Congratulations, Incoming APALA Executive Board Members!

Congratulations to our incoming Executive Board members, who will be serving under the leadership of incoming President Eugenia Beh. All terms will begin after the 2013 ALA Annual Conference.

President: Eugenia Beh
Vice-President/President-Elect: Eileen K. Bosch
Treasurer : Dora Ho
Secretary : Janet Clarke
Member-at-Large (2013-2015): Anna Coats
Member-at-Large (2013-2015): Sarah Jeong
Member-at-Large (2012-2014): Tina Chan
Member-at-Large (2012-2014): Alanna Aiko Moore
Immediate Past-President: Jade Alburo

Best,
Nominating Committee

Sandy Wee, Chair
Michelle Baildon
Florante Ibanez

“It’s a Mad World” by Raymond Wang

It’s a Mad World.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “normal” as conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern. It seems that this definition of “normal” could easily be applied to librarianship in many different ways. We instruct, conduct reference interviews, create library policies, catalog items, create metadata standards, gather circulation stats, and develop collection assessment plans. For most of us, we feel like this maybe our normal, because we may answer the same reference questions, teach the same workshops, and take several iterations to complete a project until our world of information is normalized or until a new set of standards, policies, and plans emerges that requires implementation. As a result, our profession may appear to be normal or even seem neutral to people outside of our profession.

In “The Myth of the Neutral Professional,” Jensen (2005) states, “A claim to neutrality means simply that one isn’t taking a position on that distribution of power and its consequences, which is a passive acceptance of the existing distribution” (p. 30). Does this “myth of the neutral professional” apply to the field of librarianship? Unfortunately, I think so. We have accepted the norm with respect to library employment. In the blog Hiring Librarians, it has been noted that months to year-long job searches are common (Weak, 2012). It is not unheard of for recent LIS graduates to take paraprofessional positions, continue internships, volunteer, or work other jobs in different fields (Vincent, 2013). Traditional librarians will have to contend with the advent of digital libraries and possibly the full automation of technical services. I think it will be the norm that coding and technical skills will be part of the job description for librarians. INALJ (I Need a Library Job) blog advocates “walking the line between computer science and library science will afford you more opportunities, and better your chances of landing a position” (House, 2013). Again, I believe we have accepted this norm of library employment and job duties. Do new librarians and recent LIS graduates have a place in today’s world of librarianship?

In hiring practices, most entry-level reference library job posts require a combination of library experience and technical skills. A recent ACRL article published in November 2012, written by Detmering and Sproles, compiled a literature review on job advertisement analysis. Results show entry level positions were mostly in academic libraries. In the article, the authors cite Reser and Schuneman’s study of job ads from 1988. Reser and Schuneman found only 20 percent of positions were classified as entry level and there was a trend for librarians to acquire more specializations and to hire from outside the library field. Also, librarians needed to have practical experience and tech skills. More recently, about 49% of job ads stated project planning and implementation, 26.6% included supervision and managerial duties, and 54.7% required technologically focused responsibilities (Detmering and Sproles, 2012). These findings illustrate entry level job ads put an emphasis on tech skills and practical experience. As one job applicant said, “you can’t get a library position because you don’t have experience and you can’t get experience unless you have a librarian position” (Detmering and Sproles, 2012, p. 543).

My normal has echoed the very same thing, a circuitous, hopeful journey to being gainfully employed at an academic library. It has been over two years since UNC-Chapel Hill conferred my MSLS. I have submitted countless applications, attended over 20 library interviews, which most notably included a UC Santa Barbara Library Fellowship interview via Skype, a University of Maryland Data Research Librarian Fellow phone interview, and a University of Southern California GIS Fellow Skype interview. I have yet to find full-time library employment. Since graduating from library school, I have been underemployed as a temporary library assistant, worked in private industry, and volunteered in different libraries.

