Conclusion and Affirmation

Conclusion

Reflection

The creation of the e-portfolio has been the most challenging aspect of learning my chosen profession. I have wanted to be a librarian since I was a small child when I thought, what fun it would be to have a slumber party with all the books! The journey from there to here has been long and arduous, but the things I have seen and done have formed me into a person who is flexible, adaptable, and always learning from each new experience. Along the way, I sometimes found myself regretting that I had not taken this class or that one in library school so that I could draw on classwork for evidence. One of the challenges was the sheer amount of work in finding ways to prove my competency in these areas. It was during these times that I realized I have worked in some kind of library setting many times and I had experience upon which to draw. I researched these competencies independently and found articles to review or I would ask my supervisor at the library where I worked to let me plan an educational program or decorate a bulletin board and create a book display or spend an afternoon doing reference and then I could write about that. I interviewed librarians about their experiences in the areas of the competencies for which I had taken no formal classes. What this experience has taught me is that I need to be more confident because I am competent in librarianship, through both my education and experiences.

Strengths

As a child, I felt the injustices of life very keenly and was frequently disciplined for declaring a situation “not fair!” This temperament is rather in keeping with the ethics of librarianship in the area of intellectual freedom; knowledge is for everyone who wants it and everyone who wants it must be allowed to access it. What they do with it is their business – privacy and confidentiality are very important to me, as is service. Despite not having taken a reference class in library school, I have become very adept at performing a rather effective reference interview. I have found that the key is to simply pay attention to the patron who is seeking the information. Time and attention are precious commodities in a busy library setting. Giving someone time and attention is like giving a part of oneself and some days that’s very hard to do, but these two things are, I believe, at the heart of service and service is the library’s and the librarian’s raison d’être.

Professional Growth Plan

I am most interested in preservation and conservation of materials. The information they hold is only one thing that makes them valuable; the materials themselves hold another type of information, a context, if one will, in which to interpret the information within. For example, the Ellesmere Chaucer which is currently curated by the Huntington Library in San Marino, California holds clues to the time in which it was written. What type of ink was used? How were books bound and why? What type of materials were available and does that shed light on how and why the writing went as it did? Chaucer wrote a poem, scolding his scribe for laziness; it is believed that this scribe penned the Ellesmere because in certain parts of the incunabula, the writing becomes larger and more uneven, as if the scribe’s hand grew tired.

I would like to do further research in finding a balance between protecting and preserving rare and fragile materials and providing access to them. I would love to work in an archive, keeping materials in a condition to not only preserve and conserve them, but to help keep them accessible and useful for users to glean what knowledge they can from them for years to come.

Affirmation

All introductory, reflective, and evidentiary work submitted is mine alone (except where indicated as a group or team project), and has been prepared solely by me.

Before making my e-portfolio public I have shown respect for the privacy of others by removing mention in this e-Portfolio of information that could lead to the identity of individuals (team members in group projects, internship supervisors, interviewees, etc.) and institutions

 Melissa M. Townsend-Crow

Competency N: assessments

“Core Competency N — evaluate programs and services based on measurable criteria.”

Introduction

Every institution or organization needs to be able to assess itself. We need to know how we’re doing, both what we do right and what can be improved. There are various ways to measure how successful programs and services are. Library user satisfaction can be measured by polls or surveys, but sometimes it is difficult to get patrons to participate. Return customers are an indication that we are serving the needs of these returning patrons. Gate counts are one way to see how many people come into the library, but one must question the accuracy; just today, we had a three year old whose mother chased him back and forth through the gate several times. Such quantitative assessments are helpful in estimating how many people come through our door, but not all of the people who come to our library are using our services. We have one family who uses one of our tables once a month to meet with their social worker. While I believe that this shows that this family feels our library is a safe space, none of the staff want to breach their privacy by asking them so that we can know for certain. We have people who park in our back parking lot and walk through both of our gates, using our library as a shortcut, to the businesses on the street in front. Mere numbers do not give an accurate measure of how many people use our library and for what purpose, let alone tell us if the people who do are satisfied with us. For that kind of qualitative assessment, we need to figure out a tool to measure customer satisfaction with the services we provide to them.

Evaluation based on results

Academic libraries have conducted research into student success outcomes based upon the frequency of library and library materials use in those students studied for the research. I wrote a paper on one such study (please see N_Evidence_1). The criteria measured was student GPA. Students who utilized the university’s academic library had higher GPAs than those students who did not. One university studied had to show a correlation between successful student outcomes and library services in order to have its budget approved one year. What my research in this area showed was that more research was needed in the area of libraries assessing their own services.

Assessment of needs in contemplation of improvement

In  the case of another university, an assessment was conducted not necessarily in order to evaluate its performance, but to decide if proposed changes in materials and services would be of more benefit to its students. They based the evaluation on surveys from students, faculty, and staff. Most of the respondents said that libraries needed more materials, updated materials, better customer service, and more or better access to computers and/or the internet. Some students suggested that the libraries do more promotion of their services and some said that better access to the physical library would be appreciated, perhaps as in extended hours. The university library responded accordingly. It will be interesting to see how the implementation of the plan based on the input from its constituents affects student learning outcomes at this university in the future (please see N_Evidence_2).

Evaluation of services

Sometimes patrons’ first encounter with a library’s services is their website. I evaluated a college library website and wrote a report on my findings (please see N_Evidence_3).  Some of the things I looked for were ease of access, currency and authority of information, interactive tasks, and accessibility of assistance in finding and using the information. I found the site very navigable and the 24/7 help desk/reference librarian was accessible via chat. What this investigation and subsequent report shows is my familiarity with assessment and evaluation of services.

Conclusion

Part of assessing services or materials in the context of an entire organization is knowing what to assess and what makes the quality of the materials or service or a program meet or better yet, exceed, the expectations of not only the institution itself, but its constituents as well. Quantitative measures like how many people show up for a program like story time only tell part of the story; we need to know what our community’s needs are and if we are meeting those needs with quality services. Surveys are one good way, if patrons participate. So is self-assessment or, when feasible, perhaps hiring independent, objective researchers to assess information outcomes and then improve where we lack from there.

