December 2nd, 2011 Library as a Cultural Center This article just echoes what we've been learning/talking about

in class this semester. Librarians have to be more than gatekeeper for the books contained within. We have to open the doors and allow all sorts of different things and ideas in. The libraries are some of the only community gathering places left that are free to access. What people don't tend to realize and what we as librarian need to continue to promote is that libraries are not just book storing centers. We are gathering place for meeting, an Internet access portal, an alternate classroom, a resource for information and so much more. I think that just reiterates what libraries around the country and the world are trying to do - working to remain relevant to the society when technology, convenience, and economic uncertainty are trying to close so many libraries down. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/07/minneapolis-public-library-culturalcenter_n_1079845.html?ref=books

December 2nd, 2011 Libraries in Crisis: The Huffington Post has recently had an ongoing series of articles focusing on the downfall of the American library and the "crisis" that some libraries are finding themselves in. But is this type of media good for libraries? I know the old saying "there is no such thing as bad press" but many of these articles seem to suggest that libraries won't be able to survive the economic crisis we are currently in and are in danger of disappear soon. That is NOT the case. Libraries are beginning to evaluate their roles in information service and how to better be of service to patrons. Technology is growing - but the introduction of computers didn't destroy the library why would the changes that are happening now run libraries out of business so quickly. I think the reactionary statements that the press is reporting on like, "Does the library still serve a purpose" or "Can the American Library Survive" - tell people that we are as good as gone. We need to be reporting on what changes will be coming, how we are going to adapt... not how we are lacking. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/libraries-in-crisis

November 30th, 2011 In this blog post, the author talks about the changing technology within the library and how most librarian will be able to adapt/not adapt to the changing tides.

The author list several things that he believes that libraries should start offering/helping with to keep up to date with the ever changing technology.

Help people create blogs, web sites, or teach them how to self-publish. Teach them the best and most efficient ways to find what they want online. Create apps to better access our services from anywhere in the world. Go to public places, businesses, and even private locations to teach, instruct, and serve their information needs. Set up work spaces, shops, and places for people to learn how to makes things. Help them learn how to create and distribute their ideas. For instance, a library studio that helps people make videos and post them on YouTube.

Do I think all of these would be applicable to my library (the Emporia Public Library or the Nursing Library) - no, not yet, but that doesn't mean it won't in the future. And do I think that the people I work with would be able to help a patron in some of these matters (i.e. creating a blog, or a Podcast)? Most of them - No. Some of these I have little experience with - but others I wouldn't be able to help with. And I consider myself to be fairly technologically inclined. Which bring me to my point - currently the Library Science program offers a basic technology class that is optional - but is not super in-depth (if I remember correctly the highest skillset needed was HTML familiarity). But should the program be offering classes that are more indepth - that show librarians how to handle the newest technology, how to create apps, how to help patrons with blogs and podcasting. If this is the future of librarianship, wouldn't it make sense to include it in our training now? http://notallbits.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/things-to-do-completely-transform-the-library/

November 30th, 2011 The article above looks at how Social Media plays a role in current librarianship, specifically in campaigns to raise awareness or funds for libraries at risk of closing or severe budget cuts. Most of the examples given use either Facebook or Twitter - the author seems to be suspicious of how helpful they really are. But there are a few examples where a certain #hashtag or a Facebook campaigns provided a lot of help for the library in question. For example Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system was planning to close several libraries and lay off many people - in response the library set up a donation page and had a goal of 2 million dollars in one week. While they didn't meet that goal, they did manage to raise 200,000 dollars in ONE week!! And in response the library remained open and fewer people were laid off. The author of the blog posts wonders how many of these people are truly "fans" of the library and whether or not its just a bunch of librarians rallying to help their own kind.... But I say "Why does it matter"? In the end libraries were saved and awareness was raised about the plight of libraries in this country. I'm sure all of that money didn't come just from concerned librarians.

http://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com/2011/01/4-successful-social-media-campaignsfor.html

