Librarian Lateralus

For anybody who has the interest and patience here is a text copy of my e-portfolio used as the final step of my MLIS progam at SJSU E-Portfolio – Mark Gottschalk Introduction I have created this e-Portfolio to demonstrate the foothold of knowledge I have accumulated in my time in the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University. I stumbled into a post-college career in libraries by getting a job through my connections in the History Department at Washington State University at the Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections Library at Washington State University. My connections there led me into another job at the local public library and the rest, as is said, has been all downhill. I entered the program confident in my knowledge and abilities as a library employee and three years later I leave it confident in my abilities and eager to continually increase my knowledge in the library sciences. In order to complete this e-portfolio, I first backed up all of my coursework onto both a flash drive and onto my Google Docs account in case anything happened to my computer. I had been keeping folders for each class since I started the program, so it was a very easy process to back up this information. I next created a documents folder on my computer labeled “e-portfolio” and within it placed 4 sub-folders (Completed Competencies, Draft Competencies, Evidence, and In Progress Competencies). In the “In Progress Competencies” folder I created a folder for each competency with a document for each competency. I then organized my evidence based on where I thought they would fit and found that doing so gave me a great start on writing my competencies. The writing process for each competency varied to a certain degree but the general process involved first thinking about what the competency meant to me and what coursework or professional experience I had that might fit into the competency. After thinking about the competency I put my thoughts down under the Introduction section of the competency, started taking my abstract thoughts and organizing and reorganizing them into paragraphs until I felt I had covered the subject area to my own satisfaction. While I was doing this I would place notes in the Evidence section about what items to use as evidence, thus when I wrote my Evidence section and Conclusion I was able to do so in a confident and smooth manner that connected my introduction to the evidence. I would then upload the completed draft competency and the evidence cited to the D2L e-portfolio website. Next I had trusted colleagues and friends examine my drafts to provide feedback and criticism about each draft. I would then make any changes and e-mail my e-Portfolio adviser. This was a continuous process once I started writing and I was often working on several competencies at the same time. When I hit a mental roadblock I would stop for the night or even for a couple of days and recollect my thoughts before getting after it again. I have organized my e-Portfolio as instructed by the LIBR 289 handbook with the notable exception that competencies are labeled numerically instead of alphabetically at the request of my adviser. It represents approximately three years of my life during which I balanced my professional work in public libraries, my social life, and my academic life in a juggling act that was not always easy, but was ultimately always rewarding. This cumulative project really served as a reminder and as evidence of how much I have learned on my brief journey in libraries. Only five years in, I am filled with wonderment at what I have learned, what I do in my work, and what possibilities lay ahead for both me and the profession. Statement of Professional Philosophy Background This will sound cliche, but as a child I was a voracious reader who eagerly looked forward to my family’s Thursday afternoon visits to the local public library. I loved finding new books to read and asking the always friendly librarians where I could find books on different topics. I would take my big stack of books home and eagerly devour them. As I grew up I was constantly devouring information via books, especially on the subject of history. Growing up in New England I devoured American History, especially the American Revolution and the Civil War. In my teen years my family moved to the Pacific Northwest where I got to experience amazing outdoors activities and to help my family start an organic orchard where we produce apples and pears. As high school ended I had no idea what I would be when I “grew up” but was excited to go out and discover the world. The Journey to Librarianship I had quite a journey into librarianship, starting my academic career as a scholarship basketball player at the University of California at Irvine. During this time I gave very little thought to what I wanted to do after college. Ironically, during my time as a basketball player I got the chance to work with community groups and ultimately at a Boys and Girls Club in Reno, Nevada that helped me discover the great satisfaction I get from helping others. For two summers I spent five days a week working with kids between the ages of 5 and 17 at the club, playing games with them, doing activities with them and realizing how rewarding it was to help others. My basketball career ended after my sophomore year of college and I transferred to Washington State University, where I received a bachelor’s degree in History. Having done very well in school and not knowing what I wanted to do next, I started a Master’s degree in World History at Washington State University. This decision would prove to be key for my future without me even realizing it at the time. In my time in the graduate program in History at WSU I had to help students learn to use the campus library to complete assignments in entry level world history classes as a teaching assistant. In this role I developed knowledge of the libraries and reconnected with my love of them from my youth. It was through these contacts that I got my first library job at the Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections as a library worker where I shelved items, assisted at the front desk, and worked on archival projects. I soon realized that I saw a career in libraries and got a job at the local public library using my history background and library experience at the university level to get a job as a reference assistant. I loved working in the public library and quickly took not only to the work and the patrons, but also to the principles of the profession. I had the good fortune to work with a couple of people I consider mentors who helped me learn not only how to go about doing library work, but also explained why we were doing the things we were. In my work in public libraries I have had the opportunity to work on many different aspects of librarianship. I have provided front line service at the circulation and reference desks, written grants and provided outreach services to patrons who needed information literacy or were home-bound, managed collections by working on collection development and having weeding responsibilities, and a litany of other “duties as assigned”. This on-the-job education made me gravitate even more to the job and I found myself thinking about going back to school to become a librarian. Once I made the decision to go back to school I set out to look at the various programs that offered distance learning Library and Information Science degrees. As someone with a background in history I did my research and decided on San Jose State University due to the recommendations from other distance learners, the reviews of the program I found online, and the cost. I quickly enrolled and started the journey I am completing this phase of with this portfolio. Professional Philosophy In order to have a professional philosophy one has to know what it is they want to do. As I mentioned earlier I love helping other people and feel that contributing to the community is the center of my identity as a librarian. After working in both the academic and public library setting my heart lies in the public library where I feel I can do the most good for the community both on and off the reference desk. I have a career goal to become a branch manager in an urban library system where I can help contribute to the betterment of the community by providing access to information and services where they are needed. To reach my personal goal of becoming a branch manager in an urban library system I will have to follow some of the core philosophical beliefs I have nurtured during my professional career to date and in my time in the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University. These goals encapsulate my view of the profession and what I hope to accomplish within my career. First and foremost I want to provide free access to information due in part to my firm belief in the Library Bill of Rights. In Article I it is stated among other things that “(b)ooks and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves” (American Library Association, 2009). This is of paramount importance to me, having seen while working in libraries and in my studies, especially in LIBR 275, the important role libraries play for those who otherwise would not have access to information and technology. This digital divide is something I will work to lessen during my career in order to address what has become known as the participation gap. This gap is “the difference in educational experiences of students with and without technology access” (Franklin and Stephens, 2008). As part of my duty to provide free access to information I want to provide equity of access to information and resources needed by the community. In the increasingly technologically driven world we live in I want to ensure that anybody who wants to pursue access to information and technology can do so via the public library. This goal strongly coincides with competencies 1 and 3 in my portfolio. A second goal for me is to be an excellent communicator with both patrons and coworkers. For me communication is one of the foundational blocks of librarianship due to two key factors. First and foremost any profession that is customer-centric must rely on communication to be successful. Even a “negative” event in the library setting, such as an upset patron, can be turned into a positive overall experience with the appropriate communication skills. Secondly, as a professional who plans to be a branch manager someday the ability to communicate with my my coworkers and patrons will dictate how effectively I can do my job. A key part of being a manager is the ability to make sure everybody is on the same page and to ensure that policies and procedures are understood and executed. As someone who has been on the paraprofessional side of the profession and is transitioning into the professional side it is important to remember how valued every patron and staff member in the library is. Fragola points out that “because rapport with coworkers has a clear effect on job satisfaction, it is important that paraprofessionals feel respected and supported by their coworkers who hold MLS degrees” (2009, p 17). While at San Jose State University I really learned a lot about communication in the numerous group projects I undertook. Group projects require not only teamwork but constant communication, especially when the group is rarely if ever in the same physical location at the same time. In learning to work effectively on group projects in my coursework and while serving on committees in my library career, I really have honed my communication skills. Always a key aspect of librarianship, communication is taking center stage as the world changes. In a world driven by increasingly electronic interaction, libraries are uniquely positioned to not only provide access to the facilitation of electronic communication but also a social interaction hot spot. Communication can be found in all aspects of the profession and hence throughout this portfolio. It is of particular note in relation to competencies 3, 4, 5, 10, 13 and 14. The above listed goals reflect my commitment to contribute to the the cultural, economic, educational, and social well being of our communities. For me this is the overriding goal in my career and lies at the very heart of my desire to be a public librarian. As a public librarian I will be striving to understand my community and to use the library not just to provide access to information and to provide excellent internal and external customer service through my communication skills, but also to create social capital. Because public libraries are “an institution where everybody is welcome regardless of social status, is likely to be a generator of generalized trust, and that the main way the public library can increase societal generalized trust is by making itself more accessible to new groups of users” (Vårheim., Steinmo, and Ide, 2008, p.889). By facilitating trust within the community the library builds social capital that will contribute to not only the minds but also the hearts of the community. In an age of instant gratification, 24 hour news cycles, and increasing reliance on electronic communication libraries help to create trust within communities and in doing so increase the social capital of the community. Regardless of if it is helping a patron with his homework, providing information literacy to seniors wanting to know how to communicate with their grandchildren via the latest technology, or simply by fostering a safe place for the exchange of information and ideas within the community I am committed to finding ways to make the communities I live and work in better. References American Library Association. (2009). Library Bill of Rights. Retrieved March 2, 2009, from http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/statementsif/ librarybillofrights.pdf. Fragola, M. (2009). Intergroup dynamics: Librarians and paraprofessionals in the workplace. Library Leadership & Management V. 23 No. 1 (Winter 2009) P. 17-25, 23(1), 17-25. Franklin, P., & Stephens, C. (2009, January). Equitable Access, the Digital Divide, and the Participation Gap!. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 25(5), 43-44. Vårheim, A., Steinmo, S., & Ide, E. (2008, December). Do libraries matter? Public libraries and the creation of social capital. Journal of Documentation, 64(6), 877-892. Retrieved March 12, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database. 1. “Articulate the ethics, values and foundational principles of library and information professionals and their role in the promotion of intellectual freedom.” Introduction “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Dr. Seuss This quote by the venerable Dr. Seuss exemplifies the role libraries play in society. In America, a country founded on freedom and the right to think, act, and speak independently, libraries provide access to knowledge and in doing so promote intellectual freedom. At a base level libraries exist to allow people to learn more and do so often times at little to no economic cost to the user. This level of access has become the expected norm, especially in public libraries, which serve as an information access portal for the communities they serve and in this increasingly digitized age provide access to emerging technologies and information formats that may be in accessible for many users due to the costs associated with them. While the method of information deliver has changed from print to a growing mash up of print and electronic formats since Dr. Seuss wrote these words, the library’s role in providing access to information and promoting intellectual freedom remain the same. This is in large part due to the professions values and ethics which make up the very soul of librarianship and are epitomized best in three documents, the Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read statement, and the Code of Ethics. In the Library Bill of Rights the American Library Association establishes that “all libraries are forums for information and ideas” (2006) and lists six rights that guide the profession. Among these rights the promotion of intellectual freedom is readily seen especially in IV “Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas” and V “A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, back, or views” (2006). These rights reflect the key freedoms library exist to preserve and defend in society and they do so by being a place in which ideas, information, and people are all allowed equitable access to everything the library has to offer. In protecting peoples rights to access information we are providing and equal opportunity for people to pursue interests for social, recreational, educational, and economic reasons. In doing so libraries promote intellectual freedom and this document serves as a foundational guide to librarians in their work. Freedom is an undying principle of the profession and it is eloquently reflected in the American Library Association's Freedom to Read Statement which outline the reasons why library's provide unfettered access to information that encapsulates a wide dichotomy of views and opinions. This is done because, “(t)he freedom to read is essential to our democracy” (2006) and “it is continuously under attack” (2006) from various groups who want