There is no doubt that the world is becoming more technologically advanced every day. You can buy food online-- raw or already prepared, ready-to-eat. Phone conversations can take place on the go with the advent of cell phones. You can go so far as to have synchronous video chats with friends from those very mobile devices. Nowadays, one can read the newspaper at the kitchen table without touching the black and white pages; just scroll down on a computer to get the latest information.
Burke saves the last chapter (18) of his technology companion to tell us some of the last news many of us want to hear--trends are showing that libraries are becoming increasingly virtual and far less physical. Esteemed librarians and prophets predicted, with great accuracy, the role that personal computers and other electronic devices as well as the Internet would play in people's lives. Since technology is such an important part of people's every day lives, library patrons, may not have to go farther than another room in their homes--wherever their computers are--to access much needed information. By the same token, with so much available to people online, libraries have been working hard to keep up with electronic resources.
Fortunately, there are some trends that point to the need of maintaining libraries. One thing to note is that people actually like having face-to-face interactions with librarians. It is easy to find information on the Internet. It is another thing to sort out what is useful and what can be dangerous. Librarians can help patrons evaluate what information is best. Librarians who are skilled in troubleshooting and installing computer equipment can also suggest hope for keeping actual buildings open.
Though physical and virtual access to libraries are both important, I know that many of my students, especially the ones in the primary grades, love that they can come to the library every week. They love looking at the books, reading them and being read to. Below, you will find the five laws of Library Science as theorized in 1931 by Indian mathematician and librarian, S. R. Ranganathan:
1. Books are for use.
2. Every reader his book.
3. Every book, its reader.
4. Save the time of the reader.
5. A library is a growing organism.
Whether in hand or online, really everyone should find their own (library and) book.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
The (Wo)Man With A Plan
How fortunate I am to be the recipient of over $900 for my library! My school's PTO just presented me with funds that were generated at our school's "Movie Nights." John Burke's Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion offers a step-by-step guide to writing a technology plan. I will use that information to revisit the three-year plan that I wrote last year so I can get started securing the resources that the library desperately needs.
Burke talks about how important it is to take an inventory (Step 1) of what your library already has. Three years ago, a laptop, projector and projection screen were purchased. There are also about a dozen desktop computers and two CD/tape players in the library. In an ideal situation, I would purchase at least six new desktop computers to replace the slow-running ones that are currently housed there. I would also buy about a dozen iPads for my students to use in pairs. Even close to $1000 is not enough for those items, so purchasing high-interest, well-read books, a few video recorders and (little) kid-friendly furniture would serve a great and immediate need, (Step 2).
In Step 3, which I call "The Ops"--The Options & The Opportunities--we are to weigh and seize those two very things. In the past, our computer teacher purchased video cameras for classroom teachers to use upon request. I will talk with the current computer teacher and the school clerk (who puts through and oversees purchases) to determine the highest quality, most economical brands. Granted, technological equipment, like most things, if bought with school funds, has to be purchased through particular vendors. That could limit what I can buy. Often times, however, librarians upgrade their resources. I will contact my area Department of Libraries liaison to see if anyone is willing to donate gently used books, furniture or technological equipment.
It is important to follow step 4: look at the school and the library's priorities. With that in mind, the excitement about reading and attitudes about Library itself tends to increase dramatically whenever new materials of any sort are introduced. A new poster featuring Jeff Kinney's character "Greg" from his Diary of A Wimpy Kid collection or one showing the three Bone cousins from Jeff Smith's Bone series has already sparked my students' interest. I have actually ordered some of the books that they are requesting, and they are sitting on the edge of their seats in anticipation of their arrival. I plan to use the video cameras to record some of the 1st and 2nd grade students reading their favorite Mo Willems' books. What a great resource to share with their peers, teachers and parents! Levels of confidence and enthusiasm are sure to grow. My students in 3rd grade and below will be happy to sit in chairs made just for them.
Step 5 deals with funds, and I am fortunate to have even more now. Currently, there is slightly over $3200 in the Library fund that can be allocated for books and supplies. An additional $1200, received as payments for lost items, can be used to replace those materials. I can, however, spend the newly-received PTO funds anyway I see fit.
In the final step, number six, Burke suggests that we create a timeline to carry out our plan. For me, the time is now. I am so glad that I can begin to purchase materials right away. I have saved money over the years and with the recent additional monies, there is no need to hesitate. I just spent $855 to acquire 5 books a month over the next month as part of the Junior Library Guild's Book of the Month Club. Three hundred dollars ($300) has been spent on books (including almanacs, holiday books and popular series like Percy Jackson) from Scholastic Books Club. Some time this week, I will shop around for the video recorders; I have already priced the furniture. I know how important it is to proceed with caution and reason when making purchases of any kind. I also know how important revivals are, and my library definitely needs to be awakened and renewed!
Burke talks about how important it is to take an inventory (Step 1) of what your library already has. Three years ago, a laptop, projector and projection screen were purchased. There are also about a dozen desktop computers and two CD/tape players in the library. In an ideal situation, I would purchase at least six new desktop computers to replace the slow-running ones that are currently housed there. I would also buy about a dozen iPads for my students to use in pairs. Even close to $1000 is not enough for those items, so purchasing high-interest, well-read books, a few video recorders and (little) kid-friendly furniture would serve a great and immediate need, (Step 2).
In Step 3, which I call "The Ops"--The Options & The Opportunities--we are to weigh and seize those two very things. In the past, our computer teacher purchased video cameras for classroom teachers to use upon request. I will talk with the current computer teacher and the school clerk (who puts through and oversees purchases) to determine the highest quality, most economical brands. Granted, technological equipment, like most things, if bought with school funds, has to be purchased through particular vendors. That could limit what I can buy. Often times, however, librarians upgrade their resources. I will contact my area Department of Libraries liaison to see if anyone is willing to donate gently used books, furniture or technological equipment.
It is important to follow step 4: look at the school and the library's priorities. With that in mind, the excitement about reading and attitudes about Library itself tends to increase dramatically whenever new materials of any sort are introduced. A new poster featuring Jeff Kinney's character "Greg" from his Diary of A Wimpy Kid collection or one showing the three Bone cousins from Jeff Smith's Bone series has already sparked my students' interest. I have actually ordered some of the books that they are requesting, and they are sitting on the edge of their seats in anticipation of their arrival. I plan to use the video cameras to record some of the 1st and 2nd grade students reading their favorite Mo Willems' books. What a great resource to share with their peers, teachers and parents! Levels of confidence and enthusiasm are sure to grow. My students in 3rd grade and below will be happy to sit in chairs made just for them.
Step 5 deals with funds, and I am fortunate to have even more now. Currently, there is slightly over $3200 in the Library fund that can be allocated for books and supplies. An additional $1200, received as payments for lost items, can be used to replace those materials. I can, however, spend the newly-received PTO funds anyway I see fit.
In the final step, number six, Burke suggests that we create a timeline to carry out our plan. For me, the time is now. I am so glad that I can begin to purchase materials right away. I have saved money over the years and with the recent additional monies, there is no need to hesitate. I just spent $855 to acquire 5 books a month over the next month as part of the Junior Library Guild's Book of the Month Club. Three hundred dollars ($300) has been spent on books (including almanacs, holiday books and popular series like Percy Jackson) from Scholastic Books Club. Some time this week, I will shop around for the video recorders; I have already priced the furniture. I know how important it is to proceed with caution and reason when making purchases of any kind. I also know how important revivals are, and my library definitely needs to be awakened and renewed!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
A Perfect Fit: Ergonomics and the Environment
We would not dream of preparing a four course dinner and then inviting our friends to eat with us seconds before the last dish is pulled from the oven. Showing up at the airport with no luggage, no destination in mind and no money in your pocket would not be a good idea, either. It is obvious that planning has to take place for the above experiences to work out for the best. By the same token, learning how to properly use the technologies that we provide in our libraries is necessary to have the most positive experiences.
