A few of my (highly recommended) favorites are listed below…

Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to pass the time while driving to work.

1. EDUCAUSE
2. T is for Training
3. Adventures in Library Instruction
4. NPR Technology

Blogs
I follow many, but here are a few of my favorites:

Library Blogs

1. ACRLog
2. Agnostic, Maybe
3. Attempting Elegance
4. HackLibSchool
5. In the Library with the Lead Pipe
6. Information Wants to be Free
7. Info-mational
8. Librarian by Day
9. Librarian In Black
10. Musings about Librarianship
11. Resource Shelf
12. Swiss Army Librarian
13. Tame the Web
14. The Unquiet Library
15. Virtual Dave…Real Blog

Education Blogs

1. EDUCAUSE 7 Things You Should Know
2. Inside Higher Ed
3. The Student Affairs Collaborative
4. Pew Research
5. ProfHacker
6. Chronicle of Higher Education

Tech Blogs

1. Digital Inspiration
2. Digitzd
3. Mashable
4. ReadWriteWeb
5. Six Revisions
6. TechCrunch

Webinars
Webinars (especially free ones, of course) are a great way to actively participate and learn from other professionals.

1. WebJunction (archived webinars are free)
2. Marianne Lenox’s Google Reader Bundle
3. Library Webinars Blog

A few other favorite websites:

1. TED Talks
2. MIT Open Courseware
3. Open Courseware Consortium Courses

In addition to the above, I follow a few Listservs and many Twitter feeds and lists. Subscription-based periodicals are great, as well as open access library and information journals, but the above links provide information daily.

It is saved in dropbox (public link here) for all to enjoy, in case folks want to use it for research.

Save Libraries is a grassroots effort to compile information about libraries in need of our support. Save Libraries will aggregate information about current advocacy efforts, archive advocacy efforts, and provide links to resources for libraries facing cuts.

On her blog, Lori Reed explains further:

Our mission is to help raise awareness of the funding crisis libraries are facing. We will serve as an aggregator of news about library budget cuts, closings, and reductions, and compile links to “Save Library” campaigns.

Our slogan is, “When one library is in trouble, ALL libraries are in trouble.” There is a trend happening in this country and it’s one as a society that we should be appalled at. Our libraries represent the freedom and democracy that our country was founded on. Can you think of another place where all are welcome? No matter what your color, religion, or economic status the library is there with open doors.

The current reality is that many public libraries and library systems are facing dismal funding situations that are leading to drastic cuts in hours, staff, programs and services. SaveLibraries.org is a grassroots campaign to inform, educate and advocate for libraries. Well done and thank you to Lori Reed and Heather Braum for their efforts in creating this important site.

With the ever-increasing numbers of libraries using sites such as Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, Delicious, etc, Aaron was curious about how many libraries are using lifestreaming services to aggregate all accounts making up their on-line presence. He did a small survey of libraries and FriendFeed and discovered what types of web 2.0 technologies that libraries are using and which technologies were the most popular amongst libraries.

He has a disclaimer that the information he found is not representative what all libraries are doing with social media; rather, it shows what libraries with FriendFeed accounts are doing. Nonetheless, I find it fascinating.

The post is a great read, providing lots of background information about libraries and social media. Aaron also uploaded his data to a Googledocs to share. Check it out!

That’s exactly correct – anyone can access certain collections from these libraries – no affiliation needed! The 100 libraries fit within the following categories of interest:

- Digital Libraries
- International Digital Libraries
- Texts
- Medical Libraries
- Legal Libraries
- National Libraries of Europe
- Religious Studies
- Specialized Selections
- Academic Research
- American Universities
- International Universities

I have received quite a few comments from folks around the globe (which has been really GREAT, by the way!) Instead of incorporating them into the long, long list of Twittering Libraries, I decided to keep that list as U.S. only, for organizational sake. Hence below is a growing list of International Twittering Libraries.

If you have any recommendations and/or would like your library to be added to this list, please contact me. I’d love to hear from you!

• ACT Public Library & Heritage Library (Canberra, Australia)
• Adelaide City Library (Adelaide, Australia)
  
• Alexandrina Library (Australia)
• Biblioteca AGS (Aguascalientes, México)
• Biblioteca Francisco Xavier Clavigero (Mexico City, Mexico)
• Bibliotheque Brossar (Brossard, Québec, Canada)
• Bibliothèques de MTL (Montréal, Canada)
  
