Adventures in the Stacks

reference free-for-all

2008-04-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

11 tic marks under reference, 3 under directional.

but there is a good chance i lost count somewhere along the way.

i was only at the reference desk for two hours, but got a ton of experience in all sorts of questions - from finding journal articles for a retired professor, to explaining to one student the merits of getting a nypl card so she would not have to buy her books for class, to assisting a cooper union student who needed materials but had no idea where to find them (in his defense, i didn't even know where some of the ting he wanted were kept either!)...the reference desk is always a learning experience for me - not just on how to provide quality service to people, but also on the nitty-gritty of the what, where and how of the library. having taken two reference classes already, i am still always surprised by the amount i have yet to learn. actually working at a desk, or even just observing for awhile, should be a requirement of all reference classes. it is easy to answer on a paper or exam what kind of sources would be the most beneficial, or create a catalog search for a topic, when you do not have a student looking at your every keystroke...

it is also always interesting to see the social dynamics at the reference desk - there are users who are shy and feel strange asking for help, but there are also those people who have a list of questions and rattle them off and expect to have bullet point answers fired right back. its important to take that second to think of a question to ask so you can regain your focus and decide how to help. it is natural to feel the pressure to give an answer or help right away, but being able to take a moment to think is so important. not that i am a master of this skill, but i wish i was! soon, grasshopper.

line management is an issue that came up while i was at the desk. it is sort of like teaching a class where one student is speaking and another is raising their hand - you want your attention on the speaker, but also need to acknowledge the student with the hand in the air so they know that you see them. at least if those who are waiting know you see them, i feel that they are more patient, which is always a good thing. at one point, there were two librarians and me and we were all helping someone and there were still people waiting! it was like we were giving it away for free. oh, wait.

doing virtual reference right now (IMing, email and blogging - its a 2.0 wizard of oz!) and not seeing any traffic, but hopefully that will change soon. every time i get asked a question i end up learning something...

******

just got a question! and i learned something! not only did i learn how to find a map of the inside of the library, but also how to successfully satisfy the user without actually knowing the precise answer to a question. not that i am happy i didn't give the best information possible, but i did give the the best information i had. and i think that's really all you can ask of someone, even if that someone is going to school for this stuff! (shouldn't violin music be swelling to crescendo now?!)

keep asking,

and you thought a master's degree was silly...

2008-02-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

hello again, gentle reader! it has been awhile, but that is not due to lack of librarian-esque inactivity...so to catch you all (or you, singular) up...

i have been busy "2.0isizing" (not a word, but its ok. this is a blog.) the tutoring center where i work, complete with a blog, online reference sources for the students including a searchroll i created designed to search only reputable, helpful English language help sites and online chat writing tutoring in the evenings when the center is closed using Meebo. alas, while i finally have all of the staff on board with the new initiatives, the students are just starting to come around. they seem to love the web resources, chat tutoring is just starting to take off with some really good conversations happening lately...as for the blog though, i am inclined to say that its readership is most likely at the same level as this blog. i think i need to start investing in some serious ad space. facebook fan page perhaps?

i also just started my first real librarian job (well, archivist but thats close enough for me!) as a project archivist for the tamiment library, a center for research on labor and the left. i am cataloging 1960s photo negatives of the united federation of teachers (UFT) and creating a finding aid so that researchers may actually use these great materials. very interesting stuff - i just hope i can restrain myself and not spend all my time at work ogling the pictures and actually get them cataloged! [UPDATE: the finding aid is up and running! see it in all its researchable glory here, those of you who thirst for knowledge and a good database every now and again.]

i have also been busy spreading the gospel of "actually, library science is a master's degree." whether it is a testament to the fact that not enough people use/know how to use a library that they think a master's degree in this stuff is superfluous i cannot comment. however, anyone who asks if a master's degree is really necessary should attend an ALA meeting. i had the opportunity to tag along with my librarian "coach" to mid-winter in philidelphia in january; and if anyone has any doubt as to if librarianship is a "true" profession they should have poked their heads in as well. the remarkable amount of dedicated, professional and uniquely dressed librarians was a great peek into the inner workings of librarianship. the committee meeting i attended was run as i imagine any other professional (business, political, medical etc.) board would conduct business with sub-committees, votes, minutes and all the trimmings. the massive amount of vendors onsite selling their wares that support library and information science as a whole was astounding (as was the fact that there was a rocky impersonator milling about with fliers for some product or another). there were software, hardware and other equipment vendors, as well as library furniture companies, book publishers and library schools represented. i knew that libraries were supported by a number of different directions, but even i couldn't have imagined the sheer amount of sellers and services.

i also had the chance to attend a presentation on new types of reference utilizing such programs as myspace, slideshare, smartphones, twitter and even a demonstration of a type of reference that does not exist as of yet but may in the future. while i am obviously interested and excited about the different modes of communication in terms of reference service, i am also interested in the collaborative, collective experience of the user and the librarian and hope that the excitement of new technology does not overshadow the experience of good old human interaction...

well. i think that just about does it in terms of catch-up. stay tuned as i hopefully make my way through library management class, research methods and hopefully all the way to ALA in anaheim!

hh

ps: i am ending this post so i can leave to go to a yoga class at polytechnic's library. while one part of me thinks there is no better place to meditate than a place full of knowledge, the other wonders why there isn't studying going on in the room we use..!

web2.0 conference

2007-12-05T20:37:00.000-08:00

so i went to my first librarian conference last week.
it was amazing! there were of course those people who would would think of as "traditional librarians," but there was also a good mix of librarians from all sorts of backgrounds. i had a great time just scanning the room and seeing the ranks that i am joining.

the best part about the variety of people in the room - traditional and tech-savvy, card catalogers and 2.0ers, young and old, public and academic - was that they were all there to discuss and embrace the use of 2.0 technology in the library.

i am taking a web2.0 class right now (which will be outdated soon i imagine - not just because more new technology is being developed almost daily, but also because perhaps a generation or two from now there will be no need for a "2.0" class since it will be some number above 2.0 already!) so am steeped in the possibilities that web2.0 holds for libraries and academic institutions in general. and while i am completely excited about this new wave of interaction between the library user and the library, that does not mean that everyone out there is. i have tried to incorporate 2.0 technologies at my job at a tutoring center, and while the wiki idea was completely shot down, i created a social network for the ESOL (english for speakers of other languages) students to meet, collaborate and practice their conversational written english in a fun, new way that (after much prodding and instruction) is now up and running with almost 40 members! many of the original concerns about designing the site have dissolved and only university policy concerns linger somewhat (mainly over university copyright/web site design) but nonetheless i am calling the social network a success. there are many lively debates and conversations on the forum - ranging from discussions of american vs. chinese health care systems, to concerns over how to show proper respect for your parents in english to what is the proper response to "may i help you?" when you walk into the store. the students seem to really be embracing the network, and get the chance to design their own pages, leave messages on other people's pages, blog, upload videos and pictures and meet people that they have seen at the tutoring center in a different, casual way. there are also links to del.icio.us tags, english games (like hangman, crosswords and jumbles) and grammar help tools on the site so students can portal directly from the site to other educational tools. and now even the center's director has her own page! while at first she was not too keen on the idea, after a pitch and a prototype, she was on board and even sent the site link to her boss who enjoys poking around it as well. now that it is up and running and self-sustaining, it was definitely worth all the road blocks and concerns about this new medium of communication and education that i dealt with before the launch of the site. getting to go on and see the students' grammar improving and the sophisticated expression of complex ideas in a foreign language is truly rewarding - not to mention fun!

so, there you have it - social networking can be educational! now procrastination via web2.0 is not solely advantageous. now more libraries need to jump on the 2.0 bandwagon! and as one presenter at the conference said, 2.0 is not the replacement of 1.0, but rather depends on having a strong, solid 1.0 foundation...i am not suggesting that libraries just get tag clouds on their catalogs or use del.icio.us to organize their subject guides, but rather add these features to extend their service to a new generation of users who are already familiar with these sorts of interfaces.

to 2.0...and beyond!
chat soon,
h

IM me..a ref question

2007-11-29T09:49:00.001-08:00

IMing makes me nervous. first of all, i am not the most prodigious typer - so i downloaded firefox so it would spell check my IMs for me before i sent them off...secondly, it always seems that lost in the translation of the medium is that little thing i like to call "human contact" - the ability to hear various tones in a person's voice, see their facial expressions and to be able to tell if what they are saying is actually what they mean (unfortunately firefox couldnt fix this problem). so while i was incredibly excited to be trusted with the responsibility of being the IM AAL (ask a librarian), i was also nervous that those who were asking me questions would not get the best possible service since so many things can go misunderstood/not said via IM with a stranger.

i was wrong.

"the medium is the message" has never been proven more effectively than in the three hours spent and the five reference questions answered during my stint as a "real life librarian." those who IMed me were clear in their needs/wants, excited to be working via IM and not afraid to ask follow up questions if they were unclear about something. i had envisioned lots of anxiety embedded in the process of IMing a stranger with a reference question, but the majority of the users just jumped right in with their question as their first IM without even a nervous greeting or opening. it was refreshing actually to see people so confident in their information needs to utilize the service to their greatest advantage.
for example: (with screen names/time stamps removed for privacy reasons)
userA: how can i find scholarly, peer reviewed artcles online about the idea of "the Lost generation" in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises?
me: hello!
me: great question
userA: hey! thanks

userB: Is this the library help system?
me: yes it is! what can i help you with?
userB: I had a quick question. It's my first time trying to find articles in specific magazines via XXXX's system...It's very different from the way my undergrad system operated. FOr example, let's say I'm looking for Atlantic Monthly articles online. How would I search for that in [the catalog]?
*****
me: then in the journal title search box, type in atlantic monthly (or whatever you are looking for)
userB: Aha!
userB: I see.
me: another window will pop up with any matches and you can connect through there
userB: Thank yo very much. I think I was clicking on everything but that.
userB: Thank you for your help.

the users were also chatting in a friendly, informal way - as you would expect while IMing. i think they enjoyed the fact that i was also communicating with then using the IM vernacular..it makes asking for help (something very few college students and adults in general like to do) less intimidating (and dare i say it - enjoyable?)...
userC: thank you very much kind stranger
me: no problem! anything else i can help you with?
userC: great. perfect. no, thank you though. ciao
me: ttyl

also the availability of instant help right when you need it, where you need it (ie on your computer where you are more than likely already doing your research) is something that the users enjoyed, even if they were curious as to how may people actually use the service...
userD: Thanks, I'll try to find it there then-- thanks so much for your help,
userD: also, just a question, do you guys get a lot of IM's a day?
me: we get a good amount
me: it just makes it so much easier to IM someone to ask for help when youre already on the computer, you know?
userD: yeah, exactly, thats why when I saw it was I figured just to ask first, well this is all I need-- thanks so much, take care!
me: you too! good luck!

my concerns over IM reference assuaged, i am now a true believer in the practicality of this type of reference. i know there are concerns about engaging with users in this instant 2.0 way, but i think it is those facets of the communication that make it so user-friendly oddly enough. a user can get the help they need and can follow along with the librarian as they show them the way to the resource that will best suit their needs. if course if the question involves more work and detail, a follow up consultation either via email/phone or in person can be scheduled, but i think chat reference is an amazing tool in bringing all that the library has to offer to the user without the lag time.

on a more personal note, it was great to use IM reference for my first run at doing real reference work. even though it is "instant," the fact that the user could not see the various looks of confusion and panic i had when i would get a new IM made it a bit easier to acclimate me to the work. it was also great to be able to take a moment and search around online for the right webpage they needed, take a breath, and then write to them and assist them in getting to the same page. i think all LIS students should definitely take a turn at IM AAL (with their guardian library angel also online at the same time - just in case!) before hitting the real life desk. it was a great way to get my feet wet without the possibility of being knocked over by a wave...in front of the user at least!

librarians LOL and BRBing

2007-11-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

i took an unscientific* survey this evening about using IM as a way to ask reference questions of librarians. my results were that while people would be more likely to IM a librarian than call (why go get the phone when youre already on the computer?), it was still sort of strange and invasive. i think this underlines one of the biggest problems with library reference (especially in the university setting) - students are afraid of it. whether its because people dont like to ask for help, or that people get strangely anxious when trying to come up with an opening line when they are going to IM a librarian, or even at a basic level that people dont know chat reference really exists, this anti-(chat) reference mentality must be squelched.

*"unscientific" = asking a friend over coffee.

now, i am not saying that no one will ask for help and that no one uses chat reference already, that is simply untrue. but chat could be more. much more...you are already on the computer, getting lost among all the e-journals and "not finding anything" (which one professor says actually means "i found too much")...why struggle around cyberspace aimlessly when you could just pop open a window and get instant help from someone whose job it is to know these things? it pretty amazing when you think about it.

so i think part of the answer is just to try to get the word out more. yes, it is on the library's website, but maybe thats not enough. i find that to be the case with libraries more often than not...they will have all these great services, but people still are reluctant to use them or are somehow still oblivious. im working on a solution, but am not there yet - - i am only one library school student!

on the other side of the chat coin, there is the library itself. why offer this service? ill tell you why. because it rocks.

but using chat reference, libraries are making themselves more accessible to users, sure, but thats not all. it encourages a new image of the library - one that is not just a building full of dusty old books, but a place, both physical and virtual, where people can go to for quality information and materials. people start their research online with google, why not be virtually available to the user like google is - but better? while chat will never replace the reference desk, phone or email reference all together, it it yet another way to open up the library to a whole group of people who may have otherwise felt either disconnected or confused by the library. even though it may take a little more finessing on the part of the librarian due to the lack of visual cues and the reference interview itself will have to be modified, it is not something librarians should be afraid of. live a little, embrace the old saying, "the medium is the message," and use brb or other chat phrases with the users.

libraries exist to collect information, organize it and make it accessible to users. why not do all three with IM? the collection is right there on the user's computer already, so help them see how its organized so they can access it! it will save time (the librarian can work with a few users at once if need be, and just think of the millions of hours that can be saved by just copy/pasting a url rather than spelling them all out!), ease the frustration of the user (chat reference is like a virtual help desk!) and, in my humble opinion, make libraries (even more) cool. cafes, amazon-esque catalogs and social networking software are already taking the library scene by storm, so why not give the users more than visual ambiance and show them what the library can really do for them?

libraries are going 2.0 faster than you can say "look at my trendy card-catalog-turned-dresser," and reference needs to be a part of that. tag clouds of popular searches and myspace profiles for libraries are great and all, but if people still cant find the article or book they are looking for, what good is it?

libraries can be social...go ahead, ask them out for coffee!

2007-10-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

social networking in libraries has been on my mind lately. for class we have to design a social networking site that could be put to use in a library. so i have set out to think of and research ways in which this could be useful to users - especially the technologically hip teens/young adults.
according to an OCLC survey, the general public does not see a place for libraries in their social networking roles. there is very low interest among those surveyed in participating and/or contributing content to a library-hosted social network, and library directors themselves do not see where social networking could fit in in their own libraries. most people see the library as a place for learning and information, not socializing (whether in person or virtually). but is this a useful assessment of a library? i think that libraries and librarians are limited mainly due to public perception of what a library is and is not...it is not due to lack of creativity and progress-seeking personalities that libraries are seen through such a narrow lens.

i am setting out to change all this.

so, where do the results of this survey leave us? are libraries supposed to give up the idea all together? resign to the fact that book-clubs are the only, and will remain the only, "social network" that libraries can and will offer? most people who said that there could be a place for social networks in libraries saw them as being book-related (discussion groups, reader's advisory, etc). why not step out of the box? public libraries are community resources, so why not make a private social network for the community? get to know your neighbors and your neighborhood? social networks can connect more than just people, but they can connect businesses, events and other community resources to the people who would find some benefit from them - but maybe just do not know these services even exist.

tonight my social-network design group is meeting to see how we can best put all this together. ill keep ya'll (my diverse, extensive and dedicated readership) posted...

til we virtually meet again,
h

ps: the OCLC survey can be found in pdf form here ... enjoy!

overheard in new york...

2007-10-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

on the subway:
student #1: oh my god, i cant believe they like made us go to the library! we were like walking around all the floors for like an hour trying to find a book and couldnt figure out how that place works! hahahaha! it was so ridiculous, we were just walking around all those books like laughing hysterically and didnt even find anything! it was sooooo funny!

holly: (cries a little to herself)

********
at the polytechinc tutoring center:
different student: so, do you go to poly too? what is your major?
holly: actually, i go to NYU. i am going to school to be a librarian.
student: really? you have to go to school for that?!
holly: :(
everyone else in the tutoring center: HAHAHAHA

******

sigh. in regards to libraries, the disillusionment of the youth is astonishing. despite all the web2.0 features the libraries now have - myspace pages, rss feeds, cafes, AIM chat with librarians, etc. - there is still a huge segment of the population relatively untouched by their local or school libraries (including college students!). i think that to some extent it is because the stacks themselves (as opposed to other library services - computers, printing, periodicals, reserve materials, DVDs) seem insurmountable and incomprehensible still. library of congress subject headings? dewey who? so many people are afraid to be wrong, to have to ask questions and to not know how something works (especially if it is something that in theory they should be relatively familiar with already) that they put off ever learning about the library and the way that books are arranged. of course people do not need to know the why of book classification, but the practical use of call numbers at least should not be such a mystery.

at nyu, every new student has to take some form of an expository writing class. i think that one of the lectures should be reserved for a short tour/introduction to the library so it is not so unfamiliar and intimidating. i know so many students would roll their eyes at this suggestion, but inside i am sure they would appreciate it.

this pervasive anxiety associated with the college library is the reason i want to work in an academic setting where i can work with students on information fluency and assuage their fears. college is intimidating in the first place. finding the books you need to do well should not be.

feeding frenzy

2007-10-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

lately i have been playing around a lot with rss feeds (ok, by playing, i actually mean i have become obsessed and spend lots of time reading my feeds, and probably just as much time subscribing to new ones! they are so addictive!). i am amazed by this tool that so many internet users either neglect completely or use without really knowing what they are doing. at first, i'll admit, i was completely confused by rss and the idea of information coming directly to you through a feed reader and the whole subscribing process was alien to me (probably because i didn't know you needed a separate reader to actually see the feeds you subscribed to). so i have to wonder, if a library student is confused by rss, then i would have to assume others are too - so what can be done? how can we put the word out about this great tool that can, at least a little bit and in a personal way, tame the internet? maybe it would make the internet a less scary place for people who would just like to use it as a way to keep up on current events, issues of a journal, or the thoughts of a favorite personality? i think many people can identify the rss icon on a web page, but i doubt many people could explain it! i am just a bit sad about this because rss can be, and in some cases already is, a great way for libraries to get in touch with their users by keeping the information on their branch fresh; yet, many people may be missing out on the information because they do not understand the medium of the message.

going further, rss feeds of academic journals are amazing. for research purposes, you can constantly be updated on the newest information available without even having to actually search for it! but then the issue of intellectual property and financial subscriptions comes up - if i can subscribe to a feed of a journal that my library does not pay for, yet i can still see the entire article, is this legal in the copyright sense? blogs that do not make money and are not copyrighted are one thing, for the free flow of ideas and information through blogs is made more potent and accessible due to feeds. yet, other sites that are paid for by advertising and academic journals and other protected works that are fed to my computer without a paid subscription or password make me wonder about where the line is...not that i'm complaining...

a novel idea..?

2007-09-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

new york is a funny place. waiting for the path train back to hoboken last night at midnight, i see someone coming through the turnstile that looks like someone i went to high school with six years ago. evidently, i looked like someone he went to high school with too, since i was greeted with a "holly!?"
not having seen him for six-ish years, we did the obligatory catching up, and library school was mentioned. the conversation turned to one of our high school english teachers who is an author and (evidently) has just published a new book (i loved her last one, it was a prose/poetry/autobiography hybrid published by PUSH press, a small house that puts out books for young adults, written by young adults - very bibliotherapy-esque titles. every teen library should be required to have all their books in their collection - http://www.thisispush.com/). my friend and his band created a soundtrack to her book and he happened to have a cd on him and gave me a copy. i was excited (who doesn't love new, independent music?) but also i got to thinking...
could book soundtracks be the wave of the future? i think if readers had the chance to download music to accompany their reading experience it would not only entice them to read the particular book, but would be a chance to really get absorbed in the work on another level. after all, the harry potter, LOTR, etc. theme songs are widely known to those people who love the movies/books, its a new way to feel more connected to the story and for it to come to life...the more i think about it, the more intrigued i am about it. is this a new idea? there are audio books and sometimes they have music tidbits included, but a full length soundtrack to a hard copy book?

i'd buy it.

i love new york and its randomness!
thanks, ari!
-h

*******

just did a little digging and found this on wikipedia about "book soundtracks." turns out im not the forward thinking inventor i had originally thought, but nevertheless (if done correctly - ie with bands that the readers of a particular book would identify with playing catchy tunes) it could be something to expand on. currently the books with soundtracks are mainly sci-fi, which is a genre where i find the readers to be particularly loyal; im thinking a soundtrack could possibly be a way to get people reading books who otherwise wouldnt consider themselves "readers" as well as enriching the texts for everyone...

Book soundtracks
Only a few cases exist, of an entire soundtrack being written specifically for a book.
A soundtrack for J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and his trilogy The Lord of the Rings was composed by Craig Russell for the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony. Commissioned in 1995, it was finally put on disk in 2000 by the San Lois Obispo Symphony. [citation needed]
For the 1996 Star Wars novel Shadows of the Empire (written by author Steve Perry). Lucasfilm chose Joel McNeely to write a score. This was an eccentric, experimental project, in contrast to all other soundtracks, as the composer was allowed to convey general moods and themes, rather than having to write music to flow for specific scenes. A project called "Sine Fiction"[1] has made some soundtracks to novels by science fiction writers like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, and has thus far released 19 soundtracks to science-fiction novels or short stories. All of them are available for free download.
The 1985 novel Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin, originally came in a box set with an audiocassette entitled Music and Poetry of the Kesh, featuring three performances of poetry, and ten musical compositions by Todd Barton.
In comics, Daniel Clowes' graphic novel Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron had an official soundtrack album. The original black-and-white Nexus #3 from Capitol comics included the "Flexi-Nexi" which was a soundtrack flexi-disc for the issue. Trosper by Jim Woodring included a soundtrack album composed and performed by Bill Frisell.[2]
Many audio books have some form of musical accompaniment, but these are generally not complex enough to count as a complete soundtrack.
see the full wikipedia article

[UPDATE: Recently came across author Willy Vlautin much by accident. His books and Northline, a story of an alcoholic girl who seeks a new life in Reno, and The Motel Life, a story of two brothers moving from motel to motel in Reno are both wonderful, deeply sad and profoundly effecing reads. I mention him here because Northline also has a beautiful instrumental soudntrak that truly captures the emotion of the struggle of the protagonist. As if his words didnt leave you raw, his music will.]

reflections in/of the chattahoochie

2007-09-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

now that i am back in new york, settled in an apartment where i do not have to dance around bullfrogs to get in the front door, and found a place of gainful employment at polytechnic university, i can finally look back on this summer's wild ride(s) with a sense of accomplishment, nostalgia, and hilarity.
and now, for the first time in print, reasons why going to georgia and various other points in the south was not as bad an idea as i sometimes felt it was:

