Check It Out! (Also known as, I Love My Library System!)

Imagine my relief when I became school librarian and learned that our library uses an automated library system. There were still “due date” cards and manila pockets in all of the books, but students, faculty and staff could check books in and out with the scan of a wand.  I do not have to deal with the hassle of more than 700 students filling out cards every week!

The OPAC, or online public access catalog, used by Chicago Public Schools is called Seeking Online Access To Resources, SOAR. This integrated, or multifunction, system, allows me to perform a whole hosts of tasks, including searching for books/ other materials, circulation, cataloging, printing out barcodes and adding book fines. Library patrons-- students, parents, faculty and staff--can take advantage of circulation privileges.

The software programs that run the system share information through interconnected modules that allow patrons to see whether their favorite titles are available. Then, the system indicates that an item has been checked out, so it assigns a due date. This serves to avoid duplication of checkout and frustration of not knowing if desired items are available. 

Because the system offers 24-hour remote access, items can be searched for anywhere Internet service is available. From the comfort of their homes, students can search for books related to what they watched on The Discovery Channel, what dad cooked for dinner or information about the life-sized version of the miniature car they received as a birthday gift. Students in 4th through 6th grades are required to maintain a SOAR Running Record, a list of 3 to 5 titles that they would like to read. The list includes also the author, call number and the genre of the book. The benefits of keeping the record are multifold:

*Students learn and practice simple research skills
*They are more likely to read and enjoy reading when they are in control of their selections
*The links to various subject headings and authors' multiple titles foster a more in-depth study of a particular topic and/or the discovery of a favorite author
*Records can be a source of discussion for future partner reading of the same titles

Fortunately, I did not have to decide which system to purchase. CPS’s Department of Libraries offered all schools free conversion, so administrators took advantage of the opportunity. The Library Corporation, commonly referred to as TLC, creates, distributes and maintains our school district’s (and about 700 other districts) automation and cataloging software.  Having experienced the ease of circulation, being able to retrieve important collection information, and learning that the TLC has the ability to successfully handle approximately 2 million transactions a day and much more, I recommend that libraries that do not have an integrated system book an appointment with a representative and check it out!

Holding the Line: Computer Networks in Libraries (And At Home) Via The Internet, WiFi and More

There is a dimly lit room next door to the library that none of the general education teachers or students have dared to enter or even inquire about.  It houses countless, wired and whirring machines of various shapes, sizes and colors with blinking lights. I have only seen the former Computer teacher and a couple of men in uniforms go in. Now, I know that the room marked Telephone is where the school’s network servers are located. These servers are computers that run several programs to allow database searches, e-mailing, printing and a host of other computing services.  

All of the computers in the library, classrooms and offices use a wireless network to access the Internet.  This type of network is one in which radio signals and other technologies allow computers to communicate with each other and the network server. A network printer will be set up in the library in the next few days to allow multiple print jobs to be sent from different places to one central location.

After learning a few things about the systems at my school, I did not worry too much when I began to have problems connecting to the Internet on my laptop at home.  I turned off the modem (a device that translates the information sent by a computer into a protocol, or format, that is sent across phone wires), disconnected the modem from the wireless router and started and restarted my computer. The router, which is supposed to exchange information between networks, would not connect.  I eventually gave up, and I resorted to using the Internet capabilities on my cell phone. I composed documents, sent the rough drafts to myself via e-mail and retrieved them at work. Doing that became cumbersome; plus, I was stuck with a lot of hard-to-get-just-right, unfinished business. So...

I finally called CLEAR, my Internet provider. It was mind blowing to learn that over half of the terminology that was used in the hour long conversation with the customer service representative was found in Chapter 5 of The Library Companion by John Burke. I should have expected that, but I was so fascinated because I always see words that I had never paid attention to and never imagined knowing the meaning of.  Far from being a technology expert, but like technology itself, I am constantly making progress.

