Information Organization

Slinky in Original Box

• Title for object: Slinky
• Brief Description of Object: Metal or plastic children’s toy that expands and contracts like an accordion and has the ability to walk down the stairs.
• Vocabulary List: coil spring, Slinky, walking toy, rainbow coil, original, box, first edition, vintage 

Barrel of Monkeys

• Title for object: Barrel of Monkeys
• Brief Description of Object: This children’s toy is a pile of plastic monkeys. The object of the game is to pick up as many monkeys as you can by interconnecting their arms and tails. Comes with a barrel for storing the monkeys when not in use.
• Vocabulary List: pile, monkeys, arms, animals, plastic monkeys, tails, pick-up, barrel

Pirate Potato Head

• Title for object: Mr. Potato Head Pirate
• Brief Description of Object: The classic Mr. Potato Head is now a pirate. It includes mix and match pieces to create the pirate of your imagination.
• Vocabulary List: spud, potato, pirate, head, mix and match, pieces, Mr., body parts, removable, mixable,

Rubik’s Cube

• Title for object: Rubik’s Cube
• Brief Description of Object: Puzzle with various combinations to solve. The point of the puzzle is to get all the same color tiles on each of the six sides.
• Vocabulary List: rubic, rubicks, rubiks, cube, puzzle, color squares, mind teaser, brain puzzle, speed cube, moves, combinations, tiles, twist and turn, twisty, color tiles, colors

Magic 8 Ball in Box

• Title for object: Magic 8 Ball
• Brief Description of Object: This Magic 8 Ball can tell you the future. Ask it a questions, shake it up, and flip over to see a variety of answers.
• Vocabulary List: 8 ball, pool ball, magic, shake ball, questions, answers, answer ball, box, die of answers

Sorry Board Game

• Title for object: Sorry Game
• Brief Description of Object: The game of sweet revenge. Players take turns trying to get their four pieces back home to the safe zone without being bumped back to go.
• Vocabulary List: sorry, pawns, revenge, slide, family game night, color pawns, sorry!, board game

I actually found this exercise really fun. I have some experience with SEO so it was neat to put it to use with this assignment. It was hard to come up with a complete list of words that may be used to search for some of these items. I tried to think of words that I would use to describe the item if I couldn’t remember its actual name, or something that physically described it. To prepare this controlled vocabulary in real life I would need to know who the intended audience would be and what they would primarily be using the source of this information for (scholarly journals, Amazon purchases, personal use). For the collection of the items, I would need to know if the items are going to be grouped together or separate. I would also need to know if each of the items wanted to be found together or wanted to have any of the same tags to their vocabulary. Is there a specific term or terms that we want the entire group to be categorized under? Overall, I love the importance and challenge of creating a controlled vocabulary for a set of items. I like the mind navigation and thought process behind it all. It’s like a puzzle to solve and I love the element of trying to think like the users who will use the search engine to find these items. It’s a bit like detective work.

Follow a Professional Listserv

I am a part of ALA’s Public Libraries and Librarians listserv which focuses primarily on library programming. I was actually really excited to join this group because I’m really interested in the programming aspect of public libraries and how they serve the community. I have been disappointed with this group though. There really is no interaction or dialogue between the users for this forum even though there are about 1500 subscribers. There’s one lady who posts a lot of articles and open questions but no one seems to really get into the discussion. There are a ton of posts for webinars to join and a call for peer reviews, bloggers, surveys, and abstracts. The topics that were of interest to me were the ones that actually had to do with programs at the library like hosting authors, STEM, museum exhibits, and other events that have gotten people into the doors. The biggest conversation was about various libraries’ strengths and weaknesses when it came to programing. The strengths listed were programs catered toward younger children and families; ones that were centered around stories, fun and entertainment/educational; ideas for programs were always free flowing from the staff; collaboration with camps, preschools, child care centers, and homeschoolers. Weaknesses that some users supplied were any programs geared toward middle school/teens; book clubs and/or book discussions; strictly educational programs; funding for programs in general, especially for refreshments; and that they have had limited success with preregistration.   

Forums like these are hard to really stay on top of. There are so many lists and groups you can be a part of online, that I think some of the forums just get lost in the crowd. I know for a while I tried to be involved in groups on LinkedIn and just couldn’t keep up. People who are actively involved in some of the online forums are that way because it is their primary job to do so. It’s hard for people who are just starting off in the profession to really have any concrete ideas or opinions when most of us aren’t even working in a library or information center. I feel like some of these forums work best when it is a small group of people in the same area. That way everyone is dealing with the same issues and can sympathize with what’s going on with other people. If forums aren’t what work for someone’s involvement in the profession, I think that large conferences are great. They provide an overview of everything going on and you get a taste of all the different aspects of librarianship. I would love to go to a big ALA conference one day when I have a few more classes under my belt, and really engage in the issues and conversation with librarians that are in the field. In all honesty though, I think forums have fallen to a lower priority for group discussions. I love reading personal/professional blogs on topics to join a discussion, rather than just an open forum where there really is no clear rhyme or reason to what people are posting other than it somehow pertains to the theme of the forum.  

