This is a fantastic idea - hoping some school librarians will take a cue from this. Teens need incentive to use library technology resources. Ebooks are a GREAT incentive!
http://www.slj.com/2014/05/books-media/publishing/california-town-librarian-leads-project-for-high-schoolers-to-publish-e-book/#_
Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, Sacramento Public Library Central Branch
Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, Sacramento Public Library, Central Branch
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014
Sacramento Room Wrap-Up
May 15th: Sacramento Room
Today I finished the EAD for the finding guide/aid to the Guth Family Papers. The archivist has sent it off to Collection Services for review and upload into the library catalog. Eventually it will find its way into the Online Archive of California - browse under Sacramento Public Library, Guth Family Papers and you'll see it there soon! It's nice that I can claim authorship to this guide.
This internship has really provided some valuable experience and helped validate my desire to go onto graduate school and focus on archival/special collections librarianship as a career path. I appreciate the time that both the SPL archivist and other special collections librarians spent training me how to use digital collections software and reference material for archival processing. I've learned that the field of archives and special collections librarianship continues to evolve and demands that professionals be adaptable to changes in digital technology. It requires a researcher's and historian's mentality plus strong visual orientation/love for art and the ability to process detailed computer metadata. I feel I possess all of these qualities and look forward to future internships/volunteer opportunities where I can continue to apply what I have learned from my experience in the Sacramento Room.
Today I finished the EAD for the finding guide/aid to the Guth Family Papers. The archivist has sent it off to Collection Services for review and upload into the library catalog. Eventually it will find its way into the Online Archive of California - browse under Sacramento Public Library, Guth Family Papers and you'll see it there soon! It's nice that I can claim authorship to this guide.
This internship has really provided some valuable experience and helped validate my desire to go onto graduate school and focus on archival/special collections librarianship as a career path. I appreciate the time that both the SPL archivist and other special collections librarians spent training me how to use digital collections software and reference material for archival processing. I've learned that the field of archives and special collections librarianship continues to evolve and demands that professionals be adaptable to changes in digital technology. It requires a researcher's and historian's mentality plus strong visual orientation/love for art and the ability to process detailed computer metadata. I feel I possess all of these qualities and look forward to future internships/volunteer opportunities where I can continue to apply what I have learned from my experience in the Sacramento Room.
Last Days in School Library
May 12th-14th: School Library
Spent the last of my hours in the middle school library re-arranging and shelving fiction books in between student CASSP testing. Although I had previously pulled the paperbacks to create a display, the teacher librarian did not approve of this approach. Without additional supplies to repair and rebind the damaged titles, the best I can do is weed those copies out and set them aside for the librarian to decide what to do with them. It's too bad because I am taking a book-binding and repair workshop at Natomas Charter School this Friday (May 23rd) - was hoping to apply those skills to this position but perhaps I can apply them in another library environment.
Ironically, on my last day of work (May 14th) I was able to do some reference work for a student who was doing a last minute report on Hitler. He came to me saying that he had checked the McKinley public library and that ALL of the books and biographies on Hitler had been checked out. A quick scan of our school's biography shelves indicated that the school's one copy on Hitler was also missing (popular subject!). So I educated the young man about the wonderful reference sources with biographical information - the school actually has an impressive collection of these sources. We eventually found a Grolier International Biography book on military leaders with a number of pages on Hitler's life. Plus I was also able to find a related books about Hitler's life as a child and World War II history. In the end, I think the student was satisfied with the information I was able to find for him.
I have found from my work experience in a middle school library that being a library technician can be rewarding from the service you provide the students. While they might not always show it, the kids do appreciate someone being there behind the circulation desk who is always available if they have a research, book, or computer question. Sadly many public schools today are lacking that familiar and helpful person in the library - whether it be a librarian, library technician, or even a parent volunteer. Until districts and faculty place a higher priority and respect for their libraries the status of public school libraries will continue to decline in my opinion. Unless you're truly committed to earning a teacher librarian credential, I do not recommend school library media specialist as a career or vocational path. However, I'm very grateful for the experience :).
Spent the last of my hours in the middle school library re-arranging and shelving fiction books in between student CASSP testing. Although I had previously pulled the paperbacks to create a display, the teacher librarian did not approve of this approach. Without additional supplies to repair and rebind the damaged titles, the best I can do is weed those copies out and set them aside for the librarian to decide what to do with them. It's too bad because I am taking a book-binding and repair workshop at Natomas Charter School this Friday (May 23rd) - was hoping to apply those skills to this position but perhaps I can apply them in another library environment.
Ironically, on my last day of work (May 14th) I was able to do some reference work for a student who was doing a last minute report on Hitler. He came to me saying that he had checked the McKinley public library and that ALL of the books and biographies on Hitler had been checked out. A quick scan of our school's biography shelves indicated that the school's one copy on Hitler was also missing (popular subject!). So I educated the young man about the wonderful reference sources with biographical information - the school actually has an impressive collection of these sources. We eventually found a Grolier International Biography book on military leaders with a number of pages on Hitler's life. Plus I was also able to find a related books about Hitler's life as a child and World War II history. In the end, I think the student was satisfied with the information I was able to find for him.
I have found from my work experience in a middle school library that being a library technician can be rewarding from the service you provide the students. While they might not always show it, the kids do appreciate someone being there behind the circulation desk who is always available if they have a research, book, or computer question. Sadly many public schools today are lacking that familiar and helpful person in the library - whether it be a librarian, library technician, or even a parent volunteer. Until districts and faculty place a higher priority and respect for their libraries the status of public school libraries will continue to decline in my opinion. Unless you're truly committed to earning a teacher librarian credential, I do not recommend school library media specialist as a career or vocational path. However, I'm very grateful for the experience :).