November 30th, 2011 Librarianship and Fear of the Future Recently while reading some article about the future of librarianship, I came across this blog post about the prevalence of fear in our field. It seems that people who are in the library world are worried about what the future holds for libraries and librarianship - will the field be able to adapt to the ever change technological needs? Will that technology run us out of business, so to speak? This article says - No, and stop talking about it! And I agree. There seems to be an overwhelming fear (in class, at work) that libraries are becoming obsolete. But instead of being a positive message to encourage those entering the field to work harder and quicker to keep pace with the change needs of patrons, the message is - give up, you don't stand a chance against the coming tide of technology. I think that we need to understand that the future of librarianship is changing - but it is in no way doomed. http://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com/2011/09/is-librarianship-in-crisis-andshould.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Musings AboutLibrarianship+%28Musings+about+librarianship%29 November 30th, 2011 Free music at the Library? That is what the DC Public Library is doing. The Sony Music group contains over 2 million songs accessible to the public. The patrons are limited to 3 songs a week - for a total of 156 songs a year - at no cost. The library is providing this service to get the public more interested in the services it offers and to increase their usage. It is a relatively new feature so no word on how popular it will be but free music no matter the limitation is usually pretty popular. Will the free music increase the interest in the library proper - or will the interest just be in the website (where the music can be obtained)... http://www.dclibrary.org/node/29021 November 29th, 2011 In addition to the article that showed Canadian libraries on the rise - another recent article claimed that Americans are losing interest in their local libraries. A poll claims that nearly 2/3 of American rarely use the library and if they do it is only 2 or 3 times a year... What can be done

about this? How can the American library entice our patrons to come back? What are the libraries in Canada doing that we aren't? We need to show the public that the library is not just a place to check out books - we have DVDs, music, audiobooks, eBooks and public computers for everyone's use. Although the Emporia Public Library isn't as large as many bigger city libraries - we still offer many services the community find invaluable - such as public internet access, pubic computers, and eBook and DVD rentals. http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFN1E7AR18P20111128 November 29th, 2011 Canadian Libraries are thriving! Who says the eBook will be the death of the library!?! In Canada - the public library system has adopted many new technologies - a huge collection of eBooks, computers, and open access to the internet. All of these things are actually drawing people to the library!! Guy Berthiaume, director of the Grande Bibliotheque in Canada, says that the library is "one of those rare third places" - a place open to the public away from your home or work. He believes that the library has avoided cuts - that were proposed - due the popularity of the library with the community whose uproar over the cuts helped the library avoid any massive budget cuts. The library believes that the community understands that the library is there for them not only with information and books, but as a meeting/gathering place as well. http://m.ctv.ca/topstories/20111127/canadian-library-use-rising-in-ebook-era-111127.html

November 28th, 2011 Smartphones in the library: In this article the author looks at how new technology on smartphones could impact the way libraries interact with the materials. QR code readers are a popular app for smartphones and could be an interesting addition to the library technology scene. Since QR codes can hold more information than normal barcodes, QR codes can do many more things; like hold recommendations for patrons, help with a scavenger hunt, and provide more information about the book and its subject or author. But should we assume that everybody will have access to smartphones - will the portion of the public that do not have smart phones be left out of this new tech boom and does it matter? I also believe that in addition to the QR codes, libraries need to smart designing smartphone compatible websites or mobile websites that will allow the public to access the library catalog easier on their phones. Imagine standing in the stacks with your smartphone and wanting to know if a certain book is available. Would you rather journey back to a catalog computer or would you like to use you handy - dandy smart phone where you stand? Currently web browsers can open library catalogs - but the process is not very user friendly and small text can make the web page hard to see and read.

