Listen to Me on Circulating Ideas Episode 53

My favorite library related podcast is Circulating Ideas by Steve Thomas. Why do I like it so much? Because of it’s subtitle: The Librarian Interview Podcast.

With this podcast, Steve is able to bring the thoughts of librarians from all over the country right to you.  I subscribe so that I can hear different perspectives and opinions from my colleagues on my own time. Circulating Ideas provides, for me, the type of experience I used to only be able to get by attending a conference-- a place where I can learn from my colleagues, hear opinions and ideas that are outside of my personal experience, and “meet” new and interesting people in my field.

This is why I invited Steve to the Illinois Library Association Conference where he presented two fantastic programs.  One on podcasting for libraries and another on using Kickstarter to build your community. [Links go to his slides]. He has been able to take his own interest in learning more about what other librarians are doing and working on and has made it available to all of us.

I not only like the podcast because it is well done and useful, but I feel like Steve is doing the same thing I aimed to do when I started this blog back in 2007.  I wanted to bring together the desperate voices and work in the RA field and highlight them all in one place.

While Steve was at the ILA Conference, I helped him to arrange a few interviews with interesting folks in the IL library community.  So look for those coming soon.

But first, there is my interview.  I am first because while most of the interview is about how I approach RA in general, there is a little about horror too.  What better week to listen to my interview than now?

So if you want to hear my philosophy on RA in a nutshell, click through to the interview.

And if you want to keep your mind open to different people and ideas throughout the entire profession, subscribe to Circulating Ideas, and listen no matter who is on.  In fact, I often pay more attention when it is someone from outside my normal experiences.