I have two key attributes that will help me in future jobs. First, I am flexible, ready to accept changes, and eager to work towards them. Second, I intend to continue learning for the rest of my life. Together, these two traits will ensure that I can utilize future technologies and work with a variety of different coworkers and patrons.
Throughout the semester, I have gained a deeper understanding of the different roles that an LIS professional plays. There is a lot more to the job than choosing books, cataloging them, shelving them, and helping patrons find them, and that's wonderful! I look forward to a job where I get to do many different things every day.
From here I am ready to continue taking classes and work hard outside them to get more experience. I currently have a job as a library page, and while that does constitute library experience, it is not the experience that I am trying to get. I plan on being more active within student organizations so that I can gain skills in digitization and metadata even before I have the opportunity to take classes that focus on those skills.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Revisit Assumptions/Assertions about LIS
My original assertions were fairly broad and still hold true. Well, except for the first one that was proved wrong before I even posted it.
Over the course of the semester I have become more sure that technology is an asset to the LIS field. The people who are attempting to resist the changes that technology brings are probably already having a difficult time and will certainly have difficulties in the future. The increase in access and searchability is what makes information much more user friendly today. Throughout the semester I have become more aware of different technologies and their uses inside and outside of the library. This has helped me decide what classes will be most important for me to take in future semesters and what skills I need to work on in my own time.
I have also learned about the many different paths that a librarian/information scientist can take. The opportunities that I had to meet with librarians one-on-one were particularly helpful because I was able to learn about the problems that different libraries face and how people have chosen to tackle them.
LIS 6010 was a great introduction to the information profession because I learned enough to understand how much I still don't know.
Over the course of the semester I have become more sure that technology is an asset to the LIS field. The people who are attempting to resist the changes that technology brings are probably already having a difficult time and will certainly have difficulties in the future. The increase in access and searchability is what makes information much more user friendly today. Throughout the semester I have become more aware of different technologies and their uses inside and outside of the library. This has helped me decide what classes will be most important for me to take in future semesters and what skills I need to work on in my own time.
I have also learned about the many different paths that a librarian/information scientist can take. The opportunities that I had to meet with librarians one-on-one were particularly helpful because I was able to learn about the problems that different libraries face and how people have chosen to tackle them.
LIS 6010 was a great introduction to the information profession because I learned enough to understand how much I still don't know.
Technology Sandbox
I love technology and social networking, but if you are going to do it at all you have to do it well. An abandoned social networking profile is a sad thing to stumble across, it shows that someone tried for a little while, and then, for whatever reason, gave up. I think one common reason that people give up is that they feel that they don't have enough followers, likes, retweets, mentions, page views, or whatever other way influence is measured. At some point you have to just keep going, when someone does find your blog you want them to get lost in 10, 20, or 50 posts that have them interested enough that they don't realize that they just wasted an hour scrolling through your photos or text posts.
My favorite social networks are Twitter and Tumblr. I like having the ability to follow the people and topics that are most interesting to me and having them all show up in one place (or in this case, two places). I use these websites almost every day, sometimes from my desktop computer, but more often from the apps on my iPhone. There are a few other sites that have a similar type of feed or dashboard that brings together information from people you follow, Facebook does to some extent, and I believe that Instagram and Vine do as well.
I think the most important thing for information agencies to do is to figure out where their patrons are spending time online. It is also important to try to understand the etiquette of each social network. That may seem like a silly word to be using because most social networking interactions are so informal, but it is worth thinking about. This isn't something to stress about, but I suggest spending some time clicking around and reading through posts on different sites to get a feel for the language, humor, and hashtags that are used.
There may be an overwhelming number of social networks that library patrons are using, but that's okay. The best thing about this technology is that it allows you to cross post things. Maybe someone in the library is really comfortable with Tumblr, well every time the library's Tumblr is updated a notification can automatically be posted on Twitter. There are more connections like this than you would expect, poke around in the settings of each site and see what you find. This allows you to reach more people on more networks with little to no more effort.