http://acrlog.org/2011/11/12/smartphones-in-the-library/ November 28th, 2011 Teenagers and Libraries This article addresses a new trend in drawing teenagers to the library. Funding in being given to libraries throughout the United States to build teenage "game room" - where teenagers can gather with friends and play on computers, game on multiple systems, check out laptops, create videos and listen to music. All of this new technology is being brought into the library in hopes of increasing the amount of teenagers that use the local library systems. And it seems to be working well for the libraries who have adopted this new strategy. Some librarians are worried about the noise that such things (i.e. games and music) would create as well as the time that teenagers spend on computers instead of socializing with others. I believe that if it is used in the right way then it could be beneficial. It is a little disturbing to here that the people funding the building of such places and the designers of the areas were not happy with including books. It's a library!!! Isn't the ultimate goal to introduce them to the world of literature, books and information! http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/11/23/131183/louder-libraries-for-a-digital.html November 22nd, 2011 Because I use the RSS Feed-Reader "Feedly", I have subscriptions to many different Library related blogs. Recently I noticed an article on http://heyjude.wordpress.com (a blog about information and librarianship) that was about "mini-libraries" or "micro-libraries". Placed in old UK style telephone booths or little mini buildings the size of a large dog house, these microlibraries are available to public - all you need to have is the lock code to gain access (the article doesn't say how you get access to the code, although I would assume it would be from the main branch of the library since most of these mini-libraries are associated with more traditional ones). In the same vein as these mini-libraries, is the OWS Library. Created by protesters at the Occupy Wall Street movement, the books are free and available to the public - since its creation the library has grown to house approximately 5000 pieces. http://heyjude.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/small-reaction-libraries/ November 15, 2011 View one of the videos listed below and respond to it in your new role of information professional. Record your reactions in your journal. Think about what it taught you about information transfer and change, and how you learn from a visual medium. Did you see anything in the film that related to class readings and discussion? Anything that struck a special chord with you? Some of these films are lighthearted; some are more dramatic. If you happen to

choose a more lighthearted film, dont waste time stating the obviousthat its a comedy or downright silly. Whatever the selection, look for aspects related to information transfer, intellectual freedom, service to users, stereotypes, and other related issues. [Choose one: Desk Set, In the Name of the Rose, Teachers Pet, Stand and Deliver, Stanley and Iris, Party Girl, Shooting the Past, Mona Lisa Smile, The Mummy, Sophies Choice, The Music Man, Pleasantville, The Shawshank Redemption, and Episode 2, The Librarian, Series 1, Volume 1, of theEnemy at the Door British television series produced by Acorn Media (held at many public libraries and available from Netflix); The Time Machine (1960), A Tree Grows in Brooklin, The Ultimate Gift (2006), other films suggested during class discussion.] I choose The Mummy. Which was one of my favorite movies when I was younger - because one of the main characters was a female Egyptologist/Librarian!! Woo Hoo! What struck me about this movie (besides the librarian in the one of the title roles) was the lack of sharing information. While reading Elfreda Chatman's "Diffusion Theory: A Review and Test of a Conceptual Model in Information Diffusion" article she mentions that the information in her study (jobs and CETA workers) were time sensitive and in limited quantities "which resulted in limited information sharing." This type of sharing (or lack of) is seen in The Mummy as well. After Evy and O'Connell decipher where the book of the dead might be buried they keep from sharing this information to the other group of explorers in an attempt to be the first to claim the prize (in this case an ancient Egyptian book). There are also a lot of stereotypes that surround the character of Evy at the beginning of the movie. While Evy might be a female librarian that is trying to butt into the men's world of Archeology - she is also portrayed as the klutzy, slightly dingy woman that is more interested in books than treasure (don't even get me started on the "sexy" librarian role that comes into play either) November 10th, 2011 This article really interested me. As a person who has been through humanities graduate work and who is now entering the field of Librarianship, I can understand both sides. While I don't mind reading an eBook (I don't have an eReader but have thought about purchasing one in the future) I find that if I am looking to research an item for class or work, I tend to put more stock in print items than digital. I especially liked the comparison to online journals and E-resources such as JSTOR. And for me I think that the major difference is the size of the work. I don't mind reading an article from an online resource - most tend to have a limited length but the idea of reading a full length book online seems daunting. Also, taking notes in a digital reader is cumbersome and seemingly hard to transfer. What I think people forget is eBook and digital readers are relatively new to the general public. As prices go down and the technology becomes more accessible - readers will most likely be adopted for research purposes as well. Also as technology increases and there

becomes more interests in using E-readers for research purposes I believe that the designers of such software and hardware will become more interested in streamlining it. http://acrlog.org/2011/11/09/we-dont-read-that-way/ November 7th, 2011 Recently the New York Public School system and the New York Public Library have started a program where students and teachers are able to borrow books from the library and have them delivered directly to the classroom. Not a big deal? But this also includes borrowing sets of books for entire classes. With budget cuts for schools teachers have been limited in what they can use, even going as far as buying classroom book themselves. Now the Public library is giving them a chance to check out sets that their school libraries don't have and in large enough quantities that could serve an entire classroom. I'm curious how publishers are going to react to this? Or how they have already reacted? If this catches on in schools and libraries nationwide then it is possible that textbook sales could decrease.... http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204554204577022011713059968.html

