph King Library. Members and guests are welcome for socializing and for the featured presentation given by author Deborah C. Pollack. The meeting starts at 2:30 for networking, the business meeting is at 3:00, and the featured speaker event is around 3:45. There will be an election for the board and I am running for a spot on the board as a representative of public libraries in Palm Beach County. If you are a member I would appreciate your vote. I will not be able to attend as I will be in Cocoa for my final Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute session. Only members of PBCLA are eligible to vote, but I believe you could join tomorrow and vote if you wanted. It is only $20 to join. The PBCLA website can be located here - http://pbcla.info/

EZ Updates

The Empowerment Zone will be used by my library director and asst. director to point out the career and eGov services our library provides to the citizens of Delray Beach, and to hopefully convince them to maintain our budget at last year's level. Today we will be taking some photos and then our asst. director will be creating a PowerPoint presentation to show to the City and to the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) for funding purposes. The fact that they are choosing to highlight my program further justifies the time and effort I have put into this project. I will try and post some of the pictures and updates when they become available.

I have also received permission from my director to purchase a large sign that simply reads Empowerment Zone that I will attach to the Technology Center windows with suction cups when the Zone is in session each Monday and Thursday. This sign will be the equivalent of an "Open Sign" and will be visible for the patrons coming upstairs and for us librarians to point people to the EZ. This increased visibility should bring more folks in, and the signage should further legitimize the EZ.

My last session of the Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute is next week and I will graduate at the end of July. If it was not for this Institute I most likely would never have been able to create the Empowerment Zone in my library. I hope that the EZ continues long after I graduate.

Empowerment Zone Stats

I started the Empowerment Zone back in March hoping that it would be successful. With much word of mouth marketing, some blurbs in the Palm Beach Post and Sun Sentinel, and articles in the Delray Forum and Atlantic Ave magazine the numbers are increasing. The first month we had 6 people, then 13 the following month, and then in May we had 44 people use the Zone! I am hoping that this keeps up because we are helping people by providing resources in tough times, and this also reflects well on our library. I am in the process of getting approval for some new signs and posters to better advertise the EZ.

Strategic Alliances

A few months ago I emailed my Empowerment Zone flyer, and a blurb about the EZ, to the Workforce Alliance of Palm Beach County. I never heard anything back, but felt that in the future I needed to call them directly to let them know about my project. I strongly feel that there is a lack of communication amongst non-profit organizations in Palm Beach County, and I don't want to be one of those responsible for it. After having so many people that have been using the EZ ask me for resume help I felt it was time to contact the Workforce Alliance directly and see if they could send an instructor to our library for a lecture. So today I made a contact over there, and even though they are unable to send anybody at this time they now know about the Zone and I emailed my updated flyer directly to my new contact. I will not give up looking for a presenter for a resume lecture, and will now focus on Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach State College to see if they have someone who can fit the role.

I am also working on updating the EZ posters and having a large Empowerment Zone sign created with suction cups on it that I can stick on the windows of the tech center.

Free Press

The Empowerment Zone has now been featured in the prestigious Atlantic Ave magazine. The Atlantic Ave magazine is a glossy local Delray Beach publication that features mostly upscale features on the area. (Publication price $4.99.) The magazine is not really targeted at the kinds of people I tend to get in the EZ, but free press is free press. Seeing my name on the same page as a cosmetic surgeon's ad, and in a publication that has ads for Mercedes, jewelers and restaurants I can't afford is a bit odd. But if the right people see the article, and come to the library for our resources, then that would be great.

The Drug Abuse Foundation (DFA) of Delray Beach is interested in bringing their clients to the Empowerment Zone to look for jobs, and to brush up on their job skills. This partnership would be right in line for what I had envisioned for the Zone. And since the DFA solicited me, that makes my job easier! Delray Beach is known as the recovery capitol of America, and we get many AA and NA participants in the library. I will try to help anyone who comes to the EZ, as long as they are serious and are trying to better themselves, regardless of their background.

Summer Weeding

Now that the Empowerment Zone is up and running I have started one of my summer projects. I am weeding the 780s-799s. This encompasses music, movies, Broadway, sports, etc. And from what I can ascertain this section has not been maintained in quite some time. I have located some dusty and dirty books in this section that haven't checked out in over a decade.

Last year I managed to make it all the way through the 300s (Social Sciences), and this took me almost 6 months due to the size of the section and all of the distractions that occurred while I was working. After I finish the 780s-799s I am going to weed the 920s (History) and up. This will probably take me through the latter half of the summer. And then I will begin weeding the reference portion of my Dewey sections which really needs to be done.

When I worked in Collier County I managed to weed the History section of the Naples Regional Library, and I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when that project was completed. Once I am done with these two sections I will have finished all of my Dewey areas for my library. And then next year I can start all over again, but it will be a lot easier knowing that I have already made my way through once.

On a completely unrelated note I will be running for one of the board positions for the Palm Beach County Library Association (http://pbcla.info). Ethan Allen, the current President, asked me if I was interested in running and after thinking it over for a couple of days I figured why not? I am running for one of the Public Library Director positions, of which there are two. There are three of us competing for these two spots. The other two people I am going up against are library directors, so I have my work cut out for me. Apparently you don't need to be a library director to run for this post, just a member who works in a public library who is in good standing. I figure win or lose, it will be a good experience for me. If you are a member of the PBCLA, and feel so inclined, I would appreciate your vote. My blurb on why you should vote for me should be up on the PBCLA web site (http://pbcla.info) by the end of the week.

Empowerment Zone Takes Off

Yesterday I actually had to turn a couple of people away at the Empowerment Zone as it was full capacity in our Tech Center for a couple of hours. The majority of patrons were working on applications for the Boca Raton Housing Authority. The housing authority is holding a lottery for subsidized and public housing.

Lotto Article

I talked to a couple of gentlemen who were new faces and they informed me that they had read about the EZ in the Delray Forum, and they were glad that they could come to the local library instead of having to go all the way to the Workforce Alliance in Boynton Beach. And even though the majority of people using the Zone were filling out housing applications as part of a one time lotto, they still now know about our place and may refer others to it. I am thinking that yesterday could be a sure sign that the Empowerment Zone has taken off.

Mixed with the good news of strong numbers is the bad news that two of my volunteers have moved on. And is it ironic that we now have a real need for them? Fortunately our library gets a large number of people looking to volunteer and I will hopefully find some suitable replacements. I can't help but find this somewhat amusing since I have met many people who have suggested we get rid of library staff and replace them with volunteers to save money. The problem with this is obvious - you get what you pay for, and if you aren't paying people anything, what's their motivation? Not that there isn't plenty of wonderful library volunteers out there, I just don't see them running the libraries any time soon.

So, this Thursday I am looking forward to seeing how many folks show up for the EZ, and if my new volunteer works out. I will keep you all posted...

Sunshine State, Empowerment Zone Article, etc.

So yesterday was my third to last session of the Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute (SSLLI). The focus of the session was on leading groups and we talked a lot about meetings. It was apparent to me that most of the people in SSLLI besides me have a lot more meetings, and have had some pretty unproductive meetings too. Since I work in a small library there is not a lot of committee work, and communication is typically easier than it would be in a larger library system. This means less meetings for us, but the material was still valuable.

Some of the specific things we learned were characteristics of an effective group which include keeping the group size small, making everyone accountable and having a clearly identified goal. We learned the different styles of decision making, and how to choose them based on the situation. And we also were given an excellent handout called the Meeting Planning Worksheet. This worksheet is a blueprint for the meeting, and I plan on using it the next time I am in charge of a meeting.