In October 2010, I accepted a temporary library assistant position at University of Texas at Austin’s Bureau of Economic Geology and the position ended three months afterward. So, I decided to continue my journey to find full-time library employment in January 2011. During my employment search, I received several phone interviews. After several months, I received a rejection letter that stated, “we were greatly impressed with your background and qualifications, and we enjoyed talking with you to discuss the position. It was not at all easy to make a decision. Given the impressive strength of your resume and your accomplishments, we think it is very likely that you will be offered a challenging position elsewhere in the very near future.” The near future could not come soon enough.

In July 2011, I moved in with my grandmother in Los Angeles, California to save on food and rent. I continued my job search and settled for employment outside of librarianship. I accepted a data analyst position at LA Yellow Cab and started full-time employment. I began to hit the ground running with quickly learning new taxi cab terminology, taking on projects, and acquiring new technical skills. After six months, I decided to leave my position because I was not fulfilled and did not feel it was in alignment with my career interests. So, I started my library job search again and I felt I was not making any progress.

At the end of May 2012, I moved to Santa Barbara to take a break from my job search. It was a much needed break and I felt rejuvenated. I began to volunteer as a computer coach at Santa Barbara Public Library in August 2012. I was very fortunate to be part of a progressive volunteer program and acquired much needed practical customer service and instructional experience. Due to financial constraints, I moved back in with my grandmother in November 2012. Currently, I volunteer at East Los Angeles College Library, Pacifica Radio Archives, and work as a part-time tutor. I am very grateful for the continual support and practical training that I have received from my supervisors. Both volunteer opportunities have proven to be invaluable library experiences, which I hope will lead to full-time employment at an academic library.

I want to urge APALA members, library professionals, and hiring managers to not buy into the “myth of the neutral professional” and to defend our profession. As library schools continue to turn out new library graduates into an already saturated job market, I want to pose some questions. Do library schools need to curtail student admission? How can library schools better prepare librarians to enter the job market? What qualifications do new graduates really need to become employed? Do the job descriptions for an entry level academic library position realistically meet the skills and qualifications of new library graduates? There are post-MLS programs or library fellowships to further develop new librarians. Do we have enough of them? How successful are these programs? I believe these are important issues that we currently need to confront as a profession. I hope APALA members will seriously consider them as future topics of discussion, both verbal and written.

I also want to encourage my fellow job seekers to continue on their arduous journey to become professional librarians. l leave you with a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, from his article “Returning Home” reprinted in Your True Home (2011). It has provided me with much inspiration: “Your true home is the here and now. It is not limited by time, space, nationality or race. Your true home is not an abstract idea; it is something you can touch and live in every moment. With mindfulness and concentration, the energies of the Buddha, you can find your true home in the full relaxation of your mind and body in the present moment” (p. 1).

Raymond Wang, 2009.

Raymond Wang

Graduate of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
School of Information and Library Science, 2010

Resources

Chu, M. (2009). Ageism in academic librarianship. Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship, 10(2). Retrieved March 19, 2013, from http://southernlibrarianship.icaap.org/content/v10n02/chu_m01.html

Detmering, R., & Sproles, C. (2012). Forget the desk job: Current roles and responsibilities in entry-level reference job advertisements. College & Research Libraries.

House, N. (2013, Mar.18). Skills in need: Why coding and technical skills can benefit our job hunt. INALJ. Retrieved from http://inalj.com/?p=12916

Jensen, R. (2005). The myth of the neutral professional. Progressive Librarian, 24, 28-34.

Nhat Hanh, Thich. (2011). Your true home: The everyday wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh. Boston: Shambala Publications.

Shaffer, C. (2011). Best practices for hiring academic librarians with faculty status and rank. The Southeastern Librarian, 59(3). Retrieved March 19, 2013, from http://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1403&context=seln

Vincent, A. (2013, Mar. 6). Re: Making it work: Surviving as a librarian employed in another field [Web log comment]. In the Library with the Lead Pipe. Retrieved March 19, 2013, from http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2013/making-it-work/#comment-36092

Weak, E. (2012, Sept. 14). Further questions: How long did it take to get your first library job? Hiring Librarians. Retrieved from http://hiringlibrarians.com/2012/09/14/further-questions-how-long-did-it-take-to-get-your-first-library-job/.

