food for thought: it might be spring edition

Sleet is in the forecast here in Boston, but the tulips are breaking ground and this Saturday is our community garden orientation … so spring must be here! How do the rhythms of your library change as we move from winter into summer? Here at the MHS, we’re seeing a slow-down of academically-affiliated researchers as the final weeks of the semester pull people back to their campuses. In May and June, they will return at a trickle and gradually turn to a flood as summer research fellows and other travelers make their way through our doors. We are also gearing up to launch our electronic patron registration and request processing system, AEON, which goes live on May 21st. It’s been several years in development and we’re excited to finally be going live!

This week in the world of labor and libraries …

The first CFP for the Journal of Critical Library and Information Studies is out! Does it have your name on it?

What are the economic barriers to seeking mental health care? It’s not just affordable providers!

“There is, if you can believe it, a hierarchy of humanities Schadenfreude.”

Is there the little-studied sub genre: a hierarchy of historians?

“Haha, that guy thought you were the receptionist!” Did he? My, what a hilarious turn of events.

Elizabeth Warren (MA-D) has added student loan debt to the financial issues she’s rabble-rousing about.

She’s also making social security cool.

The bottom-up power of labor organizing.

There’s been a lot of comment around the Columbia School of Journalism’s audit of the Rolling Stone campus rape story. I particularly appreciated Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig’s analysis.

Fair Use Week apparently happened back in February. Know your creative rights & responsibilities!

What have you been reading and learning from this past week?

food for thought: not a prank edition

I’m pulling this list together on March 31, so you’re fool-proofed against, well, April Fool’s Day shenanigans (although not protected from my use of the word “shenanigans” which I try to circulate as liberally as possible). Instead, now that I’m back from my head cold, conferencing, and family-vacationing, here are the stories that have crossed my feeds in the past three weeks.

Last week, it was announced that the #teamharpy lawsuit has been settled out of court.

John Jackson documented a week in his life as an academic librarian.

A thoughtful reflection on the downside of call-out culture.

Is the best response to online bullying rigorous moderation and more online speech?

In early March, ProPublica and National Public Radio did a powerful series of reports on the gutting of workers’ compensation nationwide.

The impact of Boston’s winter on our most vulnerable workers made Al Jazeera America.

Invisible disabilities in the workplace (and in life).

Are high-powered female leaders in the business world putting feminist gains for the 99% at risk?

Race absolutely still matters when it comes to education leading to employment.

Check out the storify of Tweets about “The Politics of Inclusion: Equity and Inequity (and Intersectionality) in Digital Spaces” hosted by Temple University.

Is academic credit for an internship better or worse than strictly volunteer opportunities?

The people who put food on our table are being denied the social security payments they earned.

Thanks for nothin’ 21st century?

If the 21st century’s New Gilded Age has been so harsh for the majority, why has there been so little labor activism?

I ain’t dead yet! (see you in april)

A couple of you have (bless you) emailed to make sure I’m doing okay. I am! A couple of weeks ago I got socked with the nasty spring cold that’s been going around, which triggered a couple of migraines / bad sinus headaches, and for about ten days I didn’t have energy for much more than getting to work and home again (on days when I went to work). I’m feeling better now, but had the New England Archivists’ spring meeting this past weekend and now my parents are here so … long story short I am unexpectedly taking a three-week hiatus from the “food for thought” posts and emails. I’ll be back in the game next Wednesday (yes really, even though it will be April 1st!).

In the meantime, if you’re interested in archival backchannel chatter, check out the #maracnea15 hashtag on Twitter for conference discussion!

question time: personalizing work spaces

Workspace from my graduate student days, featuring bookshelves, a desk and computer, photographs, posters, and piles of paper. Photo by the Anna J. Clutterbuck-Cook, circa December 2009.

Last week, my wife was interviewed by an LIS student who asked for advice about professionalism at work. Afterwords, my wife tweeted:

I said in interview that you should ‘be yourself’ at work. I think the student thought I meant being out (had just mentioned @feministlib)–

— Mistress Crow (@CrowGirl42) July 24, 2014

–I meant fandom. 🙂 — Mistress Crow (@CrowGirl42) July 24, 2014

So my question this week for y’all is:

How do you personalize your workspace? Do you have a workspace to personalize? If you had to pick one item you leave at work as symbolic of the way you establish your territory (a picture, a coffee mug, a piece of clothing) what would that item be? What story does that item tell about you and your relationship to your job?

As always, answer in comments, via Twitter, or email!