How I became a librarian

I just read Jessica Olin's post about how she became a librarian and thought it might be fun to talk about what led me to where I am.

I was in year four out of five working on my undergrad. I worked my way through college so I only took 12 hours at a time. That means five years of school! Anyway -- I took an amazing Kansas History class and the professor encouraged me to go to the University Archives and do original research. I had a hard time finding the place because it was built directly behind another building. But I finally found it.

Like many of the buildings on campus -- I was enamored with the beauty. I went inside and it was like I stepped back in time. It is a closed stacks library and security is important. I had conversations with the librarian and staff about what I was looking for and then a student went back in the labyrinth and minutes later magically came forth with my treasures. The process of delicate but exciting. 

This video was made while I was attending. 

I was gushing about how much I loved being there to my partner and he suggested I should get paid to be there. And I was like, "Holy shit." So I applied and then proceeded to bug the crap out of the student supervisor for an interview. It took like two months. Then I started working there after quitting my job at Starbucks. 

It was amazing. I did homework at work, I shelved, I helped with weird projects, I assisted librarians, I ingested weird red dust from probate records from the 1800s, I touched first editions of tons of things and I got to know librarianship.  

I think it was around December of 2009 that I decided that I wanted to be a librarian. I was talking to an archivist who was working on her MLS and she was telling me about her projects and I got really excited. I loved the library atmosphere. People were still crazy and conniving at libraries -- just like any other place I had worked. But we were helping people research and find information they needed or wanted. We provided a public service and it was most excellent. I suddenly realized my life could be so much better. 

I spent that final year planning my life out for the next three years. Take a year off from school and work a job -- I wanted to work at a not-for-profit -- and then go back to school. I graduated and suddenly reality was kicking my teeth in. I graduated in 2010 -- two years after the meltdown. And KC was not doing well at all. I think I read somewhere that they were one of the worst places to find a job. I believe it. It took my almost a year to find a job and then I was working for the Man at an insurance place. By the time I started there I had already taken the GRE and applied for a school in the area but the classes didn't start till January of 2012. 

I suffered through that job -- I gained weight, drank more than I had ever before and I almost ended my 5 year relationship. I wanted to keep the job because it was allowing me to pay cash for grad school but I soon realized that the pain was not worth the money. 

I took a menial supervisor position at a grocery store I had worked at in college and suffered through the humbling experience. I eventually got an internship. Then a part time job at library and finally -- three months before getting my MLS -- I was offered a job out of state. I started this past January and it has been amazing. 

#cookiegangstalibrarian

Week 3 Technology

1. What technologies (and these can be old, new, or emerging) might be most appropriate for your final project? 
1. The technology most appropriate would be a computer or another device that has the ability to access online databases/browsers. 
2. Does your final project align with any of the trends represented in the Horizon Report you reviewed?
1. I don't think so. One shots don't get too complicated and I feel like we're keeping it old school (for the 21st century standards).
3. Consider – will this application/tool enhance, improve instruction or motivate learners? What similar applications/tools are there to consider?
1. I think it is the only tool that would allow them to learn what I'm trying demonstrate which is how to use the databases/how to research
4. Review/revisit the learning objectives for the course or lesson
1. From English curriculum for library classes: "Demonstrate knowledge of differences between database and web researching"
5. Identify the content student needs to learn – review, augment and/or update content with web site, text-book, video lecture, PDF articles or other
1. Databases/researching on the interwebnets
6. Assess the ed-tech application/tool – will it encourage students to apply the content and learn the material, construct knowledge and promote critical thinking?
1. I would hope so but students learn what they want to. While it is a tool I believe it is necessary to use when researching now-a-days.
7. Select and implement the best application. Create concise instructions of how-to use tool. Allow time for learning of tool and learning of course content.
1. Laptops, PCs and other handheld devices will be powered on and internet will be accessed. Then researching shall commence on said devices. 
1. I think I did this wrong?

The students will most likely look like these cats:

Source: http://media.giphy.com/media/5r5J4JD9miis/giphy.gif

Week 3 Learning Theories

1. Having absolutely no background in education has made this past week hard for me. I don't understand learning theories mostly because I see lesson/learners as spanning all the theories. The theory I feel would applicable to one-shot instruction would probably be:

Behaviorism.

Typically I think (in my very limited experience) that students learn a lot more when they break into groups and actually do research themselves. I don't have anything to back this up. 

