This week I gained more insight into technical services by observing the cataloging and metadata work done by Professor Teresa Weisser, the cataloging and metadata librarian, and Professor Anne McGillivray, another cataloging librarian. Earlier in the semester, I learned about the acquisitions process, and saw how materials are ordered and received before heading to be cataloged. During my time with Teresa and Anne, I saw how catalog records are selected and downloaded from OCLC, modified to meet the library's needs, and then uploaded to OCLC so that the library's holdings are discoverable by other libraries and individuals around the world. I also saw how catalog records are imported into the library's ILS so that materials are discoverable by members of the Millersville community. Finally, I learned how quality control of records is ensured through authority control, and through the workflows and review processes that have been implemented by the cataloging department. We also touched on the changes that lie on the horizon as RDA replaces AACR2 standards. Although library patrons rarely, if ever, see the work that catalogers do, they enjoy the end results of this work every time they are able to successfully discover and locate library materials. In our information-rich modern environment, metadata and the organization of information will become increasingly important.
By this point I have seen much of the work that happens to get materials from the vendor's shelves to the library's shelves and then into the patron's hands. To get a broader view of how the library decides what materials to add to its collection, I talked to Dr. Marjorie Warmkessel, the special projects librarian, about the library's collection development process. Marjorie explained some of the factors that the collection development committee must weigh before deciding what materials to add to the collection, including the needs of various programs and departments, support for the university's curriculum, feedback from faculty and students, as well as current and emerging trends in collection development. With respect to emerging trends in collection development, we discussed the increased use of electronic resources and the benefits of these types of resources, as well as the library's pilot patron driven acquisitions program.
As for my work on the plan for moving back into the library, I began to prepare some preliminary data on the amount shelf space that will be available in the compact shelving going into the lower levels of the library, and to review data on the approximate amount of linear feet that each subcategory of the collection will take up on the shelf. I also continued to learn about strategies for determining the amount of space that will be needed for each part of the collection, and how to map out where each part of the collection will fall in the shelving. I toured the lower levels of the library again with Professor Krista Higham, Marjorie and Deborah to see where the compact shelving and microfilm cabinets will be placed and to get a better understanding of the layout of these floors. We ended the tour with a brief walk-through of the ground floor of the library, where the circulation desk, 24-hour section, computer lab, reading room and classrooms will be located. Since the renovation is nearing its completion, it's now easy to see what the space will look like when it is finished. The "new" library will certainly be one of the major hubs of student life at Millersville, and the community has a lot to look forward to in the new facility.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Week 4
This week I observed two library instruction classes: an entry level English course taught by Dr. Marilyn Parrish, the university archivist and special collections librarian, and an upper level business course taught by Professor Scott Anderson, the information systems librarian.
The students in the entry level English course have a series of assignments that revolve around using primary and secondary sources, and the first assignment in the series requires them to closely examine a primary source of their choice. The instructor asked Marilyn to introduce students to primary sources: how to find them and how to analyze them. As the students gathered around the tables in Franklin House, they began looking at the various primary sources Marilyn pulled for the class. There were some Millersville related items, such as yearbooks from the 1920s and '30s and confessions from the turn of the 20th century written by students who had broken the university's once very strict rules, as well as several 19th century books on diet, etiquette and health, and books and trial transcripts from some well-known local trials. Students were encouraged to look through these various materials to get ideas for their assignment.
Marilyn began by having the class come up with a general definition of what a primary source is, and asked them to think about something from today's world that scholars might someday examine as a primary source. The students then examined a letter written by a local man who served as a Union soldier during the Civil War, who was writing to his family back home in Lancaster County. The students answered a series of questions that encouraged them to think critically about the letter and begin answering questions such as who was the man writing the letter, where he was from, what were his feelings about being a soldier, what were his feelings about the direction of the war, what were his feeling about the politics surrounding the war, what was his level of education, what was his socio-economic status, and what were his speech patterns like? Marilyn also asked the students to related things that the soldier complained about in his letter to typical complaints of modern-day student life, which encouraged students to see commonalities in the human experience over time. Through this exercise, the students learned the kinds of questions they should ask about a primary source, how to understand the content of a primary source, and to glean the context of a primary source from the details in it. By asking students to compare the attitudes and mores expressed in the various texts with those of modern-day life, the students began to see how primary sources demonstrate shifts in social norms on campus and in society at large.
