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!!!