grappling with cultural differences/shock: yes, it is the same country, but that doesn't mean that there is the same sense of formality, politeness and common courtesy. i had to learn quickly to address people with "sir" or "ma'am" and this seemingly small bit of respectful language made all the difference in trying to get assistance at various places (including gas stations where i had to pump my own diesel, next to all the big rigs - this is not something a girl from jersey has ever had to do before)...i think that learning a different way of life (as well as pace of life!) will definitely enable me to be better attune to the different types of people that walk into a library asking for assistance, and to not assume what people will say and how they will say it if someone called me ma'am in a new york library, i would be offended that they thought i was old! but if i was working down there and one of my students did not call me "ma'am," i would think them rude! it's strange how quickly you adapt.
knowing it is ok to ask for help: i think that this is a lesson that everyone should learn right now if they haven't already. every time i would start class at a new location (or state!) i would need to ask for help in fining the contact person, finding the room, various policies of the campus (like the one school that did not want anyone bringing in harry potter books because of the magical content). i would also need to ask my supervisor to help me figure out an answer to parents' questions at times along the way. i think saying "you know, i am not too sure about that, let me ask my supervisor/colleague so we can find that answer for you" is actually a powerful tool in the world of service and not a sign of weakness as it is often shown.
thinking on your feet: i had 3 1/2 long weeks of training for this teaching position, which included a trip to chicago for more training, yet, no amount of training in my mind could have totally prepared me for the nuances of classroom life, the sometimes difficult and often crazy questions parents asked ("should i give my child their ADHD medicine before your class?") and the general apathy of high school students. there were many times when i would have to get creative with the lesson plan in order to keep the class flowing, get the students involved or drive home a particular point. i think the ability to roll-with-the-punches is a mindset/skill that will come in handy at the reference desk, where people can come in with any question at any level of specificity. being able to think on your feet, to have a variety of difference teaching/searching/advising tactics in the back of your mind is something i am sure all seasoned veterans of the reference desk have mastered. while not a master, i think the summer's roller coaster has at least left me a knight of the art.
it's the little things: a student saying thank you at the end of class, a reference librarian with a handy metaphor, a well-made map of the library/campus, an introduction to people and places otherwise unknown - all these (sometimes seemingly small) things were the ones that have made this summer one to put under the "success" column. i am forever changed from this summer and all the sweet tea i drank while down there, and am happy to have had the experience. even if sometimes i had to settle for a less than stellar latte.

with more summer references and ditties sure to come,

Secret Shopping at Auburn University...

2007-08-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

On my way back from a visit to Tuskegee University, I stopped at Auburn University (unaware that it was their Welcome Week) and decided to do a "secret shopping" exercise there to compare the different types of service at a public and academic research library.
The first thing that struck me as I walked into the library was that there was no security or card swipe or anything of that sort, just a student sitting at a circular desk there to help and give directions. Straight behind her was the reference section and a multitude of student and public computer terminals so I made my way past the display of banned books ("hidden" behind a sign that said "DO NOT LOOK HERE!" which I enjoyed). I walked up and an extremely friendly, smiley man and woman were sitting there and said "Can I help you?" at the same time. After some hesitation I went to the gentleman and said that I was assigned to write a paper on 19th century prostitution in Louisiana (a topic that is most likely going to be my thesis) and he and the lady looked at each other and laughed and in a good-natured way she said, "Well, you went to the right man!" or something like that...I thought she was being cheeky, but I think she just meant that he was good as doing difficult searches. He tole me to come and sit down, turned his computer towards me and started showing me how to use the university's library page to search for articles and journals (he said that they probably did not have any books on the topic - but I found several after our time together doing my own search of their catalog). Instead of finding specific articles/books for me, the librarian showed me several different places to search, how to log in (luckily, he assumed I was an Auburn student without asking me my id or anything like that!), how to print and send the bill directly to my bursar account, and different places in the library to check out. He was incredibly helpful and left me with this insight: "Searching is just like fishing, you gotta cast out the line trying different bait (words in the search box). You might catch something right away, but you're probably going to have to throw a lot back first!" I thought that was a great way of putting it, and he really made me feel like I could go out and search for this information and any other paper topic I may have in the future on my own.
The reference section was unlike any one I have seen before - four slightly curved, separated desks arranged in a square with the librarians sitting in the inside with computer terminals for each and an extra chair available for those users with questions. This was a very comfortable, welcoming environment where I really felt that I could ask the librarian a question and work with them in the search since we were not separated by a desk with the division of power that innately comes with it.
All in all, I had an incredibly positive experience at Auburn and found it a very pleasant contrast to my visit at the public library. Hopefully, the librarian there that I have been in contact with and I will be able to find a time to get together for an interview, but as the session has started already there she sounds quite busy and I don't know if our schedules are going to mesh - I do have to get back to New York sometime soon!
with only one more Harry Potter to go,
h

Secret Shopping at the Columbus Public Library...

2007-08-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

www.thecolumbuspubliclibrary.org

Fifteen minutes from the close of business on a Friday afternoon (5:45pm) I approach an older gentleman at the second-floor reference desk, located behind the computer terminals in a somewhat-conspicuous location (if you know where to look) and amid the usual reference books, with a fabulous tie monogrammed with his first initial and last name. As he is busy paging the owner of the car in the handicapped space who left their lights on and putting all the papers in neat stacks, I wait a few minutes to say anything. After tidying up his third pile, he looks out at his section of the library, presumably to see if there is anyone who needs help, and looks right over my head (deliberately?).
A minute later he finally looks in my direction, does not say anything, and sits at his computer. I take this as the sign to ask my question. I said, “I’m sorry, I just have a quick question – I was told to research reading intervention strategies and I have no idea where to start.” His response was, “Well…Either do I.”
He starts typing away at the computer, which is behind a tall U-shaped desk that is slightly too high for me to speak to him comfortably without standing on my toes. Finally, he says, “Have you ever used GALILEO?” Having only a vague idea that this is something to do with the state of Georgia in particular, I say no, so the gentleman turns the screen slightly towards me and says that it is “a database” and recommends looking in “EBSCOhostdatabases” which is one of what looked like hundreds of choices of hyperlinks from a long list. He never did explain why I should use GALILEO or that particular section of it, so I asked if this was a website of books or articles. He replied that it was for articles to search, with no further explanation of where they came from or who wrote them or anything of that sort, but he did explain how to log on outside of the library and what the password was (“impose” – which is how he made me felt, like I was imposing in on him, so I found it particularly fitting and easy to remember) which was helpful.
At this point, I assumed that the average user (i.e. someone who didn't go in and see what kinds of books the library had on the topic beforehand) would be confused as to why he was recommending an article database, so I asked if they had anything actually in the library that I could get my hands on. He logged onto the “inside the library” catalogue, typed in “reading intervention” (without the quotation marks) in the search box for general keyword search and came back with two books: The Literacy Coach’s Handbook (which I actually checked out) and a book about teaching children with dyslexia. He told me the call numbers and the author’s last name but did not ask if I knew how to find the books or use the call numbers. Then he suggested I try searching “reading problems” to get more answers, but not where or how to do the search.
At this point he fell silent and stared at me, so I took this as the sign to thank him for all his help and go into the stacks…only to be kicked out five minutes later by the security guard telling me I had to go checkout now in a most unpleasant tone. Luckily, this library – for all it lacks in terms of collection – is laden with all the latest technology so I used the self-checkout and was out of there before the guard could find me again.

While the librarian did show me a little bit how to find answers in the future rather than just giving me the answers or the book titles, overall I felt that the interaction was stiff and uncomfortable. He did not seem at all enthusiastic about assisting me, but on the other hand he did not seem bothered by my asking a question ten minutes before closing time. He was apathetic; I suppose is the best adjective. He did not open the interview except with a look and closed it with a nod of acknowledgement at my thanking him. There was no negotiation of the question; he simply put my verbatim phrase “reading intervention” into the search box. Many of the RUSA guidelines were non-existent during the probably 3-4 minute interview, with the gentleman not seeming very approachable and practically ignoring me for a period of time. He did not seem particularly interested in helping me, but rather like it was just another part of his job – like filing papers or responding to a simple email. He did not ask me any questions except to see if I had heard of GALILEO, which was actually a good referral. While he did explain the database a little and how to log-on to it offsite, there was no verbal communication of a “search-strategy” per se, other than to put in my words in the search box.
While I did learn a few things from this interaction, I must admit that if I was going to ask this gentleman for help in a different circumstance, after seeing him look over my head and look at me as a way of allowing me to ask him a question, I would have said, “Oh, never mind, I just figured out the answer to my question!” and tried to get along with out asking for help. While not completely rude, he was most defiantly not friendly or approachable and it made the whole experience very uncomfortable. He never asked if I needed anything else or had other questions, or even if I understood what he had said and if I didn't understand something, I defiantly would not have asked him but tried to figure it out somehow on my own. During this “experiment” I perhaps could have been more pushy and kept asking questions until I got a fuller answer other than “We don't really have anything on that topic,” which was his response when the search came back with two books.
All in all, I think this experience definitely taught me a few lessons, one being that even if it is the last user of the day that does not mean that their question is any less important than the first user of the day (I honestly didn't know that the library closed at 6 when I went!). Also that, while important, non-verbal communication is certainty not the most effective way to open/close an interview, and should be used in addition to verbal communication with a user. I will take away from this experience the importance of open, friendly communication in the library environment (and in life). Even as an experienced library user and LIS student, I must admit that I felt a little nervous and intimidated asking for help. I would imagine that this anxiety would be magnified if I were at Bobst or another research library where many university students are and where asking for help can be daunting when you know many quite intelligent people surround you! Yet another argument for pleasant, productive reference interactions with all users. :)

Till next experience,
h

teaching (in the classroom and @ the desk)

2007-07-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

...trust me, it was not due to lack of adventures that i have been MIA. it is due to too many.
a short list of pseudo-traumatic, fabulously funny experiences from my first taste of teaching reading to 4yr. olds to adults (in age only i can assure you)

