Week 5 complete

I just realized that I had been putting in more hours per week than I needed, since I am only enrolled for 3 credits rather than 4. So my output will probably slow a little bit since I don't have to do as many hours as I thought! Oh well - better too many hours than too few, and have to catch up.

I keep plugging away at these LibGuides. Right now I am concentrating on guides for the popular or unique Caldecott illustrators. I am writing short bios with links to their social media, adding in any good interviews or documentaries about them from YouTube, and finally putting in links and guides to interesting art projects related to their works. For example, illustrator Denise Fleming makes paper and uses it to make collages for her books, so I found a bunch of different links to really cool paper-making projects. Or Brian Selznick, who won the Caldecott for The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which is about automatons; I found some neat projects about building your own automaton. I'm trying to include projects for children and adults, although most of what I find is geared toward kids. I am getting to be a lot more creative with this LibGuide project than I thought I would.

Week 4 complete

I don't have much to report this week that is different from last week. I'm still working on the LibGuides; I am slowly but surely adding content to the pages about the Caldecott-winning authors. Finding biographical information, interviews, etc. is fairly easy. Trying to find art projects that relate to the illustrator's work is a little harder, but I like a research challenge. Oh, and I mentioned a book that would help in my research - just in passing - to my supervisor, and she bought it and mailed it to me! All in all, the internship is a nice break from the e-portfolio, which is kicking me in the backside. (Comps A-E done; only a million more to go!)

I like the topic of time management this week. It is a topic I have been interested in for many years, and I feel I am at the point where I am very efficient and don't waste time or procrastinate very often. The calendar and task tools in Outlook Express get 95% of the credit for that - I know everyone likes different productivity tools, and the Outlook tools are definitely my favorite. I hate seeing the overdue tasks turn red!

Comp G: Cataloging

Demonstrate understanding of basic principles and standards involved in organizing information, including classification, cataloging, metadata, or other systems.

Introduction

This competency delves deeper into the short section on organization from competency F. In order for users to find information in a large collection of items, they must be organized and entered in a systematic, standardized way. To make it easy for the user to find an item, though, takes quite a bit of behind-the-scenes work by LIS professionals who organize, classify, and catalog physical and digital materials. Each item in a collection is given a surrogate, or a record, that lists information about it (for a book, this would be the title, author, year published, etc.). These records are then kept in one place – in the “old days”, the card catalog, but now is most likely a computerized database. There, a user can access the records through access points, which would point the way to the actual item. For example, in a public library, a user can look up the title of a book on the OPAC (Open Public Access Catalog) as an access point, which would give the call number for where the user could find the item on the shelves. If the users were searching for a digital item, there may be a link to the full item right in the record.

·         Subject analysis

Cataloging is not just a matter of entering in the information on the title page of the book. Each work must be indexed and classified under a subject heading. A cataloger must determine the “aboutness” of an item, and it is highly subjective work. In formal systems such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), a controlled vocabulary lessens some of the ambiguity in the language. This controlled vocabulary contains precisely defined terms for the cataloger to choose from; each concept is described by one term. All the terms in a controlled vocabulary, as well as their relationships to similar ideas and terms, are listed in a thesaurus. Pre-coordination and post-coordination are important concepts in subject analysis. Pre-coordination is combining subjects into one sequence by a cataloger (i.e., Law-Political aspects-United States-History-20^thCentury). Post-coordination is combining keywords at the time of a search by a user. Both have their place: pre-coordinate terms are valuable for browsing, while post-coordinate terms are more flexible.

Another type of organizing and cataloguing digital items online by subject is tagging. This is usually a very informal method wherein the users create subject headings for objects based on their own impressions. This method can make natural language searching easier. Maness (2006) uses the example of the LCSH term “cookery” for “cookbook”. Cookery is a word which virtually no one uses anymore; users could tag the items “cooking” or “cookbooks” instead, making these items much easier for a patron to find. Because of this benefit, some libraries have added a tagging feature to their OPACs. This act of collaboratively tagging items is also called folksonomy, a portmanteau of “folk” and “taxonomy.”

