Salesmen, Tribes, and an Overdue Crisis

Some days it is hard to keep doing what I am doing.  Librarianship is a difficult go right now; it can be a time of great opportunity for visionaries.  Alternatively many a library in this country will die, and librarians wearing sensible shoes will dutifully carry the caskets.  I checked my email this evening to find an ad for a textbook salesman.  It was tempting.  Do a Google search for the phrase "leaving librarianship" and you'll see I'm not the only one who has those days.

http://www.amazon.ca

I have been reading Tribes by Seth Godin.  I mentioned him a few months ago in a post about making leaders.  He argues that we are past the age of mass media and re-entering the age of tribes; specialized communities, linked through the the internet and new media.  New tribes need new leaders who can connect like minded people.  I like the quote: "The Beatles didn't create teenagers, they merely decided to lead them." Intriguing stuff.

I've been wrestling a lot with my own career path.  Presently I have feet in two work worlds: academia, where my worldview about people and information is being transformed, and librarianship, where I am engaged with people seeking answers.  There is a tension here; the two worlds don't talk to each other like they ought.  A wise friend has challenged me to "choose my tribe."  Professor or Librarian. Academic or Practitioner.  Then I think of Seth Godin's comments, and I wonder if there is another tribe to choose.  Perhaps a tribe of misfits like me.  Maybe a completely different tribe.

The tribe I want to belong to is terribly dissatisfied with the status quo in information-work, and desperately wants to change it.  I like Micheal Ridley's presentation blurb from the CLA conference "Is there a Crisis in Academic Librarianship?...Yes, and frankly it's about time."  Wish I could have heard that one. 

So where then do I find my local tribe?  I guess I need to ask around.  "Excuse me: Are you my tribe?" (On a unrelated note... for those Doctor Who fans out there: "Are you my mummy?")

Don't want to read the book? Here is Seth's TED presentation.

Read More

Tweet the Good Word. #Amen

I'll admit I haven't really caught on to Twitter.  I have an account and I follow a number of others, much in the same way I follow blogs.  I do like the as-it-happens bulletins from the local news.

My hashtag would be #unconvinced.

Tweeting live events has become quite fashionable; most conferences I have attended in the past two years have encouraged tweeting.  Religious tweeting is certainly popular from the Pope, the Dalai Lama, or even TD Jakes.  Now the debate about sermon tweeting continues: Thou shall/shalt not tweet.

ChurchMag recently blogged a "sermon tweeting how-to" based on their experiences that I thought was worth sharing.  Check out the links at the bottom of the post to other viewpoints. 

Their post argued the need to think through your reasons for tweeting the sermon, and being intentional about what you are doing.  This makes sense but it also seems to fly in the face of the culture of tweeting as "stream of consciousness" and "point-in-time."  Also is it my experience of the sermon I'm sharing? I think this question is important as frankly most religious tweeting seems somewhat impersonal; scripture or sound-bites tossed into cyberspace.  Who is the listener behind the tweet?  What did the sermon do to you?

I was thinking about the sermon I heard today on Jonah chapter 2.  So which sermon tweet would catch your attention?

Read More

The Theology of Information Seeking II

Question: "Do online information sources undermine traditional religious authorities?"

I had the opportunity to present one facet of my doctrinal research in poster form at the most recent APLA conference in beautiful Wolfville, Nova Scotia.  Not my usual kind of venue, but a fun conference.  The Internet is having a negative impact on congregational life and faith building some clergy tell me.  Google et al. bring a cornucopia of ideas and beliefs into our daily lives, that previous generations may never have wrestled with. 

So I explored that a bit through my interviews with church leaders (clergy, ordained or unordained lay leaders).  What sources are they choosing, how do they choose them, and what is the role these sources play in their roles as leaders and in their personal faith building?

I've turned the 48"x36" poster into a prezi for your viewing so the format/fonts are a little wonky.  (You can click the "More" link at the bottom right corner of the prezi to go to full screen mode, and use the arrows to advance the prezi.)  For those with shorter attention spans, my conclusion is below.

 http://prezi.com/4kunszqpfy1i/the-theology-of-information-seeking/

Answer: There appears to be little evidence in church leaders' information seeking that online sources are undermining traditional religious authorities.  This conclusion supports earlier research on religious bloggers who tended to support traditional authorities.  The role of these authorities is changing from key information source for information for religious purposes to a source of discernment of good or useful information.

Implications: If the sources and even the nature of information for faith building are changing, do churches then have an obligation to equip their members to be effective seekers and consumers of information?  Is there a place for information literacy in the local church?

Read More

Canadiana Dave Rides Again!

Canadiana Dave II: The Apps of the iPad has arrived!

"Why yes, I use my iPad for data collection." I've had a few people ask me about my use of technology for research.  Frankly I have lots to learn yet, but I thought I'd share what I have discovered to date.  This is part 2 of 3.  Next Time: Canadiana Dave, The Books of Wonder.  WARNING: This video contains excessive corny-ness, but also helpful info.

Read More