ALA reports on the Library's Role in Technology

While I wasn't one of the many MLIS students trekking to D.C. this weekend for ALA Annual, I had to check out the agenda to see what I was missing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larra-clark/ala-conference-this-week_b_625950.html

This article focuses on a report that outlines many of roles that libraries fill when it comes to providing technology to the community. I think it's important to remember that information professionals have a very crucial role in educating the public about technology, especially when that technology is something the library utilizes itself. There are many people who are not digital natives, and I think it's a great idea to have digital literacy classes available for those who wish to become a little more tech-savvy. The library is the perfect place for seminars like these to take place, as they can reach the most amount of people and are usually free.

Panopto - the greatest invention ever? or the worst?

Watching the Panopto from Tuesday's class right now, and it has me thinking about how technology plays into distance learning. In theory, recording lectures is a fantastic idea. It allows distance learners to feel as if they were actually in class, hearing the voice of the professor, listening in on the questions of classmates, etc. You can access it on your own time, pause if you have to take a break, even multitask if you can handle it. So why in reality is it so hard for me to get into this form of learning? For some reason, I would much rather actually be in class than watch a recording of a lecture, but I can't pinpoint why. I think it possibly could have something to do with the blended nature of this method - there is an actual class happening that you weren't a part of, but you still are required to "be there" in a sense by watching the video. My WISE class was totally online (not blended) and I had a much better time with that. I knew each of my classmates were getting the same experience as me, and I enjoyed the written format of the learning modules over videos. This could be because I read pretty fast and I consider myself an expert skimmer, while watching a video is gonna take as long as it's gonna take. I know this is probably a personal preference, but I wonder how many other people feel the same way. Is it that Panoptos just don't jive with my individual learning style, or is there a more universal element at work?

Technology is not always my friend

Okay, I know I'm always talking about applying for jobs on this thing but that's because it's literally all I do. My goal is to have something lined up for after graduation, but as that date creeps closer and closer, I'm not sure that's really going to happen. I guess the thing that makes me the most angry about job searches is technology related. That is: filling in online databases with the same information that's on my resume. Why can't I just attach it with a cover letter and be done with it? Sometimes it takes hours to complete just one application. What's even worse is when they use your attached resume to automatically populate the fields in the database, getting it completely wrong 99% of the time. I know there are ways to make an importation friendly resume, but honestly, I spent a lot of time making my resume look pretty and I don't want to have to conform to these stupid standards (which tend to be different for each new application anyways!). I have to admit that I think technology has actually made finding a job harder and more futile than ever before. You send out all this information, your resume, your cover letter, what have you, into this abyss, hoping that someone reads it and contacts you. It's madness. I'd much rather do the legwork and apply in person, because then at least they can attach a face with a name, you can meet the hiring manager (for future correspondence) and they can tell you really put in the effort to find the job. Of course, online job applications have made it possible for me to apply to jobs back home while still in Pittsburgh, but I would much rather send out my information in the mail or through email than fill out one more of these silly online forms.

Busy weekend

I gotta say, that canceling of the eprints assignment came at just the right time. I will definitely be checking out the program as it seems pretty cool, but this week marks the end of my University of British Columbia WISE class - which is amazing, but it means a lot a work until it is officially over on Sunday. I actually really enjoyed the class and learned a lot, I would recommend taking a WISE class that interests you to anyone who may be considering it. Mine was an Academic Libraries course, and we actually had a whole unit on Library Technology, so it tied in very nicely with this class. My only complaint is that the learning modules we used were set up in kind of a confusing way, and the assignment descriptions within the course modules were sometimes inconsistent with the ones under the assignments tab, so it unclear what was expected of us at times. This is a universal problem across all distance learning programs I think. The teachers were really nice and helpful though, and I loved how all the Canadian students spelled things (organised, favourite). Also, there were some funny things that came up when we talked about applying for jobs: instead of a "cover letter" they call it a "covering letter." Just little subtle differences like that but it delighted me all the same. It reminded me of being in London!

New Layout!

I was playing around with some of the new templates on Blogger today so welcome to my new format! I really like how this website makes it easy for technophobic people like me to make their blogs look professional and put together.

Whenever I learn about new features on websites, the first thing that comes to my mind is how much work and specialized knowledge goes into web design. People who are good at it might laugh at this, but really I think it's incredible because I don't know the first thing about it. I know this is a skill I will eventually have to get some sort of grip on, but for now I just like to sit back and watch the experts come up with cool new stuff for the Internet. :)

You tech-y people out there never cease to amaze me, it's like you're speaking some beautiful, foreign language and possess a skill set so apart from my own that I can't even feel threatened or jealous. And you're all so wonderfully nerdy in ways that don't grate on my nerves as much as some of the wanna-be hipster, faux-intellectual, "I'm so unique and quirky" people I've come across in the library world. If I wasn't so scared of shattering this idealized image of IT people that I have, I may be inclined to cross over to your side of things....