An A-to-Z, top-to-bottom type of inspection of the library should be made before any (substantial) electronic equipment is introduced. A checklist would serve as a guide to make sure all things can be used according to plan. Make a note of what else, or “elce”, would be needed by asking similar questions below:
Electricity—Is there enough electrical power in the school to support X number of computers, televisions, etc. Are there enough outlets where the equipment will be stationed?
Location—Where will this equipment be placed? What room? Where in the room?
Climate—Is there proper heating, cooling and ventilation to assure the proper functioning of the equipment?
Extras—What additional resources are needed to make sure the main products serve their intended purposes—cables, cords, furniture, lighting?
Unfortunately, no gaming takes place in my school’s library. We do have two basketball teams and a soccer team. The dance squad might make its return this year. With those things in mind, I am imagining how much fun it would be to play Wii Sports or get the Just Dance for Wii. We have the space and the huge screen. Now, I just need the money for the game console!
Putting It Back Together When Things Fall Apart, or Troubleshooting
Because I am “just the librarian”, I am often not trusted to troubleshoot certain problems in the library. One time, I was even told not to change an ink cartridge in the printer. The computer teacher had to do it. I would have known what to do, but I decided not to argue my case. That time.
What I can do, to better equip myself and to prove that librarians are capable of troubleshooting, or solving problems with computer equipment, software and other devices, is to follow some of Burke’s advice in Chapter 15 of his basic technology guide. The most important thing that I can have in any troubleshooting situation is knowledge. If I learn what is wrong and find ways to make things right, I can help avoid future problems. Another excellent resource, as seen throughout this blog, is the Internet. There is a plethora of websites designed specifically for tech support. I have no shame in asking an already-established expert while I am one in the making. Building a good relationship with the computer teacher at my school is, by far, another great idea. Together, she and I can create an even better academic library media program while simultaneously making sure that the equipment that we need to teach the information runs smoothly.
Dell computer users can receive online chat support that is covered by their warranty at https://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/chat/hardware_chat?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs.
Safety In Cyberspace: Protecting Our Equipment and Ourselves From Spam and Other Uninvited Mess(ages)
Fortunately, the majority of my students return their books on time and in good condition. When they lose books, 95% of the time, their parents are willing to pay for the lost items. Having books stolen from my library is of little cause for concern. The theft of more costly items over the past six months has, however, made us hypervigilant.
There was a lock on my laptop that got stolen from the library; the iPads that were taken were supposedly locked in a classroom closet. These separate incidents, especially the latter, have made my school realize that we need to more carefully monitor the in-house use of electronic equipment. In addition, under no circumstances are computers or similar devices loaned to children or their families.
I have begun pricing security strips and sensors that can be placed in books, in areas in the library and in each classroom where certain portable equipment is being used. If Chicago Public Schools pays for or subsidizes the cost of it, it is possible that our school can acquire RFID, or radio frequency identification, services which coupled with the strips, will allow us to identify items that are not allowed to leave the school or the type of items that can go. It will not be a fail-proof system, but it could aid in maintaining and/or preserving library collections.
If taking physical equipment is not bad enough, imagine dealing with having your password, credit card number or other sensitive information stolen. Antivirus software is crucial to Internet safety when working online. Spyware, malicious software that is installed on computers without the person’s or organization's knowledge, can unwittingly collect or destroy personal or institutional information causing sudden ruin if not substantial hardship. For the most part, CPS has been really good with making sure its faculty, staff and students are protected online. Now, it is up to us to take constant measures to create and maintain a physical and virtual security system.
Each One Teach One: How Library Staff Learn and Teach
If the Internet can be used to post videos, pick up a new hobby or participate in a three-way, international video chat, surely it should be used to learn in the library. Librarians can participate in online, or distance learning, or they can instruct their patrons on how to do so. The first time I experienced asynchronous learning was at Chicago State University
My students love seeing pictures of their favorite authors. A popular website, www.readingrockets.org, offers actual videos of R.L.Stine, Patricia Polacco and others which allow us to welcome our beloved writers into our library on a regular basis. I remember how excited I was two winters ago when my Children’s Literature professor called Tortilla Sun author Jennifer Cervantes via Skype. How fortunate we were to share with her how we felt about her award-winning book. This lucky number 13 chapter in John Burke’s technology guide has reminded of that great experience, one that my laptop, LCD projector, screen and Skype account will help me to relive with my students.
