SU Poster Session

By the way - I am still in shock that we won our poster session. It isn't because we didn't try - but more so because we were one of 14 groups that attempted to present quality material. I want to give one last hats off to our group; Teresa Bettis, Lisa Hoff, Cherie Prior, and Leo Stazano. Our collective consensus approach, teamwork, and general acceptance of different styles must have made the difference. Of course our content specialists and last minute editors were vital contributors. I really enjoyed working with all of you and wish you luck in future endeavors.

Spring,

Kate

IST 511 Reflection Day 5

While IST 511 has come to a close our careers are just beginning. As I reflect on my time at SU I had two epiphanies. First, I reaffirmed my goal to be a school library media specialist. I have big plans to integrate technology into our childrens' education and collaborate with teachers. Schools are the desired venue for this change agent. Schools will be my niche; librarianship is where I belong. This leads me to my second discovery: I am so proud to be part of such an accepting, honorable and diverse group of individuals that serves as the foundation for our intellectual freedom. Our nation is blessed to have advocates of this caliber who share so much of their time, intellect, and values. It is with great anticipation that I may carry this torch forward.

Many thanks to Scott Nicholson, Tasha Cooper, Blythe Bennett and the rest of the Syracuse University ischool staff who made this such a welcoming and ratifying experience.

Spring,

Kate

IST 511 Reflection Day 4

I am exhausted, my eyes are red and it is way past my bedtime. Nonetheless, I need to note the networking I was able to do over lunch. Today we had Tina Nabinger in from Minoa Elementary. She developed a project called "Book Cooks" held in her library every other week. Tina has a background in restaurant management and used it to spice up her after school curriculum. Her schedule allowed for a block of time from 2-3 at the end of the day that she used for planning and special projects. This project quickly grew to 40 kids and she raised $350 in grants from Wegmans.

Aside from learning cooking basics, children are reading recipes, learning kitchen safety, and table manners. Evey week the kids log their reflections in a journal that was provided at the onset. The program wrap up is a student led presentation in which students present the various meals they prepared. Reading, writing and presentation skills are just some of the things this project entails.

I started to imagine how I could apply my background in much the same manner. I have a business background, some finance, budgeting, marketing ,and sales. I imagine I could have a financial literacy segment where we planned ways to earn money, budget for a day trip and estimate expenditures. Of course, I would like to have a video game evaluation club and a chess club too. In addition, we also discussed the need for assessment in the library and she recommended literature written by Allison Zmuda.Thanks to Tina for all her time. I am so grateful!

Spring,

Kate

Zmuda, A. (2009). Retrieved from http://competentclassroom.com/assessment.html

IST 511 Reflection Day 2

"Learn to learn and be prepared to teach" - Jan Felckenstein '84 MSIRM, Associate Director and Head of Library Information Systems, Barclay Law Library

"If you keep the core value of service to patrons you can knock down library walls." - Steve Schuster '90, Senior Assistant Librarian, Morrisville State

The above highlights were from our guest speakers. I am amazed at what these individuals have accomplished over their tenure - what adventures! They've left a lasting impression on me; warmest thanks to them. Tasha Cooper, Librarian/Bibliographer, Bird Library, Syracuse University, went into detail on searching the SU library catalog and we mulled over the future of searching and what is gained and lost. I find myself harnessing a bit of healthy skepticism. I fear there may be works that slip through the cracks due to indexible terms hinging on perspective. This further justifies our due diligence and responsibility to our patrons.

Now onward fellow students, there's more work to be done.

Spring,

Kate

IST 511 Reflection Day 1

Today was are first day of IST 511 - the gateway course here at Syracuse University in the Masters of Science, Library Information Science (MSLIS) program. It was slow to start (text-heavy slides and familiar content) but picked up around the lunch hour.

We had two guest speakers who represented the public library rhelm of librarianship. Their perspectives and insights rekindled my passion. I eagerly noted their advice on future employment, innovation, and managerial requirements. While I admire their pluck, I'm not sure the public venue is for me. I'm mulling over the social service side of public libraries...is it uncertain adventure or adventure for certain? Time will tell.

