Dear Visitors,

LibrarySupportStaff.com is owned and maintained by Mary Niederlander.
I was a Library Technician, who worked in a Buffalo, NY - Hospital Medical Library.
I had been employed in that job since March 1983. 

Update: as of January 1, 2005, I am Retired!!
Also: Kent Slade interviewed me for the November 2004 issue of Associates
I had not revealed to anyone, and not during the interview, that I was considering retirement in the New Year.
But while the decision to retire was difficult, I do feel it is the right decision for my family and me.
I plan on continuing with this website, but for the immediate future...I just won't be spending as
much time working on it.

What's the "motivation" behind this site?

Well, as a member of a few listservs, I often noted that folks sought web addresses, information, etc.
I enjoy the "hunt" for information via the Internet, so I would gather up the URL's or information, and 
post it to those lists. I also received quite a bit of email asking for individual assistance.

I always saved all the information that I would gather. 
I also had a personal collection of "library links",
that I have  been collecting,  since I began surfing the net in the early 1990's.
I posted " that collection" on my geocities website and called it "The LibMary".
In "The LibMary" - I had a "support staff" collection of links - 
that were meant to be a page(s) that would interest staff and I wanted to showcase
other staffer's websites, and talents away or off the job. I wanted "professionals", to see
the potential of this side of the library workroom - through other paraprofessional eyes & words.

Unfortunately - The LibMary, & its staff pages - were just another grain of sand on the Net's Beaches.
I was told by many - that Support Staff, had neither the time, nor a real interest in such information.

At about the same time, there were 2 folks who decided, that perhaps there was a "need" and "interest".
Walt Nickeson and Martha Parsons - created a website on the University of Rochester's (NY)
server - and named it "The Library Support Staff Resource Center".
That site was a tremendous resource, with documents, history, helpful sites for on the job, links to
personal websites of library paraprofessionals and much, much more.
"But" the one thing it had that was "not" wonderful - was its web address. It was long and changed a
couple of times. If folks didn't have it bookmarked, just trying to remember the "base" url - was difficult.
So - I would watch as person after person would request info about that URL or ask - what page or resources
they could find certain answers.

Over the years,
I kept thinking - why can't there be "ONE" easy to remember URL/web address - where "all" the website
links, that could or would be useful to support staff could be located. All someone had to do was type
"library support staff" or library paraprofessional into a "search engine" and perhaps that "one" easy
spot would come up in the first few hits. The LSSRC did appear often at the top of most search 
inquiries, but unless you remembered to "bookmark" the page..you soon forgot the URL.
My original reasoning was - why not take my Library Link collection and "supplement" the content
of the LSSRC and put it on a site all its own - not connected to any organization, or influenced
by anyone else (but me). I could name it something that was simple -easy to spell, and no one else
had thought of that particular domain name. Some people didn't like the name "support staff", but since,
the LSSRC, and Libsup-L (the Support Staff listserv) - used that terminology - I felt it would be
the easiest to remember.

Putting together webpages of just links - is pretty easy - once you learn basic techniques,  & basics of html. 
I only needed to find a "home" for my "domain", and make a template or page layout for all the "links".
I found an inexpensive home, American Web Hosting, during the summer of 2000. I tried then to sort through
all the stuff I had. And I also dug up - many of the email/listserv answers and resources I had provided,
over the years to other staff. I had so much, so many links, so much information, that "I" thought was "useful".
I couldn't weed, I just wanted to "share" all my found goodies from the Internet.

This led to lots of work, figuring out how to post it all in a somewhat organized site. The pages were/are long,
and even a bit overwhelming - groaning with more info than most folks could ever digest. Since the web is ever changing and the links to information, I feel that by offering many links even to the same/similar information, gives you the option of linking to another choice, when one choice comes up "empty" or no longer there.

I managed to create a site template, using Xara  software, and prepared to post my first 50 pages.
Just a few weeks before going "live", Walt Nickeson, stepped down from his role with the LSSRC, and Martha Parsons worked on having the site moved from New York, to a server home in her state of Washington. 
So at that time visitors trying to access the content and pages of the LSSRC got a message - about the impending "move". 
I was thinking - I wanted my site to "supplement" the LSSRC and I had links to lots of their inside pages
and I expected folks to "search" within my pages to find the Links to those LSSRC inside sites.
Now, everyone was going to be getting those "closed" for the moment signs!
What to do??
Since I pay for this web space and I had paid for the domain name,
I chose to go live, and hoped that the LSSRC would soon be back in business, ready for linking**.
(** Please Note:  the LSSRC site's previous pages are on the server of Highline Community College, and unfortunately no longer maintained/updated since being moved from the U of R's website url) - 
Some content - such as the  Library Technician Programs Listing is now updated and posted on COLT's website)
 For the most current information and resources about Support Staff issues and/or programs, 
please refer to either COLT or ALA's roundtable for Support Staff LSSIRT