to limit access to divergent view points or materials they find threatening. As librarians we have a duty to provide unfettered access to information regardless of our personal view of particular items. This philosophy must be the guiding force in collection development, reference services, and all the materials and services offered in libraries because we must as the Freedom to Read Statement states, “trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe” (2006). This trust in our fellow human beings is critical in what librarians do. We provide access to information and when needed provide education on accessing information via information literacy classes, but in the end we allow people to do what they want with the information they receive. Librarians are also bound by a Code of Ethics which is also published by the American Library Association and provides and ethical backbone to the profession. These ethics which were first adopted in 1939 reflect the values and beliefs of the profession and its role in society including the importance of the professions “special obligation to ensure the free flow of information and ideas to present and future generations” (2006). This code espouses the very ideas the profession stands for, great customer service, equitably in access to information, resistance to censorship and the promotion of intellectual freedom, the privacy of our users, and the ability to differentiate between our personal beliefs and our professional responsibilities. This code of ethics is the driving force for how the profession has gotten to where it is and how it moves forward, as even with changes to how information is accessed and decimates the ethics guide how we act among our patrons and our coworkers and what goals we need to keep in mind in everything we do. Libraries and librarians serve a crucial role in modern society, as stalwarts in the defense of the freedom for individuals to have access to information make use of that information as they see fit. Today more than ever, these rights are threatened by special interests and agendas and it will be up to the coming generations of librarians to understand the roles, values, and places that the library occupies in society. Evidence As evidence for this competency I am submitting fours pieces of evidence, but I believe that this competency is not only reflected in all my work in this program, but also in my professional work experiences to date. The first three pieces of evidence come from my coursework at San Jose State University and the third piece is my professional work experience. In LIBR 200 I wrote a final paper entitled The Need for Free Information Services at Public Libraries which uses the aforementioned Library Bill or Rights along with another American Library Association document the Economic Barriers to information Access examine the fundamental reasons why libraries need to continue to provide free information services in public libraries. It addresses issues such as the digital divide and how in modernity, the libraries role in providing access to information is as important as ever. This paper reflects my beliefs in how critical a role the library has to play in providing access to information to users in a way that encourages equality and access for all. It reflects my acknowledgment of the digital divide and my commitment to using the ethics, values and founding principles of the profession to do so. Also in LIBR 200 I wrote a paper on the value of the information professional. Although this paper focused one establishing what it was I wanted to do in my career and what my value was, it is reflective of my belief in the values, ethics and founding principles of the profession. This paper demonstrates my understanding of how these principles an values are utilized in every aspect of the profession such as collection development and reference services. It reflects these values by identifying that libraries serve as facilitators of social capital by helping to create trust within communities through the materials and services offered and the atmosphere that is cultivated by library professionals. In LIBR 275 my final paper was on the digital divide and special groups. It examines how those who benefit the most access to technology and information literacy about technology are often those who do not have those. Libraries can help bridge this digital divide by providing information literacy and access to information in the ways that patrons need or demand. Often times the need and demand are driven by other changes in society, for example the digitalization of the job searching and application process but the library has a responsibility to identify these community needs and act as an information portal for the needs of the community. This paper reflects this by identifying that the beliefs and values the library profession is guided by can help us to address the digital divide which is a challenge that does not have a clear finish line. However, it is in our approach to decreasing the participation gap by fighting for all patrons rights to the freedom to pursue knowledge and have access to information that we stay true to the professions principles. Finally I am submitting my resume as evidence to my commitment to the foundational principles, values, and ethics of the profession. As someone who has been in libraries for over five years I have accumulated a vast number of work experiences and lessons that relate directly to this competency. My work on the reference desk and in collection development over the past five years have shown me just how critical it is to provide information that represents as many view points as possible and that this can be done in how customer services is provided and in how collections are developed and maintained. I also helped to ensure the access of information through the running of the interlibrary loan program during my time at Neill Public Library, which allowed patrons to get information they sought that was not available locally. I also served on numerous training and hiring committees, including the hiring of our Adult Services Librarian where my role on the committee was to examine the candidates understanding and commitment to the principles of the profession. Conclusion With my essay on this competency and the evidence I have presented on the ethics, values, and foundational principles of the profession I have shown my mastery of this competency. References American Library Association. (2006). Code of Ethics. Retrieved November 12, 2011 from http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics.cfm American Library Association. (2006). Library Bill of Rights. Retrieved on November 12, 2011 from http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/index.cfm American Library Association. (2006). Freedom to Read Statement. Retrieved on November 12, 2011 from http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/ftrstatement/freedomread statement.cfm 2. “Compare the environments and organizational settings in which library and information professionals practice” Introduction Throughout my experience at San Jose State University’s School of Library and Information Science and my working career in the library field I have been exposed to a variety of ways in which the librarian or information professional can practice his or her trade. Through both of these avenues I have been exposed to four major library types, all of which have both shared and unique characteristics. My blend of book knowledge via San Jose State University and practical knowledge through over five years in the library field in various library settings have enabled me to compare the environments and settings in which librarianship and information science are practiced. All libraries share similar goals of providing accessibility to information, but it is in the exposure to the uniqueness of each type of library that my understanding and appreciation for this competency has been fulfilled. In my experiences I have been exposed to four main types of libraries, which will be discussed below. Academic Libraries An academic library exists to meet the informational needs primarily of students and faculty at that institution. Depending on the size of the academic institution there may be just one central library that exists to meet the needs of the various departments throughout the university while larger academic library may have branches that are specialized for specific departments, majors, and interests. Academic libraries tend to employ librarians as subject specialists, where they will be expected to develop narrower collections than other types of librarians. Academic librarians oftentimes are required to teach classes, including classes on information literacy. Reference services tend to be more specific than in a public library due to the specificity in the library’s collections and in its mission. Academic libraries often house special libraries within them; specifically, many research universities have university archives that functions as a special library within the larger library. Digital Libraries With the emergence and continued growth in popularity of electronic content, especially downloadable audiobooks, e-books, music, and videos, the digital library--a library that consists solely of materials available over the internet--has become increasingly popular. Similarly to a physical library, materials are organized into collections by item type or format and are searchable through a catalog, in this case an online database. Although many digital libraries require quite a bit of work to get started, from a customer perspective they are very much a self-directed endeavor with users’ guides available online and the collections being accessible at all times. A digital librarian has to be up to speed on emerging technological trends and has to purchase items that reflect the needs and interests of the community just like any other type of librarian. Despite the digital nature of the library, a digital librarian will spend a lot of time on developing training manuals and modules that assist patrons in using the digital collections. They will also spend time on information literacy not just for patrons but also for staff members. Finally, digital libraries are often added as a service to an existing library. For example, in the state of Oregon most public libraries are part of the Library2Go digital audiobook and e-book library. This separate digital library is offered as a service to patrons of Oregon libraries that subscribe to the service. Public Libraries Public libraries are the libraries that most people think of when somebody mentions being a librarian or the library. Public libraries exist to meet the information needs of the communities they serve. Traditionally public libraries are thought about as repositories of books to entertain or educate the community while also providing reference services. It has to have collections that reflect the needs and wants of the community it serves and provide a diverse range of materials in a variety of formats. The modern public library also acts as a one stop shop, providing traditional library services while also providing programs to meet community needs (job searching, resume building, tax help, story times, computer classes, and so on). It will provide a large quantity of reference service and many of the reference transactions will be general or directional in nature, especially in comparison to the other types of libraries. A public library is dependent largely on public financing to operate, although there has been an increasing emphasis on the pursuit of additional funding via grants in recent years. Special Libraries Special libraries exist to meet the needs of special collections or organizations. Examples of special libraries include archives, presidential libraries, and corporate libraries. These libraries exist to fulfill an even narrower need than academic libraries and are often subject specific. For example a large corporation may have a corporate library that contains all the relevant documents about the industry that company is in along with their internal documents. A law library is another example as a law firm may have its own library to provide quick access and reference services to lawyers about applicable cases and legal history. Librarians in special libraries are often not only graduates of an accredited library school, but also have a degree and often a Master's degree in the subject area. A corporate library in the computer industry may require not only a library degree, but also a degree in computer science so that the librarian is able not only to locate information but explain it to other employees. An archive, which is a repository for rare items or items of particular type, may require a history degree or degree in archival management in addition to a library degree. Special libraries often have much more specificity in their reference services. Evidence For evidence in this competency I am presenting two different pieces of coursework along with my professional experience. Combined, these three pieces of evidence showcase my mastery of this competency on the various environments in which the information professional or librarian works. The first piece of evidence is a paper I wrote for LIBR 200 entitled “Valuing the Information Professional”. This paper analyzes what a public librarian does and in doing so showcases my knowledge of librarianship in general and how it specifically relates to the public library. As this paper is about the value of the information professional it outlines and details the various aspects that comprise being a librarian or information professional in the public library environment. The second piece of evidence I am submitting for this competency is my reading log assignment for Dr. Joni Bodart in LIBR 266, which I took in the spring of 2011. This assignment had us complete annotated bibliographies on a large number of articles related to collection development. In the course of doing this I was exposed to articles on all four types of library environments and how they were related to various aspects of collection development. In completing this log I read many more articles that showcased various types of environments and organizational settings. There are specific articles on digital libraries (p. 26 and p. 29) and academic libraries and how they are reorganizing amid budgetary restrictions (p. 30). All of the aspects of this paper along with the synthesis of what I learned show the necessary knowledge of different environments and organizational settings for various library types. I also am fortunate enough to have a wealth of professional experience in three different types of library environments which I am submitting as evidence via my resume. I have over five years of experience working in public libraries, with a focus on adult services. In my public library experience I have experience at Neill Public Library in Pullman, Washington that allowed me to assist in the organizational decision-making and also in digital libraries as I served as a member on the Off the Page Downloadable audiobook project through the Washington State Library, which created a digital library that libraries in the state of Washington could join at a discounted rate. Furthermore, I worked for almost five years at Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections at Washington State University. This archive was a special library that focused on maintaining historical documents and books for researchers. Spending time in this environment exposed me not only to the special library environment, but also the academic library environment, as it was housed within the Washing State University Library's main branch. Conclusion I have shown my mastery of this competency and have a great deal of insight and knowledge on the environments and organizational settings of different types of libraries. I have chosen to focus my professional career working in public libraries, but have the knowledge to know what I am walking into in any type of library as an educated information professional. Although there are nuances in how each type of library operates, all libraries rely on collection development, reference services, cataloging, and customer service to function for their patrons. While there are differences on each of the areas, all libraries rely on each of these aspects in order to function. 