Sabbatical Blog

  I have had a few questions about my work and intentions during my  sabbatical  (fall 2022), so here is a quick outline of what I am currently planning.    First, please keep me included in email lists for Teams, meetings, and general information. It will keep me informed so that when spring 2023 arrives, I will have some knowledge of the happenings that have occurred during fall 2022 in the library. One of my “fundamental cares” is to be fully informed, so this request leads to fulfilling this fundamental care.   My  sabbatical  work will be focused on: The development of an Information Literacy (IL) book that outlines IL as a Discipline. Guided by conversations over the last year or so with colleagues, scholars, researchers, and other academics across the globe, this project has emerged as a potential publication. We have written an NEH (National Endowment of the Humanities) grant for the projec...

 Week 1- Sabbatical Figuring out how to manage time and projects to be attentive to the focus provided during the sabbatical. What are the primary deliverables?  

 Sabbatical at the one-month anniversary is a new space for managing projects, timelines, and schedules. I feel like I have a bit of rhythm to my days by allowing time for exercise (self-care), mindfulness, and thinking to allow for innovative and creative thought.  Running (jogging) has been something that has not been part of my routine for some time, and during this first month of sabbatical, I make time to include a run most days.  Cross-training with some relaxed biking, walking, swimming, short yoga stretching sessions and gardening are part of the first month of sabbatical exercise options that have been embraced.  I keep it very flexible with no self-imposed expectations of a schedule or routine.  The weather might impact the exercise or some other commitment - but doing something active every day is what I look forward to and plan for - at some point in the day. I've recommitted to my daily morning devotions which help to set the tone and confidence to ...

 Just thinking that I'm totally enjoying a relaxing Saturday to sort of take care of some loose ends. Last Saturday I had a jogging accident and dislocated my right shoulder - very inconvenient. But, this Saturday I'm enjoying time to regroup, plan, and do some reframing from the week's meetings and follow-ups that are needed. I also love the sabbatical time to allow time for considering, processing, and percolating on topics and interwoven elements for projects that ARE better, with time to sort of ponder and meander around rather than jump and race to potential "fixes" or plans, or other types of "expected' responses.   The sabbatical leaves room for thoughtful (meaningful) extrapolations of ideas and notions that are interrelated and significant.  Without TIME for this kind of reflection, we may lose opportunities for connections and more impactful connections of thoughts, research, and scholarship that are truly inspirational and significant in our ar...

Patience Learning how to be patient with oneself and others. Learning how to let a dislocated shoulder (did I mention my recent jogging accident) heal. Not the relocation of the shoulder (thank you GREAT ER doctors) but the soft tissue damage that takes TIME to repair. Our son laughed with me recently as I shared this dislocated shoulder dilemma, and HOW one must allow time to heal.  There is no substitute for time.  I find this is also true for moving IL as a Discipline forward. (ILIAD) Certain elements are needed for this to be understood, embraced, and integrated into thinking and explicated more certainly in the curriculum. However, it takes time. Just like the soft tissues in my shoulder cannot be fast-forwarded for healing and restoration- nor can the identity of IL as a Discipline be embraced in a fast-forward kind of way. We all need time to process, and explore how this looks in various scenarios of curricula development, institutional conversations, and ways to bette...

This is the last week of October 2022. I'm ending the second month of my sabbatical term and feel like I have a good rhythm - in some ways- and less so in others. Sabbatical is supposed to provide some relaxation- some rest. This article ( https://millie.us/summer-2022 /) by Brienne Walsh in the publication MILLIE   titled: Gap Years for Grown Ups , reminds us that this break from work was established by Harvard University in 1880, for scholars to pursue research, writing, and potentially travel needed to pursue scholarly work. The concept of a sabbatical is based on the Biblical agricultural concept of a break for rest and recovery ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbatical ). An academic sabbatical can be for a term or a full year, but the intent is for normal academic daily duties to cease and for research and writing to continue during this break.  It has been agreed amongst experts that traveling or taking a break can boost creativity and when in a relaxed state the capac...

