LIS Capstone Project. |
To complete my Master of Library & Information Studies degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, I must submit a final capstone portfolio of coursework and experience. Below are the eight student learning objectives (SLOs) the LIS Department outlines for graduates of its program. For each SLO, I have included an artifact from my graduate coursework, internships, and other experience and how it reflects that learning objective. Click on each SLO # to see the artifact and reflection. I have also included a professional development plan and resume. Enjoy!
Student Learning Objectives & Artifacts
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SLO #1
The student assesses the philosophy, principles, and ethics of the library and information field. Artifact: The Book of Banned Books board game SLO #5
The student engages in professional development and service and identifies specializations and related professional organizations as relevant to individual interests. Artifacts: 1) Making Makerspaces poster 2) Independent Study webpage |
SLO #2
The student identifies, evaluates, conducts, and applies current research and thought in library and information studies and in other fields. Artifact: LIS 650 needs assessment report SLO #6
The student applies appropriate technology for effective information services. Artifact: Mi Pais Digital Collection |
SLO #3
The student applies and values user education principles in the teaching of information literacy. Artifact: Teach Someone assignment SLO #7
The student applies advocacy, marketing, and communication principles for entrepreneurial leadership. Artifact: Library blog posts |
SLO #4
The student designs services to meet the information needs of all users and communities. Artifact: LIS 636 Website SLO #8
The student effectively collaborates for the achievement of individual, organizational, professional, and societal goals. Artifact: AcadeMAKE conference planning committee |
Student Learning Objective #1
The student assesses the philosophy, principles, and ethics of the library and information field.
Artifact: LIS 600 Ethics & Advocacy Group Project - The Book of Banned Books Educational Board Game
For the foundations course for the LIS program, we were tasked with creating a project (or two separate projects) based on the principles of Ethics and Advocacy in the library and information field. The goals were to 1) choose a specific topic and explore the ethical issues surrounding it and 2) find a way to incorporate advocacy creatively into this project. I was drawn to the issue of banned books (and/or the deliberate exclusion of certain books in a collection) by a specific example we discussed in class. Our instructor gave the example of a library that refused to include Holocaust denial literature in its collection, despite patron requests. Was this ethical? What would we do in this situation? I felt this was a great way to address and challenge the ethical principles that guide librarianship and it really sparked my curiosity and eventually led my group to the broader topic of banned books.
I decided a board game would be a fun and challenging way to engage people and their notions on banned books. To give a simple overview of the game, the board itself was designed in a path-like format (think Candy Land) with a beginning and an end. In order to advance, players must answer either trivia questions or ethical dilemmas, that I designed based on statistics about banned books in the United States and the ALA’s Bill of Rights. It was suggested and encouraged in the game rules to read up on these resources before playing the game. The goal was to test players’ knowledge, yes, but also their ability to apply the bill of rights and other resources to hypothetical ethical dilemmas. Below are examples of the two types of questions:
The student assesses the philosophy, principles, and ethics of the library and information field.
Artifact: LIS 600 Ethics & Advocacy Group Project - The Book of Banned Books Educational Board Game
For the foundations course for the LIS program, we were tasked with creating a project (or two separate projects) based on the principles of Ethics and Advocacy in the library and information field. The goals were to 1) choose a specific topic and explore the ethical issues surrounding it and 2) find a way to incorporate advocacy creatively into this project. I was drawn to the issue of banned books (and/or the deliberate exclusion of certain books in a collection) by a specific example we discussed in class. Our instructor gave the example of a library that refused to include Holocaust denial literature in its collection, despite patron requests. Was this ethical? What would we do in this situation? I felt this was a great way to address and challenge the ethical principles that guide librarianship and it really sparked my curiosity and eventually led my group to the broader topic of banned books.
I decided a board game would be a fun and challenging way to engage people and their notions on banned books. To give a simple overview of the game, the board itself was designed in a path-like format (think Candy Land) with a beginning and an end. In order to advance, players must answer either trivia questions or ethical dilemmas, that I designed based on statistics about banned books in the United States and the ALA’s Bill of Rights. It was suggested and encouraged in the game rules to read up on these resources before playing the game. The goal was to test players’ knowledge, yes, but also their ability to apply the bill of rights and other resources to hypothetical ethical dilemmas. Below are examples of the two types of questions:
Although this project had a relatively narrow focus in terms of Ethics and Advocacy, what I learned by completing it has broad applications. First, I had to address the element of choice and relevance in deciding on which topic to cover in depth. There were a variety of issues to address in the library and information studies field and so the choice came down to the topic that I felt would challenge me the most. Secondly, a large component of this project was creativity. The instructor charged us to think creatively in terms of advocating for our topics. We of course had the option to write a research paper (and were required to incorporate research methods into our final project), but she challenged us to go beyond a written paper and find other ways to interest our audience, whoever that might be. My decision to incorporate this into a board game was based on a sincere desire to make the material interesting and at the same time encourage players to think critically about the topic. Since the idea was sparked by a debate over librarians’ roles in the censorship of materials, I originally imagined the game would be geared toward my fellow classmates and professionals in the field. However, what my group members and I learned as we developed the game, is that the issues it raised could be addressed by a much broader group. Another important lesson I realized - learning and advocacy can and should be fun!
