As of June 15, 2022, we have $939.30 in our account – $646.38 from community funding and $292.92 in our vested funds.
Community funding comes from the STC office, based on SIG membership numbers. We must use these funds during the calendar year or forfeit them. On the other hand, vested funds come from income we have generated from any paid events we host. These funds can carry over year after year.Continue reading “IDL SIG Treasurer Report – 2022 Q2”
[Abstract: I’m here to revise the librarian stereotype. You might find out that you’re more like a librarian than you realize!]
I recently joined a lively online discussion about librarians. A hiring manager had asked in a forum whether librarians know enough about technology to be successful technical communicators. The question caused a stir–responses went on for days! Some people commented that librarians are smart, but they’re not interested in computers. I’m a librarian, so I had to jump in.
Library and information science degrees can launch careers in education, law, data science, business intelligence, and more, but the classic librarian stereotype persists. Plenty of people still picture that cardigan-clad woman cradling an armful of old books. I’ve been known to wear a cardigan, but I rely on computers. Technology allows me to use a learner-centered approach when I teach. I posted to the online forum about what today’s librarians do, and I cited a few sources for further reading. (Of course I cited sources! After all, I’m a librarian.) Continue reading “Shhh… Listen to How this Stereotypical Librarian Teaches with Tech”
Welcome to the Q1 2020 edition of IDeaL: Design for Learning!
The past few months have been disruptive for all of us. I have been working at home for the past two weeks and likely will for the foreseeable future. I’m sure many of you are in the same boat.
In addition, the STC itself is moving into uncharted waters with the Summit moving from in-person to virtual. Phylise Banner has asked for the help of the IDL SIG to make this virtual conference the best ever! If you’d like to volunteer to help, please contact her.
This will be my last issue as managing editor. Next quarter, I will hand the reins over to Paul Scott. Paul has been a technical writer for over 20 years. He works as a freelance writer and consultant in Silicon Valley, working with tech and biotech clients.
It has been a pleasure editing your newsletter and I hope I have left it in better shape than I found it. I will be working with Paul as needed over the next three months as we get Q2 shaped up. Please help him out by submitting articles to newsletter@stcidlsig.org.
As a reminder, we welcome any of the following topics:
IDL practice
IDL theory
Reflexivity in IDL
The value of IDL to society and or industry
Career paths and progression in the field of IDL
Emerging technologies in IDL
Promotion of the IDL SIG
We have a short issue this quarter with just three articles.
Kelly Smith has been Managing Editor of the IDeaL newsletter since May 2018. She also serves as membership manager for her local chapter – STC Southeast Michigan. Kelly works as Senior Technical Writer at Dart Container in mid-Michigan and has been active in the STC since 2015. In her free time, Kelly is a quilter who enjoys quilt retreats and buying fabric.
People are working from home today like never before, thanks to the new global pandemic. I’m a consultant, so this is my normal. I’ve learned a few guidelines that make it easier for me, and I’m writing this to share them. I hope they’re helpful in the days ahead.
Make it a Place for Work
The thing about working from home is that it’s home. It’s where you relax, not where you work. It’s set up with all the things you use to get away from work: your hobbies, your games, your books, your Netflix.
To work, you need to set up a space separate from all that. Set up a space that feels like work, whatever that is. Best if it’s away from all those homely diversions. Put a door between all of that and you if you can, or turn your back to it at your kitchen table. But one way or another set up a space that is for work and work alone.
Dress the Part
It’s tempting to try to work in pajamas and bunny slippers, but that’s not the right mindset. You don’t need full office attire, but go for casual Friday. Be comfortable, but dress for work, not for home.
Create a “Work Day” Routine
Work gives you a built-in routine: Morning, lunch, afternoon, scheduled meetings. It helps you get things done, each in its proper time slot.
You don’t have to have the exact same routine at home as you do at the office. In fact you probably can’t. But build one of your own that works for you. Schedule email for one time, meetings for another (if possible). Make a slot in which to work on urgent projects and another to handle routine things. And stick to it as much as you can.
Minimize Distractions
In a sense, all of this is about limiting distractions. The workplace, the clothes, the routine are all about keeping yourself focused.
You need to also limit distractions from outside. Tell friends and family that you’re at work from 9 to 5, or whatever your schedule happens to be. They should treat that as they would any other work day and minimize their interruptions.
This is one of the hardest rules to enforce. There’s a natural difficulty in taking work from home as seriously as “official work” in, well, an office. So you need to take it seriously yourself, and enforce your boundaries with others.
Set Goals
You’ll have your assignments from work, but to hit your targets you’ll need to be more rigorous than you are in the office. Businesses like having their workers in the office because it makes it easier to manage and supervise them. At home, you need to manage yourself, and one way to do that is to set measurable goals.
The details will vary depending on your projects, but divide them up and make the parts your goals. Set a timeline and stick to it. It will make you much more productive.
This is how I do it. Working from home is challenging, but after all of the current business has passed I expect we’ll be doing a lot more of it.
Paul Scott
Paul is the new managing editor of IDeaL: Design for Learning and will take over as of the Q2 2020 issue. Welcome, Paul!