An important thing to remember when sharing things is that most of these sites encourage users to repost other people's posts. Take advantage of this, it will make you so much more interesting! Maybe Buzzfeed posted a list of their favorite books of the year and you happen to have several in the library. Share it! Maybe the Nightly News had a great report about the library is Ferguson. Share it! Maybe something inspirational happened in your town, but it has nothing to do with the library. Go ahead, share it! Don't take blogging too seriously, if you find something fascinating/funny/informative, chances are someone else will like it too. I wouldn't advise posting 100 things every day, but it you think something would be interesting to your followers, you should share it.
With complete freedom I would use several social networking sites to digitize the collection I was working with and share it with as many people as possible. I would primarily save images on Flickr because of the large amount of space they offer and the system for organizing visual information. From there I would post at least one thing every day on a Tumblr blog, Today's Document from the National Archives has a great format to emulate. I would also share these posts through Twitter and use Twitter to interact with individuals and institutions. I might use Facebook to make people aware of events and share photos after the events. Finally, I might try Pinterest to curate specific sets of content, but only if I had enough time.
My favorite social networks are Twitter and Tumblr. I like having the ability to follow the people and topics that are most interesting to me and having them all show up in one place (or in this case, two places). I use these websites almost every day, sometimes from my desktop computer, but more often from the apps on my iPhone. There are a few other sites that have a similar type of feed or dashboard that brings together information from people you follow, Facebook does to some extent, and I believe that Instagram and Vine do as well.
I think the most important thing for information agencies to do is to figure out where their patrons are spending time online. It is also important to try to understand the etiquette of each social network. That may seem like a silly word to be using because most social networking interactions are so informal, but it is worth thinking about. This isn't something to stress about, but I suggest spending some time clicking around and reading through posts on different sites to get a feel for the language, humor, and hashtags that are used.
There may be an overwhelming number of social networks that library patrons are using, but that's okay. The best thing about this technology is that it allows you to cross post things. Maybe someone in the library is really comfortable with Tumblr, well every time the library's Tumblr is updated a notification can automatically be posted on Twitter. There are more connections like this than you would expect, poke around in the settings of each site and see what you find. This allows you to reach more people on more networks with little to no more effort.
An important thing to remember when sharing things is that most of these sites encourage users to repost other people's posts. Take advantage of this, it will make you so much more interesting! Maybe Buzzfeed posted a list of their favorite books of the year and you happen to have several in the library. Share it! Maybe the Nightly News had a great report about the library is Ferguson. Share it! Maybe something inspirational happened in your town, but it has nothing to do with the library. Go ahead, share it! Don't take blogging too seriously, if you find something fascinating/funny/informative, chances are someone else will like it too. I wouldn't advise posting 100 things every day, but it you think something would be interesting to your followers, you should share it.
With complete freedom I would use several social networking sites to digitize the collection I was working with and share it with as many people as possible. I would primarily save images on Flickr because of the large amount of space they offer and the system for organizing visual information. From there I would post at least one thing every day on a Tumblr blog, Today's Document from the National Archives has a great format to emulate. I would also share these posts through Twitter and use Twitter to interact with individuals and institutions. I might use Facebook to make people aware of events and share photos after the events. Finally, I might try Pinterest to curate specific sets of content, but only if I had enough time.
Following a Professional Listserv
ArLiSNAP is a newsletter for Art Library Students & New ARLIS Professionals
Each weekly newsletter is divided into 5 main parts: Announcements, Discussions, Articles this Week, New Job Postings, and a calendar of upcoming events
The most useful portion of this newsletter is undoubtedly the New Job Postings section. Every week, between two and ten jobs are listed from across the United States and Canada. While I won't be qualified for any of these jobs for a few years, it is helpful to see where jobs are available and what the requirements are.