October 28th, 2011 I came across the following article the other day. It describes a college, Elon University, that is now assigning "Personal Librarians" to an Elon 101 class and even though this is a new program, other upperclassmen are invited to ask for their own Librarian as well. So far it seems as though the feedback has been rather good. The students seem to enjoy having an information professional that they can go to when questions arise. And the librarians are getting to know the students and their needs better. I think that it is an interesting idea to assign students to individual librarian - I think that if libraries have the staff and resources to commit to a project like this, it could have the student become more comfortable with using the library and talking to librarians about question in information gathering. http://lisnews.org/freshman_welcome_elon_college_includes_meeting_their_personal_libraria n

October 6, 2011 As required I recently scanned through several Library related blogs and focused primarily on two that I enjoyed. The first one - http://www.closedstacks.com Is a serious look at recent events associated with library work. From cataloging to weeding, privacy issues and hot topic debates. This blog deals with all of the current topics of librarianship. It is a multi-author blog, meaning that they have set list of contributors who speak to a broad range of topics. Personally, I already followed this blog before finding it through the list of blogs that was provided for us. I enjoy reading the various posts that come out and I feel like it helps me keep up to date with all of the Library News that I need. The second site is more of a fun/satirical look at libraries/librarians and the information we provide. http://libetiquette.blogspot.com/ - A Librarian's Guide to Etiquette provides links to youtube videos, weird stories, and random web postings related to the library profession along with witty commentary. It is a great blog to laugh and unwind to. October 6th, 2011 After I read the article below I started thinking, is the role of the library to provide its patron with the latest technology too? The article states that the NYPL system is interested in loaning out Kindles or e-readers to its patron's. Anthony Marx, president of the New York Public Library system states "The one thing we want to make sure of is that digital information can be provided to those who cannot afford to buy it"..."If technology wants to make ideas more readily available, but ends up making it less affordable that would be a terrible tragedy and terrible for our democracy". So is it part of our mission to provide this technology as well? Recently in another article a library in Ohio (http://www.silobreaker.com/one-library-actually-lends-out-ipads5_2264867845462556753) has begun lending Apple iPads to its patrons. I understand the desire to keep our patron up to date with the latest e-books and therefore the latest technology e-readers. But I think lending out e-readers and iPads is too much too soon. First of all most rural libraries would not be able to afford to purchase a large number of e-readers and even though, as with the iPad lenders in Ohio, there are lots of restrictions, fees and overdue fines associated with not returning one of these iPads or e-readers, I think the temptation to keep the iPad or e-reader is still too great. I fear that even with the fees, those iPads will not be coming back. (At my library, people still feel like they can keep DVDs and books that they want and don't think twice about it if they don't really feel like they will be coming back to check out more materials.)

Maybe we will eventually get to this - lending e-readers to patrons. But I feel like with the price of that technology right now it is just not feasible for most libraries at this time. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203476804576613310084522894.html?mod= WSJ_article_comments#articleTabs%3Darticle

