History 21 The Podcast - 2.04 Erin’s First Anniversary
Erin McBrien returns to the podcast with ACHS Board Member, Steve Florman, to reflect on her one year anniversary working with the collection at the Anoka County Historical Society. How did Erin react to the (quite literally) dump truck-sized load of documents and photographs from Federal Cartridge to go through? What does Erin’s job have to do with a [19]80’s video montage? What surprised her most about being a “lone arranger”? This truly behind-the-scenes conversation will shed light on what goes into managing the collections at ACHS. Feel free to laugh along!
Hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
Part of the Dump Truck-Sized Collection
As the Federal Cartridge Collection is processed and organized, Erin, volunteers, and interns, add the records to the ACHS database (called Collective Access). The public-facing portions of the database are available at MNCollections.org or through AnokaCountyHistory.org by clicking “online collections”. Browse selected pieces of the Federal Collection by clicking the button below.
Steve Florman snaked a camera down the barrel on an 1860’s rifle to investigate whether a potential obstruction is a bullet, or something less troublesome. Thanks to this new view, Steve safely removed a pebble.
Organizing issues of Federal’s internal employee publication, “The Monark” with piles of the collection waiting for attention on all the surfaces in the background.
One of the table configurations in “The Lab”, February 2021.
Erin McBrien used ACHS’s new light board to organize slides in the Federal Cartridge Collection.
Anoka County Library Minute
Further Reading:
Finding Work You Love: 3 steps to getting your perfect job after college by Kirk Snyder (650.14 SNY)
This book by University of Southern California professor Kirk Snyder, is based on his top-rated course he teaches to graduates and undergraduates. His 3-step system offers pragmatic steps to help people learn about themselves and match their passions and personalities with a company/field they will do well in.
Develop: 7 practical tools to take charge of your career by Ted Flemming (650.1 FLE)
If you are feeling “stuck” in your career, this book by the head of talent development for a Fortune 10 company might help you. Practical tips are offered to help people advance or feel fulfilled in their current career choices. There are also sections on career transitioning as well as navigating things like discrimination, gender bias, and other barriers.
The “new” in Designing Your New Work Life refers to the fact that the first iteration of the book (called Designing Your Work Life) was published mere days before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The authors felt it necessary to address a topic not covered in the original and give it its own section – that topic being disruption. So, in addition to the helpful advice the first iteration of the book had, Designing Your New Work Life also offers some timely advice on navigating murky career waters in uncertain times.
While this book focuses on work environments, it’s really a book that could be useful for anyone who wants to deepen their interpersonal relationships. Dr. Melanie Katzman teaches her readers how to human while at work. Using lots of anecdotes as well as psychological theories to ground them in academia, the reader is shown the path to building trusting work relationships.
In a society that smiles on those who can proudly and fearlessly promote themselves and their ideas, introverts might feel like they need a little extra help to get by in the work world. Jane Finkle, a self-proclaimed introvert, offers not only tips, tricks, and advice, but also personal experience and a sense of camaraderie with her fellow introverts.
Brag Better: Master the art of fearless self-promotion by Meredith Fineman (650.1 FIN)
If you struggle to advocate for yourself on the job, or to talk up your talents and accomplishments in an interview, give this book a try. As CEO of a leadership and professional development company, the author is familiar with working with what she called the “Qualified Quiet,” those who are skilled, competent workers, but who struggle to speak up about it.
Offering plenty of success anecdotes and practical exercises as guides, this book is for those who want to break free from the typical 9-5 job scene. Whether you’re interested in Uber or other freelance or short-term work, the author leads the reader through how to get started and even thrive.
Workplace advice columnist, Alison Green, has compiled in this book a host of workplace situations that range from slightly awkward to downright mortifying. Regardless of the awkward-factor, quality advice is offered up for all scenarios to help you get through your work life.
Starting a new job can be overwhelming. Coming into a new job with some organization skills can ease help ease the stress. More than just a decluttering book, though, professional organizer Nikki Boyd tackles how to plan your days, tips for working remotely or on the road, and there’s even advice on dealing with conflict amongst coworkers for a more peaceful environment.
Joy at Work: organizing your professional life by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein (650.1 KON)
From the author who sparked a decluttering revolution in homes everywhere with her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, comes a similar guide geared toward the workplace. While tackling how to deal with piles of stuff - both on your desk and on your desktop - Kondo and organizational psychologist, Scott Sonenshein, also tackle tidying your time, decisions, networks, meetings, and more.
Online Resources:
LinkedIn Learning (online resource)
LinkedIn Learning is an online resource available to Anoka County Library cardholders that compiles video tutorials related to a multitude of business, technical, and creative skills. Listed below are some valuable offerings on starting a new job:
Search Pete Mockaitis and you’ll find a plethora of “courses.” In this particular case, they are really audio courses curated by LinkedIn which come from Mockaitis’ business podcast entitled “How to Be Awesome at Your Job”
Search Careercake and you’ll find a number of useful training videos, such as “What to do in the first 90 days of your new job”