cpd23 Thing 1: Blogs and Blogging

After completing the CDLC "Things" course, I jumped at the chance to participate in this one.  I had never blogged before taking it, and I've learned a lot in those 10 weeks.  I am really looking forward to the "things" covered in this course, that weren't covered in that one, mainly the week on Librarianship and Training options.  This leads me to where I am at, professionally.

I've spent the better half of the past year at the Schuylerville library, where I've furthered my desire to go back to school for Library Sciences.  I love working in the library, and find every day I am learning new things about it.  I am just starting out, and this makes me eager to take in every detail I can about working in the field.  I am the program coordinator at our library, and that makes my job really fun.  My short-term goal, for the moment, is to finish out my Media Studies and Communications degree, from which I am a semester and a half away, and then move on to completing my Master's in Library or Information Sciences.  My long-term goal is somewhat ambiguous.  I know I want to work in a library, but I'm relying on my schooling to tell me exactly what I will want to be doing. 

Something I really want to learn about is how to increase the number of hits your blog gets.  I have started one for our library, and it is visited, but not nearly as much as I would want it to.  If anyone has thoughts on this, I would really love to hear them.  I've tried handing things out, and I have it on my emails, and I've done all the other no-brainer promoters of it, but I really want to increase it, even if only by a little bit.  If you want to check it out, you can visit it at http://schuylervillepubliclibrary.wordpress.com/.

Thing #10: Future Trends

I agree with the article that states "libraries are here to stay".  Say what you will about technology taking over the usefulness of libraries, I just don't think they'll ever completely take over.  People don't just come into the library for books, anymore.  They use all the resources we offer and that is what I think the future of the library will look like. 

People use the library for all sorts of purposes from faxing, to computer use and just as a social outlet.  Some people use it for a quiet place to sit or study, and some for the programs we offer.  The Internet can do many things, but I don't think it could ever replace libraries entirely. 

When posed with the question "what services may we have to give up in order to move forward?", I really don't know that I have an answer for that.  I can't of any services as of right now that would need to be given up just in order to secure a future.  I think people are always going to want to print, even if we do see an enormous move toward electronic media.  A good example of something that we have essentially have abandoned is volumes of encyclopedias that seemingly offer us nothing anymore, due to the fact that one would have search through them, take notes or photo copy and actually invest time into the research using them, instead of just Google-ing it.  And the same can be said for the card catalog system which is now computer driven.  In order to stay ahead, it seems like we need to keep up on technology and move forward with the fast paced world of library sciences and if we do that, we will be just fine. 

The most valuable thing I think we have to offer right now is the outlet to learn new things, whether it be from reading a novel, taking a library offered computer class, or attending a program, we are here to offer our communities a place to go and learn something.  And its worth mentioning that we are a free service, and people will always favor what is free.  When the economy gets bad, libraries get busier and that to me is proof enough that we are doing something right and not going anywhere.  Watch out future!  We were here first, and we are here to stay!