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Fun with EAD!
May 11th - Sacramento Room
On Mother's Day (yes, this was difficult) I faithfully volunteered again in the Sacramento Room to put in a few hours converting the finding aid I've written for MC 32 (George Guth Family Papers) into XML language. The conversion is done according to a reference standard known as encoded archival description (EAD) - essentially 'cataloguing' for archives. Following a template provided by the archivist, I assigned EAD tags for each component of the finding aid (collection title, description, abstract, extent, etc.) that will allow for the guide to eventually be viewable on the Online Archive of California. The Online Archive of California (OAC) provides free public access to primary sources—including manuscripts, photographs, artwork, scientific data and more—through more than 20,000 collection guides and 200,000 digitized images and documents. Some of Sacramento Room collection guides/finding aids that have already been uploaded onto the OAC website can be found at http://www.oac.cdlib.org/institutions/Sacramento+Public+Library.
The Online Archive of California also provides an guide for best practices in EAD, which can be found here: http://www2.archivists.org/groups/technical-subcommittee-on-encoded-archival-description-ead/encoded-archival-description-ead
Once my finding aid for the Guth Family Papers is encoded properly, it will be sent to the Library's Collection Services for a catalog record to be created - it will then eventually be uploaded onto OAC, completing my third objective for this semester's volunteer position in the Sacramento Room.
On Mother's Day (yes, this was difficult) I faithfully volunteered again in the Sacramento Room to put in a few hours converting the finding aid I've written for MC 32 (George Guth Family Papers) into XML language. The conversion is done according to a reference standard known as encoded archival description (EAD) - essentially 'cataloguing' for archives. Following a template provided by the archivist, I assigned EAD tags for each component of the finding aid (collection title, description, abstract, extent, etc.) that will allow for the guide to eventually be viewable on the Online Archive of California. The Online Archive of California (OAC) provides free public access to primary sources—including manuscripts, photographs, artwork, scientific data and more—through more than 20,000 collection guides and 200,000 digitized images and documents. Some of Sacramento Room collection guides/finding aids that have already been uploaded onto the OAC website can be found at http://www.oac.cdlib.org/institutions/Sacramento+Public+Library.
The Online Archive of California also provides an guide for best practices in EAD, which can be found here: http://www2.archivists.org/groups/technical-subcommittee-on-encoded-archival-description-ead/encoded-archival-description-ead
Once my finding aid for the Guth Family Papers is encoded properly, it will be sent to the Library's Collection Services for a catalog record to be created - it will then eventually be uploaded onto OAC, completing my third objective for this semester's volunteer position in the Sacramento Room.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Visit to Goodman Library!
May 9th - Goodman Library, Napa County
While awaiting comments from the Sacramento Room archivist on my work, I had a little time today to make a trip to the Goodman Library, home of the Napa County Historical Society, in Napa, California. You can read about the history of this library at http://wordpress.napahistory.org/wordpress/?page_id=1110. Constructed ca 1901/1902, this building is considered the longest continuously operating library in California. Ms. Alexandria Brown, Research Librarian, gave me a tour of the upstairs reading room and archives. I enjoyed my visit and learned of the many volunteer and internship opportunities for students of MLIS/Archival Studies programs. Looking forward to helping out at this library in the future :). The Society has received community grant money to improve collections storage conditions, provide equipment for the transcription of oral histories and digitization of photographs, and updating its online catalog which is run through PastPerfect online (http://napahistory.pastperfect-online.com/37471cgi/mweb.exe?request=ks). It's a treasure trove of local Napa and California history.
While awaiting comments from the Sacramento Room archivist on my work, I had a little time today to make a trip to the Goodman Library, home of the Napa County Historical Society, in Napa, California. You can read about the history of this library at http://wordpress.napahistory.org/wordpress/?page_id=1110. Constructed ca 1901/1902, this building is considered the longest continuously operating library in California. Ms. Alexandria Brown, Research Librarian, gave me a tour of the upstairs reading room and archives. I enjoyed my visit and learned of the many volunteer and internship opportunities for students of MLIS/Archival Studies programs. Looking forward to helping out at this library in the future :). The Society has received community grant money to improve collections storage conditions, provide equipment for the transcription of oral histories and digitization of photographs, and updating its online catalog which is run through PastPerfect online (http://napahistory.pastperfect-online.com/37471cgi/mweb.exe?request=ks). It's a treasure trove of local Napa and California history.
Finding Aid & School Fiction Collection Issues
May 6th - Sacramento Room
Spent a few hours today going over the remaining papers in the manuscript collection I'm processing - now officially named MC32. Reviewed two leather-bound ledger books dating from 1884/1885 belonging to the Guth family. Brothers George and John Guth emigrated to California from France ca 1850s. Both ran successful grocery/feed store businesses - the ledger books detail in script business operations (bills, receipts) as well as the information about the genealogy of the family. The archivist will review my finding aid for this collection, make edits, and explain process of EAD coding. Eventually this finding aid will be uploaded onto the Online Archive of California website. Also looking forward to receiving a little more Contentdm training through online tutorials before the end of the semester.
May 7th - School Library
The middle school is currently administering the CORE tests and the library has been reserved by classes for this purpose the last few days. Without direct guidance from a Teacher Librarian, I chose to wait to come in this Students are using the new MacBook Air laptops that were purchased for the middle school. Spent four hours processing backlog of returned books and reorganizing fiction collection per instruction of Teacher Librarian. The fiction collection is in serious need of weeding but no progress has been made on this to date (not for lack of trying on my part :) ). At least the fiction books are in better shape now than when I first found them - looking forward to a book binding and repair workshop at Natomas Charter School on May 23rd. Although I've pretty much taught myself how to mylar wrap and repair book jackets on the job, a document preservation workshop I took at the State Archives last fall provided some handy tips in this respect. My last official day at the middle school library is Wednesday, May 14th.
Spent a few hours today going over the remaining papers in the manuscript collection I'm processing - now officially named MC32. Reviewed two leather-bound ledger books dating from 1884/1885 belonging to the Guth family. Brothers George and John Guth emigrated to California from France ca 1850s. Both ran successful grocery/feed store businesses - the ledger books detail in script business operations (bills, receipts) as well as the information about the genealogy of the family. The archivist will review my finding aid for this collection, make edits, and explain process of EAD coding. Eventually this finding aid will be uploaded onto the Online Archive of California website. Also looking forward to receiving a little more Contentdm training through online tutorials before the end of the semester.
May 7th - School Library
The middle school is currently administering the CORE tests and the library has been reserved by classes for this purpose the last few days. Without direct guidance from a Teacher Librarian, I chose to wait to come in this Students are using the new MacBook Air laptops that were purchased for the middle school. Spent four hours processing backlog of returned books and reorganizing fiction collection per instruction of Teacher Librarian. The fiction collection is in serious need of weeding but no progress has been made on this to date (not for lack of trying on my part :) ). At least the fiction books are in better shape now than when I first found them - looking forward to a book binding and repair workshop at Natomas Charter School on May 23rd. Although I've pretty much taught myself how to mylar wrap and repair book jackets on the job, a document preservation workshop I took at the State Archives last fall provided some handy tips in this respect. My last official day at the middle school library is Wednesday, May 14th.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
I Street Press Book Publishing Workshop
May 3rd - Sacramento Public Library, Central Branch
OK, so technically this isn't part of my volunteer duties at the Sacramento Room, but I could not pass up the invitation from Special Projects Librarian Gerald Ward to sit in on a I Street Press book publishing workshop offered today from 10am-3pm. Mr. Ward did an amazing job walking a class of roughly 10-12 students through the process of developing a book block and cover using MS Word. There were some source of frustration, pagination and even/odd page breaks are a tricky component of developing the block. However, we had a little more fun developing our covers. I'm writing a publication about the history of Hawaiian/Native families along the Sacramento River from 1839-1916 - you can read more about that project on my blog at http://muliwai.blogspot.com/
After working on our book blocks and covers, Mr. Ward took us up to the second floor to watch a book being printed via the Espresso Book Machine of the I Street Press. The whole process took less than a couple minutes - the pics below show the finished product. Have to admit after watching how easy it is to publish through I Street Press that I'm hooked
OK, so technically this isn't part of my volunteer duties at the Sacramento Room, but I could not pass up the invitation from Special Projects Librarian Gerald Ward to sit in on a I Street Press book publishing workshop offered today from 10am-3pm. Mr. Ward did an amazing job walking a class of roughly 10-12 students through the process of developing a book block and cover using MS Word. There were some source of frustration, pagination and even/odd page breaks are a tricky component of developing the block. However, we had a little more fun developing our covers. I'm writing a publication about the history of Hawaiian/Native families along the Sacramento River from 1839-1916 - you can read more about that project on my blog at http://muliwai.blogspot.com/
After working on our book blocks and covers, Mr. Ward took us up to the second floor to watch a book being printed via the Espresso Book Machine of the I Street Press. The whole process took less than a couple minutes - the pics below show the finished product. Have to admit after watching how easy it is to publish through I Street Press that I'm hooked
Friday, May 2, 2014
San Diego Central Library: Springbreak Experience
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLZeWjLxlwQ&feature=youtu.be
Manuscript Processing - A Juicy Story!
Sunday, April 27th - Sacramento Room
Four hours were spent today writing notes about the manuscript collection I've been assigned. Discovered a fairly juicy related newspaper article that is connected to this collection, which has added a whole other dimension. The main content of this collection are abstracts of records pertaining to the estate owned at Lot 8, N and O Streets, 20th and 21st street between 1848 to ca 1911/1912. The second item in this collection is a black, leather bound ledger book with a signature of "Mrs. Emelia Sprague" written on the front cover - this book tells a rather personal and tragic story of the Lavine Family and estate. Mrs. Anna and Emil Lavine lived the property on the North half of Lot 8 until they divorced in 1886. Anna owned the mortgage/lien on the property via Germania Building and Loan Association, the prominent broker/banker of the time in Sacramento. She then married a man named Louis Ziegler in 1888 and then died suddenly on August 26, 1889. The Sacramento Daily Union article, which I found in the California Digital Newspaper Collection, details the story of her untimely death by arsenic poisoning:
http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SDU18890828.2.32&srpos=1&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-Anna+Ziegler-----
Four hours were spent today writing notes about the manuscript collection I've been assigned. Discovered a fairly juicy related newspaper article that is connected to this collection, which has added a whole other dimension. The main content of this collection are abstracts of records pertaining to the estate owned at Lot 8, N and O Streets, 20th and 21st street between 1848 to ca 1911/1912. The second item in this collection is a black, leather bound ledger book with a signature of "Mrs. Emelia Sprague" written on the front cover - this book tells a rather personal and tragic story of the Lavine Family and estate. Mrs. Anna and Emil Lavine lived the property on the North half of Lot 8 until they divorced in 1886. Anna owned the mortgage/lien on the property via Germania Building and Loan Association, the prominent broker/banker of the time in Sacramento. She then married a man named Louis Ziegler in 1888 and then died suddenly on August 26, 1889. The Sacramento Daily Union article, which I found in the California Digital Newspaper Collection, details the story of her untimely death by arsenic poisoning:
http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SDU18890828.2.32&srpos=1&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-Anna+Ziegler-----
The timing and circumstances of the death, coupled with the value of the real estate, are suspicious - there's implication here that Anna's ex-husband Emil Lavine may have been guilty of foul play - but we'll never know. Great material for the Sacramento Room's storytelling programs though!
After Anna's death, the Lavine/Ziegler estate would become a tug-of-war in the courts between Emil Lavine (the former husband) and Louis Ziegler (the widowed husband). The abstract records indicate Mr. Lavine assumed guardianship over his children and responsibility for their mother's debt obligations. Durham Sprague was a surety for the bond issued to Mr. Lavine for paying money owed to Germania Building and Loan. The person or company providing the promise to assume responsibility for the debt obligation of a borrower (if borrower defaults) is also known as a "surety" or as a "guarantor". Mrs. Emelia Sprague was Mr. Sprague's wife.
Manuscript Collection & SPL Volunteer Luncheon
April 24th - Sacramento Room & SPL Volunteer Luncheon
Today I've begun processing a small manuscript collection associated with a local small owner business date from the late 1800s. The collection comprises a set of ledger books and abstract of title/chain of title legal records. I will be creating a simple finding aid using example from the Online Archive of California/Calisphere and learning about Encoded Archival Description (EAD) tags so the finding aid and collection may be digitized in a way that can be searched via the Online Archive or the Sacramento Room's/Sacramento Public Library's Digital Collections. I've been directed to read a number of links including:
http://www2.archivists.org/profession
http://www.loc.gov/ead/eaddev.html
http://www.cdlib.org/services/dsc/contribute/docs/oacbpgead v2-0.pdf
http://eadiva.com
This Thursday I only spent 2 hours volunteering but I will spend another 4 hours on Sunday, April 27th.
Got in a little networking and fun at the library today as well. As a volunteer of the Sacramento Room, I attended the Sacramento Public Library Annual Volunteer Appreciation luncheon in the Tsakopolous Library Galleria. I thought this was a perfect opportunity to bring my son to one of my favorite places to work :). Here are some pics from that event - the Wizard of Oz theme was awesome!
Saturday, April 26, 2014
April 7th-23rd: Catching Up!
School Library
My last post was dated April 6th and a lot has happened since then. I worked a total of 8 hours at my school library position on Monday, April 7th and Tuesday, April 8th. There was nothing new to report with my work at the middle school during this time - other than a steady increasing use of the library during the lunch hour. Students are being more conscientious about returning their books on time.
I did not work over Spring Break, however returned to my job on Monday, April 21st at the middle school. I spent a great deal of time over the next three days educating students on the call number/dewey decimal system - they seem to have forgotten over the semester! An English teacher at the school has given the students a "Next Bestseller" assignment in which they needed to select a recent, popular/high recommended title for teens, read it, and write a review. I quickly discovered that the students needed guidance in using the catalog online, deciphering call numbers, and choosing a good book based on inside cover notes, genre, etc..
Sacramento Room
Thursday, April 10th I was introduced to my third task/objective for my internship at the Sacramento Room - evaluating and processing a small manuscript collection. This appears to be collection of ledger books, personal letters, and legal records for a grocery business in Sacramento going back to the 1880s. I'll be writing up some accession notes and creating a finding aid for this collection. Also determining if there is any extraneous information. More about that in my post dated April 24th.
My last post was dated April 6th and a lot has happened since then. I worked a total of 8 hours at my school library position on Monday, April 7th and Tuesday, April 8th. There was nothing new to report with my work at the middle school during this time - other than a steady increasing use of the library during the lunch hour. Students are being more conscientious about returning their books on time.
I did not work over Spring Break, however returned to my job on Monday, April 21st at the middle school. I spent a great deal of time over the next three days educating students on the call number/dewey decimal system - they seem to have forgotten over the semester! An English teacher at the school has given the students a "Next Bestseller" assignment in which they needed to select a recent, popular/high recommended title for teens, read it, and write a review. I quickly discovered that the students needed guidance in using the catalog online, deciphering call numbers, and choosing a good book based on inside cover notes, genre, etc..
Sacramento Room
Thursday, April 10th I was introduced to my third task/objective for my internship at the Sacramento Room - evaluating and processing a small manuscript collection. This appears to be collection of ledger books, personal letters, and legal records for a grocery business in Sacramento going back to the 1880s. I'll be writing up some accession notes and creating a finding aid for this collection. Also determining if there is any extraneous information. More about that in my post dated April 24th.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
ContentDM Training
April 6th (Sacramento Room)
Today I have chosen to spend my time learning how to use ContentDM and digitization techniques at home with some of my own historic photographs :). Hoping this can be used to create my own digital collections interface for friends and family!
Today I have chosen to spend my time learning how to use ContentDM and digitization techniques at home with some of my own historic photographs :). Hoping this can be used to create my own digital collections interface for friends and family!
Digitizing & Uploading Metadata
April 3rd (Sacramento Room)
Today I received a tutorial in how the Sacramento Room utilizes OCLCs Content DM software to create and manage it's digital collections online. According to the Sacramento Room's digital collections website, (see http://cdm16362.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/about) The Sacramento Room Digitization Project is "made possible by funding from the Sacramento Public Library Foundation, Sacramento Room Endowment, and was launched in October 2010 with the intention of showcasing, in digital form, several choice images from the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room. The project mission is to provide an image-based window into the social, political and economic history of the Greater Sacramento area from the 1840s to the present day. The Digitization Project is also intended to be a dynamic venture, seeking growth through the addition of collections and improvement through staff scholarship and community input."
This image of Mather Aviation School, ca 1920s, is one we chose to upload into the collection as an example: http://cdm16362.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15248coll1/id/3289
Scheduling Challenges/Importance of Communication!!
March 31st-April 2nd (School Library)
So my week in the school library did not get off to a smooth start. When I came in at 9:30am on Monday, March 31st I was surprised by a classroom of students who were waiting to check out their textbook novels assigned by the teacher. This particular class visit was not scheduled on the master library calendar maintained by the teacher librarian on MS Outlook, so I had no way of being prepared for the class. If you've ever had to try and maintain order amongst 30+ teenagers who've already been waiting in line for 5 minutes for their turn at the circulation desk then you'll understand what I was dealing with. They don't all bring their library cards either!
April 1st and 2nd - just trying to keep on top of the returned textbook novels and overdue fiction books that are now starting to grow in number as we approach the end of the school year. Eighth graders are getting the message that their graduation and end of year field trips might be affected by library fines, overdue books, etc.. At the end of 2013, the District's textbook services set the Destiny system to automatically roll over overdue books after a certain amount of time to "lost" status. Just this week I was asked by a student if the we had "The Mazerunner" in our collection - the catalog indicated yes so I checked the shelf and the book wasn't there - when I rechecked the catalog it indicated the one copy had been "Lost". I searched for the last patron who had checked out the book and the Librarian was able to send a notice to that student to return the book immediately. The book showed in the return dropbox at the end of the day :).
Sacramento Room Site Visit
March 27th (Sacramento Room)
Spent an hour today with my instructor and employment supervisor going over what I have accomplished to date. I have accomplished my first objective of learning new techniques for preserving and processing historic photographs - the creation of a photographic accession register for a group of photographs and lithographs is my concrete proof. We discussed the importance of learning the processing for digitizing and uploading the metadata for images into the library's digital collections. Next time I'll be given a tutorial in scanning and uploading photographic metadata using Content DM.
Spent an hour today with my instructor and employment supervisor going over what I have accomplished to date. I have accomplished my first objective of learning new techniques for preserving and processing historic photographs - the creation of a photographic accession register for a group of photographs and lithographs is my concrete proof. We discussed the importance of learning the processing for digitizing and uploading the metadata for images into the library's digital collections. Next time I'll be given a tutorial in scanning and uploading photographic metadata using Content DM.
More School Library Challenges
March 24th-25th (School Library)
Still trying to focus on getting the fiction collection in shape for end-of-the-year inventorying but I can see this will be a challenge. I've needed a diversion from the same old, same old so started brainstorming a few ways of brightening up the library for the month of April. Purchased a few posters from ALA and rearranged the paperback and graphic novels collection. It's not much but it's a start. Just trying to be creative with what I have :).
Still trying to focus on getting the fiction collection in shape for end-of-the-year inventorying but I can see this will be a challenge. I've needed a diversion from the same old, same old so started brainstorming a few ways of brightening up the library for the month of April. Purchased a few posters from ALA and rearranged the paperback and graphic novels collection. It's not much but it's a start. Just trying to be creative with what I have :).
Lithographs of Early Sacramento
March 23 (Sacramento Room)
Today I spent 3 hours covering lithographs of early Sacramento ca 1850s plus an early sketch of Sutter's Fort ca 1862. The processing and description of lithographs are pretty straightforward. Most were engravings used in the Daily Union in news articles covering the Great Flood of 1851. Versions of these same prints are already available in the Sacramento Room's digital collections as well as the Center for Sacramento History's photograph catalog. The key in the review work I'm doing on these lithographs (similar to the photographs) is creating precise descriptions of the images (size dimensions, color vs. b&w, content, pub date, etc.) that can be uploaded with into the digital collections index for its metadata records.
Today I spent 3 hours covering lithographs of early Sacramento ca 1850s plus an early sketch of Sutter's Fort ca 1862. The processing and description of lithographs are pretty straightforward. Most were engravings used in the Daily Union in news articles covering the Great Flood of 1851. Versions of these same prints are already available in the Sacramento Room's digital collections as well as the Center for Sacramento History's photograph catalog. The key in the review work I'm doing on these lithographs (similar to the photographs) is creating precise descriptions of the images (size dimensions, color vs. b&w, content, pub date, etc.) that can be uploaded with into the digital collections index for its metadata records.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Photographs and Lithographs
March 20th (Sacramento Room)
I spent an hour discussing my work on the photograph accession register with the library's archivist. So far I've assessed and entered notes for about 16 images. We've agreed that I'll eventually have the opportunity to scan and upload the metadata into the library's digital collections. I'm working with historians James Scott and Tom Tolley to find out details on some specific images of Mather Aviation School and the Coral Reef Restaurant. Have also come across some cool images of Belle Cooledge in her younger years. My next visit to the Sac Room will happen on Sunday, March 23rd. Next I'll be tackling a collection of lithographs from early Sacramento newspapers - images of the Great Fires and Floods of the 1850s and 60s, early pioneer homes around Sutter's Fort, cool stuff.
I spent an hour discussing my work on the photograph accession register with the library's archivist. So far I've assessed and entered notes for about 16 images. We've agreed that I'll eventually have the opportunity to scan and upload the metadata into the library's digital collections. I'm working with historians James Scott and Tom Tolley to find out details on some specific images of Mather Aviation School and the Coral Reef Restaurant. Have also come across some cool images of Belle Cooledge in her younger years. My next visit to the Sac Room will happen on Sunday, March 23rd. Next I'll be tackling a collection of lithographs from early Sacramento newspapers - images of the Great Fires and Floods of the 1850s and 60s, early pioneer homes around Sutter's Fort, cool stuff.
School Library Week, Paperbacks, & Webinars
March 18th and 19th (School Library)
I'm in spring cleaning mode! I'm shifting a few things around and creating new displays not only to celebrate National Poetry Month (I love the ideas provided at http://teacher.scholastic.com/poetry/) but also National Library Week and hopefully draw attention to books that students might not be aware of in the collection. There are no new funds available this year to purchase new fiction titles for the collection. In addition, the school has decided again this year to pass on organizing/hosting a Scholastic Book Fair. That being said, the students are still asking when the library will acquire new titles ("Divergent" is a popular request!!). My frequent readers have quickly exhausted the stack of titles that were acquired in 2010/2011. I feel for them and am trying to come up with some alternatives.
One solution has been to create a new shelf just for paperback titles alone. I like the approach that public libraries like Belle Cooledge Community Library have taken in attracting teen/young adult readers with their paperback readers. So I've decided to model this approach. By rotating the paperbacks out of the normal hardback collection and into their own separate space I'm hoping this will keep the frequent readers satisfied :).
The district's tech services this year updated their call numbering system for paperbacks, adding a "PBK" before FIC and the first three letters of the authors last name. This creates a disconnect in the call numbering for paperbacks in our school's collection. For example, in the Hunger Games series - we have paperbacks labeled FIC COL vs. PBK FIC COL. This disconnect might exist for a while until I have the opportunity to update the labels and change the records accordingly in the Destiny system (which I probably won't be able to do during this internship because Library Techs/Assistants do not have permission to update or correct catalog records in the system). I'm essentially sacrificing strict adherence to the Dewey Decimal shelving systems to get the kids excited about visiting their school library again. I would argue it's working so far.
In addition I've decided recently to take full advantage of all the free webinars and advice that the American Library Association offers for school libraries and librarians. Through Booklist Online (see http://www.booklistonline.com/Default.aspx) I've signed up for several webinars (complete current list at http://www.booklistonline.com/webinars). I'm particularly interested in the ones on weeding and literacy solutions for struggling readers. The fiction and non-fiction collection at our middle school's library is in desperate need of weeding - I can only make recommendations based on the advice and tips I'm reading from School Library Journal, the American Library Association, and elsewhere. Ultimately, however, the school's teacher librarian needs to make the final call on what is culled from the collection.
One solution has been to create a new shelf just for paperback titles alone. I like the approach that public libraries like Belle Cooledge Community Library have taken in attracting teen/young adult readers with their paperback readers. So I've decided to model this approach. By rotating the paperbacks out of the normal hardback collection and into their own separate space I'm hoping this will keep the frequent readers satisfied :).
The district's tech services this year updated their call numbering system for paperbacks, adding a "PBK" before FIC and the first three letters of the authors last name. This creates a disconnect in the call numbering for paperbacks in our school's collection. For example, in the Hunger Games series - we have paperbacks labeled FIC COL vs. PBK FIC COL. This disconnect might exist for a while until I have the opportunity to update the labels and change the records accordingly in the Destiny system (which I probably won't be able to do during this internship because Library Techs/Assistants do not have permission to update or correct catalog records in the system). I'm essentially sacrificing strict adherence to the Dewey Decimal shelving systems to get the kids excited about visiting their school library again. I would argue it's working so far.
In addition I've decided recently to take full advantage of all the free webinars and advice that the American Library Association offers for school libraries and librarians. Through Booklist Online (see http://www.booklistonline.com/Default.aspx) I've signed up for several webinars (complete current list at http://www.booklistonline.com/webinars). I'm particularly interested in the ones on weeding and literacy solutions for struggling readers. The fiction and non-fiction collection at our middle school's library is in desperate need of weeding - I can only make recommendations based on the advice and tips I'm reading from School Library Journal, the American Library Association, and elsewhere. Ultimately, however, the school's teacher librarian needs to make the final call on what is culled from the collection.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Creating Attractive Library Displays
March 10-12th (School Library)
This week I put in substantial time (12 hours total) thinking of ways to update the look of our middle school library and attract more readers. My academic supervisor came to visit our library on Wednesday, March 12th and had some great ideas! I'm partial to historical fiction, and had already been leaning towards developing a reading 'nook' for the middle schoolers with historical fiction novels. Although I have a curator background I've been afraid to apply that creativity towards the school library until now for various reasons. It helps to have other library professionals validate the work you do and that validation is something I've been lacking until now. That was definitely the spark I needed :)
The month of April is big for school libraries. April is National Poetry Month and National School Library week is April 13-19th (http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek). Ironically the school is closed for spring vacation the week of April 13-19th. However, I'm doing all I can to promote the poetry and historical fiction collections to tie in with the national celebrations. I purchased a few posters off of the American Library Association website with the intent of created a Helen Keller living history/poetry display. I'll put up a few famous quotes from historical writers and poets - however I'm going to have the kids post their own favorite writings/quotes and make the display interactive. I'm also going the extra mile for book displays and plan to continue re-shelving the fiction collection to make the books more accessible for the students. As a library technician with very limited hours in the school library, I can only accomplish so much. Processing and re-wrapping of the books continues and so does patron circulation.
This week I put in substantial time (12 hours total) thinking of ways to update the look of our middle school library and attract more readers. My academic supervisor came to visit our library on Wednesday, March 12th and had some great ideas! I'm partial to historical fiction, and had already been leaning towards developing a reading 'nook' for the middle schoolers with historical fiction novels. Although I have a curator background I've been afraid to apply that creativity towards the school library until now for various reasons. It helps to have other library professionals validate the work you do and that validation is something I've been lacking until now. That was definitely the spark I needed :)
The month of April is big for school libraries. April is National Poetry Month and National School Library week is April 13-19th (http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek). Ironically the school is closed for spring vacation the week of April 13-19th. However, I'm doing all I can to promote the poetry and historical fiction collections to tie in with the national celebrations. I purchased a few posters off of the American Library Association website with the intent of created a Helen Keller living history/poetry display. I'll put up a few famous quotes from historical writers and poets - however I'm going to have the kids post their own favorite writings/quotes and make the display interactive. I'm also going the extra mile for book displays and plan to continue re-shelving the fiction collection to make the books more accessible for the students. As a library technician with very limited hours in the school library, I can only accomplish so much. Processing and re-wrapping of the books continues and so does patron circulation.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
School Librarian as Instructional Coach
March 3-5th (School Library):
This week I spent 3 hours on M, T, and W in the school library. I'm still continuing my task of updating the fiction inventory with new call number labels and mylar wrapping. I feel that student patron use/circulation of fiction books is on the rise as a result. Popular books continue to be graphic novels, new paperbacks, and historical fiction.
I recently found a quote off the School Library Journal website that is fitting:
"There is a critical role for both school and community librarians in the transition to digital,” says Sara Hall, director of the Center for Digital Learning at the Alliance for Excellent Education. “Whether they’re librarians or media specialists, they’re often becoming instructional coaches leading the transition."
http://schoollibraryjournal.tumblr.com/post/78507933315/there-is-a-critical-role-for-both-school-and
I'm realizing more and more everyday that teachers and faculty are relying on the librarians to help them navigate the use of digital technology for the classroom. As a school library media specialist, not just a library technician, I've been given an added responsibility of assisting staff with digital resources. This week I spent a good deal of time explaining to students and teachers how to use the HP notebooks, connecting to WiFi, and accessing online databases/archives of historical images for educational use. I've also discovered a few nifty techno tools in the process. One is Discovery Education Streaming http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ and the other is Atomic Learning online technology tutorials available to scusd employees on the District's employee intranet.
Our library has a pretty decent collection of audiovisual material, but it comprises mostly VHS tapes. Most of the teachers are looking for DVD copies of certain movies (e.g. The Outsiders) and if the library is lacking these resources, the teachers are looking elsewhere. Discovery Streaming appears to be one source. I predict that the audiovisual collection for the library will soon become obsolete as more and more faculty switch to other sources for their audiovisual educational media. I don't see the reference material as becoming so irrelevant, however. Many teachers are still requesting that their classes have time to use specific print references on subjects like science, medicine, careers, and U.S. government. Common core, however, may change that practice next year. New desktop PCs in the library would really help facilitate the transition!
This week I spent 3 hours on M, T, and W in the school library. I'm still continuing my task of updating the fiction inventory with new call number labels and mylar wrapping. I feel that student patron use/circulation of fiction books is on the rise as a result. Popular books continue to be graphic novels, new paperbacks, and historical fiction.
I recently found a quote off the School Library Journal website that is fitting:
"There is a critical role for both school and community librarians in the transition to digital,” says Sara Hall, director of the Center for Digital Learning at the Alliance for Excellent Education. “Whether they’re librarians or media specialists, they’re often becoming instructional coaches leading the transition."
http://schoollibraryjournal.tumblr.com/post/78507933315/there-is-a-critical-role-for-both-school-and
I'm realizing more and more everyday that teachers and faculty are relying on the librarians to help them navigate the use of digital technology for the classroom. As a school library media specialist, not just a library technician, I've been given an added responsibility of assisting staff with digital resources. This week I spent a good deal of time explaining to students and teachers how to use the HP notebooks, connecting to WiFi, and accessing online databases/archives of historical images for educational use. I've also discovered a few nifty techno tools in the process. One is Discovery Education Streaming http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ and the other is Atomic Learning online technology tutorials available to scusd employees on the District's employee intranet.
Our library has a pretty decent collection of audiovisual material, but it comprises mostly VHS tapes. Most of the teachers are looking for DVD copies of certain movies (e.g. The Outsiders) and if the library is lacking these resources, the teachers are looking elsewhere. Discovery Streaming appears to be one source. I predict that the audiovisual collection for the library will soon become obsolete as more and more faculty switch to other sources for their audiovisual educational media. I don't see the reference material as becoming so irrelevant, however. Many teachers are still requesting that their classes have time to use specific print references on subjects like science, medicine, careers, and U.S. government. Common core, however, may change that practice next year. New desktop PCs in the library would really help facilitate the transition!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Sac Photo History Detective
Feb. 27th (Sacramento Room):
Today I continued to play detective in analyzing some early photographs of Sacramento taken in Capitol Park and along K Street. I also looked at an intriguing photo that seems to be image of a reading room for the Women's Christian Temperance Union in Sacramento. This internship requires a lot of research on digital collections websites including those for the Sacramento Room, the Center for Sacramento Room, the Online Archive of California, and the California State Library. I'm enjoying the research that processing and accessioning these photographs require; although at some point I'd also like to have a shot at actually scanning the photos and uploading the metadata online. Learning a lot more about the early history of Sacramento and the Sacramento Public Library than I ever thought I would :).
Today I continued to play detective in analyzing some early photographs of Sacramento taken in Capitol Park and along K Street. I also looked at an intriguing photo that seems to be image of a reading room for the Women's Christian Temperance Union in Sacramento. This internship requires a lot of research on digital collections websites including those for the Sacramento Room, the Center for Sacramento Room, the Online Archive of California, and the California State Library. I'm enjoying the research that processing and accessioning these photographs require; although at some point I'd also like to have a shot at actually scanning the photos and uploading the metadata online. Learning a lot more about the early history of Sacramento and the Sacramento Public Library than I ever thought I would :).
