LIABRARIAN
Below, you will find eight projects that represent my work in the MLIS program. Each project meets at least one competency or guidelines for one or more of the following professional organizations:
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ALA Guidelines for Behavior Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers (2023)
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ALSC Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Libraries (2020)
Additionally, each project meets at least one on Kent's five MLIS Program Learning Outcomes, which are:
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PLO1: Apply the field's functional theories, principles, values, ethics and skills to everyday practice.
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PLO2: Critique and synthesize research and identify appropriate research methodologies to solve problems in the the field.
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PLO3: Analyze and engage in the changing cultural, educational and social roles and responsibilities of librarians/information professionals and the environments they work in within the global society.
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PL04: Evaluate systems and technologies relevant to a particular information content.
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PLO5: Identify needs and connect individuals and communities with information that engages and empowers them.
Click on the pink buttons below to view the projects themselves.
Fall of 2020
LIS 60030: People in the
Information Ecology
OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCIES
PLO2: Critique and synthesize research and identify appropriate research methodologies to solve problems in the the field. ALA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers (2023): 5.1 Assists the person in determining the appropriateness of information with regard to accuracy, authority, bias, coverage, credibility, currency, relevance, reliability, scope of information, etc.
ANNOTATION
In this paper, I review and synthesize the research pertaining to the topic of social media users in public libraries. I demonstrate that many patrons on technology devices at public libraries are utilizing social media, and I identify the problem that many of these same patrons don’t know that librarians can help them navigate information found on social media. Based on the research reviewed, I make various recommendations, meeting PLO2. The recommendations include that public librarians should: develop expertise in social media navigation; look for opportunities to engage in point-of-use instruction regarding social media when appropriate; and implement passive and/or active programming about social media usage. These recommendations meet ALA Guideline for Reference and Information Service Providers 5.1 in that the intent of the social media point-of-use instruction and programming is to help patrons determine the appropriateness of information.
Summer of 2021
LIS-60050: Research and Assessment in Library and Information Science
OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCIES
PL04: Evaluate systems and technologies relevant to a particular information content. ALSC Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Libraries (2020): 3.4 Integrates technology in program design and delivery appropriate for children and families. 3.6 Designs programs that foster a variety of literacies and learning methods including but not limited to pre-literacy, early literacy, family literacy, media literacy, technology literacy, computational thinking, STEM, and maker-centered learning. 3.9 Delivers programs outside or inside the library, as well as digitally, to meet users where they are, addressing community and educational needs, including those of unserved and underserved populations.
ANNOTATION
Here I propose a research study looking at how virtual programming affects public libraries’ youth Coding Club (specifically Girls Who Code) participation and retention, inspired by Covid 19 pandemic. Meeting PLO4, the study I propose evaluates a specific technology (digital meeting spaces) as it relates to the information literacy topic of teaching youth coding. This proposal also meets ALSC Competencies 3.4, 3.6, and 3.9 in that it is about how integrating the technology of digital meeting spaces into computational thinking programming affects participation and retention.
Spring of 2022
LIS 60609: Marketing the
Library
OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCIES
PLO 3: Analyze and engage in the changing cultural, educational and social roles and responsibilities of librarians/information professionals and the environments they work in within the global society. OLC Ohio Public Library Competencies (2019): Patron Awareness: The knowledge and awareness of the attributes and library needs of community demographics; the ability to apply that knowledge through materials, services, policies, and programming. Marketing: The ability to develop and communicate a desired message to promote the library and its mission.
ANNOTATION
The goal of this marketing plan is to dispel the myth that librarians only assist with reading and writing literacy for children. In this global and digital society, it is important to make clear that literacy is a lifelong process aimed at learning to read the world (including money, media, technology, cultures, and much more). I specifically made this marketing plan for the Seattle Public Library, choosing this location because of its impressive library system and large international population. In LIS 60609, we learned how to use census data and other tools to research the population we chose to gear our marketing plans toward. The marketing plan meets PLO3 in that it aims to educate the public about how the role of librarians has developed to meet the emerging needs of the global society. It also meets the OLC competencies of (1) patron awareness, in that I extensively researched the community demographics of the population I geared the marketing plan toward, and (2) Marketing, in that I used the skills gained in LIS 60609 to develop and communicate my desired message.