October 5th, 2011 After reading this article and a couple others on open access information - I am still on the fence. I part of me understands the need for a copyright system - if I ever write a book or publish anything I would like to be compensated for the work that I put in (possibly) and I believe others should have that choice too. But I also have been concerned at the rising prices of digital sources - for example journals or in the case of the Emporia Public Library, e-books. Access to scholarly journals has always been expensive - receiving the print version of a journal wasn't cheap. But with the introduction of online journal access - it seems like the publishing companies see it as a reason or excuse to raise prices. And because University and scholars need access to the most up to date information, they will pay it.... to a point. At the public library we have been dealing with a somewhat similar situation. The state of Kansas subscribes to the e-book company Overdrive for state wide access to e-books and audiobooks. But recently they saw it fit to raise their prices a whopping 700% over the next 5 years. With budget cuts and the economic situation as it is the state of Kansas decided that it could not handle that raise in price. So instead we are moving to another - newer competitor, 3M. Why the hike in prices, if I understand correctly the service itself isn't going to change. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/world/europe/19ihteducLede19.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 October 4th, 2011 This last weekend during our first meeting for 802 we discussed what type of learner we all were. We all took tests and then discussed the "score" or the outcomes of the test. Based on the tests, we were all given grades between 1 and 20 on different types of learning styles: aural, verbal, solitary, group, visual, physical, etc. As we broke down into groups it was easy to see that people have varied learning styles. And although I completely disagreed with my assessment (it claimed that my learning style was aural, but I know that I am a highly visual learner, I have M.A. in Art History for crying out loud!) Most of the other people in my group generally agreed with their assessments. But one thing did strike me as interesting. Even though most of the group agreed on their assessments, they also said that in different circumstances that they used different learning styles or techniques, whatever suited them best in that situation.

And I have to agree. For me visual is probably my most used learning style but in certain circumstances, learning music for example, I am much more aurally inclined. So it made me wonder to what degree can we use this information. If people have primary learning style do we just cater to that, or do we modify our teaching or searching techniques to help them find what would work best for them in that situation. September 30th, 2011 In Honor of Banned Books Week So apparently a school board in Glendale, CA has decided to honor Banned Books week by considering a block on the non-fiction book "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote. According to the LA Times, the a Glendale English high school teacher requested to use Capote's book, based on the real life murder's in a small town in Kansas, in her 11th-grade Advanced Placement class. But the school board is taking the request under review with some board members claiming that "I think 'chilling' is far too benign a word to use." when describing the book. The final decision is expected to take place in October. I understand that the subject matter of "In Cold Blood" is chilling and disturbing in nature but to prevent it from being taught is ridiculous - especially when it is to an AP 11th grade class. These students are usually the top of their grade and since they are close to graduation, one would expect them to have the ability to handle such material. The source of the resistance is equally surprising. The majority of the committee that wants to block the book is high school principles (with further opposition by the PTA). A source that should be fighting to educate - is essentially blocking students to important material. Another thing that surprised me about this article was the fact that the teacher had to submit her reading list for approval by the school board. I understand the reasoning behind that type of action - but I didn't realize that is what happened. I think Truman Capote's book "In Cold Blood" is an extremely important work and should be allowed to be taught in high schools around the country (I might be a little biased being from Kansas). The book's graphic subject is disturbing but should be permitted due to the importance of the book itself - long considered the first true crime novel and because of the psychological examination of the murders, murderers, and its effect on the small town of Holcomb. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/09/glenadle-school-board-may-block-in-coldblood.html

September 23rd, 2011

Last Friday for my GTA position at the Nursing Library in the School of Nursing my fellow SLIM student co-worker and I had to teach a seminar on upper-level research techniques to the graduating class of nursing students. And I couldn't help but be amazed at the techniques that the School of Nursing believed to be upper level and the timing of the seminar. The research methods that were contained in the seminar that we were to teach were fairly basic - to me at least. APA style guidelines for papers, how to access journals and other periodicals via the ESU library website or in the library, how to search and what to look for to find a reputable website. Now maybe this is all old news for the Senior Nursing students and they see it more as a refresher course. But I saw many students jotting notes and we had a few issues on what they considered primary vs. secondary sources. Although I've only been in this position for a little over a month now it seems like bad timing to *just* now be teaching the students these types of research methods. I see this as something that they should receive either their first year in college or at the very least the first year of Nursing School (usually sophomore year). I also see every day while working in the Nursing Library underclassmen Nursing Students confused about how to access journals, searching techniques and just all around confusion about the library. I usually help at least one student a day find the Library Catalog and show them were to access online medical/nursing journals. It seems as though they are in need of this research training now - instead of in their final year. September 21st, 2011 After reading the article about Holocaust Deniers, I became curious to see what our policy at the Emporia Public Library was on books that would be considered controversial. I talked with a co-worker, told her about the article and what I got from it and asked her what the policy was for the library. She basically agreed with the article, although she put more of an emphasis on the need for the book in a particular library and funding. Because of the economic crisis, libraries are dealing with budgets cuts and our library has not been immune. My co-worker noted that buying a book is not just based on the interest of the librarian but of its patrons. If the subject of the Holocaust was popular, it may be something to consider adding to the collection. But if not, having the basics might be just as appropriate. So for us the types of books chosen are based more on what is needed for the collection and compared to what type of funding is available. There are many different factors at play - not just whether the book is controversial or not.

