When I began this program I had a good sense of what aspects of librarianship I was most suited for. I enjoyed working with others and had a knack for technology. I also knew my inter-disciplinary academic background was well-suited for reference work. I desire to obtain a leadership position as my career progresses. With all this in mind, I based my learning objectives upon the following areas: information services, technology, and administration. My selection of courses, tasks taken-on at work, and extra-curricular endeavors have all contributed to fulfillment of my learning objectives. As I move forward I feel satisfied in my accomplishments and eager to add more. A description of how I met my learning objectives as informed by the professional competencies follows.
To understand how I met these learning objectives it is important to first consider how I developed the foundations of this profession. The core classes adequately introduced me to the principles which underlay this profession, including the history, values held and role of the library in society. One of my favorite readings described how cabinets of curiosities laid the foundation for organizing knowledge. The idea that comparing objects to describe and categorize them enabled the development of scientific knowledge, is motivating for its simplicity yet importance in human development. Driven by this understanding of library purpose, I came to understand the ethics and values which further define this profession. Only by securing intellectual freedom can libraries fulfill their role of facilitating knowledge acquisition. Examples and case studies found throughout the core classes introduced me to the different types of libraries as well. Additionally, my focus on knowledge management gave me a good understanding of other types of information agencies. I can now better perceive the role of a library having gained an understanding of the social, political and economic forces which impact the information cycle. Finally, during the OLA/MPLA 2010 conference I had the privilege of hearing ALA President, Camila Alire, speak about Library Advocacy. Her call to action, which emphasized the importance of front-line advocacy, will remain with me throughout my career.
I first gained experience with information sources and services as a reference graduate assistant at Oklahoma State University. While there I received training on library resources such as the catalog and electronic databases. I was also given instruction on conducting a reference interview and how to address policy infringements in the library. Working with experienced reference librarians, I picked up best practices and was introduced to information sources. This training helped me better understand how to identify user needs and present material in an accessible manner.
As a circulation assistant and then electronic resources assistant at Tulsa Community College, I provide reference assistance in addition to other duties. My time as a paraprofessional at TCC, was very rewarding as I was able to apply much of what I was learning in school. One project which gave me a great deal of Library 2.0 and virtual reference experience was the Kim Monday Virtual Librarian Project. As a key member I worked with several other tech-minded teammates to construct a virtual librarian including a handcrafted avatar, social media personality, and embedded virtual reference service. Creating an avatar in Second Life, we made Kim Monday the face of our newly revised virtual reference services. We created profiles on all the major social media networks and used the Libguides platform to create a Kim Monday Homepage.
Through marketing the Kim Monday brand in library orientations and across all four campuses as well as through the community via our social network efforts, we improved email reference statistics and successfully launched the chat service. As part of this project we tracked statistics and conducted a staff survey. Based on these findings and informal feedback, we introduced improvements to the service which continues to evolve. I and two other key members, Casey Ashe and Adam Brennan, presented on this project at the 2009 Oklahoma Library Association Annual Conference. I also presented on my own at this conference, giving a more in-depth overview of how we developed Kim's persona. These experiences made me more adept at collaboration and taught me the importance of building relationships within my community of practice.
While my primary tasks as the electronic resources assistant were related to maintenance of databases, much of my time was spent staffing the chat reference service and reference desk (20 hours a week). I was also trained and given orientation responsibilities. These included: general first year orientations, presentations specific to an electronic resource and subject specific orientations. I was charged with developing, promoting and administering workshops and often created an online instructional guide to accompany them. Springshare hosted both our website and subject guides (Libguides) allowing me to create several guides using this platform. With my interest in reference services and technology, creating electronic guides is one of my favorite things to do. This position allowed me to further my information literacy instruction skills and understanding of the use of instructional technology. During this time I also attended a workshop held by the Community of Oklahoma Instruction Librarians, where I networked and learned new techniques for delivering information literacy.
To further contribute to my reference skills I took the “Information Sources and Services” class. This class gave me a great knowledge base for sources and further expanded my understanding of best practices when providing services. Through this class I was able to evaluate a reference interview and discover the nuances of providing reference services. This class also gave me the opportunity to create a subject guide based on Organic Gardening. To complete this assignment I had to evaluation different types of sources and design a guide including some the latest 2.0 functionality. My understanding of organizing and designing resources to be consumed by a specific type of information seeker was enhanced. To further expand my knowledge base, I opted to take the Competitive Intelligence course. I believe libraries should learn from their competitors and this class taught me how to move beyond being a librarian to acting as a strategic thinker.
I learned a lot about the evolving nature of reference services through my committee work and class assignments. As part of the Library 2.0 committee at TCC we expanded virtual reference services through the Kim Monday Project previously discussed. This project is unique in that a virtual librarian provides the face for the services. We connected to students through our virtual librarian’s social media persona and effectively marketed the improved email and new chat service. We expanded services by embedding them wherever possible such as the inclusion of chat in Ebscohost databases. We also plugged library resources into Kim’s social media profiles. Another aspect of this project included the creation of a TCC Learning Resources Center presence in the virtual world of Second Life. Acting as Kim Monday I assisted students with use of library resources and services in Second Life. In several of my courses I have further explored and documented the use of Second Life by libraries. These projects are also closely related to technology and introduced me to best practices for implementing them in a library.