Competency M: communication

“Core Competency M — demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for professional collaboration and presentations.”

Introduction

No matter how much or what we know, that knowledge does not benefit anyone unless we can communicate it.  Collaborations in settings such as strategic planning, or those that take place when creating and presenting programs require clear communication, whatever form it takes (as in written or verbal), if the plans are to result in successful situations. Communication is key in creating understanding between participants in any conversation. That communication can extend to signs posted listing the hours that the library is open, or handouts, such as the circulation policy we distribute to people when they first acquire a library card. Because the function of the library is to serve its community, a librarian’s primary role is service. In our branch of the county library where I currently work, we are frequently confronted with communication obstacles. Many of our patrons speak a language other than English. We have several deaf patrons. We even have one patron who has a mental disability which precludes her learning to read; she is physically unable to achieve literacy and relies on audiobooks and DVDs for her information needs.

Oral Communication

Recently, the county library system where I work has begun mandatory customer service training for all employees. The focus of the training is on effective oral communication between staff members and patrons, as well as between staff members and co-workers. It is evident from this training that the best customer service is dependent upon effective communication between people. That means communication between staff members is important as well. Rather than supplying each branch with a service script for handling customer service situations, staff were asked to create our own script or guidelines That way, each branch has this tool to give the most excellent customer service to its unique constituency. It also gives staff members at each branch the opportunity to communicate with each other to create a cooperative tool in order to provide the best possible customer service. Our service script was a collaborative effort (see M_Evidence_1).

In addition to customer service, oral communication can be used to entertain, such as in a storytelling program. Such a program can be used to inform, to entertain, and to communicate ideas. I offer a video of myself telling a story as further evidence of my competency in this area of librarianship (see M_evidence_2).

Written Communication

The most obvious form of communicating in writing, from the standpoint of a librarian, is the book. I have had three novels published (a fourth is in the final stage of editing at my publishers), and sold a short to an anthology (see M_Evidence_3 and 4). I have worked as a professional editor. My favorite way to communicate is through the written word. When I started library school at San Jose State University, one of the assignments was to start a blog. I actually have two blogs, one personal which I use for book reviews and one academic which was used to post assignments for a couple of my classes (M_Evidence_5 and 6). The demands of career and academia have kept me from updating them for some time, but I intend to start again soon.

I used both oral and written communication to collaborate with a team in creating a fictitious Strategic Plan for one of my classes in library school. I have never enjoyed group projects, but I found that when I could use written communication, as in this case, I was better understood by my team members. Part of the Strategic Plan was to keep a journal. I offer that journal to demonstrate my competence in effectively communicating both orally and in writing to collaborate with a team (M_evidence_7).

Conclusion

Effective communication, regardless of whether it is oral or written,  leads to better understanding and is necessary for any successful collaboration, whether it be between members of a planning team, or between a librarian and a patron and the collaboration taking place is working together to satisfy that patron’s information needs. Planning and executing an effective program, such a storytelling event, requires communication skills of both types, but if done well, can inform and entertain successfully.

Competency L: research

“Core Competency L — demonstrate understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods and of the evaluation and synthesis of research literature.”

Introduction

As a novelist, I have done my share of research. I am adept at it and I have become more adept at helping others with their research in my role as a librarian. I have had the opportunity to fine tune my research skills, particularly in the area of finding and evaluating reliable sources, analyzing and interpreting data, and applying that data to create new knowledge. Research is an invaluable tool for information specialists as we are constantly seeking to remain in step with emerging and advancing information technology. In addition to our own research, we are called to assist in information retrieval for others, particularly patrons who come to our library or archive for the purpose of conducting research.

Access to and evaluation of materials

One of the primary roles librarians provide to information seekers is access. We not only protect people’s right to access to information, we curate and preserve that information in all forms to ensure that it is available to be studied and used.  analyzed an article as part of a class discussion on the subject of allowing access to rare materials in the context of the article’s value in research (see L_Evidence_1). I believe this analysis demonstrates my ability to evaluate research materials for accuracy, reliability, and relevance or usefulness to the research project.

Analyzing Data

Gathering data is only the first step. I have collected articles with a topic in mind only to find that the information in the article is not germane to my topic. Research itself does not draw conclusions; analysis of the data discovered in research leads the researcher to make connections and draw conclusions from those connections, conclusions that are supported by the data. In connection with a class I took in library school, I examined an article which was dominated by a graph and left the analysis to the reader ( L_Evidence_2). I believe my ability to effectively analyze this type of data is demonstrated here.

Critical Review of data

A critical review of data includes assessing the research problem, the research methods and findings, as well as  recommendations. It also means evaluating the overall quality of the report. Of equal importance is the usability of the research in solving the problem which initiated the research. I offer a critical review of an article on preservation I did as evidence of my competence in this aspect of research (see L_Evidence_3).

Conclusion

Information professionals are particularly concerned with research. Research, ours and that of others who come to us for assistance, is at the heart of our practice. We serve our community’s information needs, whether our community is a neighborhood or a university campus. We need to be able to evaluate sources and materials for accuracy, reliability, and usability or relevance. I believe that the body of work I have completed and presented here demonstrates my competence in this area.

Competency K: design instructional programs based on learning principles and theories

“Core Competency K — design instructional programs based on learning principles and theories.”

Introduction

Often in our roles as information specialists, librarians scaffold information seekers in acquiring knowledge. We assist our patrons in navigating databases and finding sources of the information they need. We promote literacy and reading in children by planning and running story times and book clubs for children, teens and adults. In that way, we may be considered part of a system of education, but there are also more specific ways in which we can create programs and environments conducive to learning. One way in which librarians can take a proactive role in education is in the design and management of Mass Open Online Course (MOOC) programs as was discussed earlier (see Competency B and B_Evidence_2).  There are also smaller scale ways in which we can plan and create programs designed to educate. While there is a tendency is to think of this competency in terms of school libraries or academic libraries, my personal experience in this area is within the context of a public community library and in my coursework at San Jose State University.

