LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Here are Habits =231 and =232 of the 7 Habits of Highly Effecitive Media Sp=
ecialists by Matt Penn.
Thank you for the many people who confirmed my suspicion that the problem I=
was having was in ClarisWorks. Everyone suggested that I save the file as=
a text file and not as a claris document. This way you can copy and paste=
without the strange characters. Learn from my mistake - when you are send=
ing to lm_net and copy and pasting - save as text.
<bigger><x-fontsize><param>12</param>The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
Media Specialists
There are certain things that a successful media specialists does
day in and day out. Writing down appointments, and having a set procedure =
in place for interlibrary loans are examples of successful, everyday device=
s that media specialists employ. They are small things that good media spe=
cialists do right and they add up to bigger things called habits.
Habit =231
A highly effective media specialist puts people ahead of things. =20
=09
Being a librarian is a perfect profession for blending people and things. =
Some jobs deal mostly with people. Customer service, phone sales, princip=
al, and doctor deal almost exclusively with people. Other jobs are almost =
totally thing related. Computer programing, automotive mechanic, and artis=
t are some jobs that can have few dealings with people. A librarian spends=
approximately fifty percent of their time with people and fifty percent of=
their time with things. Depending on your unique situation it could be mor=
e or less, but the most effective media specialists strive for an even spli=
t. A media specialist should spend half their time helping people and half=
the time organizing, creating, discovering or working on things. It woul=
d be easy to push the people/thing split up to seventy-five percent things =
and twenty-five percent people. Because, lets face it, people are infinite=
ly more difficult to deal with than things. Repairing a book might be trou=
blesome and take some know-how, but it pales in comparison with the intrica=
cies of the human mind. People keep coming at you (especially small ones) =
while a computer can be left and returned to at a more convenient time. So=
me people take a great deal of skill to work with, but it is with people th=
at life=92s most exciting opportunities arise. Develop and sustain relatio=
nships in life because God works through people. =20
Do not let the split vary from the 50/50 ratio often. From time to time a=
new CD/ROM, Internet site, or even new books might dominate your day but d=
o not consistently spend all day with things. People are too important. C=
onversely, if you find seventy-five percent of your day taken up by people,=
you might need to make some changes. We are professionals that wed people=
with information. If people dominate our day, books, web sites, and morni=
ng shows aren=92t utilized to their fullest potential because we don=92t kn=
ow about them to recommend them. When a request comes from a person, alway=
s put that task first. When many people have many requests then it is time=
for organizational techniques. Habit =233 will talk more about these tech=
niques and making sense of a situation involving multiple, important tasks.=
=20
Even if a person-request doesn=92t come in a formal way; put it first. Fo=
r example, if you strike up a conversation at lunch about the ocean unit th=
at third grade is doing, you might find some materials and let the teachers=
peruse it. Think about how wonderful it is to have immediate action taken =
when you ask for something. When something comes promptly in the mail afte=
r you=92ve ordered it, or a person returns your call within minutes of you =
leaving it on voicemail, or your pizza is hot and steaming, aren=92t you a =
happy camper? Your patrons will feel the same way when you go out of your =
way to secure a title through interlibrary loan and hand deliver it to them=
. It is wonderful to see the expressions of kids when you take time out to=
hand deliver specially requested books. =20
Many LM_NETTERs suggested friendliness and positiveness as effective trai=
ts. I agree, and list them under habit one. Because if you put people pro=
jects first, you probably will treat them with a special friendliness. If =
you are friendly, people will want to come to your media center or library.=
If you promote a positive atmosphere in your library other great things w=
ill fall into place. Lost books should always be discussed with students i=
n a positive manner. Let them believe that you are positive they can and w=
ill find the book if they look hard enough, even if you don=92t think there=
is a snowball=92s chance of it coming back. Books come back much more oft=
en if a positive attitude is adopted than the alternative finger wagging sp=
eech.
Evidence of Habit =231:
* Most students know your name and can tell
an outsider what you do.
* Teachers say you are easily approachable
* You hear comments like: =93that was fast.=94
* Kids like coming to the media center.
* There are many smiling faces.
Habit =232
A highly effective media specialist knows where to get things.
This is something that cannot be taught in library school. It can be talk=
ed about, it can be observed as in an internship or training period, but it=
is difficult to teach how to get something. A good media specialist knows=
where to get things like a classroom teacher has withitness. A media spec=
ialist that is not good at finding things can seek to bring the quality alo=
ng or develop the sense, but if the basic building block isn=92t there it i=
s almost a lost cause. The good news is a media specialists that can=92t c=
onsistently find things is rare. Media specialists just know how to get th=
ings. It is part of the reason why people choose the profession in the fir=
st place. They like FINDING things. Namely, librarians like finding thing=
s for people. =20
So, how do you find things? Habit =235 helps a lot. The more people you =
are friendly with the more resources you have. And this isn=92t just a cas=
e of using people or networking. People will generally want to help you if=
you return the favor often. People are your most valuable asset in findin=
g things. Think about that manual that comes with a computer. Does anyone=
read it cover to cover? If you do, you are the first person in history to=
do so. Even the writers don=92t read it from cover to cover. That is the =
reason it is so disjointed. Most people plug the thing in and start fiddli=
ng. When something doesn=92t work what does the average person do? Yell, =
=93Hey, the cursor just froze up on me. What do I do?=94 to the closest pe=
rson. A popular technology saying goes, =93When everything that you know=
how to do has been tried; break down and read the manual.=94 Talking to =
people about finding things is the best and fastest way. The desire to tal=
k to a real person is the reason why hearing =93Your call is valuable to us=
- Please stay on the line and someone will assist you momentarily.=94 is s=
o infuriating.=20
Finding things just doesn=92t mean books. Knowing where to get things inc=
ludes: how to obtain the latest version of Netscape, how to whip up enthusi=
asm for Accelerated Reader, what Internet site has extensive information fo=
r endangered Florida wildlife, and how to get your binding machine fixed wh=
en it is broken. All of these questions and more have been discussed in on=
e place by media specialists around the world. The place is LM_NET and is =
one of the greatest resources for finding things. Its praises are sung mor=
e in habit =236, but suffice it to say that it is a place where you can get=
THINGS - FAST=21
The cornerstone of knowing where to get things is knowing your collection.=
The best media specialists can tell you the current status of any section=
of books and might even be able to tell you the status of an individual ti=
tle off the top of their head. The best media specialists know that when a=
student comes in with a request of =93Do you have any books about Hallowee=
n paper things.=94 they are looking for Scary Origami. The media center ha=
s one copy of this book and it is checked out (probably by someone in this =
student=92s class). This hypothetical media specialist then makes a note t=
o order more of the title soon and suggests another origami book. This mig=
ht be taking the point to an extreme, but knowing where books are in your o=
wn library is vital. Ways to get familiar with a collection are: weeding th=
e collection, reshelving, helping students, and occasionally having to move=
the whole collection. That can get you real familiar fast=21=20
Evidence of habit =232
* You use LM_NET on a regular basis.
* When a teacher wants resources for a unit, you
are able to give them a choice of items in several
different forms of media.
=20
* You use interlibrary loans frequently.
* People ask you for help often.
* When a difficult request comes in you start thinking of
ways to attack the problem. You have a choice of
plans instead of placing all hope on one.
=20
Coming soon: Habits =233 and 5.
Matthew_Penn=40ideas.sdhc.k12.fl.us</x-fontsize>
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