Tuesday, January 31, 2012

2012 Articles Read Annotated Bibliography

Collins, Maria.  "Serials Literature Review, 2008-9."  Library Resources & Technical Services 55, no.2 (2010): 60-80.

This article reviews the state of serials literature during the two year period of 2008 and 2009.  The author identifies six main areas of emphasis found in publications from the period and deals with each of these themes in turn.

My purpose in reviewing the article was twofold.  First, I am interested in periodicals and especially the transition from print to electronic versions but the second, more direct reason was to examine the methodology used by the author in performing such an extensive literature review.

Collins began by looking at those sources used in previous serials literature reviews and at core serials titles.  She next reviewed the contents of these journals and identified the themes she wished to cover in more detail. Once she had these themes she expanded her collection of articles, monographs, and reports through examination of the citations in the previously located articles and searches for on the theme topics in LISTA and Library Literature.

Quick Review of Samantha Hines' Productivity for Librarians: How to Get More Done in Less Time


Productivity for Librarians: How to Get More Done in Less Time. By Samantha Hines.  Oxford: Chandos Publishing, 2010.  158p. (ISBN 978-1-84334-567-1).  

Samantha Hines, a librarian at the University of Montana-Missoula, delivers in this small volume the tools for a busy librarian to begin organizing their work life.  In this book she surveys a number of popular productivity/organizational strategies and helps the reader decide which system, or which parts of which systems, would be most effective in their own work life.  Perhaps one of the better qualities of this book is that rather than dogmatically push a "one size fits all" approach to productivity she begins by asking the reader to define for themselves what they see as their vision of a productive work life.  This theme of asking the reader to consider their own goals, needs, and work habits runs throughout the book and make it far more useful to a wider variety of readers.

In working through the book, a better description of the experience you will have than to simply say "reading" it, the reader will learn how to set better goals and to identify commitments and habits that are limiting their productivity.  Many organizational and planning tools are presented, most of them common to the productivity literature.  Few librarians have not previously encountered SMART goals, To Do Lists, the concept of information overload, or goal setting exercises.  The added value in this book is the thoughtful way they are discussed and reconsidered in light of the duties of librarians.

Hines' provides an extensive survey of the various systems that are currently popular with business professionals such as Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Effective People, David Allen's Getting Things Done and Timothy Ferriss' Four-Hour Workweek system.  Her short summations of the approach that these systems employ, along with a simple quiz she provides, should allow the reader to pick a system or two to look into further though the basic organizational skills she provides will suffice for some.  Finally, she provides a list of further resources to explore for those who are so inspired.  If like myself, you began the year hoping to finally get more organized at work, I highly recommend this book.      

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

2012 Books Read - A Work in Progress

Given that my reading hovers around 50 books each year I am going to make that number my goal for the coming year with sub goals of 12 professional (LIS/Education/Productivity), 12 general non-fiction, and 24 novels during the year.
1. Mentoring in the Library: Building for the Future by Marta K. Lee (Prof. 1 of 12)
2. Productivity for Librarians: How to get more done in less time by Samantha Hines (Prof. 2 of 12)
3. Crucible of Fire by Naomi Novik (Novel 1 of 24)
4. Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (Novel 2 of 24)
5. How to Get Things Done: Lessons in Living to your Maximum Productivity Potential by Steve Pavlina and Tim Johnson (Prof. 3 of 12)
6. Berserker by Fred Saberhagen (Novel 3 of 24)
7. Reamde by Neal Stephenson (Novel 4 of 24)
8. Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku (Gen. 1 of 12)
9. 1636: The Kremlin Games by Eric Flint (Novel 5 of 24)
10. Space Chonicles by Neal deGrasse Tyson (Gen. 2 of 12)
11. Monster Hunter International by Larry Correlia (Novel 6 of 24)
12. DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education by Anya Kamenetz (Prof. 4 of 12)
13. Green Lantern: War of the Green Lanterns
14. Pirate Cinema by CoryDoctorow
15. Everyone Plays at the Library by Scott Nicholson
16. On Basilisk Station by David Weber
17. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
18. Star man Jones by Robert Heinlein
19. Secret Warriors: Nick Fury Agent of Nothing
20. Secret Warriors: Gid if Fear, Gid of War
21. Secret Warriors: Wake the Beast.
22. Batgirl: Death Wish