I expected the Discussions section, which links to a brief article on a webpage that has a comments section, to be a great place to learn about new problems in the field and discuss potential solutions. As it turns out, there are very few topics, the same one may be repeated for several weeks, and most of them don't have any comments. That being said, the Art, Cultural Heritage, and Law post is very interesting and makes me want to learn more about it. I know that Wayne has a one-credit course about Copy write law, but I'm not sure if we have anything else. I agree with the writer that there might not be space in LIS programs to adequately cover this topic. A student group seems like it would be the natural next step, but I'm not sure how easy that would be to coordinate because of all the intricacies of law. I usually hate being the first person to respond to something, but I might have to try to get a conversation going.
Blogging about Professional Blogs
I spent quite a bit of time choosing blogs to follow for this post and was surprised by how difficult it was to find bloggers working in museum libraries. Archivists are a bit easier to find, but the majority of blogs still seem to be about school libraries, public libraries, and academic libraries.
Overall, it was interesting to see the different approaches people take to blogging about librarianship. Some strictly stick to issues surrounding librarianship, some mix in current events and personal feelings, and others include posts about completely unrelated topics. There seem to be as many blogging styles as there are types of librarians.
The first blog that I followed is Archivist Rising. Marian Matyn has been an archivist for over 20 years and currently works at Central Michigan University's Clarke Historical Library. She updates her blog quite frequently and most of her posts are about news articles that relate to archives/libraries in some way. Some posts are about documents that have recently surfaced or been authenticated, others are about privacy, and a few are about exhibits or auctions that have taken place. It is a nice assortment of articles that might not make the nightly news, but are still worth reading about. This shows how important it is to keep up with current events, even if it isn't about advances in technology. I particularly appreciate when this blog, and many others, post job openings. Jobs can be hard to track down because they are posted in so many different places, it is nice to see that bloggers are looking out for their fellow professionals.
Instead of focusing on a single blog for this next part, I'm going to share a few individual posts that directly relate to museum librarianship.
The post So, You Want to be a Museum Librarian? on the blog Letters to a Young Librarian is a particularly great post that concisely sums up some key points to consider. (And it's written by Detroiter!) Many of the points that Kristin makes directly relate back to things that I learned while doing my library visits earlier this semester. The idea of one-person libraries comes up again, with a reminder that in that situation a librarian has to do everything. Kristin does a great job of explaining all the hard work that goes into being a museum librarian, but she still makes it sound fun and rewarding.
The blog Hack Library School has a great post about preparing for a degree in art librarianship. It discusses organizations that are worth joining, schools that offer dual-degree programs and what to do if your school doesn't. The post is very general, but it can be a good jumping off point.
Finally, the blog Future Art Librarian is written by a student with the aspirations of working in a museum library. While she isn't a professional with that type of experience to share, it is nice to read about someone who is on a similar path.
Overall, it was interesting to see the different approaches people take to blogging about librarianship. Some strictly stick to issues surrounding librarianship, some mix in current events and personal feelings, and others include posts about completely unrelated topics. There seem to be as many blogging styles as there are types of librarians.
The first blog that I followed is Archivist Rising. Marian Matyn has been an archivist for over 20 years and currently works at Central Michigan University's Clarke Historical Library. She updates her blog quite frequently and most of her posts are about news articles that relate to archives/libraries in some way. Some posts are about documents that have recently surfaced or been authenticated, others are about privacy, and a few are about exhibits or auctions that have taken place. It is a nice assortment of articles that might not make the nightly news, but are still worth reading about. This shows how important it is to keep up with current events, even if it isn't about advances in technology. I particularly appreciate when this blog, and many others, post job openings. Jobs can be hard to track down because they are posted in so many different places, it is nice to see that bloggers are looking out for their fellow professionals.
Instead of focusing on a single blog for this next part, I'm going to share a few individual posts that directly relate to museum librarianship.
