Spectrum PR Column
October 1998
Making the Message Clear
Carol Bredemeyer, Salmon P. Chase College of Law Library, Northern Kentucky University (Highland Heights, KY).
AALL Spectrum, Volume 3 No. 2 October 1998, p. 6.
No one will dispute the fact that communication skills are a necessity for today’s librarians. Writing and speaking ability are important, but the language of the message is equally important. For years, we have read arguments for the use of plain English by lawyers. How are we doing in that regard?
Like most disciplines, library science has its own vocabulary, not to mention acronyms. When you write reports to the powers that be, do you describe library operations in plain English? If you use terminology the boss is not familiar with, will they ask you about it or just glaze over that portion of your report.
Some of you who attended the Annual Meeting in Anaheim had to submit a report on your attendance to a non-librarian supervisor. Did you mention the name of the organization (this applies to any meeting you attend) and how many members attended the meeting? You should also find a way to let your boss know that your learning occurs at places beyond the educational programs. Perhaps it’s the conversation at your table at the President’s Luncheon, an SIS roundtable, or in the Exhibit Hall. For example, at a recent luncheon meeting, I learned that while some of the local law firms have the latest versions of computer hardware and software, others are just migrating to Windows. This is information our students need to know as they search for jobs; it is information we can include in research classes and in computer lab training sessions.
If you are communicating on technology issues, try to keep the message at your boss’ level of expertise if it is not as high as yours. Technology is one area where for many of us our knowledge is self-taught. We sometimes lose sight of the fact that others’ learning curves and priorities are not the same as ours. You may find that you need more knowledge about technology to fully understand the MIS people in your organization.
There are special communication opportunities for those who are the first librarian in their organization. This also applies if you follow someone who has not utilized the full potential of the library. You will be under special scrutiny in these situations and your ability to communicate what you are doing and how you are being a good steward of the organization’s money will be keys to your success in the organization.
Good librarians know that learning never stops. In addition to the new things we learn every day while doing Reference work, we must continue to seek out new information in any area that affects our organization. Read the publications your boss reads - it will broaden your horizons beyond libraries. Just as attorneys are seeking more and more non-legal information, we are going to have to have some basic knowledge in non-legal areas. Read the local business magazines or newspapers. Scan the newsletters that the attorneys or professors read. You could make a goal to review particular web sites each work or each month. The more knowledge you have, the more informed your message can be.
Last Updated: January 28, 2003
©
2003, American Association of Law Libraries
AALLNET is hosted in cooperation with Washburn
University School of Law