Thought leaders in school libraryland

In response to my post "Age and Change," Alice Yucht suggested:

Have you seen this: Who are the thought leaders in educational leadership? [by Jon Becker] I think you and Gary Hartzell need to compile a similar article re: school library leadership!

Yeah, get me in trouble, Alice. I just know that I would leave some top notch influencers off the list.

But it may be a good idea, especially if a comprehensive and thoughtful list could be moved to the SIGMS wiki or the T-L Ning - where lots o'people who are better read and better informed than I am could add to it. (I am admittedly weak about international school librarians, academics*, and AASL leaders). I often get asked to suggest good writers and presenters about library related topics. This would be a great resource any of us could just point to when asked such a question.

Whether through books, articles, editorialships, blogs or organizational leadership, these folks have made sustained, public contributions directly addressing school libraries - and influenced MY thinking about the field.

1. Alice Yucht
2. Amy Oberts
3. Anita Beaman
4. Annette Lamb
5. Barbara Jansen
6. Barbara Stripling
7. Bob Berkowitz
8. Brenda Anderson
9. Brian Kenney
10. Buffy Hamilton
11. Carl Harvey
12. Carol Gordon
13. Carol Kuhlthou
14. Carol Simpson
15. Carolyn Foote
16. Cathy Jo Nelson
17. Chris Harris
18. Clarence Fisher
19. Daniel Callison
20. David Loertscher
21. David Warlick
22. Deb Levitov
23. Deb Logan
24. Debbie Abilock
25. Diane Chen
26. Diane Cordell
27. Dianne McKenzie
28. Donna Baumbach
29. Doug Achterman
30. Doug Johnson (somebody else suggested this)
31. Ernie Cox
32. Fran Bullington
33. Frances Jacobson Harris
34. Gary Hartzell
35. Gail Dickinson
36. Gwyneth Jones
37. Heather Loy
38. Hilda Weisburg
39. Jacquie Henry
40. Jamie LaRue
41. Jamie McKenzie
42. Jane Prestebak
43. Jean Donham
44. Jeri Hurd
45. Jim Randolph
46. John Royce
47. Joyce Valenza
48. Judi Moreillon
49. Judy O'Connell
50. Karen Kliegman
51. Kathy Lemaire
52. Kathy Schrock
53. Keith Curry Lance
54. Ken Haycock
55. Kristin Fontichiaro
56. Larry Johnson
57. Laura Pearle
58. Laurie Conzemius
59. Leigh Ann Jones
60. Lesley Farmer
61. Lisa Perez
62. Marcia Mardis
63. Mary Alice Anderson
64. Mary Ann Bell
65. Mary Ann Fitzgerald
66. Mary Woodard
67. Mike Eisenberg
68. Nancy Everhart
69. Nancy McGriff
70. Nicola McNee
71. Patricia Carmichael
72. Rob Darrow
73. Rob Rubis
74. Ross Todd
75. Sandra Hughes-Hassell
76. Sara Kelly Johns
77. Shannon Miller
78. Shelee King George
79. Stephen Abram
80. Stephen Krashen
81. Susan Sedro
82. Vi Harada
83. Wendy Stephens

Please add your own "thought leaders" in a comment. Rather than me replying, I'll just update this post.

And I just know I've left people off the list. My apologies in advance.

* Becker's article is worth reading since it speaks of a disconnect between academics and practicioners. Also see An Open Letter to New Professors by J.M. Anderson on the Minding the Campus blog.

Comments on this post are closed. Please see: Thought leaders in school libraryland - the next step

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BFTB: The Tech Nazi

A new Saturday Blue Skunk "feature" will be a revision of an old post. I'm calling this BFTP: Blast from the Past. Original post, Sept 1, 2005

I was visiting a small school district not long ago and had a chance to visit with its curriculum director. In passing, she referred to their technology director as the “Tech-Nazi” - a title borrowed from Seinfeld’s character the Soup-Nazi.