Several times, I was asked to click on a series of words and/or links to find the IP, or Internet Protocol, address. (I always wondered how, especially on crime shows, detectives found the culprit by identifying that address on his/her computer. I did not know that the letters or words in an address correspond to particular numbers that lead directly to a specific computer.) After about an hour, I realized that I had gotten a pretty in-depth tour of my computer.  Unfortunately, the representative was unable to help me figure out a way to regain wireless access to the Internet. A friend who is a software architect told me of the risks of having my modem directly connected to my computer. He said that routers, connected with a WAP, a wireless access point, not only prevent people from connecting to the Internet without paying for the service; it serves as a layer of protection about others gain access to your private information. 

All in all, the crash course in computer networking in my textbook and with CLEAR was quite helpful.  I am a lot more knowledgeable about what I see on computers and with the gadgets that I see around the school and library every day.  With a little more hands-on experience and guidance from my co-worker, the new Computer teacher across the hall, I may be able to troubleshoot when someone comes into the library with questions or concerns about getting online.

To Blog Or Not To Blog. . . Wiki Should I Choose?

          Blogs and wiki pages are written vehicles of expression created for the purpose of sharing information, individually or by collaborating with others, via the Internet. They are both creative ways for people with various interests and abilities to engage in a number of online activities, including:

• showcasing their creativity
•       voicing their political opinions
•  posting information about their favorite celebrities
• helping themselves and others understand the multifaceted nature of technology

After reading several sources and based on personal experience, I have concluded that I really enjoy reading and creating blogs.  Therefore, I have chosen to submit my coursework for LIMS 5025 in the form of a blog. The following paper will provide information about both blogs and wikis, briefly noting some of the features/how they are set up, how they can be used by library media specialists and a few pros and cons of these very popular forms of social media.

A blog is a web log in the form of an online journal. Resembling a web page, the most recent entries of a blog begin at the top of the page.  Easy to create and update,  blogs are ideal for those of us who like to design, publish and maintain our own information without the concern of someone being able to add anything that would overshadow our individualized touch.  I can place a photo or other images as the background, my favorite websites can be added as links, and I can stay abreast of the latest goings-on of organizations that interest me with an RSS, Rich Site Summary, feed.  I also love the widgets, or software applications, that I can add to my blog.  My widgets can be anything from a countdown clock to anticipate the start of my school library’s scary story read-a-thon in October or a check box to ask my blog followers, children and adults alike, to choose their favorite books from a list of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps titles.

According to Lori Hile in Social Networks and Blogs, the rate at which people blog has increased tremendously over the past decade. Hile noted the change in the number of blogs that have existed from 1999-2008: 

1999 50 blogs
2004 4.1 million blogs
2008 112.8 million blogs

Getting started on your own blog is as easy as going to www.blogger.com.  Create a gmail account if you do not already have one. Sign in, and watch the youtube video of the newly designed site. Follow the prompts and get published online today!

Believed to be Hawaiian for fast or quick, the word “wiki” is practically a household word.  Like blogs, wikis are websites that allow authors to create and publish, add and delete information. For the most part, wikis are used to display researched information or to house notes taken on a particular subject. They are different from their online counterparts because they are primarily collaborative efforts. There is a set amount of joint planning, publishing and editing that takes place in wiki work. Wikipedia, co-founded by Internet entrepreneur Jimmy Wales, is the most well-known wiki that allows anyone to be an author.

A school librarian and classroom teachers can collaborate on content area wikis. During their common preparation periods, or preps, the educators can discuss what areas of Social Studies fourth graders need to cover by Thanksgiving, for example.  The teachers can contribute the themes, or big ideas, vocabulary words, etc; the librarian could then create and post web quests and pathfinders after adding an authorative list of the top five resources on the particular area of study. If the third grade teaching team reads the wiki and agrees that a few of the things that they were unable to teach the previous year should be included, they can add that information to the already existing document.  I regularly refer to Chicago Public School’s Department of Libraries’ wiki to get updated information on grant opportunities, events and who to call with librarian-related concerns.

