an-aspiring-librarian-blog

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"There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration." - Andrew Carnegie

INFO 5320 Summer 5W1 2022

06/08/22

I wasn't anticipating signing up for this class, but my advisor suggested I take it to round out my degree so I finally agreed. I've worked in public libraries for five years in a public-facing role, so I know a lot about public libraries. I've seen and done a lot with a very broad range of the public. Therefor, I felt like I didn't need to learn about public libraries in an academic setting.

Now that the session has started, I am fairly interested in what this course will be about. I grew up with public libraries always readily accessible. I grew up riding my bike to the the public pool and then the library on the way home to check out more books. I'm hoping to learn more about how this become a norm to so many people, because there was a time, not so long ago, that people didn't have this kind of access to entertainment and information. I'm interested in learning more about the history of public libraries, and how they were formed. The extent of my knowledge is that Andrew Carnegie paid for a LOT of public libraries to be built, because he was a cool old rich man who understood how to leave a lasting legacy.

Cover of "Free to All" by Abigail A. Van Slyck, a book that we will probably use a lot in this class.

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... And then they lived happily ever after.

INFO 5440 - Spring 2022

05/11/2022

Prior to taking this course, I hadn’t really considered the presence of storytelling in my life. But now I recognize it everywhere. People are always telling stories, and we all can learn from them or at the very least empathize with them. I think without shared stories we would all be very isolated and lacking a guide by which we gauge our own experiences. Author Linda Dowling has an excellent quote that I think applies to this: “And in the end, we are all just stories.”

As I reflect upon what I’ve learned this semester, I’ve come to realize that I see stories everywhere in life. Our legacies are the stories we create and share. Our past experiences are retold in the present, and then influence the future when other people take them in and learn from them. Fabricated stories, legends, folklore, or other stories that people conceive, while they may not be factually accurate, influence the future in a similar way. People learn lessons from the actions of the characters and adjust their own behaviors, and even ways of thinking, based upon these shared stories.

Image by yogesh more from Pixabay

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It was way harder than I thought it would be.

INFO 5400 - Spring 2022

05/11/22

I feel that I surpassed my learning goals for this course. There is so much for the collection development than I ever could have imagined on my own. I now feel comfortable discussing collection development with librarians at work because I feel that I know the terminology and understand the process from beginning to end. Prior to this course I only really understood about the physical act of purchasing the books, but not everything else that goes into fully developing and maintaining a collection. 

I was surprised to learn that government investigations are part of collection development. Also, I had never really considered the acquisition of electronic resources and databases to be part of collection development. Prior to this course, I had only thought about the purchasing of materials that library users borrow (both print and digital). I now know that any resources or services that library patrons make use of can fall under the umbrella of collection development.

Moving forward, I feel that the biggest challenges to collection development will be keeping up with the increasing cost of materials and ensuring that these materials are available in formats that are appealing to the largest number of people. There are still many people who are diehard fans of physical books, which actually tend to be less expensive, but that many people have transitioned to reading electronically for the sake of convenience. I think the biggest issue will be aligning library budgets so that enough copies of print and digital materials are available to library users.

Image by Harish Sharma from Pixabay

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Once upon a time....

INFO 5440 - Preliminary Thoughts

01/18/22

I feel like I start most of my blogs with the same statement about not knowing what to expect from a class. This isn't totally true about this course. I have spoken to co-workers who have taken it and I know it's not focused on storytelling or reading to children, it's really going to be about the practice of storytelling to people of all ages.

I'm excited to take this class because I really don't know much about storytelling apart from reading books to children. I hope this course will allow me to practice being more expressive when addressing groups of all ages.

Image by Tumisu, from Pixabay

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How hard could it be (she said naively)?

INFO 5400 - Preliminary Thoughts

01/18/22

I don’t know very much about collection development beyond what I’ve picked up while working in a public library for four and a half years. To me, collection development encompasses the entire lifecycle of an item or resource within the library. When I see the phrase “collection development” I think about the life cycle of an item within the library collection, be it physical or digital. The lifecycle of an item within the collection would start with the decision to purchase said item all the way through to the end when it is discarded. A library collection is a constantly changing assortment of materials and so collection development is a constantly changing practice. 

When I see the phrase “information resources development” I think more of databases and other online resources, probably things that people don’t necessarily check out, but rather resources available to them through the library that will assist them in finding the information they need. With this mindset, then even the technology available to patrons (like desktop computers and makerspaces) could be considered information resources development. This is probably wrong because I haven’t had a chance to crack the textbook open yet

Image by Hermann Traub from Pixabay

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Literally the most fun, I wish this class had been longer.

