Libraries as Places of Creation

Classes for the Fall 2011 semester officially ended on Friday, and as part of the last meeting of IST 511 we presented group poster projects about the future of libraries.  I was part of a group that focused on libraries as places of creation and we looked at the ways that libraries are supporting creativity today as well what trends may emerge in the next ten to fifteen years.

I enjoyed researching this project and seeing the sources that other group members found.  I’ve listed a few of the articles and websites below.  You may have already seen some of these, but I think they’re worth a look if you’re interested in the new paths that libraries are taking.

The first article is a blog post that explains what a maker space is and advocates for their place in public libraries.  I found the comments that the post elicited to be interesting, too.  The second is a Forbes article about the implementation of such a space at the Fayetteville Free Library.  Then there is a website about the NOPL LibraryFarm project, and information about YOUmedia at the Chicago Public Library, a program for teens that makes use of a recording studio and performance space.  Last but not least, here is a link to the activities page for a unique library/museum facility in Australia.

I hope that you enjoy looking at these resources and discovering the ways that libraries are supporting creativity in their communities.  Happy Holidays!

Indexing: Harder Than It Looks

Earlier in the year, I wrote a blog post lamenting the fact that the textbook for IST 511, The Atlas of New Librarianship, did not have a traditional index.   Naturally, Professor Lankes suggested that perhaps I should create one if I was looking for a challenging project.  Since I have been taking a course on indexing, I thought, “Well, maybe I could try indexing a chapter or two during Christmas break.”  Over the course of the semester, however, I have discovered just how difficult creating an index can be.

The final project for IST 638 involves building a set of indexes for a television show or newsletter, deciding on indexing policies and conventions, creating a thesaurus to be used for future indexing, and evaluating the results of this work.  At first I thought “That sounds like fun!”  After I got into it I thought “This is more difficult than I expected.”  And lately I have been thinking “%#$!& indexing project!  I will never watch Doctor Who again!”

Each decision that I made for this project had ramifications that I didn’t foresee.  I would make a decision about the scope or indexable matter, what kind of locators to use, or what types of indexes to include, plod along for a while and then run into a problem.  What constituted a character in the character index?  Did they have to speak or appear on screen?  If a character said one line and then disappeared, should they be included?  What about character names – do I go by the name in the credits or use that name that they are called in the dialog?  The decisions went on and on.

I am sure that when I have gained the proper distance from this experience, I will once again find Doctor Who enjoyable and attempting to index a chapter or two of The Atlas will seem like a good idea.  But not right now.  Maybe during summer break…

Library Types - Which One Are You?

During the past few weeks, a variety of guests have visited IST 511 to talk about their jobs as librarians.  Some of the guests work in school libraries, some in public libraries, some in academic libraries, and one in a special library.  It has been interesting to hear about their experiences and viewpoints, and it has made me evaluate my own past experiences as well as what I may want to do when I complete my degree.

All of the jobs that the guests described sounded interesting and fun, although not without problems or challenges.  Some of the issues discussed by the guests included funding (always a hot topic), the changing nature of public libraries, questions of censorship and age-appropriateness for materials in school libraries, and the levels of bureaucracy that can be found in government libraries.  I think that I would enjoy working in any one of these settings, although school libraries might be out of reach because of the special requirements for school media specialists.

However, when it comes to academic libraries, the speakers made me stop and think about whether I really want to work in that environment.  I currently work as a GA at Bird Library, and I enjoy it a lot, but the faculty track for librarians that one of the speakers discussed did not appeal to me at all.  The need to publish or perish, and the “up or out” evaluations described by the speaker made the job sound incredibly stressful.  The actual work of academic librarianship still seems enjoyable, but the “advance or else” structure definitely does not.  The good news is that not all academic libraries have faculty track positions, so if I decide to go the academic route, I will simply have to evaluate my options carefully.

The presentations definitely have given me a lot to think about, and I’m still not sure what my ultimate decision will be.  I’m open to opportunity wherever it knocks, and I look forward to exploring the many avenues of librarianship as I continue my education and begin to consider life after school.

So Many Courses, So Little Time

A prominent feature of this past week was the opening of registration for the Spring 2012 semester.  This created a flurry of activity, a mix of emotions, and the overwhelming sense that no matter how diligently I plan or how carefully I choose, I will be missing out on some really great courses.

Should I take “Data Mining” or “Teaching in Libraries”?  “Information Policy” or “Information Design”?  “Creating Digital Assets” or “Management of a Small Public Library”?  The choices are so numerous that it is hard to keep track of all the options.  Add to that the balancing act between required courses and electives, and suddenly I need a chart to keep track of things.

Then there is the question of whether to pursue a Certificate of Advanced Study along with the MLIS.  Each CAS program has its own requirements, and if I want to finish one of these by the end of my MLIS degree, I’m going to have to make up my mind soon.  The E-Science CAS looks really interesting to me, but if I decide to complete it, I won’t be able to take any cool classes outside of that particular subject area.  Goodbye “Preserving Cultural Heritage”!  So long “Collection Development and Access”!

Choices, choices, and more choices.  It’s impossible to know if I’m making the right decisions, except perhaps in hindsight.  (And even then it’s hard to tell.)  So what did I do in the end?  I signed up for all my required classes, and put off the really hard choices until next semester.  :-)

Bird After Dark II

Last Friday evening I had the chance to observe the goings-on at Bird After Dark as a volunteer.  Bird After Dark is an annual event that encourages students to learn about their library by answering questions, playing games, and (hopefully) winning prizes.

It was really amazing to see the enthusiasm that the students brought to this event.  The evening started with a full roster of teams and a line for the registration tables.  Each team made up their own name and I even saw one team who dressed in matching outfits for the occasion!

As soon as the action started, kids were running everywhere:  upstairs and downstairs, back and forth to the computers, and stopping by the “Minute to Win It” tables to try their hand at various skill challenges.  It was awesome how invested everyone was with finding the answers to questions like “Using the Europa World database, what was the population of the Faroe Islands in 2009?”  I’m guessing that the possibility of winning a prize contributed to that enthusiasm, but still, it was pretty darn cool.

Scoring the answer sheets was also pretty interesting.  One of the questions was a freebie that asked the students to name their favorite books.  I haven’t seen that many literary classics since high school English class, but sadly there were no extra points for trying to impress the librarians. :-)

Each round of play featured 30 different questions and a 40 minute time limit, so completing all the questions proved to be a real challenge.  As a result, no one ended up with a perfect score, but I think everyone learned about a few library resources that they had never used before.  I really enjoyed being a volunteer at this event, and it helped me to learn more about the library too.

I can’t wait for next year!