This activity is very simply:

• Show them quickly the bare bones of a couple of databases
• Have them break into small groups usually 4 groups
• One group gets PROQUEST
• One group gets GOOGLE
• One group get the CATALOG
• One group gets Phone a Friend (like the Millionaire gameshow)
• Give them 10-15 minutes to find an article that fits their assignment parameters
• Have them present their findings or lack thereof

2. Motivation

I generally try to motivate my students to do this task seriously and efficiently by pointing out that they may actually find an article or piece of information that they can use for their assignment. So by doing this group activity they a) save time b) complete a task.

I believe this is the Expectancy-Value Theory.

One shot instruction Week Two

Part One

Step 3. Worksheet

Procedures for Educative Assessment
1. Forward-Looking Assessment 
Formulate one or two ideas for forward-looking assessment. Identify a situation in which students are likely to use what they have learned, and try to replicate that situation with a question, problem, or issue.

• This is a true challenge. But that's why I'm taking the course. I would ask the students to imagine they just started their first 'OMG I am making so much money now' job. Their boss wants them to find information on smart phone marketing since that is an area the company wants to expand into. 
• Where do you start looking for reliable information?

2. Criteria & Standards 
Note to classmates: I'm not sure this would work but honestly I'm at a loss.
Select one of your main learning goals, and identify at least two criteria that would distinguish exceptional achievement from poor performance.
Then write two or three levels of standards for each of these criteria.

1. Learning Goal: Students will be able to choose a topic that will yield results and fits assignment
1. Criteria: 1) topic 2) sources
1. Topic vaguely fits assignment guidelines but lacks relevant sources (poor)
2. Topic fits assignment guidelines but lacks relevant sources (better)
3. Topic fits assignment guidelines and has relevant sources (best)

3. Self-Assessment 
What opportunities can you create for students to engage in self-assessment of their performance?

1. Allow time in instruction for them to find sources and discuss their topics among classmates.

4. “FIDeLity” Feedback 
What procedures can you develop that will allow you to give students feedback that is:

• Frequent
• Immediate
• Discriminating, i.e., based on clear criteria and standards
• Lovingly delivered

The best way I can think to do this would be to walk around while they are researching and discuss their topics and what they have found with each one. But this seems almost too much? 

Part Two

1. Situational Factors

1. Assuming you have done a careful, thorough job of reviewing the situational factors, how well are these factors reflected in the decisions you made about learning goals, feedback and assessment, learning activities? 
1. Probably not well. 
2. What potential conflicts can you identify that may cause problems? 
1. Students don't grasp what I'm laying down and we spend too much time explaining and not enough time doing.
3. Are there any disconnects between your beliefs and values, the student characteristics, the specific or general context, or the nature of the subject in relation to the way you propose to run the course?
1. I suppose the biggest disconnect (no sarcasm intended here) is that I am unsure of what I am doing. Most of the time students don't know but occasionally a professor gives me the stink eye.

2. Learning Goals and Feedback & Assessment 

 Issues to address include: 

• How well do your assessment procedures address the full range of learning 
• goals? 
• I would hope they address it well but I suppose I would have to try and see before I could assess my assessment.
• Is the feedback giving students information about all the learning goals? 
• I would hope so. I guess it would depend on what the student got out of the activity and how well the activity was executed.
• Do the learning goals include helping the students learn how to assess their own performance?
• I think so. But again, still not completely sure.

3. Learning Goals and Teaching/Learning Activities

• Do the learning activities effectively support all your learning goals? 
• I think so. But I would like to hear from classmates you might think or know otherwise!
• Are there extraneous activities that do not serve any major learning goal?
• Perhaps. 

4. Teaching/Learning Activities and Feedback & Assessment 

• How well does the feedback loop work to prepare students for understanding the criteria and standards that will be used to assess their performance? 
• I think well. Active discussion/classwork provide instant feedback.
• How well do the practice learning activities and the associated feedback opportunities prepare students for the eventual assessment activities?
• I think well again. We are practicing exactly what they need to know.

Worksheet for Designing a Course

Learning Goals for Course:	Ways of Assessing this kind of Learning	Actual Teaching-Learning Activities	Helpful Resources
Choose topic relevant to assignment	Discussion??	Classroom discussion and student led searches	Fellow students/librarian/professor
Design a research plan	1 minute reflection	Student created concept map, discussion on vocabulary and searching, student led searches	Fellow students/librarian/professor
Identify sources that are appropriate	A couple of sentences explaining what they learned	Actively dissect sources and compare them as a class	Fellow students/librarian/professor

So much text! I feel like this cat right now. What is this? Why? What am I doing?

