Creating community

Being a librarian in a small, rural town can feel a bit lonely, if you're looking for input from other librarians. More often than not, you're it. Google searches can be problematic, and while you may come up with a nugget of information whilst plodding through a zillion results, it would be nice to have a place to confer with other librarians.

Enter WebJunction. I assume many of you have discovered this resource, but for those of you who haven't, I encourage you to wander over and take a look. I'm becoming more and more involved with the WebJunction folks, first as a trainer for the Spanish Language Outreach Program, and now as a Rural Watch Committee member for the Rural Library Sustainability Project. In both cases, I've been impressed with the WebJunction staff members who are coordinating these projects, with their willingness to listen to concerns and suggestions, and the speed with which they implement those changes.

WebJunction is a community place. There are discussion boards where librarians can elicit information and suggestions from other librarians, on a plethora of subjects. There are training opportunities. There are helpful articles, advice on purchasing technology, and best-practices examples. Need a new policy? Check WebJunction. Looking for advice on how to handle an aspect of library management? Check WebJunction. Interested in just wandering around a site that could trigger an epiphany? Check WebJunction.

Go. Bookmark it. Get involved. Really, go now.