Holiday Greetings and 2014 Goals

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Happy Holidays!

This holiday season and my 50th birthday have prompted me to examine my professional goals. Because I believe that being an African American male librarian is somewhat  "radical," I still have professional goals that the support my mission: to encourage patrons to establish critical relationships with information and the information economy.

In other words, I think being a librarian means more than providing access to information or finding the right answers for patrons. I think librarians are collaborators. Public library librarians collaborate with their community to provide spaces and expertise that enhance the social, political, and economic status of community members. Academic librarians collaborate with students, staff, and faculty to help create and disseminate new information (research) and to support other educational goals.

Within that context, I have several goals for 2014.  This list isn't complete.

1. EDUCATION
I will enter a doctoral program in Education. I think the tools I gain from earning a doctorate will enhance my information literacy sessions. My teaching methods will most likely improve because I will learn different theories about teaching and learning. I may even parlay this credential with the third goal below.

2. SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING
I will publish at least one article. Although this isn't an official requirement for my present position, I think publishing at least one article in a peer-reviewed journal will help establish my professional reputation and allow me to extend my ideas beyond this blog.

3. ENTREPRENEURSHIP
I will become a part-time independent contractor. I think I have the skills to make money during the thing I love: research and business consultations.  Of course, I have to research the market and discover ways to distinguish myself from potential competitors. But I think I can do just that.

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I don't think these are overly ambitious professional goals. I think it is a matter of creating objectives that facilitate this goals.

2014 looks very promising.







Images use is in accordance with United States Copyright laws. I do not claim ownership to any image.

Image 1: http://delsurfoundation.org/goals/
Image 2: http://strategyleadershipmissionimpact.blogspot.com/2012/04/goal-setting-primer.html