3. “Recognize the social, cultural and economic dimensions of information use” Introduction Library and information science is a profession about information. The dissemination of information and the ways to research answers to find the information sought by a patron are key aspects of the profession. Another critical aspect of information is its use. The use of information has three dimensions that are of particular note for library and information science professionals: social, cultural and economic. These dimensions have a complex relationship with each other and with the world, and one would be remiss to not see the correlation between the three dimensions of information use and the psychologist’s Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which outlines the basic needs humans have, placing them into four groups: physical, esteem, friendship, and love. The three dimensions of information use would be organized from bottom to top as social, cultural, economic, with the three dimensions also building onto each other. In understanding these three dimensions we are identifying the relevancy of information use not just in the library setting but in everyday life. Social The base level of this hierarchy of information use is the social dimension. This dimension has two important aspects that are worthy of mention. First, there are social factors such as age, education, race, and occupation that provide information that can help librarians make decisions on the services, materials, and programs offered by a library. Demographic data is one important tool that can be used to create access to information, which of course facilitates its use. The other aspect of this dimension is that people are inherently social beings and as such interact in a wide variety of ways on an even broader range of subjects. Social interaction and the transmission of information socially are at the core of what human beings and libraries do. We interact and exchange ideas, thoughts, hearsay and a whole litany of other things. In doing so we develop strong emotions and through it all, create shared experiences or culture. Cultural The cultural dimension of information use is the lens through which it is viewed by a certain community or group. Information is interpreted in different ways by different people and groups depending on their shared values and beliefs. As an information professional or librarian it is critical to be embracing of the various cultures within the community and work to provide library materials and services that meet the needs of various cultures. Furthermore, one should consider the importance of organizational culture when it comes to the use of information. Are customer service and providing access to information ingrained in the culture? If they are not, how does this lack narrow this dimension of information use for patrons and others in the community? In other words, how is information valued culturally, externally in the community and internally within the library? This dimension will in many ways set the value of information within this culture and in doing so will lead us to our third dimension, the economic dimension. Economic The economic dimension of information use is also very important. The cost of accessing information is prohibitive to many people in society, especially those who reside on the far side of the digital divide. Libraries exist to provide access to information to people regardless of their socioeconomic situation, but it would be impossible not to take economics into consideration for the planning and offering of library services. Being aware that many people in your community cannot afford a computer, let alone Internet access is imperative for how services are shaped and offered. Technological, material, and program offerings must always keep in mind the economic dimension of information use and seek the greatest benefit for the community as a whole. This dimension is intertwined with the other two dimensions, illustrating the complex nature of the three dimensions. Evidence For this competency I am submitting three pieces of evidence. The first piece of evidence is my final paper from LIBR 275 taught by Dr. Liu. This paper is titled Bridging the Virtual and Physical Worlds: The Digital Divide, Public Libraries, and Special Groups and focuses on how public libraries and librarians can work to provide access to information and resources by serving as a bridge over the digital divide. The digital divide has many definitions with “(t)he most common definition being that this was a divide between those with easy access to digital resources like the Internet, databases, and computers in general, and those with little or no access” (2009, p. 22). So this paper really hits home with the social and economic dimensions of information use, its role in greater society, and the library's role in providing information for use. My second piece of evidence is from LIBR 200 and is a piece of evidence I am using several times in this e-portfolio due to its relevancy to many aspects of the profession. I wrote this paper, entitled, The Need for Free Information Services at Public Libraries, for LIBR 200's final paper. This paper focuses on the the various reasons it is crucial that information services at public libraries remain free. The paper argues not only for the social and economic dimensions of this competency, but also the cultural dimension as in writing this paper and in my over five years of working in public libraries it is clear that in American culture people expect and in fact rely on public libraries to provide free access to resources, materials, and information they need. With the increasing digitization of mass culture, there are increasing demands for information dissemination and in many cases in helping to sort through reputable and disreputable sources of information. Also in mass culture activities like the job application and the hiring process have become increasingly electronic, and people rely on libraries to help them be able to learn how to become literate in these new processes. My third and final piece of evidence comes from Dr. Friday's LIBR 232 course, which is a seminar on issues in public librarianship. In this course one segment was on demographics, which I related earlier to the social and cultural dimensions of information use. In this post I expand upon the role demographic data can play in understanding the community being served and hence their needs or uses for information. In this post I try to show some alternatives to just standard demographic data-seeking by librarians to show how even more data can be gleaned. Conclusion I submit the above evidence as proof of my mastery of this competency. Furthermore, with over five years of experience working in public libraries I have seen and continue to see firsthand on a daily basis the three dimensions of information use and their intertwined nature. Whether it is providing access to the Internet, providing a DVD with no rental fee, or creating lasting relationships between myself, the library, and the community I serve. Understanding the three major dimensions of information use and how they relate to the library field is important in every aspect of the profession. References Farrelly, M. (2009). Revisiting the Digital Divide. Public Libraries, 48(5), 22-23. Retrieved April 23, 2010 from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text database. 4. “Apply the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy” Introduction One of the cornerstones of being a librarian and of the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University is having a strong understanding of the basic principles of planning, management, and marketing/advocacy. These principles work together to allow a library to make the administrative decisions needed to keep a library operating and to create a relationship with those whom the library serves. These skills require not just procedural knowledge, but also the ability to weigh the short- and long-term impacts of decisions. In the current economic situation, with shrinking budgets and an increasing demand for library services, the ability to see the big picture while meeting short-term needs is a critical component in libraries. Despite being mainly not-for profit entities, libraries rely on being well planned, managed and marketed in order to thrive. This is because a library is ultimately supported and sustained by the community in which it resides. Therefore it is imperative that the needs of the community are identified and whenever possible met by the library and that customer service is truly a priority. In order to be a successfully administrated library a consistent cycle of planning, implementation, and assessment must occur. Planning is a cornerstone of library and information science. Planning starts by identifying and interacting with the stakeholders in the library. This will include your customers, the library board, library management, staff, volunteers, and any Friends of the Library group(s). One consistent theme throughout the Masters program at San Jose State has been how critical it is to always be aware of the needs of the community you serve and this of course includes your stakeholders. At the management level planning involves creating the policies and procedures that will guide the library and its staff on a daily basis. This will include things like collection development policies, rules of conduct ( both forstaff and patrons), and service and borrowing limits. At a more “macro” level, planning will involve measures like strategic plans, which identify where the library is going and what it is going to do in the next few years to better meet the needs of its users, and other tools such as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to identify how the library can enhance its services. Management is the day-to-day decisions that keep the library running. According to Evans and Ward there are eight approaches to the management thought process which are identified as scientific, administrative, behavioral, quantitative, systems theory, contingency, quality, and composite (Evans and Ward, 2004 p. 17). Below the theoretical approaches to management lie the basic, day-to-day actions that include the handling of finances and the spending of budget allocations in an appropriate and methodical manner. For example, if you are the collection development manager you need to ensure that a constant stream of new material is coming into the library that fits within the collection development policy. You also need to make sure that you spread out the budget so that two-thirds of the way through the year you no longer have any money to spend on new materials. Management also involves organizing, encouraging, developing, and when necessary disciplining staff members to make sure that the library is providing outstanding customer service and working towards the goals outlined in the current strategic plan. Thus management is a multifaceted aspect of librarianship involving both people and economics. Marketing and Advocacy are closely tied concepts that are critical for a library to succeed. The ability to plan based on your community and then identify areas where you need to provide services or better market services to them are paramount to a successful library. Marketing is the spreading by word of mouth, advertisement, or outreach the services and collections offered by the library. One of the reasons customer service is such an important skill is that it is one of the services we can offer. The ability to help patrons with their research, technology problems, or other questions and to do so for free is a very marketable asset. Patrons often are unaware of newer library services, so librarians must upsell them when the opportunity presents itself. Advocacy is the process of going out and advocating for the library for both recognition and fundraising purposes. This is done primarily through working with local groups that could support the library and also via grant writing, which is an increasingly integral aspect of the profession. Advocacy serves as the political component in librarianship with relationship building and negotiation being key elements for successful advocates who are able to convince others of the importance of their library and that it is worthy of support. Evidence As evidence for my mastery of this competency I am submitting five pieces of evidence. The first piece of evidence I am submitting is a paper I wrote in LIBR 204 for Dr. Franks that examines the different types of management structures that are commonly found. This assignment allowed me to analyze the types of management structures I had worked in and identify the ones that I felt were the most valuable for me. I have kept the information I have learned from this assignment and used it along with my professional experiences to develop my own ethos of management. I believe in cultivating professional relationships and empowering employees to grow and succeed as employees. I also believe that it is within the consistency of the management structure and my actions as a manager that I can best impact my employees and the library. My second piece of evidence is from LIBR 200 and is my final paper on the need for free access to information in public libraries. This fits into this competency because it shows my fundamental understanding of many of the marketing and advocacy opportunities that exist for libraries and are critical to garner support as a librarian. It also deals with how imperative free access to information is, relying on two documents with primacy in the profession in the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights and an interpretation of it put forth by the American Library Association entitled Economic Barrier to Information Access. My third piece of evidence is an assignment about marketing opportunities for non-profit organizations. It takes my second piece of evidence from LIBR 200 and gives some real world applications of those opportunities. It focuses mainly on the costs both obvious and hidden that library patrons pay. Factors like a DVD may be free at the library, but a patron may wait months for a new release versus the instant gratification of buying the movie or renting it online or at a rental location have to be considered into the planning, managing, and marketing of a library. My fourth piece of evidence is from LIBR 204 with Dr. Franks and is an environmental scan of a public library in the area I was living at the time. It showcases my competency in using the environmental scan process to help identify the strengths and weaknesses of an existing library that I was unfamiliar with before starting this project. It also leads nicely into my fifth and final piece of evidence which is also from LIBR 204 and is an operational plan I put together for a fictional public library's Adult Service Plan. In this exercise I had to work with other members of a management team to create an operational plan that would fit within the larger strategic plan we created for this class which is submitted in evidence in other competencies in this portfolio. In creating an operational plan I had to consider the needs to managing a department while keeping them within the strategic planning for the whole library. Conclusion The above evidence shows my competency in the ability to apply the fundamentals of planning, management, and marketing/advocacy in the library and information science setting. When combined with my professional experience working in libraries which involves one on one marketing to patrons on a daily basis for the last five years and in larger settings doing outreach, teaching classes and creating displays and brochures I have shown my mastery of this competency. References Evans, G.E. and Ward, P.L. (2004). Management Basics for Information Professionals. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. 