11th National Library Technicians Conference

It's a small, small world: an international perspective

Linda J Owen University of California at Riverside
Marion Boyd High Court of Australia

Technology Networking International

Abstract
Networking is a recognised and essential tool through which individuals may share ideas and resources thus gaining opportunities for professional growth and advancement. Networking may occur formally through membership in professional associations or informally through contact with professional colleagues. Networks are fluid, changing over time and circumstances. Where professional networks are commonly focused locally or nationally, as in the case of professional associations, improved communication technology now facilitates networking across international boundaries.

This paper will focus on informal networks as two library technicians discuss the importance of and benefits derived from maintaining communication with one's professional colleagues. They will share their personal experiences and describe the methods they use to maintain professional networks regardless of the impediments of time and distance.

Introduction
The coming together of two library technicians from opposite sides of the world to present this paper at the 11th ALIA National Library Technicians Conference is the result of effective networking via the internet and at national conferences, both in Australia and the United States of America.

We will share our experiences in the following way:

• Marion Boyd will discuss the personal aspects of networking
• Linda Owen will follow with technological aspects

Personal aspects

It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears
There's so much that we share that its time we're aware
It's a small world after all

I must admit for one of the 'rogue granny' library technicians to be speaking at a conference on a day with 'technology' as the subject, is somewhat of a shock for me. As I am one of the 'if I touch it will it break?' type I must admit to being reticent in getting in there and using technology to its utmost. Almost every dictionary entry of the word 'odyssey' you read mentions 'a long series of wanderings, especially when filled with notable experiences, hardships'. This has certainly been my experience. I have, for many conferences now, been in awe of fellow library technicians and their achievements. Such a talent is my co-author of this paper, Linda Owen.

Perhaps my technological claim to fame is that I would have been one of the first people to use a facsimile machine, an Australian invention that was used extensively by the Whitlam government in the 1970s. Back then we wondered how we ever did without them? In my daily work at the High Court of Australia Library the fax (with extended memory) machine is still in high use. However, in some areas they have been surpassed by other document delivery methods.

Confidence with technology has come to me through personal experience and interaction with library colleagues not only in Australia but also around the world. Extensive use of technology was invaluable when convening the 9th National Library Technicians Conference in Canberra in 1997. The Committee would have been lost without e-mail, the ALIA home page and lists such as LIBTEC. Almost all correspondence, including weekly reports from our organiser was conducted via e-mail.

I will never forget the exhilaration of posting the LIBTEC notices as we headed for our 'impossible' 500 delegates for a library technicians conference. To Kaye Bartlett in the Northern Territory, convenor of the 8th National Library Technicians Conference, I e-mailed 'I think I can, I think I can' to which she replied 'Keep puffing!' Obviously our children read the same books. Kaye is one of the many contacts made via e-mail which have led to a wonderful friendship. I shared many of these experiences with you in my paper 'Reflections and questions from a (senior) library technician' at the 10th conference in Fremantle. This is very much a personal choice as I see it as taking full advantage of Internet networking.

Where possible I prefer to meet people face to face when visiting interstate and in some instances overseas. One can never undervalue the benefit of following up our online contacts and friendships. How often have we heard 'so, you are', or 'I enjoyed your discussion on'. It feels great to be recognised for various listserv discussions or for contributions to printed material.

Linda will discuss the listservs later in the paper but I would like to share some of the personal viewpoints made in answer to a questionnaire placed on the American LIBSUP-L by Linda. I followed up by asking the same questions to a selected group of my Australian Library Technician colleagues.

The questions asked are listed below together with a summary of the replies from both groups.

