Is tenure academic?
I really wanted to make the switch to an academic library where the librarians had faculty status, because I'm on a career path that includes publishing and presenting, and I wanted some credit for...
View ArticleSpring cleaning your LibGuides
I'm in the process of revamping my library's LibGuides, and I've come across a few small changes you can make to your guides that make a world a difference for design and usability. First of all, as...
View Articlethe anatomy of a crash, part 1
In accordance with Finagle's corollary to Murphy's Law, the website broke the day our sysadmin went on a 2 week vacation on another continent. What's most surprising about this is how little it...
View Articleanatomy of a crash, part deux
So say your site gets hacked, and you try fixing the index and config files, as I mentioned in the last post. And you try checking the server logs to see what files were messed with so you can replace...
View ArticleHacking Google Forms
A few months back I pitched the idea of using Google forms for all the forms on the new website. Our current forms were created through a Joomla-specific add-on, and I'm not proficient enough in PHP or...
View Articlethis is not a work-related post
It's pretty obvious from my last few weeks of posts that I'm currently binge-watching and obsessed with the show Supernatural. A couple of people mentioned to me that it inspired them to watch/rewatch...
View ArticleZen and the art of the conference proposal
(This post originally appeared on Letters to a Young Librarian, and was edited by Jessica Olin.)Your first year as tenure-track faculty is an odd one. You’re not expected to publish right away, but...
View ArticleCUNY IT Conference - Building Academic Websites (in the Real World)
I'm presenting tomorrow at the 2013 CUNY IT Conference, where Brian Farr (our Systems Manager) and I will be talking about the process of developing our new library website. If you'll be at the...
View ArticleVal's best books: 2013 edition
I decided I was going to keep track of my reading this year. Despite starting off strong, averaging 4/5 books a month, I ended up only finishing 26 books (including the one I'm reading now, which I...
View Articlein defense of the crazy cat lady
lately, when someone asks me how many cats i have, i've taken to holding up 4 fingers, like saying the number out loud is some sort of admission of guilt. and if i'm lucky, instead of outright...
View Article#ProjectTiara
i like tiaras. they are sparkly. and i feel special when i'm wearing one. when i was in high school, i was a runner-up for homecoming queen, and instead of all the runners-up (runner-ups?) getting...
View ArticleNew Directions in Information Fluency Conference
I'll be presenting on 4/5/14 at the New Directions in Information Fluency conference at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. If you'll be attending, please consider attending my talk on...
View Articlewant to contribute to #ProjectTiara?
it's probably not tax deductible, but it should be...
View ArticleGoogle Drive for Libraries @ SLA-NY
I'll be speaking at the 2014 SLA NY Conference & Expo (9:15, Social Media track) on Thursday, 9/18/14, at Baruch's Vertical Campus in Manhattan, on the topic of Google Drive for libraries and...
View ArticleEDUCAUSE 2014
Brian Farr and I will be discussing our library website rebuild and the ins and outs of successfully using Wordpress as a CMS at this year's EDUCAUSE conference in Orlando, Florida. We'll be presenting...
View ArticleBracelets for Bewbs part Deux
It's bracelets for breasts part 2! For a $10 donation, I'll send you a fully hypoallergenic stainless steel bracelet (like one of the ones in the pic below), and 100% of the money goes to help my BFF...
View Articleas usual, i have a lot to say about a thing...
I feel like the library world needs its own rally to restore sanity right now. There are some loud voices on extreme ends of certain issues, but I think the majority of us fall somewhere in the middle,...
View ArticleGoogle Drive: Going Beyond Docs and Sheets
Tomorrow I'll be speaking at the 2015 Long Island Library Conference, in Melville, NY. Here's they abstract for my talk, which is at 3pm in Salons 1, 2, & 3 (upstairs):Google Drive is a free and...
View Articleankle injuries and horror movies
so yesterday i was laid up with a strained peroneus brevis muscle which apparently is from walking too much on uneven surfaces in crappy shoes with not enough support. i asked twitter for suggestions...
View ArticleLearned Extroversion: an Anxiety-Sufferer's Guide to Professional Development
This post has been brewing for a long time, and continues my long-standing tradition of posting about conference talks (basically just a place for people to find my slides) and personal stuff and...
View Articleon appreciation aka i'm about to get real gross and sappy and i'm not sorry
if you're friends with me on twitter or facebook, you probably know about the drama my family had this weekend with a gas leak in our building, getting evacuated for 2 1/2 hours in the cold, and then...
View ArticleNJLA 2016 Conference Talks
Beyond the CE: Cultivating Your Personal Learning NetworkWe live in a constantly changing world, and this does not stop at the library doors. There are more continuing education opportunities than ever...
View Article#ShePersisted
I made myself a "Nevertheless, She Persisted" bracelet last night, and a few people expressed interest in having one of their very own. I'm happy to make and send them to you at cost, which is about $5...
View ArticleACRL-NY UX Meeting
On Friday, April 7th, I gave a talk on mobile usability at an ACRL-NY UX Discussion Group meeting. A lively discussion followed about responsive design vs. mobile sites vs. apps. Stefanie Havelka of...
View Articleone time i was mentioned it a book and it was cool and now it can be you...
hello friends! as you may already know, Tinamarie Vella and I are working on a book (a primer, really) to help archives, libraries, and museums use Twitter more effectively. i know, i know, OH GOD...
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