Fall '09 Semester and Unshelved Answers

So, yeah, a blog that I started over the summer...I kind of forgot about it didn't I. Well in short I'm sorry. I have always gotten annoyed with bloggers that start a blog and just let it go after a couple of weeks (I have become what I hate the most). But anyway I am back and ready to give this another go. SO, today's post comes in two parts...

Part one - I am still in library school. As semester one comes to a close I think of the original excitement I had when entering the university for the first time. I had thought I was going to learn some unknown knowledge that I would be able to come back to my library and share my intellectual gain. Unfortunately, I have not been able to do this. As a whole I am enjoying my time at UB, however, I feel like I could be learning so much more. Following my completion of this semester I plan to have a review of all of my classes and I will have my own personal critique on them explaining what I liked, disliked and assignments I had to complete. I will also talk about some extra reading material that helped me get through the semester.

Part two - Unshelved Answers. These guys have yet again outdone their selves. On the website unshelved.com Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum have started an "Unshelved Answers" section where professionals and paraprofessionals can ask questions and get feedback from the library community. Their description says:

The public ask librarians for help. Who do librarians ask for help? Other librarians, of course. At work and, increasingly, on the Internet, using listservs, message boards, Twitter, etc. Your question may even have been asked before. The problem is finding it, sorting through the answers, and telling the good from the bad.

Introducing Unshelved® Answers, a place to share your expertise about libraries and everything in them: reference resources, reader's advisory, customer service, cataloging, administration, or anything else. Already people have asked:

What CMS does your library use?
How do you get rid of pushy vendors?
What are great graphic novels for early readers?
What are some ideas for displays for young adults?
What's that one book I read in the early 80's?
... and much more!

We've got an easy and effective system for grading both questions and answers so that you can quickly and easily solve your problem and help others solve theirs. Every time your work is voted up you gain more reputation, which unlocks more functionality of the site for you. Eventually our most prized contributors become de-facto moderators. The site is really run by you, for you.


We hope this will become a useful tool for the library community (and anyone else, including booksellers and individuals). Visit Unshelved® Answers today to share your expertise!

I have not answered or asked any questions yet but I'm sure I will. I link to it in the side bar, check it out.