nirak.net - Musings of an LIS Student

(That title is a real groaner. sorry.)

The Young Librarian recently had a post over at her blog about what she felt core competencies for library students should be. I agree with her completely that no one should get out of library school without learning about relational databases. I also think her list of core classes is pretty on the mark (and is close to my required classes through Missouri.)

My question is, what should be offered outside of these core classes? What kind of courses should library students be able to chart for themselves? In my particular school, because the program is fairly small, I feel limited as to what I can take. I can only transfer in 2 classes, and I am kicking myself for taking those both at the beginning, negating my opportunity to take an interesting class the school doesn’t offer and transferring it. What if I want to take a class in python programming or PHP? What if I want to go deeper into relational databases? I suppose there’s always independent study, but that always felt like a bit of a cheat to me (pay $900+ to write and execute my own program of study?)

The truth is, I have few options for learning technical stuff. There’s a few classes I can take as electives that are offered jointly with another program, but they’re somewhat unpredictable and sparse. They also don’t connect with the rest of the program- the one I’ve taken was great, but I’m finding it hard to carry the momentum of what I have learned into other classes.

I have recently been looking into Associates degrees at nearby community colleges- I’m thinking of getting an associates in computer programming after I graduate. With some classes already taken care of via my bachelors, it would take about 2 years at a slowish pace, and I think it would really help me in what I want to do in Libraries. (Besides, I’ve always said I’ll be in school until I am 40. at least.)

I imagine this is true for students that want to specialize in other areas, like archives or digital repositories. For the most part, we’re on our own. This wouldn’t be the case, I suppose, if I went to a larger program like Urbana-Champaign. In the end, it might not matter too much, because there’s barely enough time to take all the classes I want anyway. I’ll learn a lot outside of Library School, and that’s OK.

(Image “The Departing Fleet” by flickr user cruadin. I couldn’t have that cheesy title like that and NOT have a picture of a sailboat, now could I?)

karin :: Aug.30.2007 :: Library, School Stuff :: No Comments »

These are pictures from my 6:30 AM drive to school yesterday. Yes, I took pictures while in the car. I didn’t look at the camera while taking pictures, though- just held up the camera and hit the button a bunch of times. I figured if I took a lot of pictures, something would come out- and so it did.

I’m done with school for the weekend. My head is spinning a little, but I think the semester will go well. I’m not the only one taking 3 classes and working full time. One student is also teaching classes, lives 3 hours away, and has 4 boys. eep!

karin :: Aug.26.2007 :: School Stuff :: 1 Comment »

I can’t seem to just let my hands sit still while in class. So I doodle. I hope my teacher does not take it as a slight against her- I find that when I doodle, my mind tends to wander less.

The little guy on the bottom right has a cookie, but is longingly looking at someone else with a bigger cookie. The odd thing above him is a sad little creature, isn’t he?

The big one is a page of notes on the discussion about the differences between data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. It made me think quite a lot.

karin :: Aug.25.2007 :: School Stuff :: 4 Comments »

So I’m in this class where we’ll be making an instructional video as the final project. Before that, though, we are supposed to bring in some video clips to practice with.

I thought it might be fun to try something a little different. So I have a request for anyone who has a funny reference story, especially if you can record a video or audio of yourself telling it. Failing that, you can just post the story, and I’ll try to get someone to record it.

I’m hoping for at least 2-3 videos and some audio to play with.

If you want to share, please post a link to the the file (or post the story) in the comments, or email me at karin@nirak.net. Any common file type will work. I’ll need the files by September 20th or so.

Feel free to pass this along to anyone who might be able to help! I’ll post the final edited result here.

(Flickr photo “Ask Us Desk at Wilmington College Library” by Andrew Whitis.)

karin :: Aug.25.2007 :: Library, School Stuff :: No Comments »

I made yummy almond cookies tonight. And then ate too many- now I have a tummyache.

I never was much of a cook. One of my coworkers, Stephen Ramsay, posted a bit ago about the art of cooking: he recommended some nice beginning level books. I realized that a lot of what I am missing in cooking is this beginning stuff- how to make the basic sauces, what cooking terms mean, what temperatures things normally cook at. I have been blindly following recipes for years, wihout really learning anything from them.

I realized that a lot of my education has been the same way. I’ve followed a lot of instructions through the years without making the connections they were supposed to add up to. Part of this is because I never could stay at one school for long- 3 elementary, 2 middle, 3 high schools and 3 colleges for me- many in different states. I read The Old Man and the Sea in three different English classes, and missed a lot of books too. I think part of the problem was that teachers didn’t make the conections, though. It wasn’t entirely their fault- even before no child left behind, there was an emphasis on state test scores. Teachers had to teach what we would be tested on.

College was better, but I still felt like I was stumbling around blind much of the time. I somehow made it to the end and even learned stuff.