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Student Learning Objective #2
The student identifies, evaluates, conducts, and applies current research and thought in library and information studies and in other fields.
Artifact: LIS 650 (Library Administration and Management) Needs Assessment
Full Needs Assessment Report: http://corrineluthy.weebly.com/needs-assessment.html
One of the most impactful experiences of my graduate studies was conducting a needs assessment for a local library with three group members from my Library Administration and Management course. The project required us as a group to identify and contact a library that would allow us to conduct assessments among patrons and staff of the library. My group worked with a local community college to conduct a general assessment of students’ perceptions of the library as well as staff perceptions of the working environment. This was a multi-step process that involved 1) getting the library and its parent institution’s cooperation and consent 2) creating two surveys (one for students, one for staff) and distributing them through the school’s listserv, 3) conducting personal interviews with a few staff members, 4) analyzing the data, 5) preparing a group needs assessment report, and 6) presenting our findings to the class and the library.
Perhaps the greatest thing I learned from this experience was how to see the difference between users’ perceptions and librarians’ perceptions. For example, the biggest complaint we got from students who answered our survey was that the printer “never works.” When we presented our findings to the library, they bemoaned the lack of resources coming from the administration and the expense of maintaining the printer. Not to discredit the librarians by any means, but the students’ judgment of this issue seemed to be that the library didn’t care enough to maintain this service. That WAS the perception, despite the reality. For me, this called into question what the library’s responsibility really is in maintaining a service it can’t consistently provide. Should they offer it at all? Should they implement a paid service to help cover costs? Is it out of their hands since the administration does not seem to consider them a priority? Although this is a very specific example, it illuminated for me the broader politics and complexities involved with the work libraries do. From this assessment and our class readings, I realized that perhaps it is worse to promise a service you can’t deliver consistently than to not offer that service at all. This has broad applications to customer service and in understanding and creating mission statements and goals for any organization.
A second example illustrates another lesson learned - the value of communicating effectively with patrons and marketing what the library has to offer. It was interesting to see conflicting responses from students in their thoughts about the library. Some said they thought the library was too noisy, while others appreciated that it was a quiet and peaceful study space. What we also knew from our interviews with library staff was that the library offers group study space for those who want to use the space for socializing or group projects. Our thought was for library staff to market this to students - put up flyers, talk to students working in groups, send this out as part of a newsletter or campus communication. Another suggestion was to create a handout for students using the printer so that they understood A) how to use the library’s printer and B) what options existed if that printer was not working. This exercise got me thinking of innovative solutions to problems that do not always have optimal resolutions. It also underscored the value of communicating with ones patrons and how important it is for any library to market itself. You have to be willing to listen to what your patrons want, even though sometimes that means finding creative ways to making it work within your institution’s guidelines.
Back to SLOs (top)
The student identifies, evaluates, conducts, and applies current research and thought in library and information studies and in other fields.
Artifact: LIS 650 (Library Administration and Management) Needs Assessment
Full Needs Assessment Report: http://corrineluthy.weebly.com/needs-assessment.html
One of the most impactful experiences of my graduate studies was conducting a needs assessment for a local library with three group members from my Library Administration and Management course. The project required us as a group to identify and contact a library that would allow us to conduct assessments among patrons and staff of the library. My group worked with a local community college to conduct a general assessment of students’ perceptions of the library as well as staff perceptions of the working environment. This was a multi-step process that involved 1) getting the library and its parent institution’s cooperation and consent 2) creating two surveys (one for students, one for staff) and distributing them through the school’s listserv, 3) conducting personal interviews with a few staff members, 4) analyzing the data, 5) preparing a group needs assessment report, and 6) presenting our findings to the class and the library.
Perhaps the greatest thing I learned from this experience was how to see the difference between users’ perceptions and librarians’ perceptions. For example, the biggest complaint we got from students who answered our survey was that the printer “never works.” When we presented our findings to the library, they bemoaned the lack of resources coming from the administration and the expense of maintaining the printer. Not to discredit the librarians by any means, but the students’ judgment of this issue seemed to be that the library didn’t care enough to maintain this service. That WAS the perception, despite the reality. For me, this called into question what the library’s responsibility really is in maintaining a service it can’t consistently provide. Should they offer it at all? Should they implement a paid service to help cover costs? Is it out of their hands since the administration does not seem to consider them a priority? Although this is a very specific example, it illuminated for me the broader politics and complexities involved with the work libraries do. From this assessment and our class readings, I realized that perhaps it is worse to promise a service you can’t deliver consistently than to not offer that service at all. This has broad applications to customer service and in understanding and creating mission statements and goals for any organization.
