Getting Out There

"Get out of the freakin library – and, stay in the library. You've really gotta be somewhere and everywhere, as every library should be. It's the concept of the library leaking out of the building. Somewhere and everywhere—in and out."--Joe James

I think James has the right idea about librarianship. We can't be stuck in the stacks if we want to reach users. The concept of Library 2.0, using technology to interact with patrons, get feedback and make change happen is what libraries should be about. This semester, I was able to design a wiki that nhew library students can use to learn about the library program at the University. As a student, I am glad to help others succeed. Hopefully the information product I created will add to someone's knowledge base. I know this product is good practice for what I will do in the field.

I want to get out of the library, and stay in it. I know that theory and practice rarely match up, but I am hoping to use the skills I have learned now to build my career. I hope that I can keep in mind that the library isn't just a building, it's the information therein and online and however I can get it to the people who need it.

Information evaluation

As a tutor in a community college writing center I see all kinds of assignments. In one paper I read today the assignment asked students to evaluate a website based on a specific cultural group by deciding who the site primarily targeted and why as well as what kinds of information were available on the site. As a future information professional, I have completed these assignments in my classes.

For many students at a community college level, evaluating an information source is a new concept. Assignments like these give students the chance to question the information they are seeing on the screen and explore it somewhat in depth. Being able to quickly analyze a source is a critical skill in decision making. It can mean the difference between coming up with a source and coming up with the right source. This is about more than information, it is about finding what you need when you need it. A skill that many students lack.

True Knowledge...

The semantic web is amazing. I didn't really understand the concept completely until I watched the video on the True Knowledge website. The last time I heard the term semantics was in a linguistics course I took in college. I like the idea of connections which are more in line with human thought. When we think we draw on previous knowledge, ideas, conversations, concepts and contexts. Not that a search engine can fully echo that process, but True knowledge does build on the knowledge within its database and user added knowledge.

One benefit to True Knowledge is the ability for users to query in many different ways...asking questions or using current search phrases, or choosing from a list of what the computer thinks the user is asking.

Search results are displayed in more readable formats too. The definitions of terms and the answer are prominently displayed for the user so the answer is obvious. I am not sure how well this would work for document searches, but it is excellent for direct queries. The semantic web will make searches even easier for users and with user input, hopefully lessening the information divide.

Street Lit

I am doing a paper for my multicultural librarianship class on street lit. (That is, literature that focuses on African Americans living in the ghetto). In my research, some African American authors who write more literary fiction are angry because street lit is selling better than their books. Some say it is marketing, the way chain stores display tittles written by African Americans. Others say street lit sells so of course retailers are going to promote it. For librarians this creates collection development issues. Street lit's value for most people is entertainment and public libraries provide resources that entertain as well as inform.

Although, I don't really like street lit mainly because of its substandard sentence structure and adult-only subject matter, it is important for some people. Many librarians have found an increase in circulation in inner-cities. The books also walk out the door at an alarming rate, but that's another story. I think for libraries this is an issue of balance. Certainly, you do not want to focus the entirety of the of the African American fiction collection on street lit, but it's like graphic novels, romance, and other trade paperbacks, people love it. So if it checks out do we stock it?

Teachable Moments

My youngest brother is eight. Being in my late twenties give my an interesting perspective both as a big sister and a future librarian. I watch to see what he picks up at the library. He loves non-fiction...books about dinosaurs, how cars work, and most recently, stars, are among his favorites. He asked me the other day when I was babysitting, "What does the big dipper look like?" "Is it like a big chip?"
"No," I said, thankful we were on our way to the library, "it's more like a big ladle, like mom uses when she makes soup. I can show you a picture when we pick out books today."

As soon as we got to the library, he was on a mission to find a book about stars or constellations....he pleased with my description when we found a picture. "Yep, it looks just like mom's ladle. Thanks." He took the book home so he could look at and read about the other constellations. It was a quick and easy find. So, what? Just a kid and a book. For me, it was a teachable moment, a chance to connect reading with the questions he was asking. It was a chance to show him how to find the information he wanted to know. In short, it was a lesson in information literacy that took five minutes.