Reading makes better writers

Reading leads to learning. One of the most circulated materials in our library is the graphic novel. Whether Japanese manga, DC, Dark Horse, or Marvel, the comic or graphic novel is one of the most popular genres among children, teens, and even quite a few adults. In the mid-20^th century when comic books were denigrated, librarians saw that, as long as  children were reading something, comics were as good as anything. The point was, children were reading. Barbara Gordon, aka “Batgirl” is a librarian, as is Noah Wyle’s Flynn Carsen from the “Librarian” series. When I was called upon to create a lesson plan for a third grade reading class, I thought of the popularity of these materials and I created the superhero writing prompt based upon what the children were already reading and enjoying (K_Evidence_1). The prompt can easily be adapted to fit a book club activity or a story time program.

Storytelling

Storytelling is another way for librarians to participate in the learning process. In commemoration of Native American Heritage Month last year, our branch of the county library system hosted Rose "Arrow Bear" Figueroa who led a workshop in making storyteller dolls. She and her daughter and grandchildren each took turns explaining each bit of lore surrounding the dolls and telling folktales from their own Native American Tradition as we worked with the red clay to make the dolls.  For Chinese New Year, Barbara Wong came and told Chinese folk tales and taught everyone who attended Chinese characters. storytelling can inspire literacy. In addition to each program, our library prepares a cart of books which have stories that are related to the theme of the programs, books that have similar stories to the ones told by the storyteller. By showcasing these books while interest is high as a result of the storyteller's performance, circulation increases, reading increases and familiarity with whatever the theme, whether cultural, literary, or celebrating the works and life of a specific author or authors (like Dr. Seuss week in March) increases. I wrote a paper that discusses the educational value of storytelling (see K_Evidence_2).

Playing with poetry

April is National Poetry Month. Poetry is probably the least circulated and most underappreciated of materials in our library. To draw attention to poetry, I created a bulletin board (K_Evidence_3) and a book display and I invented an interactive game to encourage our patrons to check out some poetry books. The board and the game invited our patrons to “Match the Poet to the Poem.” I printed out the names of poets and the titles of their poems in jumbled orders and I told people that the answers to the game were in the poetry books on display. At the end of the month, I arranged the poem titles so that they matched the poets on the board. People told me it was challenging and fun. Next year, I may just challenge people to try writing their own poems.

Conclusion

Librarians are in a wonderful position to create instructional programs. Not only do we know how to research, part of our role is already to assist people in becoming “information literate.”  I have always associated books and libraries with learning and education. I can see myself planning instructional programs that promote literacy of all kinds.

Competency J: information-seeking behaviors

“Core Competency J — describe the fundamental concepts of information-seeking behaviors.”
Introduction
Understanding information seeking behavior is at the heart of library reference service. It is multifaceted and much researched so that, through understanding the behavior behind information seeking, we might meet the needs upon which such behavior is based. Information seeking is premised upon satisfying a need or a gap in one’s knowledge. There is a great deal of research on this aspect of information behavior and many theories and theories about theories. Some of these are discussed previously in this portfolio (please see Competency I).
 Experience
 I frequently perform reference-related services for the patrons who come into the library where I work. In almost every one of these encounters, the person seeking the information knows what they need to fill that information need. Usually it is whether we have a specific book or other material and if not, where they can they find it? A simple catalog search is all that is required. Sometimes they want some other information, like a bus schedule or books on a certain subject. Sometimes they don’t remember the name of the author or the title – or both – but they know that something happened in that book or film and they want to see it or read it again, or perhaps a friend described it to them and can I find it based on that description? With a good and detailed reference interview, yes, most of the time I can, sometimes with the help of a co-worker, but in almost every single reference encounter, the patron leaves with his or her information need satisfied.
 Evidence
Often when I am assisting a patron with a reference question, I wish that I had taken a reference class in library school. I did not, so I research information behavior so that I can better serve our patron’s information needs. I have read several articles on information seeking and I will most likely be doing further research since this subject is far from exhausted. One of the running themes throughout the research is convenience and least amount of effort  as a factor in information behavior. People will invariably take the easiest route and the most accessible and the fastest acquired resources, whether or not those resources are the most accurate or most relevant available with a little more searching (please see J_Evidence_1). In an era of easy web searches through search engines like Google or Bing, people may settle for a less thorough search for information and settle for less information than they need or want because it’s easier – less work and faster. One way for information professionals to assist people in acquiring the most accurate and relevant information is either for libraries to invest in equipment and software that makes more accurate and thorough searching as easy and convenient as “Googling.” The added expense of new equipment and software may not be feasible for every library, however. In that case, librarians and other information specialists can invest another sort of commodity:  their time and attention. We can go beyond the convenience and ease attraction and do more to help our patrons ourselves.
Some patrons find the library and reference encounters intimidating. I think sometimes that as library professionals, we who are familiar with information retrieval systems don’t realize how daunting the process can be for others. At the same time, people don’t like to admit that they feel anxious about a reference encounter, even when that encounter is with a virtual reference librarian and not in person. This was the gist of an article I reviewed on this subject (please see J_Evidence_2).
Another factor I studied was the ways that people acquire information. In the passive mode, this may occur by simply taking in information from our surroundings like a sponge absorbs water or by keeping in mind things about which we want more information and investigating information that comes to our attention. In the active mode, as is implied by the name, we actively seek or search for information. I reviewed an article which discussed these modes and their integration (please see J_Evidence_3).
 Conclusion
 Beyond the theories and the analysis of motives, there is the practice of reference librarians worldwide. What we do is to help people find stuff – we help people fill gaps in their knowledge with information they need to meet their goals, whether those goals are tangible needs or simply satisfying a moment of curiosity. Knowing the theories and understanding the motives behind the behavior allows us to be more effective in assisting our patrons to find what they seek for whatever reason they are seeking it.