The post So, You Want to be a Museum Librarian? on the blog Letters to a Young Librarian is a particularly great post that concisely sums up some key points to consider. (And it's written by Detroiter!) Many of the points that Kristin makes directly relate back to things that I learned while doing my library visits earlier this semester. The idea of one-person libraries comes up again, with a reminder that in that situation a librarian has to do everything. Kristin does a great job of explaining all the hard work that goes into being a museum librarian, but she still makes it sound fun and rewarding.
The blog Hack Library School has a great post about preparing for a degree in art librarianship. It discusses organizations that are worth joining, schools that offer dual-degree programs and what to do if your school doesn't. The post is very general, but it can be a good jumping off point.
Finally, the blog Future Art Librarian is written by a student with the aspirations of working in a museum library. While she isn't a professional with that type of experience to share, it is nice to read about someone who is on a similar path.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Popcorn & A Movie
To start, I just want to say how much I enjoyed The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians through Film. It covered several serious topics while still retaining a sense of humor and making librarianship an appealing field. Many of the featured movie clips were a bit too old for me to recognize, (my knowledge of movies from before the 90s is embarrassingly small) but it was interesting to see how the perception of librarians has (or really hasn't) changed since the 50s and 60s.
What is a library? What is a librarian?
Librarians and libraries exist to connect people with the information that they want and need. As we have discussed in class many times, libraries about about people, not books. The movie did a great job of showing how much goes into librarianship that largely goes unnoticed. Librarians run businesses, they facilitate fundraising efforts, they fight for freedom, they teach people to read, they help people learn English, They work with doctors to save lives, they connect with people who feel like outsiders. Librarians advocate for positive change and act to help the underdogs. Even though librarians do all of these things, and more, Hollywood mainly depicts them as pretty but stern women who sit behind desks and check out books or walk through the aisles to reshelve books while wearing heels and a pencil skirt. Oh, and don't forget, a librarian's hair should always be in a bun! The Music Man depicts Hollywood's view of librarians perfectly, or at least the musical number "Marian The Librarian" does, I can't judge the rest of the movie because I haven't seen it. Because librarians help the public, it seems that men think it is okay to bother and harass them while they are trying to do their jobs. I understand that this is a musical and it is supposed to be over-the-top, but the dramatic choreography and rhyming lyrics do not take away from the fact this type of behavior is unacceptable. Even though this movie was released 52 years ago, incidents like these still happen today. A library in the Detroit area recently had to add more security cameras because a man spent over a hour following one of the female pages around and asking for her phone number.
What points did Seidl make that were most provocative to you?
It would be easy to believe that librarianship is an ideal field in which women will be treated equally to their male counterparts because it is a field that is predominantly populated by women. This is done most obviously when Seidl discusses Melville Dewey and his horrible attitude towards women, in a clip from Party Girl a character says that he "hired women as librarians because he believed the job didn't require an intelligence. That means it's underpaid and undervalued!" This is particularly apparent at the library I work at, where most of the librarians are forced to work part time because the city does not want to pay for their healthcare. Some of the librarians split their time between three different libraries so they can work enough hours. This divide is particularly astounding when compared with the pay and benefits that are given to other professionals, like doctors and lawyer, who are working in fields that were dominated by men for so long.
What do you see as the most important role an LIS professional plays in society?
I think this question is really difficult because of all of the different types of libraries and the different communities that they exist in. The needs of each library are different based on the community that it is a part of. That being said, all librarians connect patrons to the information that they are trying to find. This ability to sort through vast numbers of books, articles, services, and webpages to find what a user is looking for is what keeps people coming back to libraries. As Neil Gaiman says, "Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one."
What is a library? What is a librarian?
