Organizations

Virginia Library Association (VLA) and VLA Collections and Technical Services Forum

The CaTS forum discusses topics and exchanges ideas surrounding the areas of cataloging, technical services, and collection management. The group has forums, social events, and an email list for the purpose of educating and disseminating information about technologies useful in this area. This is an area of librarianship that sounds interesting to me, so for now I plan to include it.

ALA/SAA/AAM Committee on Archives, Libraries, and Museums (CALM) (Affiliated Group)

The Society of American Archivists, the American Alliance of Museums, and the American Library Association established this join committee to deal with matters of a common concern to all three groups. They work to develop and foster closer cooperation of their members, establish shared standards, and work to promote their shared interests. Archival work is a possibility in the DC area where I live, and there are aspects of the work that seem interesting to me.

Virginia Association of School Librarians

This group is the state’s local branch of the AASL. They host an annual conference, spring conferences, and have several committees and advocacy groups working to advance their mission. They have a community discussion forum as well as several forums and email lists for members. Their blog is updated frequently and contains a wealth of information for school librarians and aspiring school librarians like myself.

Journals and Periodicals

Archival Outlook

The magazine is published six times a year and also includes a digital edition. The SAA magazine focuses on spotlighting archivists on the job, how the public uses archives, as well as best practices and articles on timely topics and how-to pieces. If archival work is something I might like to pursue in the future, I figure this magazine might help me learn more about the career.

Library Journal 

Library Journal is not peer-reviewed but provides book reviews, interviews, and articles about and related to LIS professionals. The print edition is published 12 times a year, but they have an extensive online collection of content as well that features something for librarians of all types of libraries. The online site also contains blogs, podcasts, and message boards that are filled with a wealth of information about the field and those that work within it. There is almost too much to absorb, and their SLJ counterpart provides even more resources for school librarians.

Library of Congress Magazine

Library of Congress Magazine (LCM) is published bimonthly and shares the stories of the LOC. The magazine spotlights its many talented staff and shares and promotes the use its resources. The magazine is available digitally as a download or can be picked up in person at the LOC if you are not a subscriber. The LOC was an important library visit for me, and I found their magazine very interesting in making parts of their collection come to life. It is easy to pickup and quickly learn more about aspects and people of the LOC that I might be interested in learning more about in person during my next visit.

Blogs and Other Online Resources

Hack Library School

This online blog was started because of an article that appeared in In the Library With a Lead Pipe in 2010. The blog and its other online resources, including Twitter and Meta (Facebook,) focus on students working on their MLIS degrees and inspires them to take the future of the profession into their own hands. They organize information by topics and also include a “vault” that lets you search through their archives. As an MLIS student it seems to be filled with a wealth of information that might suit me for building background knowledge and staying up-to-date on a variety of topics.

In the Library With a Lead Pipe

In our introductory MLIS course we read at least one article from this open access, online peer reviewed journal, and it struck a chord with me because of its honesty and its directness. Because it is open access, it is free, which makes it a no-brainer for reading articles from a diverse group of writers and researchers on a variety of topics and in a variety of formats including original research, testimonials, and commentaries.

Washington, DC Public Library News Releases

Living near Washington, DC and having grown up in and around the city, I spend a fair amount of time admiring and using the libraries and resources of the DC Public Library system. While I certainly make use of and adore my local library’s online Newsletter, the DC library system awes me with its resources and facilities as they continually expand and improve their impressive physical library spaces. The newsletter highlights some of their events and happenings, and their online Twitter account is filled with daily tidbits, contests, and highlights that are informative and entertaining.