Alison Wilkins 801XR Fall 2009 JOURNAL 8/28/09 What kind of a learner am I prepared to be?

My Myers-Briggs was a little confusing. Ive done the full version of this in undergrad. I got an ESTJ then and for this class I got an ISFJ. I think my E and I are really close and which one I am might depend on the day. When I took this test in undergrad, my T and F were just about exactly equal on my report. I tend to obsess over details; I dislike confrontation, and allow my feelings to get hurt too often. For the past few years, Ive been consciously working on teaching myself to work with other types of thinkers and learners. I have learned to be more open to other methods of learning and thought. I just love school and love to learn. Im really looking forward to this experience Ive never had a problem with motivating myself to learn. I was the kid who actually enjoyed going to school. Getting an A was enough of a motivator for me. I never required any special care, pushing, or encouragement to do my best. I was a bit of an obsessivecompulsive nerd. I think a lot of this stemmed from my home life during high school. My dad was sick and I kind of buried myself in my books. I didnt think about it at the time, but I think that had my family life been more normal I might have been different. In college, I slowly relaxed. I was still obsessive and still pushed myself as hard as I could. However, I stopped allowing school to control my life. I found a fantastic group of friends and we loved hanging out and doing stuff together. I would stay up late in the dorms with them, and we would do fun things on the weekends. This is not to say I stopped worrying about my grades. Good grades were still a good motivator for me. In fact, my friends, in a way, contributed to my continued studiousness as much as they did my new mission to be more relaxed. The second semester of our freshman year, my friends and I all took the max number of credit hours allowed just because we could. We took several gen. ed. classes together and despite the ridiculous amount of time spent in class, we had a fun time that semester. I learned a lot about balancing life with school, but I still worked hard.

Ever since finishing college, Ive had to balance so much more in my life that Im glad I learned these lessons about balancing life and school. The time management skills, the study skills, and the self-motivation that I learned in college and high school are already coming in handy. I believe that I am prepared to be a good student while working at the same time. I am excited to learn about library and information science, I am excited to work in groups (something I never would have said 5 years ago), and I am excited to learn from new professors and student colleagues. 8/29/09 Consider Masons coherent picture of an information professional. How does this picture compare with how you see the profession? It is funny because before a week ago (when I read this article) I never thought of the library profession in this way. To be honest, I never really had too much contact with public libraries growing up except for the occasional trip with my grandma to check out a movie or little book. My sole library experience was based on my experiences in school libraries. From kindergarten to junior high, I saw my librarians as something similar to facilitators of books. I went into their realm once a week in grade school and whenever I needed a new book for the Accelerated Reader Program in junior high. I can only think of one or two instances when I asked for a recommendation on a book when I couldnt find anything I wanted to read. In high school I think I stepped into the library maybe 3 or 4 times my entire high school career. I couldnt really tell you why; I think its because one of my English teachers had more books that I was interested in than the library did, so I just went to her instead. I never really viewed these librarians as professionals who possessed scholarly knowledge or who knew about the sources and characteristics of that knowledge or who were masters of technology. I will say that I saw these women as people possessing good judgment, but I never asked for their advice or judgment on anything except the couple times I asked for a book recommendation. In retrospect, when I look back on my experiences with librarians, I can see how they did fit into some of these qualifications. Most of them knew about the subject domain of interest to his [/her] clients. They were able to make recommendations, read stories to my classes that we enjoyed, and often could get my classmates and I excited about a certain book or series. I can also see looking back that they also did most everything they did in the service of his [/her]

clients. They really did want my classmates and I to enjoy library time and to find something we wanted to read. After reading Masons article, I am able to see a framework that librarians should strive to fit into. I believe that librarians do need to possess judgment, knowledge about sources, characteristics about their knowledge, methods necessary to satisfy information needs, as well as knowledge of technology. I think that the possession of scientific and scholarly knowledge is a little more difficult. Upon my completion of SLIM, I will have a good basis of professional and scholarly knowledge that will help me in a job as an information manager. The issue I have with this requirement for a professional stems from a comment made in class about KU librarians who also had extensive knowledge on topics other than library and information science. I can definitely see how knowledge of history, science, medicine, or literature in addition to knowledge of library and information science could be incredibly beneficial in certain settings. However, is it required? Could I be just as good a medical librarian as anyone else even though I dont have an extensive knowledge of medicine? Would I be a good archivist even though I didnt study history in college? How far does this expectation go? I assume it partly depends on where you are working. I think in most cases, extensive scholarly knowledge of library and information sciences would be enough, but it is something to consider. Is there a higher standard for information professionals in certain fields? I think there could be. I believe that Masons statement that information professionals must do everything he/she does in the service of his clients and of the society in which he lives. I think this is most important. Librarians and information managers must remember that what they do is a service. We all love books, but our job is not about reading and books, it is about helping your community find information. I think it is so important to remember libraries are a SERVICE!!!

