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.