USF SLIS: East Coast Connection

After a nice lazy labor day weekend classes are about to get rolling full swing. It's about to be my second year in the program, and there is a lot I would like to learn this year. Last year I felt like I learned so much, but at the same time, I didn't learn enough. I really want to become an expert at my profession, but I'm not sure my classes are going to teach me what I want to know. 

 How to best communicate with tech services Like most librarians, what goes on in the "computer room" is a total mystery to me. I would love a class that allows me to see inside their world, so I know how to speak their language, so I know what I should ask them to do, and what I can do myself. 

 How to best find information on the internet In many ways the internet has become the great equalizer, but as the internet grows, finding information can become more complicated. If there is something on the internet to be found, I want to be able to find it. I think this is a great way for librarians to remain relevant despite having the internet as a great equalizer. We need to have the skills to masterfully navigate that landscape.

 To become a wizard at finding information within the library The internet certainly isn't the only place that has information. Oftentimes the best information is hidden away in the stacks, but sometimes it can be hard to retrieved, because unlike the internet the full-text of items in the stacks have not been indexed, so we have to rely on short summaries (if we're lucky), and LCSH. I want to develop skills that will never allow useful information to go unused.

 To learn how to best create change from inside the library I want to know how I can work the library bureaucracy to implement to programs and policies. Where's the best place to start? What can be done? What can't? For example, the MDPLS is terrible about recycling. If I want to start a recycling program, what is the best way to go about doing it?

Learn how to best deal with software and web app questions Many librarians are noticing questions that deal with how to operate software, or how to use web based applications. In many ways I welcome these questions, because I am a new generation of librarian, and I am comfortable doing it, but at the same time it can be hard to try to teach someone how to do something you don't necessarily know how to do yourself. Even MS Word questions. I've been using MS Word for over ten years now, but it seems like it gets more complicated every year. How can I become a master of every application our patrons want to use, but don't know how? 

Develop some interior design and floor plan skills I think libraries are in a desperate need to adapt their internal spaces to the changing information environment. We need to recognize the multi-use nature of the libraries, and organize them in a way that allows people to use the library to best suit their needs without encroaching upon the needs of others. 

To develop a keen eye for future library trends I think it's important to know which direction the library is heading, so I can constantly develop skills that will be needed down the road. More important than knowing future trends, I want to know how I can affect future trends. 

I may or may not learn these things, but I will continue to play the card I was dealt; continue to learn both in the classroom and on the job.  

I took web design for librarians my first semester at USF with Professor Austin. I learned a lot in the class, and it had a real independent study feel to it. I would absolutely recommend taking this class as an elective. It is an opportunity to develop skills that employers will be looking for. Be warned that you will get out of this class what you put in. The teacher is often mia, and she is kind of an easy grader, so learning is up to you.

I wonder if anyone else on this board is currently taking Visualization of Resources at the Tampa campus. I am having difficulty with this course and wonder if there is similar, or dis-similar, feedback.

Today is the first day of classes. Thanks to the Lisa Simpson inside of me, this time of year always makes me excited. Unfortunately, I have never been able to bottle this idealism to use the last week of the semester when I am struggling to finish three research papers. Nevertheless, I am excited now, and I am going to enjoy it while it lasts. My three classes this semester are Digital Libraries (Simon), Organization of Knowledge (Yoon), and Intro to Admin (Dee). If anyone has any experiences with any of these classes our professors I would love to hear about them. My goal as a USF student is to take as many information technology classes as possible. I've been lucky so far. I learned a lot in Web Design for Librarians (Austin), and the aforementioned Digital Libraries class looks promising, but I don't know how many more info tech classes USF offers. I think if their goal is to become an elite LIS program (i don't know if that is their goal or not), they need to do some serious work building their info tech curriculum. Those are the skills employees are looking for in the library, and the information field in general. I am not so much complaining, as I am slightly worried. Is there anything we can do to encourage USF to supply us with more info tech classes? Quick shout out to our two newest members vicki-23 and aerinha. With a special thanks to aerinha for contributing some content. I look forward to hearing more from you.

I took web design for librarians my first semester at USF with Professor Austin. I learned a lot in the class, and it had a real independent study feel to it. I would absolutely recommend taking this class as an elective. It is an opportunity to develop skills that employers will be looking for. Be warned that you will get out of this class what you put in. The teacher is often mia, and she is kind of an easy grader, so learning is up to you.

I took foundations my first semester at USF with Dr. Scott Simon. There was some interesting, yet challenging reading material. Foundations is a core class that is impossible to avoid. Taking it with Dr. Simon is definitely an acceptable route. There are 4 assignments along with the expectation of weekly readings, and entries into the discussion forum. The readings include Raber's Problem of Information and Batelle's The Search. The assignments include a paper on the history of the library, or a library, an interview with a librarian, a paper on ethics, and a 5-7 page research paper. It is kind of an average class, nothing to get excited about, but manageable, and at times thought provoking. m.