i made the mistake of asking my late-middle schoolers at the beginning of my first class if they liked to read. why i was surprised when no one raised their hand, i still dont know.
while reading a book about a confused, silly moose who does not know what kind of animal he is, i asked the first graders in the class what they would do to let Morris the Moose know he was indeed a moose. the response: "if God was there, he could tell Morris what he was, because God created the animals."
who would have thought that never watching "Finding Nemo" would turn out to be detriment to my teaching? While reading "A House of Hermit Crab," i evidently inadvertently mispronounced "sea anemones..." but dont worry friends of sea-life, a mother caught me out in the hall before the next class, corrected me, and proceeded to tell me that "if you read more, you would know how to read words like that." honestly didnt have a comeback for that one.
i asked my kindergarten class if any of them had ever been to france (we were reading a Madeline book that day) - none of the students raised their hands, but a dad did and asked me, "isnt that where babies come from?" after some nervous laughter from the other adults in the room let me know i wasn't the only uncomfortable/confused person in the room, i decided that was enough audience participation for the day.
"cat's game": noun. 1. a game of tic-tac-toe where no one wins. 2. a term that none of the students or parents in the two classes i used the term in knew.
during my first trip to NOLA (new orleans, LA to all you non-locals out there), i went out to dinner with my mom at at a burbon street cajun restaurant/bar and ended up on stage playing the washboard with two (not just one! basically, im a professional) spoons. during my performance my mom was outside on her cell phone and as i was playing i saw her come back in and look around for me until a friendly couple pointed her attention to the stage - and then i saw all the proudness in the world in her eyes at her daughter's new profession.
the day i had to explain my way out of explaining what AIDS and a sexually transmitted disease were to 6th, 7th and 8th graders was a great day. no further comment.
who knew that high school kids would find the heroic act of a young boy taking off his shirt, pants and jacket to make a rope to rescue a climber (in the book "Banner in the Sky) so homoerotic (not their word). me: did you guys think what rudi did was brave? did you see how he did not let his small size get in the way of being a true man? student: damn!! i would never take my clothes off for another man! me: not even if it meant saving his life? student: nope. not if it was another dude! ah, the way literature can open up a young one's mind...

...well, that was just a small smattering of the indelible impression my NOLA and griffin, ga students left on my mind and my heart. more to come undoubtedly.

now, for the real reason for this post: "teaching at the desk: towards a reference pedagogy," by james k. elmborg, is an article that argues for the use of a constructivist learning theory (similar to piaget's schemata theory - which, coincidentally, i use as a way to teach my adult students how to read academic pieces in class!) at the reference desk, creating reference transactions into "teaching moments" where the librarian does not not only impart knowledge, but also brings the user to a place of becoming a self-sufficient researcher and therefore more prepared for the "messy work" of research. not only did i find the article a great way to look at reference interviews through the lens of constructivism, which states that, specifically to education, knowledge is constructed by the students, and not just simply passed down from teacher to student, but i also found it speaking directly to me as i begin my second summer semester of teaching.

when i was observed and evaluated, my feedback was on the whole very encouraging and positive, with the one criticism being that i do not let my students "struggle enough." for awhile i struggled with this assessment itself, for doesnt every teacher want their students to succeed, not struggle? however, in elmborg's article, he quotes lucy calkins (a writing theorist) who posits, "if i ask a question and make suggestions so that a student's text ends up matching what i had in mind, what have i accomplished?"

..."perhaps the hardest part of learning to teach is learning to ask questions rather than supply answers" elmborg states...and i could not agree more. even though it is one of the most difficult things for me to ask a question and stand up at the front of the room in silence while the students think (although be sure that not all are actually thinking of an answer to my question), then call on one to give me their answer, only to be greeted by further silence. usually i ask a follow-up question, one so pointed and direct that the student cannot help but come up with what i was looking for...but, i suppose, what is that really but a mask of understanding? even though the feeling of success will perhaps be there, i certainly did not allow the student to, or teach them how to think critically, but rather how to respond to my obvious prompt.

my goal for this session is to let the students "struggle" (although i prefer the terms "do the work" or "put in a sustainable effort") - to ask the questions, and then not take the question away from the students when they dont immediately answer, but let them get messy with it. in theory, this sounds like a wonderful teaching opportunity for both me and my students...

i'm just scared it wont actually work.

til soon, read on.

Wide-eyed and fresh-faced...

2007-04-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

holly, world of blogging. world of blogging, holly.

...what an introduction to web 2.0. as if signing up for facebook wasn't anxiety-ridden (it took me two years - self-presentation via the internet is stressful! such pressure to be funny with just the right amount of kitch!), now here i am with my own blog. i am not even sure how formal i should be (capitalize? avoid contractions? dont interrupt yourself every 7 words with parenthetical commentary?!) - are there guidelines somewhere for this? (just checked - there are obviously. but mainly they are for either companies who want to monitor what their employees are writing about the company or suggestions for how to increase the visibility of your blog - don't think i'm ready for that quite yet...)

i always wondered who read people's blogs - always thought it was sort of narcissistic to think others would be interested in what you were wittily musing about...but here i am, and musing i will. but, rather than focusing on the exceptionally pressured world of trying to constantly be witty, hopefully this will have some sort of educational value not only for me (putting thought to paper is out - putting thought to screen is in!...basically, blogs are the new black.), but for the reader. seriously, hasn't everyone always wondered what it was that made someone become a librarian? what exactly they do to prepare for the profession? what kind of things people ask and how you figure out ways to answer them? why in the world a girl would pack up her red Beetle, leave New York City and move herself down to Georgia to teach reading and visit libraries?

these questions and more to be answered...

until then,