Libraries Lead!

June 2, 2021
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg

Are we going back to offices and city living or will a new normal emerge? Judging from the articles and posts, it’s not clear at all. That means it’s likely to be a combination of both depending on contexts of nature of activity (e.g., business), geography, and the economics (jobs, commerce, supply chain). With uncertainty prevailing, what should libraries be thinking about and planning for? As an added bonus, our production manager, Yoni Yemini, from ACE Chicago Events joins us to share his thoughts on how things are changing for his business. 

In Wazzup, Dave talks about the challenges to libraries, communities, and library & info science education due to the continually changing Covid situation. Mike points out the information aspects of vaccination verification with examples from the EU and New York State.  Dave’s Awesome Library Thingy was the Next Library Festival that was held on June 3rd, 2021, and Mike highlighted a NY Times article about museums post-covid, particularly the opportunities for new forms of programming and partnering.

References & Resources 

Wazzup

Stevis-Gridneff, Matina. (June 1, 2021). "Seven European countries begin issuing a digital Covid certificate for travel." New York Times. online. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/01/world/europe-covid-certificate-travel.html 

Otterman, Sharon (June 1, 2021). "Will the Excelsior Pass, New York’s Vaccine Passport, Catch On?" New York Times online: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/01/nyregion/new-york-vaccine-passport.html. 

Main Topic: Back to the Future

Mahtani, Melissa (May 30, 2021). “Don't just go back to 'normal.' Post-pandemic life can be much better than that.” CNN Health. https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/30/health/better-than-normal-wellness/index.html.

Tracy Moore, Tracy. (May 21, 2021) “I don’t want to go back to the office and I’m not alone.” Washington Post online. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/21/i-dont-want-go-back-office-im-not-alone/.

Dubner, Stephen J. (May 12, 2021). “The Future of New York City Is in Question. Could Andrew Yang Be the Answer?” Freakonomics podcast (Ep. 462). https://freakonomics.com/podcast/yang-mayor/  

 Awesome Library Thingy

‘Next’ Library Festival (June 3, 2021) http://www.nextlibrary.net/page/next-library-festival-2021 

Farago, Jason (May 21, 2021). "10 Ways for Museums to Survive and Thrive in a Post-Covid World." New York Times, updated online May 24, 2021
 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/21/arts/pandemic-museums-ideas.html.  

Credits
Audio, Production, and Streaming Services:
Yoni Yemini, ACE Chicago Events

May 26, 2021 
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg 

In the last episode, Mike ranted about his frustrations and hours spent in trying to reach a human being for assistance with airline reservations, prescriptions, and insurance. In this episode, we dive deeper into the topic of help and information services of all kinds– human, mediated (telephone, digital), online. What’s going on with consumer help and what’s the status of Q&A, Ask a Librarian, and reference services in library land?

In Wazzup, Dave describes the master class in the new librarianship he’s part of with the National Library School of France, and Mike shares concerns stemming from a disturbing text from a friend related to vaccines loaded with mis- and dis-information that raised all kinds of issues about the credibility of information and the undermining of quality of information. Dave’s Awesome Library Thingy spotlights the Toronto Public Library and Pam Ryan, Director, Service Development & Innovation, and their cutting-edge information literacy classes in machine learning, algorithms, public data, AI, and more.

References & Resources 

École Nationale Supérieure des Sciences de l’Information et des Bibliothèques: the national library school of France., https://www.enssib.fr/

Angela Craig interview (May 12, 2021), Libraries Lead in the New Normal, Podcast Episode 7. https://www.acechicagoevents.com/libraries-lead-episode-7 

Ewen, Lara (May 3, 2021). “Healthy Distance, Telemedicine brings house calls to local libraries,” American Libraries. p. 14. online: https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2021/05/03/healthy-distance-libraries-telemedicine/ 

Radford, M., Costello, L., & Montague, K. (2021). Surging virtual reference services: COVID-19 a game-changer. College & Research Libraries News, 82(3), 106. doi: https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.82.3.106   

Toronto Public Library https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/ 

Digital Innovation Series, Toronto Public Library https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?N=37867+4288098632 

Credits
Audio, Production, and Streaming Services:
Yoni Yemini, ACE Chicago Events

May 12, 2021 
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg 
74 minutes 

Mike and Dave are joined by a very special guest – the talented and enthusiastic Angela Craig, Executive Director, Charleston County Public Library. Charleston County is a cutting-edge regional library system. In addition to offering all that we expect from public libraries, Charleston has been particularly responsive to the challenges of helping people and communities due to emergencies such as Hurricane and of course, the Covid-19 pandemic. Angela explains the nature and scope of needs that emerged and the full-scale reaction by librarians and staff in terms of outreach, services, systems, and partnerships that were quickly deployed. We know that you will be as impressed as we are to learn about specific programs (e.g., vaccine clinics, telehealth connections, mobile hotspots and Wi-Fi, refrigerated community garden produce) and their close coordination with the regional emergency services department.

