Empowerment

Resolutions and "Good Enough"

/ dwakimoto

It is January and it seems like everyone has gone resolution crazy. I’m not inherently against making resolutions and I’m especially not against self-improvement, but sometimes I think we get caught up in all the hype of resolutions that we try to strive for perfection. Perfection isn’t always the best resolution. Of course, there are times when perfection is called for, but for a lot of tasks and things in life, good enough is perfect.

Therefore, I bring to your attention this great post, Getting to Good Enough. Seriously, read this and try to apply some of the tips the next time you are feeling stuck and worried that your best effort won’t be perfect.

I am a really big fan of the concept of good enough. There are areas of my life where I want perfection, or I am willing to work a lot just to get a fraction of a percentage better. But, for the most part, there are a lot of tasks that aren’t worth losing sleep or hours of time over. Think of the Web 2.0 concept of prototyping and perpetual beta. It is okay to build, test, revise, and then let it go. In libraryland, this concept could help us get over our fear that our websites need to be perfect and set in stone before we open them up to the public. Or that we need to have agonized over a new program or service for months before seeing if our patrons actually use it. Think beta and get moving.

One of the most common resolutions I have heard this month is that people want to get more organized. Who can argue with that? Organization is key to being effective and efficient at your work and life, but don’t forget The Lost Rule of Organizing. Remember the law of diminishing returns and that good enough really is good enough. This post makes me feel a lot better about the junk drawer in my desk at work and in my kitchen at home.

Finally, because it just wouldn’t be a post without a list, here is Lifehacker’s The Best of 2009 Recap. Lots of great posts and tips in this list.

Remember that you don’t have to be perfect to be great and that if it really is about the journey and not the destination, then you better stop worrying about being perfect and start moving.

Have a very happy 2010, read a lot, and the Waki Librarian will be back next week with reports from the ALISE Conference in Boston (as long as the wifi is working).

Climate Change and Libraries

/ dwakimoto

Happy Blog Action Day! Yes, that’s right, today is Blog Action Day and this year’s topic is climate change. In addition to being bastions of free speech, kingdoms of information and houses of technology, libraries are also places that are part of the Green Movement. Many of the libraries that are being built or retrofitted are being built with sustainability, for the planet and the library, in mind. I think this is a great development and yet another way for libraries to help the communities they serve. So below are some of resources to find out more about green library design and other ways you can help the planet. Climate change is everyone’s problem and therefore everyone can be part of the solution.

Library Journal’s LJ Design Institute Going event is this year in Dallas. As LJ says it is “an event series on sustainable building and design.” This one day event is being held on December 11th at the Dallas Public Library. Admission is free so sign up now because it is limited to 100 attendees. If you go, let me know how it went.

Also from Library Journal is the latest Library by Design, September 2009 issue. The entire issue is dedicated to “green” or “sustainable” design and also has some great information about limiting light pollution. I definitely learned a lot by reading this issue.

Obviously not everyone is getting ready for a library renovation or construction, but everyone can help create more sustainable library operations. Recycling, only printing out what you (or your users) need, and switching to more energy efficient products all help combat climate change. Of course whole countries, including the United States, need to get behind saving the planet by agreeing to not just trade carbon offset credits but actually decrease carbon output and start reducing waste and following more stringent sustainable practices.

Because, even though Photoshop is great, it is much better to see the Fall Foliage in person as shown by xkcd.

"Fall Foliage" by xkcd.com

Have a great day, go forth and help the planet (and your fellow human beings), and remember to read. More later from the Waki Librarian.

Friday Grab Bag

/ dwakimoto

It is finally Friday. I don’t know about you, but this week has felt very long to me. So for this Friday I have a grab bag of bits and pieces I’ve been bookmarking throughout the last couple of weeks. I hope some of them are useful for you.