 

Implicit in the way wikis are created is the room for correcting and holding others accountable for their work. I remember seeing a picture of Lou Ferrigno as “Hulk” labeled as Dolph Lundgren on Wikipedia. I laughed because I knew that the information was not correct. Dolph’s hair is blond, not green. I did not bother to edit the page because I did not know then how simple it would be to change information in an article. Fortunately, someone else had corrected the information the next time I searched for Lundgren.  Just like this mistake occurred on a wiki, blogs, because they are often based on people’s personal experiences or born out of an individual’s point of view, can contain misleading, offensive, plagiarized or biased information. However, if enough people read someone’s blog and the information sounds too familiar or disturbing, well-meaning people can comment on that particular blog or start their own blog to foster change.

Because I am so new at online writing—I have written articles for my school newspapers, grants for classroom supplies, epic letters to friends and the like—I do not want my thoughts altered in any way.  However, the more I looked at www.wikispaces.com, the more I thought that creating a wiki may not be such a bad idea after all.  You can actually be pretty creative with a wiki as well as a blog by adding videos and calendars, not just photos like I usually see on Wikipedia.  Consider setting up an account (choose a username and password) and creating a wiki page.

             If you are like me and want the page to look inviting before you can get any work done, click on Manage Wiki on the right side of the home page and scroll to Settings. Choose Look and Fee, and let your creativity flow.  Play with the colors and themes or upload an image to use as a logo. I am a collaborative partner on a wiki, so I could change a few things on the page that would reflect my individual style and interests. At the same time, my style of writing could be a way that I could let my personality, tastes and creativity shine forth.  No matter what, constant communication and explicit mutual respect for others’ ideas have to be in play for a wiki to be successful.

 

Whether I continue to express myself through blogs or challenge myself and start a wiki page, I will encourage my friends and co-workers to join the online world of writers. Many times we are warned to be careful what we put on the Internet--what we put out there stays there forever.  So, wouldn’t it be nice to encourage children to start blogging or creating wikis to document how they are learning to journal, collaborate, publish and edit?  What a treasure it would be for someone’s grandmother to save all of her cake and pie recipes in a wiki or a blog to share with present and future generations. A friend who never knew she liked to write started a blog about food, knitting and the weather from a Christian’s perspective. Visit www.tradingyokes.com to read what she has to say. Find wikis about summer reading programs, kids and medicine and teaching American history to ESL students on www.educationalwikis.wikispace.com.  But, do not take my word for it; create your own online forum today!

Comprehending the Complexity of Computers

By the time I entered college in 1990, my experience with using computers was very limited. I remember my 7th grade computer class in which we used an operating system that required us to write specific commands.  I have forgotten exactly how information had to be written, but it was similar to the following:

10 My name is Lori.
20 I am a teacher.
30 Run

The final product: My name is Lori. I am a teacher.

After spending one too many nightmarish nights in the basement of my college dorm typing and retyping papers on my Brother word processor, I decided to give the computer lab a try. I not only discovered how I could put my excellent typing skills to much better use; I found a world of computer-loving geniuses who were willing and able to help me conquer my computer-related fears. Being able to do research, importing graphics into a document, saving my papers on floppy disks, and making new friends around the world through IRC, Internet Relay Chat, was well worth coming out of the literal and figurative typewriter dungeon.

I realize that I did not like computers because I did not understand those massive machines. In Chapter 4 of his Library Technology Companion, John Burke examines the computer, inside and out. He provides us with a wealth of information about a technology that people, young and old, around the world use on a daily basis.