From: http://forgifs.com/gallery/d/126990-2/Kitten_mittens.gif

#ideala

#alwayssunnylove

Instructional Design Blog Post #1

Step 1. Worksheet
SITUATIONAL FACTORS TO CONSIDER

For this instruction scenario I will imagine an one-shot with an English 101 class at a community college since it mirrors my most common instruction experience.

1. Specific Context of the Teaching/Learning Situation

1. How many students are in the class? 
1. 15
2. Is the course lower division, upper division, or graduate level? 
1. lower; college freshman/sophomore
3. How long and frequent are the class meetings?
1. Their regular class meeting 2x a week for 1 hour and 15 minutes. They will have one meeting with me for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
4. How will the course be delivered: live, online, or in a classroom or lab? 
1. Computer lab
5. What physical elements of the learning environment will affect the class?
1. The lab is designed in a way that is not conducive to group activities.

2. General Context of the Learning Situation

1. What learning expectations are placed on this course or curriculum by: the university, college and/or department? the profession? society? 
1. The humanities department has certain outcomes that are expected of 101 classes:
1. Use library services, including reserve materials, check-out process and inter-library loan
2. Conduct a library catalog search using selected term
3. Locate and check out books
4. Access newspaper, magazine, and scholarly sources from  databases
5. Use citation tool on databases
6. Demonstrate knowledge of differences between database and web researching
7. Evaluate sources for currency, authority and credibility for use in academic essays
2. As far as society; I'm not sure?

3. Nature of the Subject

1. Is this subject primarily theoretical, practical, or a combination? 
1. Practical
2. Is the subject primarily convergent or divergent?
1. Convergent 
3. Are there important changes or controversies occurring within the field?
1. What field isn't undergoing changes at this time? Of course now that I say that -- I will probably think of some later. But I believe for the most part -- things are hardly ever static.

4. Characteristics of the Learners

1. What is the life situation of the learners (e.g., working, family, professional goals)?
1. Many are full time, first year students. But some are working and attending class at the same time. College for all of them is tough but something they want to do. For most -- the end game is not yet clear. They are still testing the waters.
2. What prior knowledge, experiences, and initial feelings do students usually have about this subject? 
1. I would say that most students are dreading this assignment (the first research paper!) And this is all voodoo to them.
3. What are their learning goals, expectations, and preferred learning styles? 
1. They want to get a passing grade on their paper but they don't' want to kill themselves doing it. They want to see how to do it and then be able to do it later without a hassle.

5. Characteristics of the Teacher

1. What beliefs and values does the teacher have about teaching and learning? 
1. The teacher likes learning centered coursework and values interactivity over lecture. I think that's the correct answer?
2. What is his/her attitude toward: the subject? students? 
1. Very excited about subject. Obviously cares about students and their education.
3. What level of knowledge or familiarity does s/he have with this subject?
1. Very. 
4. What are his/her strengths in teaching? 
1. Connecting with students and encouraging discussion.

Step 2. Worksheet

Questions for Formulating Significant Learning Goals 

"A year (or more) after this course is over, I want and hope that students will have the ability to find useful, trustworthy information for whatever informational needs they have .”

Foundational Knowledge 

1. What key information (e.g., facts, terms, formulae, concepts, principles, relationships, etc.) is/are important for students to understand and remember in the future?
1. A toolbox of places to search for information and how to effectively use them 
2. How to evaluate information found from toolbox.
2. What key ideas (or perspectives) are important for students to understand in this course?
1. That research is a process and not simple nor easy but that doesn't mean it can't be interesting or fun
2. That information is to be evaluated and not just taken as is.

Application Goals

1. What kinds of thinking are important for students to learn?
1. Critical thinking, in which students analyze and evaluate
2. Creative thinking, in which students imagine and create
3. Practical thinking, in which students solve problems and make decisions
2. What important skills do students need to gain?
1. Research, evaluation and application of information!
3. Do students need to learn how to manage complex projects?
1. YES

Integration Goals

1. What connections (similarities and interactions) should students recognize and make…:
1. Among ideas within this course?
1. I'm not really sure :/
2. Among the information, ideas, and perspectives in this course and those in other courses or areas?
1. That subject areas often overlap?
3. Among material in this course and the students' own personal, social, and/or work life?
1. Not sure :/

Human Dimensions Goals

1. What could or should students learn about themselves?
1. They may not be experts in the field but they can research too!
2. What could or should students learn about understanding others and/or interacting with them?
1. that research can be an interactive process and not something you have to do byyourself. You are not an island.

