Berry Iii, John N. "Library 2.0 Comes into View." Library Journal 2007, 132 ed.: 10-10.
Written by the renowned and revered John Berry of Library Journal this op-ed piece is a reliable fixture in each magazine issue. This particular piece focuses on the horizon or future of libraries as they embrace 2.0 methodology.
Barry feels compeled to convey his insights after reading Laura Cohen, of University of Albany Library, blog titled "Library 2.0 Manifesto". In the piece, which Barry quotes several lines from, Cohen makes goal statements as to how she will work with her library, staff, and services to better understand and evolve towards 2.0 changes. Interesting to note is Cohen's admission that change in libraries is a slow process. I found the quoted piece ironic because change is mentioned yet the impression of giving up hope or discounting the speed or efficiency of change to take place.
Barry cites the recent decision of U. Michigan library to offer six specializations in their SLIS program, all falling under the umbrella of "social networking". Barry makes claim that this move while embracing 2.0 changes is also ironic as social networking is all around students in an academic world.
Barry's closing focuses on the change brought about by newer institutions who push the envelope of change. Barry believes the current changes are no different than prior generations of change. The blending of the old and new, usually with the new pushing the old, develops, instills, and affirms the need for library services.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Article #5
"Mashing up the Library 2006: Announcing the Winners." Computers in Libraries 26.9 (2006): 59-59.
Written by Paul Miller, this piece is a recap of a competition sponsered by Talis Company. This article annouces winners of a recent library mashup competition. Defined by Wikipedia, a mashup is "a website or web application that uses content from more than one source to create a completely new service."
Miller explains the logic of the competition stating that information specialists (librarians) must take content and create systems that create interlocking mechanisms rather than stand alone entities. Creating a networked information tool better alllows users the ability to thread several information sources into one portal for practical use. In the end these tools should add value to the user experience wherever and whenever they access the web from. Miller cites examples of Google, MySpace, and Amazon.com as places where such tools could be beneficial.
First place in the 2006 competition went to John Blyberg of Ann Arbor District Library, Michigan. His creation Go Go Google Gadget shows how Google gadgets can be added to a users Google homepage to mesh topics and services together.
Second place was awarded to the Alliance Library System from Peoria, IL. Their creation Alliance Second Life Library 2.0 was a combination of international collaboration among librarians with a shot of traditional services through non traditional means.
The concept of a mashup is a relatively new concept for users. However anyone with a login page at a portal such as Yahoo or Google are probably familiar with the tools of building one's homepage to suit their needs. Many of these such service / search engines have provided such service for years. The concept of libraries using this "mashup" concept is central to the Library 2.0 movement.
When I started to develop the PPL homepage for my intern project I attempted to mashup the page with static elements as much as possible. Case in point the WorldCat search mechanism and the Google search. The Google search tool I created was a true element in that I created code to copy and paste into my design. I made sure my element searched just the pages in the "...plymouth.lib.in.us" domain. Hence users could keyword search the entire PPL website for what they were looking for.
Written by Paul Miller, this piece is a recap of a competition sponsered by Talis Company. This article annouces winners of a recent library mashup competition. Defined by Wikipedia, a mashup is "a website or web application that uses content from more than one source to create a completely new service."
Miller explains the logic of the competition stating that information specialists (librarians) must take content and create systems that create interlocking mechanisms rather than stand alone entities. Creating a networked information tool better alllows users the ability to thread several information sources into one portal for practical use. In the end these tools should add value to the user experience wherever and whenever they access the web from. Miller cites examples of Google, MySpace, and Amazon.com as places where such tools could be beneficial.
First place in the 2006 competition went to John Blyberg of Ann Arbor District Library, Michigan. His creation Go Go Google Gadget shows how Google gadgets can be added to a users Google homepage to mesh topics and services together.
Second place was awarded to the Alliance Library System from Peoria, IL. Their creation Alliance Second Life Library 2.0 was a combination of international collaboration among librarians with a shot of traditional services through non traditional means.
The concept of a mashup is a relatively new concept for users. However anyone with a login page at a portal such as Yahoo or Google are probably familiar with the tools of building one's homepage to suit their needs. Many of these such service / search engines have provided such service for years. The concept of libraries using this "mashup" concept is central to the Library 2.0 movement.
When I started to develop the PPL homepage for my intern project I attempted to mashup the page with static elements as much as possible. Case in point the WorldCat search mechanism and the Google search. The Google search tool I created was a true element in that I created code to copy and paste into my design. I made sure my element searched just the pages in the "...plymouth.lib.in.us" domain. Hence users could keyword search the entire PPL website for what they were looking for.
Article #4
"Putting Your Library "Out There."" Library Technology Reports 42.4 (2006): 63-66.
Written in a David Letterman Top 10 fashion, this article speaks to library managers looking to "put their library out there". There refers to the newest trends of Library 2.0. This new trend is a focus of many libraries struggling to find their niche in an ever changing technological world.
1. Listen To Your Staff
2. Involve Staff in Planning
3. Tell Stories
4. Be Transparent
5. Report and Debrief
6. Do Your Research
7. Manage Projects Well
8. Formally Convene the Emerging Technology Group
9. Training 2.0: Let Everyone Play and Experience
10. Celebrate Successes
Much of these examples are common management skills and long standing advice / practices. However what makes this piece stand out is its deliberate attention to Web 2.0 technologies and their impact on libraries and librarians. Examples such as IM, wikis, blogs, and photo sharing sites like Flickr and listed.
Much of the advice hinges on the involvement, interconnectedness, and communication between top level and bottom level employees. While time is a constant and forever obstacle in the networking of staff, use of 2.0 technologies can be leveraged to create opportunities for communication.
The author makes it clear that however "change" is implemented or rolled out attention must be paid to staff as they take the major brunt of the new methods. The affect while it may be subtle to some may seem like a major obstacle to others. Listening to staff as they transition and learning where and how assistance in this change can be added is essential to the success of the process.
Written in a David Letterman Top 10 fashion, this article speaks to library managers looking to "put their library out there". There refers to the newest trends of Library 2.0. This new trend is a focus of many libraries struggling to find their niche in an ever changing technological world.
1. Listen To Your Staff
2. Involve Staff in Planning
3. Tell Stories
4. Be Transparent
5. Report and Debrief
6. Do Your Research
7. Manage Projects Well
8. Formally Convene the Emerging Technology Group
9. Training 2.0: Let Everyone Play and Experience
10. Celebrate Successes
Much of these examples are common management skills and long standing advice / practices. However what makes this piece stand out is its deliberate attention to Web 2.0 technologies and their impact on libraries and librarians. Examples such as IM, wikis, blogs, and photo sharing sites like Flickr and listed.
Much of the advice hinges on the involvement, interconnectedness, and communication between top level and bottom level employees. While time is a constant and forever obstacle in the networking of staff, use of 2.0 technologies can be leveraged to create opportunities for communication.
The author makes it clear that however "change" is implemented or rolled out attention must be paid to staff as they take the major brunt of the new methods. The affect while it may be subtle to some may seem like a major obstacle to others. Listening to staff as they transition and learning where and how assistance in this change can be added is essential to the success of the process.
Friday, June 22, 2007
DAILY - WEEKLY REFLECTION
Well today is my last day!! Yipee!
Linda is off today and tomorrow. I'm unable to chat with her and finalize plans for the upgrade. I decided to write her and email and let her know where things stand. I also took the opportunity to thank her for her help this summer through my entire internship.
After writing her I felt the need to send the other department heads a thank you as well. I drafted emails and will wait to send them till later this evening after I'm off work.
I stopped in Susie's office to chat and find out what the next steps are for long range planning; follow-up from the staff meeting we had a couple weeks ago. She filled me in on the process and what needs to take place next. Interesting to find out the library board consists of 7 members all of which are non-elected officials; appointed. I found that interesting. For a fleeting moment I thought of asking if a position was going to become available. Turns out members can only serve 16 years maximum; guess I better wait till I'm retired :)
I feel as if I could work here full time if I needed employment however I'd want to work somewhere other than children's. I could easily see myself as the webmaster or handling ILL or Reference. There seems to be so many clerk positions and not a lot of administrative workload. I'm not sure if folks hide that aspect well or maybe I've not been involved in those matters. I was hoping to get a feel for those types of things however only one day did Debbie share that aspect of her work. I'm wondering when the people actually have time to do their ordering, selection, weeding, and such. I asked Debbie about this and she commented "when I can". I assume this means piece-meal or during the day when I'm working summer school. I know the department heads report to Susie with stats and such. Just tonight when I was in Susie's office Debbie stopped by to deliver the latest summer reading program info.