Reminder: Vote in the 2013 APALA Executive Board Election!

Dear APALA Members,

The 2013 APALA Executive Board Election is open now. By now, you should have received an email regarding the election with a specific link which directs you to your ballot. This link is connected to your email. If you have not received it and are an APALA member or life member in good standing as of March 1st, please contact Maria Pontillas, our membership coordinator (membership@apalaweb.org).

Best,

Nominations Committee
Sandy Wee, Chair
Michelle Baildon
Florante Ibanez

APA Author Interview — Lynda Barry, Madison, Wisconsin

Lynda Barry Loves Librarians: Part II

Lynda Barry discusses teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, e-books and Asian American readership.

by Dawn Wing

Lynda Barry is a cartoonist, author, playwright, teacher and library aficionado. In 2009, she won the Wisconsin Library Association: Literary Award and the Eisner Award for her book What It Is. Her works of fiction and comics include Cruddy, Ernie Pook’s Comeek  and One! Hundred! Demons!  In One! Hundred! Demons!,  Barry uses vivid imagery and words to bring to life an “autobiofictionalography” of experiences such as her Filipino upbringing and the growing pains of childhood, adolescence and friendships.

In Spring 2012, Lynda Barry was the Artist-in-Residence at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she taught “What it is: Manually Shifting the Image.” She had her students (including me) refer to her as “Professor Lynda.” Currently, Professor Lynda is teaching a course called “The Unthinkable Mind” at UW-Madison.

Below is an abridged and edited version of an interview I had with Professor Lynda discussing the role of picture books libraries and librarians in her life. The interview took place on August, 30th, 2012 at City Bar in Madison, WI.

The first part of the following interview is available in the Winter 2012 issue of the APALA newsletter.

Lynda Barry during her Spring 2012 Artist-in-Residency with students of UW-Madison’s School of Library and Information Studies who took her course, “What It Is: Manually Shifting the Image.” Professor Lynda is wearing a button on her shirt that says “Love Your Librarian” and showing her fake tattoo that says “Libraries” with a heart around it. From left to right: Leah Portz, Laura Damon-Moore, Lynda Barry, Melissa Nicholas, Dawn Wing. Photo courtesy of Dawn Wing.

Dawn Wing (DW): In the class you taught during Spring 2012 at UW-Madison, “What it is: Manually Shifting the Image,” you emphasized the importance of reading stories we wrote aloud. Why do you think hearing a story read aloud is important?

Lynda Barry (LB): I think our brain is developed with this – our way of understanding the world is through story and metaphor – so if you think about stories came first, libraries became as a home for a lot of stories, fiction and non-fiction – But I think there is something about reading aloud – and if I had had the kind of parents that kids seem to have today, you know,  to take you to story time at the library  – and have that long tradition of sitting on another person’s lap with a book in front of both of you – it’s almost like when you jump off a plane with a parachute, you jump with somebody – you jump to this ability.

I was never read to at all, and I still find it to be this astonishing thing. And the cool thing about technology right now is there are more opportunities for people to hear stories read aloud whether it’s live, somebody talking or you have a choice, maybe driving into work, where you can listen to stories being read aloud. And that didn’t happen when I was younger. It could’ve happened on a piece of vinyl somebody read – the 100 vinyl set, you know.

So there’s something about hearing that read aloud – but especially hearing it read aloud at the library where it’s kind of this event, and I’m always really surprised when I’m at the library and there’s a story thing going on, I’m really surprised at how the kids are able to concentrate – you don’t think they would. Some of them don’t, but a lot of them do. And how much they like to make books.

DW: What are your thoughts on the book as a physical object versus e-books which are now becoming the trend?

LB: I think that there’s nothing like the frigate like a book. Was that Emily Dickinson?

I think it is. I think that there is a completely different experience of the book as a physical object even to the point where you know you are in the book. Like I’m half-way through, 3/4 of the way through – I think on Kindle or e-books, something’s really lost. Something’s gained because you can just pop it in your pocket. I have people tell me, “Oh, I have 400 books on this.” It’s like “Yay, that’s great. Here’s my little thumb drive and I have 400 songs. Ok, it’s like make ‘em play by doing what?”

It’s like this weird thing, but then again book as objects, I’ve always collected books. I have tons of them everywhere so it’s sort of that same thing: I have 400 books. I’m probably as likely to read all of them as the person who has them downloaded to their Kindle. But, I think for kids in particular there’s something about turning a page, pointing to the different stuff.

I wasn’t able to finish reading it, but there was an article I ran into today right before I left about actually touching the paper with your finger that that really helps people learn how to read and write. You know this pointing thing and touching. It turns out that touching those words – there was some study done that something about actually touching them with your finger. So I know that that can happen and it’s all going to go touch-screen – it’s already in that direction.

But I just think there’s something about paper and it’s going to be that thing when TV came and people who were really attached to radio talked about TV taking something away. And those of us who grew up with TV were like, “Pff, whatever it was I don’t miss it.”

And I think there’s something about books that that will be – even in my town now – Janesville – it’s a pretty significant sized town, there’s not one bookstore. So libraries are really going to be it. Libraries and online ordering. And that’s going to be it. That’s going to be where you find the books.

So, I also think that kids – it’s all the difference in the world when you’re making a book by hand, using your little stapler and drawing than designing a page on the computer.

They both have wonderful things about them. In my eyes, I love that with a book, you can be in any position that you want. You don’t have to be making your body accommodate the thing that you’re looking at. Although you can with a Kindle, I’ve never read anything on a Kindle.

Image courtesy of Lynda Barry.

DW: How has your work been received by the Asian American community when it became popular and available through the public library? Were people excited?

LB: Well, not in my family. But that’s my family. But for instance, the first time I wrote about being Filipino was in “100 Demons” and that was on Salon originally -  it was a web comic. But since then, and that came out in 2002, I think – so it’s 10 years. Wherever I go, there’s always someone who comes up and a lot of times it’s a mixed person like me, a hapa, talking about how huge it was to just see someone speaking Tagalog in a comic strip. So that’s been gigantic. I’ve met more 1/4 Filipinos (I’m 1/4 Filipino) who look like me like you kinda look at their face, they look like they’re white but they’re not – something’s going on.

And whenever I tell people I’m part Filipino, then especially Filipinos, they’ll go (in Filipino accented English) – “I can see it a little bit in the earlobes, and hair. Oh, I can see it.”

So that’s been a really big deal and I know that’s been even in my own family – seeing a Filipino on TV, this was in the 60s, would just make everyone run to the television to see it.

The Asian community in general, we were relegated to Uncle Ben’s converted rice, not even Uncle Ben’s, it was some other rice thing- you know where they always play a gong -poor Uncle Ben, he’s not even Asian and he has to deal with converted rice – he’s converted. But you know that whole Asian thing where you only come on for one reason -so I think that’s been a big deal. And I think that’s a point of pride for me.  It is. It means a lot to me.

My grandma, her ability to read was kinda limited. I think she could read, but not very well though.  But she could speak English, Spanish, Tagalog and Bisayan . And she was a really really smart lady.

So that’s very interesting – three generations -  to go from reading and writing were not part of the daily life to that’s all I do now. But I have to say it wasn’t a big deal in my family and it still isn’t. They weren’t readers. They did other things. There wasn’t a whole lotta interest in school. Me going to school when I went to college that was just like why?

Which is really different from a lot of other Asian cultures. Filipinos are really interesting that way because other cultures, man, you had no choice. You’re going. And you’re going to study us worth paying for. So that part’s sorta interesting.

