LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Yes, at the very least, please check the LM_NET Archives before posing a question
to the group -- especially an unrealistically broad
"tell-me-everything-I-need-to-know" type or a "please-do-all-the-work-for-me" type.
Whenever I see those sorts of questions, I can't help but chuckle since they kind
of remind me of certain reference interviews that I've had with the high-school
students I work with. Well, *we're* not K-12 students anymore. We're now
professionals (or pre-professionals, as the case may be).
A major part of our job is spent teaching young people to be independent learners.
Let's do our best to practice what we teach. If you've really tried to find an
answer on your own and just can't find it, by all means go ahead and ask the group
about it. At the same time, please keep in mind that the number of helpful answers
will likely correllate to how specific you are in asking your question. And don't
forget to have a sufficently intuitive subject line. For example, a subject line
that doesn't follow the LM_NET abbreviation conventions and just says, "High
School" and nothing more is not intuitive enough. I just delete those. A subject
of "TARGET: SEC: Study Hall Policies" is much more intuitive and will likely get a
look. It also makes it much easier to find that message later in the archives if,
for example, one were to enter the search term "study hall".
When I was in library school from 1996-1998, I followed LM_NET very closely and
considered it to be just as essential to my librarianship education as my courses.
I also *answered* more than my fair share of questions and limited my own queries
to things that I couldn't find the answers to elsewhere. To this day, I still have
that policy for myself.
By the way, I had the pleasure of meeting Alice Yucht face-to-face for the very
first time Sunday morning at ALA. I also purchased her excellent and practical
FLIP IT! book for media specialists at the Linworth Publishing booth. I encourage
everyone to get a copy of this valuable resource. If you're not familiar with
Alice's FLIP IT! approach to student research, just set your browser to
http://www.aliceinfo.org and click the "FLIP IT!" link in the upper left area of
the page.
---
GABE GANCARZ, Assistant Media Specialist
Glenbard East High School
Lombard, IL
On Mon, 10 Jul 2000 16:31:55 Alice Yucht wrote:
>Among the comments I received in response to my =
>
>recent suggestion that posters do some preliminary
>research (e.g., in the LM_Net archives) before
>asking "how do I run a school library?" type
>of questions was the following:
>> Ms. Yucht,
>> As a new library media specialist, I found the tone of your recent post=
>ing
>> to be somewhat offensive. I agree that there is some repetition on LMN=
>ET,
>> but I have found that the delete key works very well in such instances.=
>
>> True, the archives are helpful and we should all be aware of their
>> existence. However, the listserve should be a forum for professionals
>(both
>> veteran and novice) to support each other in our rapidly changing field=
>=2E
>
>We ALL need to ask questions on occasion;
>even after 35 years in this field, I still
>know that I don't know everything, and I'm
>willing to ask for help. And I am NOT
>telling people to be afraid to ask for help.
>I AM, however, concerned that too many of
>the questions lately have been asking (in =
>
>essence) "I just got this new job, and if
>truth be told, I have no idea how to do this
>job, so please tell me everything I should
>know and do."
>
>Well, many of us are too busy DOING our
>jobs (having learned through coursework
>and hard-earned experience) to stop and
>explain everything to someone who is now
>starting fresh... and perhaps tabula rasa.
>
>That's why I said 'check the archives.'
>There is great stuff in there, and many
>many many many of your questions could
>be answered that way.
>
>Also remember: yes, even WE do judge
>books by their covers.... or at least
>their first impressions.
>Do you really want to be considered
>an information professional if you
>are not going to indicate what other
>kinds of preliminary investigation and
>preparation you may have already done
>for this new job you think you are
>qualified for?
>
>I've been a school librarian for 35 years,
>and am proud to say that I am still
>willing to learn. However, =
>
>I've mentored too many newbies, taught
>too many practical (rather than theoretical)
>courses, and asked/answered too many
>LM_Net questions to worry about whether
>my criticism 'insulted' anyone. I'm
>just making a reality-based observation.
>
>End of rant.
>
>ALICE H. YUCHT, aka Alice in InfoLand:
>Librarian, Teacher, Resourcerer, Revisionary,
>Curmudgeon-at-large, at
>Heritage Middle School, Livingston NJ
>
>Aliceinfo@usa.net =
>
>http://go.to/hmslibrary (school)
>http://www.aliceinfo.org (personal)
>
>Mantra: s/he who laughs, lasts.
>
>____________________________________________________________________
>Get free email and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=3D=
>1
>
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