Writing

Thing #14: Zotero/Mendeley/citeulike

I finished my Master’s degree in December of last year.  I’d heard about services such as these, but I didn’t take the time to explore them and did all my citations the old-fashioned way.  Now that I’ve looked at these sites, I feel like I could have saved myself a lot of work, especially since I primarily used articles from online databases for my research and writing. 

Having explored all three of these websites, I think Zotero seems the most functional for students.  In my mind, the biggest benefit is its ability to cite everything correctly and in different styles.  In almost every class for my MLS, we were told to use APA style.  One class required MLA style.  A tool such as Zotero would have made this much less painful; I wouldn’t have had to adjust to using a completely different style. 

As I think of my library’s patrons, I can see recommending these sites to college students.  To be honest, though, even having them stick around long enough to show them one online database is a feat.   I hope my academic library counterparts have a higher success rate.

About Nebraska Library Leadership Institute

In 2011, I attended the Nebraska Library Leadership Institute at the St. Benedict Center in Schuyler, Nebraska.  Thirty people from public, academic, and school libraries across the state were selected to attend the five-day Institute led by Becky Schreiber and John Shannon of Schreiber Shannon Associates.  Participants were divided into four learning groups and each group had two mentors, experienced librarians that observed, guided, and advised the groups.

Each day, we completed interactive learning activities, listened to presentations by John and Becky, and participated in group discussions.  Every evening, we learned about our mentors during Mentor Moments.

Highlights of the Institute:

  • Learned about our personality/leadership types using the Enneagram model
  • Identified strengths, weaknesses, ability to take risks, reactions to change, and self-limiting behaviors
  • Developed personal action plan to overcome weaknesses and develop strengths
  • Created vision statements, strategic goals, and funding proposals
  • Participated in learning group to complete strategy game, case study, problem solving exercises, and creative skit
  • Developed connections with people from libraries across the state
  • Presented to a group of 40 people in a simulation of requesting for funding from city council and library board

Booktalk for Teens

The following is a booktalk I did in a 9th grade classroom.  The teacher asked us to talk about books that would be interesting for students in 9th grade that were reading at about a 5th grade level.  My coworker and I chose 15 books to booktalk, many of which were claimed by students by the end of the class period.

Coraline

By Neil Gaiman

Coraline is bored.  Coraline is so bored that she’ll do anything.  She and her parents have just moved into an apartment.  Below them are two old ladies that are of questionable mental state.  Above them is an old man who keeps talking about his circus mice.  Coraline likes to go exploring, especially outside.  But one day it is raining.  She is so bored, that she counts all of the doors and windows in her apartment.  There are 21 windows and 14 doors.  Out of these 14 doors, 13 open and close like normal doors.  But the fourteenth door – the big, carved, brown wooden door – is locked.  She asks her mother where this door goes.  Her mother tells here that it goes nowhere, and unlocks it so Coraline can see that behind the door is a brick wall.  That night, though, Coraline is lying awake in her bed when she hears a “creak”.  Then she sees a shadow in the hall, a black shape that looks like a person.  When she turns on the light, there’s nothing there.  The next day, Coraline is still bored.  When her mother leaves her at home alone, Coraline decides to take another look at that mysterious door.  She climbs up on a chair and takes down the key ring.  There is a cold iron key that must go to that door.  She listens for her mother.  She’s alone, so she puts the key into the keyhole and it turns.  She stops again.  Still alone.  She slowly turns the doorknob and opens the door.  Instead of bricks, there is a dark hallway that smells like something very old.  She carefully walks down the hallway, until she sees something very familiar.  The carpet is the same carpet in her hallway.  The wallpaper is the same is her wallpaper.  The picture hanging in the hall is the same picture that hangs in her hall.  She looks around, confused.  She couldn’t have gotten turned around in a hallway.  Then she hears someone call her name.  It’s her mother – only it’s not.  The person standing there looks like her mother, only her skin is white as paper, she is very tall and very thin, and her fingernails are dark red, long, curved, and very sharp.  And one more thing – instead of eyes, she has big, gleaming black buttons.  “Coraline, we’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”