Librarians and libraries exist to connect people with the information that they want and need. As we have discussed in class many times, libraries about about people, not books. The movie did a great job of showing how much goes into librarianship that largely goes unnoticed. Librarians run businesses, they facilitate fundraising efforts, they fight for freedom, they teach people to read, they help people learn English, They work with doctors to save lives, they connect with people who feel like outsiders. Librarians advocate for positive change and act to help the underdogs. Even though librarians do all of these things, and more, Hollywood mainly depicts them as pretty but stern women who sit behind desks and check out books or walk through the aisles to reshelve books while wearing heels and a pencil skirt. Oh, and don't forget, a librarian's hair should always be in a bun! The Music Man depicts Hollywood's view of librarians perfectly, or at least the musical number "Marian The Librarian" does, I can't judge the rest of the movie because I haven't seen it. Because librarians help the public, it seems that men think it is okay to bother and harass them while they are trying to do their jobs. I understand that this is a musical and it is supposed to be over-the-top, but the dramatic choreography and rhyming lyrics do not take away from the fact this type of behavior is unacceptable. Even though this movie was released 52 years ago, incidents like these still happen today. A library in the Detroit area recently had to add more security cameras because a man spent over a hour following one of the female pages around and asking for her phone number.
What points did Seidl make that were most provocative to you?
It would be easy to believe that librarianship is an ideal field in which women will be treated equally to their male counterparts because it is a field that is predominantly populated by women. This is done most obviously when Seidl discusses Melville Dewey and his horrible attitude towards women, in a clip from Party Girl a character says that he "hired women as librarians because he believed the job didn't require an intelligence. That means it's underpaid and undervalued!" This is particularly apparent at the library I work at, where most of the librarians are forced to work part time because the city does not want to pay for their healthcare. Some of the librarians split their time between three different libraries so they can work enough hours. This divide is particularly astounding when compared with the pay and benefits that are given to other professionals, like doctors and lawyer, who are working in fields that were dominated by men for so long.
What do you see as the most important role an LIS professional plays in society?
I think this question is really difficult because of all of the different types of libraries and the different communities that they exist in. The needs of each library are different based on the community that it is a part of. That being said, all librarians connect patrons to the information that they are trying to find. This ability to sort through vast numbers of books, articles, services, and webpages to find what a user is looking for is what keeps people coming back to libraries. As Neil Gaiman says, "Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one."
Mid-Semester Analysis and Reflection
I've always found it difficult to put my thoughts into words, even as I'm writing this post it feels strange and a bit unnatural to be keeping a blog. Over the years I've become accustomed to formal research paper writing, but the informal nature of a blog is not entirely within my comfort zone. I think some of my trepidation comes from the openness of the internet, these words can be read by anyone and may last for a very long time, past when my personal views may have changed. I have always been more of a listener than a talker, which is making my classes a bit more challenging because one requires quite a bit of online work and the other is completely online. On online forums it is difficult to show active listening, unless you have a strong response what a classmate has posted.
That being said, I have enjoys the Think Tank activities that we have done online. It is helpful for me when theoretical topics that have discussed in class are joined with real world examples. Groups have done a good job of making these connections and providing relevant discussion questions. Sometimes it is difficult to come into a conversation near the end where several people have already come to the same conclusions, I've never been keen on reiterating points that have already been made clear. I need to work on being involved in these discussions more towards the beginning of the week, both so that I can start conversations and so that people have time to respond to them. These activities are my favorite because they allow us to bring together lecture material, reading material, and real world experiences while considering current problems and solutions.
As the semester has progressed I have become more and more interested in museum librarianship. I'm not sure if this is reflected in my posts because it has always been an interest of mine, but it is coming more to the forefront now.
That being said, I have enjoys the Think Tank activities that we have done online. It is helpful for me when theoretical topics that have discussed in class are joined with real world examples. Groups have done a good job of making these connections and providing relevant discussion questions. Sometimes it is difficult to come into a conversation near the end where several people have already come to the same conclusions, I've never been keen on reiterating points that have already been made clear. I need to work on being involved in these discussions more towards the beginning of the week, both so that I can start conversations and so that people have time to respond to them. These activities are my favorite because they allow us to bring together lecture material, reading material, and real world experiences while considering current problems and solutions.
