Sent to Webmaster

I have officially sent the first set of documents to be put on the webpage to the County Webmaster. I am excited and the library Director - Phalbe is also excited. They turned out very well and I hope they are all up on the 2 websites before the presentation day of class. She said she called him today and he said they should be, but who knows? I am going to continue this project after class though because I have gained such a connection with the library that I just can't leave the project until it is completed the way we all see it being completed. Phalbe said she has ideas of other documents that deal with Alexander County history that we don't even have in the library being put up - because they have no copyright - but we have to go to some different libraries to get them because they won't give her an ILL. Which is the reason I decided to do this project in the beginning, because Alexander County Library wouldn't give these out on ILL - for good reason though and the same with these other documents that we don't currently have. I was really anxious about how this would turn out in the beginning. It seemed so big and daunting and I felt that every glitch somehow put me behind everyone else. But even with glitches, this project has helped me grow, as a professional, librarian, and as an action learner. I am now in the process of just waiting to hear back when everything is online and also getting together information to put on my board for presentation in class. So, almost one semmester down for MLS classes!!! I can't wait to be in a library!!!

New Scan

Friday I got a phone call from the librarian I am working with saying that she had just recovered a "much better" copy of the documents that I had already scanned. She thinks that they will be much easier to edit and enhance and wants me to use them instead...if time permits. So I told her yes, I could do that. I know the editing phase will take the longest...scanning is a no brainer really, but I want to have a really great copy when I get finished...so my project looks top notch. The editing I am using isn't going to make everything perfect, at least not in the way I know how to use it, if I were a computer guru maybe I could find ways to better enhance it but with my limited knowledge of Adobe Photoshop I am just going to do the best I can. I could have tried to take a class or something on Adobe but then I would have probably never gotten the project done. I am going to look and see if I can find any online training that will help me any or if just my basic skills will do. I think it is cool to still see that the documents are old so I don't want to take away too much of that character. This just goes to show that in all projects in life there is always a setback...I mean I have already edited some of the pages, however, I see this more as a way to help my project. Also, the librarian and I have debated putting the documents in a continual scrolling page with a PDF merge...I told her I wasn't sure then how the documentation would go and I thought it would be better for us to do seperate pages. If it is one continuous scrolling I would think it would be easier to miscitate something, but I have found many documents online that do this...just with the faded page numbers and some not even having numbers that are readable, I think this would be the best way to make citation easier for patrons.

Learning Sets

My learning set has been able to meet on a regular basis but I feel that the learning sets were more helpful in the preperation phase of the project. Now we are just kinda telling eachother the same types of things and most of the time, since this is a somewhat slow and comprehensive process, it seems like we just do it to log hours. The learning set has been valuable and I enjoyed so much working with my group. I am greatful for this experience but I also think the last few meetings have been redundant and just time consuming. At least now we are all doing what we are doing and we don't necessarily need too much help. If we do we are so used to email we just email.

From the Library

Today I was able to catelog the scandisk I have been using to scan all the pages I am going to be putting up on the libraries website and bring it home with me to do some edits. Actually I am not sure that I can do the edits here because I am using Adobe Photoshop and I have 7.0 here at home and they have 5.0. I don't want to do something that won't open when I get back to the library. We have chosen to just do one book right now because a teacher in Alexander County, Elizabeth Davis - Sugarloaf Elementary is wanting to use this in her classroom and so it will serve two purposes. We definately don't want tons of elementary school kids handling the pages. I am excited that I am actually getting to do some things now rather than being in the planning and then waiting phases of my project.

In other news...AL Project

Finally I have been able to start my AL project. Last Thursday the scanner I needed came in and I was able to go and do some scanning on Friday. I am so glad that I am doing my project in a public library or else I would never get in the Library before it closed. I am struggling to get what I can now done since the library closes shortly after I get off work. I talked to Chelsea Meade at the Historical Society here in Taylorsville about how to preserve the documents I am handeling. Since they are handled by so many she didn't think I in particular needed to wear any protective gloves or anything but did suggest I be very careful loading and unloading them in the scanner. Regardless, I didn't want lotion or oil to get on my hands and harm the documents further so I wore some white cotton gloves. I went to ask.com to find out information on how to handle documents properly and this is what it said to do. Sometimes in Taylorsville people don't give you the best of answers :) Today I am going back in to complete the scanning (what I can of it) and make some edits (where the documents are torn or smuged). I am also waiting on a software system to put these in PDF so then we can upload them to the internet. A lady named Berenda Samples does the website so this will be her job I will just work with her on how I want it to look. I am hoping to get all of this done before the class ends but if it doesn't get finished before then it is something I must complete because it is a need the library sees is huge and I can't let them down.

