Broward Community College

FAMU Law

FAU

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Florida Tech

Miami-Dade College

Nova Southeastern University

Stetson University

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UF

UNF

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Practice makes perfect - the cliché reminds us. As a librarian, what do you need to practice to make perfect? Is it mastering leadership or time management skills? Is it speaking clearly in public with no "ums," "you knows," and "ahs?" Is it developing a proficiency in strategic planning, in staff collaboration, in a software program, in another language, or gaining greater familiarity in a defined body of scholarship or literature? Do you simply need to drive away those professional "blahs" and regain that enthusiasm that first attracted you to the profession?

As the semester is reaching its midpoint, I encourage you to begin preparing for the summer and next year by creating a vision to guide and shape your professional path. With your vision firmly set, outline five things you want to accomplish that will make you a better librarian in that vision. (This will include, of course, membership in FACRL.) Now, map out your plan of action.

• Develop learning tools that reflect your learning style. Be creative and use every technology accessible to reinforce your learning process in both visual and audio forms. Make flash cards and take them on walks; use the flashcard concept in Acrobat for your PDA. Make personal MP3 files to listen to on your MP3 player.



• Practice summarizing your reading concisely and with brevity in a journal. Include an entry for your opinion on the matter. This tests your ability to understand what you are reading and also provides a handy resource that you may refer to when a quote or idea later stirs your imagination.



• Approach the topic from different perspectives, i.e., from the professional literature (and from the literature of different professions), from fiction and non-fiction works, from film, music, and speeches of the past as well as of the present.



• Always travel with something to read on the topic while waiting for appointments.



• Capitalize on what you have learned by presenting a paper, writing an article, or offering an informal workshop or info-moment at a meeting with your colleagues.

Before you begin, make the first item on your list to attend this year’s Florida Library Association’s Annual Conference to help you reach you full potential through networking and sharing ideas with colleagues.

This year’s conference is at the Buena Vista Palace, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. I am pleased to share with you that we have two programs this year. The first is a new program called Research in Academe, scheduled for Wednesday (not Thursday), April 19, at 8:30 a.m. This new program serves as a forum to highlight selected research projects by your Florida colleagues. This program will include two presentations. Jane Bradford, Coordinator of Library Instruction, Stetson University Library and Sue Ryan, Assistant Director, Stetson University Library will present an analysis of the use of print reference titles. Michele Crump, Chair, Acquisitions and Licensing Department, University of Florida Libraries and Carol Drum, Chair, Marston Science Library, University of Florida Libraries and Colleen Seale, Assistant Chair, Humanities and Social Science Services Department, University of Florida Libraries will present on the topic of mid-career reviews and mentoring for tenure track librarians.

Our second program is scheduled for Wednesday, April 19, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. This will feature a presentation entitled Functional Shift: New Library Services in a Changing World by Carla J. Stoffle, Dean of Libraries and Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Make your reservations for FLA today as you begin your plan for perfecting yourself as a librarian. Perfection as an ideal state may always elude us; as the thorough completion of achieving a plan of action, it is within your reach! Start today!

Andrew L. Pearson,
President, FACRL

Director of the Library
Florida Southern College

Questions or comments? Contact Jenny Saxton, Editor.
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