Caring Goals

1. What changes/values do you hope students will adopt?
1. Love the library resources! (haha)
2. Feelings?
1. Excitement
3. Interests?
1. To dig further
4. Ideas?
1. For their research paper

"Learning-How-to-Learn" Goals

1. What would you like for students to learn about:
1. how to be good students in a course like this?
1. That digging in and exploring is the best way to learn how to research
2. how to learn about this particular subject?
1. That it is a process and not a task. And it can be interesting and enjoyable
3. how to become a self-directed learner of this subject, i.e., having a learning agenda of what they need/want to learn, and a plan for learning it?
1. YES...?

That was a lot of text! Here is something else:

Source:

https://i.imgur.com/GX28uPy.jpg

Banned Book Week and Managing Projects

A failed attempt at organization

I would have to say the hardest thing about my job has been learning how to manage several things at once. I was having a hard time getting organized. My desk was a mess and I had been missing deadlines and meetings due to my lack of organizational skills. I attempted to fix this by making this project board.

Current Messy Desk #baneofmycareer

And reorganizing my desk. But right now it's still like this on a daily basis. I clean it and boom, super messy a little later. I've always been messy. And I wasn't drawn to librarianship because of the organizational aspect. I was drawn to it for the people aspect and empowerment of those without resources.
These past few weeks have put me in an absolute tizzy. I have been scrambling daily to finish something or another. I have come in on days off to finish something or to attend a meeting (I work Saturdays and therefore have a day off mid week). I have barely been able to keep my head above water. But the result has been great. I have been accomplishing things left and right and damn it if I don't look good.
Banned Book as a result, snuck up on me and scared the crap out of me more than the giant spiders they now have on display at Wal Mart AND the christmas trees on display at Sams Club. Scrambling was an understatement. But with the help and genius of my officemate, Danielle, we did some pre-Banned Book stuff at Student Rush. You can see that here.
Here are a few of my favorites:

Student Rush Free Lunch

Hungry

#metal will get you more likes automatically

This is just a prelude. We will have faculty and staff do a more polished version and make it into a Facebook campaign. They did that last year to great success. I am also doing small things around the library for informational purposes.

But it could have been much easier if I had been paying attention and had been organized. I have a feeling this will be the bane of my career. What do you do to stay organized?

Also update on my sash:

The Back

The Front

Projects and Relationships

Classes start today and I am knee deep in projects!

I have "borrowed" several ideas to implement besides the flipped classroom.

The inquiry based learning tour: very excited about this for our reading classes which are usually comprised of middle aged or rough young adults that have gone through hard times and are really taking a chance by taking college courses.

My roving reference Miss America sash: still working on this! Almost done. All my bedazzling came out wonderfully.

Danielle and I are going to attempt the Friday email idea we read about in a blog. Which I can no longer find. (On the to do list is ways to keep track of blog posts I love).

We are also on the tail end of a presentation we had during our convocation on campus about information literacy. I want to do a faculty workshop and we are making a super simple video for a straight forward explanation of information literacy in the style of between two ferns.

I still want to do roving exhibits but have yet to see an opportunity. I am hoping more comes along.

On a non library note I wanted to discuss long distance relationships.
I'm fairly cynical. I was a pretty staunch believer that if you are going to move away and the SO is not coming with -- break it off cause that never ends well. EVER.
But now I have moved away and while I took my partner in life with me -- I left everything else I ever cared about behind.
Maintaining the relationships I had back in the Midwest is hard. I have never had to consciously think about the last time I talked to someone and I still am struggling to pick up the phone and call people. For my younger friends, it's easy -- we're online together all the time. I'm constantly connected with them. For my family that hates technology -- it's really hard. I've never been good on the phone in a personal sense. My professionalism on the phone is amazing but if I need to ask -- how are you? -- Forget it. I stutter and am awkward and there are long silences in which I am scrambling to find something to say.
And because these are people I LOVE FOREVER and not some SO -- I have to do this. But I've not been doing it very well. I've actually been thinking about writing letters. That's how bad I am on the phone with them.
I think about them all the time. All my family. They get together on the regular so I see facebook photos of them. It hurts. I catch a glimpse of my cousin here or my aunt there or one time front and center a picture of my grampa and I lose my shit. Eight months in and it hurts a little less but it still hurts a lot. I can't wait to see them again -- not in a picture. I can't wait to talk to them again -- not awkwardly on the phone.
That is all.