Sat with the Librarian

Last week the board of directors for my agency (Alexander County Partnership for Children) had a board retreat at the Hollifield Center in Hickory. I got to sit beside one of our memebers, Melissa Hagar who just so happens to be the Children's Librarian for Alexander County Public Library. It was great to sit with her at lunch and at her table during the retreat...I actually talked more library than work during this time. We discussed the transformation of libraries to this technology age and she is on board with the transformation but like me hates to see the personel side of the job diminish. She said it is so gratifying to see a young child light up as she reads a story to them and she cherishes that. She asked me if I ever thougth a library wouldn't actually be a place at any point in the near future...I hate to think about that! It was great though to get to sit down and discuss with someone real issues dealing with the library.

Active Learning Helps Here and Now

I think the active learning principal that Appalachian has is so helpful in learning and persuing a degree but also helpful in every day life. I have learned alot about technology and am able to use some of what I am learning in my role as Program Coordinator at Smart Start. I like that this can be something I can apply outside of the library. Now, of coarse not all classes will be this way but during research and exploration for my project I have learned that many things can help me in my current job. I am still in the exploration phase right now with my project. I have not been able to get the scanner in at the library that I will be using. I am in the process of asking the historial foundation about preserving the materials I will be handleing and in constant communication with the director. I think it may take longer to do this than I thought but it will be worth it in the end.

Recently I learned that I should be commenting more on the discussion boards. I have stepped up my game and began to do this.

This degree is so involved. I knew it would be more involved than undergrad but it seriously is tough getting everything and living an active life. It would have been easier going straigh through like my mom suggested but I wanted to get married and make some money before I began taking out more loans. I will complete this program...that's not a question, but I am just feeling the heat now that we are getting closer to the end of the semmester.

Awesome!

In my last post I spoke about how the library I am working with for my project seemed to kind of be "out of date." But something must have happened that sparked a fire within the director and when I went to the library yesterday to continue my projcet...she was passionate about getting new technology and learning. She had a completely different attitude than she did the last time I met with her and it was really amazing to see a passion that I hadn't seen in that library before. I met with someone who is getting us a "companion" scanner for this microfilm digital reel called ST200x, which was $10,000 and the companion is $2,000. But the director says that this technology is definitely a need within this library and she is totally into my project. I am sure many other libraries have already done this but she made the comparison to when she worked in Alabama and needed an Appalachian transcript but at that time they wouldn't even fax it to her...she had to drive and pick it up and sign for it...she says she hates that people now who are looking for family records and live in Montana would have to drive to Taylorsville if they wanted access. So that is where my project will help this library tremendously. I can't say much for the small town that I grew up in and love...but I can say that family is the most important thing to almost everyone here and thus even if someone has moved away there is an almost eerie connection with family and family history here. I know it in my family and I know so many others who just have a connection with this small town because of family ties. So in that, I am so thankful that this project has panned out. I may even be able to find some good things on my own family as I scan and revamp these documents. Phalbe, the director, says my project is going to really be "made" by the man who sells the ST200x, because this technology will allow me to scan faster, make corrections to old documents - by way of typing in letter that are no longer readable and such, and also allow me to put them on the internet. I have already gotten permission from the county as well to place these documents on the county website and have copyright permission from the newspaper to also put some old news clippings up. How exciting! Right now I have met with the gentleman who is getting me the companion. Then I will learn how to use it, when I get the manual, and the project will also involve me teaching other librarians how to use the machine...so it can be useful after I am finished with my project. I think I am beginning to feel a sting of "love" for this small town library and like Dr. Sanders said before...I may just become so woven into the project that it extends way past the class. Hurray for Passion!

Finally!

Finally I have figured out my topic for my active learning project and its great to have something in concrete. I am going to meet with the library again on Thursday after I get off work and then make a game plan. I am going to use this blog post to answer a few questions...
What do I need to know to help the Library with this? How to scan on the machine I will be using. Therefore, I am going to meet with ther person who has offered to do a training with it. The library at first opted not to have the training so now the machine just sits in the back room with nobody using it! Hopefully, then I can also teach some of the staff how to use it for the future. What resources might be useful in conducting this project? I am going to also have to work alongside of the person who keeps the libraries website up. She will be useful in creating a place on the website for easy access to these documents. I also will probably work through many different technology difficulties because even though you want something to go smoothly...with me and technology...it never happens that way. So I may also utilize the IT department for the county. Is there anyone else I could talk with who has done this before? Not sure about this but I am interested in looking into Belk Library's section on this and probably contacting the librarians there. What might I need to consider in the design of the website? The website is already designed and I won't have control of that because the library pays someone to do that but for a while I think it would be useful to have a banner announcing the new link.
So for now I am excited that I can help the library advance by way of technology and also by way of preservation. Onward!!!

