Creativity for Library Career Advancement

Vera Gubnitskaia has worked as a library manager, consultant, and reference librarian in public and academic libraries in Russia and the United States. She has contributed chapters to several professional publications, edited multiple anthologies, and published book reviews. She is currently an art fellow at Crealde School in Winter Park, Florida. A Michigan resident, Carol Smallwood has practiced in school, public and special libraries. Her primary interest is practical librarianship, and she is the author of journal articles and editor of numerous books.

Table of Contents


Foreword (Deb Biggs Tenbusch)

Preface

Part I. Nurture Your Mind

The Power of Incubation: Slowing Down to Speed Up Creativity (Jim Jipson and Kellie Sparks)

Two Worlds, One Outlet: Zine Making and Critical Reflection for Professional and Personal Development (Silvia Vong)

It’s in the Cards: Using Tarot Reading to Access Professional Creativity (Laura Wimberley)

Part II. Out of Comfort Zone

What Is Your Quest? Learning Through ­Role-Playing Games (Michael P. Buono)

Growth Lessons Learned from a ­One-Year Fellowship in a Nontraditional Library Environment (Dana E. Thimons)

Applying Improvisation in Libraries and Librarianship (Anthony Stamatoplos)

Let Your Voice Be Heard: Libraries as Publishers (Kathleen Christy)

Part III. Exercising Imagination Muscles The Art of ­Pseudo-Archives and Its Role in Advocacy (Anastasia S. ­Varnalis-Weigle)

Reinvention Through Necessity: One Librarian’s Evolution from ­One-Shots to ­For-Credit Teaching (Mary Todd Chesnut)

The Library as Laboratory: Using Makerspaces to Cultivate Organizational and Personal Creativity (Courtney McAllister and Christine R. Elliott)

Firing Up Personal Growth with the Spark of Creativity: How to Start a Creativity Group for Library Staff (Leslie A. Wagner)

Part IV. Writing and Publishing

Following in the Footprints of the Master (Detective) (Robert Perret)

Poets and Scholars: Foregrounding Librarians’ Creative Writing

and Out of the University Classroom (Rochelle Smith)

The ­Tenure-Track Librarian as a Scholarly Researcher (Rachel K. Fischer)

The Writerly Librarian: Creativity and Writing (Addison Lucchi)

The Process of Research and Publication as a Tool for Personal

and Professional Growth (Astrid Oliver)

Part V. Innovative Business Practices

Small Steps, Big Impact: Professional and Personal Growth

and Development (Robin R. Breault, Brooke McDonald Shelton and James Ritter)

Transparency and Subterfuge: Encouraging Creativity in Academic Libraries (Jack Maness, Erin Elzi and Shannon Tharp)

Creative Accommodations: Finding the Best Solution for Library Employees with Invisible Disabilities (Joy M. Perrin and Carrye Kay Syma)

Contagious Creativity: Leveraging Staff Talents and Interest

to Find Career Satisfaction (Shelia Gaines and Casey Parkman)

Developing ­In-House Support for Early Career Staff (Paula Archey, Maggie Nunley and Erin E. Pappas)

Part VI. Visual and Performing Arts Music to My Ears: Using Amateur ­Music-Making as a Means of Vocational Specialty (Bruce R. Schueneman)174

A Shutterbug in a World of Bookworms: Photography as a Creative Outlet in Academic Librarianship (Michelle P. McKinney)

Artful Information: Lessons for Librarians from Visual Artists (Tim Gorichanaz)

Arts Enrichment for a Working Artist Librarian (Yolanda Poston)

Part VII. Partnerships, Collaborations and Networking

Finding Your Librarian Voice: Creative Ways to Get Involved

and Share Ideas (Holly Mills and Sharon Holderman)

Collective Creativity (Amy Gay and Kelsey George)

Around the State in Postcards: Creating Traveling Exhibits (Ruth Elder and Jana Slay)

Part VIII. Budget Matters

Creative Problem Solving in Libraries: Budgets, Staff and the Lack Thereof (Nora Franco and Marla Lobley)

Beyond the Boot Camp: ­No-Cost Conferences (Heather C. Seminelli)

About the Contributors

Index