Discards?

I recently read the well-known article Discards by Nicholson Baker. Baker rightly bemoans that fact that we are losing valuable information/historical records if we just get rid of the cards. But what about other countries? Recently, I had the chance to talk to a missionary from Japan who told me that the seminary library where he works as a professor still has a card catalog and uses the Dewey Decimal System. I am not sure if this practice is true of Japan as a whole or if the seminary just can't afford the time/money it takes to put everything online. I want to do some more research on this for my own curiosity...maybe we are the only ones discarding.

Balancing Act

"The narrow path still leads, as it must, to crowded public rooms where the sunlight gleams on varnished tables, and knowledge is embodied in millions of dusty, crumbling, smelly, irreplaceable documents and books."--Anthony Grafton, author of "Future Reading: Digitization and its Discontents"

I couldn't say it better than Grafton did. His recent article in the New Yorker discusses the Google Libraries project and the possible consequences for information access. He makes many excellent points, specifically that paid access is going to widen the information gap. He also discusses the quality of information in digitization projects, both human and computer error are possible. In any record keeping, this is possible, but massive digitization could mean errors on a grand scale.

Technology is an excellent tool, but it cannot replace the feeling of leafing through an old first edition and wondering who else gleaned information from its pages. The computer cannot provide the same experience. Technology is amazing, but it cannot become our only record--the Internet has changed the lives of many, but it cannot provide for each and every information need. Balanced collections still need to have precedence in the practices of information professionals. To paraphrase Grafton and quote a famous poet, "The road less travelled by" is the one we should take in the digital age if we want to have the most informed view of information.

Tales of the Receipt

Riley Harmon, an OU student, is engaging in some personal cataloging. As part of a project for class, Riley is chronicling his life by keeping his receipts and posting them online. He writes short comments that tell the reader something about what he was doing that day or at the time of purchase. An article in this weeks Oklahoma Gazette by Allison Meier tipped me off to Riley's website. This project is a spectacular, off-the-cuff look at personal records. It made me think about what I buy and have bought--would I want to keep my receipts? Would I display them online? Do I want people to know that I tried Sonic's new Whoppers shake for lunch or the reason I stopped by CVS last night? Maybe not, but Riley's website does make for some extreme and often humorous reading. This is a whole new twist on journaling. What I love is the quote from his homepage, "I am a 2o year old with hopes, dreams, and a Visa Check Card." Way to go, Riley. I hope this project is a huge success!!! Here's the link the Riley's site for those of you who want to see this yourselves: http://proofpurchase.com/

The ESP addiction

I am not much of a gamer. When I was seven, I would get what my parents called Nintendo thumb from playing Mario Brothers at the next-door-neighbors for hours at a time. I loved it simply because we did not have a Nintendo system at my house. My real passion was, and has always been reading. I don't even like to play solitaire online. Although, online Jeopardy is okay. As part of an assignment this week, we were asked to play the ESP game. I thought that I probably wouldn't like it, but I logged on anyway.

The challenge in the game is that you don't know who your partnered with or what they're thinking. It makes you realize how subjective cataloging could be because it takes a while to come up with the same label, if it happens at all. The other element is that the game is timed so you want to get as many matches as you can before you have to start over. I played for over an hour last night just to see if I could establish a rhythm--think outside the box. Sometimes the most off-the-wall images in the picture provided a match. It was at times mildly frustrating, but I loved the randomness of this game. When you hit the same wavelength with someone you don't even know, it's rewarding.

Check it out:

http://www.espgame.org/

Perspective

When I decided to go to library school, I had finished my English education degree the year before. I had a hard time learning to look at information from a different perspective. I was definitely used to interrupting the author's meaning from his or his words, but somehow trying to define what information actually was wasn't as exciting for me. When we started studying how people see information differently and how they seek it, I found something I wanted to know more about. When we talked about user needs, wants, gatekeepers and information pathways I was hooked.