The upper level business course taught by Scott also revolved around an assignment the students received from their instructor, which involves researching, analyzing and preparing a report on a company. Scott walked through the resources outlined in the research guide he prepared for the class, and explained to the student which resources would be good to use for various parts of the assignment. He gave the class examples of specific questions they might ask about the company they chose to investigate for the assignment and explained how they might go about answering those questions with the resources available. In doing so, Scott got the students to think critically about how to examine a company and how to approach the kinds of questions and problems that arise in the business world. The students could carry forward the research and critical thinking skills they learned from Scott not only to this specific assignment, but to all of their assignments in the business department, and to the work they will do in their jobs after graduation. Scott also gave the student tips about using the resources available - which databases are best suited for different parts of the assignment, which platforms work best with certain databases, and best practices for conducting searches in specific databases.
Although they addressed very different subjects and students at different levels, both Scott and Marilyn demonstrate the value of library instruction - giving student not only hands-on experience with the research tools they need to complete assignments now, but also the critical thinking skills they will need to tackle the challenges they will face in their future careers. Library instruction really compliments and enhances the goals and objectives that all instructors across campus have for the student body.
In addition to having my first opportunities to observe library instruction, I also continued to work this week on the library move. I talked to various people involved in the move and learned that we are very close to having details about the type and amount of shelving that will be available in the renovated library. We also discussed strategies for measuring the collection and mapping out where materials will be placed in the renovated library. I also researched various open-source, freely available project management programs that would allow everyone involved in the move to track upcoming deadlines and milestones on a shared calendar, create and check off shared to-do lists, create and participate in shared discussions about various details of the move, and share documents relevant to the project. Fortunately there are several well respected and easy to use project management tools freely available on the web that allow team members to work together on projects.
The students in the entry level English course have a series of assignments that revolve around using primary and secondary sources, and the first assignment in the series requires them to closely examine a primary source of their choice. The instructor asked Marilyn to introduce students to primary sources: how to find them and how to analyze them. As the students gathered around the tables in Franklin House, they began looking at the various primary sources Marilyn pulled for the class. There were some Millersville related items, such as yearbooks from the 1920s and '30s and confessions from the turn of the 20th century written by students who had broken the university's once very strict rules, as well as several 19th century books on diet, etiquette and health, and books and trial transcripts from some well-known local trials. Students were encouraged to look through these various materials to get ideas for their assignment.
Marilyn began by having the class come up with a general definition of what a primary source is, and asked them to think about something from today's world that scholars might someday examine as a primary source. The students then examined a letter written by a local man who served as a Union soldier during the Civil War, who was writing to his family back home in Lancaster County. The students answered a series of questions that encouraged them to think critically about the letter and begin answering questions such as who was the man writing the letter, where he was from, what were his feelings about being a soldier, what were his feelings about the direction of the war, what were his feeling about the politics surrounding the war, what was his level of education, what was his socio-economic status, and what were his speech patterns like? Marilyn also asked the students to related things that the soldier complained about in his letter to typical complaints of modern-day student life, which encouraged students to see commonalities in the human experience over time. Through this exercise, the students learned the kinds of questions they should ask about a primary source, how to understand the content of a primary source, and to glean the context of a primary source from the details in it. By asking students to compare the attitudes and mores expressed in the various texts with those of modern-day life, the students began to see how primary sources demonstrate shifts in social norms on campus and in society at large.
The upper level business course taught by Scott also revolved around an assignment the students received from their instructor, which involves researching, analyzing and preparing a report on a company. Scott walked through the resources outlined in the research guide he prepared for the class, and explained to the student which resources would be good to use for various parts of the assignment. He gave the class examples of specific questions they might ask about the company they chose to investigate for the assignment and explained how they might go about answering those questions with the resources available. In doing so, Scott got the students to think critically about how to examine a company and how to approach the kinds of questions and problems that arise in the business world. The students could carry forward the research and critical thinking skills they learned from Scott not only to this specific assignment, but to all of their assignments in the business department, and to the work they will do in their jobs after graduation. Scott also gave the student tips about using the resources available - which databases are best suited for different parts of the assignment, which platforms work best with certain databases, and best practices for conducting searches in specific databases.
Although they addressed very different subjects and students at different levels, both Scott and Marilyn demonstrate the value of library instruction - giving student not only hands-on experience with the research tools they need to complete assignments now, but also the critical thinking skills they will need to tackle the challenges they will face in their future careers. Library instruction really compliments and enhances the goals and objectives that all instructors across campus have for the student body.
In addition to having my first opportunities to observe library instruction, I also continued to work this week on the library move. I talked to various people involved in the move and learned that we are very close to having details about the type and amount of shelving that will be available in the renovated library. We also discussed strategies for measuring the collection and mapping out where materials will be placed in the renovated library. I also researched various open-source, freely available project management programs that would allow everyone involved in the move to track upcoming deadlines and milestones on a shared calendar, create and check off shared to-do lists, create and participate in shared discussions about various details of the move, and share documents relevant to the project. Fortunately there are several well respected and easy to use project management tools freely available on the web that allow team members to work together on projects.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Week 3
This week I spent some time with the folks in Access Services, where I was able to observe inter-library loan and the circulation desk. Observing ILL really helped me build on what I learned last week in acquisitions and expanded my understanding of the work that is done in technical services. Since much of the general collection is not in circulation due to the renovation, many materials are currently provided to students through ILL. There is a traditional ILL service, E-ZBorrow, which allows students to borrow books from other libraries in the region and across the country. The E-ZBorrow process is easy and convenient for library patrons - they submit a request, and when the item comes in, they receive a notice that the item is available for pick up at the circulation desk. Little do patrons know that behind that simple service is a team of library staff and student workers who identify other institutions willing to lend materials to Millersville patrons; send, review and accept requests; manage the costs affiliated with the ILL process; receive incoming materials; and notify patrons when materials are available. The Request It service provides electronic materials to patrons, such as journal articles and sections of books. Library staff and student workers follow a similar process for finding and obtaining electronic materials, and ensure that clean, easily readable copies of electronic materials are delivered to patrons' accounts. Additionally, I had the opportunity to see how course reserve materials are made available to patrons through Ares.
The most impressive aspect of circulation operations are the detailed manuals and guides that the library staff have created. Every task that library staff or student workers need to do in the ILS has been explained in detail these manuals, and manuals are always at hand in both paper and electronic versions. With so many student workers helping with the day-to-day operations of the library, and with these workers coming and going each semester or academic year, it is very important to have clear, accurate and easy to understand instructions for employees to reference when they have to complete a new or unfamiliar task. The manuals help ensure that every worker is on the same page for every task, that errors are not made that will create more problems further along in the process, and that patrons are served in a flawless and professional manner.
Last week I saw how Gobi and Voyager are used in the acquisitions process, and this week I saw how ILLiad is used in the ILL process, how Voyager is used in the circulation process, and how Ares is used in the e-reserves process. Having the experience of seeing these programs at work and how they facilitate library operations is extremely helping in fleshing out what I am learning in my technical services seminar this semester. I now have a better understanding of the work flows for the acquisitions, circulation, ILL and course reserves processes. Additionally, I now have a better understanding of the decisions that librarians need to make in budgeting, copyright policies and fees, and circulation policies, and how important it is to carefully balance all of the factors involved while still providing the highest level of service to the university community.
Later in the week I began to organize subscription cost data for a statistical report that the library will need to submit, which helped me to further understand the costs involved in serving the university community. I also worked on a special project that will be unveiled later this week - more on that in my next post!
The most impressive aspect of circulation operations are the detailed manuals and guides that the library staff have created. Every task that library staff or student workers need to do in the ILS has been explained in detail these manuals, and manuals are always at hand in both paper and electronic versions. With so many student workers helping with the day-to-day operations of the library, and with these workers coming and going each semester or academic year, it is very important to have clear, accurate and easy to understand instructions for employees to reference when they have to complete a new or unfamiliar task. The manuals help ensure that every worker is on the same page for every task, that errors are not made that will create more problems further along in the process, and that patrons are served in a flawless and professional manner.
Last week I saw how Gobi and Voyager are used in the acquisitions process, and this week I saw how ILLiad is used in the ILL process, how Voyager is used in the circulation process, and how Ares is used in the e-reserves process. Having the experience of seeing these programs at work and how they facilitate library operations is extremely helping in fleshing out what I am learning in my technical services seminar this semester. I now have a better understanding of the work flows for the acquisitions, circulation, ILL and course reserves processes. Additionally, I now have a better understanding of the decisions that librarians need to make in budgeting, copyright policies and fees, and circulation policies, and how important it is to carefully balance all of the factors involved while still providing the highest level of service to the university community.
Later in the week I began to organize subscription cost data for a statistical report that the library will need to submit, which helped me to further understand the costs involved in serving the university community. I also worked on a special project that will be unveiled later this week - more on that in my next post!
Monday, February 4, 2013
Week 2
One of the classes I am taking this semester is a seminar in technical services, and this week I had an excellent opportunity to see some of what takes place in technical services at Millersville University. D'Ann Ressler, the library business coordinator and former acquisitions technician, invited me to sit in on a training session with William Marshall, the new acquisitions technician, in which she went over the purchasing and receiving process in Gobi and Voyager. By the end of the training session, I had a better understanding of how materials move through the acquisitions process, from selection to ordering, receiving and invoicing, to cataloging and physical preparation of the item, before the item finally arrives on the shelf where it is ready for people to use. I was also able to talk briefly with Dr. Majorie Warmkessel, the special projects librarian, about the role of the selector in the acquisitions process, and I hope to talk to her again in the near future about the broader role that librarians play in collection development.
Later in the week, Dr. Marilyn Parrish, the university archivist and special collections librarian, invited me to attend a meeting with Christopher Raab, the archives and special collections librarian at Franklin and Marshall College, to hear how F&M used the digital service DSpace to create their digital repository, Scholars Square. The digital repository is used to house and expose scholarly work created by the F&M community. Christopher discussed the pros and cons of using DSpace, which he has found to be a great tool for creating F&M's digital repository. DSpace gives librarians the ability to create different "communities", or collections, which can be searched and browsed, and to easily create metadata for each item. The software is flexible, allowing librarians to craft a digital repository that will meet the needs of their specific community. Christopher also discussed the advantages of having a digital space where faculty and students can easily share their work with the world.
After the meeting with Christopher, I spent some time with Marilyn Parrish and Janet Dotterer, the library technician who works in special collections, at Franklin House to learn more about Millersville University's special collections and archives. Janet pointed out several interesting collections of work produced or collected by Lancaster County writers and artists. Marilyn explained how the special collections are used to support the curriculum at the university, particularly with respect to the history of education and the field of history in general. Several faculty members build the use of primary sources into their coursework, so the special collections are routinely used by students. I was particularly intrigued by how Marilyn uses materials from the special collections to help students develop their critical thinking skills. For example, there are two late-19th century books in the collection on the subject of whether women should receive a college education, one in favor of women attending college and one arguing against it. By having students examine the arguments in these books, they begin to think more critically about the underlying assumptions and attitudes of these texts, which in turn leads students to think more critically about the messages that surround them in the present world. This discussion with Marilyn lead me to see new possibilities for how special collections can be used to educate undergraduate students, and not just to support the research of graduate students and professional scholars.
Later in the week, Dr. Marilyn Parrish, the university archivist and special collections librarian, invited me to attend a meeting with Christopher Raab, the archives and special collections librarian at Franklin and Marshall College, to hear how F&M used the digital service DSpace to create their digital repository, Scholars Square. The digital repository is used to house and expose scholarly work created by the F&M community. Christopher discussed the pros and cons of using DSpace, which he has found to be a great tool for creating F&M's digital repository. DSpace gives librarians the ability to create different "communities", or collections, which can be searched and browsed, and to easily create metadata for each item. The software is flexible, allowing librarians to craft a digital repository that will meet the needs of their specific community. Christopher also discussed the advantages of having a digital space where faculty and students can easily share their work with the world.
After the meeting with Christopher, I spent some time with Marilyn Parrish and Janet Dotterer, the library technician who works in special collections, at Franklin House to learn more about Millersville University's special collections and archives. Janet pointed out several interesting collections of work produced or collected by Lancaster County writers and artists. Marilyn explained how the special collections are used to support the curriculum at the university, particularly with respect to the history of education and the field of history in general. Several faculty members build the use of primary sources into their coursework, so the special collections are routinely used by students. I was particularly intrigued by how Marilyn uses materials from the special collections to help students develop their critical thinking skills. For example, there are two late-19th century books in the collection on the subject of whether women should receive a college education, one in favor of women attending college and one arguing against it. By having students examine the arguments in these books, they begin to think more critically about the underlying assumptions and attitudes of these texts, which in turn leads students to think more critically about the messages that surround them in the present world. This discussion with Marilyn lead me to see new possibilities for how special collections can be used to educate undergraduate students, and not just to support the research of graduate students and professional scholars.
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