Active Learning

I love the idea of Active Learning, because I really feel that this is the type of learner I am, however, it does take up soooooo much time. But it is time I love to spend because being a librarian is my dream. Today, my group met about our active learning projects and it was extremely productive. I am wanting to use a program called Ready, Set, Go that is a 3 part DVD series preparing parents and pre-k kids for school. It is recommened to be implemented into a public library and I thought I also could open a discussion board or wiki and even do it via virtual story time with the public library. I am not sure however how I can do this and must explore copyright. My boss is opposed to me ever doing anything related to school so even though Smart Start recommends doing it with a library he is opposed to letting me do it. He doesn't mind if our Child Care Resource and Referral does it but as Program Coordinator he doesn't want me to do it...which is my biggest hurdle. I mean it could be implemented with our CVCC staffed computer lab and offered as an online training to child care providers - I see this as program related! This is what I would love to do but it may not work out. Even if it doesn't I am meeting with the director of libraries for Alexander Co. next week to discuss what she sees as technology needs in the community. Something will fall into place :)

Whew!

Last night I sat down and had some time to read. Therfore, I re-read chapter 1 and finished through chapter 8. Only a few more to go in Library 2.o. I have learned a ton and this is actually more interesting than I ever thought technology could be. I didn't have a hard time reading the chapters...except for the one on mashups. I think it is awesome how our world has evolved in to a world where all information is at your fingertips all the time basically. I also think it is awesome that Libraries are so involved in these technologies. I know that the idea of librarian has transformed from the "little old lady and card catelogs, boring and quiet spaces, to up-to-date and fast paced. I am going to really love this new adventure I have chosen for my life.

Interviews Finished

After completing 2 interviews I have some similar yet different informatin. It seems that both librarians I spoke with are pro technology. However, both noted that technology is expensive and also libary users do not always take to the new technology; therefore, comitting to purchase something new is always risky. Karen Foss who is Director of Libraries in Catawba County said that she purchased e-book readers a few years ago and they just didn't go over well with the community. So I guess the idea of taking into consideration the population and accessing the community is super important. Also, I noticed that both librarians used the norm: e-mail, website, e-newsletter, but neither had tons of understanding about all areas: wikis, blogs, etc. I think this says a lot about the communities in which these librarians work and the needs of these communities. Karen also said that when she first entered the field she didn't know much at all about technology but that she sees so much value in it that she always has trainings for her staff about new technologies. I think that her libraries are somewhat more progressive than in Alexander County, but again population being served is a huge issue. Most people in Alexander County are farmers or work in furnature and may not feel comfortable with computers. Sometimes its much easier to do things the old way because you know and understand that way. All in all technology has made life much easier in many ways for Karen and Melissa but both are thankful to have an IT department :) I learned about many awesome things while speaking with Karen though such as smart shoots that by way of RF-ID tags can scan and sort returned books and that you can download books on CDs and I-pods to listen to. I never even knew that! This was a great experience for me. And it excited me even more to take the classes and become a librarian!

Interviews

I have successfully completed one Librarian interview and it was exactly as I expected. The Alexander County Public Library's Children's Librarian helped me out. Her name is Melissa Hagar and she explained that, as always in Alexander County, people are old fashioned, and hate change. However, she does see hope for the library in the future because they recently got a new director who isn't afraid of technology. She said, "These people would still have the old card catelogue drawers!" There is hope for this library though as the future looks optimistic by way of technology. I am going to do one more interview and I am sure the next one will be a more advanced library. But this is what I expected of Alexander County. I still believe they are all great people and librarians.

Interview...

As of today I haven't been able to interview a librarian. My neighbor is Karen Foss who is director of Libraries in Catawba County but I spent all weekend with a feaver and kidney infection so I wasn't able to interview her. I am also thinking of a few more options. I was alerted to a new position open in the Morganton Public Library the other day which I am going to investigate because I would love to go ahead and be in a library. Who knows though? I love the job I am currently at but just can't seem to get my boss to understand that education is a good thing. I will blog soon when I have completed my interview.

First Blog Posting

This is my first blog posting for this class. I am SUPER excited about this MLS program. I just hope that I am able to keep up since I have to be late to the 5:00 classes. But generally that isn't a problem for me...to keep up. I can't wait until I am in a Library one day!!!