PLO 1 Connect people to information and information technology, particularly to promote a just and equitable society.
Providing access to information is one of the key tenets of library and information science. In my classes, I have learned how information is organized in databases, websites, and library collections, and learned methods of retrieving information in other classes. I have also learned the importance of the reference interview – if, as library and information scientists, we don’t truly understand what our patrons, or clients, are looking for, we can’t help them find it. The importance of clarifying what is needed at the beginning of the retrieval process is critical for locating what our patrons and clients need, even when it is difficult for them to quantify what they are looking for.
Presenting the results of retrieving information also varies depending on the material and the audience, and I have been introduced to many different technologies for presenting information. My internship at a packaging company this past summer taught me the importance of documenting the information search from on organization perspective. I've also learned the value of using citation managers for ease of search result retrieval, and have used both Zotero and EndNote.
The LIS curriculum also focused on barriers to information access and how that affects individuals and communities. This has always been an important issue, and continues to be relevant with the recent rise in book banning and restrictions on accessing information across our country.
1.1 Knowledge Production
Artifact 1 for PLO 1.1: LIS 610 Problems in Collection Management, Assignment 1
Special Collections Cataloging: Maps
For this assignment, I reviewed a webinar on “Special Collections Cataloging: Maps” presented by Carolyn Hansen, a Special Collections Cataloger who specializes in descriptive cataloging of cartographic resources. This assignment was really my first introduction to metadata and cataloging, so I didn’t fully understand the specific cataloging fields that were being discussed. However, I have always been fascinated by maps, especially old and rare maps. The opportunity to learn how “map librarians “ catalogue their maps, and the detailed information they look at was incredible. It is a specialized field within library science, and involves working with very specific metadata for each artifact. Cartographic, or map, librarians, follow specific cataloging protocols so each artifact is searchable and findable. They also need to understand best practices for preserving and storing maps, which can be often be complicated because of their unique sizes. It was an excellent introduction to the importance and challenges of cataloging, and how using metadata for cataloging goes far beyond working only with books.
Artifact 2 for PLO 1.1: LIS 620: LibGuide
Sea Level Rise in North Carolina: Understanding Sea Level Rise
I produced a LibGuide for LIS 620 that focused on sea level rise in North Carolina, and the effects of coastal climate change on ecosystems, communities, infrastructure, storm resilience, estuaries, and beaches & tourism. It was designed to be used by undergraduate students pursuing a B.A. in Environmental & Sustainability Studies at UNCG, or graduate students pursuing their M.S. in Sustainability & Environment as an easy way to connect with information about a critical topic. I used a variety of different informational media in the LibGuide, knowing that knowledge is produced in different forms, and is absorbed differently depending on the individual and the information presented. It is an easy-to-use resource which includes links to credible books, academic articles, reports, videos, websites and even a quiz on coastal climate change. It was my first time compiling a LibGuide, and the assignment taught me how valuable LibGuides are as tools for collecting and sharing information about specific topics.
1.2 Curation
Artifact for PLO 1.2: LIS 635 Digital Curation
Volunteering in Charlotte, North Carolina
For this assignment, I complied a collection of volunteer opportunities in the Charlotte, North Carolina area using the digital tool, Wakelet, and included articles, videos and links to websites to make it user-friendly. This resource is for both individuals and groups who are interested in volunteering but don’t know who to contact or how to get started. I included five articles in the collection about why and how to volunteer in Charlotte, and links to two groups who help match volunteers with organizations that need help. I also included 28 individual organizations that need volunteers, and listed them by the categories Children & Youth, Environment, Family Support, Food Insecurity, Immigrants, Recreation & Wellness and Senior Adults, offering a wide range of opportunities that address different needs in the local community.
1.3 Description
Artifact for PLO 1.3: LIS 640 Everyday Information System
Report on Zillow Group Inc.'s Website
I chose to review Zillow’s information organization system of both for-sale and rental real estate listings for properties for this assignment. Zillow is a great searching tool that allows for online viewing of housing options instead of having to physically visit a property. This is extremely helpful when transportation options are limited. The many metadata fields within each real estate listing allow for the discovery and retrieval of listings that meet users’ search criteria, and the way the fields are organized allows for fast and easy access to the extensive information included on each listing. There are many structured search fields with drop down menus of controlled vocabulary, but also several free text search fields where natural language can be used. The information presented usually includes text, map, photo and video formats, but, unfortunately, Zillow doesn’t include a choice of language as an option.
1.4 Organization
Artifact for PLO 1.4: LIS 640 Make a Finding Aid
Lois T. Weissert Collection
For the LIS 640 assignment of “Make A Finding Aid”, I used this assignment as an opportunity to organize the many boxes of my mother’s papers that I collected when I moved her out of her home of 60 years into an Assisted Living community. The boxes contained an archival collection of unpublished, primary source materials of varied entities. The hierarchical organization system was ideal for organizing her papers, and allowed me to group her accumulated paperwork into ten main groups, then subdivide those into 34 subseries and 43 subsubseries. The Finding Aid I created for this assignment continues to be invaluable for searching the Lois T. Weissert Collection. This assignment was a excellent exercise in the importance of finding aids, not just for libraries, but also for personal use.
1.5 Information Needs and Behaviors
Artifact for PLO 1.5: LIS 600 Action Research Paper
Does the Social Media Feed of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Reflect the
Racial Demographics of the Community?
The action research project and paper I did for LIS 600 allowed me to study how the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library interacted with their community using three social media platforms over a one month period, March 1-31, 2022, and if their postings reflected the racial demographics of the community. I developed a method to evaluate each social media post based on the racial demographics visually represented, and used the 2020 U.S. Census Report data to analyze the diversity of the Charlotte/Mecklenburg County community. Social media is an effective means for libraries to communicate information to their communities about the programs and services they offer, and should reflect the members of the community they serve even when many of their community members do not use social media or have access to it.
1.6 Technology
Artifact for PLO 1.6: LIS 640 Information System Research Report
Clinton Digital Library
The Information System Research Report that I did for LIS 650 focused on the Clinton Digital Library which is part of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. The Clinton Digital Library provides access to the digitized material in President Clinton’s archives including documents, photographs, audio recordings and streaming videos, plus access to the online finding aids for the majority of the archival collection which has not been digitized to date. It describes itself as a “virtual research room and digital repository that provides free and open access to the digitized collections of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum to everyone, anywhere in the world” recognizing the issue of inequity of access and the difficulty in physically traveling to Little Rock, Arkansas where it is located. I focused on how the collection was organized to allow for searching, access and retrieval, and the use of Dublin Core Schema elements.
1.7 Professional Ethics
Artifact for PLO 1.7: LIS 600 Ethical and Advocacy Issue in LIS Paper
Why Banned Book Week Matters
Banned Books Week, a celebration of books that have been banned and censored in the United States, will celebrate its 41st anniversary this month. The paper I wrote for this assignment focused on the history of Banned Books Week, and the current record breaking attempts to ban and censor material primarily about LGBTQIA+ and persons of color. The ALA’s Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights statement that I included in the paper defines the rights that parents have about information access for their child, and their child only: “Libraries and their governing bodies shall ensure that only parents and guardians have the right and the responsibility to determine their children’s – and only their children’s – access to library resources.” This exercise provided an excellent foundation for me on Freedom of Access, and the role of libraries and librarians in providing access to information for their communities.
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