The numbers she shared were since the 4th of this month. Not quite 20 days into the program. I think there's some time yet for kids to get involved and into the program. However the July 4th holiday is a week and a half away. I'm wondering if next week is the pinnacle of the signups and activity. The entire summer program concludes the last week of July. With the numbers so far, signups are less than last summer's totals. Conclusions remain if this decrease in numbers is due to the new computerized signup / management. In talking with Susie and Debbie they are both confident the program they purchased to handle the summer reading is a good thing. I concure; having seen their previous system. The fact parents can involve their kids without having to drive to the library (at $3 a gallon) to record provides great feasibility / flexibility!
I was able to gather numbers from 06 and 05 on the auction:
Last year there was a statistical increase in every category. More signups, more pages read, more kids showed for the auction, more books read, and more total pages read. If this trend remains this summer's stats should look just as good!
I put my finishing touches on the website tonight. It's a bonafide deliverable. I showed it to a co-worker tonight who'd yet to see it; she was thoroughly impressed. I value her opinion as she's one of the most tech savvy folks in the building. Her main role is lab supervisor and ILL coordinator.
The shift tonight is dedicated to gathering my paperwork and working on this blog / journal. I've had a difficult time finding time after work of a day to complete the article annotations. When I'm at school each day I'm working on "my" library stuff. The one hour off to travel and eat lunch and then report uptown isn't enough to get anything done. When I finally arrive at home around 9:30 each night I've yet to eat dinner and I'm ready to call it a day!
I've got three more articles to crank out. These will be my next few pieces posted on the blog.
Linda is off today and tomorrow. I'm unable to chat with her and finalize plans for the upgrade. I decided to write her and email and let her know where things stand. I also took the opportunity to thank her for her help this summer through my entire internship.
After writing her I felt the need to send the other department heads a thank you as well. I drafted emails and will wait to send them till later this evening after I'm off work.
I stopped in Susie's office to chat and find out what the next steps are for long range planning; follow-up from the staff meeting we had a couple weeks ago. She filled me in on the process and what needs to take place next. Interesting to find out the library board consists of 7 members all of which are non-elected officials; appointed. I found that interesting. For a fleeting moment I thought of asking if a position was going to become available. Turns out members can only serve 16 years maximum; guess I better wait till I'm retired :)
I feel as if I could work here full time if I needed employment however I'd want to work somewhere other than children's. I could easily see myself as the webmaster or handling ILL or Reference. There seems to be so many clerk positions and not a lot of administrative workload. I'm not sure if folks hide that aspect well or maybe I've not been involved in those matters. I was hoping to get a feel for those types of things however only one day did Debbie share that aspect of her work. I'm wondering when the people actually have time to do their ordering, selection, weeding, and such. I asked Debbie about this and she commented "when I can". I assume this means piece-meal or during the day when I'm working summer school. I know the department heads report to Susie with stats and such. Just tonight when I was in Susie's office Debbie stopped by to deliver the latest summer reading program info.
The numbers she shared were since the 4th of this month. Not quite 20 days into the program. I think there's some time yet for kids to get involved and into the program. However the July 4th holiday is a week and a half away. I'm wondering if next week is the pinnacle of the signups and activity. The entire summer program concludes the last week of July. With the numbers so far, signups are less than last summer's totals. Conclusions remain if this decrease in numbers is due to the new computerized signup / management. In talking with Susie and Debbie they are both confident the program they purchased to handle the summer reading is a good thing. I concure; having seen their previous system. The fact parents can involve their kids without having to drive to the library (at $3 a gallon) to record provides great feasibility / flexibility!
I was able to gather numbers from 06 and 05 on the auction:
Last year there was a statistical increase in every category. More signups, more pages read, more kids showed for the auction, more books read, and more total pages read. If this trend remains this summer's stats should look just as good!
I put my finishing touches on the website tonight. It's a bonafide deliverable. I showed it to a co-worker tonight who'd yet to see it; she was thoroughly impressed. I value her opinion as she's one of the most tech savvy folks in the building. Her main role is lab supervisor and ILL coordinator.
The shift tonight is dedicated to gathering my paperwork and working on this blog / journal. I've had a difficult time finding time after work of a day to complete the article annotations. When I'm at school each day I'm working on "my" library stuff. The one hour off to travel and eat lunch and then report uptown isn't enough to get anything done. When I finally arrive at home around 9:30 each night I've yet to eat dinner and I'm ready to call it a day!
I've got three more articles to crank out. These will be my next few pieces posted on the blog.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Article #3
This piece was handed out to PPL staff by Susie (director) the week I was working on the website redesign. I've enjoyed her handouts and find them very much on target with what's going on in the library and informative for her staff.
"Reference on the Web: A (Mostly Free) Digital Reference Library for Teens." Booklist 103.18 (2007): 78-80.
Fast paced is an understatement! Maren Ostergard and Shauna Yusko set a breakneck pace of reference topics, senarios, coupled with solutions and locations in this quick reference piece.
Formatted by the hundreds of the Dewey decimal system this piece gives librarians practical and useful resources. As the title suggests most items are free of charge however some pieces require a subscription to access.
An opening paragraph gives readers an understanding of the types of resources mentioned and the specific audience the suggested sites were geared towards. Interesting to note the 100's were omitted because the amount of demand on that section is limited. Each section offers a couple nuggets of high quality web information.
000's
Mid-Continent Public Library - Series and Sequels
This site, while the only one mentioned from 0-200 was a plethora of titles. Particularly helpful was the age appropriateness of the suggestion. Students of all ages are able to navigate the site as the design was simple, straightforward, yet the amount of information is amazing! I'm going to use it next Fall!
200's
Windows to the Universe
This site is a great source of information on Greek and Roman mythology; good for typical high school researchers. Most helpful is the sites viewability in Spanish & English!
World Religions - from the BBC
This site offers links and reference / research materials for all major world religions. Truly a great place for students to start research. The link mentioned in the article was changed by my web browser to a much simpler and short URL.
I found the brevity of details for each religion combined with the "multi-faith calendar of holy days" to be a gold mine!
300's
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
Offers research and references on tons of topics and social issues.
http://www.crlsresearchguide.org/
I was unable to open this URL - according to the authors this site offers
http://www.classroom.com/community/connection/howto/citeresources.jhtml
This is a wonderful site for student works cited pages. Most helpful is the descriptors above the citation telling users what each "piece" of the citation is and in the correct order.
State Government Information
Offers information on each state government. Offers local links and maps for each state as well.
THOMAS
Home of the Library of Congress. Useful for anything Governmental at any level. As mentioned by the authors links to Congressional proceedings and bill status are easily obtained.
CQ Researcher
Like the Opposing Viewpoints this database is a paid service. Having a subscription for my school students I believe this is one of the most valuable research pieces for social issues / social science reference.
Testing and Education Reference Center
Like the Opposing Viewpoints this database is a paid service. It provides test prep opportunities for students and older library patrons.
400's
YourDictionary
Like other similar dictionary sites this site is free and offers many extras for users for example 400 languages to pick from.
Rhyme Zone
I'm writing poetry and need a word that rhymes with ____. This site is a great tool for speech students and writers alike.
NASA
One of the most complex and deep websites on the planet! Particularly useful on this site is its ability to offer multi-language information for non-English students. The link provided by the authors is to their Spanish info page.
Oxford English Dictionary
My personal favorite. The OED offers background and explanation of word usage. Deeper than a general definition; usage, intended, historical, contextual meaning.
Rosetta Stone
A great tool for learning foreign languages. Students can use this site to brush up and or prepare for an upcoming exam.