INFO 5430 - Winter/Spring 21-22

01/15/22

This class was so much fun!! It wasn't anything like I was expecting it to be! Professor Kuon has put together one of the most fun classes I've ever taken. I wish I'd had the chance to take this during a full semester so I could really savor the projects and builds.

I've been really interested in makerspaces for years and I also love making things. I have a whole set of shelves dedicated to crafting and making supplies in my office at home. I really enjoyed learning more about makerspaces in libraries and the benefits they have for children (and adults). I'm really proud of the work I produced for this class. This was an amazing course.

Image credit: self.

This is a cardboard organizer that I made for one of our class projects. I'm still using it on my sewing table at home.

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And so begins the winter cram session.

INFO 5430 - Preliminary thoughts

12/13/2021

I'm really not sure to expect from this class. The description is so vague that I really couldn't figure it out. I'm excited to take a class about youth services so I can expand my (limited) knowledge. Most of my experience to this point has been with adult programming. I hope to learn more about youth programming and how to integrate it into a library environment.

I'm nervous about taking this class because I've never taken a winter mini session before, hopefully I can keep up with the work and balance it with my full time job. This will really be a test of my ability to stay on top of my work.

Image credit: pixychic on pixabay.com

https://pixabay.com/photos/children-s-library-reading-children-1008229/

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And the one that took me by surprise.

INFO 5415 - Fall 2021

12/09/21

I really ended up enjoying this class! Dr. Faber is such a kind and engaging professor. I learned so much about library and information management. I wasn't expecting to find myself so engaged in this class, because honestly the description makes it sound boring.

I learned a lot in this class and Dr. Faber incorporated a lot of information about library management that I never would have expected. I feel like I have a much better understanding of library management and administration now, or at least a better understanding than I did at the start of the semester. I will still be the kind of person who asks why when told to do something that makes no sense, but I think I can approach those times in a way that won't upset the balance of the manager/employee relationship.

Image credit: ar130405 on pixabay.com

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/success-strategy-business-solution-2081167/

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It was everything I hoped for and more.

INFO 5415 - Fall 2021

12/09/21

I am so sad that this class has ended. It was everything I wanted and more. Dr. Evans was an incredible professor and I learned so much more than I could have possibly expected. If I could take a second course about graphic novels I would enroll today. RIGHT NOW.

This class was so much more than reading a variety of graphic novels and comics. I learned so much about the history of sequential art and the impact that comics and graphic novels have had on our culture. I love talking about graphic novels with library patrons even more, and I feel even more comfortable talking to young library patrons about their graphic novels now that I've had the chance to read so many of them. I will suggest this class to anyone who asks about it. I can't say enough nice things. Well I could say more, but that would be redundant.

Image credit: ArtsyBee

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/monster-city-pop-art-fantasy-1524001/

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And the class I'm not as excited about.

INFO 5300 - Preliminary Thoughts

08/23/21

This isn't usually the kind of class that I would be excited about, but I am very interested in the topic of library management. I don't think I ever want to go into library management, but I do think it's important to understand why managers do the things they do. I'm not someone who can blindly accept "do this thing because I tell you to". I will always want to know why if the reasoning isn't immediately clear to me. Maybe this makes me a bad employee, but it's really just who I am. I want to be helpful to my manager, but I will always want to know WHY.

All this being said, I do hope to gain a better perspective on how libraries are run and why choices are made the way they are. I understand that a justification behind a decision shouldn't always be required, I am curious and I would like to understand why library administrators make the decisions that they do.

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https://pixabay.com/photos/skills-can-startup-start-up-3371153/

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The class I’ve been waiting to take.

INFO 5415 - Preliminary Thoughts

08/23/21

I AM SO EXCITED TO TAKE THIS CLASS!!!!!

I have heard so many great things about this class and I love love love comic books and graphic novels. I have no idea what we are going to learn about but I am PUMPED to binge on one of my favorite formats all semester long. Librarians that I work with have taken this class and have nothing but great things to say about it. I will freely admit that this is one of the reasons I chose to attend UNT, I really wanted to be able to take this class.

I am really interested in the history of comic books and graphic novels, different genres, different kinds of graphic novels that I haven’t previously encountered, and hopefully a lot of discussion about censorship of comics. I’m also interested in learning more about titles that have a history of being challenged. I think censorship is a key issue facing libraries and allowing titles to be removed from a collection is a failure on the part of the library to build a collection they can defend. 

