Competency H
"Demonstrate proficiency in the use of current information and communication technologies, and other related technologies, as they affect the resources and uses of libraries and other types of information providing entities."
Introduction
Richard E. Rubin (2004) points out that “[s]ome have predicted that libraries may be coming to an end, that their electronic competitors will render them obsolete." Rubin does not believe this is an accurate prediction, and, for many in the field, we, too, believe that the library is much more than a building with walls, books, and computers. Changes and improvements in technology have reshaped the library as place, moving from physical to virtual use. We now have the technology to allow library users to search and download journal articles from subscription databases at home, at a coffee shop, or even at a friend's home day or night. Library users can ask librarians questions at any time of day by email, chat, or text through 24/7 virtual reference service manned by a consortia of librarians. Users can also stay updated about library services or resources through Web 2.0 sources--blogs, wikis, screencasts, Flickr, Facebook, or Twitter. These technologies have improved the transfer of ideas, allowing for communication between librarians and library users and also between users themselves.
Although library users in first world societies such as ours may appear to be technologically savvy because of their use of applications (apps) on smart phones, creating avatars in online worlds, and making YouTube videos, using these communicative technologies is much different that that of using information technologies, such as searching through online library catalogs, subscription databases, or using library guides within the library's website to jumpstart research on a specific topic. The information professional of today, as in years past, continues his or her role as research guide. The increase in the number of online resources, both freely available on the Internet and through subscriptions, only heightens the need for instruction from those who make their livelihoods studying and using information resouces.
Evidence
As evidence for meeting competency H, I am including assignments from LIBR 287 Seminar in Information Science, which focused on information literacy, and LIBR 210 Reference and Information Services. Although the assignments from LIBR 287 have been used in other competencies (the Jing screencast is also included as evidence in competency M, and the Elluminate recording is included in competency K), experience with screencast and web conferencing software is a valued skill and a good demonstration of the use of communication technologies. The creation of this e-portfolio with samples of the work I completed during my two-years as an online library school student also demonstrates my ability to successfully use communicative and information technologies.
LIBR 287: Google Scholar Jing Screencast
Baule's (2007) criteria for effective technology are that it be user-friendly, engaging, fills a need, results-oriented, and flexible (p. 16-18). Screencasts, short movie-like tutorials with narration, can be effective tools in providing library users with tips on how to use a catalog or a specific database at the point of need, demonstrating technological problems by showing IT staff rather than trying to explain in written words alone, or even giving presentations or lectures that can be accessed at any time of the day by clicking on a link. Slebodnik and Riehle (2009) write that screencast use is on the rise, and "one of the main reasons for the trend is that the screen capture software available for tutorial construction has also grown increasingly capable and user-friendly" (p. 33).
In LIBR 287 Seminar in Information Science, which concentrated on information literacy, one of the assignments was to create a five-minute screencast using the software and topic of our choice. While there are many different screencasting software programs, I chose to use TechSmith's Jing, which is free and easy to use, to teach library users about Google Scholar. While it was a challenge to keep the content to five minutes, I was able to effectively demonstrate how to set library preferences when using Google Scholar to be able to discover scholarly items that one's physical library owns or provides access.
LIBR 287: American Memory Elluminate Recording and Reflection
In LIBR 287, I created a twenty-minute lesson about using the American Memory website to find primary source materials that I presented to fellow graduate students via Elluminate web conferencing software. Although I had used Elluminate in other classes to listen to live lectures and/or lecture recordings and use some of the tools, like the instant message feature, whiteboard tools, and multiple choice quiz function, I had always used the software as a participant, never as a moderator. In preparation for my online lesson, I attended an Elluminate training session given by Jessica Henry, a fellow SLIS student and Elluminate assistant, to learn, amonst other tools and functions, how to use application sharing and the web tour function; how to use the whiteboard tools and break-out rooms to aid group work; and how upload and maneuver PowerPoint slides within the software.
Although I practiced my session with others, I did run into some technical difficulties, as the link to the Elluminate recording shows, but I was able to recover and continue with my lesson. Although the recording does not demonstrate a full appreciation of the variety of tools available, it does show my experience using Elluminate to teach a class and my willingness to try out newer technologies. The reflective paper I am also including comments on aspects I would have liked to change about the lesson, such as making use of the web tour function.