8/30/09 Reflection on Face-to-Face Weekend #1 This weekend went pretty well; I think I will enjoy this program. I was initially unsure since Im not used to doing homework that is not reading a novel or short story. I was skeptical about reading non-literary articles or texts. However, I found some things that really interested me. I was really intrigued by the various conversations about how people communicate. Dr. Perleys discussion about her doctoral thesis and the various ways that doctors communicate was

very interesting to me. Ive never considered the many ways that people communicate before. My interest was increased when we began researching various articles by Chatman. One of the articles my group found was an article about women in a maximum-security prison called A Theory of Life in the Round. I still havent read it yet, but it is about the way the women adjust to survive prison life. I began connecting this article with the discussion about Dr. Perleys thesis and I began thinking about my job in the juvenile corrections complex. These boys communicate with each other in many interesting ways. It is very possible that it is similar to the way they communicate with friends and acquaintances on the outs, but I am sure that their communication of information is adjusted to a point where they are able to learn and share information with each other while in prison. They communicate daily with other residents, teachers, officers, social workers, and many other people. I havent observed any major code switching, when they change with whom they are communicating, but they do a fantastic job of sharing information. They often know about changes in complex policy, what happened to different residents or officers, or any other complex-related information before we teachers do! I cant say how many times Ive been informed of new information by my students before I was by my boss! Im definitely going to be more observant in how they communicate, where they go for their information, and how/why and with whom they choose to communicate their information. I would never have even considered this had I not started SLIM!

9/1/09 Library: An Unquiet History Ive decided to start reading the Battles book. I still havent completely decided if I will write the paper or not, but I do know that I will enjoy this book. I have always been interested in history and the history of libraries just sounds so interesting! I havent gotten very far into the book yet, but I am already lamenting the volumes of lost information do to tragedy, war, totalitarian regimes, and/or religious zealots! Just imagine how much we would know if Alexandrias library had survived, if the Spanish priests hadnt destroyed Aztec books, or if Shi Huangdi hadnt destroyed all literature written before his dynasty! It absolutely blows my mind. While I doubt that I would ever have time to read a significant amount of this lost literature had it survived, I cant help but wonder how my world history and literature classes would have been different if scholars had access to works such as the books in Aristotles library not been lost.

This loss of information is a loss for not only literature and history scholars but for all of humanity. Just think what cultural jewels have been lost. I cant help but wonder if there are any works or documents that we have access to today that one day might be lost. Would the humans of the future lament their loss as much as we lament the loss of the works found in Alexandria?

9/4/09 Reflections on taking 801 and 802 together Taking two classes together is providing me with an interesting look into the information profession. These two classes compliment each other well. In 802, weve been reading and discussing a lot about learning styles, personality styles, and the way they affect information seeking behavior. It makes me think a lot about the Hansen and Stephens article. Hansen and Stephens discuss cooperative learning and the roles that students and teachers must play for it to be successful. But after reading and discussing several articles for 802, I believe there is more to it than just fitting into the appropriate roles. Consideration needs to be made for the learners learning style and personality type. Also, weve discussed the ways that socio-economic status and culture/ethnicity affect learning and communication. In 801, weve discussed the technology gap that exists between people of high SES and people of low SES. This would affect a persons ability to find, access, and study information. After joining this knowledge together with what weve discussed in 802, it is clear that this technology gap really creates a much bigger problem for librarians than I had initially thought. Lack of access to information would not only affect a persons use of a library, it would also affect a persons learning. Librarians need to be ambassadors and teachers, not just disseminators of information. A librarians role of ambassador would lead him or her to reach out to communities that lack technology and rarely access information due to the inability or the lack of desire to do so. A librarian can reach these people through programming (events that get them to the library such as childrens events, the book mobile, adult education classes, etc.), and once theyre reached, the ambassador librarian must convince them that the library is a place that is beneficial to them and can help them find information that will make their life easier. This is when a librarians teaching role kicks in. The librarian must be sure that these people know how to reach the information they need. A librarian must be willing to answer questions, demonstrate how to use databases, and even access

information that people need. The combination of 801 and 802 has shown me that the modern digital world has created learning and information seeking gaps in our communities. One role of a librarian is to help bridge these gaps.

9/5/09 Library: An Unquiet History Is it ironic that the very survival of libraries is to some extent due to groups of people who today seem to be more interested in stopping the libraries movement forward? The monks are credited with saving many European works during the Dark Ages by creating and sharing copies of these works. The Muslims had an even greater influence on the library by building grand libraries and equipping them with huge collections of works from all over the world and from all time periods. Then of course there was the Vatican Library that placed hundreds of religious works and hundreds of secular works together within its walls. Todays religious groups seem to be concerned with censorship of the library. I come from a conservative Christian background, and even I find much of what these people do to be highly obnoxious and misguided. Ive read the Harry Potter books (much to the annoyance of my conservative inlaws) and I support the teaching of books that use language in schools. In fact, during my student teaching experience, I taught a Chris Crutcher book (Whale Talk) and To Kill a Mockingbird. Both of these books have been banned by conservative groups. My uncle, a former middle school principal, refused to ban Harry Potter books and other books from his schools library despite the requests of several parents. Is it proof of a scholarly miracle that religious people kept libraries alive in the Middle Ages or is it proof that religious groups have changed a lot? Whatever the reason was for what these religious people did to save and preserve literature and the library, Im thankful.