 Thinking about ways to integrate Information Literacy into our everyday kinds of information use conversations. Meaning...(credit to Dr. Shelly Buchanan) is it as simple as defining Information Literary as information use? The more I think about Information Literacy and how to talk about IL the more I find this very insightful and simple way to assist this notion of IL as Discipline to be realized. Good research distills complex ideas into simple terms and ways of understanding and I believe Dr. Buchanan has identified this phenomenon very succinctly for us - academics, researchers, scholars, and practitioners. Can we talk about IL as a Discipline (ILIAD) in simple terms of information use - HOW users engage with and USE information as needed? This could be academic, everyday, workplace, health, visual, media, news, or some other type of IL disciplinary application.  

  Today - let's just be happy! Working more on LRRT stuff, and ILIAD stuff, but mostly just thinking that I took time to make some AMA|ZING chocolate chip pumpkin bread! Be grateful!

 Attending conferences during sabbatical I found to be inspiring and provided some new contacts, conversations and enlargement of ideas that had been percolating. The FACRL conference was virtual and did not require funding since I am an ALA member and there is recoprocity with FACRL. The Charleston Conference I funded privately Both of these experiences were fruitful for professional development and new opportunities for thoughtful conversations and understandings to emerge. Here are some highlights and takeaways. FACRL Keynote- Dr. John Burgess on Moral Courage Session- OER for Academic Librarians  Charleston Keynotes- Short Sessions-

Annapolis, Maryland - My beautiful place I spent a week with my soon-to-be 90-year-old Dad. A retired Navy Captain who lives minutes from the Naval Academy.  He taught me about sailing, how to navigate, respect, and love our waterways. My grandfather - on my Mom's side also taught me about the love and respect of our waterways and their great contributions to our lives and livelihoods. The Chesapeake Bay, Rappahannock River and others that provide passage and economic opportunities taught me to appreciate the hardworking  Americans that have invested in our safe and prospering waterman and seafood industries in our rich American waters and lands. I know that he loves this beautiful country as do I.   I was pleased to have time during my sabbatical to be with him after his heart surgery and learn about what he plans to do with his sailboat. He wants to donate his boat to a non-profit. I LOVE this.   His boat is his heart, and his desire is to donate it to ot...

I have about 2.5 weeks left for my sabbatical work. How does that look and what are my goals? Firstly, sabbatical leave has been very ... lovely. For thought, creative energy, project focus, and productivity. In the next 2.5 weeks I hope to re-engage thought and process development into my thinking for future work. I intend to also address areas that I have had time to identify (with time to step away) for personal growth, and professional forward thinking and establishing more specific guidelines. I have also identified, during this "fallow time" (see One Month Reflection blog post) my own inadequacies and smallness. I intend to be proactive to address these areas in my current environment in a better way going forward. I can share that sabbatical leave - after various and impactful professional pursuits over time- has proven to be beneficial personally, professionally, and ultimately gratifying to my academic organization.  

Information Literacy Is A Discipline What does this look like going forward? This logo intends to present an image that represents and speaks to something that is complicated but can also be unraveled or revealed. This discipline is experienced worldwide and as all disciplines, is a global phenomenon.  

 It it sad to close this small chapter of my life. Sabbatical leave has been a unique and wonderful experience. This time away from the details of everyday worklife, has provided opportunity to refresh, reflect, reimagine and be reinvogorated for future projects and work relevant to the IL community and my college community writ large. I find more energy, enthusiasm, and patience for the everydayness types of demands.  Having the opportunity to attend a faculty contract bargaining session (Thank you Kerri Smith, UFF President,  for this insightful and thoughtful invitation for faculty to attend) was a great way to re-connect in a casual manner with other faculty, and get my prox card working!  This casual but impactful re-introduction time after sabbatical I would suggest was serendipitous.  Conversations with math faculty, psychology, education, english, health science and others was a significant way to slowly re-engage in our college community.  I came a...

  Heading into the last week or so of sabbatical I have several goals. Relax Pritoritize Remember what was learned during sabbatical leave Next steps There are many tasks vying for attention. However, remembering to prioritzie and listen intetionally to various thoughts is crucial for effectively moving forward. I look forward to Spring Term 2023 and what opportunties are waiting.

 How to approach the sabbatical application - learning the process, the conversations, the responses, and persistence.