I really like getting older. I am starting to feel like I can make sense of the world, at least a little.

karin :: Aug.23.2007 :: House and Home :: 4 Comments »

I’m sort of envious of people that have a drive to write. Me, don’t like it much. It’s not the ideas so much- I love to talk- it’s the organization and typing and making sure all my sources are documented and the horrible process of trying to eliminate spelling errors (which I never entirely succeed at.) Over the last few weeks I have been reading a lot, and writing little. Well, that’s not entirely true. I’ve started dozens of blog posts that just have not gone anywhere. It’s that organization thing. I also have doubts about my writing ability- I think “why would anyone want to hear ME weigh in on this?” Self doubt is an annoying thing.

A week from today, I start classes again. I’m a little nervous, but I’m also looking forward to being busy again. This may come as a surprise to those that have to put up with hearing me complain about being busy, but the truth is, I function better when busy. The hard part, when I transition out of school, is going to be to assign myself things rather than having them assigned to me. My own assignments just don’t carry the weight in my mind as those that are a part of school- I’m not sure what I need to do to change this.

Game day in Lincoln, Nebraska- everyone comes downtown and wears red.

A bit ago I contacted other students that are part of the localized distance program I am in, asking them to take a survey to see who might want to take part in local social meetings. So far, 16 out of 18 people that have responded to the survey said they would like some kind of meeting. I’m not sure what to do from here- a few people said they would help out, so I’m looking forward to their input as the process continues. One of the skills I really hope to cultivate is the ability to coordinate others to help on a project- to harness energy to get something done. This is elusive to me- I’ve experienced this at work, in school, and in other projects. Lots of people would like to be involved in lots of stuff, but harnessing that energy proves to be really, really difficult.

I am fascinated by open source projects- small and large- by the way they rally people behind the cause and inspire people to work on the project. Not ALL the work will make it into the final project, but the person can still feel proud of their accomplishment because they’re a part of the project. How can I build on that? How can I create that excitement? How can instill ownership in a project?

These are questions to which I don’t have answers. I’ll keep trying to figure it out, though.

(Writing photo “saturated writing” by tnarik)

karin :: Aug.19.2007 :: Library, School Stuff :: 4 Comments »

Without really thinking about it, I have started to search out opposing viewpoints whenever I read something. So after reading Getting Things Done by David Allen- the organization manifesto that has spawned a cult like following, I read A perfect mess : the hidden benefits of disorder by Eric Abrahamson and David H Freedman, which advocates useful messiness. True to subject, the book was a little messy, with supporting examples that didn’t exactly fit anywhere, and all sorts of odd examples (boxing vs cage matches?) It was a nice counterpoint, though, to the “everything in it’s place” view, arguing that the brain can actually work better with some kinds of mess.

A perfect mess had a story about a hospital administrator who decided to forgo the usual planning process and instead said “we’ll do everything.” In the process of planning for a new obstetrics wing for Griffin Hospital in Derby, Connecticut, the management team commissioned a survey asking new mothers what they’d like to see in an obstetrics wing. The results?

Mothers wanted not only their husbands in the delivery room during delivery, but also their children and their own parents. They wanted rooms that didn’t look like hospital rooms. They wanted double beds, so their husbands–or whoever–could sleep next to them. They wanted Jacuzzis. They wanted big windows and skylights. They wanted large, comfortable lounges where the family could gather at all hours. They wanted nurses who constantly paid close attention to them and doctors who always followed up on problems.

OF course, there’s no way they could possibly provide all of this, right? No other obstetrics wing offered these sorts of amenities. Plus, some ideas “like Jacuzzis, seemed downright dangerous, since it is widely known that bathing during labor carries a risk of infection.” No manufacturer made the double wide hospital beds the patients wanted. Nurses and doctors would balk at the idea of changing the way things were always done. (sound familiar?)

The CEO of the hospital, Patrick Charmel, decided instead of trying to figure out what on the list was feasible, they would give the patients everything they wanted- or come as close as they reasonably could. The board reluctantly agreed, but stipulated he “wouldn’t be allowed to spend more per square foot than any other spent on average on their facilities in the state.”

In the end, they did it. They found that while some doctors and nurses balked at the new routines and left, they attracted other terrific doctors and nurses who heard about the new and different wing. With a little research, they found that bathing wasn’t as dangerous as they had thought. They leaned heavily on contractors and saved money where they could (like buying secondhand furniture). They came in on budget. And the result was “immediate and enthusiastic.” It took some adjustment, to be sure-but they did it. Charmel decided to try and build an entire hospital that was responsive to patients needs, and that worked too. The last time went into a hospital, it exhibited many of these family friendly features.

I took away a lot from this story. It’s a nice counterpoint to the death by bureaucracy model that seems to be prevalent in a lot of large institutions.

I’m not advocating that all libraries be everything to everyone, but this approach might work for smaller projects, like a computer lab or a new children’s or teen area. You might not be able to provide everything, but with some creativity, you can get close to a lot of requests

I especially liked the example in the book of women who wanted Jacuzzis, which was thought to be dangerous. Instead of dismissing the idea out of hand because they’d heard it was dangerous, they researched and learned the danger was over hyped. How many times have we been told (or even told others) that we don’t do it that way, with no reason to back it up. Might there be another way?