This article, Web 2.0 fails to excite today’s researchers, is an interesting look at the slow adoption of Web 2.0 for research and publication efforts by academics. Overall, I found the article to be insightful and full of good resources for those who want to explore the web applications for those academics who want to explore more social and open access ways of distributing and collaborating on research.

However, I’m a little puzzled by this sentence: “After all, it only takes one or two librarians to provide a library with a veneer of embracing Web 2.0 technologies.” It seemed quite out of place and I’m not quite sure what the point was supposed to be by including this in the article. Many libraries actually are doing quite a bit with Web 2.0 technologies in their libraries and are connecting with their users in new and more meaningful ways. I’m not sure why there needed to be a swipe at librarians in an article about academics. The academics could probably learn a thing or two about using technology if they asked a librarian.

But if you actually like to collaborate online, you should check out Lifehacker’s great article on the Top 10 web collaboration tools (that aren’t Google Wave). Great set of tools, but what else would you expect from Lifehacker?

Also from Lifehacker is a list of the Top 10 underhyped webapps, 2009 edition. Trust me, you will find something new that you will be able to use via this post. I happen to love the PDF to Word application and am looking forward to playing around more with Aviary. What is your favorite web app that is underhyped?

Finally, because it is Friday, I’ll leave you with the xkcd cartoon of the day. And yes, it is definitely scary! Have a great weekend!

"scary" from xkcd.com

Reducing Waste

/ dwakimoto

No, don’t worry, this post is not about recycling or composting or even the Green Movement. Instead this is about reducing waste in terms of your time, energy and inspiration. It is back-to-school time and the campus is crazy here. So this topic of reducing waste is really close to my heart, especially as more things get piled on my plate.

First there is this article about “An inside look at college costs”. While we can argue about the accuracy of the article’s claims (and I think we should definitely look at the “objectivity”), it still brings up an important point–the bloat that exists at a lot of campuses. Sometimes reducing waste means reducing administration or streamlining processes instead of trying to blame faculty salaries for the woes of the university’s budget situation.

Speaking of working more efficiency, take a look at this article, “Maker’s schedule, Manager’s schedule”. This article made so much sense to me–this is why I just dislike meetings so much (or at least one of the reasons). Meetings just break up my flow in the work day and I like the idea of scheduling meetings at the end of the day like office hours–that would make me so much happier. I wonder if we could implement this…

And, of course, Lifehacker comes out with a great post on how to Reduce your inboxes to streamline your workflow and reduce stress. This is such a great tip and really makes my life much easier. I highly suggest it if you haven’t already combined and/or reduced your inboxes.

So that is it for the Waki Librarian today. Have a wonderful rest of your week, read a lot, and I’ll be back next week.

College, Technology and Other Stuff

/ dwakimoto

Wow, last week in August already. Hard to believe that the summer is almost over and that some students are already back at college. Luckily my university is on the quarter system so I have another month to prepare. But in the vein of back-to-school time, here are some interesting articles to check out about college, dropout rates and other stuff.

This is an interesting article about dropout rates for college students in the United States. Definitely check out the suggestions at the end for tweaking the educational system in order to retain more students. I definitely agree that the entire remediation course idea needs to be re-engineered.

Speaking of change, check out this article from The Guardian on the “quiet” academic library revolution. While this might not be news to those of us that work in academic libraries, it is always nice to see articles about what work is “really like” for academic librarians. It’s all about the teaching and the technology–even on the other side of the pond.

danah boyd writes some of the most interesting pieces on technology today. Check out her “It’s easy to fall in love with technology…” article. I love that she attacks the notion “digital native”. Many of my students aren’t comfortable with technology and I get tired of reading all the articles that say that everyone under the age of 20 is a pro with every technology under the sun. Really, take the time to read this article–it has many great points to think about and discuss with your colleagues.

Finally, because it is back-to-school time, I thought we could all use Lifehacker’s 10 tricks for creatively hiding your stuff. There is nothing like a clean room to clear your mind so you can get down to work.

