Creativity for Library Career Advancement

“Creativity is just connecting things,” observed Steve Jobs. In today’s diverse, ever-changing job market, creativity is more necessary than ever. In a profession offering a broad range of job opportunities, librarians are surrounded by myriad connections to be made. They are trained to recognize them.
This collection of new essays covers a wide spectrum of methods for cultivating creativity. Topics include learning through role-playing games, libraries as publishers, setting up and using makerspaces, developing in-house support for early-career staff, creating travelling exhibits, creative problem solving, and organizing no-cost conferences.

Vera Gubnitskaia has worked as a library manager, consultant, and reference librarian in public and academic libraries in Russia and the United States. During her career as a writer and editor, she 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.

Edited by Vera Gubnitskaia and Carol Smallwood
Foreword by Deb Biggs Tenbusch
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 264
Bibliographic Info: bibliographies, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7401-8
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3636-8
Imprint: McFarland

Foreword (Deb Biggs Tenbusch) 1
Preface 3
Part I. Nurture Your Mind
The Power of Incubation: Slowing Down to Speed Up Creativity (Jim Jipson and Kellie Sparks) 6
Two Worlds, One Outlet: Zine Making and Critical Reflection for Professional and Personal Development (Silvia Vong) 13
It’s in the Cards: Using Tarot Reading to Access Professional Creativity (Laura Wimberley) 29
Part II. Out of Comfort Zone
What Is Your Quest? Learning Through ­Role-Playing Games (Michael P. Buono) 36
Growth Lessons Learned from a ­One-Year Fellowship in a Nontraditional Library Environment (Dana E. Thimons) 43
Applying Improvisation in Libraries and Librarianship (Anthony Stamatoplos) 50
Let Your Voice Be Heard: Libraries as Publishers (Kathleen Christy) 58
Part III. Exercising Imagination Muscles The Art of ­Pseudo-Archives and Its Role in Advocacy (Anastasia S. ­Varnalis-Weigle) 66
Reinvention Through Necessity: One Librarian’s Evolution from ­One-Shots to ­For-Credit Teaching (Mary Todd Chesnut) 73
The Library as Laboratory: Using Makerspaces to Cultivate Organizational and Personal Creativity (Courtney McAllister and Christine R. Elliott) 81
Firing Up Personal Growth with the Spark of Creativity: How to Start a Creativity Group for Library Staff (Leslie A. Wagner) 88
Part IV. Writing and Publishing
Following in the Footprints of the Master (Detective) (Robert Perret) 98
Poets and Scholars: Foregrounding Librarians’ Creative Writing In
and Out of the University Classroom (Rochelle Smith) 104
The ­Tenure-Track Librarian as a Scholarly Researcher (Rachel K. Fischer) 110
The Writerly Librarian: Creativity and Writing (Addison Lucchi) 118
The Process of Research and Publication as a Tool for Personal
and Professional Growth (Astrid Oliver) 126
Part V. Innovative Business Practices
Small Steps, Big Impact: Professional and Personal Growth
and Development (Robin R. Breault, Brooke McDonald Shelton and James Ritter) 134
Transparency and Subterfuge: Encouraging Creativity in Academic Libraries (Jack Maness, Erin Elzi and Shannon Tharp) 144
Creative Accommodations: Finding the Best Solution for Library Employees with Invisible Disabilities (Joy M. Perrin and Carrye Kay Syma) 152
Contagious Creativity: Leveraging Staff Talents and Interest
to Find Career Satisfaction (Shelia Gaines and Casey Parkman) 158
Developing ­In-House Support for Early Career Staff (Paula Archey, Maggie Nunley and Erin E. Pappas) 165
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) 181
Artful Information: Lessons for Librarians from Visual Artists (Tim Gorichanaz) 189
Arts Enrichment for a Working Artist Librarian (Yolanda Poston) 195
Part VII. Partnerships, Collaborations and Networking
Finding Your Librarian Voice: Creative Ways to Get Involved
and Share Ideas (Holly Mills and Sharon Holderman) 202
Collective Creativity (Amy Gay and Kelsey George) 211
Around the State in Postcards: Creating Traveling Exhibits (Ruth Elder and Jana Slay) 219
Part VIII. Budget Matters
Creative Problem Solving in Libraries: Budgets, Staff and the Lack Thereof (Nora Franco and Marla Lobley) 228
Beyond the Boot Camp: ­No-Cost Conferences (Heather C. Seminelli) 238
About the Contributors 247
Index 253

• “An insightful collection…expertly organized and presented…an extraordinary, informative, comprehensive, and insightful contribution that is very highly recommended”—Midwest Book Review
• “A fun, engaging, and resourceful manual with innovative ideas to spark any librarian’s imagination.”—Andrew Hart, reference librarian, Ohio BWC Library, Columbus, Ohio
• “Want to know how to succeed in the library world, and enjoy it, read this anthology filled with ideas on incorporating creativity, with excellence in the profession.”—Nancy Richey, associate professor, Western Kentucky University
• “A guidebook for new and growing librarians towards a spectacular profession in a madly diversified world.”—Hong Cheng, librarian, UCLA, and president of the Society for Chinese Studies Librarians
• “Contains a great deal of advice for those who wish to step up and out in the profession, by utilizing their innate skills and interests!”—Larry Naukam, retired director of historical services, Rochester New York Public Library
• “Provides wonderful examples of how finding creative outlets and solutions not only make us interesting people, but also great librarians.”—Corey Seeman, director, Kresge Library Services, University of Michigan
• “Timely information for librarians during this era of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) and Makerspace movements.”—Linda Garrison, librarian, Canterbury School of Florida, Saint Petersburg, Florida
• “Both practical and inspiring, the collection so is wide-ranging that every librarian can find something to spark new approaches to work.”—Kathrine C. Aydelott, MLIS, PhD, head of Research & Learning Services, University of New Hampshire