Blogging about Professional Blogs

Mr. Library Dude
Blog Link: https://mrlibrarydude.wordpress.com/
Written by: Joe Hardenbrook, a reference and instruction librarian at Carroll University in Wisconsin.
Blogs about: Libraries, technology, teaching, and more
Summary of issues/topics blogged about recently:

·         You’ve Come Along Way Baby: Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Picture Books: While helping with a shifting project in the children’s lit collection, Mr. Library Dude came across a book published back in the 70s about what things a boy does and what things a girl does. Most of them are along the lines of “boys can eat, girls can cook” and “boys invent things, girls use what boys invented”. It might have been a satire book because it was written by a satirical cartoonisht named Whitney Darrow, Jr. who wrote for The New Yorker. He lists some great articles about children’s books in regard to gender roles and stereotypes. He also goes on to say that he will be keeping the book in circulation at the library because even as satire, it is a learning tool to see how sexism has evolved over the years. Read it here at: https://mrlibrarydude.wordpress.com/2014/12/   

·         Escape to Your Happy Place: Destressing on the Job: Forbes named librarian as the #8 least stressful job out there but Mr. Library Dude thinks that the article wasn’t taking into account various aspects of the profession. Librarians deal with a lot of stress on the job in the form of budget constraints, new technology, standards to uphold, messy children, and lack of resources. He goes on to give his 5 strategies for detoxing your work day. They are: take a walk, spray a good-smelling scent, watch a funny YouTube video, look at relaxing pictures, finding pictures of cute animals. Read it here at: https://mrlibrarydude.wordpress.com/2014/07/    

·         A Library Interviewee’s Bill of Rights: This post was about what the interviewee should supply to their job candidates. He gave a list of ten items which are that the library will: (1) give lead time to prepare a presentation, (2) supply a schedule of who they will be meeting with and for how long, (3) plan a humane schedule- like not scheduling a presentation right after lunch, (4) provide reimbursements, (5) provide info on hotels/dining, (6) give you salary info, (7) be prepared, (8) have a good attitude, (9) keep matters confidential, and (10) provide follow-up in a timely manner. Read it here at: https://mrlibrarydude.wordpress.com/2015/01/07/a-library-interviewees-bill-of-rights/

·         ALA: The Membership Cost is Too Damn High and Meh on ALA: This was a two-post presentation of all things about ALA including being a member and membership costs. He states that it’s nice to be a part of ALA but there are other ways to contribute and help the profession besides having a membership. He talks about how the costs of the membership and the conferences aren’t really in many librarians’ or libraries’ budgets. He goes on to break down other professions and their memberships to various organizations. His main point is that ALA is a good price for what you get, but some people aren’t willing to spend that money on something they aren’t heavily involved in. Read it here at: https://mrlibrarydude.wordpress.com/2015/02/05/meh-on-ala/ and here https://mrlibrarydude.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/ala-the-membership-cost-is-too-damn-high/

·         Buzzfeed & Facebook in Infolit Sessions: Connecting What Students use to Library Research: This post was about how students rarely start with academic research, choosing instead to use a Google search for basic information. Mr. Library Dude conducted an activity that helped students start with their Google search info and how to take what they found in the articles and search deeper by using academic journals and scholarly articles. Read it here at: https://mrlibrarydude.wordpress.com/2015/02/25/buzzfeed-facebook-in-infolit-sessions-connecting-what-students-use-to-library-research/

Personal observations/What I learned: I learned the most from the A Library Interviewee’s Bill of Rights post. I didn’t know that a regular interview for a library position would include a presentation or short demo. It makes sense now that I think of it, but that had never crossed my mind before. It’s good to know and keep that morsel of information in the back of my mind when I start applying and looking at libraries to work at. I actually really love the idea of getting to do a demo for my potential employer. I consider myself extremely creative and with my improv comedy background, I’m no stranger to performing. I’ve looked into becoming a member for ALA a few times but I never can seem to pull the trigger on the payment portion of it. Not because I think it isn’t worth it, I just don’t have a ton of extra cash lying around to put toward something that some people think isn’t fully worth your time to be a part of. I know eventually I will join some professional group, but for right now, I’m content with seeing what’s out there and seeing where my interests really take me before committing my time, money, and energy. I enjoyed the Infolit session post the most because I love the human element behind behaviors, especially when related to research. It makes sense that a young student would start searching for a topic through a source they are comfortable with using, like Google. I think it’s great that librarians know the search habits of their patrons enough to not discourage how they are getting their information, but to show them how to use it as a jumping off point and use it to find more credible sources for their research and materials.