To read previous parts of this interview published in January 2013, please visit: http://www.apalaweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/APALANewsletter_Winter2012v31-2-1.pdf

For more about Lynda Barry’s work, visit:

Lynda Barry’s Tumblr -http://thenearsightedmonkey.tumblr.com

“The Unthinkable Mind” @ UW-Madison -http://theunthinkablemind2013.tumblr.com

Announcement of Upcoming Elections

Dear APALA members,

The 2013 APALA Executive Board election will open on Monday, March 18 at 12:01am PST.  The ballot will be open through Friday, April 12 at 11:59pm PST.

Online voting is open to dues-paying and lifetime APALA members who are members in good standing as of March 1.

The list of candidates is available at: Meet the 2013 APALA Election Candidates!

If you have any questions about the election, feel free to contact me or another member of the Nominating Committee.

Nominations Committee,

Sandy Wee, Chair
Michelle Baildon
Florante Ibanez

Meet the 2013 APALA Election Candidates!

Get to know the candidates for the 2013 APALA Elections from their candidacy statements (presented by office and in alphabetical order by last name).

Vice President / President Elect

EILEEN K. BOSCH

Eileen K. Bosch is a Sr. Assistant Librarian at California State University, Long Beach since 2007. Eileen is an active member of APALA (see below), ALA, REFORMA, and ACRL. Some of her accomplishments and activities are: ALA Council Member- at-Large (2011-14); co-authored the ALA Libraries & the Internet Toolkit (2012); ALA Diversity Research Grants Committee (2010-12); ALA Scholarship & Grant Committee (2010-12); Co-Chair Spectrum Leadership Institute (2009). She is a 2010 Emerging Leader, 2005 Spectrum Scholar, and 2004 IMLS New Librarians, New Leaders Scholar. She holds a MLIS from Kent SU and a M.Ed. from BGSU.Personal Statement

It’s with great honor that I accept my nomination to run for the position of VP/President Elect of APALA. I’ve been amazed by the level of dedication and the sense of belonging that APALA has offered to me as a mixed ethnic person. APALA is a place where different ideas, cultures, beliefs, and experiences are valued by peers in the most uplifting, encouraging, and supportive manner – everyone matters! As APALA continues to grow and reaches its 35th year, I believe it’s crucial to develop a sustainable plan to support the programs and activities that address the needs of our members and communities. I would like to continue to move APALA forward and focus on 4 objectives:

• Continue building on the foundation of past Presidents;
• Cultivate a fundraising ethos;
• Engage membership by seeking out new ideas and individual talent to seek solutions;
• Collaborate with other ethnic groups and ALA leaders to increase the visibility and growth of APALA.

If elected, I will bring energy, enthusiasm, persistence, and professional networks with ALA and other associations to increase the visibility of APALA as we focus on bringing people together and seeking new ideas to find solutions.

Past and Current APALA Involvement

Since joining APALA in 2010, I’ve worked on multiple committees; collaborated on multiple projects; shared and learned new ideas; supported the vision of past Presidents. Some of these activities include: Finance & Fundraising Committee Chair (2010/11 to date), Public Relations Committee (2011/12), Literary Award Adult Fiction Committee (2011/12), APALA representative at Spectrum Leadership Institute Options Fair (2011), Executive Board Member-at- Large (2010/12), and Liaison to the Mentoring Committee (2010/11) and JCLC/APALA Fundraising Basket (2011).

I was appointed Chair of Finance & Fundraising Committee/F&FC by the last 2 Presidents. With a talented and committed team, we established a solid fundraising plan for APALA. Some of our contributions are: designed an annual t-shirt contest to increase visibility, created an online store Café Press to benefit our scholarships and literacy programs, crafted sponsorship letters, initiated and developed close relationships with sponsors, built coalitions with other groups, engaged with membership via online surveys, partnered with other committees to build a web presence, and increased the number of sponsorships.