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Perspectives from New Transportation
Library Professionals

Slide 1
Perspectives from New Transportation
Library Professionals
Kendra K. Levine
Reference & Whatever
Librarian
Institute of Transportation
Studies Library
UC Berkeley
MSLIS, MSIS
Drexel University iSchool

Slide 2
Institute of Transportation Studies
Library
Big and old
Diverse collection
Students and researchers
Technology Transfer
TRIS
...and me
Dual MSLIS MSIS
Website design
Seamless access
It's the users, stupid!
Don't hate the systems

Slide 3
What they're teaching us in Library
School...
Library Science
Reference
Cataloging
Library management.
Database design
Information Systems
Project management
Financial management
Systems design and technology
HCI/IA
Social informatics
Distance Learning
Collaboration
Communication tools
Online resources
Social networking!

Slide 4
Expectations for the transportation
library community?
First impression: There's a library for
everything!
Before library school:
Strong sense of community
Diverse group
During library school:
No early adopters
Myopic
After library school:
Survival not value
Fails to see challenges as opportunities
Not engaged with larger library
community
Poor marketing

Slide 5
Recommendations for the
transportation library community...
Don't sweat the small stuff
Collaborate!
Look at the big picture
Information – not just in
books
Have fun
Don't fear failure
“Borrow” good ideas

Slide 6
Pay attention and “cherry pick”
from these communities...
Other transportation
libraries
Directives from SLA, ALA,
or other organizations
Your organization(IT
people)
Squeaky wheels
Info pros not in library land