Having the correct vocabulary for what I've been using every day on my computer means a lot to me. Knowing that the "box" or "tower" that houses all of the main parts of my computer is the central processing unit, or CPU, that monitors, keyboards or printers are called peripherals--external "hardware" that have particular functions-- or what an operating system is and how OSes have changed over the decades makes me appreciate the intelligence that has gone into making our lives simultaneously easier and complicated. Now, when my computer malfunctions, I chat w/friends from England via Skype or hole up in my bedroom watching full length episodes of  my favorite crime drama, I can use the language to describe the technology that I am using.                                                                            

Reflections on Evaluating, Buying and Implementing Technology

      I decided to make sense of and discuss Chapter 3 by using familiar classroom terminology.  Keeping in mind the KWL graphic organizer that suggests the learner identifies what he/she knows, wants to know and has been learned, I concluded that an HNU organizer would be appropriate. In order to make the most educated purchase for library technology, I would need to assess what I have, what I need and how to effectively use it.

      At this time, in an attempt to avoid being overwhelmed by suggestions or requests that I will probably be unable to honor, I will not formally accept others’ input as to what to incorporate in the library. I will, however, make note of what other elementary schools have, how they attained the resources, how they implement and figure out their needs and how any other information can be useful. A former co-worker, a counselor turned librarian, is mentoring another new librarian; he and I have plans to meet for tutelage and moral support.

     One of my biggest concerns as a public school teacher is funding for the necessary or hoped for items. Grants are wonderful because they are both general and specific, so you can get what you apply for. Unfortunately, using school funds has to be cleared by the administration after they decided that what you are asking for is a worthwhile investment.

     In his  . . .Technology Companion, Burke suggests that we ask ourselves about nine important questions when planning to acquire new technology. The four questions that are relevant to my situation--that is, if I were to either ask my school to purchase equipment or receive items as donations--are:

2. Is the technology close to obsolescence? Unfortunately, when items are purchased for teachers through vendors, older models are obtained, sometimes new, not surprisingly used.  We, then, run the risk of getting something that does not last long or contains parts that either cannot be replaced/repaired because materials are no longer produced or that are more expensive to replace/repair because of their rarity. That also leads me to number 8 on the list that deals with limited funding to continuously replace items, and
6. What maintenance, upgrade, or updating needs does the technology have?  The answer to this question is related to number 2. I must ask myself if even though I can obtain older technology that is needed immediately for a lower price if the costs of upkeep make it worthwhile.  Having access to personnel and the funds to pay them leads me question number 7 which relates to having the proper support in the events of problems with the technology.

     One of the Questions For Review suggested that we answer the nine questions as it related to adding digital audio books to the library. I have chosen not to elaborate here, but I will state that I currently have about two dozen books on CD for the primary grades.  The titles that purchased were as inexpensive as they were popular. Also, faculty, staff and parents may check out the materials.  Therefore, I know that I made a good investment because the titles will circulate and sometimes used by a large group, and they will remain in good condition for some time. I would like more audio books for students in 4^th-6^th grades. The questions that I might ask would probably have to do with whether or not what I choose will be of high interest as to be circulated by on a regular basis. I would also consider if I would allow students to check out the materials or reserve that privilege for the above adults.

     Upon concluding this entry, I must confess that reading and reflecting on technology has neither been as boring nor as intimidating as I thought.  I am no longer overwhelmed by the thought of evaluating, buying and implementing technology into my library because of how diverse the concept of technology is. I have been subliminally thinking of it throughout this writing as more of technological developments, e.g. CDs, CD players, TVs. However, from making signs (crafts) to deciding to house real (non fiction) books in red baskets (organizing) to figuring out which items to obtain and how to make those purchases last (problem-solving), I am beginning to see how technology in one of the ways in which it was originally intended, a useful art.