I gained a greater understanding of trends in information seeking habits by focusing on usability in several classes and through extensive reading, researching and reflecting in my core class, "Information Users in the Knowledge Society." This class gave me the opportunity to understand research design methods, models and theories related to the information seeker. My weekly reflection papers gave me the opportunity to further explore theory and apply it to my own experiences. I have also focused upon information seeking behaviors and there relation to information systems. Ensuring information systems are usable is of great importance and can only be done so by first understanding the users. My self-directed project concerning usability of a library website has given me a greater understanding of the relationship between users and systems. This project allowed me to synthesize my knowledge and develop solutions. Throughout this time I have gained skills related to promoting, planning, and presenting of instructional programs in addition to the necessary teaching skills.
My interest in technology influenced my class decisions as well as my work assignments. I am most interested in how technology can be used to provide library services and resources. I have focused on improving the use of Web 2.0 within the library as well as evaluation of technology in the library. I have also had the opportunity to explore use of emerging technologies.
The core classes and my initial work assignments first introduced me to technology in the library. The class, Organization of Information, gave me a good theoretical understanding of integrated library systems. While my time as a circulation assistant gave me hands on training with them. In that position, I learned about creating cat-on-the-fly records and revised instructions for creating reserve lists within the circulation client.
As the electronic resource assistant I learned how information seekers make use of technology to fulfill their needs. I gained experience related to licensing, maintaining, authenticating and evaluating electronic products. Most of my duties were completed via the electronic resource management system licensed from Serials Solutions. I mainly worked with the 360 Resource Manager to create reports, and the 360 Link to ensure databases were all connected properly. Additionally, I worked closely with the systems librarian concerning the authentication of electronic resources via an ezproxy server. Other responsibilities included customizing databases and working with technical support to overcome glitches or networking issues. I was also charged with creating training aids and subject guides, as well as teaching workshops regarding the use of electronic resources. This position allowed me to learn a lot about industry standards and benchmarks such as COUNTER as well. My understanding of technology to improve knowledge management was improved through the Electronics and Records Management course. This course gave me a better understanding of best practices and ways in which technology is acquired and implemented in the library.
The inclusion of emerging technologies is of great interest to me and fortunately my job and class assignments have allowed me to gain much experience. While an electronic resource assistant, I designed and implemented an ereader circulation program. I created an electronic guide which included links to policy and procedures I developed, along with general information about the devices and circulation of them. I worked with my supervisor and the cataloging department to complete the project. During a regents board meeting I presented the program and was received with good reviews.
In addition to designing and teaching workshops related to electronic readers I secured funding for the purchase of iPads and created a workshop around them. Prior to leaving the position I intended to develop a program for use of iPads in the library. I believed it was first important for librarians and educators to have access to the devices and training. Next I thought it would be a good way to provide roaming reference assistance and access online subscriptions. As part of my Design and Implementation of Web Based Information Retrieval Systems class, I created a quick introduction and exercise for librarians in Second Life using a wiki. This assignment gave me the opportunity to further my knowledge of virtual worlds and their use in the library. I also learned more about instructional technology. I used Wet Paint as the platform for the wiki and while I like the ease of use and plug-in options I am not as wild about the ads.
During my Information Sources and Services class I worked with a classmate, Julia Robinson, to create another wiki site related to Second Life and Libraries. We used Google Sites as the platform having decided it the superior choice for wikis, based on it ease of collaboration, the inclusion of productivity software and an option for no advertising. This site offers an introduction to Second Life and discusses its use and potential uses for libraries.
While at TCC I also worked with the Web committee to introduce a library blog. The purpose of the blog was to promote services, resources and helpful information and provide a easy to use repository of information. For instance, if a student needs more information about the Ebsco Mobile application they can do a search for it in the blog . Through exploration of Web 2.0 technologies and application in a library setting, I have learned a great deal about provision of library services in a changing environment.
I have crafted and published many websites using basic HTML editors and productivity software. For my Design and Implementation of Web Based Information Retrieval Systems class I created a mobile version of the TCC LRC website. Additionally I have installed and maintained a server at home to gain networking experience. I have gained working knowledge of PHP, CSS, XHTML, and MySQL having learned about it in class or been introduced to it through my extracurricular activities. For the environmental impact assessment assignment in my Information Technology Management class, I created a website to demonstrate a green computing initiative. The HandHeld Librarian Conference, I attended in 2009 gave me even more exposure to mobile devices in libraries. All of this has helped me understand the implementation and use of technology in the library.