This session was timely for me since I would like to make my next project at my library adding subject specific signage in the stacks. Public libraries have been using the Dewey Decimal System for decades now, and it is still a difficult thing for most patrons to learn. My goal is to create a workgroup in my library to create and add signage in the non-fiction section of the library. This experience would enable me to lead a group and meetings, and to hopefully make finding materials in my library easier for the patrons. This would increase our circulation and create a more positive atmosphere when people are browsing for books. I do not plan on getting rid of our Dewey numbers, just adding signs like Travel, History, Art, etc. to enhance them.

Besides SSLLI, and my thoughts on a new project, the Delray Forum published an article on the Empowerment Zone yesterday. The Forum is a free weekly that mainly discusses local news in the Delray Beach community. The article is on the front page, and if you use your imagination one of the guys in the picture is actually me. My contact info is listed and I am hoping that there is an increase in the amount of people using the EZ due to the article. We are getting people every time the Zone is in session now, and that is certainly positive. And I now have three volunteers to help out if it gets busy.

Trying to Stay Relevant

Last week was a bit of a come back to earth week for me after being pretty charged up from the FLA Conference. Being in an entry level position at my library does not afford me a lot of opportunity to change things too much at my library. I accept the position I am in, and am appreciative of having my job, and I am learning to be a leader regardless of my rank. I have managed to stay positive (mostly, since we are all human) and productive in a profession that needs some change to stay relevant. I try not to think of all of the issues in my library since I am not in a position to fix most of them. This is not easy for someone like me who can at times see areas of improvement and then want to find solutions. Not that I invent issues, but that I can't help noticing how things could be improved at times to make my library more ideal. My goal is to have positive energy and patience, since those traits are more desirable than being overly critical and undermining.

I try to stay active with projects that I create for my library, like my SSLLI project the Empowerment Zone. Today we had a photographer from the Sun Sentinel in to take pictures for an upcoming feature story in the Delray Forum (more on this when the article gets published). We are also getting more patrons using the room consistently which is boosting my confidence that my project was a good idea. SSLLI has regular assignments too, which keep me busy.

On top of my current SSLLI project I try to stay involved with library associations for professional development and to give back to the profession. I have recently been selected (after submitting an online application) for the Florida Library Association's Public Relations Committee, and we are working on a new public awareness campaign for Florida libraries. I am on the City of Lake Worth's Library Board as an alternate (I hope to find out more on this at my first meeting in June) and I help with the Palm Beach County Library Association's web site by posting news items, and other association related items on the web site. My goal in all of this is to stay as active as possible in my profession so that I can move towards a position of authority and leadership. I am also trying to stay focused and keep my head down in order to avoid getting bogged down in negativity. Here's hoping my formula is a success.

Week After FLA 2010

I have had a couple of days to process all that I took in last week in Orlando at the Florida Library Association Annual Conference 2010. I am hoping that writing down what I learned, and mulling it over will help me hang onto the experience longer. I definitely will say that the number one thing that I took from the conference was how it easy it was to network with other librarians, and how receptive almost everyone was to exchanging ideas, and talking about the profession. My goal upon attending the conference was to get on one of the committees and attend as many sessions as possible that are applicable to my job. Instead I was lucky enough to meet a few library system directors, the current President of FLA, several committee heads and members, and some vendors who should prove resourceful.

My goal of getting on a committee should be accomplished as I managed to get invited to the Public Relations Committee meeting, and they were receptive to adding me to their committee. Appointment must come from future president John Callahan, and experience has taught me to not count my eggs before they hatch. A couple of other committees were seeking members, and if I do not get appointed to the PR Committee I will aim for another. I also managed to gather some needed info like the fact that Sirsi should not be crashing on our computers several times a day, how to use Google Analytics for computer stats, and that eGov is indeed looking like part of the future for libraries. The final point makes me glad I chose the Empowerment Zone as my SSLLI project.

I can not emphasize enough how important the convention was from a networking perspective. Being a current member of SSLLI helped me meet many important people, and allowed for many introductions. I was always under the impression that networking involved a certain level of sleaziness, but I learned how to meet and greet while staying true to myself. Having my mentor Daniel around for feedback really helped with this. And anyone who is interested in making a career out of Florida libraries should attend these conferences. If you are looking to get on the fast track then this is the place to be. Just talking about the EZ resulted in the suggestion that I publish an article on my project, and also that I could possibly present at FLA 2011.