Library 2.0: Libraries At Your Service
Shopping online for a new black dress or the copy of the first book in a popular trilogy comes as second nature to many of us. We do not hesitate to buy concert tickets online, but how many of us have taken advantage of online resources provided by public and university libraries? In Chapter 12 of the Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion, we learn of the noteworthy Library 2.0 tools that will help reaffirm the need to create and maintain libraries and become the impetus to take full advantage of the free resources they provide.
I have used Chicago Public Libraries' online catalog to perform a myriad of tasks. Aside from finding out whether my favorite books were available and if so, where, I have also put my own book on hold. (I felt proud of myself!) Keeping abreast of upcoming children's programs in the libraries is a great way for my students to maintain a home-school-library connection. The Ask A Librarian feature on the Chicago State University Library website is a hidden treasure. It is reassuring to know that there are very knowledgeable “live” people who are able to help me with research questions.
Last year, I began creating monthly newsletters to keep my students aware of the various literary genres associated with our reading program, ROBERTO—Read Or Be Read To. I sent a letter to faculty and staff, suggesting ways that we can work together for our students’ success. The blog that I am creating for this course is actually being followed by several co-workers and other friends who are not in the education profession. My desire that these small gestures will garner library-related issues the respect and support that it deserves.
Meeting Patrons Where They Are: Incorporating Adaptive/Assistive Technology In Libraries (11)
Friends wonder why I use the closed captioning feature every time I watch a DVD. I tell them my reason is twofold: first of all, I watch a lot of movies with my favorite actor, British champion diver-turned-action hero, Jason Statham. So as not to miss any of his witty, funny lines, I have to read as well as listen to what he is saying. Also, I can remember his lines better (and later quote them like I usually do) if take them in in a bimodal manner. This different way of processing information is only one of the many important things that has to be taken into account when dealing with patrons in our libraries.
Universal design is the idea that resources, spaces and places are created to be equitably accessible to people with and without disabilities. Just like I have a particular way of getting what I want or need, library patrons deserve to have things in place that enable them to make the most of their visits. Putting that concept in the context of my school library makes me all the more determined to save enough money or secure donations to get smaller and more comfortable chairs for the primary students who visit the library. I have arranged the tables and chairs in such a way to make navigation through the room easy and safe for everyone. Signs are printed in large letters and numbers so children who wear glasses and those who have not yet been diagnosed with vision concerns can see and read them. The large, remote-controlled screen and projector combination provides audio and visual reinforcement for students. Audio books, bilingual books and online translation services support all of my students, especially my English Language Learners, or ELLs.
Equally as important as meeting my students’ physical and academic needs in the library is understanding how circumstances at home may prevent them from participating in activities vital to their overall success. There should be no surprise that even in this technological age when it seems like "everyone we know is online”, there is a portion of my students who do not have computers and/or Internet access at home. Because of this and the very few computers in each classroom, students with their teachers’ permission are allowed to freely come in the library (even when I have a class) to search our school’s OPAC or to do other computer-based activities.
Just the other day, I was asked why libraries are still so important because “everything is online now. You don’t really need books; you can get everything from the computer.” I told the curious man that libraries offer countless resources, other than books, including librarians ourselves, who can guide people to information that they would have never known about. Furthermore, job seekers, high school and college students and people who could not otherwise afford to pay depend on Internet access and the constant, free support system (e.g., human beings) that accompanies it.
Only Fifteen Minutes of Fame?: With Web 2.0, Everyone Can Be In The Limelight For Life
In 1968, famed pop artist Andy Warhol said that “in the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” He was partially correct. With the advent of Web 2.0, information sharing and collaboration on the World Wide Web, people can be famous, or infamous, for a lifetime! Every day, people eagerly upload anything onto the Internet that will showcase what they profess to be their skills, talents or their million dollar smiles.
