Competency H

Preparation and Evidence

Information and communication technology is an interesting subject to explore because the tools we use today are not tools that existed a century ago. New tools that have surfaced over decades encompass cellular phones, text messages, instant messaging, video calling, and social media technologies. These tools have changed how we choose to engage and communicate with people or retrieve information.

In Professor Hagar's INFO 281 Colloquial Contemporary Issues, I wrote a paper (The Role of Social Media During Terrorist Attacks) that evaluated social media as a source of information and communication technology during terrorist attacks, which is the first piece of evidence prepared in this section to fulfill the requirements for Competency H. At the time of the paper, I recall having negative feelings towards social media. I did not understand its value as a source of information and communication technology because my perceptions of social media were negative. I mainly viewed these platforms as modern-day diaries where people could share some of their inner thoughts, so I did not quite understand its relevance to information science. The paper I wrote for Professor Hagar's class changed my opinion about social media as I became exposed to its capabilities; I now understood its significance in reporting, delivering, and communicating information to online information communities, especially during times of social disorder.

As described in the paper, to understand the potency of social media as an information and communication technology tool, we must first look at older forms of information technology, which include television and print media. The introduction of television changed how people receive information because news segments included audio and visual imagery that created a profound emotional connection with viewers, a sense of an emotional state that is not present with print media because the visuals reflect in-real-time as events are happening. The contrasts highlighted between the two are principal features for identifying the differences between television and print media. Social media shares many similarities with television. They both reflect in-real-time events and provide audio and visual imagery. The differences between the two, however, are more than their similarities. Using social media gives you access to the following:

• Immediate data derived from web networks.
• People can visit different social media pages or information community pages to access trending news.
• People can retrieve information from credible sources, and they also have the option to engage by reposting news bulletins and sharing it with online community members.
• The user may also draft a report to share with the online community. The stories people post appear as statuses on social media or tweets if using Twitter.

In short, social media is an appropriate tool or accessing and publishing media. It gives local communities the opportunity to voice their opinions or concerns, a concept that they did not have access to in the past.

In terms of understanding how pivotal social media technology is during times of crisis, I studied the Paris terrorist attacks that took place on November 13, 2015. For the next three years, Paris was a victim of multiple terrorist attacks, but the events that took place on November 13, 2015, led to more casualties. Members of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) simultaneously raised havoc at a concert hall, stadium, bars and restaurants, which resulted in more than 100 people dead. When these attacks occurred, I was at the library working a shift, and a patron walked up to the circulation desk to ask my coworker and I if we had heard about the events. We both informed the patron that we had not heard anything because we did not have access to our phones, so we asked them to provide us with more details. The news was quite shocking that it left an impact on countries and citizens all over the world. It is unfathomable to comprehend that there are agencies filled with hatred and feelings of mass destruction.

It had been three years since the event when I decided to write the paper, and I was not aware of the role social media played until my research. I chose this topic because it was recent and communities were still affected by it, especially since there were many other terrorist attacks taking place around the world and not just Paris. When the attacks of November 13, 2015, took place, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, added a safety check feature to the social media platform. The safety check feature functioned as an alert system that enabled users near the attack to mark themselves as safe and alert their Facebook friends about their safety. This kind of information is not something you can access on television or print media because they never specify any names; they only share the number of casualties. The safety check feature can ease the minds of those feeling terror and wonder if their loved ones were affected by the attacks. Twitter is another social media network that performed well during the attacks, using hashtags to communicate and relay information. The first hashtag, #PorteOuverte, which translate to OpenDoor was commonly used to offer shelter to Parisians affected by the terrorist attacks. The second hashtag, #StrandedInUS, functioned like #PorteOuverte, where Americans offered shelter to Parisians with canceled flights. The final hashtag, #RecherdeParis, is different from the other two hashtags but it shares similarities with Zuckerberg's safety check feature. People all over the world used this hashtag to locate missing people. I remember as I was going through these posts, I came across a post where friends and family of a young man studying abroad asked the Twitter community if they had seen or heard of him. I did not see a post with follow up details regarding his whereabouts. I recall seeing other posts where people were able to locate their friends and family, but that post remained unsolved. These functions were truly eye-opening and allowed me to understand how far information and communication tools have come.

Now, let us examine information and communication technologies in libraries. Libraries have advanced in this department using various communication tools to communicate with patrons. I recall Professor Reid mentioning that she once used her tablet to access Google Translate to communicate with a Spanish-speaking patron. I also remember sharing a discussion post for a different class where I explained how digital signage boards communicate information about library programs and services to patrons. The diversity in library technologies is vast.