LIBR 210: Learning Spanish Libguide
In June of 2010, I attended the American Library Association annual meeting in Washington, D.C. One session I attended was "Beyond Library Guides: Using Libguides as a Platform for Student Research Projects," which was
presented by Phyllis Conn, a history professor, and Ben Turner, an instruction librarian, from St. John University. In this presentation, Conn and Turner shared with attendees how they used Springshare's Libguides as a wiki so that
students taking a New York and Long Island history class could "...collaborate, informally publish their own work, and critique the work of others" (Association of College & Research Libraries [ACRL], 2010). At the time, I was not very familiar with any hosted web publishing services, so I mostly took notes, adding to my arsenal of knowledge.The next year, in LIBR 210, I was able to put a little of what I had learned about Libguides into practice by creating my very own pathfinder using the software.
For my pathfinder, I chose to design a learning Spanish guide for students attending UC Merced because at the time I was about to commence a similar volunteer project at the UC Merced library. (Unfortunately, I stopped volunteering at UC Merced a few weeks later because I started a new, unexpected job.) While the pathfinder could be on any topic, each student had to establish criteria for determining which items would be included. The pathfinder itself could be no longer than two pages typed.
Developing this small pathfinder within Libguides gave me a special opportunity to work with software actually used in many academic libraries. I found the software to meet many of Baule's (2007) criteria for effective technologies--Libguides is user-friendly, engaging, fills a need, and is flexible. The software can also be results-oriented if a librarian placed a link in the guide to a survey aimed at gauging the pathfinder’s effectiveness. Experimenting with Libguides also taught me the importance of learning more about web design. Although persons using Libguides do not necessarily need a strong background in programming, to fully utilize all the features, such as embedding videos directly into the guide rather than supplying a link, knowledge of HTML coding can help create more visually appealing guides. One of my goals post-MLIS is to take some professional development courses and webinars to help me develop better tutorials and guides in future professional work.
References
ACRL. (2010). ACRL at ALA annual conference. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/events/acrlatannual.cfm
Baule, S. M. (2007). The components of successful technologies. Teacher Librarian, 34(5), 16-18.
Rubin, R.E. (2004). Foundations of library and information science (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman.
Slebodnik, M. (2009) Creating online tutorials at your libraries: Software choices and practical implications. Reference and User Services, 49(1), 33-51.
Richard E. Rubin (2004) points out that “[s]ome have predicted that libraries may be coming to an end, that their electronic competitors will render them obsolete." Rubin does not believe this is an accurate prediction, and, for many in the field, we, too, believe that the library is much more than a building with walls, books, and computers. Changes and improvements in technology have reshaped the library as place, moving from physical to virtual use. We now have the technology to allow library users to search and download journal articles from subscription databases at home, at a coffee shop, or even at a friend's home day or night. Library users can ask librarians questions at any time of day by email, chat, or text through 24/7 virtual reference service manned by a consortia of librarians. Users can also stay updated about library services or resources through Web 2.0 sources--blogs, wikis, screencasts, Flickr, Facebook, or Twitter. These technologies have improved the transfer of ideas, allowing for communication between librarians and library users and also between users themselves.
Although library users in first world societies such as ours may appear to be technologically savvy because of their use of applications (apps) on smart phones, creating avatars in online worlds, and making YouTube videos, using these communicative technologies is much different that that of using information technologies, such as searching through online library catalogs, subscription databases, or using library guides within the library's website to jumpstart research on a specific topic. The information professional of today, as in years past, continues his or her role as research guide. The increase in the number of online resources, both freely available on the Internet and through subscriptions, only heightens the need for instruction from those who make their livelihoods studying and using information resouces.
Evidence
As evidence for meeting competency H, I am including assignments from LIBR 287 Seminar in Information Science, which focused on information literacy, and LIBR 210 Reference and Information Services. Although the assignments from LIBR 287 have been used in other competencies (the Jing screencast is also included as evidence in competency M, and the Elluminate recording is included in competency K), experience with screencast and web conferencing software is a valued skill and a good demonstration of the use of communication technologies. The creation of this e-portfolio with samples of the work I completed during my two-years as an online library school student also demonstrates my ability to successfully use communicative and information technologies.
LIBR 287: Google Scholar Jing Screencast
Baule's (2007) criteria for effective technology are that it be user-friendly, engaging, fills a need, results-oriented, and flexible (p. 16-18). Screencasts, short movie-like tutorials with narration, can be effective tools in providing library users with tips on how to use a catalog or a specific database at the point of need, demonstrating technological problems by showing IT staff rather than trying to explain in written words alone, or even giving presentations or lectures that can be accessed at any time of the day by clicking on a link. Slebodnik and Riehle (2009) write that screencast use is on the rise, and "one of the main reasons for the trend is that the screen capture software available for tutorial construction has also grown increasingly capable and user-friendly" (p. 33).
