The Information Activist Librarian

October 26, 2011 · 3:22 pm

New Position Announcement

I am so very happy to report that I have accepted a new position as the Associate Dean of Library and Instructional Technology at Prairie State College.

I am very excited about this position!!! In this role I get to lead a great team of librarians and library staff, as well as a team of instructional designers. I am excited about bringing in some programming, and innovative technology. Moreover, I am really looking forward to creating a library environment which encourages students to play, learn, explore, find themself, and tap into their creative self.

I also get to work with faculty to improve the use of educational technology. In this role, I am looking forward to helping the college increase their number of online courses. I also hope to help faculty to be intentional about creating online learning environments, and focusing on student success and outcomes.

Prairie State College is a relatively small community college (area community colleges typically have >25,000 students). The FTE head count is around 5,000. As many of you know, I am drawn to smaller organizations because it allows me to wear many different hats. The school serves residents in the south suburbs of Chicago. The area is diverse both demographically and economically. I hope that the library I lead instills a love of libraries and learning into these students.

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September 1, 2011 · 7:20 pm

IAL Archive

Because of the recent, and brilliant, article in LJ by my friend Leah White, I have decided to dip into the archive and repost “Our Voice” in its entirety:

This whole HarperCollins issue along with constant attempts to cut our funds has got me thinking. Libraries and librarians have been learning to find and use our collective voice over the last few years, but is it enough? Are we rising to the occasion quick enough, or with enough force and power? I think about all those who protested recent events in Wisconsin, and while I know that librarians were present, it was not a massive turnout on our part. We have so avoided politics because of our ethical desire to inpart unbiased information to the patron, but is it time to rethink this method?

Yes we should always provide fair and unbiased information to patrons, but that doesn’t mean that we should just roll over politically and economically. We have been using our voice, and launching advocacy campaigns that have helped improve some of our funding crises, but is that all we can do? Is it wrong to educate our public?

We have a story! We have a voice! We have pride in what we do! Now is the time for us to rise up! If we don’t do it soon we soon could face the realization that the publishers have eliminated us from the growing eBook business. Moreover, funding may be so drastically reduced that we cannot afford to even purchase print copies.

It’s time for us to stand up. It’s time for us to take a stand! If you are in leadership and you are not willing to be human enough to stand up, then now is the time for you to stand down. There are so many voices in our profession that are worried about their “image” or “brand” that they are not willing to do anything but complain in private and off the record. It is to you that I say that going silent, turning a blind eye or deaf ear is condoning the behavior. It is your story that will be lost in history. To those willing to stand; to those who have been standing for a long time, let us fill the world with our voice; let our story be heard.

Chicago Information Deserts

You may have read my post over at Libraries and Transliteracy where I introduce the concept of information deserts. Well I have been conducting some research on information deserts in Chicago, and I thought I would share some of my initial findings:

Of the 843 census tracts considered, 237 are considered information deserts. The deserts are home to 776,729 residents. In other words, about 27% of Chicago’s population lives within an information desert. The southern part of Chicago has the vast majority of information deserts.

Some racial and ethnic groups are far more likely to live in an information desert. African-Americans are the most likely to live in an information desert compared to whites or Latinos. 467,373 African-Americans live in an information desert compared to the 72,515 whites.

I still have some more research to do, but the study revealed some interesting findings. I did not think that so many people lived in such information poverty right here in Chicago.