Finally, because everyone needs a laugh, here is xkcd’s latest flowchart on computer tech support. Enjoy!

Tech Support Cheat Sheet by xkcd.com

Tech Support Cheat Sheet by xkcd.com

Increasing Your Knowledge Base

/ dwakimoto

Knowledge management is one of the latest buzzwords (buzzphrase?). While it might get annoying to keep hearing about “knowledge management” no one can doubt its importance. But it isn’t just about knowledge management, you first need to have a knowledge base in order to have something to manage! So, in today’s turbulent economic times, I thought it would appropriate to share some interesting links and resources for expanding your knowledge base and taking care of business.

There is a great article on Lisjobs.com about how Multiple Knowledge Bases=Multiple Job Opportunities. I highly suggest checking it out because as everyone says, you never know where your next opportunity will take you or when it will be presented to you. And aren’t librarians some of the best people in the world when it comes to increasing our knowledge and being “Jack/Jill of all trades”?

Talking about knowing more and making connections, have you heard about linked data? If not, check out this great post on ReadWriteWeb.com on Linked Data. Definitely check out the TED talk and get ready for linked data. I think this is a fantastic opportunity, especially for use in reference questions!

And, because a post on increasing knowledge bases definitely needs to touch on employment, check out Beyond the Job. This is a great website to come to for information about professional development and tips for everyone . Really, it is great and it has an RSS feed so really, no excuse not to check it out.

Everyone should understand the importance of taking control of their data and profiles that are available online. However, you might not know about Google Profiles. So check out the information on Lifehacker about how you can create your own Google Profile.

Lastly, check out Business Week’s article on making decisions outside your comfort zone. It is always good to get outside your comfort zone once in a while. Plus it will help you increase your practical knowledge base.

That is it from the Waki Librarian. Have a great Friday and weekend. More next week.

End of the Quarter Bits

/ dwakimoto

It honestly doesn’t seem to make much difference if I’m teaching a class or taking a class, the end of the quarter is still filled with anxiety, last minute chores and lots of panicked students. It also means that I fall behind on bookmarking new web stuff, blogging about new web stuff, and basically just fall a little behind. So here is my attempt at catching up on some of the cool library and tech stuff that has been floating around my RSS feeds–basically just a little of this and a little of that.

So first for the technology bit, here is Lifehacker’s Top 10 Wallpaper Tools and Tweaks. These are amazing tips for creating or just finding desktop wallpapers that not only look beautiful but can help increase your productivity. I can’t wait to start designing a compartmentalized desktop and using the calendar feature– sounds like a good summer project to me. If you have another favorite source for wallpapers, please leave it in the comments.

And for a different change of pace, here is a news post that absolutely infuriates me: Kayne West is a “proud non-reader”. He says in the article that “I am a proud non-reader of books. I like to get information from doing stuff like actually talking to people and living real life.” One wonders then why on earth he decided to write a book. Thank goodness there are a lot of really awesome people who are very proud readers of books. Suddenly, trying to get my students, who are slightly less than enthusiastic about information literacy class at the beginning of the term, to actually engage in the class seems like a cakewalk. At least no one has ever told me they are proud of not reading books. Sheesh.

So to counteract that negativity, because we really need to, here is a great library hero who is Running a Library out of a School Locker. This student is running a library out of her locker at school, and the library is filled with banned books! Can we say born to be a librarian?! This is so amazingly awesome. The comments to this post are great reading as well. I sincerely hope the student did not get caught or in trouble for enabling students to read what they want. People who do things like this and totally get that banning books is pointless and stupid absolutely make my day.

So that is it for today’s bits of fun technology and library information. I hope everyone has a great week and I’ll be back soon with more goodies from the wide, wild world of information!

What do you do outside of work?

/ dwakimoto

I’ve been thinking about this question a lot lately. It seems that many of us are driven to always do more at work and are defined by our work. But what, outside of work, is a part of who you are? Not to go completely philosophical on a library blog, but I think it is an important question.