In LIBR 287 Seminar in Information Science, which concentrated on information literacy, one of the assignments was to create a five-minute screencast using the software and topic of our choice. While there are many different screencasting software programs, I chose to use TechSmith's Jing, which is free and easy to use, to teach library users about Google Scholar. While it was a challenge to keep the content to five minutes, I was able to effectively demonstrate how to set library preferences when using Google Scholar to be able to discover scholarly items that one's physical library owns or provides access.
LIBR 287: American Memory Elluminate Recording and Reflection
In LIBR 287, I created a twenty-minute lesson about using the American Memory website to find primary source materials that I presented to fellow graduate students via Elluminate web conferencing software. Although I had used Elluminate in other classes to listen to live lectures and/or lecture recordings and use some of the tools, like the instant message feature, whiteboard tools, and multiple choice quiz function, I had always used the software as a participant, never as a moderator. In preparation for my online lesson, I attended an Elluminate training session given by Jessica Henry, a fellow SLIS student and Elluminate assistant, to learn, amonst other tools and functions, how to use application sharing and the web tour function; how to use the whiteboard tools and break-out rooms to aid group work; and how upload and maneuver PowerPoint slides within the software.
Although I practiced my session with others, I did run into some technical difficulties, as the link to the Elluminate recording shows, but I was able to recover and continue with my lesson. Although the recording does not demonstrate a full appreciation of the variety of tools available, it does show my experience using Elluminate to teach a class and my willingness to try out newer technologies. The reflective paper I am also including comments on aspects I would have liked to change about the lesson, such as making use of the web tour function.
LIBR 210: Learning Spanish Libguide
In June of 2010, I attended the American Library Association annual meeting in Washington, D.C. One session I attended was "Beyond Library Guides: Using Libguides as a Platform for Student Research Projects," which was
presented by Phyllis Conn, a history professor, and Ben Turner, an instruction librarian, from St. John University. In this presentation, Conn and Turner shared with attendees how they used Springshare's Libguides as a wiki so that
students taking a New York and Long Island history class could "...collaborate, informally publish their own work, and critique the work of others" (Association of College & Research Libraries [ACRL], 2010). At the time, I was not very familiar with any hosted web publishing services, so I mostly took notes, adding to my arsenal of knowledge.The next year, in LIBR 210, I was able to put a little of what I had learned about Libguides into practice by creating my very own pathfinder using the software.
For my pathfinder, I chose to design a learning Spanish guide for students attending UC Merced because at the time I was about to commence a similar volunteer project at the UC Merced library. (Unfortunately, I stopped volunteering at UC Merced a few weeks later because I started a new, unexpected job.) While the pathfinder could be on any topic, each student had to establish criteria for determining which items would be included. The pathfinder itself could be no longer than two pages typed.
Developing this small pathfinder within Libguides gave me a special opportunity to work with software actually used in many academic libraries. I found the software to meet many of Baule's (2007) criteria for effective technologies--Libguides is user-friendly, engaging, fills a need, and is flexible. The software can also be results-oriented if a librarian placed a link in the guide to a survey aimed at gauging the pathfinder’s effectiveness. Experimenting with Libguides also taught me the importance of learning more about web design. Although persons using Libguides do not necessarily need a strong background in programming, to fully utilize all the features, such as embedding videos directly into the guide rather than supplying a link, knowledge of HTML coding can help create more visually appealing guides. One of my goals post-MLIS is to take some professional development courses and webinars to help me develop better tutorials and guides in future professional work.
References
ACRL. (2010). ACRL at ALA annual conference. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/events/acrlatannual.cfm
Baule, S. M. (2007). The components of successful technologies. Teacher Librarian, 34(5), 16-18.
Rubin, R.E. (2004). Foundations of library and information science (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman.
Slebodnik, M. (2009) Creating online tutorials at your libraries: Software choices and practical implications. Reference and User Services, 49(1), 33-51.
Links
Below are the links to my pieces of evidence.
http://www.screencast.com/t/fV3lqYj0np5m
This is the link to the LIBR 287 Google Scholar Jing Screencast.
https://nexus.sjsu.edu/play_recording.html?recordingId=1267553060519_1312936459059
This is the link to the LIBR 287 American Memory instructional session recording on Elluminate. The password is Simmons. My session begins at 22:07 and ends at 40:04.
http://libraryschool.campusguides.com/Learning_Spanish
This is the link to my LIBR 210 Learning Spanish Libguide.
This is the link to the LIBR 287 Google Scholar Jing Screencast.
https://nexus.sjsu.edu/play_recording.html?recordingId=1267553060519_1312936459059
This is the link to the LIBR 287 American Memory instructional session recording on Elluminate. The password is Simmons. My session begins at 22:07 and ends at 40:04.
http://libraryschool.campusguides.com/Learning_Spanish
This is the link to my LIBR 210 Learning Spanish Libguide.