Competency I: Reference Services

“Core Competency I — use service concepts, principles, and techniques to connect individuals or groups with accurate, relevant, and appropriate information.”

 Introduction

 Libraries were and are built for no other purpose than to serve the community of which they are a part. It stands to reason, then, that so many of the core competencies which make up effective librarianship are based in service because that is the foundation of the profession. The most visible role played by the information professional to the public is assisting patrons with information retrieval. That service may entail assisting someone with navigating complex databases or simply helping a child find a book to use in a book report or assisting a patron to check out a DVD for the evening’s entertainment. We serve our patrons’ information and entertainment needs by connecting these patrons with what they seek.

 Service Concepts and Principles

 Because reference is a key duty of information specialists, studies have been conducted to evaluate the accuracy of reference encounter results and the satisfaction. I wrote a review of an article discussing one of these studies (please see I_Evidence_1. The article is important because it draws attention the fact that the better we understand what works, the better the services that we can provide to our patrons, particularly in this area. Some of the things the studies have sought to address are:

• What makes good reference service?
• What are things that can adversely (or positively) affect reference outcomes?
• How can we improve our reference services?

There were two criteria found to measure the quality of reference services, that is 1) accuracy of the information found, and 2) satisfaction of the user.

 Techniques

 One of the things that was found in the studies mentioned above is that the more specific the query, the more accurate the reference experience is. One way to clarify and narrow search terms is by conducting a thorough reference interview. In another article which I reviewed (see I_Evidence_2), the reference interview is defined and its value is discussed. One of the reasons given for conducting a reference interview is to save time. Much time and effort is wasted when patrons follow the wrong sources, when information specialists process requests for the wrong materials or direct patrons to the wrong sources, only to have to start the search over. A good reference interview involves asking pertinent questions to clarify the information request.

Librarians are concerned with connecting patrons with the information they seek through service. Another technique to make this happen is to pass on the skills needed to conduct an accurate search beyond keywords to users. The drawback to this is that human nature dictates that we will follow the path of least resistance as described in my notes (see I_Evidence_3), as the “Principle of Least Effort.” Most people will settle for the easiest, most accessible source of information whether or not that information is accurate or the source reliable or objective. This theory has been helpful in studying any lack in the use of libraries and library materials because what it tells us is that accessing relevant and accurate information through library sources because of the thoroughness of the searching process, is too much work for people accustomed to the convenience and ease of internet search engines which may or may not provide accurate information. This is the challenge in providing reference services to those users seeking accurate and relevant information.

 Conclusion

 The most important function of a reference encounter is helping the customer find what s/he is seeking. There are valid reasons why this may not happen sometimes, but I think that our best practice is to give them our attention until they have the information they need or want. By paying attention to the person who is seeking assistance in information retrieval, we can determine what information they are seeking, even if they have trouble articulating their need. We as librarians must go above and beyond "Google" to connect our patrons with the most accurate and reliable information resources at our disposal. As librarians we are in a unique position through our specialized knowledge and training to find and assist our patrons to fill their information needs.

Competency H: identifying, using, and evaluating current and emerging information and communication technologies

“Core Competency H — demonstrate proficiency in identifying, using, and evaluating current and emerging information and communication technologies.”

Introduction

With the proliferation of digital and electronic information sources and the user friendly technology found in internet and mobile application search engines, it might appear that librarians and other information specialists are in an endangered profession. The ever advancing and emerging technology allows people to access information wherever and whenever they want it. Immediate information gratification is at one’s fingertips. However, librarians and other information specialists who stay current with cutting edge technologies keep our professions relevant. We do so by not only staying current, but by staying ahead of the trends so that we help or patrons learn the technology. Not everyone will have access to all of the technology; libraries can help provide it. For example, the county library system in which I am currently working has just purchased pre-bundled Kindle Paperwhite readers for circulation. The University library system where I earned my undergraduate degree had a laptop loan program.

Managing Current Technology

I have had the opportunity to evaluate some of the current technologies used in Information Science. I wrote a report on augmented reality (see H_Evidence_1) in which the experience, whatever it is, is enhanced or augmented. For example, closed captioning on televisions or active links within a text on a screen leading to related text, like glossary entries for an article which uses technical jargon or even museum displays in which a recorded docent will describe an exhibit at the push of a button.  I have found that much of the current technology that is successful is interactive. The trend seems to be that technology will become ever more interactive rather than passive. People will be actively participating  in the information retrieval process. Virtual world technology puts users into the programs in a role playing setting. I have been working in Second Life, a virtual simulation program, and the experience leaves me inspired with different ways that such technology could be used in information professions (see H_Evidence_2).           

Transitioning from Current to Emerging Technology

One of the sites I visited in Second Life was had infinite potential for technological growth. It was Science Island and the site has the ability to evolve as discoveries are made and it even makes it look possible that discoveries could made right there in virtual science world. There are sections of the land devoted to astronomy, nuclear energy, and genetics. The emphasis seems to be on applied science. There is an observatory to study astronomy and one can use "camera controls" to look into the eyepieces of the telescope, though I never figured out how to do that. There is a simulated nuclear reactor with notecards and interactive things which teach about different types of energy. There is a virtual reality lab which completely immerses one's avatar into an environment chosen by the learner, such as "nature" or the solar system.

Managing Emerging Technology

I recently read and reviewed a couple of articles  (see H_Evidence_3) which discuss the fact that recent studies show not all people engage with  information presented by technology with the same rate of absorption. Essentially, the studies show that reading articles and blogs and blurbs on the internet with highlighted text links decrease attention span and do not allow readers to fully engage in the text. Furthermore, comprehension also suffers from reading on devices as opposed to printed text. Emerging literacy technology will have to evolve to accommodate the way our brains work if we are to support comprehension in  literature.