I find Scott Nicholson to be (a) extremely entertaining and, (b) an overflowing "information container". His searching presentation was top notch. The concepts of surrogates indexed from the database's perspective and inverted indexes is enlightening. I was hoping he might share more insight on the algorithums - but hey - he can't teach us everything at once. Now, 6 hours later, my mind is still racing from all I've learned and applied in the interim. The searching assignment was a tester. Even though I was punchy I was determined to find those puppies.

Until tomorrow...Spring,

Kate

Syracuse University IST 601 Reflection

One credit under my belt...several more to go. I'm feeling cautiously optimistic as I "officially" embark on my MLIS journey. I managed to fair well on my paper, hold my own in the presentation, but oy vay, so much to absorb. The image of a glass - half-full - is etched in my cerebellum.

I have several take-aways from the weekend. Here are my faves, in no particular order:

(1) I came to the realization that I am an innovative being.

(2) In my future management roles, I aim to create an environment that is based on my values: open, accepting, flexible and empowering.

(3) Cheers to all the professors. From the card game to Dave L's presentation on change, to Martha G-M's advice to presenters I was hooked from the start. Dave D.'s cultural insights and the conversation he elicited from the readings were worth the price of admission. Well...okay, it all was.

Spring,

Kate

Readers Response: Schultz-Jones, B. (2009). Collaboration in the school social network

I originally composed the following entry as a Readers Response Assignment for IST-511 at Syracuse University. I've posted it here as well for my own reference. Spring! Kate:

Through the article titled Collaboration in the school social network by Barbara Schultz-Jones we develop further understanding for the value of social networking within our schools, the impact it has on our ability to collaborate and to what degree. This construct builds on that of our own, Dr. Ruth Small’s research at Syracuse Unversity centered on the value of a “collaborative culture in which all partners see the benefits of collaboration to themselves, each other and their students” (Small, 2002).

The study followed 5 school library media specialists (SLMSs) with a range of practical experience and from varied districts who voluntarily documented their collaborative relationships with classroom teachers and administrators. The SLMSs classified their relationships according to 6 collaborative levels along an interaction continuum: “no interaction, exchanging information informally, providing books/resources when requested, consulting on course content, providing course materials, and designing a unit of study and presenting this unit together with a teacher or administrator” (Schultz-Jones, 2009).

Schultz-Jones then graphed and labeled the relationships. The result is a “webbed” illustration that documents the various subjects the SLMS interacted with and on what level of the continuum. Those plotted closest to the center (represented by the SLMS) are reflective of the highest level of collaboration – “designing a unit of study and co-presenting this material” (Schultz-Jones, 2009); those farthest away from the center represent those with no to low-level collaboration.

Through deductive analysis the data revealed 4 emergent themes referred to as “Social capital”, “Who’s your Fave 5”, “Strategic groups”, and “Professional learning communities” (Schultz-Jones, 2009). The first of these refers to the universal sentiment among the 5 SLMSs that social networks are a highly valued resource despite the investment of “time and effort…sometimes those efforts yield few results” (Schultz-Jones, 2009). The second emergent theme refers to effective collaborative relationships and how they are not necessarily those that are an SLMS’s 5 “favorite” informal friends, but those relationships where both parties have an agreed interest to engage and work efficiently together in the interest of their students. Thirdly, the study dismissed the assumption that existed at the onset, that is; that certain disciplines are more interested in collaborating than others. This was deduced from the data which, when plotted, showed various subjects in close proximity to the SLMSs. As a result, SLMSs are encouraged to look for those teachers who are willing to engage in high-level collaborative projects rather than target subject groups. Lastly, the data revealed the importance of demonstrating life-long learning traits and how the richness of your learning community can impact successful collaboration.

Schultz-Jones believes that “visualizing the school learning environment as a set of social networks provides the SLMSs with a way to map interactions and think strategically about building relationships”. Once these foundations are laid, SLMSs can then capitalize on their life-long learning communities to truly impact the academic experience of their students for the better.

Schultz-Jones, B. (2009). Collaboration in the school social network. Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 20-25.

Small, R. (2002). Collaboration: Where Does It Begin? Teacher Librarian (29)5, 8-11.

The portable MLIS : insights from the experts / edited by Ken Haycock and Brooke E. Sheldon. Chapter 15 Reflection

Alas, we've come to the end of our blogging journey reflecting on the MLIS - of those chapters assigned. I have truly enjoyed it. Nonetheless, I've managed to leave my reflection on this last chapter simply titled Research by Ron Powell for the 11th hour.

