Hi there! I had a really nice time presenting at the 2023 Computers in Libraries Conference this week. It was great to see so many wonderful people who have encouraged me in my career as a librarian. Many thanks to the amazing Jane Dysart and Brian Pichman. You two are amazing people and I thank you for the nudge you gave me in 2022 to get me back towards presenting at the amazing conferences that you both organize.
I had a lovely time connecting with so many great people and also learning so much from y’all. In no particular order, thank you to Jan Holmquist, Amanda Goodman, Erik Boekesteijn, Tom Bruno, Rebecca Jones, Lisa Carlucci, and so many others that I am forgetting for some great moments of fun and professional amazingness.
If you are interested in seeing what I presented about, my slides are below:
CREATIVE MAKING & MAKERSPACES: https://www.slideshare.net/JustinTheLibrarian/creative-making-makerspaces
“From Chattanooga Public Library as his first creative library in 2013 to 2 years working in New Zealand, Hoenke has come to learn that all areas of library service in the 21st century need creative thinkers and doers to continue to push the boundaries of what a library can be to a community ahead. Learn how to connect with, hire, and manage creative types; realize that everything we do in libraries these days involves some form of creativity or makerspace-type thinking (scissors=makerspace); see what it’s like to lead the first ever makerspace in Wellington, New Zealand, and more!”
USING CREATIVITY TO GROW & DEVELOP: https://www.slideshare.net/JustinTheLibrarian/using-creativity-to-grow-develop-1pptx
“Justin Hoenke shares his experiences moving from the super creative world of youth services in libraries to the still creative but not the same kind of creative world of leading a library. He discusses the pros and cons of moving into leadership and managing teams and how to use your creativity to engage your team and community.”
To end: I hope you enjoy this GIF of me doing some mid-presentation kung fu moves as I talk about how important it is to remember that at heart of all that we do in libraries are the amazing people in our community. Be well, and thank you for being in my life.
Justin The Librarian 