Conclusion

I think that today's children will learn more effectively through the kind of technology I am discussing here because they have been immersed in it since birth. I also think novelty makes it effective for others not so invested in obtaining the next new gadget because people try it out, at least at first, for the fun factor. I think something like this would be, I believe, of particular value to those who are unable to visit the actual museum or science center. There is also great potential for an interactive archive of sorts for data collected by scientists in a site like this. The notion of using virtual reality as a mode of publication is also a viable use for a site like this. I can see myself using Second Life technology as a librarian for information retrieval. It will require some research and preparation as far as verifying authenticity and reliability of the information presented, but a site like Science Island which is sponsored by the University of Denver or the Archives of Stanford University or the Holocaust Museum sponsored by the actual Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. are pretty well documented.

Competency G: organizing information, including classification, cataloging, metadata, or other systems

“Core Competency G — demonstrate understanding of basic principles and standards involved in organizing information, including classification, cataloging, metadata, or other systems.”

Introduction

Human beings compartmentalize. We classify and sort and try to make sense of the minutiae of life by labeling each thing and grouping it together with other, similar things. We seem to do this instinctively and without thinking about it. A library catalog differs in that it must be planned and thought out. A library without a catalog wouldn’t be a library; it would be like an unmapped land, a warehouse full of jumbled up materials that would do no one any good because, first of all, no one would even know what was there and if they did, by some chance know that an item existed in that mess, no one could find it.

Classification and Cataloguing

That was the quandary in which my child’s preschool staff found themselves a few years ago. They had a small library of books, both purchased by the preschool program and donated by parents. They did not know what books were in the collection, but they wanted to be able find books to read to the children appropriate to the curriculum and the children’s interests. I volunteered to do an inventory, classify and label the books and then arrange them on the shelf. I also volunteered to create a catalogue of the books in a format that would coordinate the classification system with the books’ locations on the shelf. The preschool did not have a computer, so the catalog I would create would be a paper printout. This would not be the ideal format since any changes to the collection, whether additions or losses, would have to be handwritten on the paper, however, I gave the files to the director of the site on a memory stick so that she could take it to the center’s headquarters and update the catalog on their computers.

The first step I took in this process was to take an inventory of the collection. This meant pulling every book off the shelf and writing the title by hand on a sheet paper. I took this paper home and entered the data into a Microsoft Excel worksheet. I then sorted the entries alphabetically. There were almost 500 books in the pre-school’s collection. I brought the list to the director and we decided that the best way to classify the collection was by topic. That way, when the teachers wanted a book about a specific issue or event, that book would easier to find. Because space was limited, we could not assign much shelf space to the collection. We decided to put colored labels on the book spines and arrange the books on the shelf, grouped together by topic and alphabetized within the grouping by title. I offer the catalog and documents used to develop the catalog as evidence (see G_Evidence_1a, 1b).

Systems

The way in which I created the preschool’s library catalogue was obviously much simpler than what modern libraries go through to classify, arrange, and catalog their materials. I have so much more knowledge and information about cataloging and classification than I had a few years ago when I classified and cataloged the collection at the preschool. At that time I had no knowledge of AACR2 or RDA or MARC. I was very familiar with Dewey, however the Library of Congress system of classification confused me. I have a much better understanding of LOC now. Of course, none of these systems were necessary for the small collection of EB materials at the preschool, however, knowing what I do now, I could have done a better job classifying and cataloguing their collection. I am more knowledgeable about classification and cataloging because of a class I took in the MLIS program. I offer comprehensive, graded exams which display my competency in these areas (see G_Evidence_2 and G_Evidence_3) One of the first things I should have done is make a brief description of each of the materials. This description would have assisted the teacher who was selecting material for the day’s story time to make an appropriate choice. Grouping materials by topic does not go far enough to describe each book; a short description could help a teacher find germane material more quickly. Like a keyword only search, it doesn’t narrow the selection to the most relevant material.

Since this was a collection unique to the preschool and only they would be using it, it was not necessary to use AACR2 or RDA to standardize the catalog so that others could access the collection. Furthermore, since there was no computerized version, save the Excel files saved on my hard drive and the memory stick I gave to the director, MARC was also unnecessary. In a hypothetical scenario, in which I was classifying and cataloging the entire preschool system’s collection, that is, all of the materials in each site, then I would have used AACR2 and added a field with a short description of the material, one identifying which site had possession of which materials, as well as a field showing how many copies of each item the system possessed overall. That catalogue would not only be standardized among the preschool sites, it would also be far more extensive and detailed and most likely computerized.

Conclusion

Sorting and classifying comes naturally to humans; perhaps it is our finite minds’ way of making sense of the infinite universe, this parceling out and labeling bits of it. However, with a catalog, the things we classify don’t make sense. We may inherit an immensely valuable coin collection, but without a catalog to tell us what each coin is or how it is significant, we might never know what we have. Because I understand not only the importance, but the various methods used by libraries in organizing information and materials, I am better able to not only assist information seekers in finding what they seek, but also in navigating the catalog and classification systems to further my own research and continuing education to better serve patrons overall.

Competency F: selection, evaluation, organization, and preservation of physical and digital items and collections

“Core Competency F — use the basic concepts and principles related to the selection, evaluation, organization, and preservation of physical and digital items and collections.”

Introduction

Preservation is one of the most essential functions of the information profession. My research has shown me that one of the first functions of the library was as a repository to preserve and conserve treasures which included rare books, whether those books were clay tablets, papyri, or bound volumes. Historical artifacts are treasures and their preservation and conservation is the domain of information specialists like librarians and archivists. Historical artifacts contain information; they give researchers a context and allow visionaries to imagine themselves within that context. Preservation differs from conservation in that preservation is simply protecting the materials. Conservation also involves research, documentation, and procedures to prolong the life of the materials and the reason we do this is so that these materials can be used because it does no good to preserve things if they are not used.