500's
WebElements http://www.webelements.com/
Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Chemistry Division http://periodic.lanl.gov/default.htm
It’s Elemental—Element Flash Cards http://education.jlab.org/elementflashcards/index.html
Science Niche http://scienceniche.com/science/science.cfm
Virtual Frog Dissection Kit http://froggy.lbl.gov/virtual/
Facts On File’s Science Online http://www.factsonfile.com/
Gale’s ScienceResource Center http://www.gale.com/sciRC/
600's
http://www.innerbody.com/index.html
Rosen’s Teen Health & Wellness http://www.teenhealthandwellnes.com/
700's
National Gallery of Art http://www.nga.gov/
Art History Resources on the Web http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html
Grove Art On-line http://www.groveart.com/
800's
MIT’s Complete Works of William Shakespeare http://shakespeare.mit.edu/
http://www.monologuearchive.com/
http://www.speech-topics-help.com/
http://www.teenreads.com/clubs/index.asp
Multnomah County Library’s discussion guides http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides.html
Bloom’s Literary Reference Online http://www.factsonfile.com/
Books in Print http://www.booksinprint.com/
The Columbia Granger’s World of Poetry http://www.columbiagrangers.org/grangers/
NoveList http://www.ebscohost.com/
900's
American Memory http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ammemhome.html
http://americanhistory.si.edu/presidency/home.html
InfoNation http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation/info.asp
Country Reports http://www.countryreports.org/
Gale’s History ResourceCenter: U.S. and History Resource Center: World http://www.gale.com/
Daily Life through History http://www.greenwood.com/dailylife/
The authors make some compelling points at the end of the article. Teens want something virtual that fits their schedule and on their terms. Showing them something they can navigate late at night from the comfort of their PC will make them value your information knowledge and create return reference questions. I try to instill this in my own students.
Having the benefit of virtual resources also creates flexibility for users. The important emphasis of this resource is the "teaching" factor. Instructing users is essential to empowering them.
"...teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime..."
"Reference on the Web: A (Mostly Free) Digital Reference Library for Teens." Booklist 103.18 (2007): 78-80.
Fast paced is an understatement! Maren Ostergard and Shauna Yusko set a breakneck pace of reference topics, senarios, coupled with solutions and locations in this quick reference piece.
Formatted by the hundreds of the Dewey decimal system this piece gives librarians practical and useful resources. As the title suggests most items are free of charge however some pieces require a subscription to access.
An opening paragraph gives readers an understanding of the types of resources mentioned and the specific audience the suggested sites were geared towards. Interesting to note the 100's were omitted because the amount of demand on that section is limited. Each section offers a couple nuggets of high quality web information.
000's
Mid-Continent Public Library - Series and Sequels
This site, while the only one mentioned from 0-200 was a plethora of titles. Particularly helpful was the age appropriateness of the suggestion. Students of all ages are able to navigate the site as the design was simple, straightforward, yet the amount of information is amazing! I'm going to use it next Fall!
200's
Windows to the Universe
This site is a great source of information on Greek and Roman mythology; good for typical high school researchers. Most helpful is the sites viewability in Spanish & English!
World Religions - from the BBC
This site offers links and reference / research materials for all major world religions. Truly a great place for students to start research. The link mentioned in the article was changed by my web browser to a much simpler and short URL.
I found the brevity of details for each religion combined with the "multi-faith calendar of holy days" to be a gold mine!
300's
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
Offers research and references on tons of topics and social issues.
http://www.crlsresearchguide.org/
I was unable to open this URL - according to the authors this site offers
http://www.classroom.com/community/connection/howto/citeresources.jhtml
This is a wonderful site for student works cited pages. Most helpful is the descriptors above the citation telling users what each "piece" of the citation is and in the correct order.
State Government Information
Offers information on each state government. Offers local links and maps for each state as well.
THOMAS
Home of the Library of Congress. Useful for anything Governmental at any level. As mentioned by the authors links to Congressional proceedings and bill status are easily obtained.
CQ Researcher
Like the Opposing Viewpoints this database is a paid service. Having a subscription for my school students I believe this is one of the most valuable research pieces for social issues / social science reference.
Testing and Education Reference Center
Like the Opposing Viewpoints this database is a paid service. It provides test prep opportunities for students and older library patrons.
400's
YourDictionary
Like other similar dictionary sites this site is free and offers many extras for users for example 400 languages to pick from.
Rhyme Zone
I'm writing poetry and need a word that rhymes with ____. This site is a great tool for speech students and writers alike.
NASA
One of the most complex and deep websites on the planet! Particularly useful on this site is its ability to offer multi-language information for non-English students. The link provided by the authors is to their Spanish info page.
Oxford English Dictionary
My personal favorite. The OED offers background and explanation of word usage. Deeper than a general definition; usage, intended, historical, contextual meaning.
Rosetta Stone
A great tool for learning foreign languages. Students can use this site to brush up and or prepare for an upcoming exam.
500's
WebElements http://www.webelements.com/
Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Chemistry Division http://periodic.lanl.gov/default.htm
It’s Elemental—Element Flash Cards http://education.jlab.org/elementflashcards/index.html
Science Niche http://scienceniche.com/science/science.cfm
Virtual Frog Dissection Kit http://froggy.lbl.gov/virtual/
Facts On File’s Science Online http://www.factsonfile.com/
Gale’s ScienceResource Center http://www.gale.com/sciRC/
600's
http://www.innerbody.com/index.html
Rosen’s Teen Health & Wellness http://www.teenhealthandwellnes.com/
700's
National Gallery of Art http://www.nga.gov/
Art History Resources on the Web http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html
Grove Art On-line http://www.groveart.com/
800's
MIT’s Complete Works of William Shakespeare http://shakespeare.mit.edu/
http://www.monologuearchive.com/
http://www.speech-topics-help.com/
http://www.teenreads.com/clubs/index.asp
Multnomah County Library’s discussion guides http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides.html
Bloom’s Literary Reference Online http://www.factsonfile.com/
Books in Print http://www.booksinprint.com/
The Columbia Granger’s World of Poetry http://www.columbiagrangers.org/grangers/
NoveList http://www.ebscohost.com/
900's
American Memory http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ammemhome.html
http://americanhistory.si.edu/presidency/home.html
InfoNation http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation/info.asp
Country Reports http://www.countryreports.org/
Gale’s History ResourceCenter: U.S. and History Resource Center: World http://www.gale.com/
Daily Life through History http://www.greenwood.com/dailylife/
The authors make some compelling points at the end of the article. Teens want something virtual that fits their schedule and on their terms. Showing them something they can navigate late at night from the comfort of their PC will make them value your information knowledge and create return reference questions. I try to instill this in my own students.
Having the benefit of virtual resources also creates flexibility for users. The important emphasis of this resource is the "teaching" factor. Instructing users is essential to empowering them.
"...teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime..."
DAILY
Today was day three of the site design. I did some work this morning before my shift to soften the contrast of the background. I adjusted the width of the main table to fit 800x600 displays too. Cranking it down to 760 pixels wide.
I did some real technical coding tonight to get the mashups to work. My mashups were two search mechanisms - WorldCat and Google. I created a custom Google search for our website domain. This was done after Linda left for the day. Before she left I asked about doing a Google search link; she didn't think it was important. After exploring it a bit I was able to create a search of the "...plymouth.lib.in.us" domain. The code was really tricky to work with and I encountered 4 failed attempts before I got it working correctly. The WorldCat code was much easier. Essentially patrons can search the entire website / domain for something if they can't find it on the homepage.
All in all I was really pleased at the outcome. I really banked on the coding experience from L571 last semester. I impressed myself as I was able to internalize everything on their "soon to be" homepage.
I tried out my piece on two of the younger staff people to get their immediate reactions. They both liked it! I even showed my page to Miss Marie...she was even impressed! Albeit her skills are very limited :)
I'm not sure when Linda will make the big switch over. There's tons of work to be done on the subpages. With tomorrow my last day I'm not sure how much of it I'll be able to accomplish.
I did some real technical coding tonight to get the mashups to work. My mashups were two search mechanisms - WorldCat and Google. I created a custom Google search for our website domain. This was done after Linda left for the day. Before she left I asked about doing a Google search link; she didn't think it was important. After exploring it a bit I was able to create a search of the "...plymouth.lib.in.us" domain. The code was really tricky to work with and I encountered 4 failed attempts before I got it working correctly. The WorldCat code was much easier. Essentially patrons can search the entire website / domain for something if they can't find it on the homepage.
All in all I was really pleased at the outcome. I really banked on the coding experience from L571 last semester. I impressed myself as I was able to internalize everything on their "soon to be" homepage.
I tried out my piece on two of the younger staff people to get their immediate reactions. They both liked it! I even showed my page to Miss Marie...she was even impressed! Albeit her skills are very limited :)
I'm not sure when Linda will make the big switch over. There's tons of work to be done on the subpages. With tomorrow my last day I'm not sure how much of it I'll be able to accomplish.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
DAILY
I went into today with my own laptop. I made myself available to the children's folks. I'm at a point where they really don't need my help. Plus today they were overstaffed with the Polish papercutting program going on this afternoon. The fact it was in the afternoon and I needed the morning to work on my redesign made things work perfectly.