5. “Design, query and evaluate information retrieval systems” Introduction Due to emerging technologies and the increasing popularity in using them to access information in this digital age, information retrieval systems are an increasingly key component for those working in the library and information sciences. The days of physical card catalogs have given way to electronic catalogs that serve as the main information retrieval system for libraries. This is not to say that information retrieval systems are modern inventions, as previously mentioned there was the card catalog before the online catalog and before databases existed on the internet, they were available on CD-ROM and before that in the index of an encyclopedia. In the library setting, modern information retrieval systems are electronic systems that rely on a database or in some cases multiple databases to create a structured technological apparatus from which users can locate information to disseminate. The most common information retrieval system librarians use is the library catalog. Other common information retrieval systems libraries use include online databases such as NoveList, Consumer Reports Online, Automotive Repair Reference and a litany of other databases depending on the type of library and the needs of its patrons. At a base level these systems allow for the structure, searching and retrieving of information by providing options that allow for librarians and information professionals not only to utilize these systems, but understand how they work in order to facilitate access to information for patrons as requested, work with technical support to identify problems in searching, and so on. This is a key aspect of the profession because the ability to locate and access information is the very heart of the profession and the reason patrons continue to come to librarians and information professionals in their search for answers. Sometimes it is simply finding the location of a book within the library, or perhaps tracking down the name of a book that they only remember a few details about, but want to read again. Other times it is a detailed reference question that will test the librarian's ability to search multiple information retrieval systems in order to answer the patron's inquiry. Many other times it is providing instruction on the use of information retrieval systems such as the library's OPAC so that patrons can be self-sufficient in their information inquiries. During my time at San Jose State University I have had the opportunity to work on the use of information retrieval systems and in LIBR 202 helped create one in a group project. These opportunities have allowed me to understand that information retrieval systems have three primary components that enable them to serve the information seeker. These are design, query, and evaluation. Design Design refers to the structure used to create a database or series of databases that make up an information retrieval system. This is how the data that comprises a system is organized. A well designed information retrieval system will pay close attention to how it is likely to be used by patrons and find simple ways to find complex information requests. Special attention must be given to how data is identified, added into a database, and likely to be searched for; this is especially true given the seemingly unlimited formats in which data is available in the modern digital age. Query The act of retrieving information based on the options available due to the design of the information retrieval system. In contemporary times this is a large aspect of the librarian's work, assisting others in locating or in some cases locating for others the appropriate sources of information via querying. The act of querying or searching for information has become oftentimes overwhelming for the layperson and they turn to an expert to help them locate the information they are seeking. Querying is as crucial as design; if the data is hard to locate due to an inadequate design, then frustration will occur for the end user. Designers need to select clear querying options that reflect the needs of the users as opposed to those of the designer. Oftentimes querying shows us the problems in a particular design over time. For example the integrated library system I use at work in a public library does not easily allow for the searching of items at a particular branch of the library system. In a thirteen branch library system this is at the very least problematic. Evaluation A librarian or information professional must have the ability to evaluate an information retrieval system's design and querying to assess its usefulness for themselves and for their patrons. If a system does not produce logical or helpful results due to problems in its design and/or its querying an information professional must be able to identify this and know of alternative options for locating information. Being able to recognize well-designed information retrieval systems is just as vital as being able to critique a poorly designed one because it allows the librarian or information professional to better assist patrons in person or through the suggestion of appropriate tools. Evidence For this competency I am submitting three pieces of evidence from LIBR 202. The first two pieces of evidence are part of a group project I completed planning, designing, testing, and adjusting a database using InMagic's DB/Textworks 11.0. DB/Textworks 11.0 is a program that allows you to design a database to gather an understanding of how an information retrieval system is planned, designed, and works. For this group project we had to work together to come up with what our database would be and how it would work. During the planning stage we decided to do a database on collectible rubber ducks and worked to create a controlled vocabulary and designed a database that would take into consideration both experienced collectors and novice collectors. We designed a system that allowed for simultaneous searching of not only the manufacturer but also attributes that were attached to each duck as metadata tags. By the end of the project we had created 36 records of unique ducks and placed them into the database. We then did testing/querying and adjusted the database based on our evaluations and also on the feedback from another group in the class. In this project we worked collaboratively on much of the project, but I had primary responsibilities in designing the record structures and, along with one other group member, was the primary writer and editor of the group’s written work, submitted as evidence here. My third piece of evidence is an individual project of system evaluation I completed for LIBR 202. In this project I evaluated the online public access catalog (OPAC) for the public library in the town I was living in at the time. In this process I used my experience from the database design project, along with my professional experience working in libraries and with information retrieval systems, to test this OPAC and evaluate its design and querying capabilities. Conclusion Throughout my career working in libraries and with information retrieval systems and my academic experiences in the School of Library and Information experience at San Jose State University I have shown my mastery of this competency. LIBR 202 was especially helpful in my attainment of the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the importance of design, query, and evaluation when it comes to information retrieval systems. 6. “Use the basic concepts and principles related to the creation, evaluation, selection, acquisition, preservation and organization of specific items or collections of information” Introduction Collection development is a skill that is integral to being an information professional. It encapsulates many components and is not just the development of new collections and new materials, but also the maintenance of existing ones in a perpetual balancing act between the needs and wants of patrons and the limitations of the library in spatial, financial, and philosophical terms. Orr states that “some would place it at the core of what public libraries do” (2010, p. 1097) and also acknowledges that “skills in communication, strategic planning, community analysis, and technology are essential to the collection development librarian in this new age” (2010, p. 1101). Given this insight, there is aneed for a strong governing apparatus when it comes to collection development; the profession relies on collection development policies to govern the collection development process in a way that is reflective of the library's mission, philosophy, and the community it serves. It is crucial that these policies reflect the needs of the community and also identify whom collections are designed for; how materials are accessed; the limitations of collections in terms of scope, depth, and access; and how collections are to be maintained on a continual basis. Libraries also need to have established protocols for dealing with patrons’ requests for items to be added to the collection and for items to be removed from the collection. All these policies will vary from library to library as each library strives to match its collections to the needs of its users and its own organization’s limitations. However, for any librarian working on collection development there are six components that comprise the core of collection development: creation, evaluation, selection, acquisition, preservation and organization of information. Creation The creation of collections of information is a crucial aspect of being a librarian as it lies at the very heart of the profession. It is the process of identifying sources of information to be selected and acquired for either an existing or a new collection. These sources of information form the building blocks that become collections of information. In the creation process, librarians have to evaluate their current collections and weigh them against the needs of their patrons to identify where there are information gaps either due to the loss of items or to the emergence of new materials and formats. Given this evaluation, the process of creating collections is an ongoing, evolutionary process that involves the remaining five key characteristics of collection development. Evaluation Another key component of the collection development process is the evaluation of a library's materials to ensure that they contain up to date information that is accurate, relevant and meeting the interests of the community. The evaluation process will be heavily weighted by the type of library and the collection development policies in place. For example, a public library that is a popular collections library may give much more weight to the circulation of materials and the popularity of items in their selection process. Conversely an academic library with a focus on maintaining the most up to date information on subjects will focus on the knowledge of the authors and the accuracy of the information within the resource. These differences illustrate the same process of assessment, which will be guided in part by the collection development policies in place. The assessment process allows librarians to evaluate collections to identify where there are needs in the collection in terms of items to be added or deleted from the collection. The evaluation process involves working at both the micro and macro levels. At the micro level individual items must be evaluated for their condition, the relevancy of the information they contain, and their popularity in terms of circulation. Individual items may also be challenged and librarians will have to evaluate the merits of a challenge to an item and act accordingly. At the macro level all the collections must be considered in their totality, so that gaps can be identified in terms of subject and format. Condition also plays a huge role in not just the evaluation, but in the preservation of a collection. Materials that are outdated lack the currency in content to remain in the collection unless they have mitigating factors that keep them relevant. Materials in poor physical condition must be weeded and when appropriately replaced. The weeding process is no different than it sounds; it is the removal of unhealthy items from the library. A healthy library, just like a healthy garden, needs to be periodically maintained by removing damaged items and unneeded growth in order to preserve the overall health of the collection. Weeding is critical in libraries not only for marketing purposes (have you ever enjoyed walking through an overgrown garden?) but also because libraries have a limited amounts of space for physical collections. Selection Selection is the process of selecting materials to be added to the collection. These selections will be guided by the collection development policies in place and the librarian’s evaluation of potential material. Selection of materials is often guided by the informational, recreational, academic, and cultural value of the material. Librarians must consider whether an item that is selected is a worthwhile investment for the library given the costs associated with acquiring the item. Librarians have a variety of tools at their disposal to assist them with the selection process, including professional journals such as Library Journal and Book List and data on bestsellers such as the New York Times bestseller list. Acquisition Acquisition is the process of acquiring the selected materials from the appropriate vendors for the library. The acquisitions process involves the ordering, shipping, and receiving of materials to add to the library's collection. The library will select vendors based on a variety of factors including cost, catalog integration of MARC records, access to new materials, availability of different formats, and value-added services such as returns, replacements and warranties on certain types of purchases. Many libraries will use a number of vendors to meet various needs, while occasionally a library will rely solely on one vendor to meet all of their material needs. Acquisitions staff interacts with the vendors to create a streamlined process that gets materials ordered and available for patrons as soon as possible. The acquisitions process does not just involve printed material and audiovisual materials, but also electronic materials including databases and online periodicals. Preservation Preservation is the caring of library materials in order to ensure their and the entire collection’s health and longevity. Oftentimes due to the age of the material, the frequency of use an item experiences, or just happenstance, an item will become damaged and need to be repaired. If during the evaluation process it is determined that item is no longer in good enough condition to remain a part of the collection it can be deselected, which in turn improves the overall health of the collection, preserving its overall value. Libraries that serve patrons on a daily basis have policies on the use of food and drinks in the library setting to help preserve the materials on the shelves. In an archival setting or a larger library, preservation will be used to ensure the retention of rare and valuable documents in environments that are ideal for preventing the deterioration of material. Preservation can also be the conversion of aging and/or valuable documents to digital formats to provide a permanent record of them and allow easier access to items for a larger group of users. Organization The organization of a library's collections is paramount to its existence. Patrons often are in search of a particular item, and how collections are organized helps patrons and librarians easily locate and retrieve information. Public libraries often use the Dewey Decimal System to organize their collections, with fiction titles being grouped within large collections (Juvenile, Teen, Adult) and in a certain order (last name of author) and non-fiction materials being grouped by numbers that reflect their subject areas and classification. Titles also include metadata in the form of subject headings and keywords that allow patrons and librarians to locate materials while searching on an Online Public Access Catalog. With the increasing number of information sources, material formats, and growing use of technology in society, libraries need to have easily navigable web sites that allow their users to locate the information they are seeking. Librarians must critically consider not just how their library is physically organized, but how they are organized electronically. Evidence For this competency I put forth as evidence the Collection Development Policy I created along with three other classmates for Dr. Bodart's LIBR 266. In this project we collaboratively developed a collection development policy for a public library, Fauxjai Public Library. In this assignment we built a policy completely from the ground up that laid out the policies for the evaluation, selection, and acquisition of materials at Fauxjai Public Library. This policy provides the guidelines necessary for librarians to create and maintain a collection appropriate for the public library, and within budgetary and other restraints. Completing this project required me and the rest of the group to give extensive thought to how we were going to lay the foundation for a sustainable library with sustainable collections. We worked as a group to create a basic plan and then each took assignments towards specific chapters; I wrote the chapters on Budget and Selection, but was actively involved throughout the process. As a group we worked for long periods of time on how each chapter would fit into the larger document and in collectively editing the work so that it would have a consistent style and tone. This policy serves as evidence of this competency because we had to create from scratch a comprehensive collection development policy that was reflective of the library's mission and the community it served. In doing so, we balanced the need for policies governing selection with the need for the freedom to respond to patron suggestions. This project not only called upon my academic experience, but my practical experience as the Library Technician for Adult Services at Neill Public Library in Pullman, Washington, where I was responsible for the collection development of the Entertainment DVDs and Non-Fiction DVDs and assisted in other areas of collection development. Also while serving as Adult Services Technician at Neill Public Library, I was fortunate enough to be appointed to serve on the Downloadable Audiobooks Project Advisory Committee as part of the Washington State Library's Off the Page program. I was appointed to fill the term of my supervisor, Jim Belcher, Jr., who had left for a new job and recommended me to the committee so I could get some practical experience in working on selection committees. In this process I worked with librarians throughout the state of Washington to help select the appropriate vendor to create a statewide consortium. After evaluating the various options and considering the limitations imposed upon us we selected Overdrive for public libraries and Net Library for school libraries. I submit two pieces of evidence in relation to this project: a PDF listing me as a member of the advisory committee, and a PDF that outlines the roles of those on the advisory committee. Conclusion I have demonstrated my knowledge and ability in this competency through the showing of my academic coursework, which illustrates the ability to create a collection development policy for a public library. I have further shown my experience in my professional career with serving on the advisory committee for the Downloadable Audiobooks Project and managing the DVD collection at my former position in a public library. In doing so, I have illustrated my ability in creation, evaluation, selection, acquisition, preservation, and organization when it comes to collection development. I also realize that just as collections are constantly evolving so too will my skills in this area evolve. References Orr, C. (2010). Collection Development in Public Libraries. Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, Third Edition 1097-1105. doi:10.1081/E-ELIS3-120043880 7. “Understand the system of standards and methods used to control and create information structures and apply basic principles involved in the organization and representation of knowledge” Introduction The structuring of information is a very important aspect of librarianship and information science. It is also something that has been gaining in importance across society due to the overwhelming amount of information that is available and the need to find it. Without standards to control and create information it would be almost impossible to locate information unless you already knew where it was. In the library and information world there are some important standards and classification schemes that must be mentioned. Machine-Readable Cataloging or MARC records are a set of standards used to organize library materials and share that information between libraries. According to the Library of Congress website, MARC “provides the mechanism by which computers exchange, use, and interpret bibliographic information, and its data elements make up the foundation of most library catalogs used today”(2006). As the name implies, these standards create the data that goes into things like online public access catalogs, or OPACs. Catalogers often rely on the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, Second Edition, known as AACR2 to librarians. According to the American Library Association website the rules “cover the description of, and the provision of access points for, all library materials commonly collected at the present time”(2011). Even with standards governing how information is described it still needs to be organized. Two such classification systems that organize information in libraries are the Dewey Decimal System (DDS) and Library of Congress Classification (LCC). The Dewey Decimal System was created by Melvin Dewey and is the way most public libraries in the United States organize their collections. Conversely, the Library of Congress Classification system is the primary system used by academic libraries to organize how their collections are stored. In both cases, items are grouped by subjects in an alphanumeric system that, once understood, makes it easier to locate and disseminate information. Outside of the technical aspects of standards and methods used to control and create information structures, there are the practical considerations within the library setting. Using MARC records, AACR2 standards, and the appropriate classification system allows information to be organized and cataloged into a searchable index. The development of OPACs has allowed for information to be cross-referenced with the addition of many more possible search limiters. For example, instead of simply searching under subject, you can now use an online catalog to search by title, author, publication date, publisher and many other options. This makes information more findable and also more complex. OPACs are often now also allowing users to search not only the physical collection but also the virtual collection including downloadable books and databases. This means that a lot more metadata about information is necessary to make it findable, but again this also expands its ability to be easily located by users. Just as the speed and access to information is increasing rapidly in the digital age, so too are the ways and detail in which information can be structured and organized. An example of these changes are the emerging online folksonomies in which information is organized by the end user using tags and other tools. Online websites and tools like Facebook, Twitter, Pearltrees, delicious, Picasa, blogs such as Word Press, NoveList and Google+ provide users with the ability to organize information in ways that make sense for them. This is part of the future of libraries; while it will always be important to have a system of standards and methods used to control and create information structures, it will also be important to create end-user flexibility to identify and group materials in ways that retain the original cataloging. Evidence During my time in the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University I did not take LIBR 248, in part because of my professional experience working in a small public library where I had some cataloging responsibilities. I also have a lot of experience in social media software and organizing information in entities such as Picasa, Facebook, Word Press and others. I am submitting the following pieces of evidence as proof of my competency in this area. In LIBR 202 I worked in a group project to create a database that was designed to help users locate rubber ducks. In this project we designed the structure and vocabulary of our database. In creating a working database I am showing my fundamental understanding of organizing information and making it findable for users. As part of this process we had many group meetings and discussions about what users might search for and had to account for the difference between a simple rubber duck enthusiast and the avid collector who are likely to search in very different ways. In this project we as a group tackled each part of the task and I was also the primary editor, responsible for taking our information and correctly organizing it for submission to the instructor. Also in LIBR 202 I did a Individual Project of System Evaluation in which I evaluated the OPAC for Neill Public Library. In this assignment I had to critique the OPAC’s ability to deliver information to patrons and in doing so demonstrate my ability to evaluate and suggest changes to promote the best possible representations of knowledge in a catalog. At Neill Public Library in Pullman, Washington and at my current job at Tigard Public Library I had to have extensive knowledge of the classification system we utilized, the Dewey Decimal System. I have learned about this system and how it works by shelving books, weeding books, answering questions at the reference desk, and in doing collection development. Over the past five years I have developed a working knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System and have been exposed to the inner workings of cataloging through my work in collection development and material processing. Although I have never been a cataloger I have worked with them to develop procedures to add items into the collection for special circumstances such as Interlibrary Loan. As my submitted resume shows at Neill Public Library I was in charge of interlibrary loans. When I took over this task I had to learn how to create item records in our catalog for interlibrary loan. To do this I got a crash course in basic record creation from our head of technical services and then rewrote our interlibrary loan procedure to reflect this process so that other Adult Services staff would be able to create catalog entries for interlibrary loans. I am attaching both my resume and a copy of the interlibrary loan procedure as evidence for this competency. As a library assistant in the Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections at Washington State University I was fortunate enough to learn many things including the organization and representation of knowledge. One project I worked on was the WSU Oral History project which took oral history interviews with famous alumni and staff and put them on the Internet. In this project I was responsible for creating closed captions for each of the real player videos. After creating these captions I then went through each file and created metadata sheets which I sent to the WSU IT department for filing. In this project I learned the value of creating information structures. Also, in this job I had to learn how to utilize the Library of Congress classification scheme which differs from the Dewey Decimal System I utilized as a public library employee. I have attached a link to one of the oral histories from the WSU Oral History Project and my resume as evidence. At home I have extensive experience using folksonomies from online tools such as Picasa, Facebook, Good Reads, and Pearltrees to create my own information organization using metadata via tagging. I have recently been using Pearltrees (http://www.pearltrees.com/ ) to organize websites and other online resources that I find in my daily life. According to the Pearltees FAQ it exists “to bring about the more complete democratization of the Web by enabling users to become individually and collectively curators of their own Web” (2011). What this allows me to do is instead of bookmarking websites is to make “pearl trees” on subjects that I can then share with others, or to use other users’ Pearltrees within mine. This allows for the complete structuring of information in a way that is user-specific. I have attached as evidence a screenshot from Pearltrees, another of my accounts that shows how I have structured information to meet my needs. Conclusion Through my professional and academic experience I have developed a fundamental understanding of the system of standards and methods used to control and create information structures and have developed the ability to apply basic principles involved in the organization and representation of knowledge. References American Library Association. (2006). About AACR2. Retrieved on November 11, 2011 from http://www.aacr2.org/about.html. Library of Congress. (2006). MARC Format - Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved on November 10, 2011 from http://www.loc.gov/marc/faq.html. Pearltrees. (2011). About Pearltrees. Retrieved on Novemeber 11, 2011 from http://www.pearltrees.com/#, 8. “Demonstrate proficiency in the use of current information and communication technologies, and other related technologies, as they affect the resources and uses of libraries and other types of information providing entities” Introduction One of the real strengths of the San Jose State University's School of Library and Information Science is the preparation it offers future librarians and information professionals in the area of information technology. In the five years I have been working in public libraries and the two and a half years I have been in the SLIS program at San Jose State University, the technological advancements in the profession have increased for both staff members and the public. There is an increased demand for the digitization of information and access to information in a variety of formats. The days of current information technology in libraries being a physical card catalog and printed reference materials alone are long gone, replaced by an increasingly electronic-based set of tools that require seemingly another degree in which to become information literate. In fact, libraries have become increasingly complex in their information access capabilities, as illustrated by the transition from physical card catalogs to web-based OPACs that patrons can access in the library or anywhere they have an Internet connection. This allows for more detailed searching in terms of both the library’s physical and electronic collections. These changes extend beyond the OPAC to computers patrons can use to do a wide range of activities, including but not limited to: research; checking e-mail; and using software programs and packages such as Microsoft Office that allow them to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations. With all of these changes have come challenges for librarians, who now have to be up-to-date on a litany of technological innovations so that they cannot only explain what they do to patrons, but also show them how to utilize them. This means information literacy is of growing importance to all types of libraries and there are several avenues in which information literacy can be provided. Many libraries are producing their own brochures and guides (or using those provided by vendors) to inform and educate patrons about technologically-driven services. Libraries also can offer classes on how to use technology, ranging from beginning classes on using the computer or Internet, to how to download an audio book, to the advanced uses for Microsoft Excel. Of course serving as a technology center in a community has raised the knowledge needed by librarians and library paraprofessionals. Staff members must be fluent in emerging technological trends and as a staff be able to meet these needs and adjust as these demands shift. The rise of technologies such as smart phones has ushered in new formats for traditional services including reference, which is now oftentimes offered via email, chat and text for patrons. This has enabled libraries to bring services to patrons remotely with web access to many library services. Patron services also have been enhanced as the prolific growth of the Internet has allowed for websites and databases such as NoveList, which can enable staff and patrons alike to find more information about a book or find new books to read based on their personal preferences. On the technical side, advances by vendors have allowed for increased automation in ordering and processing of new library materials. Collection developers have access to book reviews, the ability to create standing orders, and a litany of other tools through vendor websites. Catalogers can get MARC records via e-mail or automatically add them to their holdings through vendors, allowing for greater efficiency in letting patrons know what materials are available. Even traditional tasks like weeding have been enhanced by reports that can be generated by the staff client of the integrated library system to show when items last circulated, the number of times it has circulated and other specialized data that can be helpful in making weeding decisions. Given all of the above it is clear that libraries are information access points that patrons gravitate toward to access different information formats. It is also not surprising that in the face of rapid technological change, many people turn to libraries to help them understand and utilize technology. While libraries and librarians have traditionally provided information literacy for the communities they serve, there has been a rise in materials, library programs and classes, and online resources to address changing technologies and the digital divide, which can be defined numerous ways but succinctly refers “to the gap between those who benefit from digital technology and those who do not” (Smith, 2010, http://www.digitaldivide.org/digital-divide/digitaldividedefined/digitaldivide/ ). Libraries and other information centers do not simply provide access; they provide knowledge. As we move through the current digital age the demand for information in nontraditional and emerging formats is a key component of information services at libraries and other entities that provide information. Evidence Having discussed the changes in technology above, I have a wealth of evidence to submit as proof of my mastery of this competency from both my academic experience at San Jose State University and my professional experience working in libraries. My first pieces of evidence are related to my role on the Downloadable Audiobooks Project Advisory Committee as part of the Washington State Library's Off the Page program. In this role I was tasked with helping to assess bids as part of a RFP process and rank them on their ability to provide downloadable content for libraries throughout the state of Washington. We had to balance the needs of different types of libraries and provide services that were in demand by patrons. In this project we had to select a vendor that could not only meet our needs now, but also in the future in terms of new types of downloadable content such as videos. After much debate we selected two vendors, Overdrive for public libraries and Net Library for school libraries. Any library can join either or both digital libraries. This exposure to digital librarianship and in filling the patron demand for downloadable audio books was a key development for me professionally. I have attached two pieces of evidence attesting to my role in this project. The first piece of evidence lists me as an advisory committee member, while the second outlines the roles of the committee. I have used this evidence in competency 6 as well, but feel strongly that it also fits this competency when it comes to information and communication technologies and their impact on the library. I was further exposed to the impact of information and communication technologies on libraries in LIBR 240 which I took with Dr. Ebey. This class was very challenging for me, for although I am very “tech savvy” on the consumer side I had very little experience working on the design and construction of electronic resources such as websites. I am submitting several pieces of evidence from this course, starting