Another motivation for this site - is my belief, that for too long - the Library Web sites that exist for those
who "work" in Libraries were created and geared for/by the "Librarian" - the Administrators, the Managers.
Support Staff and Librarians rarely shared websites that they had found to be useful etc. 
The thoughts at the time were that only "Librarian's" answered Reference questions, decided policies,
or even had access to the Internet - for work related reasons.
Most paraprofessionals were supposed to be working behind, the scenes, NOT surfing the net. 
There were exceptions of course, and many parapro's were allowed
to dialog on Listservs and ask for help from others in the Library community.
And there were/are:
Many, many people who work/worked on Support Staff issues, and for our interests. 
Library Inhouse Groups, State, & City groups, and Organizations (COLT),
a Support Staff Listserv, a Round Table of the American Library Association,
and the "print" publication for Staff "Library Mosaics"
and a Electronic Newsletter (Associates) were created and are still thriving.
Local and National conferences, seminars, learning sessions, just for support staff, were begun in the 1980's.
But all of this wasn't known on a "world wide" level until the Internet and email were commonplace
in Libraries. 

I wanted "one" Internet watering hole - where things that We "ALL" should know about , could be found,
and be a start point to finding information.

I see *NO* difference in what a "Professional Librarian" can read or discover about Library work, 
and what a "Paraprofessional", can read/discover. 
The more you know, the more you know.
Learning new skills, technologies, finding a particular resource, reference answer, etc. - should be easy
and accessible for ALL staff.
Libraries today need a skilled, intelligent, capable, and happy workforce.
Patrons who come into our library should be able to be helped or assisted in their information needs,
by any worker that they approach. That library worker should know - how best to meet that person's needs.
If that means referring to another staff member - a librarian or paraprofessional - then they should be, able
to make that decision or assist the patron on the spot.
And people working behind the scenes, who rarely may have patron contact, should be able to know about all the procedures, policies, and workflows of their library. 
All library employees, should be able to find  examples of other libraries: 
policies & procedures, job descriptions, competencies, and read about News, Advances & Trends in the Library community, etc.
Improving their own jobs, their own procedures, etc., should be a right of any library worker.
No matter what job you do, or position title you hold, in a Library - 
I believe - knowing and having access to information that, can Impact your Job and Library in a "positive" way - 
is in the Best Interest of  "EveryONE"!!

Development and Growth in all library jobs, should be accessible to all of us, as well. 
NO One benefits in dead end jobs, or jobs,  that don't test/use our skills, our potential, our interests or our education (all levels of education).
This website is about - ACCESS - finding those "links" that will benefit, educate and illuminate you, for the betterment of YOU and Your workplace.
When employees feel confident in their skills, and are supported in their development of new skills - most workers and their workplaces will flourish.
I want you to leverage the power of the Internet to  your advantage.
I want you to find information & resources that will empower you to become the best that you can be.

My version of a "disclaimer"
Owning the domain name, and maintaining the site on my own, in my free time, away from my library day job - also allows me to sprinkle this site with my "own" spin, my "own" take on things. I can add things that "I" find fun, free, interesting, practical or that I just feel like adding for no reason at all.
Anywhere on this site, that includes "my own" words - should be taken and considered, as that only.
They are just "my" own thoughts or ideas. I am NOT speaking for anyone else, or reflecting the views of my employer, or co-workers. 
Whenever "words" or "descriptions" taken/copied from other sites that they link back to, are included - they are meant to be taken as "descriptive" only - and informational.
I can not vouch for everything that others who are describing or giving information about their site, software or
information that they are providing.

If I have a "personal" opinion, I will try to note or implicate that "I" am personally commenting about a site,
or product or information.
I also can not  vouch for "every" site that I Link to.
Remember much of this site is  a "Link Collection" of Library oriented pages, or Sites that I have gathered that "I" found interesting or useful.
Sometimes domain names  are sold or change hands, or completely disappear.
Websites can and often do the following ~
Change their link addresses, themes, content, ideas, pricing, availabilty & access to content, etc. 
If any link leads to "objectionable" content, or advertising.
Please understand that my "original" visit to the site and link to it's url - was intended for leading to, or providing "good" or quality information.
I appreciate and invite - comments, and corrections to any links that are posted on site.

I hope that visitors to this site will visit some of the wealth of sites out on the net -  that will educate them on just about
everything Library related and much more!
Enjoy your visit.

Sincerely,
Mary Niederlander
 

About page updated: November 6, 2003

Please feel free to let me know your comments
on these pages.
Contact, Me ~ Mary Niederlander
via e-mail, write to: Mary@LibrarySupportStaff.com
THANK YOU!!