I took a study room and started working. Having my own PC and a quiet room made for a great environment. I worked non-stop till 12:30. With Linda coming on at 1:00 I wanted to squeeze in lunch prior to working with her in the afternoon.
When I arrived back from lunch around 1:30 Linda was very receptive to my efforts. She didn't seem hesitant at all and was anxious to see what I'd assembled.
We worked the remainder of the afternoon tweaking things...in between interruptions from patrons for needs, questions, etc. I ended up doing most of the tweaking she watched over my shoulder. It didn't take much to convince her of Dreamweaver's prowess.
I was really proud of the work I'd assembled. I was worried Linda would'nt be as receptive. She was really interested and genuine. I wonder if she realizes all the sub pages need to be consistent with the index page? This will take a lot of work for her to transfer stuff however the template is well in place.
I took the liberty of choosing a background color and creating a new banner graphic. I tried to be tasteful in each and every way. I constantly was reminding myself of the scope of the public library...its different than teens. Trying to appeal to a HUGE array of users and tastes was a challenge. Ultimately my background color choice was changed to sky blue instead of a deep maroon. I
spent the remainder of my shift working on getting links to work and tidying things up. There's a lot of tweaking to be done before I'm ready to say its done.
I took a study room and started working. Having my own PC and a quiet room made for a great environment. I worked non-stop till 12:30. With Linda coming on at 1:00 I wanted to squeeze in lunch prior to working with her in the afternoon.
When I arrived back from lunch around 1:30 Linda was very receptive to my efforts. She didn't seem hesitant at all and was anxious to see what I'd assembled.
We worked the remainder of the afternoon tweaking things...in between interruptions from patrons for needs, questions, etc. I ended up doing most of the tweaking she watched over my shoulder. It didn't take much to convince her of Dreamweaver's prowess.
I was really proud of the work I'd assembled. I was worried Linda would'nt be as receptive. She was really interested and genuine. I wonder if she realizes all the sub pages need to be consistent with the index page? This will take a lot of work for her to transfer stuff however the template is well in place.
I took the liberty of choosing a background color and creating a new banner graphic. I tried to be tasteful in each and every way. I constantly was reminding myself of the scope of the public library...its different than teens. Trying to appeal to a HUGE array of users and tastes was a challenge. Ultimately my background color choice was changed to sky blue instead of a deep maroon. I
spent the remainder of my shift working on getting links to work and tidying things up. There's a lot of tweaking to be done before I'm ready to say its done.
DAILY
The start of my last week!
This evening when I headed in I made a point to talk with Susie the director about getting around the library a bit. I felt I'd been toiling in the children's department and wanted to get out and experience the other areas a bit more. Linda in the computer area was picking my brain the other day about the website. Susie mentioned this as a possible thing for me to participate in; to which I was more than willing to lend a hand.
More than anything I feel I should lend my talents to the "library" before my time is up.
Linda seemed hesitant when I asked prying questions about her design and her layout of content. I could sense I was treading a bit and tried to be slow and methodical in my approach. If this project was going to move forward it was going to be me pushing it. Unlike Debbie who pushed a project on me Linda was kind of like take it or leave it. Before long I drafted a sketch of the layout for Linda to see what I was thinking before she left for the day. I hoped that would put her mind at ease; wondering if she was nervous giving up control of things.
After about and hour and half Linda was done with her shift and she left for the day. I sat at her desk and worked up a layout and homepage using Frontpage. It's been so long since I used Frontpage I was reminded of why I made the switch to Dreamweaver. FP sux to say the least! If Linda made the switch she'd want / need to purchase Dreamweaver which would require her to learn a new software, something she was hesitant about. Cost would be a factor too.
Having just completed L571 this Spring I was ready and able to do some more web designing. This project seemed like a great new challenge. Plus if all went well I'd leave a footprint of my time at PPL.
The most frustrating part of the night was having to work on Linda's PC with the clunky software. What a pain! I was yearning for my own laptop all evening! I'm definitely going to bring my own tomorrow; a full 9-5:30 shift.
This evening when I headed in I made a point to talk with Susie the director about getting around the library a bit. I felt I'd been toiling in the children's department and wanted to get out and experience the other areas a bit more. Linda in the computer area was picking my brain the other day about the website. Susie mentioned this as a possible thing for me to participate in; to which I was more than willing to lend a hand.
More than anything I feel I should lend my talents to the "library" before my time is up.
Linda seemed hesitant when I asked prying questions about her design and her layout of content. I could sense I was treading a bit and tried to be slow and methodical in my approach. If this project was going to move forward it was going to be me pushing it. Unlike Debbie who pushed a project on me Linda was kind of like take it or leave it. Before long I drafted a sketch of the layout for Linda to see what I was thinking before she left for the day. I hoped that would put her mind at ease; wondering if she was nervous giving up control of things.
After about and hour and half Linda was done with her shift and she left for the day. I sat at her desk and worked up a layout and homepage using Frontpage. It's been so long since I used Frontpage I was reminded of why I made the switch to Dreamweaver. FP sux to say the least! If Linda made the switch she'd want / need to purchase Dreamweaver which would require her to learn a new software, something she was hesitant about. Cost would be a factor too.
Having just completed L571 this Spring I was ready and able to do some more web designing. This project seemed like a great new challenge. Plus if all went well I'd leave a footprint of my time at PPL.
The most frustrating part of the night was having to work on Linda's PC with the clunky software. What a pain! I was yearning for my own laptop all evening! I'm definitely going to bring my own tomorrow; a full 9-5:30 shift.
Monday, June 18, 2007
WEEKLY REFLECTION
Saturday's are the best day to work. The morning starts out slow and casually builds to a crescendo around lunch time. Working a full shift I'm able to take off for an hour during the busy time frame. The afternoon (being summer) dies till closing time at 5:30. The fact PPL isn't open on Sunday is great too as I don't have to be back in till Monday evening. This week has been a long one! I'm really ready to be done!!! I feel I've fulfilled my requirement of this internship! I've affirmed my loathing for elementary level work. There's a reason I'm at the high school level.
I'm really tired of shelving books. I've shelved more in the last 48 hours than I've done in two years of work at my school library.
I really appreciate Diana bringing in coffee cake and coffee on Saturday. That's part of the reason I've enjoyed those mornings too. She opened up a bit on Saturday as we worked side by side in the Guild Room on the list. We talked about Shirley and other general things. I had a nice conversation with Susie (director) this week about Shirley which made me more at ease talking with staff about her "lack of" issues.
I'm realizing this staff is full of single / widowed people. Young underachievers who haven't done much with themselves and very old folks who've done...well I'm not sure with their life. Not very many people are dynamic and driving the future of the place. There are a few follks and its those few bedrock people who are very very conservative and religious. I'm not sure if all people hold my same opinions however its those few people who drive this place to excel too. I just wonder if people worry about things being too right-wing or not. Maybe some liberal folks need to be employed or put in positions of power. Maybe this is just the general public library characteristics.
I'm really tired of shelving books. I've shelved more in the last 48 hours than I've done in two years of work at my school library.
I really appreciate Diana bringing in coffee cake and coffee on Saturday. That's part of the reason I've enjoyed those mornings too. She opened up a bit on Saturday as we worked side by side in the Guild Room on the list. We talked about Shirley and other general things. I had a nice conversation with Susie (director) this week about Shirley which made me more at ease talking with staff about her "lack of" issues.
I'm realizing this staff is full of single / widowed people. Young underachievers who haven't done much with themselves and very old folks who've done...well I'm not sure with their life. Not very many people are dynamic and driving the future of the place. There are a few follks and its those few bedrock people who are very very conservative and religious. I'm not sure if all people hold my same opinions however its those few people who drive this place to excel too. I just wonder if people worry about things being too right-wing or not. Maybe some liberal folks need to be employed or put in positions of power. Maybe this is just the general public library characteristics.
DAILY
I began the evening working on the AR database. Debbie was back today from her long weekend off. She's take charge when she's around and I like her for that. She assigned Lynn who I've slightly worked with to help me. I suggested she look up call numbers while I worked on the database. This proved really helpful as she was super fast at looking them up!