·         Classification

Most libraries have their collections arranged in a hierarchical classification structure. The subjects, or classes, are arranged in a tree-like structure, with more specific sub-classes branching off each one. The Dewey Decimal System (DDC) and the Library of Congress Classification (LCC) are the most common hierarchical classification schemes. In DDC, all knowledge is divided into ten categories, each with ten subclasses, and each of those with another ten sub-subclasses. This results in 1,000 categories, with a three-digit number representing each. It can become even more specific with additional numbers following a decimal point. These extra numbers can bring out particular parts of a topic, like the time period the work covers or the form of the document. The LCC divides knowledge into categories by the letters of the alphabet. The notation is one or two letters followed by one to four numbers. Other codes may be added after a decimal point. It differs from DDC in that each class has its own structure and is not consistent with other classes. DDC notation reflects the hierarchical structure, whereas LCC classes are basically numbered in order.

Records are generally created for library use using MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging) format. Each MARC record has three-digit codes signifying fields for information such as author, title, date, and language. To determine what to record and how to do it, catalogers used AACR2 (Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2^ndedition) until about 2010. Since then, RDA (Resource Description and Access) has superseded AACR2 as the cataloging standard in most English language libraries.

·         Metadata

Digital items have associated metadata. Metadata is structured information that describes a resource. Many people use the term only for electronic resources, but old-fashioned card catalogs were a type of metadata, also. In fact, metadata serves many of the same functions as a card catalog did, such as identifying resources by criteria, aggregating or distinguishing resources, and giving resource locations. But metadata goes beyond just the basic bibliographic information; it can be used for technical, structural, and preservation information, and rights management. Most metadata standards have interoperability, so they can be used across platforms.

I took LIBR 281 – Seminar in Contemporary Issues: Metadata just so I could learn more about this important and wide-ranging topic. We studied some of the most common metadata schemes used by LIS professionals. Dublin Core is a widely-used scheme based on MARC that was originally intended to describe web documents, but has been expanded to include many kinds of items. For example, the EPUB e-book format uses Dublin Core. It is made up of 15 optional repeatable core elements (i.e., Creator, Publisher, Format, and Language), which makes it very flexible. Dublin Core can be encoded in XML (Extensible Markup Language) or RDF (Resource Description Framework), two very common languages. In LIBR 281, we also learned about more specialized metadata schemes. There is a scheme for every type of item that needs to be organized. Here are just a few examples:

o   TEI (Text Encoding Initiative) is used for marking up texts.

o   METS (Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard) is used for digital library objects.

o   MODS (Metadata Object Description Schema) is an XML-based bibliographic scheme developed by the Library of Congress.

o   EAD (Encoded Archival Description) is for archival finding aids.

Evidence

Evidence 1 is an exercise called Metadata Crosswalk from my metadata seminar, LIBR 281. In this assignment, we were to make a record in one metadata scheme and transfer the information to another, a process known as crosswalking. I wrote the record first in plain text, then in Dublin Core, and crosswalked it to MODS. In doing so, I was able to practice entering records in both schemes, learning about the variations in terminology and how each is encoded differently. Learning the vocabulary in each was the most difficult part of the assignment; the documentation for each scheme is not always very clear or straightforward when defining terms. But after doing several metadata exercises which culminated in this crosswalk assignment, I was beginning to see the patterns in the language of the schemes. For example, both Dublin Core and MODS use the term “extent” for the file size of a digital book, while using the “format” element for the dimensions of a physical book. This evidence proves I understand how to compare different metadata schemes and how they can be used for cataloging digital items.