Chapter 10, in John Burke’s technology guide for library staff, leads us into a new chapter of how people all over the world interact with each other on a daily basis. A great way to anonymously try your hand at writing about your favorite singer, dancer or event in history would be by submitting an article online to Wikipedia, the multilingual free-content encyclopedia. Second Life, an online virtual world, allows people to interact with each other as if they were face to face. Some universities have used the “world” to connect with visually impaired students by using speech synthesis technology. A mashup, an all-in-one type of digital media, combines text, graphics, audio, video and more. From the comfort of my couch in Chicago, mashup programs like Google Maps can take me on a trip to my hometown of St. Louis to see the activity around Busch Stadium while providing me with the latest statistics on how the Cardinals are performing against the Cubs. My favorite mashup is LibraryThing, a social cataloging application that allows me to showcase what books I have read, add reviews about those books and find out what my fellow bibliophiles have to say about the titles that they love or hate. LT’s connection with the Library of Congress and Amazon.com allows me to choose the exact edition and/or cover of the book I want to display on my virtual shelf. Consider signing up for your own LibraryThing account at www.librarything.com. It is a great tool for librarians and anyone else interested in joining a community of readers. You can add me as a friend/follower at www.librarything.com/home/LaMaestra72.
Creative ways for people around the world to express themselves seem to be growing every day. From Skype which allows you to do free video conferencing/chatting with friends and family who also have online accounts to Twitter, a type of microblogging form of social network in which friends send text-like messages called “tweets”, there is no reason why people cannot stay in touch. The content of the conversations may not appeal to most, but the idea of Web 2.0 is you write or post or upload whatever you want. I think YouTube, the video-sharing website where people submit the widest range of videos I have ever seen, is the best example of what society is and who we have become. I have watched some of my favorite crochet tutorials, 80s pop videos and crime dramas on YouTube. Who knows why people are drawn to that website or any of the other forms of social media in this modern-day platform of Web 2.0? What we do know is that all of it has changed our lives forever.
Seek and Ye Shall Find: The Internet’s Impact On Finding Information (As Seen In Chapter 9)
What a transformation the Internet has undergone in the past 40 years! It is quite a different entity than the military resource that it was designed to be. Used also by academicians, the business world and every day individuals like you and me, today the Internet is one of most powerful tools accessible to almost everyone in the world.
“Seek and ye shall find” is a biblical adage that we often use in the secular world. Searching the Internet is no exception. If you want something--the good, the bad and the “I’m not sure if it’s really wrong, but something about it just isn’t right"--you are apt to find it out in cyberspace. Therefore, it cannot be stressed enough to children, and adults alike, how important it is to use good judgment when searching for anything online. Nevertheless, looking at the Internet from a positive-only perspective, you can. . .
Design your domicile, e-mail your esthetician or find your French friend, Francine, all online. Those are just a few of the things, from A to Z that you can do on the Internet. Two very popular search engines that can help you do all of the above and more are Amazon.com and Google, the A and the G. As a classroom teacher and definitely as a librarian, www.amazon.com was the website I relied on to purchase sets of popular chapter books, foreign language books and college level textbooks. Google, which is very user-friendly, is practically everyone’s “go to” site to find almost every location and bit of information under the sun. When someone needs to find out the length of a kangaroo’s gestation period, I am not surprised when he or she is told to “Google it.” (By the way, I did just that and found the answer to be 29-38 days, http://www.ypte.org.uk/animal/kangaroo-grey-/136.