As the semester has progressed I have become more and more interested in museum librarianship. I'm not sure if this is reflected in my posts because it has always been an interest of mine, but it is coming more to the forefront now.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Professional Associations
Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA)
Mission:
The mission of ARLIS/NA is to foster excellence in art and design librarianship and image management. We achieve this mission through a wide variety of activities, such as:- Meeting, networking, and sharing ideas in person at our annual conferences.
- Publishing substantive articles of a practical as well as scholarly nature through our publications, such as Art Documentation, ARLIS/NA Reviews, Occasional Papers, and online publications.
- Providing a forum for professional communication, via our listserv and web site.
- Reaching out to future art librarians through numerous scholarship awards.
- Recognizing excellence in the field through awards for research, service, and publication
Membership Benefits:
- Networking with fellow professionals in all levels of the organization, including Chapters, Divisions, Sections, Special Interest Groups, Committees, and the Executive Board.
- Subscription to Art Documentation
- News, job postings, internships, and announcements on the website
- Access to the ARLIS/NA Learning Portal
- Discounted conference rate
- Free membership in Divisions, Sections, and Special Interest Groups
- Individuals - $120
- Introductory - $90 (1 year limit)
- Retired/Unemployed - $60
- Students - $50 (3 year limit)
- Business Affiliate - $190
Opportunities and Requirements:
- Opportunities to be awarded scholarships or awards. (Various requirements, available here)
Publications:
- ARLIS/NA Reviews - "expert evaluations of new publications throughout the year in an online format."
- Art Documentation "appears twice yearly and features substantial articles on issues of interest to art information specialists...plus in depth reviews."
- ARLIS/NA Multimedia & Technology Reviews - "target projects, products, events, and issues within the broad realm of multimedia and technology related to arts scholarship, research, and librarianship."
Primary Activities:
- Annual Conference
- Summer Educational Institute (sponsored with the Visual Resources Association Foundation)
Society of American Archivists
Mission:
SAA promotes the values and diversity of archives and archivists. We are the preeminent source of professional resources and the principal communication hub for American archivists.Membership Benefits:
- Access to The American Archivist (Journal) and Archival Outlook (Newsletter)
- Member discounts on books in the SAA Bookstore, registration for SAA's annual Meeting, registration for continuing education workshops
- Mentoring Program
- Ability to join 2 sections and an unlimited number of roundtables
- Access to the SAA Membership Directory
- Individual Full Membership - (dues depend on annual earnings) $50 - $250
- Individual Student Membership - $50
- Individual Associate Membership - $100 (residents of USA), $125 (non-residents)
- Institutional Membership - $550 (sustaining), $300 (regular)
Opportunities and Requirements:
- Digital Archives Specialist Certificate (no specific requirements)
Publications:
- The American Archivist
- Archival Outlook newsletter
- In The Loop newsletter
- Books
Primary Activities:
- American Archives Month
- Annual Meeting
I keep flip-flopping back and forth about whether I would prefer to be an archivist or an art librarian. Luckily, when I completed my library visits for a class project I met a woman who does both! She basically has my dream job working at the Detroit Institute of Arts as the head librarian. I'm sure it is a lot of hard work managing the main museum library, two sub-libraries, and the archive, but it also seems like a lot of fun. Anyway, because I'm considering both of these fields, I choose to look into the professional associations outlined above.
I would certainly consider joining both of these associations in the future. I've never had to conduct research without being enrolled at a college/university, so I imagine it will be helpful to have personal access to journals in the future. I've also been told that books for some archives classes are very cheap/free for SAA members and I will be sure to take advantage of that once I enroll in those. At this point I don't have money to travel to conferences and meetings, but that is something that I would like to do in the future. Both organizations offer scholarships, but I feel like I need to have more experience and participate in some more projects before I would be qualified to earn them. The twitter account for the SAA is better than many that I have seen, I particularly appreciate that they include job postings.