A second example illustrates another lesson learned - the value of communicating effectively with patrons and marketing what the library has to offer. It was interesting to see conflicting responses from students in their thoughts about the library. Some said they thought the library was too noisy, while others appreciated that it was a quiet and peaceful study space. What we also knew from our interviews with library staff was that the library offers group study space for those who want to use the space for socializing or group projects. Our thought was for library staff to market this to students - put up flyers, talk to students working in groups, send this out as part of a newsletter or campus communication. Another suggestion was to create a handout for students using the printer so that they understood A) how to use the library’s printer and B) what options existed if that printer was not working. This exercise got me thinking of innovative solutions to problems that do not always have optimal resolutions. It also underscored the value of communicating with ones patrons and how important it is for any library to market itself. You have to be willing to listen to what your patrons want, even though sometimes that means finding creative ways to making it work within your institution’s guidelines.
Back to SLOs (top)
Student Learning Objective #3
The student applies and values user education principles in the teaching of information literacy.
Artifact: Teach Someone assignment (Information Literacy course)
Teach Someone reflection and lesson plan: http://corrineluthy.weebly.com/il-teach-someone.html
Something that I underestimated when entering the Library and Information Studies program is the amount of both formal teaching and “teachable moments” that are involved with any library job. However, this makes perfect sense considering we house information, knowledge, and resources - no matter the type of position, be it a small corporate archive or a reference desk at a large university. As I’ve made my way through school and multiple internships, one theme I have heard repeatedly from working librarians and my classmates is the desire for and love of learning itself. Recently, the director of special collections at the public library where I’m an intern said something that resonated with me. He essentially said that as a young man looking for work, there wasn’t a particular field he was drawn to because he was interested in everything. What better field for people like us than librarianship? I say all this to establish that in a career populated by those who love to learn, there is naturally going to be some teaching involved. In fact, teaching and information literacy has become more integral than ever. Contrary to what people might think, the proliferation of the internet and online sources has only underscored the need for information literacy, something that has been discussed in many of my classes in this program and that led me to take an Information Literacy course (LIS 665) in my last semester.
The first assignment in Information Literacy was a relatively informal one, but a great way to dip my toes into the waters of instruction. It was simple enough - teach someone something (literally anyone, anything). I decided to tackle something I had been wanting to do for a while and taught my sister the basics of crochet. There were two significant elements to this project for me: 1) the ability to teach informally and experiment with different teaching methods and 2) the ample opportunity for reflection built in to the paper portion of the assignment. As I mention in my paper, I chose to teach crochet because it’s one of the skills I have learned in my adult life and one that made me very aware of my own learning processes. As I said in my paper:
Maybe it was because this was a skill that required some amount of dexterity and patience, but I was doubtful that I would be able to master it. However, what I learned from the process was the simple rule that the more I practiced, the easier it became. Plus, the great thing about crochet is that a mistake doesn’t ruin the piece since it’s one continuous strand of yarn, meaning it is essentially foolproof.
Learning a skill that requires dexterity is a lesson in itself. Mastering the simple challenge (in this case, of creating basic crochet stitches) creates confidence and fosters curiosity and the belief that one can do other things. The assignment also helped me realize the value of creating lesson plans for even the most seemingly simple learning tasks. Having that outline really helped keep me on track and break down the process into its most basic steps. As instructors, it can often be difficult to place ourselves in the role of learner, especially when it comes to knowledge that we have already mastered. Forcing myself to break the process down ultimately helped my sister as well. Finally, as a result of this project I was able to explore some of the traditional learning theories we had studied in practice, particularly some of the aspects of constructivism. I am drawn to the idea that instructors serve as facilitators for self-directed learning and that learning is an intersection of collaboration and individuality.
Back to SLOs (top)
The student applies and values user education principles in the teaching of information literacy.
Artifact: Teach Someone assignment (Information Literacy course)
Teach Someone reflection and lesson plan: http://corrineluthy.weebly.com/il-teach-someone.html
Something that I underestimated when entering the Library and Information Studies program is the amount of both formal teaching and “teachable moments” that are involved with any library job. However, this makes perfect sense considering we house information, knowledge, and resources - no matter the type of position, be it a small corporate archive or a reference desk at a large university. As I’ve made my way through school and multiple internships, one theme I have heard repeatedly from working librarians and my classmates is the desire for and love of learning itself. Recently, the director of special collections at the public library where I’m an intern said something that resonated with me. He essentially said that as a young man looking for work, there wasn’t a particular field he was drawn to because he was interested in everything. What better field for people like us than librarianship? I say all this to establish that in a career populated by those who love to learn, there is naturally going to be some teaching involved. In fact, teaching and information literacy has become more integral than ever. Contrary to what people might think, the proliferation of the internet and online sources has only underscored the need for information literacy, something that has been discussed in many of my classes in this program and that led me to take an Information Literacy course (LIS 665) in my last semester.