At my school, the Internet is used for two main purposes: to secure online resources (books, supplies) and activities (lessons) for instructional purposes and to maintain communication between teachers and administrators via e-mail. Our school website is “under construction”, so we do not promote it as a way for parents or other interested parties to search for or contact us. No matter our reasons for using the Internet, the goal of our school, in general, and the library, in particular, is to have parents, teachers and students view this global system of creating and sharing information as a vehicle that can and should be used judiciously for the benefit of all.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
E-Z Does It: Electronic Resources (E-Books) and More
Teaching my 6th grade students how to use reference resources may be easier than I initially thought. All of them have used dictionaries and thesauruses; about a third can identify and confirm that they have used or been shown an atlas. Unfortunately, before last week, none of them seemed to know what an almanac is. Thank goodness for electronic reference resources like www.almanac.com. For the next couple of weeks, we will explore the Old Farmer’s Almanac, learning about how people take care of their pets through Pet Blogs, decide when to get married or cut their hair as seen in Astronomy Forum or remove ticks and recycle twine after reading the Made in The USA blog. Having this information online makes it more appealing to my students who love any excuse to surf the Internet; it also makes it equally accessible to their parents at home.
Burke mentioned some advantages and disadvantages of library databases and electronic resources in Chapter 8. One advantage that I agree with, and I have experienced, is the availability of services that can be used by multiple users. A classroom of students can log in on a site and simultaneously participate in an activity. Having materials online is also a tremendous benefit because I do not have to be concerned with finding space for them in the library or purchase updated versions. The e-resource site houses them and updates them as they see fit. A disadvantage that Burke mentioned that occurs with some of Chicago Public Schools’ library databases is that they run very slowly, or they simply shut down while we are working. “No data to server” is what we are told. Something else that I find unfavorable is the lack of tangibility. Sometimes, children just need to have a resource in their bare hands to examine it in a way that can truly help them understand it.
All things considered, my school and all of the others who have access to CPS’s integrated library system, SOAR—Seeking Online Access To Resources—are very fortunate. Go to http://www2.youseemore.com/cps/linkinclude.asp to find easy-to-access library databases for students, teachers and administrators. These electronic resources are available anywhere Internet access can be secured, offering highly quality information twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
From Memory To Memorex*: Storage Devices in Libraries
I will not deny that prior to enrolling in LIMS 5025, I did not think much of the inner workings of technology or what technology really is, for that matter. To me, technology in the library meant CD players, TVs and VCRs, electronic pencil sharpeners and a few computers here and there. I am not being facetious when I say that never in a million years, or even in the couple thousand that it has been around, would I have considered paper a type of technology. The first page of Chapter 7 in John Burke's Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion spelled it out--paper is technology that is used as a storage device. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that, yes, paper helps us keep records of our every day thoughts and ideas, the law and other vital information. Simply stated, paper stores, or holds, that information. Think back to when you made an agreement with someone or made a purchase at a store. It is likely that you wrote out the details of your mutual arrangement or got a receipt at the end of the transaction. How many of us have kept a “paper trail” of the bills we have paid or of the friendly letters we have received?
Aside from paper as seen in books, important government documents, maps and so on, there are numerous other storage devices used in libraries. I recall my graduate school years spending countless afternoons at the Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago searching through microfiche, sheets of miniaturized text or images, to find historical sociological studies to supplement my research. Checking out DVDs instead of going to the movies helped me stay within my grad student budget. There is a very small collection of books on CD in my school library; I have far more VHSes, or videocassettes, than DVDs, but I am in the process of replacing the former with the latter. The slow, but sure, use of flash drives and digital cameras is taking place in the library and throughout the school. Students are becoming more involved in writing their own books, working for the school newspaper and creating and documenting their science fair projects.
Because of the number of people who work at and attend my school, there is so much information that needs to be disseminated. There is so little time to meet as a unit. Also, the increasing cost of photocopying so many documents has led us to turn toward writing notes to each other and attaching files for review via the storage device most frequently used by faculty and staff: e-mail. Getting someone to respond to a question—and having a record of having asked the question—as well as connecting others with resources without having stacks of documents piled up on a desk in front of them has been made so much easier with this electronic way of sending mail that actually predates the Internet.
Whether it’s a book, a computer’s hard drive or an MP3 player loaded with our favorite rock tunes, storage devices have become an integral part of our lives. They save us time and money on a daily basis. They also do pretty good job of helping us leave our artifacts to posterity.
*A company that specializes in recordable media products like CDs and DVDs.
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