September 19th, 2011

Read at least one of the books or journal articles from the recommended reading list (included in the assignment folder) and record your reactions to it in your journal. What significance does this work have in terms of the work of information professionals? From what perspective is the author writing? Do you agree with the authors point of view? Disagree? Explain. I recently read the Wolkoff article that explained the issues with including/excluding books on Holocaust denial. Not being very familiar with this type of literature, I was at first shocked that libraries would consider adding something that was so blatantly false. But after reading the article I began to consider the merits or reason that a librarian would have to consider first before denying or adding it to the collection. (Initially my first thought was - What if someone less familiar with the Holocaust - i.e. a child - ran into the information and believed it to be the complete truth, without knowing the anti-Semitic views behind it?) I like how the author breaks the issue into three possible resolutions - add the book to the collection, don't add the book to the collection, or add the book with a label acknowledging the issues. And in this way goes through the problems and benefits of each option. I believe this article is very significant to librarian in terms of collection development. It looks at the issues surrounding a very controversial issue. Do you refuse to buy it because you believe that it is purely anti-Semitic, buy it because you believe you patrons deserve access to all information (even if you don't believe its message), or do you think that there isn't a need for it in your library. Is that a valid excuse for not purchasing a book on that topic? In the end the author believes that not buying the book purely because you as a library or librarian do not believe in its message are wrong. Labeling also poses problems since you would have to pass judgment on a work and its veracity - which could cause problems for other items. When I first started reading this article - I was probably more in the mind with the labeling side. Why not just issue a label that would inform those who read it that there are other books with more historical basis located nearby. But after reading this article I've changed my mind. I see where there would be an issue with labeling a book - label in itself is not a great idea because you are passing judgment on that item. But once you label one thing - where do you stop. I believe that when it comes to controversial books or items - it should be measured only by financial issues and if the item would be a positive addition to the library. Not based on whether the book is agreeable to all. Wolkoff, K.N. (1996). The problem of Holocaust denial literature in libraries. Library Trends, 45(1), 87-96. Retrieved January 5, 2010, from http://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/8070/librarytrendsv45i1h_opt.pdf?sequ ence=1

September 15th, 2011 Can this even be legal?

http://www.wbir.com/news/article/183766/2/Knox-County-boots-sex-offenders-from-libraries Libraries in Knox County, Tennessee have banned all registered sex offenders from the local libraries. "I'm kind of sick of this notion that we have to offer equal access to things, they can still access everything on a computer or have other people check books out," Burchett said. (Tim Burchett, Knox County Mayor) And unfortunately it is now legal because of a new law passed by the state of Tennessee. It gives libraries the authority to change their policies to ban anyone on the sexual offenders registry. This scares me - if libraries begin to ban certain groups from access in public spaces it's just a matter of time before access is restricted for other groups. Libraries are public meeting spaces. The library does not have the right to ban a certain group. And even though registered sex offenders will still have access to materials (in theory, what if they don't have an internet connection) - banning a group entirely is a slippery slope. That motherly part of me understands why this could be appealing - libraries are packed with children, who are usually not supervised particularly well (I've seen it, some adults tend to think that since it's a library - its safe and let their kids roam free). But should we ban sexual offenders and deny them rights to a public property? I don't think so. And just how exactly is this going to be reinforced? Sure, you'll know if the sex offender is in the building if he or she decides to check an item out but what if they just come in to scan the shelves? - are they going to check I.D. at the front door?