Recently, I went back and reviewed papers and materials from my first classes. I reread articles which made so much more sense to me now. My perspective changed. I know understand the importance of information rights and of explaining concepts so patrons can understand them. For me, the importance of being a librarian is not about defining information itself, but making it available for people to define for themselves.

WIKI Ideas

As part of our class, we are required to post to a wiki having to do with libraries. I think I would like to do something on library instruction, particularly how it is useful to college students. After a recent conversation I had with a professor about library instruction sessions being "boring", I wondered if students benefit from library instruction and in what ways.

I think students would benefit if they are engaged in the topic being explored. Asking students to suggest topics might be a good way to have them share interest in what is being taught.

Library instruction also depends on how computer literate students are since we often teach them to use the database. A quick show of hands about how many people are comfortable accessing basic web pages could tell the librarian how to proceed with the session. One on one instruction might be more beneficial for some students. Librarians should make this service available if possible.

Librarians should ask what makes students uncomfortable with searching or what they look for when searching. I find many students I work with employ Zipf's principle of Least Effort.

Being friendly goes a long way. Students listen better to those who seem to have their best interest at heart.

I realize I am not being groundbreaking here, but I think basic costumer service goes a long way in service the college population.

Toddlers and Information Access

My sister and her husband are expecting in early April. As a result, this future Aunt is paying attention to toy commercials in an effort to spoil the new baby. One toy on the market that caught my eye is the Fisher-Price Easy-Link Internet Launch Pad. While it will be a few years before my niece or nephew explores the Internet, this tool provides controlled Internet access to the very young. By placing a figurine of their favorite character (Elmo, Thomas the Tank Engine, Dora, etc.) into a specialized slot on the launch pad, a child can access the site that corresponds with that character. The selling point is that kids can access their favorite site without messing with mom and dad's files or the whole of the Internet.

Ten years ago, kids I babysat (ages three and five at the time) could use the VCR and start a CD-ROM of their favorite computer game. With computer skills becoming more and more essential to daily life, I can see vast marketability for this concept. Most parents want their toddlers to learn about computers as much as them to practice writing with crayons or to "read" their favorite books. While I hope parents don't leave their child's early education up to the computer or Fisher Price, I think this is a fun, inexpensive way for parents to introduce their children to information access on the Internet.

Here's a link to Toys 'R US in case you're interested: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2678325&cp#prod_prodinfo

Instant answer?

I am surprised how often my conversations turn to something library related as soon as I mention to someone that I plan to be a librarian. For example, someone asked the other if librarians were hesitant to do IM reference with slow or one-key-at-a-time typists. I remember in my reference class practicing IM reference on the chat fuction of D2L--the online course facilitator my university uses. The person playing the patron would ask a question and the "librarian" would usually ask another to start the reference interview process. The idea of IM is instant answers, and what I remember is being afraid of keeping the patron waiting too long. I would try to type something like "I am searching for an answer...be back in a minute." The other issue as with any IM conversation was keeping track of what was happening if we each sent more than one response.

I suppose, on the other end, it would be a little frustrating to deal with those who hen-peck in a virtual setting. I have found that people who have a difficult time typing usually try to avoid it. I wonder if they would use IM at all. I am not the fastest typist in the world, so I would probably be fairly patient if someone seemed to struggle. I would want to provide the best service possible even if it meant waiting. Although IM reference was not as fun for me as face-to-face transations, I see its value. I think it will be become more prevelent because the adults of tomorrow are so used to being online. Slow typing may become a non-issue. On the other hand, reference transactions will probably need to take place in several formats because we do not want to contribute to the information divide.

900 Million People?

Dear Blog,

Hmmm...not quite the same for me as when I wrote "Dear Diary" for the first time when I was seven. Soon my "diary" became a journal, where I could write anything. Writing for me has always been a way to view my own thoughts. Often writing lets me work through something without the pressure of instant decisions as in a conversation. I just read Nardi, Schiano and Gumbrecht's Blogging as a Social Activity or Would you let 900 Million People Read your Diary? I found the case studies true to what I know of my generation and maybe others too...we like to speak our minds in anonymity. My Space denotes more than networking, for my generation it is an attitude--I need MY SPACE. Blogging provides yet another way to distance oneself from communication, while in the thick of it. I think Nardi and company's findings about most people not wanting a lot of feedback on their blog entries is probably true. For me it is flattering to think that people read what I am writing, whether or not they like it.

