Reflective Journal

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Reflective Journal

Sandra Findley

April 9, 2012

LI801XR: Foundations of Library & Information Science Professor Dow

Emporia State University

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Journal Entry One Reflect on missions of libraries past and present Knowing how libraries have always been openly accessible to the public in my lifetime, it is hard to fathom that in the beginning, libraries were privatized collections owned and used only by the wealthy and well-educated. The beginning mission of libraries was to store historical archives and to provide places for learning. The missions of libraries changed with the rise of the Roman Empire. It led to the belief that libraries should be available for public use. The invention of the printing press in 1454 furthered the missions of libraries for public use. The printing press made books available to the masses for the first time and thus increased a desire for learning (Rubin, 2010, p. 45). Throughout the history of libraries, one issue has remained true, anytime there has been an increase in the desire for learning, libraries flourish, and new audiences are created for libraries (Rubin, 2010). Many present day missions of libraries are the same as missions of the past. Libraries have always been a place for the storing and retrieval of historic documents. As time progressed, new missions came into place to serve the public in providing access to information, and a place for leisure reading and entertainment (Rubin, 2010). The idea of neutrality in librarianship is not one that should be practiced. It is the obligation of librarians to take a stance and be committed to the protection of intellectual freedom, privacy, and intellectual property. It is the duty of librarians to provide materials and information without bias or censorship. In addition, no one should be denied the right to use the library (Buchanan, 2009). In the past, libraries were geared to serve only the privileged, wealthy, and well-educated. If libraries are turned into privatized, commercialized zones, Im afraid that it will go back to that. The mission of libraries is to serve the public and to help in improving the intellectual

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improvement of people (Rubin, 2010). To charge fees to access information from the library would be denying access to the underprivileged and go against the mission of libraries. Journal Entry Two The value of information professionals Most people are surprised when I tell them that I am going to school to get my masters in library and information science to become a professional librarian. The response I often hear is, You have to have a masters degree to be a librarian?! So many people have the notion that the only things a librarian does all day is check books in and out and read magazines. They do not understand that there is so much more involved in the profession. They do not realize that as information professionals, we have to be knowledgeable about how to find the information that our patrons are seeking. Mason (1990) hits the nail right on the head when he explains the key aspects of a professional: (1) professionals possess specialized knowledge, and (2) they use this knowledge in the service of others. Librarians definitely meet the key aspects of professionals; however, they face many challenges in fulfilling their duties as information professionals. It is important for librarians to get the right information from the right source to the right client at the right time in the form most suitable for the use to which it is to be put and at a cost that is justified by its use (Mason, 1990). Technology has been at the forefront of making it possible for patrons to receive information at the right time. Email, texting, and instant messaging have made it feasible for patrons to request and receive information almost instantaneously and without leaving their homes. Technology is ever-evolving and provides libraries the means to provide some really amazing services; however, the downside of technology is the cost involved. With budget restraints and a poor economy at times, it is sometimes difficult for libraries to afford new technology. Libraries also face political challenges. Occasionally board members, or deans, or

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principals are not supportive of libraries or the services they provide so funding is cut, and libraries have to make do with what they are given. There are many challenges that librarians face, but they still do everything possible to meet patrons needs. Journal Entry Three Film post For assignment 3, I watched the movie Party Girl (Birckmayer & Koules, 1995). Mary, the main character of the movie, was a twenty-four year old girl who was more concerned about partying and clothes than having a career and making something of her life. In the beginning of the movie she was arrested during a party she was throwing. She was smoking marijuana in front a police officer who took her in to jail. One of the many things she was charged with was possession of pirated videos and cassettes. This goes against the ethics of intellectual property. According to Buchanan and Henderson (2009), piracy is the copying and distribution of anothers copyrighted content movies, music, software, etc. (pg. 73). Piracy is making a copy of someones work for free and, therefore, basically stealing another persons work. Not everyone understands this concept since it is so easy to copy such things as music and movies over the Internet nowadays. It is our job, as professionals, to help patrons understand ethical information conduct. Piracy is not the only irresponsible behavior that Mary demonstrates in the movie. After being arrested, Mary calls her godmother, Judy, to bail her out of jail. Judy ends up giving Mary a job as a library clerk where she is the head librarian. In the beginning, Mary has no respect for the library. She is just working there to pay Judy back and to prove her wrong about her inability to be a library clerk. One night as the library is closing, a young man that Mary is interested in stops by to find information about teaching. Mary starts helping him and they end up having sex in the library. It was storming and Mary forgot to close the windows before leaving. Several