9/6/09 Severson, Chapter 1 Seversons discussion on the definition of ethics was interesting. Ive never looked at ethics like that before. I always saw ethics as a set of rules that one must follow to be a good practitioner of ones profession. However, Severson shows that ethics are more of a guideline that guides ones morals in difficult situations. There are even situations where different ethical

standards are in conflict and one must be chosen over another. After reading Seversons first chapter, I went back to Rubin and looked on page 348 at the list of the ALA Code of Ethics. These eight standards would act as principles according to Severson. These principles should guide a librarians decisions in various different quandaries concerning the information held or the way a service is provided at his or her library. When I first read this list, I saw it as hard set rules that must be followed no matter what. Now I see that you do have to follow them and you do have to pay attention to them, but they are more of a guide than a law. If a situation arises where one of these 8 standards comes into conflict with another (and now that Ive read Severson, I see that is entirely possible), it will be my job to evaluate the dilemma and look at the 8 standards and see which side of the dilemma supports and upholds more of the 8. Seversons first chapter was refreshing to me. I was afraid that a discussion on ethics would be more like a discussion on morals, but now I see that morals and ethics are two completely different things.

9/7/09 Severson Chapter 2 This chapter was very interesting, especially the discussion of how peoples morals have changed to where we have become desensitized to stealing a CD or software just as we have been to jaywalking. But how does this affect libraries? Obviously we have to protect the intellectual property in our libraries. We can do this by monitoring photocopiers and posting copyright rules and laws where patrons can see them. Posting one copy per computer for software use and one copy for personal use for a short period of time for hard copy copying would help people remember to respect the copyright laws within our own walls. However, it is difficult to see what else we can do. There must be more that can be done within a library to protect intellectual property, but Severson didnt really discuss it, and Im having trouble thinking of other ways we can help at this late hour. Ill update my journal if anything comes to mind.

9/8/09 Severson, Chapter 3 This chapters discussion on privacy was very interesting. I had no idea that there were so many laws and requirements surrounding peoples right to privacy. This book was written in

1997, and I have to wonder how this topic has changed since 9/11 and the Patriot Act. Are these laws still the same or has the Patriot Act changed a lot of them. I remember Severson stating that libraries delete all records of a patrons book checkout history. However, it also seems that I remember hearing that the Patriot Act made it possible for government agencies to see what books people have checked out in order to see if they are reading materials that might indicate that they are planning something dangerous. If this is true, it flies in the face of everything that Severson wrote in this chapter. Has the librarys role changed since 9/11 or have many of the Patriot Act laws been repealed in recent years? It seems that peoples privacy is an everrevolving issue that companies, employers, creditors, and governmental agencies are continuously wrestling with. How will the library fit in? We will have access to peoples addresses, other contact information, and their pattern of reading and information searching. We have to keep this all private (although I remember our discussion on the first face-to-face weekend about the issue of reporting to an agency when we think that a persons information gathering behavior shows that they might be considering something dangerous such as suicide. However, even this reporting process is completely confidential). As the global climate changes and technology grows, how will a persons privacy be affected, and what can libraries do to help protect this privacy? Obviously confidentiality is very important. Also we can make sure our computers and networks have protection that will keep all searches and information entered into the computer confidential. The job of the library will continue to evolve in the future and I think guardian of a persons privacy is going to become very important.

9/9/09 Severson, Chapter 4 In this chapter, the true role of ethics started becoming clear to me. I realize that Severson is trying to show that ethics plays many roles in determining proper action. Chapter 2 talks about ethics as a mediator between law and morals. Chapter 3 talks about ethics as an encourager of our morality in order to encourage good laws. Chapter 4 talks about ethics as the recoverer of our morality and personal responsibility so that our morality joins the law as a guide to our actions. This multi-faceted role of ethics makes sense to me. Previously (as I mentioned earlier) I saw ethics as a rulebook that professionals must adhere to. I now see that ethics is what guides, mediates, encourages, and confirms decisions that professionals make each day. As a

librarian, I will use the ethical models set up by the ALA and by the library that I work for as a guide to being the best librarian I can possibly be. Ethics is not intimidating anymore. Now I see that ethics is a safeguard that is there to help me make good decisions, be an effective librarian, and help as many people as possible.