A rant about Pittsburgh

Just found a really exciting job opportunity at a small community college in my hometown! It's perfect because while I don't see myself living in the place I grew up for the rest of my life, it is entry level (which has been surprisingly hard to find during my job search), I can live at home for a bit and pay off loans while I work, and I'll get to go back to Connecticut. Honestly, I miss it there sooo much, I can't even explain it. One of the hardest things about having classes during the summer (besides the obvious) is that I'm STUCK here in Pittsburgh - a dry, landlocked, dirty little city not even remotely close to the ocean. I love the beach. Love. It. And the thought of not being able to go there without driving 9 hours absolutely infuriates the New England girl in me. How do you native 'burghers do it? HOW? I visited my friend who lives in Portland, Maine while I was home over break, and besides having a lot of fun, I got so depressed that I don't live in a city by the sea. All I gotta say is - thank goodness this program is only a year. I'm starting to get really antsy about moving back home, and this gorgeous summer weather is not helping matters.

Pittsburgh, we need to have a talk. It's been a experience and I don't regret my decision to come here. We've had some fun times, but it's just not working for me anymore. We both knew this was only temporary, and it's almost time for us to go our separate ways. I hope you understand, no hard feelings okay?

Okay, I got this

I'm proud of myself for having a fairly productive Sunday. The urge to go out and enjoy the semi-nice weather was strong, but I had to resist and get ahead on some work. My motivating force is that I FINALLY get to go home to Connecticut next weekend. It's for one of my oldest and dearest friend's going away party - he's joining the Army and leaving for basic training next Sunday, followed by a year appointment in Monterrey, CA. I wouldn't miss it for the world, and also it's a great excuse to take a mini vacation this weekend. I've been able to visit home at least once a month since I've started this program and it's really enabled me to stay sane. It gives me something to look forward to and as long as I feel caught up on work, I can actually relax and enjoy myself. I get to leave on Thursday, so I'll have to complete the online quiz while at home :( But it will be worth it!

Getting some work out of the way before the weekend has another huge benefit: I've been taking a WISE course through the University of British Columbia on Academic Libraries. It's been really interesting and the instructors seem very nice, but it's a pretty heavy work load because it's only a 6 week class. Which means we have about two papers due every Sunday, plus all the discussion board postings we are supposed to complete throughout the week. It's rough, but since I'm making myself do all my work early, I'll be done with my last two papers for the class before the weekend! Then the last week of that class will be when I come back, where we don't really have much to do except a few discussion questions. I will be thrilled to be done with this class because then I'll only have 3 courses to worry about and can focus all my energy on those. Oh yeah, and those annoying job applications...

Oops

Just put up the Zotero tutorial...it was a little more complicated to embed it than I originally thought. I love that Screencast gives you the embed code, and Jing is super easy to use. However, my first few attempts at embedding left me with HUGE videos, and only the top left hand corner of the video was visible in blogger. After some google-ing and some trial and error, I tried changing the width of my video in the html code. It worked! It looks a little silly now with some of that blank white space, but it was the only way I could get the whole screen into the post. Just another example of how technologically challenged I can be, but I'm proud that I was able to fix it a little, so please don't rain on my parade :)

Zotero Tutorial

Here is a short tutorial I created using Jing, which explains how to install Zotero onto your Firefox web browser

A Word of Advice

I finally had the opportunity to read through some of my fellow classmates blog posts (it's been a slow day at work) and I noticed that a few of you seem very nervous, overwhelmed, and frustrated about the program at this point. I'm not sure if any of you will actually read this since you have so many other things to worry about, and that's okay. But if one of you happens to stumble upon my blog... READ THIS POST, even if you don't read any of the others.

I know that the MLIS program here at Pitt can seem like it takes up all of your time, especially if you're not used to the work load of grad school - trust me I've been there. I started the program immediately after receiving my Bachelor's, and I felt so burnt out on school before anything even began. To top it all off, I moved here from Connecticut right at the end of August, leaving behind most of my support system and trying to figure out life in a new city in less than a week. Luckily, I had two friends here, so that made the transition a little easier, but moving is ALWAYS hard. Any of you new students that have come from far away lands, I feel you.

The biggest piece of advice I can give to you is to RELAX. I know that sounds incredibly cliche and you're probably saying to yourself "Okay lady, I have so much to do, I'll never get it done, shut-up and let me freak out about it!" Take it from someone who is probably one of the biggest worry warts in the world: it's a waste of your time. You WILL get it done. The most important thing that I've learned during my time here is how to prioritize tasks and manage my time effectively. It will take a little bit of practice to get into that routine, but it will happen. Just trust in yourselves - you are all obviously organized and intelligent enough to get into this program, and what's even better is that the professors here know that. They aren't out to get you, they aren't going to fail you if you mess up one little thing. They are understanding, they know that the material can seem abstract or confusing at times, and they appreciate any solid effort that you put forth. If you really feel like you're falling behind, talk to a professor you really like or your advisor, and just let them know what's going on. They will appreciate you taking the time to express your concerns and will definitely be able to give you peace of mind.

If anyone needs some personalized advice, feel free to email me at jenlvn@gmail.com. I am living proof that you can do well in graduate school AND have a life. I'm about to graduate this term and I've managed to make it through with (most) of my sanity in tact. :) Of course, this blog is a great place to vent, so I will probably have some public freak out moments myself. If this happens to you, it's okay to let yourself get frustrated for a minute, but don't let it consume you. Organize your thoughts and then move on. Remind yourself that you have what it takes. Give yourself plenty of opportunities to do something fun, go out with friends, or take your mind off of school for a little while. You'll feel better the next time you sit down to do something productive. I promise.