Mighty Little Librarian

Blog Link: http://www.mightylittlelibrarian.com/
Written by: Tiffany Whitehead. School librarian.
Blogs about: Social media, technology, and topics related to middle-school aged students
Summary of issues/topics blogged about recently:

·         Librarians as PD Leaders: Librarians need to be leaders in their schools when it comes to technology and having a positive and professional presence online. She created a Tech Petting Zoo to introduce new technology and practices to the librarians and teachers. She stresses that it is important to stay on top of current technology tools and be able to use them to their fullest capacity. Read it here at: http://www.mightylittlelibrarian.com/?p=1274

·         2015 Bookmark Exchange & Literacy Challenge: She thought it would be a great idea to have her students do a bookmark exchange because of how much the kids like them. She went on Twitter and spread the word. To register all the students had to do was fill out a form and then create their bookmarks. The idea went over really well and had a lot of positive feedback. Read it here at: http://www.mightylittlelibrarian.com/?p=1260

·         Makerspace: Crafting Supplies: The Makerspace was an initiative to get more students through the doors of the library by providing a wide range of creative activities. One of the projects was to make ornaments for the holidays out of scraps and other crafting supplies around the library. She also raised funds for the Makerspace by promoting the creativity it would allow the students to discover and explore. Read it here at: http://www.mightylittlelibrarian.com/?p=1254

·         Lego Wall (November 2014 post): In continuation with the Makerspace, she created a Lego Wall where students and teachers can create Lego creations on the walls of the library. The students and staff seem to love it and the creativity it supplies. The wall was fairly simple to construct and maintain. Read it here at: http://www.mightylittlelibrarian.com/?p=1236  

·         Twitter Bootcamp: She offered several bootcamps for the teachers on how to use and navigate Twitter. Allowing for hands-on learning and interaction. The whole point of it was to share what’s going on in the Twitter world without overwhelming the teachers. She promoted that Twitter is a great resource for information and to make connections with other people. Read it here at: http://www.mightylittlelibrarian.com/?p=1180

Personal observations/What I learned: I love reading about what school libraries are doing to promote creativity and how they get their students to come into the library. I remember my elementary school having a whole bank of computers that we got to play typing and math games on once a week. I loved the open space of the library and all the titles and color of the book spines. I have very fond memories of my school libraries growing up. It’s really nice to see that the school libraries today are constantly keeping up with the students’ interests like Twitter, Lego Walls, and other creative activities that not only promote learning, but reinforce how fun and important the library is to their education. I think it’s great that the teachers and other staff are highly involved too, whether it’s coming in for social media training or just checking out what’s going on. The more the teachers see the library as a vital resource to any of their students’ education. I have my heart set on working for a public library but reading this blog has made me reconsider that decision a little bit.

Mid-Semester Analysis and Reflections

My posts have mainly been about discovering the world of librarianship through the eyes of someone new to the profession. My background is mainly in advertising and marketing; more of the business aspect of things. But my main passion comes from my love of thorough research, exploring and sharing information, and reading. I try to make sure that I sound smart in my posts and not like a complete idiot with zero comprehension to what is going on with librarians. I love getting to other people’s thoughts on our discussion boards. It’s great to have differing opinions on some issues but that we primarily agree about the big issues like net neutrality and preserving the value of the library.

Sometimes I feel behind when my classmates talk about what things are like at the libraries they work at. I’m not immersed yet in the life of a librarian so sometimes I feel like a fraud. I know that having an outside perspective will serve me well because I can see obstacles from a different angle, but there’s always a slight nagging doubt that I’m not good enough to play in the big leagues.

I really enjoyed the Think Tank discussions because there were so many different articles and questions to ponder. I love being able to take a meaty question and break it down and analyze it deeply. I find myself going into every discussion thread and assignment like a researcher. I tend to write A LOT for my responses because I find myself having so much to say. I find that when I have a strong feeling toward a topic, primarily anything to do with underprivileged kids or a group of people, my enthusiasm to create change kicks into over-drive.

Having been faithfully journaling with a pen and paper for close to three years now, I love having a written record of how I was feeling throughout different periods of my life. I love that we are keeping an LIS blog as we make our way through this program. I can’t wait to look back on the semester and see how far I’ve come and what I’ve learned.    

In the second half of the semester I plan on diving even deeper into the assignments and discussions. I feel like I have a stronger grip on the workings of what is going on with libraries today. I feel more confident about my answers and how I can best contribute to the profession. I just set up my interviews for the LIS Agency Visit assignment with two library directors. I am so excited to talk to someone with the job that I want to have some day in my career. I’ve never sat down with a librarian to talk to them about their job so I am really looking forward to picking their brains and getting a more in-depth look at what they do.

The biggest thing that has surprised me through keeping a journal and this semester is how much the library profession clicks with all of my interests and strengths. I’ve said it before it one of my earlier posts, but I never felt like I fit in to the marketing world. It is too superficial for me. I want to work with people and understand what they want and need from their libraries. I want to help find information for patrons and organize it in a way that is best for their needs. I want to make the way we share information better for the world at large.

I’m very grateful for this program. After feeling like a fish out of water since I graduated college, I finally have the confidence in my career choice and the impact I will have on the profession.