with a screen shot of the “About Me” html page in my final project. This shows my ability to create a website, and I supplement this with a second file which is the Cascading Style Sheet or CSS for my final project. This showcases my ability to create a uniformly-styled website, which is important in the creation of library websites. Finally I have included a screen shot of a meebo chat box I incorporated into an assignment. This shows my ability to merge technology with library services, in this case online reference in which patrons can type directly into the website and communicate with me. It is this ability to think about how to utilize tools in ways that will be useful to patrons that has been the most valuable skill I have honed from my time in the SLIS program at San Jose State University. My final piece of evidence comes from LIBR 202 and is my final paper on Geographic Information Systems, or GIS. For this assignment I had to learn about a library technology subject I knew nothing about and write a paper talking about it and the potential applications it has. GIS have the ability to help patrons and libraries locate items by being integrated with RFID technology to make it possible to see on a computer or other internet connected device where in a library an item is located. This paper shows my willingness to learn about new technologies and examine ways in which they can be applied to library and information science endeavors. Moving forward in my career this will be a key skill in order to work with all the technological advancements while still emphasizing customer service. Conclusion With evidence from a variety of classes and my professional experience I have demonstrated my proficiency in the use of current information and communication technologies and other related technologies. I also have shown the ability to analyze how these technologies affect the resources and uses of libraries. References Smith, Craig Warren. (2010). Digital Divide: What it is and Why It Matters. Retrieved October 25, 2011 from http://www.digitaldivide.org/digital-divide/digitaldividedefined/digitaldivide/ 9. “Use service concepts, principles and techniques that facilitate information access, relevance, and accuracy for individuals or groups of users” Introduction It is within the customer service aspect of information science that we bridge the gap as librarians between information and patrons. Simply providing patrons with the information or answers they seek is not the result librarians want, and patrons have many other resources for finding an answer. What librarians provide is the ability to disseminate not just information but information sources, and to provide information literacy to patrons in a variety of formats including in person, electronically, and over the phone. A key component of providing library services is being able to enter into a reference transaction, ascertain what the patron needs, and then utilize the tools at your disposal to find the best possible sources for the patron in a variety of formats. That said, a good reference interview ends with the question, “is there anything else I can help you with today?” This puts service, particularly customer service, at the forefront of librarianship. In public libraries the profit is not seen in monetary gains, but rather in increased usage of the library and in community support for the library. It is not simply providing outstanding customer service throughout the library, and in particular with reference service, that is a key component of this competency; it is also the ability to interact with patrons in a variety of formats. In an age of increasing digitization, librarians need to be able to provide reference sources and information literacy in a variety of ways. While traditional services such as in-person help and phone reference are still important components of reference service, emerging services such as online chat reference, e-mail reference, and text reference are new ways to provide reference services in ways that are more convenient for patrons. Reference services are anchored by another aspect: the reference collection. Having a strong collection of reference materials that are both accurate and up-to-date is of paramount importance to the information professional. This collection does not just include printed material, but also online databases that can be used for research on the Internet. Creating guides and brochures that inform, instruct, and market these services in conjunction with traditional formats allows the library's reference services to be fully utilized by patrons. Reference services also can be marketed with signage and by having reference staff members rove the library, seeking out patrons who need assistance instead of waiting for patrons to approach the desk. This is just another example how in a changing world, bringing reference services to the patrons both inside and outside the library is important. Evidence Providing references services and using relevant and accurate techniques and approaches to do so is important. I am submitting four pieces of evidence for this competency. All three illustrate my experience and abilities in dealing with reference services as a librarian and information professional. The first piece of evidence is the second set of reference questions I was assigned to research and answer in LIBR 210 by Dr. Holschuh-Simmons. In this assignment I had not only to find the answers to a series of reference questions, but also had to provide my initial search strategy, what sources I found and consulted, create a new question that can be answered by a source I consulted, and also record the length of time each question took me to answer. This assignment shows my use of the principles and techniques of reference research and my fundamental ability to effectively answer reference questions. The second piece of evidence I am submitting also comes from LIBR 210 and is a pathfinder I created on library materials and resources on the National Basketball Association. In creating this pathfinder I learned how to create brochures that market the materials the library has on a subject and also provide external resources that patrons may find valuable. I created this for the library for which I was working at the time and we ended up using it during the NBA Finals as a marketing tool in part of a large display on basketball. This piece of evidence shows my ability to market library materials to patrons while facilitating access to information. The third piece of evidence I am submitting also comes from a course with Dr. Holsch-Simmons, LIBR 287, which focuses on information literacy. A key component of reference services and library services as a whole is helping patrons become information literate. This is done in a litany of ways ranging from the teaching of computer classes on the Internet to showing patrons how to use the online catalog and attached databases to locate library materials on areas of interest to them. With this in mind I wrote a seminar paper for Dr. Simmons that examined my experience in taking a class on information literacy at Washington State University on the citation manager Zotero and then, after analyzing that experience, talked about the role of information literacy in the public library setting. The experiences of interviewing the librarian teaching the class, attending the class, following up with the librarian, and then talking about that experience and my own research and examining the role of information literacy in the public library has been invaluable to me moving forward in my career. The fourth and final piece of evidence I am submitting is my professional experience via my resume. It shows over five years of work in public libraries providing reference services to patrons in a small and now a large public library. In these two libraries I have learned how to effectively answer reference questions in-person, via e-mail, over the phone, and recently over online chat. I also have learned how to connect reference inquiries to other library resources, for example a patron asking for a GRE study guide should be told about some of our college preparation databases and then shown how to access them from a non-library computer. I also have had the opportunity to produce bibliographies, pathfinders and many other brochures and marketing documents to help facilitate users in utilizing the various reference services the library has available. Conclusion The combination of my academic and professional experience shows my mastery of using service concepts, principles, and techniques that facilitate information access, relevancy, and accuracy for patrons. 10. “describe the fundamental concepts of information-seeking behaviors; ” Introduction Library and information science is built upon information. Given this it is imperative that librarians and information professionals understand how patrons act when seeking information. These information-seeking behaviors are changing rapidly due to technological innovations such as the internet, smart phones, and even in the library world with chat and text reference options. However a librarian must understand the fundamental concepts of information-seeking behaviors in order to provide customer service, implement services, design information retrieval systems and complete long-range planning for the library. Understanding users and the various ways in which they will seek out information is critical to working in the library and information science fields. This is especially true given that with the technological innovations we see in libraries--and society as a whole--how people locate and disseminate information is changing rapidly to keep up. The concept of using the physical card catalog to locate a book or coming into the library for reference has been replaced by OPACs and an expectation for virtual reference via email, chat or text. My experience in the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University and in the library profession in which I have been working for the past five years have given me quite a bit of insight into information-seeking behaviors. While at San Jose State University I have been exposed to many different information-seeking theories and theorists, including Kuhlthau and Dervin. Carol Kuhlthau is known for her model of information-seeking known as the Information Search Process. In this model Kuhlthau suggests a holistic view of information seekers and identifies six stages they go through. These stages are initiation, selection, exploration, formulation, collection and presentation (1991, p. 367). Kuhlthau recognizes that emotion comes into information-seeking behavior including anxiety and uncertainty. This is an important factor to keep in mind as oftentimes in my professional experience you can sense patrons’ anxiety or uncertainty in what it is they are looking for, how to find it, or how to ask for help. This uncertainty is important because for the user, the library is often a mysterious place and the amount of information and information sources to consider is increasingly in a digitized world. Being approachable and asking patrons if they need help are great ways to put anxiety and uncertainty at ease. Brenda Dervin is known for the sense making model which she defines “as behavior, both internal (i.e. cognitive) and external (i.e. procedural) which allows the individual to construct and design his/her movement through time-space” (1983). Sense-making theory posits that there are three elements in information seeking that are considered to be very important being put to actual use. These are the situation, the gap, and the use (Dervin, 1986, p. 507). Another theorist, Marcia Bates, has worked extensively with online catalog searching, examining how users “berry pick” for information, and the importance of information systems that are user-centric in design. Evidence For this competency I am submitting three pieces of evidence. The first piece of evidence comes from LIBR 202 with Dr. Liu and is an individual project of system design I completed, examining the OPAC used by the public library at which I worked. In doing so I spent time acting as an information-seeker and found both strengths and weaknesses in the software. This helped me learn to think critically about how people search for information at the library I work at and to apply the theories we had been learning about in 202 to my professional work. This piece of evidence shows my ability to look at how a library tool is and is not working in terms of information-seeking behaviors. Also in LIBR 202 with Dr. Liu we had a group project that involved us designing, planning and creating a database using InMagic's DB/Textworks 11.0. In this project we had to consider the user and different user types and how they would go about looking for information within the database. In doing so, we learned to apply what we had learned in the course about information-seeking behavior to create a database that would be user-centric. In LIBR 210 with Dr. Holschuh-Simmons we were asked to do an observational report on a library in our area and also on an electronic reference interaction. In my paper I explain seeing Dervin's sense-making theory in action and discuss the importance of placing the customer at ease, and what a difference that made with users who were clearly not at ease. This assignment gave me a different view than that of a library employee and gave me great insight into working with patrons and recognizing behaviors, including anxiety and uncertainty that came up when they are seeking information. Conclusion With the above evidence I have shown my competency in understanding the fundamental concepts of information-seeking behaviors. References Dervin, B. (1983). An overview of sense-making research: concepts, methods and results to date. in International Communications Association Annual Meeting. Dallas, Texas. Dervin, B. & Dewdney, P. (1986). Neutral questioning: a new approach to the reference interview [Electronic version]. RQ, 25(4), 506-513. Kuhlthau, C. C. (1991). Inside the search process: Information seeking from the user’s perspective. , Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 42 (5), 361-371. 11. “Design training programs based on appropriate learning principles and theories” Introduction A key aspect of being a librarian and/or an information scientist is the ability to design and implement training programs that range from modules for staff members to learn library tools and behaviors, to classes for patrons on areas of need in the community. The specific types of programs will be dictated not only by the type of institution but also by the community demographics being served. For example an academic library may offer many information literacy courses on using library-provided databases or academic-related software such as citation managers. On the other hand public libraries may be offering classes on computer basics such as the use of Internet, word processing, or social media. As a librarian or information scientist the key concept in this is the ability to understand how people learn and then be able to adapt your instructional material to reflect this understanding. While at San Jose State University I have been exposed to many different ideas and theories that have helped me design training programs based on bits and pieces from different learning theories. One such theory that has really stayed with me is the constructivist theory of active learning. Constructivism is a learning theory that works from the notion that there is a process of learning that a student can be exposed to and then allowed to experiment. Constructivism includes many subtheories, including one that is receiving a lot of attention in libraries, especially when it comes to theories such as active learning. As Conger states “(t)he underlying concept of active learning is student-centered learning, the idea that the instructor is no longer center stage. The instructor engaged in acquiring the knowledge. Not only does the teacher step out of the limelight, she creates a student-centered classroom in which the students use cognitive skills to construct knowledge for themselves” (2001, p. 312). Although some will surmise this means the end of lectures, it is really a movement away from traditional lectures and into more interactive lectures. By engaging the students and getting them to explore the subject matter and their thoughts on it, a stronger bond can be maintained mentally retaining the material. Some criticism of active learning is that it requires a delicate balance for the instructor between the introduction of important topics and the providing of context to information with the active aspect of learning. Proponents of active learning such as Gordon point out that the differences between active learning and more traditional learning methods, saying that “(i)mplicit in the typical report assignment is an underestimation of what students can do, sending a clear message to them that they are passive recipients of information” (2006). I agree that passive education has a tendency to not engage the student and hence makes it less likely to provide the impact one needs to have to really shape them intellectually, socially, or in any other aspect. I would however hesitate to write off traditional formats, as a report can