Selection and Evaluation

Because archivists cannot possibly preserve every piece of material presented, there has to be a protocol for selection and evaluation of the materials in question. Acquisition starts with selection and appraisal.      A protocol for selection includes creating criteria for appropriate materials, and many things must be taken into consideration when appraising materials, including whether those materials fit the collection and whether they are the best reflection of the work of the creator of the collection. For example, I visited the ONE archives which was created by Jim Kepner as a means of documenting LGB culture in Los Angeles. The collections are many and massive with probably millions of records, thousands of which still need sorting and processing and preservation measures applied, but they are all related to LGB issues in keeping with Mr. Kepner’s original intent. My report of this visit is offered as evidence towards my competency in this area (see F_Evidence_1).

Provenance is an important issue in acquisition. By “provenance,” I am referring to the concept of ownership and/or legal custody of records and materials. This provenance also allows archivists to assess value and to verify authenticity of materials. This protocol exists whether materials are preserved physically or digitally.

Somewhere in the process, an archivist may have to make the difficult decision whether an item is germane to the rest of the collection and is to be conserved or if it must be discarded. There is also the issue of privacy and copyright when dealing with personal papers and whether the collection will be open to the public for research. Again, much of the value of a collection lies in its usefulness, especially when space is at a premium.

Organization

Organization of materials in an archive or repository is twofold. First, the safety and conservation of the material must be if prime concern. Second, the materials need to be processed and a finding aid created. I created a finding aid for a fictitious collection (see F_Evidence_2), so I am familiar with the process:  taking inventory of the materials, arranging and organizing, then describing the creator of the materials in the collection and listing the materials with a short descriptor of each item. All of these can assist a researcher in finding materials they need. They may also serve as an inventory and catalog aid for the archive or repository to keep track of which materials are processed or at which stage in the processing the collection may be.

The organization of the actual repository, archive, or library is also part of the preservation process because the type of container in which the material is located, the stage at which the material is in being processed and evaluated for repair or conservation procedures, the location in the building or satellite location (media materials, like film and tape, that are owned by the ONE related to LGB film and television is located at UCLA) are all part of the organization of the collection, as are the finding aids and, in some cases, a map of the building to guide users in finding the materials on their own where paging is not offered or required. I again refer to my report of my visit to the ONE; that is a very well organized and very efficiently run repository. The staff knows exactly where every piece of material and at what stage in processing each collection is.

Preservation

As mentioned above, the conditions in which materials are kept are important to the preservation process. I had to opportunity to complete two projects which support this notion. I completed both a fictitious Special Collections HVAC Monitoring Report (see F_Evidence_4) and an actual report of the branch of the County library where I work (see F_Evidence_5). These projects illustrate just how important atmospheric conditions are to the preservation of materials. I was able to make recommendations to my Community Library Manager based upon my study to make the materials in our circulating collection circulate longer which will save money on replacing worn and damaged materials.

The preservation and conservation process of the Ellesmere Chaucer, which is curated by the Huntington Library in San Marino, California is well documented as is the process by which it was re-bound. Its facsimile was on display when I visited the library which led me to the conclusion that creating an accurate facsimile for display and use was a viable way of providing access and protecting the actual artifact at the same time. Many images of the folios of the original manuscript are also available in digital format at the Huntington’s website. My report on the preservation of this manuscript is linked as part of my evidence of competency.

The procedures for preserving archival materials are advancing with technology. The most obvious use of technology in archival practice is in digitizing records and born digital records. There are, however, new technological advances in every aspect of archiving and the practice evolves as the new technology advances. I wrote a paper discussing how technological advances affect preservation (see F_Evidence_3). Technology in the form of electronically stored records of acquisition make the process of tracing provenance, that is the trail of ownership and custody faster and more accurate. Since conservation efforts invariably change the materials, recording the conservation procedures is crucial.  Making these records electronically available allows greater access to others involved with curating the materials as well as patrons of the repository who may need that information as part of their research.

Digitized and born-digital materials have special preservation needs. For example, I have five inch floppy discs with information I will most likely never be able to retrieve again, yet I hang onto them" just in case." I don't even know if they still have the information they originally were used to store because the material was so fragile; one accidental swipe in front of the monitor and the magnetism of the screen could wipe out all the memory. I also have many 3 inch floppy discs, but no access to a machine that can read them. An archive or repository that curated these materials would need to either retrieve the information on these materials and store it in another medium or invest in machines that could read the media or even both. In my paper on technological advances, I briefly discuss the BitCurator project which is a program designed to assist archives and repositories in preserving and allowing access to born-digital records which may only be accessed through obsolete machines.

Conclusion

I actually find this aspect of librarianship the most interesting. I am considering continuing my education to become a conservator of rare materials, particularly books. As I have stated previously, I am a bibliophile. Stories in electronic format have their place, certainly, but nothing can replace the experience of reading a real, physical book. The material itself holds an intrinsic value for that experience. In the same way, access to other materials as well as the information they convey is valuable so those materials need to be preserved, conserved, and curated. I have experience in this area, as shown by my evidence. I also have a high level of interest and would love work in an archive or repository, filling that particular function of librarianship. Wherever I serve, I will be certain to perform preservation tasks whenever appropriate.

Competency E: design, query and evaluate information retrieval systems

“Core Competency E — design, query and evaluate information retrieval systems.”

Introduction

“Information retrieval” means just what it says, retrieving information. This means that an information retrieval (IR) system could be an internet search engine such as Google or AskJeeves or a library’s OPAC. Even a book can be an IR, since when it is opened, one can retrieve information that is stored therein. The definitive IR for me was the old card catalog of my childhood library. The cards were color coded – subject, author, title; white, canary yellow, and mint green, all typed on a typewriter or hand printed, and each card represented a book or other piece of material in the collection. When I was a child, a trip to the library was really a treasure hunt. The clues were in the card catalog. The hints were the signs posted to the ends of the shelves which listed what was located on those shelves, which Dewey call numbers or the first two letters of the authors’ last names for fiction.  The Wizard of Oz, for example, could be found on the shelf labelled, “BA-BE” in the children’s section. One had to have an idea of what to look for in the catalog – the white subject cards were probably the most perused, but sometimes, one would be looking for another book by a favorite author (those were mint green cards). The OPACs used in place of the card catalogs create faster and perhaps more relevant results (though maybe not as creative or as fun ones), and they work on the same reference and cross reference principle. Keywords, Boolean, or specific searches can all result in cross references and there is less need to be exact in one’s query.