9/11/09 Library: An Unquiet History I have just finished the chapter titled Books for All in Battles book. The end of this chapter discusses the job description of an early public librarian. Im not sure that I would have been hired. One writer stated that a librarian must be a devourer of literaturethe love of literaturemust be in the breed; a man must belong to the Brahmin caste. He also states that a librarian must be a man of science and learning, cultured, and a captain of industry among many other things. Besides the fact that I am a woman, I dont think I really fit the mold. I am a lover of literature, but other than that, I dont really fit. Im not incredibly cultured, I am not skilled in languages, and I am not of the Brahmin caste (however, Dewey might have hired me if I promised to be submissive). It is interesting that the typical librarian seems to have been changed. The librarians I know dont fit into this mold either. The main commonality between these librarians seems to be their love of reading in addition to their people-person personality. Public librarians in general seem to be happier if not more successful when they like being around people. This seems to be somewhat different from the librarian described in this chapter who just wants to catalogue a French play but is continuously interrupted. He is willing to help the patrons, but he looks down on many of them. It seems that todays public librarian has accepted the fact (or embraced the fact) that the library profession is a service. If you want to be a librarian just so you can read a lot, you will be sorely disappointed. The other part of this chapter that got me thinking was the discussion on what should be read, what is worthy of being read, and what is considered rubbish. I hate this discussion. It really bothers me when people get on their high horses and say that what some people read is not good simply because it is not a classic. I think that a lot of the original librarians would roll over in their graves if they knew what kind of books were most popular in many libraries (especially those that have a good young adult section. For some reason I think many of these early professionals might find many of the YA novels to be of low qualitybut maybe Im just

being pessimistic). I think that as long as people are reading and enjoying it that is all that matters. Who am I to judge what someone wants to read? Everyone has different tastes. Some of these people will move on to higher literature eventually, but others will just keep enjoying what they are reading. It is a librarians job to keep books on the shelves that their patrons will enjoy. It is the librarians job to keep people reading. If the patron is open to suggestions and/or ready for a challenge, then the librarian can recommend something higher, but as long as a library is full of happy patrons, the librarian is doing his or her job correctly.

9/13/09 Severson, Chapter 5 While the discussions on nonmaleficence in this chapter were interesting, I struggle to see how this discussion will apply to my job as a librarian (at least on a regular basis). I see that the temptation to access information on the librarys computer system would be there, but in a library, I could see that as being more an issue of personal privacy. (Is there much you could access on a librarys computer system besides a persons personal information?) I cant really see how fair competition would come into play with a service profession that is funded by taxes. Maybe Im narrowing my thought processes too much by only looking through the lens of a public or school librarian. I look forward to further discussion of this text in class so that I can get a broader view of the issues presented by Severson.

9/16/09 Professional Interview My whole professional interview experience was really interesting. I originally wanted to find an archivist at KU, but then I realized that I get back to Lawrence at 4:30 everyday, and I didnt want to feel rushed in my interview. So I then decided Id love to interview someone in acquisitions at the public library. When I went to set up an interview, I learned that the schedule of the acquisitions librarian and my schedule didnt come close to matching up to where we could do an interview. As a result, I set up an interview with the adult programming librarian. When I got to the library on the day of the interview, I learned that one of the employees of the library had passed away that day. As a result, I couldnt interview the adult librarian. So, I interviewed a part-time librarian. However, I was very pleased with the way the interview

worked out. She is working part-time now, but she has and MLS and has worked full time before. I loved hearing her perspective on each role. She says that what she likes best about being part-time is she gets to work the desk more, and as a result, has a lot more contact with patrons. That is something Ive never really thought about. Full time librarians have so many responsibilities. They probably have to spend a lot of time in their office or in the conference room setting up programming, dealing with management issues, and many other jobs that do not involve direct contact with patrons. This seems unfortunate to me. If I end up in a public library, I will want to have as much contact with the public as possible whether that means working the desk or working at different programs for the community.

9/18/09 Library: An Unquiet History I just read the story of the Louvain Library in Belgium. Ive never heard this story! It is a fascinating story that spreads across both World Wars, yet I never knew that this happened. What I dont know astounds me! Ill have to keep reading and researching as a librarian to catch-up and stay caught up. It seems like it would be a bad thing for a librarian to be uninformed.

9/25/09 Busy, Busy! My journal has been lacking lately. I am just now starting to understand the great task I have taken on. I am working full time, taking 6 hours, and trying to find time to relax in order to maintain my sanity as a human being. I dont regret taking 2 classes (yet) but it makes me nervous about the future. Right now, both of my classes are just reading and discussion. I will only have to write one paper (I think Im going to stick with the journal for 801), but in the future Im sure this will not be the case. I need to learn more about time management. I have so much going on and it will only get busier! In the next week or so, my job schedule will be much more relaxed, and I wont have as much grading and lesson planning to do at home. Hopefully I can get caught up with my own classes.