The distinction that struck me the most about this chapter is the varying definitions of the term "research". Ironically, my exposure to research has been primarily through the MLIS program (IST618 and through working with Dr. Ruth Small) rather than that of practical application. So, I was intrigued to hear of the "applied" or pragmatic research that one may experience on the job. The relationship between the two makes sense to me; how one can come across a rich data set to launch a "basic research" project or vice versa (Powell, 2008)

The defined terms for the steps of "basic research" that Powell employs beg repeating. Basic research includes "(1) statement of purpose, (2) identification of relevant theory, (3) developed hypothesis, (4) the methodology used and, (5) data collection and analysis. I hope this will come more naturally as my education continues.

I am also somewhat familiar with the various research methods (quantitative) means that may be used to support ones' hypothises but I'm reeling from the qualitative jargon; ethnography, grounded theory, phenomenology, etc.

Spring,

Kate

Powell, R., (2008). Research. In K. Haycock & B. Sheldon (Eds.), The Portable MLIS (pp. 168-178). Westport, CT:Libraries Unlimited.

The portable MLIS : insights from the experts / edited by Ken Haycock and Brooke E. Sheldon. Chapter 14 Reflection

So here we are on Chapter 14 of The Portable MLIS titled Reader Advisory Services: How to help Users Find a "Good Book" authored by Mary K. Chelton, Professor at Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. My experience with book clubs, which fall under the RA umbrella, is limited. I was part of one when our kids were younger and sleep was at a premium. I found it difficult to keep up with the readings so I graciously bowed out. Aside from my inability to keep up, the discussions often switched gears from reading to parenting. Tangents that were perhaps welcome at the time, but distracting to the purpose of a book club.

The concept of a book club being a facilitated through the library is unfamiliar to me. I love this idea. Our village library was, up until 3 years ago, run under a regime of sorts that was built on “shushing” and overdue fines to fund its budgetary requirements. Our new librarian is excellent. While she has changed the culture and pioneered a new structure over her short tenure with us, she has focused most of her RA intentions on noninteractive services. That said, she has this on her list of to-dos this coming year. The most appealing notion of a book club organized through the library is that it is at a neutral facility - void of distractions – and that the facilitator could be a trained individual. Aside from that you don’t have to know someone to be part of it.

The ah-ha moment for me in this chapter was in the section titled "Face to Face Readers Advisory Encounter" (Chelton, 2008). In an effort to avoid the egregious pitfalls of OPAC dependency and author association I've latched on to Chelton's suggestion for our patrons: "ask them either to describe a title they've loved and enjoyed, or if not that, one they've loathed." It has become my latest mantra in a series of many from this book.

Spring,

Kate

Chelton, Mary, K., (2008). Reader Advisory Services: How to help Users Find a "Good Book" . In K. Haycock & B. Sheldon (Eds.), The Portable MLIS (pp. 159-167). Westport, CT:Libraries Unlimited.

Notes for personal future reference: Joyce Saricks (fiction), Neal Wyatt (non-fiction) intrinsic characteristics, www.bookletters.com, www.nextreads.com

Reflection on The portable MLIS : insights from the experts / edited by Ken Haycock and Brooke E. Sheldon. / Chapeter 11

The concept of storage and retrieval are often times a challenge for me. So you can imagine it was a relief when I read Chapter 11 authored by Judith Weedman in The Portable MLIS; it appears I'm not the only one. Ahh - there is comfort in numbers.

In my family I assumed the roles of bill payer, budget creator, checkbook manager, and paperwork filer so that I can later access it as our "accountant". You can imagine what worked for us 5-10 years ago is no longer. We've moved our computer to the kitchen in light of our children's online usage and the rise of e-statements and online banking has streamlined my once cumbersome filing system. I mention this victory because I still struggle with my closet! If only it could look like the catalogs that grace my doorstep.

Despite this victory my husband doesn't know the intricacies of my storage and retrieval system. This is where Chapter 11 takes hold. Once a system is shared, we need to collectively understand the indexing terms and how we could best query the system to locate the desired item.

