All Happy Librarians

Why Blogger?

Full transparency: there is no reason why I chose Blogger from the array of blogging sites listed in our resource guide. It was completely random. However, I decided to say "Thundercats are a go!" with Blogger because the interface seemed easy enough to navigate. It was also a plus that I didn't have to create a username and password, confirm my email, and yada yada like you have to with many sites. Sometimes my favorite words to read are "sign up with Google account". I think that's reflective of exactly why creating an organized blog is key. Humans are busy creatures. We can get overwhelmed easily by choices and directions. Sometimes it's great to dive into the deep end, immerse yourself into the wonderful complexities of advanced technology. But sometimes it's best to get your floaties on and wade into that shallow end. 

PLN & The Future

Okay, so apart from feeling like the main character of a Nora Ephron film, there are many great reasons to start and maintain a blog as a librarian. But I think the most important thing is the promise of connection. Creating a blog is a fantastic way to connect with other librarians and share resources. I spend a lot of my time at work creating displays. So I'm constantly sifting through sites that can help me generate or brainstorm ideas. Which means that creating a blog will give me a great place to compile and share the work that I've done as well. 

Here's my favorite display I've done:

Additionally, blogs serve as a resource that allows you to see colleagues' firsthand reflections and ideas. As it turns out, misinformation is only funny on an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. The struggle to combat AI and people stealing others' IP is ever ongoing in this day and age. Blogs are a clear-cut way to establish yourself as the rightful and credible owner of your thoughts and ideas. For example, when I'm looking for specific recommendations to add to book lists, I always try to avoid the AI-curated ones. I would much rather read a real librarian's thoughts about, say, whether a romance book is appropriate for a certain age group. 

That being said, just because AI gets scarier and scarier the more we learn about it (and the more times my mom shows me a Facebook reel of something that is clearly AI that she swears is real) there are some amazing technologies out there. Growing as a librarian means getting to know these resources, learning how effective they are, and how to integrate them into programs. 

Thanks for stopping by! Thundercats are go!