• Bibliothèque du Collège François-Xavier-Garneau (Québec,Canada)
• Bibliothèque Toulous (France)
• Bibliothèque_UGB (Saint-Louis, Senegal)
• Birkbeck Library (Bloomsbury, London, UK)
• Bracebridge Public Library (Ontario, Canada)
• Bradford Libraries (Bradford, UK)
• British Library – Americas Collection (St Pancras, London, England)
• British Library – Business & IP Centre (London, England)
• British Library (London, England)
• Burnside Library (Australia)
• Canterbury Libraries (Canterbury, UK)
• Cambridge University Library (UK)
• Central Hawke’s Bay District Libraries (New Zealand)
• Central Library, Regent Circus (Swindon, Wiltshire, UK)
  
• Cheam Library (Cheam, Surrey)
• Deakin University Library (Australia)
• Delft University of Technology (Delft, Netherlands)
• De Montfort University Library (Leicester, England)
• Dixie Grammar School (Market Bosworth, UK)
• Dublin Business School Library (Dublin, Ireland)
• Dunedin Public Libraries (New Zealand)
• Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Public Library (Dublin, Ireland)
• Dungannon Library (Ireland)
• Durham University Library (Durham/Stockton-on-Tees, UK)
• Edinburgh City Libraries (Edinburg, Scotland)
  
• Edmonton Public Library (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
• Feminist Library (London, England, UK)
• Fleetwood Libraries (Lancashire, UK)
• Greater Victoria Public Library (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)
• Guille-Allès Library (Guernsey, England, UK)
• Hague Public Library (Amsterdam)
  
• Idea Store (England)
• Imperial College Science Library (London, England)
• International Labour Organization (Switzerland)
• International Library of New Zealand
• Fleetwood Library (Lancashire, UK)
• Flinders University (Australia)
• Grey Lynn Library (Auckland, New Zealand)
• Hastings District Libraries (Sunny Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand)
• Haringey Librares (London Borough of Haringey, UK)
• High Country Library (Wangaratta, Northeast Victoria, Canada)
  
• International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics Library (Lund, Sweden)
  
• Joe Fortes Library (Vancouver, Canada)
• John Rylands University Library (Manchester, England, UK)
• Kapiti Libraries (Kapiti Coast, New Zealand)
• Kingston Frontenac Public Library (Ontario, Canada)
• Lancashire Libraries (Lancashire, England)
  
• Leeds Libraries (Leeds, UK)
• Leicestershire Libraries (UK)
  
• Manukau Libraries (Manukau, New Zealand)
• McGill University Library (Montreal, Canada)
• McMaster University (Canada)
• Medicine Hat Public Library (Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada)
• Metropolitan University Leeds Met Library (UK)
• Milton Keynes Library (Milton Keynes, UK)
• Mt. Barker Library (Australia)
• Mt. Gambier Library (Mt. Gambier, South Australia)
• National Library of Australia
• National Library of New Zealand
• Newcastle University, UK arts and humanities liaison team
• Newcastle University Library & Info Science, Agriculture & Engineering team
• Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet
• Open University Library, Milton Keyens (UK)
• Pelham Library (Ontario, Canada)
• Plymouth Libraries (UK)
• Red Deer Public Library (Alberta, Canada)
• Rodney Libraries (New Zealand)
• St. John’s Nottingham Library (UK)
• Scottish Poetry Library (Edinburgh, Scotland)
• Sheffield Libraries
• Smethwick Library (Sandwell, UK)
• Sprowston Library (Norwich, England)
• State Library of Queensland (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia)
• State Library of South Australia
• State Library of Western Australia
• Stirling Libraries (Scotland)
• Streaky Bay Library (Streaky Bay, Australia)
• Stockton Libraries (Stockton-on-Tees)
• Sutton Mobile Library (Sutton, Surrey, UK)
  
• Surrey Libraries (Surrey, UK)
  
• Tararua District Libraries (New Zealand)
  
• The Itinerant Poetry Library (traveling the world–”anywhere I can get to”)
• Toronto Public LIbrary (Toronto, Canada)
• Townsville Library (Townsville, Australia)
• Universidad de A Coruña Biblioteca de Caminos (A Coruña, Spain)
• Universiti Brunei Darussalam Digital Library (Brunei)
• University College of Dublin (Dublin, Ireland)
• University College London Science Library
• University of Glamorgan (Wales, UK)
• University of Lethbridge Library (Alberta, Canada)
• University of Liverpool Library (Liverpool, UK)
  
• University of London Birkbeck Library (UK)
• University of London Goldsmiths Library (UK)
• Universtities at Medway Drill Hall Library (UK)
• University of Notre Dame (London, UK)
• University of Otago Library (Dunedin, New Zealand)
  