1. Do you correspond with library colleagues in a country other than your country of residence? If so, what are those other countries?
   From Kansas (USA) to Exeter (UK), Mexico City to America/Australia, British Columbia (Canada) to the Philippines, Florida (USA) to UK and Australia, Brisbane (Queensland) to the USA, Alberta (Canada) to Mexico, Jamaica and USA, Adelaide (South Australia) to America, Canberra (Australian Capital Territory) to Whitehorse (Canada).
2. How did you originally meet that person(s) (eg. in person, Internet, letter, etc.) and when?
   Various listservs seemed to be the main meeting place, AUTOCAT, LIBSUP-L, aliaLIBTEC, in addition to interlibrary loan requests, Associates, the British Columbia Library Association and attending conferences.
3. How do you maintain contact?
   E-mail was the common link where contact was maintained. Two commented there was no further contact after the initial correspondence. One exchanges Christmas cards and hopes one day to visit that area of Canada.
4. How have you gained professionally from the international networking experience?
   I found the replies to this question very interesting.
   • Associates has put me in touch with other people around the world - I am continually amazed at how much we are all alike in so many ways.
   • I have learned immensely, especially about MARC tags, application of AACR2 and how to deal with problematic subject headings.
   • Definite gain - constantly exchanging ideas.
   • Knowledge that a problem can be sent to a listserv and within an hour at least six replies and solutions arrive.
   • Awareness that there are other library technicians out there and that it would benefit our association, the Alberta Association of Library Technicians (AALT) to make contact.
   • Broader range of contacts, negotiation to assist affiliation for all technicians in Australia. Sharing ideas and issues.
5. Have any of your professional contacts become personal friendships?
   These replies varied from correspondents becoming friends as well as colleagues, not becoming friends 'as yet', none (face to face), to one Australian technician who had caught up with several colleagues while visiting the USA; general chat exchanged but does not get personal.
6. Comments?
   Colleagues willing to share expertise featured in several replies. Cataloguing was the emphasis of one while another was fascinated by the survey itself. One of my Australian technician colleagues summed up her experience by saying it was wonderful to have the opportunity to network with others in the same career group, and to see that we all encounter the same problems, issues and barriers regardless of our location. From the United States came the comment that at first there was fascination that it was Australia and the UK but 'now I don't even notice'. The earlier comment 'that I'm continually amazed at how much we are all alike in so many ways' came from Kansas. The same person used the words 'an example and an inspiration' when describing the correspondent from England. Another from Linda's survey pointed to her 'dislike of telephones and a LOVE of e-mail as the internet is turning the globe (or at least for those of us with computer access who would rather type than talk) into one big village'.

Personally, over the years I have established an Australia wide network of phone contacts that have proved to be invaluable when obtaining interlibrary loans in a short space of time. Telephone communication has been extremely effective as it allows instant knowledge of availability of material. This knowledge is vital due to the deadlines of the Court. It is not uncommon for me to receive similar requests from other countries, for example, New Zealand. I was reminded of the importance of this when I overheard one of my work colleagues speak of how she had met a helpful person on the phone while requesting legislation and how good it was to feel you knew someone you could trust to supply material in a hurry. I realised that I took my network for granted, that is how I work on a daily basis.

It was through interlibrary loans that I met a Canadian law librarian who was job sharing in Darwin, became friends and later visited her in Ottawa. This opened up other networking opportunities, which included a visit to the Supreme Court of Canada. After meeting Linda, I attended the COLT Conference in Washington DC, and was introduced to five library technicians from the Supreme Court of the United States of America. This led to a behind the scenes tour by one of the technicians. As I work in the library of the highest Court in Australia I found myself making comparisons while visiting the highest Courts of two other countries.

I maintain contact, and have become very friendly with, the librarian from Ottawa, Linda from the United States and technicians from all over Australia. Sharing expertise has enhanced my professional development.

In summarising my personal experience in relation to networking it was convening a national conference that highlighted the fact that we live in a small, small world. While corresponding via e-mail with colleagues in every state and territory in Australia and several overseas countries there was the feeling that distance was nonexistent. I hope I have left you with the thought that regardless of the fact that so much of our time is spent at our computers floating around cyberspace, communicating, learning, experiencing, enjoying, there is great satisfaction in making personal contact. Putting names to faces may not be for everyone but it is still one of my favourite pastimes.