The first assignment in Information Literacy was a relatively informal one, but a great way to dip my toes into the waters of instruction. It was simple enough - teach someone something (literally anyone, anything). I decided to tackle something I had been wanting to do for a while and taught my sister the basics of crochet. There were two significant elements to this project for me: 1) the ability to teach informally and experiment with different teaching methods and 2) the ample opportunity for reflection built in to the paper portion of the assignment. As I mention in my paper, I chose to teach crochet because it’s one of the skills I have learned in my adult life and one that made me very aware of my own learning processes. As I said in my paper:
Maybe it was because this was a skill that required some amount of dexterity and patience, but I was doubtful that I would be able to master it. However, what I learned from the process was the simple rule that the more I practiced, the easier it became. Plus, the great thing about crochet is that a mistake doesn’t ruin the piece since it’s one continuous strand of yarn, meaning it is essentially foolproof.
Learning a skill that requires dexterity is a lesson in itself. Mastering the simple challenge (in this case, of creating basic crochet stitches) creates confidence and fosters curiosity and the belief that one can do other things. The assignment also helped me realize the value of creating lesson plans for even the most seemingly simple learning tasks. Having that outline really helped keep me on track and break down the process into its most basic steps. As instructors, it can often be difficult to place ourselves in the role of learner, especially when it comes to knowledge that we have already mastered. Forcing myself to break the process down ultimately helped my sister as well. Finally, as a result of this project I was able to explore some of the traditional learning theories we had studied in practice, particularly some of the aspects of constructivism. I am drawn to the idea that instructors serve as facilitators for self-directed learning and that learning is an intersection of collaboration and individuality.
Back to SLOs (top)
Student Learning Objective #4
The student designs services to meet the information needs of all users and communities.
Artifact: Website for Web Production & Usability (LIS 636)
Website: http://uncg.edu/~chluthy
While inclusiveness and openness have both been major themes throughout my LIS studies, I had the opportunity to incorporate this into a website I built in my Web Production and Usability course. The final assignment for the course was to build a website of our choosing using Adobe Dreamweaver, which also incorporated CSS and HTML elements. A checklist of requirements for the assignment can actually be found on the site I built at http://www.uncg.edu/~chluthy/636docs.html. Near the bottom is the requirement for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance. The statement was also included on the Policies page of the site that was intended for actual users of the site. It reads:
The student designs services to meet the information needs of all users and communities.
Artifact: Website for Web Production & Usability (LIS 636)
Website: http://uncg.edu/~chluthy
While inclusiveness and openness have both been major themes throughout my LIS studies, I had the opportunity to incorporate this into a website I built in my Web Production and Usability course. The final assignment for the course was to build a website of our choosing using Adobe Dreamweaver, which also incorporated CSS and HTML elements. A checklist of requirements for the assignment can actually be found on the site I built at http://www.uncg.edu/~chluthy/636docs.html. Near the bottom is the requirement for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance. The statement was also included on the Policies page of the site that was intended for actual users of the site. It reads:
Ensuring that my site was compliant with ADA standards was an absolute requirement for this project. Most often, this involved making sure all images had alternative text, or descriptive text of the image for visually impaired users. I also familiarized myself with W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (as mentioned in the compliance statement above). It is safe to say that every page of my site has some ADA compliant factor, again mostly images. Having to consider this when designing the site made the overall process much more thoughtful and actually helped guide the overall design of the site. While the Accessibility Guidelines are aimed at making content accessible to those with vision or other impairments, they also help ensure that the site is usable for everyone. A site that is difficult to access for someone who is impaired might very well have access issues for others as well. The Accessibility Guidelines also provide protocols for text size, the use of color, providing transcripts for audiovisual materials, making elements functional from a keyboard, and others. Here, accessibility is harmonious with usability. Users with slow internet speeds, different browsers, older equipment, color blindness, poor vision, etc. should all have equal access to the content of the site, The site should be functional and usable by as many people as possible - that’s the point, after all. The designer must consider simple, well-planned page elements that convey the information properly.
A great example of this for me is in the use of transcripts for audiovisual materials. Although at first glance this may be done primarily to service those with hearing impairments, it also addresses different learning styles. Personally, when I visit a news website like CNN, I would much rather read the stories than watch the same information presented in a video. Therefore, considering the implications of the usability of the site really has a double effect. What this illustrates to me is that even if you think you have addressed the needs of all users, there could be a whole different subgroup you haven’t considered and by providing options you open up access to an even broader audience.
When it comes to designing services for library patrons - whether its a website, a children’s program, information literacy instruction, answering a reference question - there has to be a thoughtful balance between interesting and informative design and simplicity. It is a useful exercise to consider who the information is open to and what kinds of alternatives can be presented so that the most possible number of users can access it. This has already affected some of my work as an intern. I try to be much more thoughtful when I write blog posts or create graphical materials like flyers. I also keep in mind a very useful principle I learned when writing for a community newspaper: “A story should be written for the person who knows everything [about the topic], and for the person who knows nothing.” This could easily be applied to meeting the information needs of a community - well-planned services should be able to meet the information needs of users of all skill levels, knowledge-bases, and walks of life.