Evidence 2 is a research paper called Metadata Scheme Darwin Core, also from LIBR 281, about the metadata scheme Darwin Core. We were to choose on scheme and research its history, documentation, terminology, and uses. I chose Darwin Core because I was very interested in how metadata was being used to catalog biological materials, rather than bibliographic items. This scheme is used by many natural history museums and biological research institutes. It can be encoded with RDF, XML, JavaScript, and more, making it interoperable and fairly simple to use. Through this research, I learned how one metadata scheme can be applied in many different ways to organize collections of information. Darwin Core is being used to make interactive maps of local wildlife, to digitize old museum specimen labels, and to assist marine biologists who are unfamiliar with data management to enter and maintain their specimen data. With this research paper, I show that I understand the importance of metadata to organization of information and how it can be so useful even outside of the information science field.

Evidence 3 consists of two pieces and comes from LIBR 202. It is Assignment 3 Datastructure Entries and Assignment 3 User Guide. This was part of a project in which I had to take 15 of the journal articles from the semester’s reading list and index them in an InMagic database. Part of the assignment was learning about subject analysis, so I used controlled vocabulary where necessary, as well as coming up with pre- and post-coordinate terms for each article. This assignment really required me to think critically about classification and subject analysis. I had to really consider each term I used, to make sure it was the correct one to apply in this situation. For instance, should I use “folk taxonomy” or “folksonomy”? To begin, I came up with some broad topics first, then broke each topic down into sub-classes until I felt I had captured the “aboutness” of each article. Post-coordinate terms were easier to come up with; each article had one or more keywords that seemed to fit the subject matter. The assignments show these pre- and post-coordinate terms, as well as other rules I had for entering records in my database. It proves I understand the principles of subject analysis, as well as the challenges of using pre-coordination to make the articles accessible to anyone who may search for them.

Conclusion

Knowledge of metadata, as well as other information organization principles, will be incredibly helpful to me in my career. It is one of my favorite topics, as well as being important to the future of information science as more and more data is available online. When data is properly organized and classified, users have a much easier time finding what they are looking for. I have taken the information gained through these classes and applied it at home already; I catalogued my entire home library by LCC standards and I have “cleaned up” all the metadata on my digital music collection. My hope is to be able to employ these skills and knowledge beyond my home, in a library setting.

  

References

Maness, J. M. (2006). Library 2.0 theory: Web 2.0 and its implications for libraries. Webology 3(2). Retrieved from http://www.webology.org/2006/v3n2/a25.html. 

Comp D: Management

Apply the fundamental principles of planning, management, marketing, and advocacy.

Introduction

I have been a manager in retail environments for over ten years. I was even named “Manager of the Quarter” by my company. So I came into LIBR 204 thinking I already knew all there is to know about this subject, but I was very wrong! I still had so much more to learn. Some of what I knew could apply in a library environment, but there are quite a few differences also. Similarities include the importance of communication, budgeting, and motivation. The major difference is the goal: in retail management, the goal is always focused on improving the bottom line. In LIS – although it may vary somewhat – management goals are usually not profit-oriented, but user-oriented. This means different management, planning, and marketing techniques are necessary in a library environment.

• Management

The four major resources that an LIS manager handles are employees, budgets, technology, and facilities. To successfully manage those resources, they must have knowledge in areas such as decision-making, authority, responsibility, change, delegation, employee performance, motivation, and communication. In the past, it was thought that just having authority over others was all a manager needed. Now, after years of study of management concepts, experts know that skills in the areas listed above can be learned and applied effectively. There have been many different fads in management styles over the decades – scientific, behavioral, administrative, and others – but no one approach will work with every situation and employee. Evans and Ward emphasize that “circumstance/environments change and flexibility is the cornerstone to successful managing” (2007, p. 36). Contemporary management experts use a composite approach that draws from every discipline and is flexible enough to respond to unique situations.