As an example, at my job, I recently joined the display committee. It’s a good committee- we actually get to make decisions quickly and put them into action. At the first meeting, we were told “don’t even ask about moving the display cases, it’s not gonna happen.” That’s it. No explanation, no reasons, it’s a dictum passed from above, no chance of appeal. Now, I haven’t spent enough time to know if the cases should be moved, but the pronouncement was made in such a manner that I think someone has asked if the cases could be moved in the past. And it was somehow decided that they would not be moved. Are they bolted to the floor? Are there fire regulations? Will they simply fall apart? Or is it just that someone decided that they shouldn’t be moved and made a proclamation? (I have not asked yet- I’m curious, though.)

Meredith Farkas talked about transparency in blog entries and in her recent American Libraries column (August 2007). Being transparent about why we do certain things is important, but I think a lot of people resist because sometimes they don’t even know why we do things, or the only reason is “that’s the way it’s always been done.” (Which is, needless to say, not much of a reason.) I think a big hurdle for transparency in a lot of organizations will be to question “do we have good reasons for the decisions we make?” If the answer is no, things have to change, fast.

Speaking of transparency, I continue to enjoy our local police chief’s blog. Tom Casady talks with a lot of candor, and though the blog is semi official, still injects a lot of personality. I don’t agree with all of his policies, but at least I have a little more of an understanding as to why he believes those policies are best. He also exhibits evidence that he has thought through the other side of the argument, something that is not apparent from sound bites. Other people in Lincoln have taken notice, and want this kind of feedback from other publicly held offices. Transparency is indeed a wonderful thing.

(The picture is a sketchbook page of mine titled “yes.” - I painted it after reading about Yoko Ono’s “Ceiling Painting (YES Painting),” in which she had a ladder you had to climb in order to use a magnifying glass to read the word “yes” printed on the ceiling.)

karin :: Aug.18.2007 :: Library, Work :: 2 Comments »

They’re here, and they’re beautiful. If you asked for one, it’s on the way. A few were a little dark, I’ll brighten for the next batch (and there will be a next batch.)

If anyone ever wants to get me a gift, these clip on handmade moo card holders are gorgeous.

If you see a typo, please don’t tell me.

karin :: Aug.09.2007 :: Art, Sites and Stories :: 2 Comments »

Tomorrow (Wed, August 8th) at Noon a bunch of us will head out to “Starship Memorial Adult Playground (aka the ugly parking lot at 14th and Q)” for a little recess. (Thanks to Lincolnite.com for starting this!)

Read the announcement here. Be there or be square.

(Photo from the LOC, found here)

karin :: Aug.07.2007 :: Local :: No Comments »

I was going to write this post anyway, but as it turns out, it’s the final assignment for the class to write a personal reflection. Bonus!

I only took one class this summer, but it was a doozy. The entire class was, as a friend describes it, very “meta.” Learning about Computer Supported Collaborative Learning while in a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning environment is an interesting way to study problems and possible solutions. It was very nice studying with (mostly) educators and programmers - I’m starting to think every library program should require a few classes outside the program.

The best part of the course was working collaboratively with my group (who were awesome) to design a lesson, which two groups of fellow students completed. Although the process was rushed, I really got a kick out of watching others complete an assignment I made. It made me think seriously about teaching someday.

We had a lot of technical difficulties during the course. The instructor experimented with having us do an assignment in Quaq, a commercial build of the open source program Croquet. The main problem with the program, I thought, was that it did not have enough computing resources behind it to do what we were supposed to do with it. At first, the built in VIOP feature crashed it. Then having 20 instances of Open Office open inside the program crashed it. Once we moved everything over to text, it was much better. I don’t t think the assignment (which involved reading and collaboratively evaluating stories written by other students) was one that was particularly well suited to Quaq, but I’m glad we used it, even with the technical difficulties. It made me think a lot about how we need to think very carefully before using new technologies with students, especially distance students, unless we require very specific hardware to be in the program.

I had a repeat of the Quaq technical difficulties when one of my group’s wiki’s (which I hosted on my own website) went down several times over two days. My web server it usually pretty stable, but I guess it’s Murphy’s law that the site will go down when I really need it. I saved student’s work as they completed it into Google Notebook and when my server went down the third time, I decided to move it over to PBWiki. What I took away from this and the Quaq experience is: always have a backup, and be prepared to move quickly to put it in place.

One of student made lessons my group completed was an evaluation of 3D, asynchronous, and synchronous learning systems. It was kind of fun being able to imagine what the future of learning environments might be like- we envisioned a combination synchronous/asynchronous program with plugin capabilities, sort of like Sakai on steroids. It gave me hope that in the future we will build learning systems that won’t cause the frustrations Jennifer experienced. This was my first time using Sakai, and I found it far superior to Blackboard (though I could certainly suggest a few improvements.)

Overall, I’m very happy I took the class. It reaffirmed my growing desire to work in distance education - and to work to make it better.

karin :: Aug.03.2007 :: Library, School Stuff :: No Comments »