One of the challenges in our interconnected modules is choosing what to write about and reflect on. I read our required readings early last week, and I was struck by their messages of community and inclusion. Given the events of this past spring, these are important topics to consider — Read more…
I joined the board for the Friends of the University Park Public Library two years ago. I was new to our town, and knew that it would be a good way to meet other readers in the area. They needed help with email marketing and the occasional edit to the Read more…
When people consider the library as the center of the community, they often think of the public library. But through my classes this semester, we are exploring ways that the academic library is a central part of a college or university community as well. For example, SMU Libraries has been Read more…
Reading this book after our first couple of weeks, the biggest concepts that tied Mr. Palfrey’s ideas to those we have been discussing were his thoughts on how librarians and libraries should approach change, build community, and transform for our digital future. Here are some of the main threads that Read more…
The idea of leadership has (unsurprisingly) come up in my class on library management, and it’s reappearing this fall in my class on academic libraries. It’s a common question, What makes a good leader? And there’s usually not one universal answer, as leadership is often defined by how someone reacts Read more…
As I have been working on my MLS, several themes have come, and gone, and returned again. How to structure a reference interview. Why communication is important. The importance of strong leadership. This month’s theme seems to be change management. I first noticed it at the beginning of the month: Read more…
With all of the sitting we’ve been doing while working from home — and without much walking once the temperatures started to soar in Texas — I’ve definitely noticed an increase in back pain and stiffness over the last five months. Writing this post was a great reminder of things Read more…
On the day I was celebrating the 1st year anniversary of working at Southern Methodist University, I presented the culmination of the largest project I worked on during the spring semester, at the Cross Timbers Library Collaborative Conference, with my supervisor at SMU, Jonathan McMichael. One of the things that Read more…
This pandemic has affected everyone in the healthcare industry, whether or not they are on the front lines, directly fighting the disease. Our member physical therapists have been declared essential, but they’re not surprised that patients are wary about returning to the clinic in person. The good news is that Read more…
And I thought March and April were difficult. Here in Texas, the COVID numbers are soaring after two and a half months of a reopening that included two weeks of protesting in June. Dallas doesn’t seem to be as bad as Houston (yet), but it’s difficult to measure the level Read more…