September 14th, 2011 Working at two different libraries has begun to show me a lot of different types of insight in to the library world. I was just recently promoted to Assistant Librarian at the Emporia Public Library and I got thinking about how my two jobs compare to each other, their similarities and their differences. My other position is Librarian at the Newman Division of Nursing Library. Obviously the two libraries differ in their patrons and materials; one is a Special Subject library and the other a community library. But I'm more interested in how the internal mechanisms differ. How does the Nursing Library (and my duties) differ from working at the Public Library? (This also meshes with some on the readings that we have been working on in 802 about learning methods) I've noticed that in the Nursing Library a lot of our time is centered on teaching the students (and sometimes faculty) about the different resources, how to search for what they need, and how to judge those searches to be effective and accurate. At the public library we don't have this same type of focus on teaching and obviously, at library associated with the university, teaching is critical to the students education but I believe that this same type of resource could be useful in public libraries as well. Many times we have people coming to the reference desk with basic questions about Fiction vs. Non-Fiction,

searching the catalog, etc. And although public patrons might not be searching as in depth as the nursing students - I believe that giving them instruction on basic searching techniques as well as how to judge those results (accurate/not accurate) could be a positive addition to the public library system. September 2nd, 2011 I subscribe to several library related blogs and as I was scrolling through the recent updates I came across this entry. http://bit.ly/o5GLpW Several libraries - in larger cities - are beginning to use vending machines to make their materials more accessible to the public. In the article, the Oliver Wolcott Library the Cuyahoga County Public Library system, and Ottawa Public Library. have all begun to employ the vending machines to make DVD's, audiobooks, and books available. The machines are located either at the library (in a vestibule that is open 24/7) or at locations around town (commuter rails, local businesses, public transportation sites). When I first read this site I was a little skeptical - ok, so they are getting the books and other materials out to the public but what about the library itself. What are they doing to get the library back into peoples lives? How does taking the books/DVDs/audiobooks out of the library and putting them on a street corner (not really) help the library - isn't it just replacing the library with technology. But after a little more thought I realized that putting a few materials out in electronic vending machines puts the library out in front of the public again. It interests the public in the materials that the library holds and in the process reminds them that the library is still there! Once people begin to use the vending machines - hopefully they will become more aware of the services that the library offers and continue to make use of what it has to offer. It also can be a good place to advertise other things that the library has - meeting rooms, public services etc. August 27, 2011 What kind of Informational Professional do I want to be? After reading Mason's article and looking at the excerpt provided (from pp. 136-137) I believe that this quote "Judgment is among his strongest hallmarks. He also possesses scientific and scholarly knowledge about a subject domain of interest to his clients, and he knows about the sources and characteristics of that knowledge. He must empathize with his clients by understanding their needs and psychological states. He is a master of the technology and methods necessary to satisfy information

needs. This knowledge is essentially rational, technical knowledge. It alone, however, is not enough. Because the situations he must cope with are unique, uncertain, equivocal, and conflictual, an information professional must reach beyond his base of technical knowledge and draw on his experience and wisdom in order to make judgments of application. This includes critical ethical judgments as well. All of this he does in the service of his clients and of the society in which he lives." does basically describe how I want to work as an informational professional. Being interested in Art History and wanting to work in a special subject library also adds a few additional hallmarks to that definition. As an art historian I want to make sure that while making the information that pertains to any one work of art available to the scholar who needs it, that it remains safe. Art Historians and those people who deal with art records and research realize the value of this work to the piece and to the future research yet to be done. I understand that certain types of information (primarily provenance materials) must be maintain and protected due to their tremendous value toward that specific work to which it applies. As an information professional I want to mix the two paradigms - warehouse and userfriendly. Provenance materials actually help price values of art works and therefore are extremely valuable when pricing a work or also when doing research. But the value of the art work is also dependent on the interest of the public and scholars - and if these resources are not available to them then value in turn will be lost as well. So protecting the information (provenance work, research, primary documents) while still making it available to the public is what I want to focus on while serving the public as an information professional. August 26th, 2011 What kind of learner am I prepared to be? After reading the Hansen article I saw many different "dynamics" that I could either apply to myself or apply to others that I have encountered along my journey as a student. Specifically the social loafing - while in high school or during my undergraduate courses. Although I don't have a lot of experience with group settings (since it was not big in the History or Art History Dept.) I noticed that when we were in groups it tended to change how the students interacted. Instead of pushing themselves forward, many tended to slack off or push work on to others. As a learner I am prepared to independent in how I search and explore the subjects that pertain to my field. Since I have been working in the library field I have already subscribed to several RSS feed based around the library field even before joining the SLIM program. If I find the topic interesting, I don't hesitate to look for more information. Critically thinking about your work is one of the hardest concepts for me and something I will be working on while in the SLIM program. As an undergrad and as a graduate student I feel uncomfortable judging my work and the work of others. In relation to myself I don't feel that anything is good enough and if I spent