be presented in more engaging ways and other traditional formats such as lecture can be active learning environments that challenge and engage students. As librarians our duty is to find ways to engage people in the information process whether it is in the area of seeking information, disseminating it, or a combination of the two. Another aspect of this competency I have been exposed to during my time at San Jose State University is the Association of College and Research Libraries, Objectives for Information Literacy Instruction: A Model Statement for Academic Librarians. These standards led me to two important realizations. First was the realization of the importance of standards when it came to creating training programs. Having standards when it comes to the implementation, delivery, and evaluation of training programs is a critical aspect of the profession. Without a standard to live up to, there is no baseline for evaluating performance. The second realization is that the Objective for Information Literacy crystallized by succinctly putting into words things I had been feeling in my professional career by stating that “(i)nformation literacy encompasses more than good information-seeking behavior. It incorporates the abilities to recognize when information is needed and then to phrase questions designed to gather the needed information” (2001). One last point on learning theories and applying them to training programs is to remember that any one learning theory or style will not work for everybody but that “when students own the knowledge and develop skills rather than memorize lists, they accept for their learning process” (Conger 2001 p. 313). As a proponent of engaging students I am a fan of active learning, but as the above quote illustrates there is no one style for all students. Understanding these learning theories is important, but equally as important is the ability to design lesson plans and classes or events that are flexible enough to work with patrons who learn in a variety of ways. What a librarian teaching an information literacy class has to be able to do is not just recognize students’ learning styles but ask them about them. A reference interview with students is a good way to get to know how each one will learn, when it is appropriate to do so. Evidence I am submitting five pieces of evidence for this competency that illustrate my understanding of appropriate learning principles and theories when it comes to designing training. All five of these pieces of evidence come from LIBR 287, Information Literacy with Dr. Simmons. In LIBR 287 we had a weekly discussion that focused on the following question: “How might Chodock's ideas about universal design be beneficial to all learners, not just those with disabilities? How might we adapt our instruction to include principles of universal design? Can you think of examples in your life in which universal design principles are beneficial to all people, not just those with disabilities.” In my response to this question I illustrate my understanding of the complexities of providing training to patrons and acknowledge the flexibility that is key to providing information literacy to patrons. For each patron you may have to do things a little differently; some want a set of instructions, some want a demonstration, some simply want to try to figure it out on their but know they can ask for help if they get stuck, and others need a very complete, “sit down and walk them through it” type of instruction. There is a spectrum of learning and teaching styles and librarians have to be cognizant of this when interacting with patrons. Another assignment I am submitting as evidence is the Instruction Observation Form I had to complete after attending an information literacy course at the local university, Washington State University. In this report I had to identify what standards and learning theories were being used by the instructor including what ACRL standards were utilized and what learning style the teacher used (cognitive). What this assignment did was provide me with an active learning experience of taking some information I had been given by an instructor and applying it to a real-life situation. In doing so I developed a much better comprehension of the ACRL standards and in my ability to recognize learning styles when they were in use. This assignment was invaluable in helping me to see the value in preparing for instructional events. I have two pieces of evidence relating to the large information literacy presentation we had to make in LIBR 287 on Elluminate. The first piece of evidence is the lesson plan I had to file before creating and delivering my presentation. In this short document I had to outline my presentation and identify the target audience and the expected learning outcomes. Doing so gave me a real sense of purpose in my presentation and allowed me to design a short but well-received presentation on an approach to readers advisory known as the Four Doorways. The second piece of evidence from this assignment is my presentation itself. In it I really tried to use a conversational tone with students that would create an open atmosphere for learning and also be an active learning environment by allowing the students to take the knowledge and see if they can apply it themselves by discussing books and what doorway they thought they belonged in. Although this is a very short presentation, it shows my understanding of active learning and the importance I place on engaging the audience. Finally, in LIBR 287 I had to write a term paper on a subject relating to information literacy. I chose to examine active learning and public librarianship. In this project I analyzed what I had learned throughout the class including my instruction observation at Washington State University. What I demonstrate in this paper is an understanding that knowing learning styles is important but more important is recognizing that people all learn in different ways and what we are instructed in as instructors is getting them to be information literate. The analogy I use in my paper is that, “just like in team sports where the real goal is improving from the start of the season to the end, we are measuring the wins and losses without taking into account the process of the season or in this case of the instruction (Gottschalk, 2010). Conclusion My combined competency in the theoretical and practical applications of appropriate learning principles and theories has been illustrated by the above essay and evidence. References Association of College and Research Libraries (2001). Objectives for Information Literacy Instruction: A Model Statement for Academic Librarians. Retrieved 10/14/2010 from http://www.ala.org/ala/ mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/objectivesinformation.cfm Conger, J. (2001). Wake up that back row! interactive library instruction without hands-on student computers. Reference Librarian, 35(73), 309-322. Gordon, C. American Library Association, July 20, 2006. http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume21999/vol2gordon.cfm (Accessed November 06, 2011). 12. “Understand the nature of research, research methods and research findings; retrieve, evaluate and synthesize scholarly and professional literature for informed decision-making by specific client groups” Introduction One of the building blocks for anyone in the library or information science world is the ability to do research and to understand the appropriate way to go about retrieving, evaluating, and synthesizing research subjects to provide the appropriate materials from scholarly and professional literature. This allows for informed decision-making for not only the patron or fellow staff member who has requested the research, but also allows for the person doing the research to know an appropriate process and to be able to differentiate between a general or “ready reference” question that is more directional in nature and a research question or topic that will require a much more substantial process. Without even realizing it librarians and information professionals provide impromptu research numerous times per day. Any question that is answered at a library reference desk that requires some level of retrieving, evaluating and synthesizing information for a patron could be considered research. For example, a patron who needs directions from the library to somewhere else consists of directional reference and involves simple research. A reference interview must take place to determine exactly what information the patron is looking for, and then an appropriate source must be used to procure the information the patron needs. Of course research has other implications in the work of librarians and information professionals. This skill is used to update or create policies and procedures that govern the day to day interactions of a library, to research trends in the profession, to examine and plan budgetary issues, and to do research that is then presented in various professional settings including meetings and conferences. Many times this research is highly technical and involves utilizing certain standards in research that are laid out by administrative bodies such as the National Institutes of Health. Research thus is utilized in two primary ways for the information professional. It is used to provide information to patrons in both quick and long transactions. It is also used to justify management decisions by examining trends and data and then using them to support administrative actions. Research is also an underlying theme to all aspects of the profession and this is shown in each and every one of these competencies. Evidence Every class I have taken at San Jose State University has prepared me in meeting this competency, but I have selected four pieces of evidence that showcase my mastery of this competency. The first piece of evidence I am submitting is the first set of reference questions I had to research and answer for Dr. Michelle Holschuh-Simmons' LIBR 210 course on reference. In this assignment I had to not only find the answers to a series of reference questions, but also had to provide my initial search strategy, what sources I found and consulted, create a new question that can be answered by a source I consulted and also the length of time each question took me. This was an invaluable assignment that really hammered home the importance of considering the value of the sources you are using and when combined with my five years of experience on reference desks at public libraries has really given me a strong foundation in providing research for patrons. The second piece of evidence I am submitting is an assignment I did for Dr. Friday in LIBR 232, a seminar on Issues in Public Librarianship. The paper I am submitting was a library visit and observation. In this assignment I had to use demographic data from various sources along with my observations of the library I visited and observed. This paper illustrates my ability to take research skills and apply them to a more professional experience. I also did this in my own career, including using circulation statistics and researching trends in collection management to help me come up with weeding and ordering philosophies for my responsibilities with the DVD collection at Neill Public Library in Pullman, Washington. My final two pieces of evidence is from LIBR 285, which is the required research methods class in the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science. The first of these is my Certificate of Completion from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research which I earned as part of my preparation for my second piece of evidence from LIBR 285. The studying and testing process for earning this certificate gave me experience in the limitations on research and the ethical obligations in doing research in terms of working with human beings (even just in asking them questions) and in being aware of issues such as privacy and bias in research. The second piece of evidence from LIBR 285 is my final research proposal, which involved studying the impact of roving reference in public libraries, using the Tigard Public Library, in Tigard, Oregon as my case study. These two pieces of evidence demonstrate my understanding of the research process in terms of following procedures and protocols to create an effective research result. Conclusion My knowledge on research combined with my Bachelors of Art in History from Washington State University, my professional experience working in libraries and the four pieces of evidence I have presented establish my mastery of this competency. 13. “Demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations” Introduction The ability to professionally communicate in oral and written formats is a universal skill that just happens to lend itself exceedingly well to the librarian/information profession. In the world of the information professional the ability to communicate both orally and in writing is imperative due to the specialized and collaborative nature of the work. Librarians are not only asked to be able to communicate effectively with their coworkers and their patrons within the library setting, but oftentimes in outreach roles outside the library as well. In current times, the ability to communicate effectively and professionally in a variety of formats is also a critical for a number of reasons that are specific to the library setting. A librarian must be able to communicate, to understand and to react to patrons who become upset and at times even angry. Librarians also must be able to communicate with patrons to meet their informational needs, using tools such as the reference interview both physically and virtually, and must communicate effectively with other staff members to ensure the efficient delivery of services to patrons. With libraries dividing up tasks among different staff members and departments communication between these people and groups is a critical component in the ability to provide effective and efficient customer service both externally to patrons and internally to staff members. Librarians and information professionals are also likely to be involved in collaborative work with other professionals such as planning committees, consortium work and a litany of other examples. Additionally, the ability to make professional-level presentations is a critical aspect due to the collaborative nature of the work involved in presenting at conferences, training fellow staffers, presenting reports to supervisors and library boards, and simply going out into the community to provide outreach services and meet with community groups. Evidence Due to the emphasis on collaborative work during my time in the SLIS program at San Jose State University I have had plenty of opportunities to work on this competency. I have chosen examples that I believe reflect the various skills including written and oral communication at a professional level in this competency. My first piece of evidence is from LIBR 287 in which I made an information literacy presentation entitled The Four Doorways to Books: An approach to Reader’s Advisory on December 1, 2010. My session runs from 1:23:05 to 1:41:30 and displays my ability to professionally present a topic to a group of my peers. For this assignment I was tasked with giving an instructional lesson to a group of my peers online using the Elluminate system. I chose to write about Nancy Pearl's Four Doorways approach to Reader's Advisory and in doing so put together a set of slides that would provide a baseline of information while I gave my presentation. In order to do this I created a lesson plan and then used this lesson plan to create my presentation. I identified four student learning outcomes that would come out of my session as follows: Students will be able to discuss the four doorways to books and provide examples of each doorway. Students will be able to integrate the four doorways approach into reader's advisory. Students will be able to think critically about what different readers look for in books. Students will be aware of other Reader's Advisory resources that they can use while utilizing the four doorways approach. By creating and presenting this material I was able to showcase my ability to make a professional presentation, which was well received, to my peers and to communicate with my target audience effectively in both written and oral fashions. My second piece of evidence is a group project I completed for LIBR 204. This project was a strategic plan and our team consisted of me and four other classmates. We had to work together to develop a strategic plan for a public library. This collaboration was at times challenging as we had to blend different ideas on where to focus our energies with a tight timeline to create a finished product. We accomplished this by communicating via written and oral communication. We constantly exchanged emails and when necessary had online meetings in which we communicated orally with each other. We all had different roles to play and one of my major contributions was in organizing the group to accomplish the task at hand. In doing so I had to encourage an atmosphere of collaboration and make sure the group stayed on the same page. We relied on each other to produce the needed parts of the final project My third piece of evidence is from LIBR 286, Interpersonal Communication. Throughout this course I was engaged in learning more about how people communicate both verbally and nonverbally. It is very true that a key component of communication is nonverbal in nature. People's body language is a key factor that needs to be considered when communicating. The piece of evidence I chose from this course is my final paper, which is a self-analysis of communication and its impact in my previous job at Neill Public Library in Pullman, Washington. The final paper in this course demonstrates firmly my understanding of the various aspects of communication and illustrates my increased proficiency in reading and reacting to how others communicate nonverbally. A large part of communication is being self-aware and having the ability to realize your own weaknesses in communication, then to work on these weaknesses. This paper demonstrates my increased ability to communicate and my desire to continue to work on my communication skills. Conclusion The ability to communicate in a variety of formats including orally and in the written word is imperative for those in the informational arts. This is not just because we deal with providing access to information, but we have to be able to collaborate with others in group settings and make professional presentations. Communicating effectively is imperative and I have in written, oral, and presentation formats shown my ability to convey my qualifications for this competency through my academic coursework. My work in group projects like the one in LIBR 204 shows the ability to collaborate. What it shows more than anything else is how even imperfect communication can produce positive results. The key lesson is that you just have to communicate and strive to understand and be understood. I also know that over five years as a library employee has allowed me to see the value of communication, collaboration, and presenting all in a professional manner. My combined real and academic world experiences show my mastery of this competency. 