• Planning

To reach any goal, we must have a plan. “Without a plan, the chances that random activity will achieve a desired organizational goal are extremely low,” say Evans and Ward (p. 146). Most organizations have both long-term and short-term plans. As a retail manager, we had daily, weekly, and monthly goals (i.e., sales, cleaning, and maintenance), and yearly goals (i.e., budget, employee retention). At the company level, there were long-term five- or ten-year plans, which we were privy to but not involved in creating at the store level. Library and information center managers can be more involved in the long-term planning process. The short, day-to-day plans are called operational plans. Tactical plans are mid-length plans and help move an organization to their strategic goals. Strategic plans are long-term, usually lasting several years. This strategic planning was the focus of much of my work in LIBR 204 and LIBR 282.

There are many parts to a successful strategic plan: an environmental scan helps management assess the parameters in which they are operating; mission, vision, and value statements boil down the organization’s ultimate strategy; and the plan goals and objectives allow management to break out tasks and timelines for employees. Sometimes a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is included in a strategic plan. This is an effective exercise, according to Evans and Ward, because it can “facilitate thinking through the implications of environmental data and the capabilities of your organization” (p. 153). They caution, though, that we should not become too attached to one style of long-term planning, to keep local settings in mind, and adjust our planning approach to fit the circumstances.

• Marketing/Advocacy

Library and information centers in the past did not feel the need to market materials and services to patrons. Since the 1980s, this has changed. Now, we can see that marketing helps us increase effectiveness and tailor our programs and services to the needs of the people in the community. Evans and Ward list a few (of many) excellent reasons why a library may need to market their wares: people don’t know about the product; people cannot find the product or do not know when it is available; people do not understand what the product can do; people have difficulty using the product (p. 85-86). Once library management decide to make marketing part of the library’s plan, there are many areas this can be applied. Promotion is the most obvious way of marketing – this means techniques that inform and persuade the community to use the available services. Techniques include advertising, publicity, and using social media. Other areas of marketing include branding, internal marketing (making sure staff are well-informed of services), and public relations.

Advocacy is closely tied in to marketing, but library management does not just have to advocate to the community. They must advocate and lobby to politicians, executives, and other decision-makers about the usefulness of their programs and services. “A manager has to ensure that the service is recognized as being essential and adds value to the organization and the community it serves,” explain Evans and Ward (p. 187). This is especially important at times when the budget of the information center is under fire. Being a good advocate and having the backing of the community can go a long way to keeping a budget reasonably intact.

Evidence

The first artifact I am presenting as evidence is part one of a group project for LIBR 204, called Team 3 Strategic Plan- Part 1. This section of our project includes a literature review; mission, vision, and value statements; an environmental scan; and a SWOT analysis. I was the group leader for this project and the library we assessed is where I volunteer, the Rohnert Park-Cotati Public Library. My contributions to this part of the project include the second half of the literature review (about social media in libraries); statistics, census data, and first-hand knowledge for the environmental scan; and articulating examples, quotations, and statistics for the SWOT analysis.

I demonstrate that I understand how long-term planning is applied in a library setting. The environmental scan and SWOT analysis really taught me that the situation of the organization can have a large impact on the goals of an organization. For instance, the Rohnert Park-Cotati Public Library has a built-in used bookstore run by the Friends of the Library; there are no other bookstores in the immediate area. This means that the Friends bookstore is able to raise over $1,000 a week in additional funds for the library, something no other library in the Sonoma County system is able to do. The branch manager is able to use these funds for extra high-demand book titles and any special projects she chooses. Every library has its own unique features such as this, and an environmental scan and SWOT analysis will show how these can be used to a manager’s advantage in the strategic goals.

The next evidence is the second part of the group project from LIBR 204, Team 3 Strategic Plan- Part 2. Section two includes the strategic goals, objectives, and assessments; and an annotated bibliography. My contributions to this part include writing goals 3-5, as well as half of the annotated bibliography. The goals I wrote, as well as the articles I annotated, are all focused on the marketing of library services through social media, especially Twitter, Facebook, and a library blog. The goals include specific tasks and guidelines for social media use; this type of marketing is not a one-way street, but is inherently interactive. Social media must be monitored closely by library staff to ensure proper posting and responses.