Image credit: aitoff on pixabay.com

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/boom-comic-comic-book-fight-4680150/

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I did get to skulk through databases!

INFO 5600 - Summer 2021

08/05/21

Whoa buddy... I learned so much in this class and really learned to flex my reference and information location skills. I got to explore some really cool databases, I really enjoyed the information hunts. I never thought I would have fun hunting down obscure bits of information, but I've found that I really enjoy it.

My manager at work has started letting me work at the adult reference desk and answering reference questions now that I'm more comfortable navigating various databases and hunting down information.

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I hope I get to skulk through some databases.

INFO 5600 - Preliminary Thoughts

06/01/21

I'm not really sure what to expect from this class. I hope to improve my reference skills and learn more about resources for the location of information. I have some experience navigating different databases because of work, but not as much as I'd like.

I do enjoy skulking through databases, I think it's fun to get lost in the information and just read whatever I come across. I think the challenge with this class will be forcing myself to stay focused and look for just the information that has been requested of me. I can be too involved in a search and waste time looking at things I find interesting but don't have anything to do with the question.

Image credit to: jambulboy on Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/vectors/questions-man-head-success-lamp-2519654/

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A semester of APA bootcamp.

INFO 5000 - Spring 2021

04/27/2021

I didn't know what to expect from this class. I will admit to being bored with a lot of the class material because I've worked in libraries for several years and am already comfortable with my understanding of various kinds of libraries and how they operate. I did, however, really enjoy flexing my library policy muscles. I greatly enjoyed the discussions and readings about issues within libraries concerning patron privacy and access. These are two of the most important tenants of libraries so I feel like focusing on these was a great way to flesh out my ideas.

All of my previous academic writing has been done using MLA, and this class really forced me to push the limits of my APA practice. The Annotated bibliography as well as the term paper helped me to practice my citation and research skills. I feel that these skills will be incredibly helpful as I continue through my graduate program.

"Cutting Libraries in a Recession is like Cutting Hospitals in a Plague." by Daniel Solis is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse

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Fried...

INFO 5200 - Spring 2021

04/23/21

Remember those old anti-drug commercials? This is your brain [egg], this is your brain on drugs [fried egg]. That was what my brain felt like after this class, but without the drugs. I learned so much in this class but it seriously made me consider if I wanted to be a librarian. This class expects so much out of you, but now I feel like my resolve is stronger than ever. I've been through the fire and survived. I've had classes with more work, but this class was so challenging.

I've never thought about a library collection this deeply before. I am interested in digital libraries and their curation, so understanding the best way to organize information is important, but I have a whole new appreciate for how the systems we use today were implemented. I know more about call numbers and their origins than I ever expected to know in my entire life.

I learned that my strength lies in the curation of materials and their evaluation, but not in the patience that it takes to catalog them. Cataloging is a collaborative effort, and to attempt such an undertaking on one's own is a huge project. I'm happy that I now understand the sheer amount of work that goes into cataloging a collection, but I don't think it's an accurate representation of what would be involved in the "real world".

"Fried Egg" by Matthew Murdoch is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

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Libraries and information organizations, who works there and why?

INFO 5000 - Preliminary Thoughts

01/15/21

I haven't really heard anything, good or bad, about this course. From what I understand it is mostly about different kinds of libraries and librarians. All of my experience is from working in a public library, so I'm interested in gaining some insight into how other libraries function.

I'm interested in possibly moving to a small academic library, but I'm not sure if that is the career path that I want yet. I hope the information in this class will help to guide my future job choices. I understand that no everyone works in the area of their degree, people move from job to job all the time. I'm interested in learning more about other roles that can be pursued with a MLS. We probably won't cover this sort of thing in class, so I'll look into it on my own.

"Dewey Decimal System" by The Artist, Formerly known as Mary-Ellen is marked with CC BY-NC 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/?ref=openverse

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Making a collection?

INFO 5200 - Preliminary thoughts

01/15/21

I've heard a lot about this class from fellow students and librarians who have taken this class in the past. From what I have been told it is a lot of work but you will learn a ton of useful information if you stay on top of your due dates.

We're only a few days into the semester and I can tell this class will be a ton of work, but it will push me to become better at prioritizing my time. I hope that I manage to develop a final project I can be proud of. I'm still feeling pretty lost and I'm getting kind of nervous about it. I hope to center my collection around books about cross stitch as that is my current hyperfixation.

"Macro Mondays counted cross stitch" by rawdonfox is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse