Ramblings of an Amateur Information Maven

Finally the light at the end of the tunnel!  

I feel incredibly grateful that I started taking LIS classes at this point in my life. This semester helped me realize what my skills are and how I can use them to serve others.  One of the biggest takeaways I have is the knowledge I received from my interviews for the LIS comparison analysis paper/presentation.  Both interviews allowed to see how I can use Information Management to help others.  It was refreshing to speak with individuals that enjoy their work and love their jobs.  I know that my next step will include pursuing opportunities that allow me to contribute and distribute positive messages to others.

I’ve mentioned it before in my posts, but I learned so much from my peers. It’s easy to some to think that a distance program isn’t challenging or engaging - but they would be wrong.  With every assignment, group posts or discussion board question I learned about my classmates motivations, their backgrounds, and future aspirations.  I truly enjoyed the interaction of the course (sidenote: I can say that now, but taking two classes over 16 weeks and working proved to be challenging towards the end).

This is probably going to be one of my shortest posts!  Well, actually all of my posts are brief because I don’t like when I ramble, I’m not a “wordy” person and I’m really good at summarizing my thoughts.  But nonetheless...this will be a short post. 

After reviewing my assumptions/assertions from my first online journal post, I think that I’m still on a good track (without intending to be).  I changed my focus and I’m no longer pursuing a graduate degree in LIS.  The assumptions I wrote about were things that I heard from people after I got into the MLIS program. Since then the comments have changed, they no longer think I want to be a librarian or that LIS is a dying field.  However, I did notice that was easier for other people to accept/understand that I’m working on an IM graduate certificate versus a MLIS degree.  I’m wondering if this is because my friends and co-workers know that I already have a Master’s degree; so maybe the initial issue wasn’t the LIS program (or profession) but the fact that I decided to go back to school to pursue a second Master’s degree??

This post is one of the easier ones for me to do. I got excited about this post because it allows me to think about my dream job becoming a reality. I recently found it and it almost seems tailor made to my skills and interests.  Typically I don’t like sharing many things and prefer keeping my cards to my chest, but writing about my dream job makes me hopeful and I’m putting it out into the Universe!  The University of Chicago’s Biological Sciences Division are looking for a Learning Technology Director to partner with Ci3 and manage the Story Lab.

Ci3 is the Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health.  It’s a center that was started at UChicago to advance the sexual and reproductive health, rights and well-being of young adults.  The Story Lab is a new initiative started by Ci3 that uses digital storytelling to create modules (and games) collaborate with adolescents (specifically marginalized young adults).

This Learning Technology Director position requires: 

Someone that has a commitment to sexual and reproductive health with adolescents and youth development

Supervisory experience

Project management experience

Prior collaboration with community-based organizations

Background in instructional design

When I first saw the following TED video by the Ci3′s founder I knew this is the work I should be doing:

Everything about this posting interests me. To work in a position like this, you have to enjoy working in teams, have a passion for reproductive health, working with young adults and love technology.  I feel like this is a position that comes around once in a lifetime.  It seems like a job role that I would truly enjoy - a challenging role that doesn’t feel like one because you love the work you’re doing. Quite honestly, I haven’t felt that way in quite some time, and I’m trying to find the position that best uses my skills and my passions.  I’m in the middle of my job search, so this position just feels like my ideal career launching position.

The position matches several of my qualifications.  For three years, I worked at Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan as a health educator working with young adults.  I also have a MEd in Instructional Technology with a specialization in Instructional Design. I am familiar with partnering with community-based organizations and I have project management and supervisory experience.  This job opportunity is perfect for a person that has a varied skill set.  However, this opening correlates with my skills and my values. Also, the posting is super specific - not many people have sexual and reproductive health experience, youth development experience and have a technology or instructional design degree.

Completing a graduate certificate in Information Management would enhance my skill set. The program will teach me more about web design, databases and building information systems.  The biggest advantage of a certificate program is that I will be finished in a year, so this allows me to work on getting my dream job a little bit sooner than expected.

References:

I decided to follow code4lib for my professional listserv.  Code4lib allows “techie” LIS professionals the opportunity to share (informally) their approaches, expertise, and coding.  Community decisions are made by open vote, and they are dedicated to providing a harassment-free community, to which all are welcome.  You can join the listserv here: https://listserv.nd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=CODE4LIB&A=1

Code4lib’s website states: 

It is a “volunteer-driven collective of hackers, designers, architects, curators, calatogers, artists and instigators from around the world, who largely work for and with libraries, archives and museums on technlogy “stuff.”

Topics on the listserv have varied from a code4lib mentorship program, call to participate in a digital humanities pedagogy study, and a survey on how LIS professionals financed their degrees.

I found code4lib on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign website for the iSchool’s Professional Organizations and Listservs.  I’m familiar with the website because I researched the iSchool at Illinois and the LIS program at UIllinois prior to applying to graduate school. Code4lib seems like a great listserv for LIS professionals.  The biggest draw to the listserv is that is a harassment-free community, which makes it feel very informative and supportive. 

Reference:

I decided to follow these two blogs for my online journal: Christina’s LIS Rant and Coyle’s InFormation.  

Christina’s LIS Rant is a blog started by Christina Pikas.  According to her “about” page on her blog, Christina is a librarian at a research university. She’s also a doctoral student in Maryland and a member of ASIS&T.  Overall I would describe her blog is quirky and informative.  It reads almost as a personal journal in a way.  She writes (and sometimes rants) about the progress of her dissertation.  I find this particularly entertaining; I have a couple of friends that are preparing to defend dissertation topics, so posts about her dissertation are universal. 

The blog isn’t updated as regular as some, there aren’t many posts in 2015, so I had to search through last year’s entries. I feel like that’s understandable (or acceptable) when following someone who has a career, family, going to school and just happens to enjoy blogging. One LIS related post that I found interesting was from Nov 2014 and the post was titled “Continuing value and viability of specialized research databases.”  The article was her response to a listserv thread and research databases.  Following bloggers for academic reasons is new to me - so I enjoyed learning about listservs and reading her opinion.  Also, I want to mention that the blog reads super specific to her research and work, so it seems very scientific-like.  I can’t say that I would’ve followed this blog if it wasn’t for this assignment.

Coyle’s InFormation is a blog started by Karen Coyle, a librarian from Berkeley, CA.  This might seem like a reach, but I think that Karen’s blog is probably the best thing since sliced bread.  It’s an incredibly detailed and nuanced blog from a library and information science professional.  Karen’s describes herself on her blog as “Librarian, techie, social commentator, once called “public intellectual” by someone who couldn’t think of a better title.” Karen doesn’t have many posts for 2015, but her blog dates back to 2006.  

In the blog post “This is what sexism looks like #2″ Coyle discusses the idea of sexism and gender issues in gamification. She discusses how many sites are unfriendly to women and points out the differences with how children play games, based on gender.  The post details her experience with pointing all of this out to a man, and the correspondence that follows.  I think that any future library and information science professional would learn from Karen Coyle. She’s an opinionated LIS professional, with tons of experience, enjoys LIS and tech topics.  I would read Karen’s blog after LIS 6010 ends.

Reference:

Towards the middle part of the semester, I had an epiphany.  I realized that I don’t want to pursue a MLIS degree.  Quite honestly I feel bad for even typing that sentence now. In 2010 graduated from Wayne State with a MEd.   I deliberated back in 2008 between the MEd and MLIS programs.  When I had that “itch” to return back to graduate school, I figured that this was the sign to pursue the other program that I was interested in.  However, through taking courses this semester I realize that I’m not the same person I was six years ago. I’ve changed jobs, my state residency and overall I’ve grown and changed my outlook on things I thought I knew for sure.  

I have to credit my classmates for helping me reach this understanding. Reading their responses to our weekly Discussion Board Questions and Think Tank articles helped me see my uncertainty about my place within the program. Everyone is excited and ready to become future librarians or archivists.  With every post that I read, I could see their certainty and passion for receiving a MLIS degree. Towards the “half-way point,” I realized that I don’t share those sentiments.  While I appreciate this course, as it sets a wonderful foundation to understanding the LIS profession; I’m more excited about the Information Management specific courses. Then I realized that it would be a better option for me to pursue a Graduate Certificate in Information Management.

I’m excited about this realization.  I don’t want to collect another Master’s degree (or the letters) for the sake of saying that I have them. I’m happy that I’m in graduate school again and I want to apply what I’m learning professionally.  The best way for me to do this is to complete a graduate certificate that complements my MEd.  After researching the IM certificates - Web-based Information Systems seemed to be a perfect fit for what I want to do.

I decided to choose Animal Farm by George Orwell for Banned Book Week. I specifically wanted to discuss a book that I have read several times, at different times in my life.  I attended Hamtramck Public Schools for middle and high school, and the book was required reading.  As a student in a public school system, I was required to read Animal Farm as part of eighth-grade and twelfth-grade curriculum.  I remember my teachers leading discussions and having class assignments about the art of persuasion, groupthink, characteristics of leadership and responsibilities of individuals in society.

Here’s a quick summary of Animal Farm from Shmoop:

According to Banned Books: Challenging our Freedom to Read listed on the American Library Association website, some of the reasons Animal Farm has been banned includes its political theories, illustrated/written material that contradict Islamic and Arab values, and the Author’s perceived beliefs (it was rumored that Orwell was a communist).  George Orwell was known for using allegory and symbolism is his work, and wrote about social injustice and commitment to democratic socialism. Also, Orwell could be considered a polarizing author - he has another book on the Banned Book list (”1984,” which I also was required to read in school)

I consider myself lucky to have read Animal Farm twice while under the age of 18.  I believe myself to be someone that is open-minded to many things and agile with my thinking.  Because I was exposed to this book (and many other banned books) as a young adult I don’t agree with many of the reasons why this book was challenged (or banned).  The text provides several opportunities to promote dialogue regarding literary conflicts, allegory, how to change society, propaganda, socialism, communism, and historical figures from the Russian Revolution.  If I had to speak to a library board in order to retain the title on the shelf, the main thing that I would point out is Animal Farm’s relevance. Orwell’s book proves to be timeless, and especially in today’s age. I think it’s important provide individuals the opportunity to discuss issues like power and corruption, and how to make changes in a democratic society. These are themes that would serve young adults well to read about, as it would hopefully help shape their thoughts and opinions about societal issues.

References:

Animal Farm Summary by Shmoop. (2013, October 2). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8fHgx9mE5U

The journals that I decided to review are the Journal of Information Science and The Library Quarterly.  

The Journal of Information Science (JIS) is an international peer-reviewed journal that covers any topics pertaining to information science and knowledge management. The main audience for the journal is library and information science professionals dedicated to researching and working in the field. According to Ulrich’s the intended audience is “academic” and “special adult.”  

The journal is published six times a year and its content is considered academic or scholarly in nature.  They cover a wide range of LIS topics including, health information, linguistics approaches for using “Spanish Twitter,” annotation detection in PDF documents, and using clustering for text classification. Currently, the journal is requesting papers on Recent Advances on Big Social Data and Searching as Learning.  The journal is also a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).  Besides being a peer-reviewed journal, I was most impressed that the journal is affiliated with COPE. According to COPE’s website, on the subject of promoting integrity in research publication:

“COPE is a forum for editors and publishers of peer-reviewed journals to discuss all aspects of publication ethics. It also advises editors on how to handle cases of research and publication misconduct.”

The Library Quarterly is a quarterly released international journal.  The journal focuses on research that focuses on how libraries connect communities to information.  This journal is also considered “academic” and special adult.”  The journal states its commitment to original research, combining theory and practice and research based on evidence and data- instead of opinion.

This journal is published quarterly and is dedicated to: “the publication of scholarship, reports of research, evaluative essays, and thoughtful reviews of resources from library and information science and other fields” (”The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy”).  The journal articles cover topics including diversity in LIS, using library programs to connect with teens and improving print disabilities at public libraries. This journal is different from my personal interests, as I have a preference to Information Management topics. However, after reviewing several issues, the journal covers other subjects including education, psychology, and sociology.  Although I am not interested in becoming a librarian, this journal appeals to my interests in equity, inclusion, and human rights.

I find that both the Journal of Information Science and Library Quarterly have all similar characteristics of a scholarly journal.  They both have serious appearances and the articles are intended for students, researchers or professors/professionals. The articles follow the same format: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, and footnotes, and/or bibliography.  Some articles include graphs or tables to support research. 

References 

“COPE: Publication integrity in research publication” Retrieved from http://publicationethics.org/ 

“Journal of Information Science” Retrieved from http://jis.sagepub.com/ 

The Illinois Library Association (ILA) provides leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library services in Illinois and strives to enhance learning and ensure access to for all for the library community.  ILA is a not-for-profit education organization with over 3,600 members.  Membership consists of public, academic, school and special libraries as well as librarians, library assistants, trustees, students and library vendors. The Ilinois Library Association was founded in 1896 and is the third largest state association in North America. ILA’s website (2015) states that their primary goals are 1) Advocating for the public interest, 2) Promotion excellence and innovation, and 3) Managing the present to prepare for the future. 

There are three different types of membership for the organization: associate, institutional and personal.  All fees are based on a flat-rate, and price varies between $25-$100.  The flat-rate for students is $25. Membership to ILA includes professional workshops, seminars and conferences at discounted rates, subscription to ILA’s bi-monthly ILA Reporter and employment services through Library Jobline of Illinois. ILA offers a variety of publications.  They have bi-weekly e-newsletters and bi-monthly forums, blogs and ILA publications for librarians that can be purchased online including the Financial Manual for Illinois Libraries and Serving Our Public 3.0: Standards for Illinois Public Libraries, 2014.

The ILA’s website is user-friendly and easy to navigate.  You can sign-up for the ILA e-newsletter, as well as connect with the ILA through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn from the home page.  There’s also a tab that provides a comprehensive legislative directory for the state of Illinois. Once a zip code is entered, you have access to contact information for state and national elected officials and current legislations.

I picked this LIS association because I am an Illinois resident. This provided an opportunity to learn more about my state’s specific LIS association. A few months ago I joined the Junior Board Society of the Chicago Public Library Foundation and I believe that the Illinois Library Association is equally relevant, as I am a library user and access services within the state.  Based on the resources offered and cost for flat-rate membership, I would totally consider joining this LIS association.

The second professional association that I chose is The Library Information Technology Association (LITA).  LITA is a division of the American Library Association (ALA) and was established in 1966 in response to the changing technological environment in libraries (About LITA. (2010, June 9). American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/lita/about). The Library Information Technology Association has both a mission and functional statement.  However LITA’s website (2015) lists the following as the vision for the association: “As the center of expertise about information technology, the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) leads in exploring and enabling new technologies to empower libraries.  LITA members use the promise of technology to deliver dynamic library collections and services.”

There are several different membership categories for LITA.  Student membership costs $58 - the fee includes dual membership for ALA and LITA.The membership is not a flat-rate, so renewal will be required.  Prices vary from $58 up to $190 (for renewing joint personal memberships for third or later years).  Membership benefits include discounts on professional development programs, networking through committees and all ALA benefits.  The Library Information Technology Association has several publications including books and the Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL), which is a quarterly refereed journal.

Here is an example of an article from Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL):

Zak, E. (2014). Do you believe in magic? exploring the conceptualization of augmented reality and its implications for the user in the field of library and information science. Information Technology and Libraries (Online), 33(4), 23-50. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/docview/1640762668?accountid=14925 

You can connect with LITA through the American Library Association’s Connect Space.  Also, you can follow LITA through Facebook, Twitter and “LITA blog,” which is powered by Word Press. LITA’s website is packed with information, so it may require reviewing the links multiple times.  Initially, there were things that I thought weren’t listed on the website, but I had to go back over all of the links to check for specific items (i.e how to follow LITA).

After reviewing LITA’s website, it’s a professional association that I would consider joining.  I’m a MLIS Student that’s interested in Information Management, so this is a professional association that I should keep on my radar. The membership price seems to be a little costly once you’re out of school, but it seems to be a great bridge to understanding library science and information technology topics.   Other information management associations seem to have a different focus, so I appreciate that LITA falls under ALA’s umbrella.

References

"About LITA,” (2010, June 9). American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/lita/about 

In my downtime I enjoy watching documentaries, so watching a movie for a class assignment seemed like a win/win.  The 2007 documentary The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians through Film attempts to educate the audience on several themes that affect librarians and librarianship.  In my opinion, this isn’t a perfect movie but director Ann Seidl’s desire to show the love that librarians have for their occupation comes across in the film.

In the article Why Documentaries Matter (2011), Nick Frasier explains the relevance of documentary movies:

“It would be more accurate to say that documentaries are among the most valuable, neglected cultural forms of our time.  They aren’t all good, to be sure, but the best are unusual, persuasive and seductive.  And their success has something to so with the way they are taken for granted, casually watched.  Few old things have flourished in the cultural chaos of this century, but docs have steadily consolidated their hold on a small portion of the contemporary consciousness...”

The movie addresses several themes including the history of women and librarianship, Hollywood stereotypes, Andrew Carnegie and his role in shaping public libraries, children library services, prison libraries, intellectual freedom and the lack of public funding for libraries.  Herein lies one of my biggest issues with the movie; the documentary felt disjointed at times because there were so many topics.  Any one of the subjects covered in the movie would have been a great solo documentary topic.  Even the title of the film is a bit misleading. Before watching the movie, I assumed it was going to be about librarians in Hollywood movies - but this wasn’t the film’s main focus.  It seemed as though Seidl used her current platform to discuss ALL of the issues that influence librarianship.

