The Information Activist Librarian

I have been thinking a lot about the concept of an Imaginarian. I wrote about it back in April, 2011 and thought I should revisit it here.

A few weeks ago I wrote about my mission to inspire a generation of imaginarians and information activists. Many have told me that they like the term imaginarian. Others have asked what it means. So, like a good doctoral student, I thought I would define my terms.

An imaginarian is built on the concept of imagineer from the Disney Corporation. The term imagineer is the blending of imagination and engineering. So I define the term imaginarian as the blending of imagination and librarianship. Imagineers are tasked with designing and building Disney’s parks, resorts, etc…

Imaginarians are tasked with designing and building the human imagination. We focus on the creative and learning processes that take place in the human brain and soul. We help people construct realities and worlds that meet their desires. Imaginarians help people find their voice, identity and creative-self. We foster an environment in which these can soar.

Libraries are the only place anyone can go to become anything they want. Whether this is manifest only in their mind or becomes a reality in the physical world, the library can truly take people anywhere they want to go. And imaginarians help people get “there”.

Call for Chapter Contributions for the Library Innovation Cookbook

Chapters sought for an anthology by practicing academic, public, school,
special librarians, LIS faculty, and library staff sharing practical how-to chapters on: library innovation.

Book Publisher: ALA Editions

Dr. Anthony Molaro is an imaginarian and information activist and is the Associate Dean of Library and Instructional Technology at Prairie State College.

Leah White is a Reader Services Librarian and creator of Books on Tap, Northbrook Public Library’s first book club in a pub.

Recent conferences have highlighted the importance of innovation in libraries, and it is a term often heard in library circles. But what is innovation? Innovation is an incremental process. It is the creation of effective, efficient, and better products, services, technologies, programs or structures to help libraries meet the needs of 21st century library patrons.

How does your library engage in an innovation process? What innovations can your library adopt today? Who can suggest, plan, implement and assess ideas? The Library Innovation Cookbook: Bite-Sized Ideas to Fuel Growth in Your Library is designed to answer those questions with quick morsels that your library can apply immediately.

The Library Innovation Cookbook is packed with case studies and practical recipes for success from library innovation experts across the field. It is organized into six sections that focus on current trends in the library world. It does not matter where you are in your organization, each idea can be suggested and implemented by anyone. Each recipe is designed to be implemented quickly in most libraries. This book provides readers with necessary innovation strategies to spur creative growth in libraries, and to best equip their library for the next century.

Library Innovation is occurring throughout libraries of all type, however, many of us don’t hear about the great stuff we are all doing. The Library Innovation Cookbook provides concise, how-to chapters based on experience to help colleagues. Your
nuts and bolts article should total 2500-3500 words. No previously published or
simultaneously submitted material. One or two authors per chapter;
complimentary copy as compensation, discount on more.

Topics of interest for proposed chapters can include, but are not limited to, the following:
Broad Categories (examples)

Introduction to Innovation
What is Innovation
How Do Library’s Achieve Innovation
Professional Courage
The Role of Team
Structures
Rapid Prototyping
Innovation Champions
80/20 Rule
Chief Innovation Officer
Leading from the Middle
Professional Development
Unconferences
Staff Training
Library Lab
Services
YouMedia
Library as Kitchen
Idea Box
Ebooks
Adult Services
Youth Services
Technical Services
Academic
School
Special
Technology
Responsive Web Design
Fab Lab
Space
Digital Media Labs
New Library Spaces
Staff Spaces
Marketing and Brand Building
Marketing Campaigns
Branding Strategies

Proposals can be in the form of an abstract (summary) and an outline. Please also include a writing sample.
Please submit chapter proposals and writing samples to both Editors atanthony.molaro@gmail.com andleahwhite13@gmail.com
Questions and comments should be submitted via e-mail to us.

The due dates are:
For chapter proposal outlines: December 1, 2012 December 15, 2012
For first drafts of chapters: March 1 , 2013
For final drafts of chapters after receipt of editorial comments: June 1, 2013

So I keep a running gratitude and thank you page here on this blog, and I recently updated it.  So here is the newly improved list:

There are no random acts…We are all connected…You can no more separate one life from another than you can separate a breeze from the wind… (Five People You Meet in Heaven)

There are many people who have shaped me over the years.  I just wish to acknowledge a few professionals who have made me the librarian that I am here, and in no particular order.  Some of these people I have never met.

Valeria Long, Grand Valley State University

Pat Bravender, Grand Valley State University

Mary Klatt, Loyola Health Sciences Library (I miss you a lot and wish I could ask you a million questions).

Jeanne Sadlik, Loyola Health Sciences Library

Michael Gorman, Past President, ALA

Dr. Michael Stephens, Dominican University

Dr. Gertrude Koh, Dominican University

Dr. Janice Del Negro, Dominican University

Samuel Swett Green, “Personal Relations Between Librarians and Readers”

Leah White, Chicago Deskset

Adam Girard, Chicago Deskset

G. Kevin Davis, Messenger Public Library

All the folks at DLS

Rory Litwin, Libraryjuice

Sandy Berman, Radical Cataloger

Thomas Mann, Library of Congress

S. R. Ranganathan, “Five Laws of Library Science”

Jesse Hauk Shera, “Introduction to Library Science”

Dr. Elfreda Chatman, her work with outclass patrons

Phil Thorman, Mass Mutual

Beau Coniglio, Creative Genius

Erika Molaro, love of my life

Toby Greenwalt, Skokie Public Library

Mick Jacobsen, Skokie Public Library

Bobbi Newman and the folks at Libraries and Transliteracy

Ned Potter AKA the Wikiman or theREALwikiman

Justin Hoenke,  the greatest teen librarian EVER

Richard Kong , the guru of library technology, DMLs, and awesomeness

Anne Slaughter, a true rock star librarian and designer of OPPL’s website

Monica Harris, hands down the most creative and innovative librarian I know.

 

I am sure that I missed some people, for that I offer my humble apologizes.  To those who shape me without knowing me, or having ever met me.  I want to thank you too.

Strangers are family you have yet to come to know. (Five People You Meet in Heaven)