Summer of 2022
LIS 60655: Copyright: Understanding User Rights and Responsibilities
OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCIES
PLO1: Apply the field's functional theories, principles, values, ethics and skills to everyday practice. OLC Ohio Public Library Competencies (2019): Laws: The understanding of laws relating to copyright, privacy, freedom of expression, equal rights, and intellectual property; the ability to communicate this information to staff and patrons and to ensure the library's compliance.
ANNOTATION
This Copyright Literacy lesson plan meets PLO1 in that it takes copyright principles and applies them directly to use in a public library. Specifically, it directs publics librarians on how copyright pertains to the digitizing of local history materials. This Lesson Plan is meant to ensure staff compliance with copyright law, which meets OLC competency of Laws.
Fall of 2022
LIS-60618: Information Literacy Initiatives
and Instruction
OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCIES
PLO5: Identify needs and connect individuals and communities with information that engages and empowers them. OLC Ohio Public Library Competencies (2019): Strategic Planning: The ability to anticipate and predict internal and external changes, trends, and influences to effectively allocate resources and implement appropriate library initiatives. Project Management: The ability to determine scope and requirements of a project, coordinate and schedule activities, control resources, and identify and control risk for quality project completion.
ANNOTATION
This program proposal is for an 8-part Fake News workshop series for adults, to be facilitated at the Athens County Public Libraries. It meets PLO5 in that it considers context about the area and the library system in order to determine how to best program plan, access resources, and conduct outreach to engage potential participants. The workshop series should leave participants feeling empowered regarding their ability to recognize and respond to fake news. The programming proposal also meets the OLC competencies of strategic planning (in that the proposal specifically ties the program into the library system’s strategic plan) and project management (in that the proposal lays out exactly how the program would be prepared, scheduled, facilitated, and evaluated).
Spring of 2023
LIS-60627: Art and Story: The Study of Picture Books
OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCIES
PLO3: Analyze and engage in the changing cultural, educational and social roles and responsibilities of librarians/information professionals and the environments they work in within the global society. ALSC Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Libraries (2020): 3.5 Integrates literacy-development techniques in program design and delivery, engaging and empowering caregivers in a culturally aware way. 3.6 Designs programs that foster a variety of literacies and learning methods including but not limited to pre-literacy, early literacy, family literacy, media literacy, technology literacy, computational thinking, STEM, and maker-centered learning.
ANNOTATION
This paper advocates for public librarians using fictional picture books as vessels to teach children about information literacy in an entertaining and relatable way. Meeting PLO3, the paper shows that librarians can help children learn skills for identifying fake news at a young age, which is a very important skill to learn in the current digital age.
Spring of 2023
LIS 61095: Special Topics: Introduction to Digital Humanities
OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCIES
PLO3: Analyze and engage in the changing cultural, educational and social roles and responsibilities of librarians/information professionals and the environments they work in within the global society. ALSC Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Libraries (2020): 2.8 Models and encourages use of culturally and ability diverse materials and services through bibliographies, booktalks, displays, electronic documents, social media, and other tools.
ANNOTATION
Digital Humanities is an evolving field which librarians and information professionals have a large role in shaping. Meeting PLO3, in LIS 61095 I was able to engage in the field of digital humanities through putting together my own website visualizing and analyzing data collected from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s Diversity Book Search. The research question I asked was: “While it has been established that there has been a positive trend in the publishing industry's production of diverse children's and YA books over time, what is the trend in appropriated picture book publication specifically?” Through the process of answering this question, I was able to extensively analyze diverse materials, meeting ALSC competency 2.8.
Summer of 2023
LIS-60617:
Information Literacy for Youth
OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCIES
PLO1: Apply the field's functional theories, principles, values, ethics and skills to everyday practice. ALSC Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Libraries (2020): 3.4 Integrates technology in program design and delivery appropriate for children and families. 3.6 Designs programs that foster a variety of literacies and learning methods including but not limited to pre-literacy, early literacy, family literacy, media literacy, technology literacy, computational thinking, STEM, and maker-centered learning.
ANNOTATION
This interactive tutorial connects to my “Using Fictional Picture Books to Foster Information Literate Youth” paper from LIS-60627. In my tutorial, I was able to take the theories I wrote about in that past paper and apply them to making a lesson specifically geared toward second graders, using the skill of backward design, meeting PLO1. The tutorial has collaborative activities and audiovisual material built into the Google Slides, tailoring to different learning styles and meeting ALSC competencies 3.4 and 3.6.