9/29/09 Library: An Unquiet History In the chapter Knowledge on Fire, Battles discusses the libraries that were in the Jewish Ghettos during World War II. Battles write that despite the horrible experiences these people were going through, they still used the library regularly. Battles quotes Kruk saying, For the broad mass of readers, however, what suffices is reading matter that removes them from reality. It is a means of escapeThe supply of books is such that we are able to be nourished only by leftovers; nothing new is being, or will be, added. When I read this passage, I was immediately reminded of my students. My students are teenage boys who have been incarcerated for one reason or another. They all really miss their freedom and count down the days till their release. During this time, they utilize the schools small, under-stocked library. They love to check out books to help the time pass. It really is a type of escapism for them. I have heard some students say they never read at all before they came here. Some say they will continue to read on the outs, but others say they will not. Theres too much to do on the outs to keep reading like I do here. Regardless of their intentions for reading after their release, they love to read while at the corrections complex. James Patterson, Harry Potter, and the Twilight Saga are particularly popular. They all seem to offer some degree of escapism for the students (just like the books in Nazi Germany did for the Jews in the Ghettos). Not that Im saying the guards are Nazis and the students are the Jews (far from that, in fact), but I am saying that like the Jews, my students are trapped and cant escape. They use books as a way to pass time and escape. Also, like the libraries in the Ghettos, the books my boys get are second hand and worn down. The librarian is hesitant to spend a lot of money on books since books tend to disappear and/or get destroyed at this school. They are stolen, misplaced, destroyed, left in one unit when the student is transferred to another, or accidentally taken with the student upon his release. However, the condition of many of the books does not stop the boys from craving to read more.

9/30/09 Achleitner Article This article discussing change and paradigm shifts in the field of information technology was interesting. It mentioned that change was necessary because job creating did not keep up

with the speed at which automation made jobs obsolete. The merging of computers and telecommunications is shifting the economy to a situation where information-related activities play a critical role in opening the world marketplace. This removal of jobs because of technology and automation is one thing that concerns me. I dont want to be unable to get or unable to keep a library job because of technology changing the worlds libraries. Everything is becoming digital, and there are lots of databases online that offer easy digital books or access to books or articles. A lot of people think libraries are on the way out. One of my co-workers asked what I was getting my masters in, and I told him library science. He responded by saying that was something he was always interested in but never did because he felt that libraries would become less common in coming years. I personally believe there will always be a place for libraries. Universities will need places to store their information, people to help organize and access it (whether it is digital or not), and people to aide professors and students in research. Public schools will always need a place for students to find books they need for research, book reports, or enjoyment. The school library can also be a place that is key in preparing students for college. Cities will always need a place that can offer cheap (if not free) entertainment, programs, educational classes (in technology or research among other things), and not to mention books to the public at large. The problem is convincing everyone else that libraries are still worthwhile. A lot of people just look at the bottom line and see libraries as a place that is sucking money out of the system. I guess this is where Achleitner comes in. Change needs to occur. Libraries and librarians need to adjust, adapt, and use this new digital world and make it work to benefit their jobs, services, and programs in order to be seen as the worthwhile investment that they truly are. Its something to think about, for sure.

10/2/09 Diamond and Dragich Article This article was really interesting for me. Im one of those people that think people in modern society have become too litigious, but Ive never really thought about the possibility of being sued for malpractice as a librarian. Litigious individuals are something Ive always really been concerned about. My father was in the medical field and I was always quite aware of the importance of malpractice insurance for doctors and nurses. As a teacher, I am also conscious of the possibility of lawsuits (although I dont think that is usually with malpractice, but other

issues that arise when you are responsible for many peoples children at one time). Despite all this, Ive never considered the possibility of lawsuits against librarians. The Diamond and Dragich article kind of reassured me. I thought it was interesting, however, that they held to the fact that librarians are professionals, but that they cant (or shouldnt) be sued for malpractice. I thought (and the article stated) these were two things often go hand in hand. Despite this, their argument concerning the fact that a successful negligence claim against a librarian would be very difficult to achieve was very convincing. A librarians duty is not to fact check every single book, article, or journal that their library has access to. There arent enough librarians in the world for this! Anyway, this article provided some interesting food for thought.

10/6/09 Reflections on 802 Weekend One Last weekend was the first weekend of 802. We talked a lot about several different aspects of modern libraries and the opportunities offered today. We talked about the virtual world Second Life and the opportunities it is offering libraries. This is something Ive never thought about before, but a place like second life has TONS of visitors each day. Why wouldnt libraries want to try to provide services here for convenience? We toured several virtual libraries and I was fascinated by the features, information, and services available in this imaginary world. We also talked about the semantic web. This is something that I was first really made aware of in 513. Ive always wondered when searches would become more language-friendly. We saw some really neat websites like Twine and Wolfram Alpha. I couldnt believe the things available to searchers on these sites! They are still relatively new, which means that they will change and improve exponentially with the passage of time. While I was fascinated by this, I was somewhat at a loss for how libraries could harness these search engines that are already available. I suppose making patrons aware of them and making sure they know how to use them is the obvious answer to this question, but theres got to be more than that. It would be really cool if a library could create a semantic search engine for their own collection. Surely thats on the horizon. It would really help patrons find what they want. Also, it would give the librarians more wiggle room (maybe the search parameters wouldnt be as strict) when they are helping patrons search for information. I look forward to seeing where we go from here concerning libraries and semantic web.