And now I would like to introduce you to a name that became a face that became a good friend, Linda Owen.

Technical aspects

There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship for everyone
Though the mountains divide and the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all

Being from California, I am well familiar with the Disneyland Small World attraction. The visitor drifts along in a boat as exquisite animated dolls dressed in the costumes of their native lands dance and sing the same refrain. In the attraction's early years there was, intermixed with the singing, a very annoying clicking sound, as the eyes of a thousand of dolls blinked open and closed in unison. Oh, how I hated that sound and that ride. Today, technology has silenced the clicking and only the song can be heard. If you have five grandchildren, that technological advance is very significant. More importantly, while the lyrics have not changed, the ability to receive the message has, as the distraction that prevented me from concentrating on the details of the intricate displays is gone. I see more, I hear more, I learn more and I enjoy more.

In the real world new technologies have made it possible to connect quickly and clearly over wide distances. In the early 1960's, I travelled by airplane to the Philippines. It took 24 hours with two fuel stops. Three years later it took only 15 hours with one fuel stop. Last week I travelled nonstop to Australia in 14 hours. The difference - technology. The distance did not change, but the way to travel that distance did - fuel efficient jet plane versus propeller. Even more impressive is the speed by which we can digitally communicate over those same distances. Fourteen hours by jet plane is only seconds in cyberspace.

What does this mean to me as a library technician? It means distance is not a factor in communication. It means ideas, knowledge of best practices and motivational support are not limited by physical boundaries. It means I can ask an Australian colleague a technical question as quickly as I can someone in my own town. You doubt me. Just time how long it takes to cycle through some of our voice mail systems before you hear your first live utterance. It means a Canadian library friend can commiserate with me about bringing a new system online. It means I can tell an Australian living in Africa, about online distance education and networking opportunities that will enable her reach her goal of being a Library Technician. How did I hear of her? ... from a Canadian, Tracy Yearsley. Where did I direct her? ...to ALIA and the LIBTEC discussion group.

I think Marion and I have sold you on the value of networking across borders, be they state or national. Now the question is how to get started. How many of you have Internet access? I bet you know how to use the World Wide Web to support your job requirements. You can also learn how to use it to support your career networking goals. The very first thing you can do is to share your e-mail address with the people here and communicate with each other after the conference. The second thing you can do is to become very familiar with the ALIA home page, http://www.alia.org.au/.

Did you know that ALIA now hosts a series of chat rooms that allow for real-time visits? You can easily arrange via regular e-mail to meet in the chat room 'bar' for an after hours visit. This would be a great place for brainstorming hot issues.

How many of you are subscribers to the ALIA LIBTEC discussion list? If you are not, sign on and lurk a short while. Next, enter the discussions you find there. If you have a question, ask it. If you find someone whose messages peak your interest contact him or her off list and say so, or, if necessary, ask for clarification of a topic.

ALIA also has lists of links, some of which are to international library associations. Use the links to search for information about any open list serves. Comb through the lists for organisations that interest you and search out the library technician sections or their equivalents. Contact the group and ask if any members might like to share information on a particular topic that is of interest to you.

Do some general web searches on a variety of search engines. A search of keywords 'library technician' on http://northernlight.com will bring you a variety of entries. On the first two pages, you will find entries for the ALIA Library Technicians Section, the Saskatchewan Association of Library Technicians and the Alberta Association of Library Technicians. There are also entries for Library Technician education programs. You can contact the program director to volunteer as a long-range mentor to an emerging Library Technician. Try the same key words on another search engine. It will bring up a different set of entries. Try key word variations such as 'library assistants,' 'library support staff,' 'library paraprofessionals,' etc.

