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.  

Ready or not summer classes start tomorrow. I myself fall into the not category. It's not that I don't enjoy my classes, I do, but I also love the educational opportunities that free time offers. I learn best when I have a proper balance of structured and unstructured learning environments, and I feel that I would like a couple more weeks of unstrucured before I go back to the structured. First of all, I would like some time to read a few more books. It is somewhat ironic that now that I am a librarian, I have absolutely no time to read for pleasure. I read two classics over my two week break (Notes from the Underground and The Unbearable Lightness of Being), but I would like the opportunity to read a current fiction, and current non-fiction work. I would also like the opportunity to brush up on my Photoshop and Microsoft Word skills. I am comfortable using Word, and Photoshop to a lesser extent, but I really think librarians should be pros at using Word. Everyday I get questions on how to do this or that. Things I could certainly figure out on my own, but it would be nice to be able to fix the problem quickly like a pro. I also think that I would be returning to class more enthusiastically with a little more time off.

Of course all of these points are moot. The academic calendar is not going to be changed, and I probably wouldn't change it if I could.  I just think it is important to remember that learning should never stop outside of the classroom. I think I learn lots of important things inside the classroom that I would never encounter outside of the classroom. In fact, some of the things I'm pursuing outside of the classroom, I was first introduced to inside the classroom, but it's outside of the classroom that I really get to follow my bliss.

 

If the rest of you are anything like me, you let out a huge sigh of relief at the end of the semester. Between work and school I was stretched much thinner than I like. Now that we have some time, we can add some real value to this website by discussing our experiences of last semester. I still need to relax for a couple of days, but I will be getting back with everyone soon enough

We all need to be aware of how the happenings of our government can have a real effect on our everyday lives. Because of potential lack of funding, USF may have to cancel summer classes. Is this going to affect any of you? I know summer classes are definitely part of my plan for graduation. At the very least, we need to be informed, so check out the link to the article below, and let us know how it makes you feel. sptimes story

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 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.

I took Professor Austin for the class Web Design for Librarians, I learned a lot in the class, and it inspired me to build this website. Professor Austin seems to care about the students, and really wants them to succeed. She chose useful reading materials for the course that are falling apart from overuse. The problem many seemed to have with her is that she does seem to go mia on occasions. This doesn't bother me, but some people in the class were noticeably perturbed. When she was available, during elluminate sessions she was very helpful, and she would always offer feedback in assignments, although they did take abnormally long to be returned. Overall, I would definitely take a class with her again. I am hoping that a part II to the web design class gets developed. I would not recommend taking her if you don't like classes to feel like independent study. Here is her link on ratemyprofessors.com

I took Dr. Scott Simon for the 5020 Foundations class my first semester at USf. I thought he chose interesting and challenging reading materials, and I believe the class was set up in a strait forward and logical fashion. The class knew what was expected of us, and it was an environment that was easy to succeed in. There are some things I think he could improve. He was more or less absent on the discussion boards, offering little more than generic compliments every couple of weeks. He assigned us thought provoking reading material, and I would have like to seen him take charge of the discussion boards a bit more, and probe us to really think about the materials. Another problem I had was the complete absence of feedback on the four assignments we had. If I spend two months on a research paper, I would like my professor to say a few things about it. Overall, he is definitely not a reason to avoid taking a class. I am taking another class with him this semester, digital libraries, and I am looking forward to it.

Hello, my name is Martin Rheaume. I am the administer of this website. I already know some of you a little bit, and I am looking forward to your participation. For those of you whom I don't know, it will be nice to get to know you on our community website.

Greetings to all first time users. This is where you can really express yourself. The library is an evolving institution that has been around in some form for thousands of years. We are entering the field in the most exciting and unstable time in its history. The ways people are retrieving and sharing information are changing rapidly, and the library is struggling admirably to find a new identity in the shifting information environment. Guess what? We are going to be the ones who define what the library will be in the 21st century. It is a lot of responsibility, so I expect some passionate ideas about what the library's role in this society is. I love the formal academic environment. It is where we build our knowledge infrastructure. As we become more knowledgeable, we develop more sophisticated opinions, and the classroom environment does not always provide us with an environment where we feel comfortable expressing ourselves. So put your thinking caps on, and help me define the role of the library in the information society. Taboo topics are encouraged, but play nice.