Websites Consulted
http://www.arlisna.org/
http://www2.archivists.org/
https://twitter.com/ARLIS_NA
https://twitter.com/archivists_org
Professional Journals
The American Archivist VS. Library Trends
Intended Audience
The American Archivist is intended to be read by archivists, but may also be of interest to creators and users of archives. The publication focuses on North America, but does have space to include developments that happen internationally. Library Trends has a broader intended readership that is focused on professional librarians and educators, but also includes others working in information and cultural heritage institutions.
Types of Material Published
The American Archivist lists particular types of articles that it accepts, including research articles, case studies, perspectives, international scene pieces, professional resources, forum letters, and reviews. Library Trends is quite different because instead of focusing on different types of articles, each issue focuses on a theme that is chosen by an "issue editor." Recent themes have been New Perspectives on Intellectual Freedom, Community Informatics in China, The Impact of Gaming on Libraries, and Windows on the World--Analyzing Main Street Public Library Collections.
Peer Reviewed?
Both journals are peer reviewed. This is important because it means that a second person working in the profession has read each article, provided feedback, and deemed the articles significant enough to share.
I find it particularly interesting that the journals have such different structures. The American Archivist is structured in a familiar way, where each issue contains articles that may only relate to one another because they fall under the umbrella of archiving. Library Trends is surprising to me because of its alternative structure where each issue has a theme. This seems like a more difficult way to public, but it can be very beneficial because each issue covers one topic from several different angles, giving readers a more complete picture. The difference in journals structure shows that information professionals are experimenting with new and different ways of doing things. Obviously, it is important that both journals are peer reviewed, this is not surprising because information professionals understand the importance of the information that they disseminate.
Websites Consulted
http://www2.archivists.org/american-archivist
https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/library_trends/
Ulrich's Periodicals Directory
http://www2.archivists.org/american-archivist
https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/library_trends/
Ulrich's Periodicals Directory
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Banned Book Week
In 2011, To Kill a Mockingbird was #10 on ALA's list of Top Ten Challenged Books. It was banned because of offensive language and racism. Over the years, it has been banned it many different communities and for some reasons that I found surprising. In 1981 it was challenged in Warren, IN because the plot does "psychological damage to the positive integration process" and it "represents institutional racism under the guise of good literature."
I admire that these parents were pushing for integration, but I disagree that the best way to accomplish it is by protecting children from literature that depicts institutional racism. Institutional racism was a problem in the 1980s and it is still a problem today. Instead of hiding it from children, a book like To Kill a Mockingbird can be used to start a conversation about past and current problems in our country. This book is still relevant today, when we are struggling to deal with the death of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
I was in 4th grade on September 11th, 2001 and I remember the fear that I felt because my teacher refused to tell us what had happened. I remember the profound racism that occurred in the months and years that followed. That happened in a time when information spread more slowly than it does today, my parents could tell me to leave the room and that alone would spare me from seeing the videos of people jumping from the twin towers. As it becomes harder and harder to keep information from children, we need to present important topics to them in ways that are understandable. To Kill a Mockingbird is a great way to start a conversation about institutional racism and the ongoing events in Ferguson, Missouri. 14 or 15 years old is not too young to deal with this reality of the country we live in, a reality that African-American students deal with daily. As a white student, that is something that I will never have to deal with, but it would have been worthwhile for me to learn more about my classmates' experiences.
Sources
Banned and/or Challenged Books from the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons
Frequently challenged books of the 21st century. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10
To Kill a Mockingbird. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/kill-mockingbird#cart/cleanup
Monday, September 29, 2014
Personal Goals
At this point in my life, my career plans are quite broad. I know that I would like to work in an archive, so I will be getting the Certificate in Archival Administration along with my MLIS. I would like to spend at least part of my career working in the Detroit area and focusing on the history of the city. My internship last summer at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House helped to develop my already keen interest in the automotive industry, even though I was never directly studying cars.
I have a wide array of interests that ranges from modern architecture, to ancient Roman literature. I would love to spend more time studying the history of photography and its journey to becoming a form of high art. I am interested in pushing the boundaries of how visual information is shared through the internet and making primary sources available to more people than ever. I am prepared to learn from past professionals and to invent new processes with my future coworkers. I am young, optimistic, and ready to jump at any opportunity that comes my way.
