Speaking of libraries and politics — as I will be in Australia real soon — some of our favorite legal librarians are working together on a Library Law Blog. Really engaging Q&A format for some posts, just raw information in others. Thick with good information, or, as they say “Not legal advice – just a dangerous mix of thoughts and information.”
Month: November 2004
how to manage smart people, not rocket science
Not quite on-topic but definitely an article I wish every boss I ever worked with had read: How to manage smart people.
The following phrase is one of my favorite tools as a manager: “What do you need from me in order to kick ass on this project?” Asking this question of a report invariably scares the shit out of them. It’s a cut to the chase, where you, as manager, lay out on the table the magic wish list of possibilities, and asks them to put their cards on the table. If a good discussion ensues, you then have the opportunity to actually deliver some of the things they might need. All the pet complaints they’ve been harboring have a chance to surface, and perhaps, simply fade away in the face of your brutal honesty and openness as a manager.
what is with this filter anyhow?
I’ve been reading more writing by Australian librarians lately which, of course, I should have been doing all this time. Jennifer Cram writes great stuff, my favorite so far is Ten Questions to Ask About Filtering Software. Sharp questions deserving of serious answers for anyone who is considering filtering.
circumventing censorship, some tips
I’m sure you’ve all heard the maxim “the internet inteprets censorship as danger and routes around it” but did you ever wonder how? Paul Jones from ibiblio has been preparing a talk on Censorship on the Net and has put a short list of resources on his blog.
new librarian web domains
New regular feature at Resource Shelf: new librarian web domains. Anyone know the guy who registered nakedlibrarian.com?