Conclusion

At the beginning of SLIS 5720, I was confident in my internet skills, but not confident using many kinds of equipment.
I still feel that using the internet is my strongest area, and I learned much more about Web 2.0 tools than I expected. I guess even if it was a strength for me before, I didn't know how much else was out there. I've learned a lot about social bookmarking and collaboration tools. I thought I was very experienced on internet searching, but I learned about some great new search engines. I already knew a lot about social networking, but can now see it as something I would use in a library, not just at my personal home.
I also still feel like using equipment is a weakness of mine, but I've gotten much better this semester. I've had more experience with different types of equipment and been able to figure out more things without help.
The biggest change in my individual technology assessment would be my confidence level. Through our projects, I have learned that most of the new technologies and Web 2.0 tools are pretty easy to use and also very helpful. I think before, I used to get scared or just assume something was confusing because I hadn't done it before. Now that I've seen how great these tools are, I will be more likely to try new things and see if they would have a use in my school or library.

The Job of Organizing

Web2.0 allows everybody to organize materials, which does have an impact on librarians. It changes some of the necessary skills that librarians should teach students. I think it makes a librarian even more like a facilitator in the learning process, because Web2.0 tools often allow students to create their own learning and discover things on their own. Of course, first students need to be taught how to use the tools successfully.

Librarians’ jobs will become even more focused on helping students learn how to use Web2.0 tools to find information, evaluate it, and then correctly use the information. Librarians should teach students how to decide if a site or material is accurate, of high quality, and fits its intended use. Librarians must help students determine what tools should be used for various tasks and how they can deal with information overload.

I think that librarians will need to continue to teach students how to use traditional subject headings; now they will just have to teach how to use tags as well. There is value in using both tags and subject headings. One is not more helpful than the other at all times--each is more helpful in certain situations. Tags are very helpful in getting students to analyze information. They help students to make sense of and remember information. They are easy to learn how to use and they allow learning to be collaborative, but tags do not necessarily bring students the highest quality, most relevant information. Subject headings are harder to learn, but because they are standardized, will usually bring high-quality, accurate sources.

The Machine is Us/ing Us

I think Professor Welch gave the video this title to illustrate that while we use and need the machine, the machine cannot do everything without us. This makes it seem like the machine is us. We are the machine, or at least part of it, because we tell the machine what we want it to do.

Also, society as a whole can be seen as a machine in the sense that we have become so technology-driven. Web 2.0 gives us all these awesome tools to create, share, and view content, but the content itself cannot be created by Web 2.0--it must be by us.

Also, we are in charge of organizing data on the web, but we use Web 2.0 tools to do so, which in turn means we have to teach the machine to do what we want. In the process of doing that, the machine learns information about us that it might be able to use. The machine may be using us in the sense that it is able to gather information about us, compromising our privacy. Other issues are authorship and copyright. Until we figure out how to address these issues, to some degree the machine may be using us. That could be part of why he gave this title--if one were to ignore the slash.

Quick Response Codes

How would I use Quick Response Codes in my library?

I'm still learning about QR codes. Even though I have created one and tried to read a lot of information about their use, I feel a little confused. I would like to actually see them being used in a library, because I think that would help me to better understand them.

In my library I would use them for helping students get to databases, online encyclopedias, podcasts, online class quizzes, and other websites more easily and quickly--especially when they would otherwise have to memorize and type the URLs correctly. I know that many of my students get stuck when they forget a letter in a website address and can't find their mistake. I would also use them to allow students to access eBooks, if my library has them. I think they could also be used to help students locate and track physical items in the library. It would really help students find materials when no one is available to help them, or if they don't want to wait until I'm done helping someone else. For teachers and students, I would QR codes to give extra information on materials or specific instructions that go with equipment. Finally, I think QR codes could be used in a library for checking out and renewing materials.

Individual Technology Assessment

As an educator, my current strengths with technology are mostly related to internet use. It has been a big part of both my personal life and work life for many years. I am able to find credible sites and internet activities for my students. I have been successful in teaching my students to return to those sites and activities individually.

I have weaknesses with some of the other equipment that I use. I have an ELMO projector that frequently gives me problems. I usually try many different things to make it work, but occasionally still have to call someone for help. Also, uploading things to a computer from digital cameras and Flip Video recorders doesn’t always go smoothly for me. Another area of weakness I have is sharing things between my PC at home and my Mac at work. Sometimes I prepare things on one computer and am not always able to open it on another computer, so I guess I struggle with compatibility issues. Finally, I would say that I don’t have the opportunity to regularly use many different types of technology, so some equipment is completely new to me. For example, I have never used a scanner or a video camera other than a Flip Video recorder.

I plan to use my strengths by continuing to teach students how to successfully navigate computer programs, databases, and internet sites. I also plan to teach students more skills in evaluating information they have found and using computer programs to complete projects.

I plan to address my weaknesses by studying all the equipment and all the course material. I plan to practice using all the equipment and ask for help when I can’t solve a technology problem.

Santa Fe Springs City Library Renovation

Besides simply making the library larger, several features were added to make the library environment more pleasing and welcoming to members of the community.

Inside, a reading lounge with a fireplace was added to create an inviting, cozy feeling. The lighting was changed in order to allow more sunlight into the building. This has the effect of creating a cheerful space. A new seating area was added around Cafe Libro, a cafe serving coffee, pastries, candy, and other foods approved by the Santa Fe Springs City Council. The cafe meets user needs for refreshments without them having to leave the building. These changes might seem small, but I believe they have a pronounced effect on how likely someone is to visit the library. People tend to avoid cold, unfriendly places, but these additions add a feeling of being comfortably at home. The food and drink options are an added convenience, and likely to keep visitors at the library, sine they won't need to leave for refreshments.

In the expansion, a new adult reading lounge was added, and teen and children areas were expanded. This was done to give each group an environment more suited to its needs. The adults can have needed peace and quiet. The children and teens now have more space and materials available to them. I think this is useful, because many adults who do not have children come to the library expecting to read and work distraction-free. More materials for young readers is always a bonus.

Another addition to the library is the outdoor Cesar Chavez Literacy Garden. Seating in this area was made from recycled tires and batteries. The garden provides an outdoor reading option for patrons, but can also be used for youth activities, such as storytime and crafts. The reading garden may add value for many users. The weather in Santa Fe Springs is nice most of the year, and this is just another incentive for community members to use the library. While it may not have added value or usefulness, I believe many people will appreciate the "green" approach used in furnishing the area.

Finally, technology updates were made. The library now uses Encore as a search tool. Self-checkout kiosks were also added. I believe that these are two of the most important changes that add the most value. Encore will help users find what they need more quickly and kiosks will eliminate waiting in long lines to check out materials. The last technology feature added was a TV screen, which displays CNN during library hours. People today like to be connected to the world and up-to-date on current events, so many users will appreciate the TV.

After a summer focused mostly on academic libraries, at first glance some of these changes seemed trivial and not too useful. I thought maybe the renovation was unnecessary. However, upon consideration, I realized that the library and city council were aware of what community members needed and wanted from their library. $5 million is a lot to spend, and the renovation wouldn't have happened if it was not widely supported.

So far, user responses to the new library have been very positive. It was excellent planning in the sense that the building was made to handle growth that may occur for many years in the future.

Santa Fe Springs is a community of about 17,000 located just southwest of Los Angeles. In Spring 2009, the Santa Fe Springs City Council approved a $5 million renovation project for the Santa Fe Springs City Library. The library serves 176,000 people a year. The goal of the renovation was to provide more of a community environment. The library wanted to become a more functional place for people in the community to gather. The expansion was necessary in order to support growth in print collections. The library also planned for a growth in digital resources. The new building was designed to support sustained growth for twenty years or longer. The renovation of the 51 year old, 15,000 square-foot library involved gutting the building and completely remodeling. The library closed June 22, 2009 and reopened in July 2010. An outdoor garden and library architecture to allow more sunlight inside the library were part of the renovation. New areas and rooms were created, and many features were added to support user needs. This will be discussed more in the next post.