One of the information and communication technologies I would like to consider for this post are virtual reference services. Virtual reference services is a topic covered in many of my courses. Most recently, I wrote a discussion post (Virtual Reference Services) for Professor Dickey's INFO 241 Library Automation class. The discussion post asked us to recall a moment where we used virtual reference services, so I wrote about the first time I used a library's virtual reference service. Three years ago, I was interning for the school newspaper at CSULA, and I was assigned to search for copies of the school newspaper from the early 1900s. I wasn't sure where to search, and someone suggested to search the archives of the school library. It felt daunting, so I decided to go to the school's library website, and that is where I was able to access virtual reference help. My question to the reference librarian asked if she knew where I could find digital archives of the school's newspaper. Before she could provide me with a response, I found information on a website. Recalling this experience, prompted me to learn more about the vendor that provides this service. Initially, I thought the school library provided the service; but after it directed me to a new tab browser, I knew I was speaking to a virtual reference librarian outside CSULA. QuestionPoint is the company vendor that provides the service for this school and many other libraries. QuestionPoint's virtual reference services are available 24/7, and it is available based on sharing staff time. Sharing staff time refers to librarians willing to contribute to this reference service, and they come from parts all over the world. I have used virtual reference help more recently after taking Professor Dickey's class. Virtual reference services are very practical in situations where the patron does not find themselves near a library or after library hours.

In Professor Liu's class, INFO 287 Seminar in Information Science, I explored the subject of online reference services for digital libraries in my final paper (Digital Reference Services and Needed in Digital Libraries). Digital libraries (DL) were trending in the 90s, but in recent years, their popularity has declined. Users of DL's believe that they could offer more practicality by embedding widgets that could allow them to take notes, share documents, or collaborate simultaneously with other users. Users search for modern 21st-century tools when navigating DL's, so there is no mystery as to why they are shying away from utilizing these sources. DL's must adapt to users demands to remain operable or face extinction.

Lui (2008) reflects on the disadvantages of failing to include digital reference service for DL communities. For one, users refuse to revisit DL's due to negative feelings produced during the information gathering cycle. Others may use DL's but turn to online reference services from third party websites. The information gathering process can produce frustration when users feel they have reached a dead end with their research. The downfall of utilizing online reference services from third party companies is that they charge a large sum of money and not all are equipped with information specialists or understand the information gathering process. Only an information specialist possesses the skills to search and engage with information through information seeking behaviors, and companies may attempt to replicate these skills, but the quality of service is incomparable.

Lombardi (2000) states that online reverence services should be the primary focus of information specialists because users express frustration and a need for help in locating digital items, and I agree that online reverence services should be offered in DL's. Liu (2008) believe that by merging online reference services with DL's, users will have a better experience using DL's because a reference service library will be available to help with information seeking and information gathering. The two can easily share digital documents with each other, and communication using real-time because networking will occur in the digital web.

I chose the final paper from INFO 287 Seminar in Information Science and the discussion post from INFO 241 Library Automation to demonstrate my competence for information and communication technologies. I believe online reference services demonstrate how users seek for help and guidance from information specialists during the information gathering process on the web. It is definitely a toll that is at the forefront of change.

Future Applications

As I reflect on the work that I presented as evidence for Competency H, I can conclude that users interest in information and communication technologies is mightier than ever. Negative feelings that stir during the information gathering process pushes users to realize that importance and relevance of having access to virtual reference services. A user can turn to Google, as many of them do, but one thing Google does not do for users is help them weave through the information or pinpoint viable sources, and the retrieval of information overload is what causes frustration or doubt in the information seeker. A virtual librarian can eliminate these barriers and offer real-life support, which may ease the information gathering process.

Virtual reference librarianship is a career path I had not considered, but after writing this competency, it is an area that has piqued my interest. The library where I currently work offers email services, which doesn't quite address the patrons outside library boundaries in real-time. If in the near future, the library decides to embed virtual reference services, I would like to participate as a virtual reference librarian. I already enjoy helping the community, and this added tool will only expand my skills.

Before I conclude, I would also like to reflect on social media. After writing the paper for Professor Hagar, I became more active on social media. I follow libraries on Instagram to learn about their program and services. Following different libraries is a great way to remain informed about library trends, but it has also functioned as a sense of aspiration. I see the work other libraries do, and it is inspiring.