Additionally I have sought to gain more experience with emerging technologies and Web 2.0 through my own personal endeavors. Throughout this process I have attempted to develop an online persona, Cyborg Librarian. I have created and maintained a blog focusing on my professional experiences since the beginning of my program. I have also created social media profiles on all the major networks and developed a website to link all my profiles and house my blog. I have set-up a digital collection using Flickr and made use of LibraryThing to display recommended readings for subject guides I created. I enjoy answering questions on Yahoo as Cyborg Librarian and hope to further my presence there. All of these activities have improved my technology skills and understanding of their application in the library.
Evaluation of technology in libraries has been a focus of mine as well. Understanding Human-Computer Interaction is crucial to ensuring the mission of libraries is carried out. To that end I focused my efforts in the Evaluation of Library Services class upon online services and resources. As an electronic resources assistant at TCC, I worked with the Assessment Task force to develop an evaluation plan of the library portal website. I created a wiki to document progress, using Springnote as the platform. As well I conducted a literature review and compiled an evaluation plan based on my analysis of the most appropriate methods. The goal was to better understand user satisfaction with and usability of online library resources and services. We decided to conduct a Libqual Survey in-conjunction with a website evaluation and focus group. These projects have given me first-hand knowledge regarding the practice of evaluation as well as a better understanding of information seekers and systems.
A focus on management has prepared me to take on a leadership position within a library. Both in previous academic work as well as for the MLIS program, I have taken classes which taught me the logistics of an organization, the policies surrounding them, the legal implications, the funding sources, and the allocation of resources. For instance, in my grant-writing and fund raising of non-profit class taken during my first master’s degree I learned about alternative funding sources. During that time I also completed a class related to administration and management of a leisure organization. This class taught me the fundamentals of operating a business. My experience with community and professional organizations has also given me vital marketing skills. I have frequently developed marketing materials using programs such as Microsoft Publisher. I have also created marketing plans and worked with Public Relations Departments to conduct marketing campaigns.
The MLIS core management class furthered my comprehension and applied it to a knowledge organization. The required readings, essay writing and discussion gave me an opportunity to understand the history of management theories and their application. We also learned a great deal about planning and budgeting techniques. The information technology management course, continued to build my knowledge of library administration. This class taught me the unique challenges of administering a technology department.
The Competitive Intelligence course informed my understanding of strategic library management. After the completion of this course I have a good understanding of what competitive intelligence involves and what it takes to be a CI professional. The skills required are beyond what is expected for most librarians, but important for all spheres of the profession. Competitive intelligence requires a thoroughly conceived process to be implemented by a skilled information professional, knowledgeable about organizational competencies. The CI professional must be adept at finding and compiling information to present actionable intelligence. This course made me realize the importance of incorporating CI practices into library strategic planning. Opportunities are missed if librarians are not savvy and proactive in their own competitive behavior.
As a paraprofessional at TCC, I supervised volunteers and was charged with scheduling and assigning tasks. I have also been apart of library committees giving me a better understanding of library operations. My willingness to take on projects has contributed to the development of leadership skills as well. Additionally my participation in the Oklahoma Library Association annual conference introduced me to library advocacy, building upon my advocacy skills gained working with student organizations and non-profits. My leadership skills and project management abilities have been enhanced by my experience with the Knowledge and Information Professionals Association. While on the committee for the annual Knowledge and Project management symposium two years in a row, I assisted with publicity and created marketing materials. I also organized and distributed attendee and speaker gifts for the 2009 KPM symposium. These tasks gave me practical experience networking and collaborating, both of which are essential skills for library administration.
Moreover my classes and work experience have shown me the importance of a library mission statement and goals which are reflective of a changing information environment. Services must be offered in a fashion familiar to the patron base. In the transitional time we find ourselves, this may be difficult given the large gaps in technology skills. Nonetheless an academic library who has a large patron base under 21 must reflect the information seeking habits and provide resources relevant to the assignments at hand. With the shift from electronic to print it is not surprising libraries find themselves overloaded with multiple products they themselves don't fully grasp. Nevertheless, its the role of this organization to decipher the resources most necessary for academic success and can only do so through a continual assessment of user needs and satisfaction rates.
I now feel confident in my ability to identify user needs and present information packages in an accessible manner which effectively transfer knowledge. My familiarity with different types of sources and systems, in addition to my ability to communicate knowledge, has prepared me well to become an information professional. I have improved my application of critical thinking and gained extensive project management skills. Throughout this time I have developed my abilities related to promoting, planning, and presenting of instructional programs in addition to the necessary teaching skills. I feel a solid ground work has been laid for my area of expertise in emerging technology and I look forward to furthering my knowledge through professional development. Additionally I will continue to seek opportunities for research and publishing. I am now confident in my ability to take on a leadership role with my appreciation for relationship building and collaboration, along with strategic knowledge of the role of libraries in society. Overall, I set out to lay the foundation for becoming an information professional . I knew my interest in technology and desire to help others, along with my educational background would make me well suited for a position related to reference and emerging technology. Through classes, work and extra-curricular activities I have accomplished my learning objectives and achieved my goal of obtaining a professional position.