Now to take all that I learned and put it to work in my library. More to follow on this...

Back in Lake Worth

Just got back from Orlando. FLA 2010 was awesome. I met some major players, plugged the Empowerment Zone, and have some new ideas along with a bunch of energy for my job and library. Anyone who is interested in Florida libraries as a career should go to these conferences. It is too easy to meet the movers and shakers, and to interact with them. I can not get over how supportive librarians are in Florida, and am really glad I made the choice to be a librarian, and to move back to Florida.

Now to take a nap b/c I am drained! I will write more tomorrow, or next week, about the things I learned and the people I met.

Long day, short post...

After getting only around 6 hours of sleep again last night, I am showing my age today. The opening session was well attended. Awards were handed out, and Helene Blowers and Keith Michael Fiels talked about the importance of libraries, innovations, keeping up with technology, etc.

Then came the Sunshine State chat with Helene, lunch with Carrie from Alachua County, the FLA Public Relations committee meeting (a committee that I will hopefully be asked to join) a brief nap, and then Lightning Talks moderated by Chip H. also from Alachua County. I didn't stick around long for the Zines and Rock n Roll in libraries program since the hipster librarians were sitting down, not using a mike, and their PowerPoint presentation was not all that exciting. Good idea to use Zines and music to draw in different crowds though. Not sure if Zines would catch on in my community. Now a slight break to check email, blog, and then back downstairs for the President's Reception.

I have met so many important library folks here, and I highly recommend coming to the FLA Conference if you are interested in joining committees, networking, and learning lots of new things. I am definitely going to bed early tonight. I will try and make an early program tomorrow, and then back to Palm Beach County with Dr. Hunter.

Somewhat Live

I apologize that my posts will not be "live" as promised. The hotel has ethernet connections in the rooms, and wifi in the lobby for 20 bucks for your stay. Because of this, I can not blog from in the conference, but have to leave to send my posts. It is 2010 isn't it? Enough complaining...

The first session I attended on eGov was great. I met a library manager from Broward County who said her computers are always full, so I told her to send her patrons to the Empowerment Zone if they have transportation. I also talked to one of the presenters Dr. Chuck, and he wants my data from the EZ, and the sheets I am using to keep track of room usage. I am also planning on using Google Analytics for tracking our web usage in the library, and maybe doing a survey if my bosses are okay with it.

Pasco County, and a few other libraries/library folks, are creating a web site for eGov services specifically aimed at Florida residents. The site is not live yet, but when it is I will post the link. It was good meeting people that are interested in these areas of librarianship.

At lunch I ran into Lucie, whom I went to grad school with at Wayne State. She is working in Bradenton as a children's librarian. I also bumped into a number of my fellow Sunshine State students, and was introduced to some powerful/well known Florida librarians. On top of that I ran into Suvi who is a branch manager in Palm Beach County, and also a fellow Lake Worthian. In a little bit the exhibits are opening, and I am planning on attending that. Later tonight is a Gale gala. More to follow...

First Day

Eating breakfast, and then I am going to meet up with Daniel and Chip to register for the conference. If we have time we might hit up the coffee klatch in the mezzanine. And yes "klatch" is a word because I looked it up last night.

After the klatch is the first program I will be attending. The program is called E-Government: Coordinating Our Efforts to Provide Excellent Service, and is being presented by Nancy Fredericks who is a big name in Florida when it comes to eGov and libraries. I am hoping to get some nuggets that I can apply to the Empowerment Zone. More later...

The Road to Orlando, etc.