Design

I had to opportunity to learn about designing an IR when I created a database to catalog my mother’s collection of American Girl™ dolls (see E_Evidence_1). I used InMagic’s DBTextworks to create a catalog of the collection. Each field had to be consistent in each entry and each field also needed to be searchable. For example, if my mother wanted to know which dolls she had acquired in a certain year, I would have to make those terms searchable. I chose what I knew made each part of the collection, each doll, unique from the others, but at the same time, I wanted to be able to search by similarities as well. I created a spreadsheet from the database for my mother so that she could see the all that data at a glance without turning on her computer.

Query

When the County library system where I work changed from ACS to SirsiDynex and iBistro for searching the catalog,  that was when I first learned about the query. We attended training in the new systems before it went live so that we could assist our patrons with information retrieval.  The mote specific the query, the more relevant the outcome. A “keyword” only search might display 1000s of results, but the advanced search option allows the querent to use the Boolean search terms and/or/not, as well as specifying in which category to search (i.e., title, author, type of material, language, etc.) Having this system available is useful when one has a patron looking for a title that might be used by several authors for different books. For example, a patron might be looking for  Daughters of Artemis  by L. M. Townsend. If that author is not specified, they may get materials with that title by J.D. Ironmonger, Lauren Wright Douglas, and at least two titles by other authors.

Evaluate

The measure of an effective IR system is user satisfaction. I had the opportunity to evaluate several IR systems. In the first piece of evidence I am presenting here, I compared RefWorks and Google Scholar in the context of discovering which system would be more useful for academic work (see E_Evidence_2). In the next piece of evidence (see E_Evidence_3), I evaluated a user’s ability to retrieve information in a virtual world setting. I based my evaluation on ease of use, relevancy of results, and whether results could be repeated consistently. I found Google Scholar to be the most user friendly. It allows both keyword and Boolean search terms and produced consistently relevant results. RefWorks was more complex and has more features, but with assistance and practice, the features and links are very useful for students. I found the virtual world scenario the most enjoyable IR experience, however it was that very experience that was a drawback in the system because it was distracting from my search. There was really no way to query for a specific result and because some of the sites are created and run by non-professionals, the information presented may be inaccurate, albeit enjoyable.

Conclusion

Librarianship is a multifaceted profession. At the heart of this profession, however, is service. By being fluent in the languages of several IRs, a librarian can better serve those seeking information. In the end, the librarian is her or himself the best IR there is because he or she can access, analyze, and evaluate the accuracy and relevance of the information  that is retrieved through the systems discussed here and others.  I feel that I have the experience and knowledge to use information retrieval systems to assist information seeking constituents in a plethora of settings.

Core Competency D -- planning, management, marketing, and advocacy

“Core Competency D — apply the fundamental principles of planning, management, marketing, and advocacy.”

Introduction

One of the exercises required by the LIBR 204 class I took for the MLIS program at SJSU was to assess oneself with several assessment systems. I took three personality tests and I was not very surprised by some of the results, but then, I should know myself well enough to be able to look at a description of personality types and call mine without taking the test. The Social Styles test had me tied between Expressive/Analytical, which really don't go together at all. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter II labels me an "Idealist," the description of which is distinctly at odds with the results of the Humanetrics-Jung Typology assessment which confirmed my self-assessment that I am 100% introvert.

So, how do these assessments help me become management material?

Management

Management of staff, resources, space – all of these fall under this competency. I realized that, upon becoming a librarian, even if it wasn’t a library manager per sé, I would still be “management” as opposed to my heretofore role as “staff.”

This realization has given me more insight into the roles played by each part. Rather than adversarial positions as is often envisioned at the words, “management” and “labor” or “supervisor” and “staff,” each member of the team complements each other and that is when it works. At the same time, someone has to be in charge. Someone has to take the lead and that is why librarians have advanced degrees. We have greater knowledge and experience from which to draw and that allows us to lead other staff members in creating successful policies, procedures, and programs and in building and managing relevant collections. I also assessed myself through these systems as an Idealist. The description of an Idealist is someone who relates well to and inspires others to seek personal growth. This makes me think there is something in me that answered the questions in such a way that a previously unknown aspect of my personality may just be capable of doing that. That makes me feel more capable as a manager because it is the managers’ role to ensure that those staff members they manage have the opportunity to grow and to educate themselves. My library manager and our circulation supervisor have been invaluable resources to me throughout my time as a student earning my MLIS. They have supported me through accommodating my schedule for classwork and by giving me tasks and responsibilities that are more in line with my level of education and aspirations than are in my job description. For example, I was recently put in charge of and permitted to lead a program at our branch library involving recycling old books. My library manager often asks my opinion on ordering books for our collection as well as weeding old, non-circulating, and/or shabby books.

Planning

Every successful thing starts with a plan and every library with which I have had any experience has a strategic plan. These things seem daunting until one sees that there is a formula to making them. Most strategic plans involve a team effort. The formula involves:

1)      Vision and Mission of the Institution

2)      SWOT or an evaluation of the institution’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

3)       Strategic Outcomes and Strategies

4)      Action Plans

5)      Resource list

a.      Part A: Strategic Plan Resources and Action Plan Resources

b.      Part B: SWOT Resources, Evidence of Support for SWOTs

From these tools, the team builds a strategic plan. I had the opportunity to participate in creating a fictitious strategic plan for an actual library as part of a LIBR 204 class (see D_Evidence_1). I actually learned as much about myself as a manager and team member as I did about creating a strategic plan. As an introvert, I have difficulty functioning within a team, but through this experience, I have learned that discomfort can be put aside for the duration of a project and that, at the end, the sense of shared accomplishment is very satisfying.