10/9/09 Library: An Unquiet History On page 181, Battles talks about Richard Wrights experiences in trying to get access to a library in the segregated South. Battles states that the trials Wright experienced proved that he lived in a police state. This made me think about the librarys role in society. The librarys bigoted policies and segregated nature made it a supporter of a racist government and a police state. It seems that the librarys role in society is larger than some people might think. If a library decided to allow Wright to have his own credit card, could you imagine the uproar that this would have caused? Im sure that it would probably be bad for business (especially in the South at that time), but it would have caused some sort of action and recognition. I can think of one really good, more modern example of a library having a major role in societal change and reflection. Every time a library decides to carry a book that some people in the community want to censor, that community is forced to look at itself and make a decision what is important. It forces people to speak out for what they support. Libraries can be conduits of change.

10/14/09 Library: An Unquiet History Now that I have finished Battles book, I can honestly say Im glad Ive read it. I found so much of it very interesting. Ive always enjoyed history, however, a lot of the history books are a bit dry. I thought that this book moved along really well, and in many places, read more like a story than a history. The history of libraries in the world is something I didnt really know much about, and Im glad Ive been given a quick introduction to it early in my SLIM career. I think what I enjoyed most about this book is that Battles explored the less obvious aspects of libraries history (or at least less obvious for me). Everyone knows about the fabulous library at Alexandria, and he gave a very interesting discussion of this library. However, what I really enjoyed is his look at libraries in the Jewish ghettos and libraries in the segregated South. I think the thing that this book did for me is it showed me that libraries have a fascinating and storied past. I learned that libraries play a much larger role in society and history than I had previously known. Its almost as if there was this revolutionary aspect of history that has been hidden from me. Ive just never taken a class or had reason to conduct a study that emphasized the history of

libraries and their importance in society, but obviously, libraries are important and their history is not at all dull (like I would imagine many think).

10/19/09 Reflections on 801 Weekend 2 The impromptu discussion on copyright law that we had on Friday night was interesting. As a teacher, I spend a lot of time behind a copy machine. A lot of what I copy is stuff that I have created on my own; however, I do take some things out of books as well. They are usually books that are created for teachers and have models, tables, handouts, or worksheets that are meant to be shared with students. However, Ive never really stopped to think about what I am copying. Im sure that I (like just about every person in the world) have broken a copyright law at some point in my existence. In college I would copy pages out of books so that I wouldnt have to check out the whole book and carry it around. Since I was just using it for my own reading and research purposes, and was not sharing it with anybody, I think (based on my understanding from the class discussion) that it was ok. Ill have to be more careful in the future, especially once I become a librarian. I think librarians should be held to a higher standard concerning things such as copyright infringement since we are information professionals and should know all about information, its uses, and the laws surrounding it. I felt somewhat idiotic twice during this face-to-face. The first time was when I found out which book The Higher Power of Lucky was. Id always heard about the scrotum book, and I even looked at this book on Amazon before class, but I didnt put it together before I actually held the book in my hand. I respect the librarians that decided to keep this book on their shelves. I think its funny that the largest objection to this book was based on the use of the word scrotum when the book had other more grown-up themes such as alcoholism. I think that if I were a librarian, I would, obviously, keep the book on my shelves. I can understand that parents of very young children would be upset (mostly because I doubt that a parent of a 5 year old has had too many anatomy talksI think I would want to be the first to have this conversation with my future kids), but once a kid gets past kindergarten or first grade, I dont think a parent should have any problem with this book. The heroine of this book is around 9 (if I remember right), so the target audience should be a little older and closer to that age too. Back to what I would do if I were a librarian: I would keep it on my shelves, and write a rationale for the book that any

parent could read. In it, I would mention the conversation between the heroine and her guardian at the end where she finally asks an adult what that word means. I believe that the explanation given is wonderful, and if I were a parent, I would be 100% comfortable with my child reading that explanation. In fact, I think it is a better explanation than I could give. I think that as the author resolves the issues that the girl has with this word, any questions or issues a young reader might have about this word would be resolved as well. Parents need not fear. The author did a very tactful job dealing with this issue that Im sure she never thought would become such a big deal. The second time I felt idiotic this week was when we were introduced to Dr. Achleitner. I had never put it together that this was the same man who wrote the article that we read earlier! Good grief! Anyway, my ignorance aside, what Dr. Achleitner had to say was quite interesting, new, and, at times, even a bit over my head. Information transfer is a topic that I knew absolutely nothing about before this weekend. The part of the conversation that I really found especially interesting was the discussion of the new paradigm. I've always heard people talking about paradigms and paradigm shifts, but this discussion really made the whole concept click for me. I loved the discussion on the history of paradigms. I'd never thought about the switch from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance as a paradigm shift, but that's exactly what it is. I also really enjoyed the discussion of where our current paradigm is heading. The future paradigm will be non-linear, global, and collaborative. This whole discussion really made me think of Friedman's concept of a "flat world." While I have never read his book The World is Flat, I understand that it discusses the "flattening" of the world due to globalization and telecommunication. The new paradigm will take advantage of our newly "flattened" world! I also found the discussion about information WANTING to be free interesting. I had always thought of information as something to organize, search for, categorize, share, and discuss. It never occurred to me before that the natural course of the evolution of information is heading towards a natural freedom of this information. I always knew that the role of librarians is changing, I had just never thought about it in this context.