This is not the first time I’ve heard people in other districts who have a position like mine described in less than endearing terms. One librarian refers to her tech director as “Bob God.” I heard a teacher refer to her district’s technology department as the “Prevention of Education Department.” And of course there are those other names that shouldn’t appear in a blog my mom reads.

Tech directors have two strikes against them coming out of the box. First, technology itself is not always been warmly embraced by educators (not to state the obvious or anything). Its complex and often unreliable nature makes it a source of irritation more than delight. Second, techs have an appreciation of the vulnerability of the equipment they are charged with maintaining that normal people simply don’t. We see those viruses, hackers, software conflicts, power-surges, and SUDs (stupid user dysfunctions) that are always surrounding our little fort, waiting for the smallest breach, and then sneaking in and wreaking havoc.

I, for one, would be heart-broken if I thought my nickname was Tech-Nazi or Doug God. Good working relations with people are as important to me as the good working order of computers. And I think it is possible to have both if:

1. You listen to and heed both educators’ and technicians’ views before making a technology policy decision.
2. You establish a formal collaborative decision-making body that meets on a regular basis and includes as many types of stakeholders as possible.
3. You take the time to communicate in understandable terms why a technology decision has been made (and have a damn good reason for making it).
4. You support the goals of teachers and students, not separate technology “goals.”
5. You leave the office and visit teachers and librarians to find out how they are really doing with technology. (I call this being a complaint magnet.)
6. You tend to err on the side of convenience and accessibility rather than on the side of security (and pray it doesn't come back to bite you).
7. You always give other people the benefit of the doubt, recognize accidents happen, and truly believe equipment is better worn out than rusted out.
8. Never, ever lie, especially if it is just a CYA move. You get caught once and there will be no trust left.
9. You comply with the law but you don't hyper-comply, always taking the least restrictive path.

Most people - most - are pretty reasonable. If a decision, procedure or requirement they don't like is explained to them respectfully, clearly and honestly, they don't hold it against you. You can shake your head together in synchronicity, both of you victims of technology design and the world.

I’d love to hear other ideas about improving one’s reputation as well as one’s effectiveness.

And other nasty names for tech directors you’d care to share.

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Age and change

Old age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill. Willie and Waylon

Thanks to my friend John Pederson, I got a chance to hear Seth Godin in person yesterday morning in Minneapolis. A lively, well-presented delivery with an excellent Q&A, Godin didn't cover much new ground for those of us who are regular readers of his blog, but he did remind me about the need for innovation and change. As "artists" he says, we need to always be taking risks. Those who don't fail often should be fired.

In yesterday's post Senior Management, Seth Godin writes:

One thing that happens to management when they get senior is that they get stuck. ([It] isn't about old, it's about how long you've been there).

If you've been doing it forever, you discover (but may not realize) that the things that got you this power are no longer dependable.

Reliance on the tried and true can backfire.

This one struck a little nerve with me.

While I am probably not as old as many of you think, I am constantly running into peers who are the age of my daughter (and younger). I am in constant check for "hardening of the opinions." I am starting my 20th year in my current position (I rose to my level of incompetence early and stayed there) and I've been in education since 1976. You do the math.

And a guy has to wonder if a younger, more exited, less cyncial skeptical experienced person running the tech department might make a bigger difference in students lives. 'Where could we be by now?" I ask myself.

I am gobsmacked by some of the up-and-coming powerful voices in ed tech and libraries. I won't list them because I will leave somebody out - you know who you are. The ideas, enthusiasm, impatience and even anger is moving and exciting. They will cause change to happen.

<- Me in about 5 years.

What Godin and the young turks don't realize, however, this that we geezers have at least one small advantage - some of us would sort of like to get fired - or at least be encouraged to retire with a nice severance deal. That means we are happy to take some chances.

And maybe we have a little better idea of what chances are worth taking ...

Oh, Godin didn't look like any spring chicken himself.

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