While we worked in the Guild Room we had good conversation. Finally someone I can talk to and somewhat relate to. Someone I can be "real" with and they understand my point of view. I tried the same tactic with Rob and he seemed weird about certain topics and hesitant to open up and share. Same for Kirsten, funny she's not even 30 yet. Lynn who graduated a few years ago and is younger than Kirsten, was able to carry a conversation. The evening got off to a smooth and good start thanks to this working situation.
I came out to shelve books later and finally for once stuff wasn't on the bottom (floor shelf). I concentrated on the author last name instead of the spine label then title of the book. Uptown here I have to use author first and more than 5-6 letters deep. At my library at school its simply spine label, then first two letters of the title. Less books at school in specific ranges than PPL. The smaller collections only compound the problem! The fact I know the shelves and locations better this week only make things faster too.
Lynn got off at the typical 5:30. She was able to look up the remaining pages for me...what a huge help! I motored my way through the rest of the list and was able to finish Menominee's list around 8:15 tonight. I put in a solid 2.5 hours of my shift working on completion. I feel like I've reached a milestone. However the next list for Jefferson awaits. I got the list out and sat it next to my PC ready for tomorrow. I'm sure I'll be saddled with it the remainder of the week.
While we worked in the Guild Room we had good conversation. Finally someone I can talk to and somewhat relate to. Someone I can be "real" with and they understand my point of view. I tried the same tactic with Rob and he seemed weird about certain topics and hesitant to open up and share. Same for Kirsten, funny she's not even 30 yet. Lynn who graduated a few years ago and is younger than Kirsten, was able to carry a conversation. The evening got off to a smooth and good start thanks to this working situation.
I came out to shelve books later and finally for once stuff wasn't on the bottom (floor shelf). I concentrated on the author last name instead of the spine label then title of the book. Uptown here I have to use author first and more than 5-6 letters deep. At my library at school its simply spine label, then first two letters of the title. Less books at school in specific ranges than PPL. The smaller collections only compound the problem! The fact I know the shelves and locations better this week only make things faster too.
Lynn got off at the typical 5:30. She was able to look up the remaining pages for me...what a huge help! I motored my way through the rest of the list and was able to finish Menominee's list around 8:15 tonight. I put in a solid 2.5 hours of my shift working on completion. I feel like I've reached a milestone. However the next list for Jefferson awaits. I got the list out and sat it next to my PC ready for tomorrow. I'm sure I'll be saddled with it the remainder of the week.
Friday, June 15, 2007
DAILY
Tonight I started by updating my schedule for the remaining way. I overlooked a couple possible days (Thursday & Friday) of next week. I added those 9 hours and voila I'm able to finish by next Saturday! Next week will seem like a long week that's for sure!!
I printed a new schedule and went to Susie's office to talk it over with her; she was receptive. We ended up chatting for about 45 minutes. It was a nice conversation!
Friday night is usually a slow night plus we close an hour early at 8:00 instead of 9:00. When I got back to the children's department the gals had everything shelved and folks were working on odd jobs.
I spent the remainder of the night working on the AR database.
I printed a new schedule and went to Susie's office to talk it over with her; she was receptive. We ended up chatting for about 45 minutes. It was a nice conversation!
Friday night is usually a slow night plus we close an hour early at 8:00 instead of 9:00. When I got back to the children's department the gals had everything shelved and folks were working on odd jobs.
I spent the remainder of the night working on the AR database.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
DAILY
I started tonight in Children's however Linda, one of my favorite people pulled me down to the computer room. She needed a couple questions answered regarding a blog / wiki / Google group. Basically she wants something virtual that staff can use as a sounding board / discussion board / notification area. The need for this came about from our Sunday planning meeting. I was happy to see the director and staff attempting to work with, on, forward, etc...
I explained the differences between blogs and wikis and what they're good for. She'd already created a Google group. I learned after she showed me her setup that the Google groups are essentially wikis; COOL!
I then helped her troubleshoot some HTML coding on the library website. I wish I could help redesign it. Doesn't look like I'd have the time to do so as I've only got 7 more days. I wish I could work on Debbie's database and the webpage exclusively for the remaining time.
After working with Linda I started up once again on the database. After about 40 minutes I was pulled in to help with a massive amount of book returns. One family brought in their haul; they have 14 kids!!! The books came in boxes and were primarily Non-Fiction (new books). There were dirty too. I couldn't believe the volume of stuff one family would check out.
Miss Marie the head of the children's department requires we wipe down the books...all of them! What a chore considering the volume of intake. I've noticed the book cleaner causes my eyes to react. Not sure what chemicals they put in however I seem to get an allergic reaction in one eye each night I do heavy shelving and book handling. I wish I worked in the adult area where book cleaning isn't required.
I spent the remainder of the night shelving the massive amount of stuff...UGH...not the way I wanted to end the evening. I very briefly got back to the reading database prior to close. I've got 70 some pages remaining. I think looking up call numbers first then going through, as Debbie suggested, will be the fastest method.
I explained the differences between blogs and wikis and what they're good for. She'd already created a Google group. I learned after she showed me her setup that the Google groups are essentially wikis; COOL!
I then helped her troubleshoot some HTML coding on the library website. I wish I could help redesign it. Doesn't look like I'd have the time to do so as I've only got 7 more days. I wish I could work on Debbie's database and the webpage exclusively for the remaining time.
After working with Linda I started up once again on the database. After about 40 minutes I was pulled in to help with a massive amount of book returns. One family brought in their haul; they have 14 kids!!! The books came in boxes and were primarily Non-Fiction (new books). There were dirty too. I couldn't believe the volume of stuff one family would check out.
Miss Marie the head of the children's department requires we wipe down the books...all of them! What a chore considering the volume of intake. I've noticed the book cleaner causes my eyes to react. Not sure what chemicals they put in however I seem to get an allergic reaction in one eye each night I do heavy shelving and book handling. I wish I worked in the adult area where book cleaning isn't required.
I spent the remainder of the night shelving the massive amount of stuff...UGH...not the way I wanted to end the evening. I very briefly got back to the reading database prior to close. I've got 70 some pages remaining. I think looking up call numbers first then going through, as Debbie suggested, will be the fastest method.
Article #1
This piece was given to us by the PPL director. Each employee was asked to read the 7 pages of prose prior to our future planning meeting.
Chad, Ken and Miller, Paul. "Do Libraries Matter?" Talis, 2005. 4.
http://www.talis.com/applications/downloads/white_papers/DoLibrariesMatter.pdf
Miller and Chad explain the changing technological world in which libraries find themselves. Referred to as the "modern world" a definition of needs and or trends is discussed. The belief that the Internet has created an always on always accessible resource is central to the piece. The need for items to be "free" for the taking is also key. The authors go into detail describing the impact of this 24/7 service provider (the Internet) and how it stands to affect libraries. A focus of the piece is how software will be a key player in mixing and mashing up the needs of users while placing libraries in the middle of the scene. Author bias is lurking through illustrative examples of software needs. Talis is a software company. Corporate pitching for low cost applications, participative and accessible tools for users is a need of Libraries in a 2.0 world, which Talis wants to be a part of. Without the sales pitch this white-paper begs the question for software or management companies involvement in libraries. This piece makes a case for how such tools and more importantly their design, cost, and implementation will affect libraries.
The transperant 24/7 virtual world is definitely daunting. How to embrace the needs of users and make your institution a patrons path of least resistance is the goal.
Chad, Ken and Miller, Paul. "Do Libraries Matter?" Talis, 2005. 4.
http://www.talis.com/applications/downloads/white_papers/DoLibrariesMatter.pdf
Miller and Chad explain the changing technological world in which libraries find themselves. Referred to as the "modern world" a definition of needs and or trends is discussed. The belief that the Internet has created an always on always accessible resource is central to the piece. The need for items to be "free" for the taking is also key. The authors go into detail describing the impact of this 24/7 service provider (the Internet) and how it stands to affect libraries. A focus of the piece is how software will be a key player in mixing and mashing up the needs of users while placing libraries in the middle of the scene. Author bias is lurking through illustrative examples of software needs. Talis is a software company. Corporate pitching for low cost applications, participative and accessible tools for users is a need of Libraries in a 2.0 world, which Talis wants to be a part of. Without the sales pitch this white-paper begs the question for software or management companies involvement in libraries. This piece makes a case for how such tools and more importantly their design, cost, and implementation will affect libraries.
The transperant 24/7 virtual world is definitely daunting. How to embrace the needs of users and make your institution a patrons path of least resistance is the goal.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
DAILY
Today was a huge day - programming wise. All the staff who work in children's worked today, I think. Today was the annual visit from Ronald McDonald. He did two shows today one at 10:00 and the other at 2:00. The kids and parents absolutely love him! His program runs about 45 minutes and deals with positive attitude and reading encouragement.
