Greetings to all.

This is my first venture in blogging and trying something new (to me). I do not recall making this a New Year’s resolution. It is more or less now that I have had a couple of years under my belt working for EBSCO, I feel a little more confident in taking on new ventures. I opted to call my blog “Tales from a Traveling Librarian” because that is what I do on a weekly basis, minus a Bookmobile. I am a librarian who works on the vendor side of the business, helping librarians. (More on this, in my next post.)

I suppose I should start with a little professional background on me, for those of you who do not know me. Others can vouch that I have “been around” the library biz for a while. I came to Kansas City from Wisconsin (library graduate of UW-Madison) after I landed my first library job at UMKC at the Dental School Library. From there, it was science reference librarian at UMKC, reference librarian at APWA: American Public Works Association (where I was first introduced to SLA), library manager at Bethany Medical and corporate librarian at Nicholson Kovac Advertising Agency.

I became active at SLA and the old Heart of America Chapter (now KWM Chapter) when Angela Anthony, library director at APWA encouraged Ellen Summers and myself to work with her on the chapter newsletter. She concluded that many hands would make light a load. She was right. It still was a lot of work, but each of us brought our strength in different areas to the newsletter. This was back when we had to print and mail out the newsletter. Since then I have served in other chapter positions, Secretary (I think!), Chapter President, Awards committee and now, Programming and Blogging. I hate to say it, but I cannot remember all the positions I have held for this Chapter. However, the benefits of getting to know my fellow librarians out weighs the extra work I did for the chapter.

So what can you expect from my posts? Good question. Standard reply is “Let me do research on that and get back to you!” However, I can tell you want you will NOT see here:

• Any sort of gossip or rumors about my company. Those things they request I keep confidential I do so. Sorry you will have to find another source for the rumor mill.
• This is not a marketing blog for my company. I do not plan to make this an advertising spot to “buy our products.” If you want more information, type in EBSCO on the web. You will do just fine.
• No naming names or clients. That should be obvious, but since I have seen examples of naïveté in cyberspace, I felt it should be stated.

As for what you will see in this blog space, I have a few ideas. One near and dear to me is answering the question: What is it I do for EBSCO? You would not believe how many friends, family and even fellow librarians have asked me that question. Another blog idea is one on e-readers, and perhaps what am I hearing that concerns librarians the most in my five state territories. That is what I have been kicking around.

Meanwhile, it is back on the road.

Carol Doms