 

Seek and Find: Information on Library Technology

            There is a plethora of technology-related information on countless websites. One can learn about anything-- from abstracting and indexing to zig zag books--by searching someone’s blog, perusing periodicals, glancing at a glossary and more.  According to John J. Burke’s 3^rd edition text, Neal-Schuman’s Library Technology Companion:  A Basic Guide For Library Staff, there are four most common reasons librarians search for information on technology.  We simply need to stay abreast of the latest goings-on, contrast and compare available products, find out more about what we have obtained and learn how to put whatever is acquired to use.  As a relatively new school librarian, the number one reason that I search for technology is number one on the list:  I need to know what is going on in technology today. Everything is news to me because everything is so new!

            In addition to there being so many reasons that librarians search for information, there are so many ways do so.  Blogs, e-mails and various forms of continuing education, e.g., webinars, appeal most to me.  These particular tools are personalized and often updated regularly. I was grateful for the list of sources that Burke provided, and I have already bookmarked many of them as “Favorites” on my home computer. One is a blog, Librarian In Black, www.librarianinblack.net, written by Sara Houghton-Jan, a California-based librarian.  It is totally informal—she actually uses profanity on her blog—but the librarian is not so edgy that I am turned off by what she writes. I really like the subtitle of her blog, “Amazing informed & therefore properly opinionated.”  Considering Chicago’s climate during this week’s teachers’ union strike, I wish everyone agreed about the importance of being so enlightened.

If you go to www.educause.edu/research-and-publications/7-things-you-should-know-about you, too, can learn what I did about VoIP, voice communication over the Internet, and mobile application development. Two periodicals of interest are the Library Journal and the School Library Journal, good sources for book reviews and full text technology-related information. I also recommend using ODLIS, the Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science, for a rich glossary that I displayed on a blog that I created for another LIMS course.  Access the American Library Association’s calendar of library events at www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/calendar. What a great resource to help me stay aware library happenings throughout the country and abroad! (I am excited about the readings and discussions that will take place September 30-October 6, Banned Books Week.)

            As suggested in Companion, I plan to closely monitor the blogs, journals and other sources of technology that I have found interesting. In the near future, our school’s newly-updated website should be up and running. In the meantime, I will bookmark the blog that I created last year, as well student- and teacher-friendly Library Science-related sites that I like. It is my desire that both groups at my school gain a greater understanding of the discipline while having a lot of fun learning.

Library Technology Basics

After reading only one chapter of John J. Burke’s Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion:  A Basic Guide For Library Staff, I was not surprised by how technology is such an integral part of my life. Nevertheless, I did learn that I have inadvertently accepted and disseminated erroneous information about what technology really is.  According to the Technology Companion, technology has been defined as “a practical or industrial art that involves both products and processes invented by people.” That being said, I have always thought of technology as some kind of mechanical instrument--computer, calculator, radio, television, etc.--created by masterminds to somehow make our lives better.

I surveyed myself and found that I use a considerable amount of the technologies or technology skills listed in Table 0-1.  E-mail, word processing, web searching, instant messaging and (using) scanners and similar devices top the list.  For the past couple of years, I have seen my mother became more “tech savvy”—she even bought herself a laptop—and her life has improved greatly.  She has become more connected with friends and family out-of-town, and she has a newfound source of entertainment.

Upon reading Burke’s section on key developments in information technology, I was taken aback by his statement that the library itself is a technology. Had I not begun to study Library Science, I wonder how long it would have taken me to learn that. Burke explains that library is a technology that is used to deal with the storage and retrieval of information. That makes a lot of sense!

Currently, the most important technological development in my school library is audiovisuals.  This is my 15^th year at Hibbard School; this is only my 3^rd year as school librarian. Slowly, but surely, I am getting rid of the massive televisions on carts, the VCRs that do not work,  as well as the warped VHSes, or videocassettes, that have been accumulated over the decades. My school has acquired iPads for classroom use, and the administration and I have been encouraging teachers to rely more on online resources like Safari Montage and www.readingrockets.org for video and podcasts.  A great deal of in-class and after school instruction has been computer-related which has transformed the way students and teachers think about and respond to education.