I was assigned to updating the AR reading list. I've been working continuously on it for the past couple days. It's a HUGE JOB!!!
The morning went very smooth. I worked in the Guild Room exclusively and had minor interruptions, mainly from staff. I was bracing for Shirley to join me at any moment. The staff is ready to blow as Shirley refuses to learn the computer system for the summer reading program. She leaves for surgery about the time I'm done. Just when I thought she was driving me nuts the staff has started to let their hair down a bit around me and vent. At the end of my shift today I hinted to Miss Marie that she was difficult to work with as she joined me in the room for the entire afternoon of my shift.
The trouble started when she requested a sit down job on the day Ronald came. Debbie had a sit down meeting with other department heads and the director to figure out something for her to do during her shift. Seems she's done several jobs at the library in her long tenure and the director doesn't have the fodder to fire her. I'm also thinking she doesn't have the desire to rock the boat to please younger staff as it would create huge termoil.
I felt I was the dumping ground today with Shirley. The nasely voice is bad enough but when she asks you to look at her when SHE's talking so SHE can see you listening to her dumb stories and mumblings its really bad. Several times I had to stop what I was doing and look her in the face. Today was a major test of my patience.
I was assigned to updating the AR reading list. I've been working continuously on it for the past couple days. It's a HUGE JOB!!!
The morning went very smooth. I worked in the Guild Room exclusively and had minor interruptions, mainly from staff. I was bracing for Shirley to join me at any moment. The staff is ready to blow as Shirley refuses to learn the computer system for the summer reading program. She leaves for surgery about the time I'm done. Just when I thought she was driving me nuts the staff has started to let their hair down a bit around me and vent. At the end of my shift today I hinted to Miss Marie that she was difficult to work with as she joined me in the room for the entire afternoon of my shift.
The trouble started when she requested a sit down job on the day Ronald came. Debbie had a sit down meeting with other department heads and the director to figure out something for her to do during her shift. Seems she's done several jobs at the library in her long tenure and the director doesn't have the fodder to fire her. I'm also thinking she doesn't have the desire to rock the boat to please younger staff as it would create huge termoil.
I felt I was the dumping ground today with Shirley. The nasely voice is bad enough but when she asks you to look at her when SHE's talking so SHE can see you listening to her dumb stories and mumblings its really bad. Several times I had to stop what I was doing and look her in the face. Today was a major test of my patience.
DAILY
Today I kept busy in the Children's department helping shelve books and working in the Guild room on the reading database. Debbie has me going back through the Menominee list and cleaning up things. This time around I'm adding books to the database that PPL doesn't have adding call numbers, updating call numbers, and marking the 74 page list with call numbers. This is necessary to keep the books marked with dots. This allows for easier lookup and accessibility with children coming in looking for books that are on the AR school list. Tons of leg work for PPL just to keep aligned with the school. Since I'm the school person I figure I should do my part to keep things aligned between the school and public library.
I've gotten to know Rob who works in the computer room a bit better. He worked along side me for a while tonight on a different PC doing an upgrade. We also chatted when I came in tonight. He also helped me run copies at closing time. He and Nathan, a former student who I already talk to and know are the only men at PPL.
I've gotten to know Rob who works in the computer room a bit better. He worked along side me for a while tonight on a different PC doing an upgrade. We also chatted when I came in tonight. He also helped me run copies at closing time. He and Nathan, a former student who I already talk to and know are the only men at PPL.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Article #2
I selected this article after my work with Linda on a Google Group.
Stephens, Michael Casey & Michael. "The Transparent Library: Living out Loud." Library Journal 132.10 (2007): 34.
Stephens, Michael Casey & Michael. "The Transparent Library: Living out Loud." Library Journal 132.10 (2007): 34.
Casey and Stephens present a look at the "transperant library". The opening line "you're out there whether you want to or not" sets the stage for a contentious piece. The authors are cautious to go to extremes and make a case for ALL information to be made public knowledge. However much effort is given towards making information open and accessible.
This column opens with the example of Diebold's security blunder. The authors illustrate the fact the internet makes information so easy and accessible that corporations and libraries have no choice but to embrace the fluidity and transperancy of the medium. Casey and Stephens argue the point that transperancy creates staff buy-in and public involvement in evaluation. "Sharing big-picture thinking with staff is beneficial because it moves the library forward". Communication such as wikis or blogs fosters a feeling of level field or open field sharing, discussing, and collaboration among faculty and staff. The authors leverage this point going on to say transperancy will create a stronger and more motivated work force, one willing to tackle new ideas and new challenges.
Qualities of management are also discussed in this type of working environment. A democratic policy making approach must be employed. While some would cringe allowing staff to help draft policy and play a role in decision making, Casey and Stephens argue this method will better allow for staff to follow new policies. To lend credibility to their argument Clive Thompson's article "The Naked CEO" from March 2007 Wired Magazine is quoted. Mention of Thompson's piece leads and closes the column.
Interesting in this whole senario is the degree to which management must be transperant. Strong leadership in this type of senario must be without question. In my interning environment director leadership is strong. This solid and dependable situation is a perfect setup for transperant Library 2.0 communication. The degree to which staff rely on open means of communication is directly related to how leadership drives its usage.
Monday, June 11, 2007
DAILY
Today seemed like a long day! Maybe because its a Monday? I worked my 9-3 shift at school and as I type I'm concluding my 4-9 shift at PPL. I'm looking ahead to the next two weeks and thinking I'm doing this routine for how many more days??? I swear my summer will be gone and I'll feel cheated! It's time I'll never get back!
I helped shelve books tonight to start my shift in YA. I feel more comfortable over in that room because some of my books are on the shelves there and I feel a bit more in my element. Having attended the meeting yesterday I was grounded a bit or made to realize how different the two settings really are. It's made me realize some differences both positive and negative.
Debbie was working the end of her day's shift and I asked her if there was more work to be done on the AR lists...duh!!! She put me back on the large Menominee school list. This updating of the database thing is perpetual and never ending. I swear I could sit at the PC for days upon days and tweak things in the database. Debbie seems willing to take on such a task just for alignment sake. It's a good thing she does however its a major effort / burden to be aligned. Especially since PPL doesn't have the software the school uses and can't import things electronically. PPL is forced to create their own electronic record keeping system for the quiz lists for the 4 elementary schools. I'm just part of the grunt work keeping things updated.
After a solid hour of work I needed a respite. I started shelving for the children's department ladies; which has become my staple duty and home. Non-fiction is the hardest and most time consuming even though you know where the stuff goes.
I enjoy / get along with Lois. The classic librarian grandma - bake the cookies - babysit etc. I'm finding it harder and harder to get along with Shirley who's hard of hearing, uses a cane, and has numerous other physical issues. Her nasaly voice combined with her inability to hear you speak only magnifies the issue. Her insistance on showing me how to do trival things like folding towels and how to properly spray book cleaner is a test of my patience. I hope my days with her are very limited from here on out!! To make matters worse the staff has begun to complain to me about her inabilities and general "lack of".
I helped shelve books tonight to start my shift in YA. I feel more comfortable over in that room because some of my books are on the shelves there and I feel a bit more in my element. Having attended the meeting yesterday I was grounded a bit or made to realize how different the two settings really are. It's made me realize some differences both positive and negative.
Debbie was working the end of her day's shift and I asked her if there was more work to be done on the AR lists...duh!!! She put me back on the large Menominee school list. This updating of the database thing is perpetual and never ending. I swear I could sit at the PC for days upon days and tweak things in the database. Debbie seems willing to take on such a task just for alignment sake. It's a good thing she does however its a major effort / burden to be aligned. Especially since PPL doesn't have the software the school uses and can't import things electronically. PPL is forced to create their own electronic record keeping system for the quiz lists for the 4 elementary schools. I'm just part of the grunt work keeping things updated.
After a solid hour of work I needed a respite. I started shelving for the children's department ladies; which has become my staple duty and home. Non-fiction is the hardest and most time consuming even though you know where the stuff goes.
I enjoy / get along with Lois. The classic librarian grandma - bake the cookies - babysit etc. I'm finding it harder and harder to get along with Shirley who's hard of hearing, uses a cane, and has numerous other physical issues. Her nasaly voice combined with her inability to hear you speak only magnifies the issue. Her insistance on showing me how to do trival things like folding towels and how to properly spray book cleaner is a test of my patience. I hope my days with her are very limited from here on out!! To make matters worse the staff has begun to complain to me about her inabilities and general "lack of".
