Part One: Aligning Research Results with Decision-Making—SWOT, 4-Squares, Fish Bones, and More
Special librarians must align research services with how clients process information to reduce cycle time between getting information to making decisions.
Ready to Read: Succeeding in the World of Special Librarianship
Stephen Abram’s new Lucidea Press book “Succeeding in the World of Special Librarianship” offers valuable professional development tips for librarians.
Alexa, Siri, Cortana, Google Home, AR, AI, Machine Learning and the Special Librarian
Library consultant Stephen Abram describes ways for special librarians to understand/embrace technologies that “move the needle in the question space.”
Part Three: Building Your KM Nest – 5 More Strategies for Special Librarians
Consultant Stephen Abram outlines strategies librarians can adopt to facilitate growth of ideas and better decision quality, beyond knowledge management.
Is There Such a Thing as Information Overload?
Special librarians embody the solution to enterprise information overload, per library consultant Stephen Abram.
Access is Not Equal to Know-how
Library consultant Stephen Abram explains the importance of differentiating “access to knowledge” from “know-how” and the librarian’s resultant value-add.
Openness and the Embedded Library Experience
Library consultant and advocate Stephen Abram defines what it means for special librarians and information professional to be organizationally embedded.
Innovation: No Excuses
Library consultant and advocate Stephen Abram offers practical advice on jumpstarting innovation for special librarians and information professionals.
Blogging as a Special Librarian
Library consultant and advocate Stephen Abram offers personal and practical advice on blogging for special librarians and information professionals.
Elevator Speeches: No Magic Beans
Elevator speeches—sound bites we practice in case we get the ear of a decision maker—are opportunities to bait the hook. How do you effectively follow up?
Part Four: Client Engagement in Special Libraries—Simple Tactics to Build On
Special librarians’ best networking options begin outside the library. Stephen Abram offers a roadmap for client engagement via many channels and moments.
Part Three: Client Engagement in Special Libraries—What are the skills and competencies for engagement?
Stephen Abram explains what is needed for success and where to focus your professional development in order to increase client engagement in special libraries.
Part Two: Client Engagement in Special Libraries—Tracking and engaging your clients
Stephen Abram explains how in special libraries, using a CRM platform helps to pull together your knowledge of your clients and colleagues.
Part One: Client Engagement in Special Libraries—What is it?
Stephen Abram explores the difference between a Special librarian and an Information Professional what that means for client engagement. (Part 1)
Earning the Right to Give Advice
Sometimes it is difficult to offer guidance confidently, yet it is our obligation to do so. In this post, Stephen offers his thoughts on why and how to begin.
Part 3: 33 Tips to Increase Innovation Capacity in your Library
Part 3/3: Stephen give the final ten tips (and a bonus) on how librarians can increase their capacity for innovation.
Part 2: 33 Tips to Increase Innovation Capacity in your Library
The second post in this series, Stephen shares 22 of his 33 tips for increasing innovation capacity in your special library.
Part 1: 33 Tips to Increase Innovation Capacity in your Library
The first post in a series, Stephen shares 12 of his 33 tips for increasing innovation capacity in your special library.
Watching the Future: Tracking Library Trends
Stephen Abram shares what he uses to filter the fads from the trends, as well as what hot technologies he plans to continue tracking.
Curation: Buzzword or What?
The word ‘curator’ gets used too liberally to describe the stuff people do on the web and it dilutes and pollutes the professional things that librarians do.
Are Librarians Experts?
If librarians are experts, what are they experts at? Stephen Abram tackles this question.
Workplace Information Literacy: It’s Different
Stephen Abram looks at the need more discussion and study of the unique needs and challenges of increasing information literacy skills in the workplace.
Part Three: Working Across the Generations—Nobody Likes to be Labeled
The future belongs to those who develop the skills to engage about ideas and innovation, not just for millennials, but for all generations.
Part Two: Working Across the Generations
Stephen Abram offers some advice on how to bridge the generational gap for his baby boomer peers who are working with younger generations of Librarians.
Part One: Working Across the Generations—Getting Over the Hump
Graduates who have started on the path to great librarianship but struggle with finding their footing in teams have something in common with camels.