The movie showcases many duties of librarians.  Librarians are skilled educators, subject matter experts and have a complete interest in life-long learning.  Specifically I enjoyed the interview clips of Eugenie Prime, head librarian for Hewlett Packard (I always forget that even corporations have librarians). She mentioned how libraries represent freedom.  Everyone has the power of choice. We are exposed to information through the choices we make. Prime said that libraries should be thought of as “living symbols of freedom.” She really resonated with me; I truly appreciate all symbols of freedom.  Her interview helped me realize that my access to information is something that I take for granted.  Intellectual freedom should be celebrated and respected. However, one subject covered in the film that I was not familiar with was the destruction of archives/libraries during the Afghanistan and Iraq war.  The idea of a society losing its written record and the reaction from US government officials was both maddening and unfortunate. 

Overall I appreciated the spirit of the documentary.  The movie does an effective job of providing positive images of librarians.  Every librarian interviewed in the movie, knows the moment they realized they wanted to become a librarian.  The passion that they feel for the profession was easy to see. 

References:

Frasier, N. (2011, March 19). Why Documentaries Matter. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/mar/20/documentaries-brian-cox-nick-fraser 

Hello and welcome to Ramblings of an Amateur Information Maven.  My name is Enosa Avery and I am a Master of Library and Information Science candidate at Wayne State University.  This is my online journal dedicated to LIS 6010.

This is my second master's program at Wayne State.  I graduated with a Master's of Education in Instructional Technology with a specialization in Instructional Design in 2010. My learned skill set from that degree allows me to support the development and delivery of curriculum and use various forms of technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of learning and performance. Overall I enjoyed my first graduate program and since receiving my degree almost five years ago I relocated to Chicago.  For the last two and a half years, I have worked at the University of Chicago.  Working in higher education has been very rewarding and inspired me to think about how I want my career to evolve. Pursuing classwork in information science seemed an obvious answer to my questions regarding my career trajectory.  Studying information science will complement my first master's and offer a great opportunity for job growth; allowing me to change job sectors if I choose.

I tend to collect information - facts, books, quotations and have always been drawn to sharing that information with others.  I truly find collecting information interesting and typically I store it away with the intent to share it with someone. My mind is full of random facts.  Having an interest in information has always benefited me.  It has allowed me to see situations or problems from a different perspective.  It allows me to connect with people; most of my jobs have required me to explain elaborate processes simply, and help others understand the details.

As I begin this semester as a MLIS candidate, here are some of the assumptions that I have experienced concerning the Library and Information Science profession:

 "Oh, you want to be a librarian?" - After my acceptance into the MLIS program, I had many colleagues express genuine surprise after I mentioned that I planned on going back to graduate school to pursue a LIS degree.  I would explain to them that I planned on specializing in Information Management, to which their eyes would then glaze over and the subsequent response typically was "oh, so you don't want to be a librarian..."

Isn't Library and Information Science a dying profession? - In a previous Group 1 discussion blog concerning the importance of the Library and Information Science, I posted my thoughts on the LIS Profession:

"Library and information Science is an important profession because it provides evidence of the evolution of society and provides an impartial and neutral record of human interaction...The goal is to record and provide information that everyone should have the right to access.  LIS as a profession seems to be learning how to evolve from its origins, but not change its fundamental values."

LIS includes Information Science - I realized most people tend to think of Library Science as a program of study, not Library and Information Science - after having to explain my intended program of study to family and friends.  Honestly, at times I feel like an out of place LIS student because I don't want to become a librarian or an archivist.

My Library and Information Science professional goals include:

Networking with my Wayne State University classmates (and potential colleagues)

Joining Library and Information Science related professional organizations

Pursuing a career in an information management related position (i.e. Data Analyst/Architect, Knowledge Manager, etc.)

Now that I have given you a brief introduction and a quick synopsis of my background and career goals, I want to take this time to make a confession...I am an inconsistent journaler.

I love the idea of journals, but I am not consistent with writing in journals.  I possess several half-completed journals in my home (that I cannot bear to throw out) that document various stages of my life.  This is my first personal online journal (or blog); I see it as both a challenge and wonderful opportunity to reflect on my first semester.  Journaling provides a written record of your thoughts and opinions, and hopefully it provides documentation of personal growth.  I'm hopeful that by the end of the semester I'll know whether I should continue pursuing a MLIS degree or a Graduate Certificate in Information Management.  I also hope that this online journal serves as a reminder of why I decided to return to graduate school again.