Marketing and Advocacy

It does no good to have a great library or a notable archival collection if no one knows about it. That’s where marketing comes in. Putting myself “out there” to market is well outside my comfort zone as an introvert and that is one of my challenges but being aware of these challenges helps me to overcome them. Each program, each facet that makes one’s library unique or even useful, is material for marketing. Promoting programs or special collections unique to the library or branch is one way of marketing. (see D_Evidence_2).  I think that the bottom line is that I am, indeed, an introvert, but that merely defines my comfort zone. I can and certainly have stepped out of that zone to meet goals and I can do it again when called upon to do so as when I am promoting our branch’s programs like story times or books clubs or events held at our branch to patrons at the circulation desk. Marketing is synergistic for libraries. Only by serving our community can we discover what needs we might still meet and then offer what meets hose needs. I explored this concept of marketing in an article I reviewed (see D_Evidence_4).

Part of planning should be discovering what information and entertainment needs the community which the library serves has and then taking the necessary actions to meet those needs. Letting the community know what is then available is marketing by whatever methods are used (i.e posters, website, social media, etc.).

One type of advocacy in which I have stepped outside that zone of comfort was in working to get out the vote for continued funding to our libraries. Our county was looking at cutting budgets for library funding and there was a measure on the local ballots to do just that. The result would have been a sharp decrease in the hours that libraries would be open to the public, as well as cuts to staff which reduce the number of services we provide to the affected communities. We had seen the result of such budget cuts in another nearby community library which I studied as part of my collection development class (see D_Evidence_3). The Pomona Public Library curates 23 special collections, including the Laura Ingalls Wilder collection, and this most likely played a part in keeping that library open when budget constraints forced the city to make some tough choices. The library was at risk of being closed. The community served by the library rallied. There were protests, fundraisers, and people came out to vote to save their library. Instead of closing the library, the hours were cut back in half, staff were cut to the minimum to keep the library staffed during the few hours of operation, story times were cut altogether, and the city allocated roughly 20% of the previous year’s operating costs to keep it open in 2011. The following year, the people came out again and more money was given to the library to re-instate story time and other services. The library had become an indispensable part of the community and the community advocated to keep it open.

Our efforts to advocate for our own library system were successful. There were some hours cut from some of the branches and a hiring freeze put in place, but no one was let go because of cuts and services were not markedly affected.

Conclusion

The principles of planning, management, marketing, and advocacy are interrelated. Everyone from managers to staff to patrons working together can make a library successful and relevant. As stated above, managers who involve staff members in planning, strategic and otherwise, get a better perspective of what needs are to be addressed by the plan. Managers and staff can work with patron feedback towards making the implementation of the plan work. As a future manager, I will be involved with both planning and the implementation and adjustment of those plans. I feel prepared through my experiences presented in my evidence to do these things.

Core Competency C: cultural and economic diversity

“Core Competency C — recognize and describe cultural and economic diversity in the clientele of libraries or information organizations.”

As library professionals, we may encounter very diverse demographics even within one small community. At one library where I worked, we had patrons of many ethnicities and religions, including homeless people, Buddhist nuns, Goth teens, parents who homeschooled their children, and women in hijabs all coming into our library, all seeking materials and information. The materials people seek are just as diverse and a good reference interview is crucial to help the patron find that information he or she is seeking. In order to conduct an effective interview, the patron must be understood both linguistically and culturally by the reference librarian helping them.

The organizations themselves may be just as diverse. I earned my undergraduate degree at the University of Southern California which boasts 23 separate libraries in the USC library system. Each library exemplifies the very diversity discussed here, from the ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives to Norris Medical School library to the Gerontology library to the East Asian Library. Doheney Memorial library is open to members of the community in which the university is located – South Central Los Angeles. The University library that I particularly enjoyed was the Hoose library of philosophy. I blogged my study of this library because it impressed me with its classic architecture, mosaics, and stained glass (see C_Evidence_1). Not far from Hoose library on the same campus is Leavey library which is a more modern building, more metal and glass than marble and more technology, as well, with its public computers, printing stations, and carrels with outlets for personal laptops. The focus at Leavey is on research and computing.

USC is also the home of the ONE National Gay and Lesbian archives. The founder of the ONE archive, Jim Kepner, started collecting newspaper clippings and books about homosexuality after witnessing the now infamous Black Cat gay bar raid in in 1942.  He started his collection with a copy of Radclyffe Hall’s Well of Lonliness.  He kept his growing collection in his apartment, calling it “The Western Gay Archives.”   Presumably, his collection grew beyond his apartment’s capacity, because it was moved to a Hollywood storefront and named “the National Gay and Lesbian Archives.” In 1994, The ONE institute, which Mr. Kepner helped found, acquired Mr. Kepner’s collection and it has grown into what is now the ONE National LGBT Archives.  In 2000, the collections were sponsored and moved to their current home on Adams by the University of Southern California and ten years later, they are now a part of the USC Library system. The archive is touted by USC as the largest repository of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) materials in the world. I was honored to visit this archive and my report on that visit is entered as evidence of my competency in this area (see C_Evidence_2).

Collections in a library is one place in which the diversity of the community that library serves may be reflected. As part of strategic planning and collection building and development for a library, a study of the demographic of the community that is and will be served by that library is necessary. As part of learning about collection development, I had the opportunity to study the demographics of a community served by an academic library, East Los Angeles College located in Monterey Park, California. This exercise was a challenging and rewarding opportunity to see firsthand how the diversity of a community creates that community. It was also fascinating to see how the college itself would affect the demographics of the community – would the academic campus be an insular island, a pocket with its own separate demographics or would the students be from the community and reflect the area at large? I offer a presentation of my findings as further evidence of my competency. I found that the diversity of the community was enhanced by the students attending the college the library served while serving the academic population of students, faculty and staff (see C_Evidence_3).

Libraries serve communities and, while communities are created by common interests, they are populated by diverse individuals. Diversity, whether cultural or economic, creates opportunities for people to learn from one another and to forge bonds that go beyond what is diverse and by what we all hold in common. The library, with its commitment to equality of access and intellectual freedom, could easily be the heart of that community.