On the wazzup front, Dave announces that he’s taking a new, highly visible and prestigious job at the University of Texas in order to continue his passion of championing libraries, librarians, and making a difference in society. Mike rants about the deterioration of telephone and web-based customer service across all kinds of situations and domains.

References & Resources 

Angela Craig:
https://www.ccpl.org/team/angela-craig

Charleston County Public Library: https://www.ccpl.org/

Daniel Markovits, Daniel (May 6, 2021). “How College Became a Ruthless Competition Divorced From Learning,” The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/05/marriage-college-status-meritocracy/618795/ 

Credits
Audio, Production, and Streaming Services:
Yoni Yemini, ACE Chicago Events

April 19, 2021
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg
44 minutes

As we start to see some light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, what does it mean for the locus and nature of work? Will everyone simply return to their offices, businesses, and schools as if nothing has changed? Or has the lockdown been a catalyst for reconsidering location, work-home balance, and the trade-offs of physical vs. virtual work. And, what about the accompanying effects on the environment, transportation (commuting and traffic), health (physical and mental), and social interaction. Is hybrid – blended physical and virtual – the new normal?

Also, what would this mean for libraries and librarians? As the information infrastructure and services providers of communities, are there new, more permanent needs and demands to meet for businesses, workers, parents, and students? And, what about the library workforce? Will librarians and support staff also work in hybrid formats?

This main topic discussion is bolstered by two “awesome library thingys” Dave highlights the American Library Association’s 2021 State of America’s Libraries Report which (among many things) describes librarians as second responders, but more importantly as “first restorers.” Mike builds on a previous highlight about open access reflected the new resources use agreement between the University of California system and Elsevier.

References & Resources

Megan Oakleaf 2021: Library Recognition Award, Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2021/04/dr-megan-oakleaf-chosen-2021-recipient-lirt-librarian-recognition-award

 Jefferson, Jr., Julius C. (04/05/21 01:30 PM EDT). “From steel to fiber, libraries are American infrastructure.” The Hill. https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/546492-from-steel-to-fiber-libraries-are-american-infrastructure

Spiggle, Tom (Feb 17, 2021) “The Post-Coronavirus Workplace: What The ‘New Normal’ May Look Like,” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomspiggle/2021/02/17/the-post-coronavirus-workplace-what-the-new-normal-may-look-like/?sh=1df61b1638da

Samuel, Alexandra (March 21, 2021). “How to Manage the New Hybrid Workplace,” The Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-manage-the-new-hybrid-workplace-11616328000

 American Library Association. The State of America’s Libraries 2021: A Report from the American Library Association. Steve Zalusky. https://bit.ly/soal-report-2021.

Office of Scholarly Communication, University of California (March 16, 2021). “UC secures landmark open access deal with world’s largest scientific publisher.”  https://osc.universityofcalifornia.edu/2021/03/uc-secures-landmark-oa-deal-with-worlds-largest-scientific-publisher/

Office of Scholarly Communication, University of California (April 2021). “Elsevier Transformative Open Access Agreement.” https://osc.universityofcalifornia.edu/uc-publisher-relationships/elsevier-oa-agreement/

Credits
Yoni Yemini from ACE Chicago Events

March 17, 2021 
45 Minutes 
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg 

In this episode, Mike and Dave start with a brief exchange on the changing nature of work and the need to help low-wage earners find out about high demand jobs, requirements, and opportunities for getting access to quality training. 

Mike & Dave then pick up the conversation about education in the evolving new normal from episode 3’s insights from Colet Bartow, Teaching and Learning Senior Manager in the Montana Office of Public Instruction. Colet raised such issues as the increased interest in homeschooling or perhaps moving to a blended or hybrid approach to schooling, as well as the continued challenges of the digital divide. 

