Hello from North Dakota!

A belated hello from Dickinson, North Dakota!  Today it is a balmy 7 degrees (that's a heat wave after last week)!  I am the Technical Services Librarian at Stoxen Library, Dickinson State University.  We are a very small academic library.  So, technical services means collection development / acquisitions, catalging, systems librarian, serials / electronic resources, reference, and everyone's favorite "other duties as assigned".  Last week we finished moving our entire serials collection for the 3rd time this year, 7th time in the 5 1/2 years I have been here.  We have reached the phase in our remodeling / reorganization where these things are finally in their "permanent" home.  So from now until the end of March, my only "other duty as assigned" will be this course.  Hurrah!!!  I am very fortunate to have a director who actively supports professional development and really will let me make this my focus.  So I am getting up to speed with the rest of you as fast as I can.

Our library started a blog in Oct. 2005 for sharing general information with our users.  There are three of us who participate in updating it.  I hope to gain from this course ways to improve our use of the blog as well as lots of practical ideas for communicating with our students.  We have a growing distance education program that is really challenging us to find new ways to serve students who will never come to campus. 

I have been enjoying reading everyone's blog posts and look forward to learning a lot from all of you!

Rita