• University of Oxford Bodleian Law Library (UK)
• University of Portsmouth Library (UK)
• University of  Stavanger (Stavanger, Norway)
• University of Sussex (Falmer, East Sussex, UK)
• University Technology of Syndey (Syndey, Australia)
• University of the West Indies (Mona, Jamaica)
• University of Wolverhampton Librarians (West Midlands, England)
• Victor Harbor Public Library (Victor Harbor, South Australia)
• Vienna University Library (Austria)
• Warwick University Library (Warwick, Coventry, UK)
• Wellcome Library (London, England, UK)
• Wellington City Libraries (New Zealand)
• West D’tonshire Libraries (Dunbartonshire, Scotland)
• Westminister Library (Central London, UK)
• Whitburn Library (Whitburn, West Lothian)
• Whitby Public Library (Whitby, Ontario, Canada)
• Yale College Bersham Road LRC (Wrexham, Wales, UK)
• Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) – supporting reading in public libraries
• Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) – local and family history
• Zayed University Library (United Arab Emerates)

King was recently part of their conversation series, which also includes other big-time library peeps  such as Michael Stephens, Helene Bowers, Stephen Abram, and ACPL’s director Jeff Kruhl (part 1, part 2). I love this conversation series because it allows lil’ folks like myself the opportunity to hear these great speakers talk about their experiences. I am a big believer in learning from others’ experiences, and these videos offer a brief opportunity to do that.

Beyond their conversation series, the ACPL reaches out to their constituents via other videos. These videos provide opportunities for connection and transparency with their community.

A few examples of other short videos offered by the ACPL:

• The state of the library – good to know in these tough economic times, especially with all the news and rumors about library closings, budget slashing, etc. In this video, the director addresses recent changes the library is facing due to a local property tax increase that has gone into effect.

• Why I love being a librarian – what a great way for the ACPL community to connect to their librarians by seeing why their librarians love their job!

• Geek Out – is a new series from ACPL of monthly training videos offered to ACPL staff. Its focus is technology in libraries.

• What’s Happening at the ACPL – weekly videos about what’s going on in the library (example is for March 16).

As someone who is working on her MLIS, I am always interested in reading about the future of the profession, no matter how wonderful – or bleak – some may predict it to be. It’s important to critically analyze where the profession is, where it’s going, and where it can go.

Three posts – and the comments generated by them – have my head spinning (in a good way):

First, Karin Dalziel (Nirak.net – the Musings of a LIS student): Why every library science student should learn programming

Then Matt Hamilton (Brewin’ Librarian): What I’m Finding as an Information Professional

And a response by Bobbi Newman (Librarian by Day) with her post, What’s the Matter with our Profession?

I don’t claim to have answers – I’m only a rookie in the world of librarianship – but it is clearly obvious that librarianship/libraries/librarians are changing as information changes and the way people want/need information. As for the solution, well, what’s the right thing to do today may likely be out of date tomorrow, but it is good we’re discussing this… Either way, the profession needs people who can adapt and are willing to adjust to professional, societal, and economic changes (just to name a few variables). I don’t think this is just a librarianship issue, however; I believe, actually, that any profession needs adaptable professionals or problems with relevancy will exist (and persist!) For example, in my day job as an academic adviser on a college campus, the very field of advising — which is about sharing information and educating students regarding university policies, academic programs, appropriate resources and so on – also demands adaptation. We cannot solely depend on traditional ways of advising (i.e., make an appointment and wait a week to see an adviser)… Over the past several years, I’ve seen academic advisers and departments incorporate new ways of advising via email advising, instant messaging, text and even through social networking sites as Facebook and Twitter.

I believe a big part – which has never changed – is that it’s all about the constituents we serve. As such, we should tailor our delivery and programs the way that best works with our constituents in a way that they want and need.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, of course… there is so much more to this discussion, which is why I have enjoyed reading what others have to share.

Other thoughts:

• The People Factor in LIS from the zeds

• Technology Education and the Real World from Information Needs to be Free

Ok, I bet most of you librarians knew about this resource already, but for a rookie MLIS student, it was new to me. As I played around and perused the various links, it occurred to me what a great resource this would be for those who are applying for jobs in public libraries. After all, when one is applying for a job at a library, they should definitely do their research about it! This site can provide that information for you. Want to know how many librarians at a specific public library have their MLIS? Need to know information about circulation statistics or total expenditures? Other items of interest you can discover: information on employee benefits, salaries and wages expenditures, operating revenue and expenditures, organizational characteristics, size of collection, and types of services.

Furthermore, if you’re curious about the differences between libraries, this site allows the ability to compare them! I tried it out by comparing two libraries within 15 miles of one another: Corvallis-Benton County Public Library and the Albany Public Library. You can choose all sorts of variables, in this particular example, I only chose one variable (local revenue).

What’s even more exciting is that one can create reports based on this information and download the data into an Excel spreadsheet. So Groovy!

Cheers to the CBCPL!