A Niche for Everything

"It is now possible to offer a massively expanded variety of products. Simply offering more variety, however, does not shift demand by itself. Consumers must be given ways to find niches that suit their particular needs and interests" (The Long Tail--p. 53).

I believe in supporting local business and the community around me. As I read The Long Tail I couldn't help but think of my own purchasing trends, as an individual and as a librarian. I began to realize that while my personal beliefs point me to local independent stores--there is a reason I keep buying online and through larger retailers. It kind of makes me sad, but I am understanding some of why I buy the way I do--and perhaps what I can do about my purchasing trends.

This massive explosion of the internet abounds. Even when I want to purchase local--it is difficult when finding the niche online is so much easier and convenient. I can purchase a suit for my three year old at 10pm, and have it arrive 3 days later. After multiple trips to local businesses and the mall--with no success, Kid's Formal had all that I needed with a click of my mouse and my credit card number.

On another note, I am not a huge music purchaser--but Apple has my credit card number already, and if I hear a song and I want it, they have found a way for my need to be met quickly. For me to drive to a store to purchase music would probably never happen--but for me to click buy on my phone is easy. Apple has met my needs in a way that would make a purchase happen when otherwise it would not.

As a librarian, I thought about my book buying for my school library. While I have high intentions of shopping at small local stores--it is much easier for me to do otherwise. I purchase most of my materials from Mackin (a local book jobber). I make these selections online. They offer a niche that bookstores cannot. My books come bar coded and library ready. They even have MARC records sent with each book if I desire to use them in my catalog. Mackin fits a niche that other stores cannot. They have reviews for the books I want to purchase and more information than I need. If I have trouble, their customer service is phenomenal. Their prices are also great. It is difficult for me to have similar feelings about smaller stores when I don't get the same services--and it costs more.

There are times when I do purchase in person. As a consumer the has the ability to spend thousands of dollars on books, I expect a certain kind of service. I might not be the biggest buyer that a store has--but I want to be helped and treated well. My local Barnes and Nobel makes it really hard for me to shop around. I know they are BIG business--and yet, they make me feel like it is my neighborhood store. They are trying hard to get that feel. Their children's book workers know me, and they send me free author visits. They upped my district discount to 25% off--and give me freebies to hang in my library. When my school need book donations--they always step up to the plate. I would imagine it is difficult for a small business to match this kind of service and have the same selection.

This idea of the long tail has had me thinking and brewing as the week has progressed. An aha for this week surround the advance of so much selection and the small niches to be filled. I was especially fascinated with the ideas of common experiences experienced by a group of people. We can no longer expect everyone to have watched last nights "Cosby Show."

This morning I was discussing The Long Tail with the Social Committee at my School-as we were discussing the need to have common events that we could all relate to as a staff(such as attending a movie together--or a Twins game). My colleagues right away could grasp onto the idea of no more "shared water cooler events." Someone even mentioned that we had been trying to discuss a show two of us watched, and our conversation was stopped by those that had DVRed it, and had yet to watch it. Everyone wanted to know what the solution was. Hoping to find one soon.

 "A professional often becomes a gatekeeper, by providing a necessary or desirable social function but also by controlling that function ... Professional self-conception and self-defense, so valuable in ordinary times, become a disadvantage in revolutionary ones, because professionals are always concerned with threats to the profession" (Clay Shirky--Here Comes Everybody).

Shirky hit home with this one. Do we as librarians feel a threat to our profession. I sure do. As a school librarian, I feel like I am constantly explaining my job to people. Even the people I work and teach with. Sometimes even the people that employ me. Always justifying my presence in a school that is short staffed. 

Yes, I do more than read books to kids. Yes, I can work with technology. No technology is not all I do. Yes, it is important to have a licensed media specialist in our schools....

Could a lot of people do my job? Yes. Do a lot of people have the training to do all parts of my job--no. School libraries run by library assistants don't have collections that go with grade level outcomes and curriculum. Assistants frequently aren't reading professional journals to know the latest on children's literature--and if it is appropriate for our patrons. Assistants are not finding a book for every reader, and they most certainly have not been trained on censorship and weeding. Collections in many schools are falling by the wayside, because there is no gatekeeper to watch over what is being pulled, what materials are allowed to be purchased.  Don't like gays--pull the books. Don't want to deal with parents on books about sexuality--don't buy it. Collection development alone is reason enough for me to think that school libraries need a librarian. And don't even get me started on what kids are allowed to read--and the comments I hear  from assistants that think they are helping students-- but are really making reading choices for kids that they are not trained to do. 

Let me justify myself some more, and let people know that as a school media specialist, I teach students library skills, reading skill, and technology skills essential to their learning. I collaborate with teachers to help students learn information seeking skills that are embedded into their curriculum outcomes. I help teachers think of tools that let students use web 2.0 tools or other technology tools to create projects to show their learning. I manage our library, and teach students the 21st century skills that will help them be life long learners. I am a librarian--and I am a professional.

