Library Thought Leaders

Some library thought leaders …… 

Ann Weaver Hart

Bernadette Grey-Little

Brooke Sheldon

Carolyn Coulter

Charles Brown

Cheryl Misak

Christy Koontz

Clifford Lynch

David Naylor

David Roselle

Dee Brennon

Ernie Ingles

Gerry Meek

Gordon Gee

Holden Thorpe

James Neal

Jim Collins

Joan Giesecke

John Blyberg

John Palfrey

John Pateman

John Perry Barlow

Ken Haycock

Ken Miller

Ken Peterson

Larry Alford

Lesley Boughton

Linda Braun

Linda Cook

Lorcan Dempsey

Margaret Todd

Mark D. Winston

Marshall Breeding

Mary Alice Baisch

Mary Lee Kennedy

Mary-Jo Romaniuk

Michael Geist

Michael Stephens

Nicholas Negroponte

Paul Whitnet

Paula Miller

Peter Block

Peter Morville

Robert D. Stueart

Robert Darnton

Rosabeth Kanter

Stephen Abram

Stewart Brand

Susan Hildreth

Terri Fredrica

Tom Galante

Tom Rath

Ulla de Stricker

Will Manley

 

Knowledge Creation Thread

Ok so I really liked this thread, it spoke to me. One reason why I want to take this journey is because with all of the information that is out there it crucial that we focus on learning improve society using the power of information/technology to do this.  I loved concept of the L – power to the 0 or 1.

Also the concept by Taylor that if a system does not make a user’s life better, no matter how good it is, then it is useless. However what is useless to one person may be useful to another, so I think we should be careful what we assume and that’s why I liked that the tread stressed that was exactly why the focus on the USER(S) is so important.

More importantly it’s jelling in my mind how technology has really changed the definition of communities and creation of communities.  This thread really had me musing about how in the past communities were physical and thus the library had a place in the physical world.  But now that geographic borders have been erased by technology and people are finding each other and creating communities, but how do libraries become part of these, is there a place for them in these communities?

IST 511 – Thoughts on threads!

First I have really enjoyed reading THE ATLAS OF NEW LIBRARIANSHIP.  The narrative is very very good and I it’s been quite illuminating — the only really descriptive adjective that can be used in for this “tome”!

Thoughts on theories…or how easy it is to confuse me……. 

The focus on knowledge and learning is at the heart of the mission to any one who is on the journey both as a scholar and a potential practitioner of library science. Conversation theory asks and attempts to address the question of how people learn.  If learning was a woven tapestry then there would be many many panels dedicated just to how libraries supported that mission.

First off I’ve never been one who had the grey matter to absorb the “big” theories that act as the underpinnings to many of the scholarly debates and schools of learning in higher education. 

Yet the idea of Conversation Theory intrigued  me as did Postmodernism as well.  Ok so a quick trip to sites that water down Conversation Theory and I am intrigued enough to perhaps get some more articles on the work. After reading some of these I now understand why understanding WHAT someone is asking and that the fact that my response depends on my interpretation of  what I think they are asking for. Clearing even with my limited understanding I see how important this theory is to our field and additional research I may want to undertake.

I found this chapter hard to get through – it had a lot going on – so this is one where I’ll need to be reading again and again to fully understand.

However for anyone who wants to be part of a community listening and understanding what they are asking for and needing will be crucial to helping fulfill your role in that community.  I’ll be interested to hear what my peers say.

 

 

Welcome – Blog for IST 511

Hello!  A  bit late on the starting the blog~

As promised in my Interview with a Library Leader here’s my interview with Stephen Abram. 

Stephen is a thought leader and “early adopter” in the world of all things library. I have the honor and pleasure of working with him. He’s taught me a lot and been an inspiration to me and many librarians who are both seasoned, just starting out or in library school. 

I asked him a few questions – and here are his answers from my email to him.

——————————————————–

Hi Kara:

These questions are easier than I thought since I wrote some articles on these topics lately.

1. What do you think is the most important skill set that librarians of the future possess?

2. How did you get on your career path as a “futurist”?

3. Any sage advice for those on starting their journey to becoming librarians?

For the SLA Future Ready 365 blog in June 2011 I wrote some advice for future MLS’s based on what I wished I had known in 1980 when I graduated:

Here are the two guest postings:

Part 1: 30 Years ago I graduated from Library School – and the future was in front of me…What do I wish my old self knew then to be future ready?

http://futureready365.sla.org/06/14/what-do-i-wish-my-old-self-knew-then/

Part 2: What do I wish my old self knew then to be future ready?

http://futureready365.sla.org/06/23/what-do-i-wish-my-old-self-knew-then-to-be-future-ready/

or a link from my blog;

What do I wish my old self knew then to be future ready?

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2011/06/23/sla-future-ready-365-blog-post/

As resident of SLA, I also wrote some Information Outlook columns on this topic.  Here are the links:

Librarian 2.0

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2011/02/02/librarian-2-0/

Two letters: one to new information professionals and one to Boomer colleagues:

Open Letters to My Peers: Young and My Age

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2011/02/22/open-letters-to-my-peers-young-and-my-age/

Lastly, I liked my guest post to Ken Haycock’s blog so you might not have seen it:

Earning the Right to Give Advice

http://www.kenhaycock.com/kens-blog/entry/earning-the-right-to-give-advice.html

By the way, the most important skillset for information professionals of the future is an open mind , openness to new thinking and change, and adaptabity and flexibility.  You’ll have no problems!

My career path to being a futurist was just being interested in it and writing about it and speaking about the future.  It just took off.  People listened and I listened back.  I am an accidental futurist.

__________________________________________________________