This shows that I understand the importance of marketing library services to users online. A public library really needs to have an online presence. Some people may prefer using one social media platform over others, so librarians must go where the users are to bring them the information they need. For the right person, this type of marketing could become an enjoyable way to get to know patrons and their wants and needs. I have already begun to apply what I have learned about social media in this particular project; I recently took charge of the Twitter account for the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center.

My third piece of evidence is a discussion post from LIBR 282 (Discussion Customer Analytics).  The class was a seminar on managing information technology; in this discussion we responded to a case study in which an organization was presented with advanced customer behavior analytics technology. Was there a way to ethically and responsibly use the information? One important part of management is being able to say “no” sometimes, especially when the technology would violate a core value - in this case, privacy. Even though the technology seems like it would have advantages – in the case study, the insurance company could make correlations between grocery store purchases and customer health data – but the disadvantages may outweigh whatever would be gained. A health insurance company is not the same as an information center, but they do face the same type of privacy issues when medical records are involved.

In the discussion post, I argue that using the new technology could not only violate the security and privacy of their customers, but they could actually lose customers. I advise against using the technology. “The question of making a poor investment is important, since information and communications technology takes up an increasing percentage of the service’s budget,” according to Evans and Ward (p. 456). Libraries generally have less money to spend on new technology, so we must be very careful what we choose to invest in.

Conclusion

Through work experience and what I have learned in LIBR 204 and LIBR 282, I will be able to approach any management opportunity with the requisite knowledge and skills to be successful. Managing an information center brings its own benefits and challenges that are not found in other organizations. The most important point is that a library manager must be flexible and not get mired in something that is not working – whether it is a management style, type of plan, particular marketing tactic, or even social media platform. Knowledge of the various methods and philosophies will help me adjust to whatever the setting and situation call for.

References

Evans, G. E., & Ward, P. L. (2007). Management basics for information professionals (2^nd ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers.

Week 3 complete

This week I finished categorizing all the Caldecott books by the medium the illustrator used (type of painting, printing, drawing, etc.). I couldn't find information on some of the old, out-of-print ones, but I completed as much as I could. Then I began working on the artist LibGuide pages - I am supposed to find biographical info, interviews, and more about the artists. I am also supposed to add in arts & crafts projects related to the artist and their styles. This is taking longer, since I do not have much (or any!) experience with kids arts and crafts. It is also taking some time to figure out how to properly attribute each photo or video I post in the LibGuides. I know most of what I post is covered under Fair Use as long as I cite where I got it, but I want to make sure I am doing things right.

I went to the used bookstores around town and bought them out of any Caldecott books they had. Now I have a giant stack to use for reference, and I'll send them to my 2-year-old nephew when this internship is over. It is much easier to examine the artwork that way than to look at pictures on Amazon, although Amazon is actually not bad. For most of these kids books, they have the "Look Inside" option to see a few pages, and the resolution is nice and clear.

Anyway, I will probably be working on the artist LibGuide pages for a few weeks, unless my supervisor tells me otherwise.

Week 2 complete

This internship continues to be fun, and I wish I could spend more time on it. I am also doing my e-portfolio this semester, which is very daunting. I keep switching between the two projects so I don't get too stressed out over the e-portfolio.

So far, I have categorized all 300+ Caldecott winners into categories of style, medium, and themes. I have made LibGuide pages for nearly all the themes and styles and am almost done. I have started learning about the illustrators and am beginning to craft LibGuide pages for them, although that will be much more difficult. If I want to post videos and other media about the authors, I will have to brush up on my "fair use" copyright knowledge and make sure I am doing it correctly. We will be putting all these resources into an e-book later in the semester, so "permissions" is one of my tasks.