I hope that my time at Wayne State prepares me to enter the workforce. Most job postings that I have seen thus far request that applicants already have a couple years of experience, even if it is for an entry-level position. I know that the Archival Administration Certificate requires a practicum, so I am looking forward to the experience that will provide, but I hope that there will be more opportunities for hands-on experience along the way.
I have a wide array of interests that ranges from modern architecture, to ancient Roman literature. I would love to spend more time studying the history of photography and its journey to becoming a form of high art. I am interested in pushing the boundaries of how visual information is shared through the internet and making primary sources available to more people than ever. I am prepared to learn from past professionals and to invent new processes with my future coworkers. I am young, optimistic, and ready to jump at any opportunity that comes my way.
I hope that my time at Wayne State prepares me to enter the workforce. Most job postings that I have seen thus far request that applicants already have a couple years of experience, even if it is for an entry-level position. I know that the Archival Administration Certificate requires a practicum, so I am looking forward to the experience that will provide, but I hope that there will be more opportunities for hands-on experience along the way.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Introduction & Assumptions/Assertions
Introduction
Hello everyone,This blog is for my first class at Wayne State University's School of Library and Information Science. My name is Claire, I'm 22 years old, and I have lived in the Detroit area for my entire life. I recently completed my undergraduate studies at Kalamazoo College, where I majored in Classical Civilizations and minored in Art History.
I am not currently employed, but I'm searching for a job in a library or archive. Once I have earned my LIS degree, I would love to work in an archive in the Detroit area and focus on Detroit's automotive history. I'm also interested in working in a library or archive that is connected with an art museum.
I'm hoping that LIS 6010 will give me a base layer of knowledge that I can build on with further courses. I also hope that this class will help me confirm that I've chosen the right path for my future career.
Working in a group can be a struggle, but I'm good a keeping an open mind and listening to my teammates' ideas. My favorite parts of a large project are the initial research and designing a beautiful end product. I can be a bit quiet, so it would be wonderful to have at least one group member who is more outspoken. I appreciate some sarcasm and silliness along the way, as long as we get everything done in the end.
Last summer I was an intern at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, MI. (The house and grounds are beautiful, I highly recommend visiting if you live in the area.) I spent most of my time compiling information to create a Collection Reference document that docents could easily refer to. A draft of that document can be viewed here. My time at Ford House sparked the idea for my Senior Individualized Project about Walter Dorwin Teague's designs for Ford Motor Company's displays at the World's Fairs of the 1930s.
You may have noticed that the URL for my blog is a bit strange, it's part of a much longer quote:
"In omnibus requiem quaesivi, et nusquam inveni nisi in angulo cum libro."
- Thomas a Kempis (Everywhere I have sought peace and not found it, except in a corner with a book)
I had to learn Latin for my undergraduate degree, and let me tell you, it was a struggle! But it was worth it, partially because I was able to spend a semester studying in Rome. If you're interested in seeing some pictures from my adventures in the Eternal City and elsewhere in Italy (and lots of the food I sampled) you can do so here.
Assumptions and Assertions
- My first assumption has already been debunked. I assumed that libraries were mainly about the resources that you were providing to people, instead of being about the people themselves.
- I believe that LIS professions are only improved by the vast technological advancements that are being made. What could be bad about getting information to more people in a quick and efficient way, even if they are halfway around the world? LIS professionals may even be more important than they were in the past because so much more information is created and accessed every year.
- I believe that MLIS degrees can lead to jobs in many different fields. All sorts of institutions have large amounts of information that need to be organized and made accessible. Librarians are needed in public libraries, K-12 libraries, college and university libraries, as well as in medical libraries and law libraries. And those are the places I can think of off the top of my head for one sector, it does not include archivists, professors, and professionals working with large data sets.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)