Introduction to the NTK

Like most first weeks, this has been a whirlwind. From trying to get to know everyone to getting introduced to some of the projects I am going to be working on, at points it has been overwhelming. Yet, I am extremely glad that I am going to be able to take advantage of this opportunity, because I think the NTK has a unique experience to provide me. Not only am I going to be able to work on traditional library projects (or at least traditional in the sense of the modern library), but I am also going to get extensive experience with international patrons (and co-workers), and I have a mentor that understands management is what I want to do, so she’s trying to help me learn the difference from my previous management experience and that in a library.

Day 1

After my arrival to the library, I was given a brief tour of the six-story building with the promise of a more comprehensive overview later on. The building the NTK currently resides in opened in 2009 and is bustling with students as this is the last week of classes before exams. I then had a quick sit-down with my mentor, as we have finally met in person after almost nine months of correspondence. The organized part of the day then got underway, with an English presentation course, lunch, conversation class, and an organizational overview of the library itself and how libraries in general throughout the Czech Republic function. There were hints at some of the projects I might be working on, but they did not want to overwhelm me. Now, that being said, I was definitely overwhelmed when I left early that afternoon, but I was also excited.

Here are some thoughts I had throughout the day:

I knew that I was going to be part of an English conversation class, but it looks like I may be in multiple. If nothing else, Stephanie is keen on giving me social interactions, which I greatly appreciate.
An English Presentation Class is an interesting offer, but I understand the need. It is odd to think that not everyone at the university speaks Czech though. One of the two students in the course is Serbian and speaks no Czech. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one.
Have you ever had an hour of free form conversation? It is definitely an interesting experience. We went from dorm living (Czech vs. U.S.) to the history of comic books and their convoluted universes. It was interesting to learn that most people here only know of Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man (or, at least, the gentlemen I was speaking with). Next week should be more structured, or, in the very least, have a specific topic, but I think the free form style may actually be better.
Apparently, the Czech Republic has such a low unemployment rate due to the problem of overstaffing. Well, it’s not a problem per se, but it definitely is a unique issue. What wouldn’t American librarians do to have a staff of 155? Or 500? This, from what I have learned, is the case in many public sector positions in the country.

Day 2

I want to keep a bit of a set schedule for myself, so that I cover all the hours I need to and that I have an established routine. Therefore, I am starting each day checking my agenda, emails, and items I didn’t get to the day before. Even after my first day, I still had things I hadn’t gotten to. Stephanie and I discussed some issues the library is trying to address when it comes to their students and she gave me some reading to give me some context on the European instead of the American approaches I am used to. Some of the other, smaller projects have provided me some work too. So, I went and overviewed everything after work on Monday and came in with questions this morning. I think this was helpful because, once Stephanie got in, she pulled me in to give me a managerial rundown and to discuss some of the projects I’m going to be getting into.

I spent much more time at my desk today, trying to get a handle on some organizational things. Still, I attended an English Scientific Writing Course, grabbed a beer with some people in informatics, and had a discussion with a Russian PhD candidate about two projects we will be working on together (one dealing with information literacy and another dealing with the development of the NTK’s new CRM system).

Here are some thoughts on my day:

Managerial Notes: Check emails prior to coming into work so you can check in on issues and address new ones. Medical and Personal issues become your problem when it comes to your employees, so you need to know how to handle them so it doesn’t disrupt or make difficult anyone’s work, especially the employee involved. Long-term projects can lead to long-term relationships, so you need to be able to cultivate a good atmosphere with people. Project consultation can become a part of your job so that people on the project can get a fresh perspective (this seems to be what I will be doing in the CRM project).
One of the hardest things to accomplish as librarians transition from traditional librarianship to information professionals (an uphill battle here, it seems) is the true exchange of information. This is convoluted even further in a system that functions so heavily on the inter-cultural exchange.
Sometimes being the new mind is helpful. This long-term information project, I think, could prove helpful as a reference exercise (as I have little experience with STEM sources) AND for the colleague. We will be learning together, it seems. I know, from just his notes, I have some homework ahead of me. I am already full of questions and we haven’t even broached the topic yet.
Is the academic world language English? Presentation courses, scientific writing courses, conversations classes, and writing courses are offered here for students to improve their English. Is this just a choice of language or a necessity for the world at large? Several comments about the versatility of this university could be made due to this. I mean, even my office largely communicates in Czech and English (as not all of us speak Czech).
Is it easier to teach ESL when the instructor is a non-native English speaker? It seems like their experience would help them teach better, especially if their native language is similar to their students’ native languages.

Day 3

I started my day with the quest of discovering, understanding, and being able to explain Impact Factor. This endeavor was interrupted by Alexey, my Russian colleague, and his promise of coffee. Seriously, who would turn down a trip down to the first floor cafe to enjoy a cappuccino with fresh cinnamon? This was directly after being invited by Isabella, a Spanish colleague, to join her after work for a beer (she’s inviting her Czech colleagues). I like this mixing of cultures, because it has led to some interesting perspectives and ways of thinking on things that I had not considered. The prospect of not eating alone all the time is also quite nice.