10/23/09 Reflections on Thursday discussion with Dr. Achleitner This discussion helped clear up some things in my mind. There was further discussion of models of information transfer such as information transfer as an orchestra and information transfer as a field of corn. Those were fun. One thing that Dr. Achleitner said that I found interesting was that we should ask ourselves, Who in our area is not being served? While this doesnt have a lot to do with information transfer, it has a lot to do with the library itself and librarian professionalism. We cant change our library if it will alienate a large chunk of our patrons. Librarianship is a service and when we loose that focus, we loose our influence on our community. The topic discussed was a library that made itself more like a coffee shop and gave itself a whole new atmosphere. While this is good and all, this new design of the library alienated a large chunk of the patrons who were members of a lower socio-economic level. This new coffee-shop library did not feel comfortable to them. This is something to keep in mind when I am working in a library and we are deciding on programs and other services. We must make sure that all of our patrons feel comfortable and have a place in our libraries.

10/29/09 Holcomb Article This article ties in nicely with what I talked about a few journal entries ago concerning the Achleitner article. This article talks about how professionals need to use their crystal balls and look into the future for the good of their profession and business. It mentions that looking into the future is important in becoming a visionary. At first I thought that being a visionary seemed kind of corny, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that the best way to show doubters that libraries are worthwhile is to show them that we are visionaries, that we do look towards the future and are prepared for it. If we look into the future, see the new digital landscape coming on, and do nothing, we will be completely unprepared for the changes that are coming. If libraries do not anticipate change and prepare to work with it, I believe that people are completely justified in believing that libraries are not a good investment. You cant have a library with 1990s or even 2000s resources and technology in this day and age. Technology and the way people search for and use information is changing everyday! We need to look into the future and work with the change, not fight it. I like Holcombs advice on looking to other

professionals as a guidebook, recognizing seminal moments in your institution, prepare for breakthroughs, find good places to look for information to identify and track trends, gaining support for your vision (and profession), and finally showing how you plan on taking you business/institution to the next level. If I remember these steps (who, what, when, where, why, and how) when I am in my profession, I believe that I will be prepared to not only deal with doubters but also make my institution move forward with change rather than against it.

11/1/09 Pressley and McCallum Article This was an interesting article. I never thought about libraries using Wikipedia before. It is a great idea to link your website to a Wikipedia entry. However, I didnt realize the crazy amounts of legal issues that would have to be dealt with in order to be able to have your library contribute to a page. This article discussed linking to pages that are about special collections that our library has (and thus has more information about it on their library website). I couldnt help but wonder if there was a way to use Wikipedia to get people to your website if you dont have a special collection to link to. I dont know if I can think of anything. Wikipedias rules about who can contribute and the fine line between advertising and just contributing would make it really difficult. There must be other ways to get your librarys website linked to a popular location. Maybe this is where Facebook, Second Life, and/or Twitter come in. If your library has an account with one or all of these places, that could provide ways for patrons to get to your website through links even if you cant use Wikipedia.

11/9/09 Shooting the Past: Part 1 I decided to watch Shooting the Past because, despite the fact that I will be going into school library media, I have always been interested in history, and ever since starting SLIM, Ive found archiving to be interesting. Dr. Perleys explanation of Shooting the Past made it sound like an interesting film, so I ordered it on Netflix. Part 1 was interesting. There were, of course, the bad, money grubbing Americans, but by the end of the section, they didnt seem so bad and one of the British men actually seemed a

bit nutty. Im interested to see what he does; the end of this section made it seem like things were going to get bad. As far as the archival stuff, I found the way they knew where absolutely everything was fascinating. I guess it answers the new modern question what did they do before computers? Well, they just knew their collections so well that they didnt need any computers. I cant imagine ever being this incredibly knowledgeable about a collection, even if it is one that I helped organize and catalogue. I wonder how many undigitized collections there are today. This film doesnt seem to be set a long time ago, so I wonder if there are many that are kept up purely through the archivists memories, skills, and organizational techniques. I also found the quick look at how they set up their collections interesting. The lady talked about how whenever a new collection of pictures came in, they combed through all of their already established pictures at that time and tried to find any photos that could be crossreferenced. I was amazed that they were able to look through one picture at a time and find one that had one person hidden inside it. I know these are just actors, but there must be people that can do this in real life. That really impresses me. Id assume that computers can also streamline this process (perhaps through digital recognition?), but the fact that they even go through all of this (with or without computers) in order to make connections in their collections impressed me. It is something that I would have never considered to be a part of an archivists job, but it makes perfect since that theyd want do find as many connections as possible within their collection.

11/10/09 Shooting the Past: Part II The thing I found most interesting from this section of the movie was all of the places that they tried to sell their collection. I didnt think that anyone except other archivists or maybe museums would be interested, but there were several other businesses that considered purchasing it too. I would have never thought that movie directors or advertising companies would be interested, but I guess I can see how a good collection would be beneficial. Lots of different pictures could be great starting points for brainstorming or research for various films or advertizing campaigns. This shows the importance of the archivists job. Archivists offer places for historic documents or other materials to be kept. Not only that, they also care for these items and allow students, directors, actors, advertising people, or anyone who might be interested in

doing research. When I think of research, I think of searching for documents or articles. In reality, pictures alone could be a good starting point for research or an excellent source in and of themselves.