Do not forget my favorite site. The home page of the Council on Library Media Technicians, http://library.ucr.edu/COLT. Under 'Resources' you can access links to multiple sites, many of which will aid you in your effort to expand your networking opportunities. Visit the section entitled 'Networking' where you will find a short list of discussion group links including the ultimate 'List of Lists,' a searchable compilation of electronic discussion lists, distribution lists and serials of interest to library professionals and staff. URL: http://www.wrlc.org/liblists/. Two more sites of interest are the New Zealand library-oriented electronic discussion lists, http://www.vuw.ac.nz/dlis/ssbubl/currawar/ediscgp.htm and Ozlists, http://www.gu.edu.au/gint/ozlists/ozlists_home.html.

That should be enough to get you started. Once you are communicating across borders, you might want to remember a few simple rules:

• Not everyone spells the same as you do or uses the same form of English. Some examples are simple spelling variations such as 'organize' and 'organise' or 'defence' and 'defense.' Others are by non-English speakers doing their best to communicate in a second language. Also, when writing a formal letter one might be careful to look up unfamiliar words, but in the informal venue of cyberspace that is not necessarily so. E-mail is often a cross between letter writing and informal conversation. Moreover, sometimes a finger simply hits the 'send' key before proofreading occurs.
• Some English words have different meanings in different countries and local colloquialisms may be unfamiliar to you. I am still learning 'Strine,' and I am sure I still shock Marion every now and then with some of my Americanisms.
• Learn your time differences. I can join you in the ALIA chat room in your morning and my evening, but I will have to stay up very late to meet you in the 'bar' after work. If you need a quick answer from an American colleague, you may have a couple of hours of workday overlap with someone on the West Coast, but not on the East. I know that many a Friday morning, I am frustrated to remember that Marion is already gone for the weekend and I cannot reach her until my Monday afternoon.
• Do not offer too much personal information until you are sure you are safe doing so. I have had two interesting experiences with e-mail correspondents. One was a series of unsolicited verbal assaults from someone who did not like my views on internet filtering. Another was a very friendly overture from someone who quickly disappeared once I told him I was a 50+ grandmother. It was the first example that made me reassess the information in my automatic signature block. As temporarily disconcerting as both experiences were, neither swayed me from further contact with library colleagues.
• Learn some of the basics of 'Netiquette.' Many articles have been written on the topic and there are many resources on the web. The Net: User Guidelines and Netiquette by Arlene H. Rinaldi, http://www.fau.edu/netiquette/net/, is one resource. 'Online Netiquette Uncensored,' http://www.onlinenetiquette.com/, pulls no punches with its list of '10 Little Courtesies.' However, do not let self-appointed net gurus prevent you from reaching out to library colleagues, as, generally, we are a very understanding and welcoming group of people.

Conclusion
Marion and I have been fortunate in that we have turned a professional association into a true friendship. We met at the Canberra conference and kept in contact afterwards. Over the years, we have shared many a talk about family and friends, and library life with all of its successes and frustrations. I think I can say that both of our professional and personal lives are all the richer for it.

Authors
Linda J Owen is a library assistant in the Cataloging Department of the University Library at the University of California, Riverside. She received her BS in Vocational Education from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale. She is active in library professional organizations including the American Library Association (ALA), the California Library Association and the Online Audiovisual Catalogers (OLAC). Ms Owen is the past-president of the Council on Library/Media Technicians (COLT) and is webmaster of the COLT home page. She has been published in Library Mosaics, Associates, inCite, Nexus and Library Trends. Ms Owen is a member of Toastmasters International and has spoken at conferences in the United States and Australia.

Marion Boyd began her library studies soon after starting work in libraries in 1980. She has worked in various positions in social science, technical and law libraries. She is currently interlibrary loans officer, High Court of Australia. Her professional activities include active membership of the ACT Group, holding various positions on the committee over the years. She is currently past-president. Marion was the convenor of the 9th National Library Technicians Conference, Canberra 1997, a session speaker at the 10th ALIA National Library Technicians Conference, Fremantle 1999 and was elected to ALIA General Council in July 1999. She was recently awarded the 2001 ALIA National Library Technician of the Year.