Everyone needs ways to vent and express their opinions, blogs and other non-face-to-face communications usually provide ways to do that in a less emotional way. Whatever the topic, when I blog, I do try to keep in mind that other people are reading this. So, while I won't be moving my journal to an online forum any time soon, blogging does add another demension to my love of writing for reflection.

Questions Raised

I am taking a class in Multicultural librarianship this semester. One of the assignments requires me to watch a film which deals with one of the groups we are studying (African Americans, Native Americans, Latino/as, Asian Americans). I was discussing possible movie choices with a friend outside the class. I am thinking of watching Freedom Writers--the story of urban teenagers and their teacher, Erin Gruwell. My friend suggested that the film presents Gruwell in a messianic role--rescuer of the teens in her class who represent the groups mentioned above. He made the assertion that persons of color do not need white people to rescue them.



While I completely agree, Gruwell's story is a true one, and I am sure she would argue it's NOT all about her. Regardless of her race Gruwell helped give her students a voice and an understanding of tolerance by allowing them to write about their own experiences. Which brings me to the question, should multiculturalism be exclusive of people based on their race. specifically if they are white? I realize that in this society other cultures have been marginalized far too long. However, I do not necessarily think that film or a book which includes a white character should be dismissed or have its potential for being multicultural ignored.

Battle of the Sexes

It has been a few months since my ALA experience, but since American Libraries was still talking about all things conference related as of last month, I guess I can too. I attended a session called He Reads/She Reads. David Wright and Katie Mediatore presented gender line takes on fiction and non-fiction for men and women. I have say I laughed almost the entire time. It is amazing how stereotypically we think about the opposite sex.

I thought the greatest commentary on gender presented in that session were David Wright's magazine comparisons featuring Eva Longoria. In men's magazines Eva was downright sexy from her pose to her clothing. In the women's magazines she was neatly dressed and almost professional--a successful woman. Not that she can't be both, but if there was ever a case for media stereotyping this would be it.

Mediatore and Wright brought to light the truth behind reading habits and made great recommendation for readers of both sexes. And, while I have never read a true Romance novel, as far as you know, I do read Chick Lit between semesters. I am convinced it is the only way to keep my brain from going numb. Keep writing, Lauren Weisberger!

Reference Interviews in the Writing Center

I am no longer surprised by the number of times a day I conduct reference interviews. Unlike the majority of LIS students, I do not actually work in a library. I work in the writing center of a two-year college. I recently read Are You Experienced? by Stacy Russo in LJ. This topic of experience is something that I am sometimes concerned about, although I am currently looking for avenues to library experience.

While I realize the importance of knowing more about the internal workings of a library system, I agree with Russo that other jobs can give you some experience with the skills needed in being a librarian. For example, this morning, I assisted a panicked student who had left the article she needed for biology class in the cab of her dad's truck. She only knew that the article was about Pandas and the logging industry in China. I was able to ask her questions and eventually figure out what journal she had used. Using the library's online database, we found the article and she left for class. In this case, I used something I learned in my classes to help in my non-library job. The customer services skills I have learned here also helped me. Experiences like this make all that tuition worth it.

Here Goes Nothing!

Admittedly, this is my first blog. I am not sure how I feel about sharing my thoughts in such a public forum. Although, it could be fun. I attended my first professional conference this year when I went to the American Library Association Conference in D.C. One comment I heard over and over again was that NexGen Librarians should be VERY familiar with technology and all its various forms. I enjoyed the conference and felt welcomed by other librarians. I learned so much about the profession that I might have missed otherwise. I decided that no one knows more about what I should know for the future than other librarians. So, I am ready to dive head first into one of the most popular trends in the information profession!