Texas Wesleyan Doctor of Education student Ida Joiner is making her publishing debut, even before finishing her degree. Her work Emerging Library Technologies: It’s Not Just for Geek is on sale now. 

“I chose the topic for my book because of several projects on emerging technologies such as robotics, 3D printing, virtual/augmented reality, and other related topics that I developed or collaborated on in my role as the Technology Coordinator at the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Middle Atlantic Region (MAR), Joiner said.

Balancing her work

In addition to her writing, Joiner currently works as a librarian at the Universal Academy in Texas and is an active member of the American Library Association (ALA), the Library & Information Technology Association (LITA) Division and the International Relations Roundtable (IRRT). She also serves on the LITA Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) Editorial Board as well as the Membership Development Committee. Ida discussed “Drones in Libraries” and “How to Keep Abreast of Emerging Technologies” on the ALA LITA Top Tech Trends panel in February 2018.

“It was a challenge balancing writing my book with work and other responsibilities,” Joiner said, “but it taught me a valuable lesson on how to juggle multiple projects at the same time. I also learned how to use the word ‘no.’”

She will present “How to Obtain Stakeholder Buy-In for Implementing Emerging Technologies in your Library” at the LITA Top Technology Forum in November 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advocating for technology

Joiner is continuing her research by focusing on emerging technologies including drones and their role in libraries and education. Joiner has presented some of her research at several international conferences.

Some of her related projects included a webinar on Not Just for Geeks: Let Technology Be Your Guide, an article Let Technology Be Your Guide, and a revised MOODLE online course Geeks Bearing Gifts: Unwrapping New Technology Trends in 2016.

A “labor of love”

Joiner wrote the book to help librarians, students and others who are interested in learning about emerging technologies and how they can be used today.

“My book is a labor of love,” she said. “Writing a book is like giving birth. It can be painful while going through it, but once it’s born or completed, it was worth the blood, sweat, and tears.”

Other publications

Some of Joiner's other publications include:

• “How to Get Stakeholder Buy-In for Implementing Emerging Technologies in your Academic Library” in Elsevier Library Connect (May 2018)
• “Drones: Agriculture’s New Best Friend” in Elsevier SciTech Connect (May, 2018)
• “Public Libraries: The Great Tech Equalizer” in the Princh Blog (March, 2018)
• “Is There a Drone in Your Libraries Future” in Public Libraries Quarterly (December, 2017)

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