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books end up getting wet and ruined, many of them classics. Judy was livid upon finding the ruined books in the morning. Mary is remorseful for her carelessness, but Judy wants to fire her nonetheless. However, Mary convinces Judy to give her another chance and in the end discovers she wants to be a professional librarian. Journal Entry Four The importance of evaluating resources As I ponder my career path, I think about how important it is in our field to provide patrons with the correct information they are seeking. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to be relevant and prove how essential libraries are. It is our duty as librarians to evaluate the usefulness of resources and to provide our patrons with a collection pertinent to their needs. LIS professionals have a huge responsibility to meet users needs by conducting an effective interview to find out exactly what is wanted and needed. They have to find a balance between finding enough information without overloading the patron with too much information. According to Rubin, effectively assessing information wants and needs requires knowledge of how people search for information and how they learn, as well as how to evaluate the degree to which the proffered information satisfied the need (p. 275). There is so much that the information professional needs to know and assess before getting requested pieces of information. The main reason that people seek information is for personal reasons such as solving dayto-day problems, job-related issues, household maintenance issues, etc. Providing the correct information can affect these issues greatly. Information can help people in the decision making process or save them money. A point that I found interesting in the Rubin textbook is the value of information. Information has become a recognized entity to be measured, evaluated, and priced (p. 289). Unfortunately, the importance of the information professional is often

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undervalued. Now people think that they can get all of their information from the web. However, what most people dont realize is that not everything on the web is accurate. Information professionals are needed to evaluate sources and assist patrons in finding the right information. Journal Entry Five Book post The book I read was Mans search for meaning by Viktor Frankl. This is a very sad, yet surprisingly inspirational story about Mr. Frankls life in the concentration camps. When I first started reading the story, I wondered how I was going to relate this to the library and the information life cycle. Of course there is the obvious life cycle to compare it to where man is born, reproduces, and dies; however, I knew I needed to dig deeper. The word that stands out the most to me in Frankls book is the word survival. It was Frankls belief that man could survive anything as long as he had hope and something to live for, whether that is love for family and friends or even simple pleasures such as hobbies or activities that can give meaning to life (Frankl, 2006). Many of the prisoners of the concentration camps were able to survive the harsh physical conditions they were forced to endure; however, if one would start feeling hopelessness, he would give up and die. Prisoners of the concentration camps had so much taken from them dignity, hope, and they were not allowed to keep any material possessions. Frankl had the manuscript of a book that contained his lifes work taken from him (Frankl, 2006). Preservation of his work was important to him just as it is important to the library to preserve materials. Preservation is one of the ALAs core values. Libraries offer professional development for staff to learn how to properly handle and store library materials. Since many print materials are printed on acid paper, these eventually deteriorate and become unusable. Many libraries are digitizing important collections in order to preserve them (Rubin, 2010).

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Some librarians fear for the survival of print materials as well as the survival of physical libraries. With the tremendous growth of the internet, people turn to the web to retrieve the information they need. With Kindles, iPads, etc., people are downloading books to read instead of going to the library to get them. Even though new technology is widely used, the library is still needed. It may undergo a great transformation; however, it will survive. Journal Entry Six Semester wrap-up I have thoroughly enjoyed my first semester in the SLIM program. After being out of school for a year, it was hard for me to get back into the groove of balancing family, work, and school which included three graduate-level courses. I seriously almost quit at the very beginning of the semester because I felt extremely overwhelmed. However, I stuck it out and I am glad that I did. In this class, one concept that I learned more about were the principles of information ethics which are: respect for intellectual property, respect for privacy, fair representation, and nonmaleficence (Dow, 2008). I already knew a little about this subject; however, I was able to gain a better understanding of it through this course. According to Dow (2008), Seversons four steps are steps that can be followed to practice these principles. Working on our group project as well as listening to the group presentations really drove this concept home. Another concept that I learned is that it is okay to use Wikipedia. Professors from my undergraduate courses as well as the librarians I work with, strongly advise against its use. Because of their strong warnings against it, I believed it to be erroneous and evil and have stayed away. According to Bennington (2008), it is a good place to start and it gives librarians an opportunity to teach information-literacy skills. Also, Wikipedia editors link to other valid information sources that can prove useful to researchers (Bennington, 2008).

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Something that Ive changed my mind about it is the type of librarian I want to be. At first I strictly wanted to do reference; however, Im open to other possibilities such as special libraries or management. Something that has not changed, though, is my commitment to librarianship. It is even stronger than it was at beginning of the semester. I am excited about all of the knowledge I am gaining. History has shown how libraries have evolved over time, and they need to continue transforming in order to stay relevant to meet patrons needs. I am willing to learn and grow along with this transformation. I am firmly committed to serving patrons and meeting all of their information needs.

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References Bennington, A. (2008, August). Dissecting the web through Wikipedia. American Libraries. Birckmayer, H., & Koules, S. (Producers), & Von Scherler Mayer, D. (Director). (1995). Party Girl [Motion Picture]. United States: Lions Gate Films. Buchanan, E.A., & Henderson, K.A. (2009). Case Studies in Library and Information Science Ethics. North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. Dow, M. (2008, December). Teaching ethical behavior in the global world of information and the new AASL standards. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 25, 49-52. Frankl, V. (2006). Mans search for meaning. Boston: Beacon Press Mason, R.O. (1990). What is an information professional? Journal of Education for Library Information Science, 31(2), 122-138. Rubin, R. (2010). Foundations of Library and Information Science. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.