WEEKLY REFLECTION
Yesterday was our staff meeting to discuss future planning. I was interested and intrigued to attend as I've yet to see the entire staff gathered together. I was hoping this would give me a feeling of the overall mood and camaraderie of the building and gain a feel for what ills other areas of the library. I also thought of this as a chance to sort of interview the staff and see if this was a potential career (part-time or full-time) for me. Leaving the meeting and riding home I had several conclusions:
The facilitator did a GREAT job mixing and mashing the groups and keeping things on track. I found myself in a couple awkward groups. Afterwords I was relieved for the evening to be over as I felt way way way out of my element at times. I was able to contribute to each of the activities however the feeling of an outsider loomed large. Also the amount of grandmotherly menopausal estrogen in the room was asphyxiating at times for me a younger male. Also I cringed at times when my education was superior to issues raised by co-workers. The generation gap coupled with their inept skills with and or accepting of technology was tough to listen to and sympathize with. My perspective as a male were quite different than several of the females working in the building. The gender difference was by far the most difficult aspect for me to handle in a meeting such as this, in the setting, and on their "turf". I did my best to avoid controversy and attempted to charm all I came into contact with.
I wonder from their perspective if I'm threatening. Here I'm from the opposite sex, quite younger, keen user of technology, and they're thinking...I'm here as part of earning a degree to possibly be a director or library administrator...I'm sure thoughts were running through several minds.
- The public system employs old folks who have limited skills. Sometimes internal systems of management are designed to accommodate those, instead of cater to patron needs.
- The public system unlike schools can employ folks who aren't certified and place those people in power positions. Oftentimes these folks have little schooling beyond high school.
- Some of my former students work here, live at home, don't have plans to get further education, and seem depressed and / or hardened by their situation in life.
- Odd personalities abound! Odd folks seem staggered, almost strategically, throughout the building. Hmm...am I noticing management involvement :)
- Our director is truly the glue of the place and her charisma is the thing that makes everything function and GO! I can easily see why people in this building find her WONDERFUL to work for. I would agree 100%!
- A school library has less distracting issues (from the overall "goal") than the public sector.
- The public sector must attempt to please and entertain all ages.
The facilitator did a GREAT job mixing and mashing the groups and keeping things on track. I found myself in a couple awkward groups. Afterwords I was relieved for the evening to be over as I felt way way way out of my element at times. I was able to contribute to each of the activities however the feeling of an outsider loomed large. Also the amount of grandmotherly menopausal estrogen in the room was asphyxiating at times for me a younger male. Also I cringed at times when my education was superior to issues raised by co-workers. The generation gap coupled with their inept skills with and or accepting of technology was tough to listen to and sympathize with. My perspective as a male were quite different than several of the females working in the building. The gender difference was by far the most difficult aspect for me to handle in a meeting such as this, in the setting, and on their "turf". I did my best to avoid controversy and attempted to charm all I came into contact with.
I wonder from their perspective if I'm threatening. Here I'm from the opposite sex, quite younger, keen user of technology, and they're thinking...I'm here as part of earning a degree to possibly be a director or library administrator...I'm sure thoughts were running through several minds.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
DAILY
Today is my first Saturday at PPL. The bike ride to work today was great as the temp outside was perfect. The nice weather lead to slow activity by 2:00pm.
I worked all morning on the database and was able to complete the whole process by around 11:30. Two and a half hours of tedious clicking around!! I just hope someone values my efforts. The clerks I was working with made a comment..."hey only 3 more schools to do now :)" While it does make the time go by it's a thankless job. Plus I can't listen to music in the room where I need to work.
We have a meeting tomorrow regarding future planning. I'm hoping to do my weekly blog after tomorrow's session.
Susie gave us a 4 page article on Library 2.0 technology. I'm hoping to use this article as one of my annotation pieces.
One reason my postings all came today is the fact the library computers block Blogger.com's website. I asked and Linda made an exception in the server for me. Like I'm doing at the moment I'm hoping to use extremely slow periods for catching up on my daily postings.
I worked all morning on the database and was able to complete the whole process by around 11:30. Two and a half hours of tedious clicking around!! I just hope someone values my efforts. The clerks I was working with made a comment..."hey only 3 more schools to do now :)" While it does make the time go by it's a thankless job. Plus I can't listen to music in the room where I need to work.
We have a meeting tomorrow regarding future planning. I'm hoping to do my weekly blog after tomorrow's session.
Susie gave us a 4 page article on Library 2.0 technology. I'm hoping to use this article as one of my annotation pieces.
One reason my postings all came today is the fact the library computers block Blogger.com's website. I asked and Linda made an exception in the server for me. Like I'm doing at the moment I'm hoping to use extremely slow periods for catching up on my daily postings.
DAILY
I helped with prizes today in childrens. I also helped shelve.
I came in early today as my golf banquet was tonight. This was one of the shortest shifts of summer.
The library is big on using Access Databases. I've not much experience with Access however I'd like to learn. In the afternoon when things slowed down I asked Debbie if there's a project she wanted / needed help on. We have 4 elementaries, each with their own list of Accelerated Reader Books. The library has a running database of books that are on each schools list. However...recently the points and levels of AR books have changed and Debbie wants her list updated by school with the new "corrected points". Here's where I enter in...
A volunteer had gone through our largest elementary collection and noted on paper (74 pages worth) new point totals. My job was to update the individual records in the database. This was a slow and very repititive process. However each step of the way I had to check if this title existed exclusively in that buildings collection. Basically I had to make a new record and update the proper points for each. I worked on this till closing time only getting through the G's.
I came in early today as my golf banquet was tonight. This was one of the shortest shifts of summer.
The library is big on using Access Databases. I've not much experience with Access however I'd like to learn. In the afternoon when things slowed down I asked Debbie if there's a project she wanted / needed help on. We have 4 elementaries, each with their own list of Accelerated Reader Books. The library has a running database of books that are on each schools list. However...recently the points and levels of AR books have changed and Debbie wants her list updated by school with the new "corrected points". Here's where I enter in...
A volunteer had gone through our largest elementary collection and noted on paper (74 pages worth) new point totals. My job was to update the individual records in the database. This was a slow and very repititive process. However each step of the way I had to check if this title existed exclusively in that buildings collection. Basically I had to make a new record and update the proper points for each. I worked on this till closing time only getting through the G's.
DAILY
Today was my first full day shift. After about two hours of being around I began to see how the "full timers" operate. I noticed everyone was around and things were buzzing. This was day three of the reading program; utilizing the new online software and database. Miss Marie the head of the children's department continues to complain and wine about the technological aspect being so so so difficult. However she sings its praises minutes later when she helps a kid look up their reading log and see what prizes they have earned.
I helped shelve for about 40 minutes and then began working with Debbie. At the directors request she showed me her process of ordering through Baker and Taylor online. She shared with me the ins and outs of the website she uses and the many features at her disposal to build, place, and track her orders. As a result of this discussion she also showed me her system for tracking what items (books) she's ordered; when ordered, if arrived, status, etc...
I'm not used to leaving work for a true "lunch hour". However mine rolled around about 12:45. It was nice to be able to leave the building, something I rarely have time for in my school position.
The remainder of the afternoon was working in the children's department doing shelving.
I helped shelve for about 40 minutes and then began working with Debbie. At the directors request she showed me her process of ordering through Baker and Taylor online. She shared with me the ins and outs of the website she uses and the many features at her disposal to build, place, and track her orders. As a result of this discussion she also showed me her system for tracking what items (books) she's ordered; when ordered, if arrived, status, etc...
I'm not used to leaving work for a true "lunch hour". However mine rolled around about 12:45. It was nice to be able to leave the building, something I rarely have time for in my school position.
The remainder of the afternoon was working in the children's department doing shelving.
DAILY
Today was my first evening shift after working summer school at PHS. My first order of business was discussing and ironing out my schedule with the Susie the director. She was adamant about my attendance on Wednesday's for programming; which I agreed. Next I had to call folks to help me cover my Wednesday hours at school in the afternoon.
Being frustrated with the day and scheduling and re-scheduling I was more than happy to work the shelves for the night. I shelved books the entire shift.
I'm still struggling and getting used to the small collections strew throughout the children's room. I sometimes wonder if they are worth it. I suppose they are when you have someone coming in for a specific type of genre. Coming from a school setting with high school students the employment of sub-sections is a waste of time in my opinion.