Could anyone do my job--sure. Do they need a degree and/or education to do it--I firmly believe they do. Am I concerned with threats to my profession--yes I am--but not because I think others can do the job as well as school librarians can--it's because I fear schools are being faced with tough decisions right now...and often times they are choosing non professionals to do the work of those that are highly trained.

On another note--thinking about my aha moment of the week. 

For me, while reading Shirky, I was surprised and yet disappointed with the use of social networking tools to organize a group. It seems so simple in the book--and yet--with the upcoming Constitutional Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution I am surprised with how many people still don't know of the damages that are facing the rights of the people in our state (can you tell where I stand??). I follow some of these groups on Facebook, and many people I know have similar feelings as myself. Yet, I have yet to see those that are uninformed being reached. I started to think--that the people of our state need to start SHARING the information more freely, because it has not yet reached social networking capacity. The text talked about emailing others and sharing to groups. I think there is still a lot to be learned about social networking/web 2.0 and politics/social justice. I am excited to see where we move.


*Photo taken from Creative Commons-- National Archive
*Vote No--taken from MN United For All Families

Web 2.0 Optimist

Hmmmm. Am I a Library 2.0 optimist or pessimist? I think I can easily answer that I am an optimist. After watching William Powers, I was even more persuaded that web 2.0 and Library 2.0 is necessary and a wonderful way of communicating. I loved what Powers had to say about the conundrums of new technologies not being anything new--and that people had been through this before with other types of technologies. His message of finding a balance was what I really took away from this week. Michael Stephens asks librarians to "evolve, let go of control, and be visible." He was a great proponent of how libraries are using web 2.0 tools to do these things. I would agree with him that for libraries to stay present we as a group need to meet our customers where they are at--which is partially on the interactive web. When libraries became hyperlinked patrons let librarians know that there needed to be a balance (cell phones in some places--quiet in others). Libraries need web 2.0, but we also need the book, and the conversations.

We need to find a balance in our workplace just as we do in our personal lives as Powers discssed. Library 2.0 needs to be staffed by real people that can "do it all," and meet our users where they are at.

This past couple of weeks has been incredibly busy for me with the start of the school year and grad class. I have found myself on my phone or laptop after my children are in bed, or making movies to upload to You Tube to show my students while my own kids were out at the Farmer's Market. In a sense I have been disconnected from my life. I could blame my busy schedule--or I can start to take responsibility in be need to be connected.

What I saw after supper at my house tonight.

I need to ask myself if I am present in my family life--probably not so much. In fact...I feel a bit of guilt as I sit here and blog while my husband talks to the kids and prepares dinner. Am I ready to declare some unconnected time for me and my family? I think so. As I listened to William  Powers, I really reflected on my connectedness to the world. I thought about a recent article I read in the Huffington Post, What You Don't See in My Instagram Photos (which If I'm totally honest with you I read on my phone found from a link on a high school classmates Facebook Wall). I have a desire to be connected to my friends and family. Sometimes my desire in connecting is make myself notice that my life is good, and in noticing I want to remember. And yet, and yet...maybe I'm missing something. God forbid it is my children growing up, or my relationship with my husband. So I will work on disconnecting, and being present around my kids. I'm going to talk it over with my husband. I'll keep you posted on how it is going. I'm nervous--but excited to reconnect with my whole self and my family.

Anna Zbacnik--Blog post 1

me
Welcome to a to z learning. My name is Anna Zbacnik. I am particularly fond of alphabets, as my initials are both the beginning and end of the alphabet. I am a wife and mother of two (Frankie--age 5, Oliver--age 3). I have been in the grad program at St. Kate's for what feels like an eternity. I have had a baby, worked full time, and switched jobs while in school--I literally feel like I can do anything if I set my mind to it.

I am also a school librarian in Roseville, Minnesota--at Brimhall Elementary School. I regularly blog at my school library blog a to z library. Before I was a media specialist, I taught both fifth and 2nd grades. I have been teaching since 2001. I consider myself to be both a teacher, and a librarian. I love being a librarian--I think I have the best job in the world. I get to work with kids, work with books, technology, and information. Really I am a pretty lucky person!

web 2.0
I would love to gain more web 2.0 tools that I can use with both students and staff. I teach grades pre-K - 6th each day, and work with over 700 students. With such a large school, it is essential that I am using computer times to the best ability. When my students are using web 2.0 tools, I want it to be meaningful and useful to their learning. I want my teachers to feel that web 2.0 tools benefit their teaching and the learning of their students. My fellow media specialists in my district are working to create online tutorials to many web 2.0 tools. I am excited to learn of new tools I can share with my staff.

Web 2.0 tools are exciting. I use many regularly.  Follow me on Twitter at @a_to_z_library. I mainly use twitter for professional use only. I use Facebook for personal use. I also blog as mentioned above (I have a book club blog as well!). Tools like Pinterest and diigo are great professional and personal web 2.0 tools.

I use web 2.0 tools to teach my students (glogster, Flipsnack, animoto, dropbox, storybird, google apps...). I have typically used tools where I do not need to know coding language--so I don't really know it--although I can copy and paste it into my website and blog to embed something.

I am very excited for this class and what I can learn.