too much time revising and revising I would never meet deadlines - in this sense I am hypercritical. But as for the work of others I feel that I am just a fellow student and have to place judging work that I myself am just learning. As a learner I am willing to find my weakness and work to improve how I learn. August 26th, 2011 One of the articles that I choose for our first F2F is about the role of the librarian and library in the ever changing world of technology. According to this article the author constantly meets people (scholars to citizens) that doubt the role of libraries in the future and believe that they will not be needed because of the growth of the Internet. I especially liked Dr. Swanson's reaction to the scholar that believed that libraries are a thing of the past and are not needed in the future. His reaction was to ask him how many times he went (physically) to the library vs. how many times he used the libraries services (i.e. search, journals etc.). While the scholar didn't visit the library, he did still frequently use the sources that the library provided. I believe that we need to work to change people's perception of what library is - we are not just a quiet old building filled with books - we are part of the Internet, we provide many services outside of the building and while you may not visit the library in person, we have information and sources that are used constantly by the public and educators. Does that mean that the physical library is obsolete - absolutely not? But we need to be mindful of the changes that are taking place and begin to offer different services to bring patrons in to the library as well remind patrons of the librarians. While working online is convenient, I believe it can enhance the feelings of information overload and patrons and scholars should realize that librarian are available to assist them in making sense of all the resources that are available. August 25th, 2011 Recently I started a thread of discussion on Blackboard about the use of Filtering with Children's computers and Facebook. While I haven't gotten I LOT of responses - it has been interesting to see what other this about the use of filters to control what children are allowed to see at the library. A little background: I work at the Emporia Public Library and as a Page I am involved in many different areas including reference, circulation, and the children's room. The 4 computers that we have available in the children's room are restricted to kids 6th grade and younger. While the Internet is available there are also computer games that are installed on the computers and most of the younger kids use these. Recently several of the older kids (5th and 6th graders) had been coming in a lot during the summer to use the computers primarily for Facebook. And although technically the kids shouldn't have profiles we didn't feel like it was our place to

monitor their Facebook usage (parents should be responsible for this and it was entirely possible that these kids had permission from their parents to be on Facebook). That was before we had several incidents with verbal threats and abuse (and in a couple of cases physical threats) between children. At this point it became an issue that went past parental permission and Facebook rules. The library computers were being used to threaten other children via Facebook - since I was the person on duty that had to deal with these incidents. I spoke with the Children's Librarian and she in turn spoke with the director about blocking Facebook on these computers. While there was some reluctance to filter this site (specifically since it should be the parents responsibility and not something the library should monitor) but in the end we were given the go ahead to block Facebook. The primary reason threats and since Facebook has a restriction in place for children under 13 years of age. Backlash? So far we haven't had any thing too bad - some of the older kids (5th and 6th graders) are trying to get on the Adult Computers so the staff upstairs has had to be extra vigilant about age restrictions. But to date we haven't had any adults complain about the new rules. I believe that the restrictions in this case are a good thing - threats (physical or verbal) are over the line and if parents feel like they cannot control their children's access to Facebook then a filter is the next best thing. (One parent told us she didn't have control over her daughter Internet usage and asked if there was any way WE could block her from just creating a new Facebook profile after the old one was deleted). In one case the cops were even called (by a concerned parent) over threats that her child received.