Back to SLOs (top)
A great example of this for me is in the use of transcripts for audiovisual materials. Although at first glance this may be done primarily to service those with hearing impairments, it also addresses different learning styles. Personally, when I visit a news website like CNN, I would much rather read the stories than watch the same information presented in a video. Therefore, considering the implications of the usability of the site really has a double effect. What this illustrates to me is that even if you think you have addressed the needs of all users, there could be a whole different subgroup you haven’t considered and by providing options you open up access to an even broader audience.
When it comes to designing services for library patrons - whether its a website, a children’s program, information literacy instruction, answering a reference question - there has to be a thoughtful balance between interesting and informative design and simplicity. It is a useful exercise to consider who the information is open to and what kinds of alternatives can be presented so that the most possible number of users can access it. This has already affected some of my work as an intern. I try to be much more thoughtful when I write blog posts or create graphical materials like flyers. I also keep in mind a very useful principle I learned when writing for a community newspaper: “A story should be written for the person who knows everything [about the topic], and for the person who knows nothing.” This could easily be applied to meeting the information needs of a community - well-planned services should be able to meet the information needs of users of all skill levels, knowledge-bases, and walks of life.
Back to SLOs (top)
Student Learning Objective #5
The student engages in professional development and service and identifies specializations and related professional organizations as relevant to individual interests.
Artifact: 1) Making Makerspaces poster, presented at ALISE 2015 and AcadeMAKE 2015, and 2) Independent Study webpage.
Webpage: http://corrineluthy.weebly.com/makerspace-independent-study.html
As a practicum/independent study student with the LSTA grant-funded “Mobile Makerspace” team in Jackson Library, I got to participate firsthand in plenty of professional development opportunities. I attended three separate conferences with the team (one of which we hosted) and presented a poster at two of them and co-presented a presentation at another (NCLA CUS Mini-conference in Charlotte, December 2014). Our poster was a summary of the work the grant team had done from August through February, including teaching workshops online and in four different locations in North Carolina, compiling a website of makerspace resources and project ideas, providing a list of other makerspaces in the area, incorporating talks into different academic departments on campus, hosting a making and makerspaces conference, and conducting pre- and post-surveys to assess the impact of our work.
Obviously, professional development is an important aspect of work in libraries and information organizations, as evidenced by the fact that it’s a student learning objective for the program. As librarians, most of us by nature are learners and like to stay knowledgeable about current trends. Professional organizations and professional development opportunities help us keep the finger on the pulse of what’s happening - in a broad sense, but also in the very, narrow specific sense of what each of our colleagues is doing in the field. And while the learning opportunities at the conferences I attended were great - I became more knowledgeable about making and makerspaces and other current issues in libraries - the ability to meet and compare notes with other professionals was what I really took away from these conferences. At ALISE, for example, there were three or four sessions about makerspaces that we were able to attend. Some discussed the results of research conducted with librarians at organizations that had started makerspaces - staffing, budgetary concerns, benefits. Another talked about the work that is being done (and needs to be done) to train librarians how to organize and work in makerspaces.
Often, in our work as a grant team, we did not have much context for what we were doing. Was it too much for people to grasp? Was it too simplistic? Was it needed information for librarians? Traveling and hosting these conferences not only gave us some perspective on the work we were doing, but it also put us in contact with a number of people who were doing similar work and were more than willing to share their information and become contacts for future work. Presenting at these conferences, particularly at ALISE, also helped us expose other people in the field to an up and coming trend that they may know little about. Even at AcadeMAKE, which was geared specifically toward making and makerspaces, one of the most telling comments from an audience member was that she had often wondered about the purpose or validity of makerspaces, and she now “got it.”
Back to SLOs (top)
The student engages in professional development and service and identifies specializations and related professional organizations as relevant to individual interests.
Artifact: 1) Making Makerspaces poster, presented at ALISE 2015 and AcadeMAKE 2015, and 2) Independent Study webpage.
Webpage: http://corrineluthy.weebly.com/makerspace-independent-study.html
As a practicum/independent study student with the LSTA grant-funded “Mobile Makerspace” team in Jackson Library, I got to participate firsthand in plenty of professional development opportunities. I attended three separate conferences with the team (one of which we hosted) and presented a poster at two of them and co-presented a presentation at another (NCLA CUS Mini-conference in Charlotte, December 2014). Our poster was a summary of the work the grant team had done from August through February, including teaching workshops online and in four different locations in North Carolina, compiling a website of makerspace resources and project ideas, providing a list of other makerspaces in the area, incorporating talks into different academic departments on campus, hosting a making and makerspaces conference, and conducting pre- and post-surveys to assess the impact of our work.