14. “Evaluate programs and services on specified criteria” Introduction Along with the collections of materials, libraries are built around the programs and services they offer. Whether it is programs like story times, computer classes, or services to bring information to people in more accessible ways such as outreach or inter-library loan, these offerings provide value to the community that keeps them coming into the library. Programs and services contribute to the general reputation of the library and must be evaluated periodically in order to ascertain how a library is doing. Because libraries rely on customer support and use, it is important that a certain level of overall service is maintained. This can be monitored by first creating avenues to get consistent feedback on library programs and services. This can be done by annual patron surveys, feedback cards available online and in the library after programming events, and by public polls on what services they would like to see. Patrons’ interests in services and programs can also be generated by interacting with patrons by gathering feedback in the course of conversations. A seemingly innocuous conversation can lead to new programming and service ideas simply because of interactions. Just as there has been a shift in reference service to be proactive in creating accessibility via electronic reference, text reference, and roving reference at libraries, so too can feedback be proactively sought. All of this feedback will allow libraries to continually assess their program and offerings and to make adjustments in terms of what is offered based on community feedback. If a particular program or service is not being used at a level that justifies its existence or the feedback on it is not positive, it can be removed and replaced by a different service or program. In the current economy where tight budgets are the norm, having good data on programs and services helps to identify which programs and services will have the least amount of overall impact on the community if they are removed due to their relative value in comparison to other programs and services. Evidence Throughout my academic career at San Jose State University I have routinely been asked to evaluate programs and services on specified criteria. This evaluation experience, combined with my professional experience, has given me the ability to learn and develop evaluative skills that will serve me well in my career. I have chosen the following examples as evidence of my mastery in this competency. In LIBR 204 we were asked to work as a group to create a strategic plan for a public library. As part of this process we were all assigned departments of which we were the managers and were responsible for creating departmental strategic plans that fit into the library's mission and vision statements. Together as a group we created some evaluative tools to keep track of what our patrons wanted from us as part of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis. As part of this analysis we had to create a questionnaire to ask our patrons what services they valued and for their assessment of the library. We also created and answered as a group our SWOT analysis questions before writing up our project. Doing so allowed us to evaluate objectively as a group what our patrons and staff needs were and what opportunities and threats existed in regards to the library. Also in this assignment in the Adult Services section I had to create departmental objectives that had built-in evaluation tools. For example, we needed to weed and that was determined to be done first by condition and then by use, with items that were not in good condition but still circulating being replaced. We also evaluated where the department would be spending our requested budget increase based on patrons’ demand for audio books and DVDs. In my professional career at Neill Public Library in Pullman, Washington I co-wrote a grant we received from the Paul G. Allen Foundation to help us enhance our reader's advisory services to our patrons. In order to do this we had to assess how our patrons went about reader's advisory and discovered that the majority of them preferred to have some sort of readily available online guide to help them. We also heard from staff during the evaluation period that they would like to have more training opportunities to develop their reader’s advisory skills. With these two factors in mind the Adult Services Librarian and I co-wrote the grant, and as part of this process I was responsible for the initial drafting of a 3-4 page narrative for the foundation that outlined who we served, what we needed, and how the grant would reach this goal. After many meetings and writing the draft the final document was prepared by the Adult Services Librarian and we were awarded the grant. The grant allowed us to add the database NoveList Plus to our library's collection of online resources, provided us with additional marketing materials from NoveList, helped us receive training in NoveList, and also allowed us to hold a reader's advisory day conference at which we were able to bring in librarian extraordinaire Nancy Pearl to speak to librarians and library employees from the greater Palouse region of Eastern Washington and Idaho about her “Four Doorways” approach to reader’s advisory. We also were able to have Nancy Pearl give a community talk that night which was well attended and well received by the community, kick-starting our marketing efforts for reader's advisory services and NoveList Plus. This grant process allowed me to learn about being able to evaluate what our patrons wanted, what our staff needed, and then find a way to create solutions that met these needs via an exterior fundraising opportunity. In doing so I learned the importance of being able to evaluate what services the library needed to offer in order to meet patron needs, and how we needed to prepare our staff to meet those needs. This is often the case in libraries: you have an identified need for patrons and must also provide training and guidance to your staff on helping to meet that need. In LIBR 210 with Dr. Simmons we were asked to examine and learn the RUSA guidelines and use them in a critique of references services at a local library as part of an observational analysis. At the time the library I worked at had a new Adult Services Librarian and it was a good opportunity to complete an assignment and learn from my boss how she expected reference staff to interact with patrons. By observing her and seeing how she utilized RUSA guidelines to provide excellent customer service I was able to evaluate her reference service skills and then apply that high standard to my own work on the reference desk. Just as evaluation is about programs it is also about services, including the ultimate standard for librarians, customer service. In this paper I also examined an electronic reference transaction and evaluated it with RUSA guidelines, finding the librarian to be friendly but not conducting a reference interview, which was a big concern. In this assignment I learned that the ability to critically evaluate customer service skills and utilize professional guidelines such as RUSA to do so is an important aspect of the evaluation process. Finally I am submitting a request for funding that was part of a grant proposal I worked on with a coworker and classmate for LIBR 282, a seminar in grantwriting. For this assignment we had to first identify an area of need for the library by analyzing circulation reports and soliciting patron feedback. After doing so we met with the library management to discuss needs the library had but for which there was not currently money in the budget. In this proposal we had to quantify our need by using analysis and explaining how these new roving carts would benefit patrons by providing us the ability to have larger DVD collections for both non-fiction and entertainment DVDs. This required us to analyze our services, including offering DVDs, and to figure out how to meet patron needs. This assignment again made a correlation for me between analysis of library reports, patron feedback, and then use of this information in this case to modify existing services by expanding a popular service in free DVD rentals. Conclusion Between my professional experience, coursework and the selected evidence I have submitted, I have shown my mastery of this competency as part of my e-portfolio for my Masters of Library and Information Science Degree. Concluding Statements Reflections My time at San Jose State University has flown by. It seems only yesterday that I was an eager online student enrolling in my first semester of Library School to take the three core classes required by San Jose State University. As a student who came into the program with several years of library experience under my belt, I have used the program to further my understanding of the areas of the profession that are of importance in my desired career path. My desire to be a branch manager in an urban public library led me to focus on classes that involved public librarianship and management. The management classes opened my eyes to the science behind decision making and the use of statistical analysis in services and collection management. The public librarianship courses added to my growing practical knowledge in librarianship, complementing my work experiences with technical know-how. In totality, San Jose State University has helped me become the librarian I am to be, accentuating my strengths and helping me minimize my deficiencies. Strengths As I start my career as a librarian I have a few strengths that will serve me well. I have been afforded the opportunity in my career to do a little bit of everything thanks to the time I have spent at a smaller public library and this has taught me the value of flexibility in the profession. I strive to provide not only great customer service externally to patrons but internally to my library coworkers. My willingness to help out at times stretches me thin but allows me to create lasting relationships with coworkers that provide continuing dividends for me. My willingness to be flexible has left me with no fear of learning about emerging library technologies and finding ways to incorporate them into the library's work. My comfort with technology, willingness to fail while learning it, and desire to take that knowledge and share it with others will serve me well in public libraries. This flexibility and affinity for technology has been illustrated in my serving on the Washington State Off The Page Downloadable Audiobook Committee. Collection Development is another strength I emerge from San Jose State University with, in part due to the extension work I had to do for Dr. Joni Bodart, for whom I am eternally grateful, in LIBR 266. Before the class I had been afforded the opportunity to work under two great Adult Services Librarians who helped me develop skills in collection development and maintenance, including having me be in charge of the DVD collection, but LIBR 266 took those practical experiences and gave me a strong technical background to apply to my first professional job. Another strength of mine is my skills and abilities in reference services. With over five years of working on the reference desk I have become well versed not only in providing reference at the library desk but in a variety of other ways. My current job involves doing online reference via chat and text and I also do roving reference where I move throughout the building making myself visible and available for any patrons who have questions. My aforementioned flexibility and competency with technology make me able to not only provide reference but also information literacy to patrons. Professional growth plan I am currently employed in a paraprofessional position in a public library. In order to facilitate my own personal growth and adhere to the professional philosophies I espoused in the introduction of this portfolio the next step for me is to find a professional job in a large urban library system. In this setting I can begin to provide the free access to information and continue to hone my communication skills to best serve my library and its users. I want to use my strengths to provide excellent customer service and my education from San Jose State University to identify other areas in which I can continue to grow as a librarian. I know I will face unexpected challenges along the way but feel I can reach my goal of being a branch manager in an urban library system within five years. After this we will have to see if I want to continue into management or stay where my heart lies, working directly with the community at the branch library level. I plan to augment my education by continuing to attend professional conferences and workshops and by simply being an active communicator and socialiser within the profession. I feel fortunate to not only have practical work experience and now the educational experience but also to have developed a large network of librarians whom I am honored to call friends and colleagues. In the months and years ahead I will rely on them to stimulate my growth as I have found conversation and debate to be great tools for self assessment and improvement. I do not view the completion of my Library and Information Science program as the end of my education but more as the beginning of the next chapter in a life long endeavor to learn. Conclusion I spent a lot of time searching for the right way to close my thoughts about this transition from library student to librarian and I found solace and comfort in the words of the British philosopher Alan Watts who wrote: “We thought of life by analogy was a journey, was a pilgrimage, which had a serious purpose at the end. And the thing was to get to that end. Success, or whatever it is, or maybe heaven after you’re dead. But we missed the point the whole way along. It was a musical thing, and you were supposed to sing, or to dance, while the music was being played”. Despite the seriousness in which I take librarianship I endeavor to enjoy every minute of my life, including the many minutes that will be spent in libraries. I will help ,y community simply enjoy the music by presenting information in various ways,one of which is likely to resonate with them. Then they will not feeling like they are jumping through a hoop or graduating from one grade to the next, but that they actually enjoying utilizing their brain for some purpose of their own interest. In a nutshell I will remain free while promoting the freedoms of others through the services and mission of the library. Affirmation: 1. 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. 2. I have respected the privacy of others by removing mention in this e-Portfolio of information that could lead to the disclosure of the identity of students or employers, and I have made good effort to obtain permission from all group members for group projects submitted as evidence. 3. I am protecting the privacy of the contents of my e-Portfolio by password protecting it or by sharing the URL only with my e-portfolio advisor. 4. Mark Gottschalk

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Sunday, June 24, 2012

Life turns Southern

Sunday, December 18, 2011

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