In that vein, check out this short article on taking 1 hour for yourself each day. What would you do with an hour? Sometimes I think I would just sleep an extra hour, but mainly I think about all the non-work things I would be doing. I think I will try to implement this in my life; I’ll let you know how it goes.

If you follow the advice of the above article, and need something to fill your time with, check out these 10 DIY Projects from Lifehacker. These are some very cool, kind of funny, and definitely awesome DIY projects.

And lastly, for the designers and dual-monitor users among us, check out these amazing Dual Screen Desktops available through Smashing Magazine. These are so gorgeous. I can’t wait until I get my second monitor at work to apply some of these desktops to my monitors.

That is it for The Waki Librarian for this week. Sorry for the lack of updates but the end of the quarter is upon us and it has just gotten a little crazy around here. More forthcoming next week.

Energy and Productivity

/ dwakimoto

I’m pretty sure that all of my students have Spring Fever. They seem ready for summer, and they aren’t the only ones. I’m definitely ready for the quarter to be over too. And when spring hits, I always feel the need to do spring cleaning and with the days getting longer (well, technically they are still 24 hours long, but we get more sunlight each day so to me they are longer), I feel like I should be accomplishing more–both at the library and at home. In that spirit, here are a few helpful posts about getting more energy and getting things done.

This is a wonderful article on 55 Ways to get more Energy. These suggestions will hopefully help you get more energy throughout the day and be able to work (and play) more efficiently. Though I have to say I found the fact that the smell of lavender is supposed to wake you up hilarious–mainly because lavender makes me fall asleep. But luckily there are 54 other tips for me to try!

So now that you have more energy, you might just get the bug to do some spring cleaning. If so, then this article on how to organize rooms more efficiently is for you. I think the same advice would help with cleaning my office at work. I wonder how to transfer this advice into the computer realm so I might finally get around to organizing the files on my hard drive.

Do you know what your learning style is? If not you might want to check out these posts on learning styles and organization. Knowing your learning style doesn’t just help you learn more effectively, it can also help you organize your tasks, time and work. Anything, within reason, to help me get more organized is appreciated.

And now, with all this new energy and organizational skills, you will have more time to play and learn cool technology tools. Organizational tools for the win.

Have a great day and the Waki Librarian will be back soon with more library, technology and productivity fun.

Writing & Communication

/ dwakimoto

I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of time every day writing. Now, most of the stuff I write isn’t creative writing or even writing for publication, but it is writing. All of spend inordinate amounts of time writing emails, Tweeting, IM-ing, blogging and composing memos. Writing is a part of our daily life and is all about communicating–one of the key parts of human life. So this post is about, more or less, writing and communicating.

By now I think my utter love of Lifehacker is apparent, but how can one not love Lifehacker when they have great lists like the five best journaling tools. Because sometimes, you don’t want to share your life with the world and you just want your thoughts for yourself, it is important to have a place to journal. I also love the fact that good, old-fashioned, analog pen and paper completely slaughtered the competition.

Another blog that I’ve just started following is Manage Your Writing. I quite like it so far and there have been a number of useful tips and posts. I like this slightly older post on writing to persuade. Every time we write, we are writing to persuade someone about something, even if it is only to go to the restaurant we want to go to at lunch. So using these tips in your writing might not only make your writing more powerful and persuasive, you might even get more done. And I love getting things done. As The Cult of Done Manifesto says, “Done is the engine of more.”

I also quite like this article on WikiHow on how to stop dealing with someone else’s lateness. I have to say one of my pet peeves is waiting for other people because they are late. I completely agree with this article that it is disrespectful to be continually late. I hope that this article can help you if you are dealing with people who run late. Plus, not waiting around for late people will allow you time to get more done and that’s always a good thing.

And, just because I can’t end a post without something fun, take a look over at xkcd’s comic on philosophy.

Have a great day.