But, back to Impact Factor. This is apparently how Czech researchers evaluate the integrity of other researchers. In the material I was provided, things like H-Indexing and Citation Scores were grouped with them. It seems though that Impact Factor, at least for STEM researchers in Czechia is the big thing. I was surprised, as a researcher, that I had never heard of this measurement. In some of these materials, I may have discovered why though. Historians often use H-Indexing or other types of citation scores, while Impact Factor seems to be a bit more complicated. The median Impact Factor for history journals is only 0.321, which is very low, as the median Impact Factor for science journals looks to be just above a 14. I suppose this comes with the territory of research being accessed and what is used to determine these scores. Many of the journals discussed are indexed in Web of Science or Scopus, which, admittedly, would not have many history journals located in them, no matter how reputable.

Much of my time in the office today has been at my desk, trying to garner the knowledge I am going to need to function well here and in a continued effort to get organized. Now, this does not mean that I haven’t been out and about. It is nice to have the freedom of getting up and moving about whenever I feel the need. Early this morning, I just took a walk about the library, just because I felt like it and I needed to get out of my chair. Then, I walked and discussed things with Alexey for a morning coffee. At 1300, I was supposed to take a tour of campus with Kyriaki, my Greek colleague. While we walked part of campus, we spent the better part of two hours having discussions about the world over coffee. I think I could get used to this kind of approach to work. At one point, I feel like I am not being productive, but at another point, I feel like I am getting so much from my experience.

Sadly, there was a mix up in our meeting place after work. So, I again, dined alone, but I have confidence that this will not always be the case. I got some more reading done at dinner. Today has been a day of reading, as there were no scheduled meetings, Stephanie was crazy busy, and I have a lot of information to catch up on.

Here are some thoughts on the day:

“The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity” comprehensively addressee the need for research communities to standardize, in an ethical way, the ideas of integrity and fairness in research. While this is all well and good, how do we address issues that students don’t seem to grasp? Their lack of knowledge about academic integrity? Or plagiarism?
How are books organized here? I do not recognize the call numbers to be in any sort of system I know of.
I thought I would only learn about Czech culture and history, but an international team comes with an international perspective. Long breaks and good conversations seem to be a norm here.
The layout of the CRM Platform (customized from an open source tool) looks simple enough, but I will definitely need to have discussions with Alena and Alexey to get a better understanding about how each section is supposed to function. This will garner a further understanding so I can provide my point of view AND help plan the rollout of the platform to the NTK.
Trying to get on the same page as everyone else is proving to be a task, but I’m also loving all of the reading. It’s giving me an interesting glance into culture from a strictly academic perspective.

Day 4

I started the day a little earlier than normal, making it to the library around 915, because I knew most of my day was freeform, with only one afternoon meeting. My hopes here was to dig a little more into the readings that I have been suggested. I have an informal sit-down with Sasha soon, who is the director in the services portion of the NTK and co-manages services with my mentor. He has previous experience with the NTK, through his doctoral work, so he’s a great one to learn some history about the library prior to being re-affiliated with the universities here. The NTK was once the STK and housed where the National Library now resides. After looking at a beautiful videos (and not understanding a single word, as it is fully in Czech) and reading two papers Sasha has co-authored, I may begin to understand his reason for returning to the NTK and the place I can play here at the library.

Once I got through these articles, I went through a bit more correspondence I needed to read more carefully. I am currently working to coordinate a second conversation class for the summer with students that were in the English Presentation course through the semester that is currently coming to an end. After getting to a point of inability to concentrate, I took a trip down to the cafe, grabbed a cappuccino, and took a nice twenty minute or so walk. Seriously, being able to do things like this is such a nice luxury. I have returned to my desk to go through more materials prior to an English Writing Course at 1415, which will be followed by an information session with a colleague about the CRM project I am working on. Then, I’ll finish the day trying to take in more information.

Today saw thoughts on such as things as: the manager handles which you wouldn’t necessarily think goes in the information profession (and sometimes doesn’t); security can destroy the concept of “office hours”; all aspects of this internship can open to new opportunities; and new opportunities can reveal things you didn’t know about yourself.

Day 5

As the week comes to an end, I have discovered that I keep getting here earlier and earlier, but that is because I actually like coming to work. Having the luxury of creating your own hours, when you actually like coming to work, is a nice to just get more. Now, I will have to restrain myself from my workaholic tendencies. Today I just have one meeting, regarding the CRM platform with the entire team, but I am, of course, still getting up to speed. I have a few readings I would definitely like to get through and then some paperwork I need to work on for the states.

Some thoughts from the last day of my first week:

I have noticed that I have a horrible habit of just sitting for hours on end trying to be productive. In an attempt to remedy this, I have been trying to find different places to do work and just get up and move around. I was actually running stairs earlier.
I will need to remember IDOS when I travel later on in life. With an impromptu trip to Dresden planned for Saturday, it was nice to see my colleagues jump in and help me make sure I had everything squared away. IDOS will look up all transit in the Czech Republic for you.
One of the most important things I have learned in my career: use your contacts and don’t be afraid to simply ask. In the CRM project, many of the aspects they are trying to highlight remind me of interfaces I have used. I have access to some but not others. So, I shook the contact tree, and hopefully something will come of it.

All-in-all, I had a great and informative first week full of great food, great people, and great times at the library. I may change up the way I present things in the future to have more readable posts, as I think this one is probably on the long-ish side, but experimenting with the presentation of information is kind of part of the reason I’m currently in school.