Obviously, professional development is an important aspect of work in libraries and information organizations, as evidenced by the fact that it’s a student learning objective for the program. As librarians, most of us by nature are learners and like to stay knowledgeable about current trends. Professional organizations and professional development opportunities help us keep the finger on the pulse of what’s happening - in a broad sense, but also in the very, narrow specific sense of what each of our colleagues is doing in the field. And while the learning opportunities at the conferences I attended were great - I became more knowledgeable about making and makerspaces and other current issues in libraries - the ability to meet and compare notes with other professionals was what I really took away from these conferences. At ALISE, for example, there were three or four sessions about makerspaces that we were able to attend. Some discussed the results of research conducted with librarians at organizations that had started makerspaces - staffing, budgetary concerns, benefits. Another talked about the work that is being done (and needs to be done) to train librarians how to organize and work in makerspaces.
Often, in our work as a grant team, we did not have much context for what we were doing. Was it too much for people to grasp? Was it too simplistic? Was it needed information for librarians? Traveling and hosting these conferences not only gave us some perspective on the work we were doing, but it also put us in contact with a number of people who were doing similar work and were more than willing to share their information and become contacts for future work. Presenting at these conferences, particularly at ALISE, also helped us expose other people in the field to an up and coming trend that they may know little about. Even at AcadeMAKE, which was geared specifically toward making and makerspaces, one of the most telling comments from an audience member was that she had often wondered about the purpose or validity of makerspaces, and she now “got it.”
Back to SLOs (top)
Student Learning Objective #6
The student applies appropriate technology for effective information services.
Artifact: ContentDM Collection
Website: http://bit.ly/mipaiscollection
One of my primary personal goals as a graduate student entering the LIS program was to learn more about the technology used in libraries today. For me, a lot of that had to do with digitization and the curation of digital collections. In addition to a course in Digital Libraries (where the image above is from), I completed a practicum at Z. Smith Reynolds Library (ZSR) at Wake Forest University, a virtual internship with the Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library based at Dickinson State University in North Dakota, and have also worked with the Forsyth County Public Library to select and create metadata for items digitized by the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center.
The major project for the Digital Libraries course was creating an individual collection using the ContentDM platform (we mainly used the web version). On the surface, this seemed like a relatively straightforward task, but from my previous experience creating metadata, I understood how important it would be to have some standards and guidelines in place. Beyond simply using ContentDM to manage the content, there was quite a bit of creation and decision-making on my part. I chose the metadata categories to include, what vocabularies (if any) to fill them with, and how to standardize the categories that I did not use vocabulary for. I also curated the collection, a compilation of photographs, papers, and other memorabilia that belong to my great-grandmother, who immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic. Curation was a big part of this collection because even though I knew quite a bit about the person the items belonged to, there are many photographs and some documents that have very little context from which to create metadata. In addition, I had to “justify” my collection by writing a grant application using the State Library of North Carolina’s EZ Digitization grant form. This really made me think about how even such a personal collection could have relevance to a much broader audience and will certainly encourage me to think creatively when working on grant projects in my future role as a librarian.
What I really appreciated about this project, which was similar to the Secrest Artists Series anthology I created while I was an intern at ZSR, was the ability to see the project from creation to completion. I was able to complete every step of the process from selection to digitization to metadata creation to user interface. Understanding how all steps in the workflow come together will be valuable and insightful experience when working on similar collaborative projects in the future. With the Secrest anthology, I was able to take that one step further by writing a promotional blog post for the collection that coincided with the collection’s debut.
My experience with digital collections and digitization has two taught me two valuable lessons. One, not to be intimidated by technology. I have always embraced technology and learning new programs, but these projects reminded me that learning new software and web applications is something at which I excel. The beautiful thing about most digital technology is that there is room for error and plenty of opportunities to fix mistakes, so it’s ok to be experimental and try new things. Two, as a friend of mine likes to say, “there is more than one way to skin a cat.” There is a variety of content management software out there, and the beauty of that is that there are alternatives for almost any budget - even no budget. I learned from my internship at the Forsyth County Public Library that the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center digitizes and hosts content for free. Finally, my experience has strengthened my belief that there is room for both the “old” and the “new” to complement each other. Providing online access to library materials, curating digital exhibits, purchasing the latest gadgets for library patrons to use, can all co-exist with libraries’ traditional roles and even enhance the knowledge they provide.
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The student applies appropriate technology for effective information services.
Artifact: ContentDM Collection
Website: http://bit.ly/mipaiscollection
One of my primary personal goals as a graduate student entering the LIS program was to learn more about the technology used in libraries today. For me, a lot of that had to do with digitization and the curation of digital collections. In addition to a course in Digital Libraries (where the image above is from), I completed a practicum at Z. Smith Reynolds Library (ZSR) at Wake Forest University, a virtual internship with the Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library based at Dickinson State University in North Dakota, and have also worked with the Forsyth County Public Library to select and create metadata for items digitized by the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center.