So, Dr. Hunter and I arrived in Orlando about two hours ago. Minus some traffic due to a wreck on 95, and Dr. Hunter's lack of using cruise control, the drive was not too bad. Once arriving I noticed a whole bunch of high school students, and after some sleuthing I realized that they are on a marching band trip. There is also some bridge competition going on downstairs in rooms A and B. The conference officially starts tomorrow, so technically I am now off the clock. I am hoping to meet up with my mentor Daniel for a drink, and then to bed early so I am well rested tomorrow morning. I had to pay twenty bucks for internet access for my stay, and I am hoping it is worth it. At the very least it will at least make me update my blog a bunch for fear of not getting my money's worth. More tomorrow.

Empowerment Zone at the Delray Beach Public Library

Since last October I have been attending the Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute once a month in Cocoa, Florida. We meet typically on the last Wednesday of the month for an all day session on issues related to library leadership. I am very fortunate that my library is sponsoring me for this program, and I have learned a lot so far from the sessions, and also from my mentor Daniel B.. For completion of the program each student must create and manage a project in their library that employs some of these learned leadership principles, and hopefully involves collaboration with another community organization.

For my project I decided to use our library's Technology Center since it seemed underutilized, and most of the 40 public computers are busy all day. My idea was to create an environment where patrons can work on their resumes, search for jobs online, fill out food stamp and unemployment applications, and other eGov and job/career related endeavors. The public computers only allow patrons to work for 30 minutes before they are logged off, and they only can use the computers for 120 minutes a day. This project would allow patrons to work for 3 hours without any interruptions.

After talking with my supervisor we decided that the best time and day for my project would be Thursday mornings from 9-12pm. Thursday is the day when there are typically 4 reference librarians on staff, and the library is only open from 9-5. A few things needed to be done in order to have the Technology Center become functional for this project. I first wanted to mount the projector that we use for the computer classes on the ceiling, but after looking at the panels on the ceiling we decided that this would be too expensive. We also needed to put the job search icon on the PC desktops, along with a link to a typing tutorial software web site, and install a printer. The links were easy fixes, but the library had to order another printer and then our IT guy had to set it up. Everything was completed during January and February 2010, minus the printer, which didn't arrive until mid-March.

Besides the set up of the Tech Center I came up with a catchy name for my project and decided on the Empowerment Zone. The word empowerment illustrates the concept I wanted the patrons to embrace, since they would be working to better their lives primarily on their own. The Empowerment Zone (EZ) is not meant to be a place where librarians type up your resume for you, or conduct a job search for you. It is a place where patrons embark on these tasks mainly alone, and librarians and computer volunteers are available if help is needed to steer patrons in the right direction.

I decided on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 as the start date for the project after talking to my director about everything. I figured if I gave myself 2 months, that would be enough time to get everything set up. I also created a poster and ordered 2 of them online. I put one upstairs, and the other downstairs. My director and I decided not to use any press at first, because we didn't want to get overwhelmed with too many people wishing to use the service.

The first date nobody showed up, but after the first month we served 7 patrons, who worked on their resumes, job searched, and filled out unemployment applications. I decided to add Monday mornings too, after talking to my supervisor, and thinking that we could serve more people if we opened up for more hours. So, beginning in April the EZ will now be open on Monday and Thursday mornings from 9-12.

Another recent development is that due to somewhat low attendance we will be issuing press releases to the major papers in the area. Dave DiPino, writer for the Delray Forum, will be doing a feature story on the EZ as well. We are hoping with some added press we can increase the number of people we help in the community. I am also training some computer volunteers to help out in the event that we are overwhelmed, and to allow me to gain some training and supervisory experience. This project has taught me a lot so far, and I am sure to learn more regardless of whether it is a big hit or not.

Monday Monday Monday

As I have mentioned on facebook I will be blogging live from the 2010 FLA Conference this week. Dr. Hunter (the Delray Beach PL's children librarian) and I will be heading up to Orlando tomorrow afternoon. I will be attending a few sessions including a couple on eGov which will hopefully give me some ideas for my Sunshine State Library Leadership (SSLLI) project - the Empowerment Zone. I will also be at the Gale Cengage gala on Wednesday night, and of course the SSLLI function on Thursday. Look for my posts starting tomorrow night...

Tuesday Roller Coaster

Some say that Monday is the worst day of the week. It being the day that brings many of us back to work, but Tuesdays can be equally ill-fated. I find that as a reference librarian one of the hardest tasks is answering all questions with the same amount of enthusiasm. This can be even more difficult when you are having a bad day, week, or month. Trying not to take your frustrations out on the general public, while giving them your undivided attention, is not always easy to pull off. In a public library you may have screaming babies, older customers who can't figure out how to print their documents, teenagers looking for dating partners, people who have stumbled over from the courthouse after having just lost their court case, and many other potentially stressful scenarios. Trying to help some of these folks, while balancing your duties as a reference librarian means that you have to wear many hats. And unfortunately they don't hand out patience in grad school, so if this is something you are short on, then you will need to work hard to keep up.

Communism teaches that in a modern society all jobs are equally important, and worthy. We need garbage men just as much as we need doctors. If we take any modern job out of society, then ultimately something will fail. I try to treat all reference questions in the same manner. Just because some are easier, and more obvious, than others, does not mean that the people asking these questions don't deserve an answer as much as the college student working on their thesis. If we as librarians begin judging questions, and assign them some merit, we will isolate some of the library's core users, and become subjective in a profession that should be welcoming of all. It is on days like today, when either one person's lack of professionalism, or a fluke occurrence, nearly derailed my day before it got started, that I remind myself I joined the profession to help others first.

So, as today started off peaceful and full of promise, I can only try and make sure that it ends that way too. Staying focused, while attempting to do the best job that I can, enables me to keep trying, even when I could just phone it in for a day. And tomorrow is Wednesday, which means the middle of the week, and who knows what else...

First Blog

Everybody's doing it, so it must be the cool thing to do. That is have a blog, not whatever else you were thinking... I have been meaning to start a blog as a librarian for quite some time now, but never got off my lazy butt to start it. Now is as good time as ever to get one going I suppose. Apparently as a librarian this could help my career, help me vent, help others in the field, and hopefully entertain folks reading this. I am very interested in helping my career, which may sound selfish, but I didn't spend close to two years in graduate school to spend my life as an entry level librarian. I want to be a leader in the field, and shake things up positively. So, it isn't all selfish, since I do care about librarianship as a profession immensely, or I would have never become a librarian. (I could have gone to law school, been a professor, etc.) And if getting things out on the 'net helps me in a therapeutic manner, encourages other librarians, and provides some good clean entertainment, then why not?

Let's start with some background. I attended the one affordable Library (and Information) School in Michigan. That would be Wayne State University. I worked there as a graduate student assistant before moving to SW Florida and landing my first professional library gig as a public reference librarian. I worked in a fairly large public library system for close to two years before ending up (long story) in SE Florida at a small public library. I have been a professional librarian for over 3 years now, and enjoy the variety of work. I am currently attending the Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute (SSLLI), where I have begun a major project in conjunction with my library. I also help maintain the web site for the Palm Beach County Library Association (PBCLA), and am hoping to be chosen for one of the FLA Committees. Last year I was on the scholarship committee for the PBCLA, and helped choose the winning essay for current LIS grad school students. I am definitely interested in local, and state professional association work, since national groups are difficult to interact with due to the economy, etc. I am a member of PBCLA, Florida Library Association (FLA), ALA and PLA. And I try to stay current in all of these associations. I attended the ALA Convention in Chicago last year, and I am going to the FLA convention in a couple of weeks. First time for both.

What I would like to blog about is my daily life in my library, my SSLLI project, emerging trends in the field, tips and tricks for making life as a librarian easier, and any other random things on my mind. What I don't want to do is complain about patrons, the bosses, or my co-workers. I would prefer this to be a positive place for general observations, and updates on my career, librarianship, and encourage feedback from anyone with something constructive to say. I may also talk about what music I'm listening to, sports, TV shows (LOST anyone?) and my recent adventures as a first time home owner. Life isn't just about the job, but also about the many other things we do to pass the time.