Mike laments that education is still stuck in a “19th Century, industrial model of mass-production education with cookie-cutter classrooms, fixed schedules, bells, and a one-size-fits-all curriculum. Do we really want to go back to this “old normal”? Dave sees a need to experiment, learn more about, and share best practices on how to use the emerging online technologies more effectively with libraries and librarians deeply involved.

Also highlighted (as an Awesome Library Thingy) is Barbara Fister’s essay (from Project Information Literacy) that was picked up by The Atlantic about librarians confronting the mis- and dis-information efforts of Q-Anon and other conspiracy theory promoters by expanding exposure to skills and knowledge concerning social media, inquiry, and how this whole “information thing” works.

References & Resources 

Miller, Elizabeth. (March 1, 20215:00 AM ET) "For Some Black Students, Remote Learning Has Offered A Chance To Thrive,"  National Public Radio: All Things Considered.  https://www.npr.org/2021/03/01/963282430/for-some-black-students-remote-learning-has-offered-a-chance-to-thrive 

Fister, Barbara (Feb 18, 2021) “The Librarian War Against Qanon.  As “Do the research” becomes a rallying cry for conspiracy theorists, classical information literacy is not enough. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2021/02/how-librarians-can-fight-qanon/618047/ 

 Fister, Barbara (Feb 3, 2021) “Lizard People in the Library,” Project Information Literacy, Provocation Series.  https://projectinfolit.org/pubs/provocation-series/essays/lizard-people-in-the-library.html

Credits
Yoni Yemini from ACE Chicago Events

March 17, 2021 
45 Minutes 
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg 

In this episode, Mike and Dave start with a brief exchange on the changing nature of work and the need to help low-wage earners find out about high demand jobs, requirements, and opportunities for getting access to quality training. 

Mike & Dave then pick up the conversation about education in the evolving new normal from episode 3’s insights from Colet Bartow, Teaching and Learning Senior Manager in the Montana Office of Public Instruction. Colet raised such issues as the increased interest in homeschooling or perhaps moving to a blended or hybrid approach to schooling, as well as the continued challenges of the digital divide. 

Mike laments that education is still stuck in a “19th Century, industrial model of mass-production education with cookie-cutter classrooms, fixed schedules, bells, and a one-size fits all curriculum. Do we really want to go back to this “old normal”? Dave sees a need to experiment, learn more about, and share best practices on how to use the emerging online technologies more effectively with libraries and librarians deeply involved.

Also highlighted (as an Awesome Library Thingy) is Barbara Fister’s essay (from Project Information Literacy) that was picked up by The Atlantic about librarians confronting the mis- and dis-information efforts of Q-Anon and other conspiracy theory promoters by expanding exposure to skills and knowledge concerning social media, inquiry, and how this whole “information thing” works.

References & Resources 

Miller, Elizabeth. (March 1, 20215:00 AM ET) "For Some Black Students, Remote Learning Has Offered A Chance To Thrive,"  National Public Radio: All Things Considered.  https://www.npr.org/2021/03/01/963282430/for-some-black-students-remote-learning-has-offered-a-chance-to-thrive 

Fister, Barbara (Feb 18, 2021) “The Librarian War Against Qanon.  As “Do the research” becomes a rallying cry for conspiracy theorists, classical information literacy is not enough. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2021/02/how-librarians-can-fight-qanon/618047/ 

 Fister, Barbara (Feb 3, 2021) “Lizard People in the Library,” Project Information Literacy, Provocation Series.  https://projectinfolit.org/pubs/provocation-series/essays/lizard-people-in-the-library.html

Credits
Yoni Yemini from ACE Chicago Events

March 3, 2021 
75 Minutes 
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg 

It pretty much happened overnight: schools are closed, kids are home, teaching and learning are online, parents are responsible for coordinating it all. While every aspect of life has been affected by the pandemic, no sector has been more quickly and more significantly by the pandemic than education – on all levels. The most direct impact is on students, parents, and teachers, but it really affects everyone. 

 In this episode, we try to get a handle on what’s going on and what it means—immediate, short-, and long-term. We do so by speaking with someone who has perspectives on the details but also the big picture, pre-K to 12 and beyond: Colet Bartow, Teaching and Learning Senior Manager, Montana Office of Public Instruction. Colet is an accomplished teacher, education & technology innovator, and advocate for libraries, information technology, curriculum improvement, and information literacy in learning and teaching. Listen in on this far-reaching discussion of the challenges and opportunities in our new normal world.

References & Resources 

Wazzup?

Weber, Paul J.; Stengle, Jamie (March 26, 2021). "Texas death toll from February storm, outages surpasses 100". 

