Each week I find myself noting a resource, article, discussion topic has positively  impacted me as a Librarian. I enjoy reading through the discussions, seeing the differing perspectives/ experiences, as well as learning from my peers through these experiences. 

One of my biggest takeaways has been the importance of making connections but by doing so in a series of small steps that will lead to larger strides! Another aha has been inspecting  what it means to be a leader, and the varying scopes of what leadership opportunities look like. Another aha was the significance of conducting an environmental scan. I have been at this school for two years yet learned so much about the outside and school community by conducting one and assessing the needs they have.

There are undeniably many other aspects of librarianship, such as curriculum and curation, but there has to be a starting point, and for me I think relationships are the key to building an informed, reading community.

The LMNET list of ideas for student volunteer tasks and our class discussion on library volunteers really opened my eyes this week.  There are so many creative ways to help students explore their passions while contributing to the library.  Volunteer clubs allow librarians to work with students directly, without having to rely on teachers’ willingness to collaborate.  Volunteers can be great ambassadors and advocates for the library as well.

2. MackinVIA is a fantastic free option for managing and curating digital resources from the open web and the library’s catalog.
MackinVIA has been a revelation for me.  Ever since building LibGuides for 530 and 515, I had wondered how to seamlessly include subscription database resources in my digital curation efforts.  I was glad to learn about Destiny Collections in 525, but knew that would only be helpful if I worked in a library that used Follett Destiny.  MackinVIA is free, untethered to any LMS, and can be used in public libraries as well as schools.  While I haven’t gotten the Deep Discovery Search to work yet (for conducting keyword searches in all databases at once), I have been able to add content from subscription databases to Groups and access it seamlessly thanks to MackinVIA’s single sign-on.

3. It is important to cultivate influence based on a clear understanding of your organization’s formal and informal power structures.

I was surprised at first to find discussions of power and influence in this class.  But in my field experience, I’ve seen how important these things are.  My FE librarian is an expert in this arena. She builds influence in many ways, such as plying teachers with food and free books; serving as an NJASL board member; and creating good publicity for the school and district whenever possible.  She uses her influence to negotiate great deals and funding for the library. 

I learned yesterday how crucial it is to understand and operate within existing power structures--I unwittingly went over Ewa's head in communicating with administrators, and got nicely but firmly schooled.   I am glad to be thinking about these issues now, as I have never worked in a large bureaucratic institution before, and I’m sure there will be similarly hierarchical ways of doing things within the county public library system.

Edited to Add: Man, I'm feeling a little sheepish after reading all of your beautiful and profound reflections.  I was just trying to identify a few specific AHAs, but I also want to say how much I have appreciated this learning community.  It is such a privilege to study with all of you--your insights, feedback, and stories have enriched my learning this semester immeasurably.   Thank you!