As I shift gears and imagine the body of work that the Internet has access to - I can imagine the challenges that indexers are faced with when supplying results to queries with terms that hinge on context. Unlike Medline - a system with a defined body of work - the general nature of the Internet must be problematic. It will be my job as a library media specialist to educate children on the nuances. For instance, when searching for a seasonal image in Flickr the Boolean search allows us to specify an image that may be tagged with "fall or autumn". This would minimize the occurrence of photographs of water falls, for instance, and increase the occurrence of accurate hits with "autumn" lending context.

The issue I fear are the items that may not be located just because a tag or indexible matter is inaccurately indexed. Specifically, Weedman shares the example from the book looks at the works of "Nancy Van House" (Weedman, 2008). We can see that the various systems are compromised by various unofficial spellings of her name. While the Internet may give one presumably broader access, in this instance, the unknowing questioner's knowledge base may be compromised as well.

Spring,

Kate

References:
Weedman, J. (2008). Information retrieval: Designing, querying, and evaluating information systems. In K. Haycock & B. Sheldon (Eds.), The Portable MLIS (pp. 112- 126). Westport, CT:Libraries Unlimited.

Reflection on The portable MLIS : insights from the experts / edited by Ken Haycock and Brooke E. Sheldon. / Chapeter 9

Hello Information Springboard Readers:

Last semester I had a fieldwork assignment with an elementary school. One of my tasks was to perform a collection development of the classic fairy tale collection. I was ready to embrace change on this dated collection. Nonetheless, I wish I'd read Chapter 9 of The Portable MLIS written by G. Edward Evans prior to the project.

As I reflect on the process, I found myself hanging in the balance between executive decisions and thinking - who am I to tell these people what to order? I knew Cinderella and the like would be popular to many of the young girls, but thought it would be nice to have an Eastern European and Indian version to include the growing diversity of the district. For that matter, what would appeal to young boys? In addition, I wanted to know what the teachers needed. What materials were they using in class? What did their curriculum call for? Lastly, what did the other schools in the district offer in terms of depth and breadth and were they being circulated? G.E. Evans clearly summarized my sentiments in the four needs assessment areas; “normative, felt, expressed, and comparative needs” (2008, 88).

Scanning was critical to not only determine who was using this collection, but it also played into my process of scanning reviews to determine what would meet their needs. Ultimately, Evans’ regard for relationship building is, in my mind, a key component. While I didn’t deal with the vendor directly due to budget freezes, I found my communication with the LMS, teachers, and children was integral to develop a suggested list of wants through Titlewave.

Spring,

Kate

References
Haycock, K., & Sheldon, B. E. (2008). The portable MLIS : Insights from the experts. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited.

The portable MLIS : insights from the experts / edited by Ken Haycock and Brooke E. Sheldon.

Over the course of Chapter 1 of The Portable MLIS titled "Stepping Back and Looking Forward: Reflections on the Foundations of Libraries and Librarianship", I wrote down several thoughts that occurred to me; three of which I highlighted below:

1) Several missions of libraries were presented over their history. But what is the mission of the librarian?

Further in the chapter I came across the shared beliefs of librarians. Specifically, Rubin claims the "belief in intellectual freedom", "the public good", "education", and "value of the past: preservation", are beliefs essential to the success of a librarian's mission. (2008, 10-12) Lucky thing, I must be in the right discipline - I hold them near and dear as well.

2) Can libraries spur development of undeveloped countries?

Perhaps this is hypothetical. Is it possible to plant a library and watch a society grow? Or do libraries grow with society? I came across the Rubin's notion that "There is a forest (the society as a whole), as well as the trees (each individual library user). The beauty of libraries is that in serving the latter, the former is also served" (2008, 12). This is an interesting concept - one I'd like to explore further in our studies.

3) Finally I wrote; my fascination with libraries is their preservation of the past in the interest of furthering future knowledge.

Little did I know the chapter would close with a similar notion. "The librarian knows that the failure to maintain the past sets the present adrift, without context...ideas of the past must be part of the repertoire of knowledge to which everyone must have access" (2008, 13).

Tally-ho! Things are just starting to get exciting!

Spring,

Kate

References
Haycock, K., & Sheldon, B. E. (2008). The portable MLIS : Insights from the experts. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited.