1. +
Ignite the MLIS
Ann Walker Smalley
St. Catherine University MLIS Summit
May 2, 2011
2. +
In the Beginning
BFA, Art History, The Ohio State University
Research
Exhibit preparation from selection to catalog
MLS, Kent State University
Kent Public Library Practicum
State Library of Ohio, State Agency Reference
3. + State Library of Ohio: Library Development Division
Administrative Assistant to Head of Consultants
Research on library issues, library district
boundaries, library policies, and more
Consultation with local public libraries
LSCA grant oversight
Reference sub
Statewide Programming for Bicentennial
Long range planning
4. + Battelle Memorial Institute
Senior Research Consultant
Research on library service, library structure, library
networking
Creating recommendations for change & how to enact
change
“Earn your salary” with proposal writing
Clients
Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind &
Physically Handicapped
State Library of Virginia
State Library of Pennsylvania
Association of Research Libraries
5. + Aspen Systems: Department Housing & Urban
Development Library, Head of Public Service &
Law Library
First completely privatized federal library
Required a lot of team development
Management under stress
Relationship building
Proposal writing to maintain the contract
6. +
National Restaurant Association: Head
of Information Services & Library
Members only service
Small business questions with restaurateurs
Library-to-library questions from the big companies
(General Mills, Dominos, Miller, Coke, McDonalds…)
Manage writers for the research series
Wrote for RestaurantsUSA magazine
Worked in press room at the convention
Moved the library
7. +
Commonalities of All These Jobs
MLS
Responsible to contribute dollars directly to the
organization’s bottom line
Proposal responses/grant writing
Writing—reports, policies, plans
Public speaking
Public contact with clients & stakeholders
Consulting
8. +
Commonalities
Relationship building
Independent work & teamwork
Travel
Long range planning
Advocacy for personal advancement
Information as a commodity
Variety of responsibilities and projects
9. +
13-year Sabbatical from Libraries
Grant writing
Writing Products for sale—non-profit earned income
Curriculum writing
PBS Series Content Director
Freelance writing and editing for authors and publishers
Freelance writer for local publications
Contract research
10. +
More Odd Jobs
Summer Enrichment programming for K-10
Started afterschool program for Grades 6-8
Hmong National Organization language help
Desktop publishing
Newsletter production
Microbusiness in art fair world
11. +
All involved library skills
Information collection & research
Information analysis
Information organization
Information delivery
Information application
Content creation
12. +
Or skills learned as a librarian
Long range planning
Strategic thinking
Grant writing
Expository writing
Public speaking
Ability to learn independently—and quickly
Dealing with difficult people
13. +
What did I learn on this sabbatical
I really can apply my previous skills & experience in new
settings
Pay to play—volunteer, professional
associations, relationships, availability
More grant writing—Common application, non-library federal
grants, private foundations
Non-profit management
Value of earned income to organizations
Importance of personal & professional advocacy
How to work with Minnesotans
14. +
Re-entry into librarianship
State Library of Minnesota as multitype system consultant &
media program
An introduction to Minnesota libraries
How the library world changed
An instructive not-quite-a-year
Government shutdown
9/11
Strike
Layoff
15. +
WomenVenture
Time to re-examine
Self-analysis
Where to go next
Result
I do like bring a librarian and like library people
I want to stay connected to libraries
What next?
16. +
Freelance Librarian
Metronet
Check It Out studies of school library media programs
MILI development
SELCO/SELS
ELM database lesson plans
Senior Techies
Online help using screencasting
MELSA
Customer service workshop series
MLA/MEMO
Committees & presentations
Minnesota Library Council
17. +
Metronet Director
Ability to visualize projects
Find the funding
Develop partnerships
Reach out to all types of libraries
Present in multiple venues
18. +
Free Advice to Ignite the MLIS
Choose your supervisors and mentors wisely
Find lots of opportunities to determine your particular skills
Hone your skills
Stretch—write, present, share
Don’t be afraid to sell your skills (literally)
Advocate for yourself & libraries
Be involved in library and other associations
19. +
Get Out of the Library-centric Way
Of Thinking
Look outside libraries for
inspiration, procedures, services, training.
Work or volunteer somewhere else—experience how they do
things.
Define and re-define yourself.
Use libraries other than your own.
Do not spend your entire career in one job or in one place.
Expect and accept change—seek it out.
20. +
Once a Librarian,
Always a Librarian
Ann Walker Smalley, MLS
ann@metronet.lib.mn.us
@annws
651.646.0475
Notas del editor
I knew I was going to library school—could take a lot of electives art and otherwise.
Beginning of advocacy—eeoc, state courts, dealing with library directors who seemed100 years old but probably are my age now. Great boss and mentor in Joe Shubert. Always looking at the future
tally your time business of consultingDevelop the “consultant mentality”—always a better way to do something, define what it is and how to implement it.Part of a team leader of a team—at the same timeMore advocacy for self
Moved in 1988 for a lot of reasons—never going to be a librarian again—salaries, schedules, flexibility
Sewing Farmers Market subculture
Disneyland
Part time (and still part time somewhere else) In addition to learning MN library structure—multitype, regional library systems, Minitex, consolidated vs federated, MLA MEMO and the 1800 other acronyms, I was like Rip Van Winkle. I had used libraries as a traditional library user and home Internet users Libraries looked the same on the outside, but tremendous change had come via Internet, ILS, technology, buildings expectations Fortunately, I am a fast learner—that consultant mentality of understanding an unfamiliar structure in a short amount of time.An entire career’s worth of exceptional events in 11 months.
So now what—I had let my clients go while I worked for the State Library, did I really want to be a librarian in Minnesota based on what I had learned about Minnesota libraries..Can’t say enough good about that WomenVenture program.
Minnesota Library Council MLA/MEMO presentations and committees volunteer research library legislative dayStay in the frame so people learned who I am and what I can do
Applied twiceThat part of every job description—must be able to work independently? Really the entire job for Metronet Director. No one really defining what we do or how we do it. Small buget means we must develop and maintain partnerships that advance libraries and librarianship.
We need to keep ourselves, our skills, and our institutions in front of people all the time. Some of the most effective librarians I know have done something else before being a librarian, taken a break form librarianship, or work part time somewhere else. Bookstore, target, courthouse, whatever. At the very least work in different settings and systems to expand your view of “how libraries work”