2021 Texas power crisis. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Texas_power_crisis Accessed May 1, 2021.

Main Topic - Education

Montana Office of Public Instruction. http://opi.mt.gov/ 

The Big6 Approach to Information & Technology Literacy. https://thebig6.org/ 

Sullivan-Macdonald, Donna (Oct 02, 2015). “Teach More, Librarian Less, Say SLJ Leadership Summit Panelists,” School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=teach-more-librarian-less-becoming-essential-panel-at-the-slj-leadership-summit 

Awesome Library Thingys

Fay, Brigham (Feb 10, 2021). “MIT Libraries develop innovative open access agreements with PLOS. All MIT authors can publish in PLOS journals without publishing fees,” MIT Libraries News & Events. https://libraries.mit.edu/news/libraries-develop/31742/ 

Shannon McClintock Miller: Innovation Director of Instructional Technology and Library Media at Van Meter Community School in Van Meter, Iowa. https://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html 

Burt, Chris. (November 17, 2020). “Librarians leading the way with innovation, support during COVID.” Shannon McClintock Miller shares how this empowered group of school leaders is making a difference with students and teachers, along with some of the tools they are using. https://districtadministration.com/librarians-lead-the-way-with-innovation-guidance-during-covid/ 

Future Ready Librarians. https://futureready.org/thenetwork/strands/future-ready-librarians/ 

Credits
Yoni Yemini from ACE Chicago Events

February 3, 2021 
57 minutes
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg

In this second episode (and our last simultaneous broadcast as part of the Publishers Weekly Skillset Podcast), Mike is all upset about how difficult it was to get an appointment for a Covid vaccine. “This should be a very manageable information problem! Why can’t we set up an easy system for everyone and anyone – using people, databases, systems, and the telephone?”  Dave agrees and explains how libraries can support the rollout along with more long-term emergency support services and resources. And, as in every episode, they share “wazzup” and interesting bits from recent library news.
58 minutes

References & Resources 

Kerlinger, F. (1986). Foundations of behavioral research (3rd ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Institute for Museum and Library Services, US Federal Government. https://www.imls.gov/

Slijkerman, D., & Vlimmeren, T. . (2021). Living libraries: The house of the community around the world.
[A collection of essays on the changing role of public libraries in society.] available free online: https://www.bibliotheekutrecht.nl/living-libraries.html 

DeForge, Jeanette (Updated Jan 29, 2021; Posted Jan 28, 2021) "Springfield librarians, elder affairs workers will help residents register online for COVID vaccines." Mass Live. https://www.masslive.com/news/2021/01/springfield-librarians-elder-affairs-workers-will-assist-residents-in-registering-online-for-covid-vaccines.html 

Staeger, Steve (February 1, 2021). "The ‘vaccine whisperer’ helps find appointments for seniors." 9 News, Colorado. https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/vaccine-whisperer-covid-coronavirus-appointments/73-807a2efd-f20c-4a86-a826-48dd176cf593 

Credits
Yoni Yemini from ACE Chicago Events

January 20, 2021 
109 minutes
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg

This is the first episode of our new podcast - Libraries Lead in the New Normal. We aim for a wild conversation between two close friends who share a passion for all things library & information but frequently disagree on specifics. 

This episode which was recorded in January 2021 and simultaneously broadcast at that time as part of the Publishers Weekly Skillset Podcast. We originally intended to talk about the pandemic and the emerging new normal. But, the January 6 insurrection and the Biden inauguration took precedent. Dave was particularly moved and wrote a passionate essay that appeared in Publishers Weekly on how libraries and librarians must do more than be repositories of knowledge or passive providers of information services. We must be players in securing a more perfect union through active engagement in civic and educational discourse and building and providing equitable and accessible information systems and institutions.

This episode also includes 2 special segments: “Wazzup” lately and “Awesome Library Thingy” to highlight some amazing libraries and librarians. These segments will be regular features of all episodes.

References & Resources

Lankes, R. D (Jan 22, 2011). “How Libraries Can Help Us Make a More Perfect Union,” Publishers Weekly Online. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/soapbox/article/85366-can-libraries-make-for-a-more-perfect-union.html  

Bowles, Nellie (Jan. 14, 2021, Updated Jan. 17, 2021).  “They Can’t Leave the Bay Area Fast Enough,” New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/14/technology/san-francisco-covid-work-moving.html 

Credits
Yoni Yemini from ACE Chicago Events