One thing we do here (the library hosts and organizes it) is a faculty scholarship and creativity reception. We ask for all faculty and staff to send in their accomplishments outside the classroom, whether it be awards, publications, honors, presentations, or creative works like performing in a play or directing a concert. It’s only the 4th year we’ve done it, but it’s nice to have everyone get together and see what we as a whole have accomplished. I never knew our campus web designer was a painter. Or that a communications professor is the local community theatre costumes person. And it gave the rest of the faculty a chance to see what the librarians are doing in our spare time: writing book chapters, articles, and giving presentations.

One thing we do here (the library hosts and organizes it) is a faculty scholarship and creativity reception. We ask for all faculty and staff to send in their accomplishments outside the classroom, whether it be awards, publications, honors, presentations, or creative works like performing in a play or directing a concert. It’s only the 4th year we’ve done it, but it’s nice to have everyone get together and see what we as a whole have accomplished. I never knew our campus web designer was a painter. Or that a communications professor is the local community theatre costumes person. And it gave the rest of the faculty a chance to see what the librarians are doing in our spare time: writing book chapters, articles, and giving presentations.

@walt I think I see what you’re saying about distinctions. In all three examples the spirit in which you are saying it is very different. The first one is very genuine while the other two are more duplicitous. Sharing can be good but the way in which you share matters.

@walt I think I see what you’re saying about distinctions. In all three examples the spirit in which you are saying it is very different. The first one is very genuine while the other two are more duplicitous. Sharing can be good but the way in which you share matters.

Saying “after a spirited bidding war by several publishers, ACRL won and was able to publish this”–that is, lying about it to increase your importance: Not so good.

Repeating over and over again that your article was the best thing ACRL ever published: Probably not so good either.

There are distinctions. I have trouble with posts that not only excuse but seem to recommend lying and boasting. Which you aren’t doing, but–as I read it–Shirky was.

Good post.

Saying “after a spirited bidding war by several publishers, ACRL won and was able to publish this”–that is, lying about it to increase your importance: Not so good.

Repeating over and over again that your article was the best thing ACRL ever published: Probably not so good either.

There are distinctions. I have trouble with posts that not only excuse but seem to recommend lying and boasting. Which you aren’t doing, but–as I read it–Shirky was.

Good post.

We owe it to ourselves and to librarianship in general to market what makes us great as individuals, as professionals, and as institutions.

Starting my own business has made this all hit home for me, in a way it never did when I worked in a library. My survival depends on my ability to market myself – there’s a sense of urgency that just didn’t exist when marketing was someone else’s job, or nobody’s job.

Regardless, as Shirky suggests, I don’t think that we need to be disingenuous about what we do or who we are. We are great people doing great things, and there isn’t anything wrong with reminding people of that fact.

Thanks for keeping the conversation going!