11/14/09 Something Interesting I made a post about this topic on the class discussion board, but I thought Id mention it in my journal as well since it is a topic that really intrigues me. A coworker told me about a school in Massachusetts that has made its library completely digital. I did some research and found this story to be quite interesting. This is a high school library, albeit an elite and expensive private high school, so I thought it was especially interesting since Im interesting in the school library media certification. The name of the school is Cushing, and it is an elite, private, college prep academy. I looked at tuition and it's really high. It doesn't surprise me that a school with tuition like this would be able to feature a newly digitized library. In fact, NPR stated that it was because of their incredible resources that they were able to go fully digital. This school got rid of nearly all stacks and replaced them with all digital material. There were 68 readers available for check out. I'm assuming it's not enough for everybody; it's a small academy, but I don't think it's that small. It makes me wonder if some kids have to sit around waiting for access to a reader so they can do their homework (however, if they can afford the school, they would probably be able to afford their own readersunless they were on scholarship). One school administrator was quoted in the NPR story saying something along the lines of, if I see a kid out there reading Cervantes, I dont care what format they are reading it in. I cant say that I disagree with that; in fact, I totally agree. What I have a problem with is that this school completely went digital. I think there should still be some choice available. Maybe students today dont care like I do about having a book in their hands, but it would really bother me if I could only read digital books from my school library. Another thing that I thought was really interesting is what they did with the library space itself after they got rid of the stacks. They turned it into a kind of hang-out/study group area. Administrators said the number of students visiting the library increased because of this, but some students said that it is too noisy there now to just study and read. This is very interesting. This is a possibility that I had never considered for digital libraries. With all the newly acquired

space, libraries would be able to do some really interesting things. This made me feel more confident in my future job potential in a newly digital world. Somebody has to organize, maintain, and plan all the events, programs, and groups that would meet in the new space in the digital library.

11/21/09 Reflection of 802 Weekend 2 This weekend helped me realize just how great my future network of fellow professionals will be. We presented our group projects, and everyones presentations were great. Each group provided interesting information and models to consider. Each presentation really did give me something to think about. My fellow future information professionals really have an obvious passion for what we are doing. They all have great knowledge and great ideas. It makes me think about what was said at orientation about these people being the beginning of a great network. I know that all of my fellow students will one day make for great resources for networking, ideas, and advice in my future career. I look forward to seeing how our development as future professionals will develop.

11/24/09 The Mummy So, I screwed up. I didnt realize that there was a third disk to Shooting the Past until it was too late to get it from Netflix. So instead of finishing that movie, I rented The Mummy so that I could be sure to watch an entire movie for this journal. The librarian in this movie was really funny. While this isnt really a realistic story, it shows an example of what true passion and love for what you do could look like in a librarian. Evelyn had a great passion for her job. She also had a true passion for researching her area of expertise. She had incredible amounts of knowledge about ancient Egypt and its myths (even if they were fictional mythsfor the purposes of the movie, she was quite knowledgeable). This fictional example of a librarian has a lot of characteristics of a great librarian. She is very knowledge about her specialty area. Librarians should all have areas of expertise whether it is childrens literature for a school librarian, readers advisory for a public librarian, history for an archivist, etc. She also had a passion for what she does. Librarians (and any professional, for

that matter) should have a passion for their jobs. Passion allows a professional to have enjoyment in his/her job. When you enjoy your job, you are more willing to advance your knowledge and professionalism through classes or conferences. This advancement of knowledge will allow the professional to be even better at his/her job. Evelyn said, I may not be an explorer, or an adventurerbut I am proud of what I am. Im a librarian! This quote made me laugh, but it is a sentiment that I hope I will be able to proclaim for years to come.

11/29/09 Semesters End This first semester in library school has taught me a lot, and not just about libraries. I learned a lot about the role of a librarian in not just the library but in society as a whole. I never considered the impact libraries and librarians could have on their communities whenever they do their job right. Ive also learned a lot about the theories of information management (as would be hoped since Im in two theory classes). I never knew how much was involved in information, its creation, and dissemination. Id never even heard of information transfer before this semester. Ive also learned a lot about librarian professionalism. Librarians need to be aware of issues involving censorship, selection, intellectual property rights, copyright law, and many other issues that Id never even realized were so important for librarians. Ive also become more aware of the advancement of technology and what it could mean for libraries. Ive begun to look into the future and imagine how I (as a librarian) will fit into it. I also learned a lot about time management and organization. Ive never been so busy in my life! This semester had me during my first year in a full-time teaching job, settling into a new city, and taking 6 masters level classes. I certainly learned a lot about balancing my time. These skills will come in handy when I begin my career as a librarian and managing all the different hats that I will have to wear. All in all it was a very educational semester, and I look forward to continuing my learning at SLIM.