The major project for the Digital Libraries course was creating an individual collection using the ContentDM platform (we mainly used the web version). On the surface, this seemed like a relatively straightforward task, but from my previous experience creating metadata, I understood how important it would be to have some standards and guidelines in place. Beyond simply using ContentDM to manage the content, there was quite a bit of creation and decision-making on my part. I chose the metadata categories to include, what vocabularies (if any) to fill them with, and how to standardize the categories that I did not use vocabulary for. I also curated the collection, a compilation of photographs, papers, and other memorabilia that belong to my great-grandmother, who immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic. Curation was a big part of this collection because even though I knew quite a bit about the person the items belonged to, there are many photographs and some documents that have very little context from which to create metadata. In addition, I had to “justify” my collection by writing a grant application using the State Library of North Carolina’s EZ Digitization grant form. This really made me think about how even such a personal collection could have relevance to a much broader audience and will certainly encourage me to think creatively when working on grant projects in my future role as a librarian.
What I really appreciated about this project, which was similar to the Secrest Artists Series anthology I created while I was an intern at ZSR, was the ability to see the project from creation to completion. I was able to complete every step of the process from selection to digitization to metadata creation to user interface. Understanding how all steps in the workflow come together will be valuable and insightful experience when working on similar collaborative projects in the future. With the Secrest anthology, I was able to take that one step further by writing a promotional blog post for the collection that coincided with the collection’s debut.
My experience with digital collections and digitization has two taught me two valuable lessons. One, not to be intimidated by technology. I have always embraced technology and learning new programs, but these projects reminded me that learning new software and web applications is something at which I excel. The beautiful thing about most digital technology is that there is room for error and plenty of opportunities to fix mistakes, so it’s ok to be experimental and try new things. Two, as a friend of mine likes to say, “there is more than one way to skin a cat.” There is a variety of content management software out there, and the beauty of that is that there are alternatives for almost any budget - even no budget. I learned from my internship at the Forsyth County Public Library that the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center digitizes and hosts content for free. Finally, my experience has strengthened my belief that there is room for both the “old” and the “new” to complement each other. Providing online access to library materials, curating digital exhibits, purchasing the latest gadgets for library patrons to use, can all co-exist with libraries’ traditional roles and even enhance the knowledge they provide.
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Student Learning Objective #7
The student applies advocacy, marketing, and communication principles for entrepreneurial leadership.
Artifact: Guest blog posts for internships
List of posts: http://corrineluthy.weebly.com/guest-blog-posts.html
I certainly have learned about the power of the blog post during my time as a graduate student. Having worked previously as a reporter at a small community newspaper, I sometimes took for granted having a forum with which to communicate with the public. I did and still do understand, though, what a wonderful tool this can be. Every library I’ve worked with has had at least one blog with which to communicate to the public, and many times internal blogs with which to communicate among each other. Everything appears in these blogs - additions to the collection (whether print or digital), special events, promotions, news about the institution, and profiles of its members. In addition to having these blogs, each of these organizations also encouraged me as an intern to participate and share my work or write about the materials I’ve worked with. Much like this capstone project, writing about what I was doing had dual benefits. On the one hand, it helped inform patrons and colleagues about what I and the library as a larger institution were accomplishing. On the other, it served as a source of reflection and growth for myself.
A few of the things I’ve blogged and written about include:
What I really love about these experiences is the ability to connect patrons with what the library is doing. Rather than just encountering a digital exhibit or items on the internet, it gives them some insight into the “why’s” and “how’s” and lets them understand the rationale for that particular collection. It’s an opportunity for them to really connect with the thought process that goes behind the work of the library. I have also found it an extremely useful tool for recording the pros and cons of a particular project and a great reference for future projects of what worked and what could be improved. This wealth of knowledge is also available for other librarians and professionals who might be facing similar situations. This is definitely something I plan to continue in my professional career.
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The student applies advocacy, marketing, and communication principles for entrepreneurial leadership.
Artifact: Guest blog posts for internships
List of posts: http://corrineluthy.weebly.com/guest-blog-posts.html
I certainly have learned about the power of the blog post during my time as a graduate student. Having worked previously as a reporter at a small community newspaper, I sometimes took for granted having a forum with which to communicate with the public. I did and still do understand, though, what a wonderful tool this can be. Every library I’ve worked with has had at least one blog with which to communicate to the public, and many times internal blogs with which to communicate among each other. Everything appears in these blogs - additions to the collection (whether print or digital), special events, promotions, news about the institution, and profiles of its members. In addition to having these blogs, each of these organizations also encouraged me as an intern to participate and share my work or write about the materials I’ve worked with. Much like this capstone project, writing about what I was doing had dual benefits. On the one hand, it helped inform patrons and colleagues about what I and the library as a larger institution were accomplishing. On the other, it served as a source of reflection and growth for myself.
A few of the things I’ve blogged and written about include:
- My experiences creating a digital exhibit at Z. Smith Reynolds Library
- Working with a mobile makerspace team at Jackson Library
- The importance of cursive writing for the Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library
- Selecting items for digitization at the Forsyth County Public Library
What I really love about these experiences is the ability to connect patrons with what the library is doing. Rather than just encountering a digital exhibit or items on the internet, it gives them some insight into the “why’s” and “how’s” and lets them understand the rationale for that particular collection. It’s an opportunity for them to really connect with the thought process that goes behind the work of the library. I have also found it an extremely useful tool for recording the pros and cons of a particular project and a great reference for future projects of what worked and what could be improved. This wealth of knowledge is also available for other librarians and professionals who might be facing similar situations. This is definitely something I plan to continue in my professional career.