My Monday co-workers were the same two older gals that I've worked with before. One of which I finally figured out has a hearing problem. In my dealings with her prior she seemed pleasant yet lacking in social cues bordering on curt at times. I really noticed it this evening when a patron got upset with her ignoring an ask for help. When the patron complained loudly to the other gal working with us about her "attitude" and "snobbiness" I began to feel validated a bit. Later in the evening my suspicions were founded when she asked me to look at her when speaking. I could then tell she has to read lips to interpret fully. I still don't know her handicap and feel a bit uncomfortable asking.
Tonight was an uneventful evening - shelving and then some. I went home tired, pissed off, and still upset about my schedule. All my hardwork and now I'm losing $$.
Being frustrated with the day and scheduling and re-scheduling I was more than happy to work the shelves for the night. I shelved books the entire shift.
I'm still struggling and getting used to the small collections strew throughout the children's room. I sometimes wonder if they are worth it. I suppose they are when you have someone coming in for a specific type of genre. Coming from a school setting with high school students the employment of sub-sections is a waste of time in my opinion.
My Monday co-workers were the same two older gals that I've worked with before. One of which I finally figured out has a hearing problem. In my dealings with her prior she seemed pleasant yet lacking in social cues bordering on curt at times. I really noticed it this evening when a patron got upset with her ignoring an ask for help. When the patron complained loudly to the other gal working with us about her "attitude" and "snobbiness" I began to feel validated a bit. Later in the evening my suspicions were founded when she asked me to look at her when speaking. I could then tell she has to read lips to interpret fully. I still don't know her handicap and feel a bit uncomfortable asking.
Tonight was an uneventful evening - shelving and then some. I went home tired, pissed off, and still upset about my schedule. All my hardwork and now I'm losing $$.
WEEKLY REFLECTION
Schedules sux! I've been trying to please two bosses, finish my coaching season this spring, finish school, while at the same time cranking out intern hours, and getting my library at school shifted into summer school mode.
I had a major scheduling snafu today - retooled my school and intern schedule several times. All said and done I had to protect my intern hours on Wednesdays in the month of June while sacrificing hours at my "PAID" job at school. As a result of my two days needing to be in Ft. Wayne for Golf Regionals this week I'm going to lose money. I'm already working for free for this internship and now I'm really losing pay!!! Too many irons in the fire!!
Today 6/4 is the opening day of the Auction. The staff is freaking out today! Parents and kids are coming in today and wanting to signup using the new software system. The staff having never used the system till now are learning the system while working out the bugs. I think this new administrative tool will eventually be a "good thing" for PPL. Staff are hesitant and complaining about it however they are quick to comment how time intensive the "old method" was and their glad they don't have to record all the data.
I'm looking forward to summer at school and a more relaxed atmosphere. This also begins the grind of my internship as I'm working 9 am to 9 pm each day with only an hour off between school and PPL. I'm leary I'll get burned out working 9 days straight at PPL, however its the only way I can get my hours completed prior to my Summer II class. I'll really be thankful when July rolls around :)
I wish I could update my blog from the library PC's at the end of each shift. I'm unable to do so due to the filters they have in place. Just another reason I'm tardy in getting this all in electronic format.
I had a major scheduling snafu today - retooled my school and intern schedule several times. All said and done I had to protect my intern hours on Wednesdays in the month of June while sacrificing hours at my "PAID" job at school. As a result of my two days needing to be in Ft. Wayne for Golf Regionals this week I'm going to lose money. I'm already working for free for this internship and now I'm really losing pay!!! Too many irons in the fire!!
Today 6/4 is the opening day of the Auction. The staff is freaking out today! Parents and kids are coming in today and wanting to signup using the new software system. The staff having never used the system till now are learning the system while working out the bugs. I think this new administrative tool will eventually be a "good thing" for PPL. Staff are hesitant and complaining about it however they are quick to comment how time intensive the "old method" was and their glad they don't have to record all the data.
I'm looking forward to summer at school and a more relaxed atmosphere. This also begins the grind of my internship as I'm working 9 am to 9 pm each day with only an hour off between school and PPL. I'm leary I'll get burned out working 9 days straight at PPL, however its the only way I can get my hours completed prior to my Summer II class. I'll really be thankful when July rolls around :)
I wish I could update my blog from the library PC's at the end of each shift. I'm unable to do so due to the filters they have in place. Just another reason I'm tardy in getting this all in electronic format.
DAILY
I spent tonight in the computer room with Linda. She's an easy person to chat with and has a grasp of reality it seems. She and I have more in common unlike some of the other ladies in the building whom I've worked along side with.
Well my task for tonight was to get all my hardwork on the web. I had to learn the software system, do some minor programming and test my web design metal.
I felt really accomplished! With an hour to go in my shift I had the project online and ready for kids to access. Linda wasn't much help, more of a cheerleader :) I got a glimsp of the hierarchy of their webserver and what content the library has available via their server tonight as I had to work within that system to get my project online.
While it doesn't employ someone exclusively I can see the need for a person at the library to maintain their web presence. They share the duty between a couple individuals, no one is the "expert" or guru. The most noticable flaw in their system / design is the exclusive use of MS Word as their HTML editor. Slow loading pages and complex tables are a staple.
Well my task for tonight was to get all my hardwork on the web. I had to learn the software system, do some minor programming and test my web design metal.
I felt really accomplished! With an hour to go in my shift I had the project online and ready for kids to access. Linda wasn't much help, more of a cheerleader :) I got a glimsp of the hierarchy of their webserver and what content the library has available via their server tonight as I had to work within that system to get my project online.
While it doesn't employ someone exclusively I can see the need for a person at the library to maintain their web presence. They share the duty between a couple individuals, no one is the "expert" or guru. The most noticable flaw in their system / design is the exclusive use of MS Word as their HTML editor. Slow loading pages and complex tables are a staple.
DAILY
I spent this evening in the Children's room helping with shelving. This is the most difficult place in the library to shelve as there are tons of special collection areas. Colored dots associate the many different collections and are intended to represent the 4 elementary school AR books in combination with their shelving location. While its a thoughtout system it's still taking me time to understand it all. To make matters worse I'm not an elementary or Pre-K teacher / librarian. I don't know the collection like the folks I'm working with.
I put the finishing touches on the web pages tonight. I felt very accomplished by the end of this shift as the whole thing is now a deliverable! After this I'm wondering what other big project Debbie has in mind for me. I'm hoping "they" get my stuff linked in with their management software. I've not spent time working with their software to know where we go from here.
I put the finishing touches on the web pages tonight. I felt very accomplished by the end of this shift as the whole thing is now a deliverable! After this I'm wondering what other big project Debbie has in mind for me. I'm hoping "they" get my stuff linked in with their management software. I've not spent time working with their software to know where we go from here.
DAILY
Today was a continuation of the day before. I continued to work on the many web pages. Linking pictures and purchasing sites online. The print list is shaping up, there's only a few more items we need to snap digitals of and then sync them up with the pages and list I've created.
I'm wondering how my work will be placed on the web. No one including Debbie seems to have that aspect in mind nor is there any transition plan?
I'm wondering how my work will be placed on the web. No one including Debbie seems to have that aspect in mind nor is there any transition plan?
DAILY
I've finally gotten a chance to update the blog from my handwritten notes. The past couple weeks have been hectice and I've not had a chance to breath trying to please my two bosses.
I spent Tuesday 5/22 working on Debbie's Auction project. I was happy to find a study room where I could work like an office. I had several visits from Susie the director tonight checking on how things were progressing. Convienient that her office was next to the study room I was working in.
The majority of my time was spent building the sub-pages with the Auction prizes. I spent the evening continuing to sub-divide the picture from the digital camera by their category.
I was pleased to hear from Susie I was doing a great job to date. She shared correspondence with Dr. Irwin which was a nice shot in the arm for me and my efforts.
I spent Tuesday 5/22 working on Debbie's Auction project. I was happy to find a study room where I could work like an office. I had several visits from Susie the director tonight checking on how things were progressing. Convienient that her office was next to the study room I was working in.
The majority of my time was spent building the sub-pages with the Auction prizes. I spent the evening continuing to sub-divide the picture from the digital camera by their category.
I was pleased to hear from Susie I was doing a great job to date. She shared correspondence with Dr. Irwin which was a nice shot in the arm for me and my efforts.
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