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Student Learning Objective #8
The student effectively collaborates for the achievement of individual, organizational, professional, and societal goals.
Artifact: Student representative for AcadeMAKE conference planning team
As part of my independent study with the Mobile Makerspace Team for the Spring 2015 semester, I was a student representative on the AcadeMAKE conference planning team. This was actually my second experience helping plan a conference, as I was on the planning committee for the LIS Department’s iDEALS Summit in the fall. However, this was a unique experience getting an original and first (hopefully annual) conference off the ground and being a part of the process from start to finish. AcadeMAKE was a one-day held on the UNCG campus in the School of Education and focused on makers and makerspaces in all types of libraries - academic, special, school, and public. Participants came from all over the state and from far away as New Jersey to participate in discussions, talks, and even play in the School of Ed’s own makerspace, the SELF Design Studio. As a member of the planning committee, I attended monthly meetings, helped man the registration table, maintained the conference website, organized materials for the day of the conference, and even presented a poster.
This experience definitely had components of meeting individual, organizational, professional, and societal goals. On an individual level, I was able to take part in a professional conference and learn the importance of collaboration and planning. Luckily, members of our planning team were willing to take on responsibilities, and it was encouraging to see a team that worked well together and to hear feedback from participants who loved the conference. This ties into meeting “organizational” goals. Here, I would consider the organization to be the different entities represented by the planning team - our grant-funded team from Jackson Library and the team members of the SELF Design Studio. All of the team members were passionate about makerspaces and this was reflected in the dedication they put toward the conference. Not to be corny, but it was inspirational to see a group of people work together so well for something they loved and were determined to share with others. For this conference, I feel that the professional and societal goals tie together. One thing that was obvious from this conference is that librarians are embracing the maker movement at a high level. The implications for this range from changing education and instructional styles to manufacturing and entrepreneurship - essentially the entire life cycle.
A major takeaway from working as part of the planning committee was the importance of paying attention to the small details that aren’t always considered when you are a conference participant - refreshments, room reservations, office supplies, directions. These seemingly minute details were unnoticeable but could have changed the experience of participants for the worse if they had not been considered. From a broader angle, this positive experience gave me a framework for future conferences and planning opportunities. I feel much more confident taking part in such activities and am grateful to have been able to seen the rewards that come from hard work and bringing people together over a common passion.
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The student effectively collaborates for the achievement of individual, organizational, professional, and societal goals.
Artifact: Student representative for AcadeMAKE conference planning team
As part of my independent study with the Mobile Makerspace Team for the Spring 2015 semester, I was a student representative on the AcadeMAKE conference planning team. This was actually my second experience helping plan a conference, as I was on the planning committee for the LIS Department’s iDEALS Summit in the fall. However, this was a unique experience getting an original and first (hopefully annual) conference off the ground and being a part of the process from start to finish. AcadeMAKE was a one-day held on the UNCG campus in the School of Education and focused on makers and makerspaces in all types of libraries - academic, special, school, and public. Participants came from all over the state and from far away as New Jersey to participate in discussions, talks, and even play in the School of Ed’s own makerspace, the SELF Design Studio. As a member of the planning committee, I attended monthly meetings, helped man the registration table, maintained the conference website, organized materials for the day of the conference, and even presented a poster.
This experience definitely had components of meeting individual, organizational, professional, and societal goals. On an individual level, I was able to take part in a professional conference and learn the importance of collaboration and planning. Luckily, members of our planning team were willing to take on responsibilities, and it was encouraging to see a team that worked well together and to hear feedback from participants who loved the conference. This ties into meeting “organizational” goals. Here, I would consider the organization to be the different entities represented by the planning team - our grant-funded team from Jackson Library and the team members of the SELF Design Studio. All of the team members were passionate about makerspaces and this was reflected in the dedication they put toward the conference. Not to be corny, but it was inspirational to see a group of people work together so well for something they loved and were determined to share with others. For this conference, I feel that the professional and societal goals tie together. One thing that was obvious from this conference is that librarians are embracing the maker movement at a high level. The implications for this range from changing education and instructional styles to manufacturing and entrepreneurship - essentially the entire life cycle.
A major takeaway from working as part of the planning committee was the importance of paying attention to the small details that aren’t always considered when you are a conference participant - refreshments, room reservations, office supplies, directions. These seemingly minute details were unnoticeable but could have changed the experience of participants for the worse if they had not been considered. From a broader angle, this positive experience gave me a framework for future conferences and planning opportunities. I feel much more confident taking part in such activities and am grateful to have been able to seen the rewards that come from hard work and bringing people together over a common passion.
Back to SLOs (top)