School PC Challenges/Common Core Fun
February 25th and 26th (School Library)
Both days were a busy blur of challenges related to the school's ongoing Internet connection issues. Aside from the usual checkin/checkout of library books and textbooks, I had to deal with problems related to the HP notebooks that the teachers to teach Language Arts according to new common core standards. Also Wednesday (Feb. 26th) was a Common Core workshop day for math teachers - this meant the library was closed to students while the teachers used the room. I continued my usual effort of updating and replacing the call number labels on fiction book spines. I may have to adjust my objectives - the teacher librarian does not approve of reorganizing the fiction books according to genre. He and I have agreed to meet once a week on Mondays at the end of my shift (12:30pm) and the beginning of his to discuss new tasks and priorities for the collection. We both see a real need to weed collection at some point - many of the library books are in poor condition. Whether or not this task will begin this school year or during the summer is up in the air.
I learned a new feature in Follett's Destiny system that allows you to shave a few minutes off checking out textbook/novel sets to entire classes rather than individually by student. This may help facilitate teacher curriculum schedules in the future.
Both days were a busy blur of challenges related to the school's ongoing Internet connection issues. Aside from the usual checkin/checkout of library books and textbooks, I had to deal with problems related to the HP notebooks that the teachers to teach Language Arts according to new common core standards. Also Wednesday (Feb. 26th) was a Common Core workshop day for math teachers - this meant the library was closed to students while the teachers used the room. I continued my usual effort of updating and replacing the call number labels on fiction book spines. I may have to adjust my objectives - the teacher librarian does not approve of reorganizing the fiction books according to genre. He and I have agreed to meet once a week on Mondays at the end of my shift (12:30pm) and the beginning of his to discuss new tasks and priorities for the collection. We both see a real need to weed collection at some point - many of the library books are in poor condition. Whether or not this task will begin this school year or during the summer is up in the air.
I learned a new feature in Follett's Destiny system that allows you to shave a few minutes off checking out textbook/novel sets to entire classes rather than individually by student. This may help facilitate teacher curriculum schedules in the future.
Monday, February 24, 2014
All in a Three Hour Day's Work!
February 24 (School Library)
Although I only put in three hours of work today, those three hours felt like a microcosm of everything a school librarian has to experience on a typical day - student demands, teacher demands, computer issues, textbook issues, audiovisual demands, and circulation desk processing! I simultaneously processed textbooks for a new student while juggling the requests of multiple students who were researching science careers for a class assignment. I see the teachers relying more and more on the donated HP notebooks, probably due to the fact that the new common core standards have kicked in. I'm encouraged to see that students are still using the reference material in conjunction with Internet resources. I think this speaks to the faculty's dedication towards teaching students appropriate research skills and I commend them!!!
I learned a new feature in Follett Destiny system that I was oblivious too before now. Thankfully the teacher librarian and myself were able to chat for a few minutes so I could get up to speed. Items can be checked out not only by patron but by class list as well. This is helpful when a teacher requests 52 copies of a novel like the Diary of Ann Frank pronto and the principal requires that every book be checked out individually to each student.
I was also encouraged to hear that the teacher librarian likes the way in which I'm relabeling the books with new call numbers and genre labels. It's apparently helping both students and teachers find the material they need more quickly.
The only issue that came up today which caught me off guard was discussion of the acquisition of new reading material for the library. Up until this point I had not been put in a position to evaluate the content of books for their appropriateness in a middle school library collection - that decision had been made by the principal/vice principal and previous librarians. Today it was brought to my attention that a book called "The Things a Brother Knows" by Dana Reinhardt was purchased by the PTSO and donated to the library. http://www.amazon.com/Things-Brother-Knows-Dana-Reinhardt/dp/0375844562 The book was sent to the district's library/textbook services department for processing but the head tech services librarian there took a second look. The call was made that this book is not appropriate for a middle school library collection. Amazon.com quotes the School Library Journal as saying this book is suitable for Grade 8 and up. However, I understand that the middle school must weigh concerns over parental challenges to library material and self-censorship. I've found these websites regarding the issue informative http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=Dealing_with_Challenges&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=11111. and http://www.librarystudentjournal.org/index.php/lsj/article/view/150/279.
Although I only put in three hours of work today, those three hours felt like a microcosm of everything a school librarian has to experience on a typical day - student demands, teacher demands, computer issues, textbook issues, audiovisual demands, and circulation desk processing! I simultaneously processed textbooks for a new student while juggling the requests of multiple students who were researching science careers for a class assignment. I see the teachers relying more and more on the donated HP notebooks, probably due to the fact that the new common core standards have kicked in. I'm encouraged to see that students are still using the reference material in conjunction with Internet resources. I think this speaks to the faculty's dedication towards teaching students appropriate research skills and I commend them!!!
I learned a new feature in Follett Destiny system that I was oblivious too before now. Thankfully the teacher librarian and myself were able to chat for a few minutes so I could get up to speed. Items can be checked out not only by patron but by class list as well. This is helpful when a teacher requests 52 copies of a novel like the Diary of Ann Frank pronto and the principal requires that every book be checked out individually to each student.
I was also encouraged to hear that the teacher librarian likes the way in which I'm relabeling the books with new call numbers and genre labels. It's apparently helping both students and teachers find the material they need more quickly.
The only issue that came up today which caught me off guard was discussion of the acquisition of new reading material for the library. Up until this point I had not been put in a position to evaluate the content of books for their appropriateness in a middle school library collection - that decision had been made by the principal/vice principal and previous librarians. Today it was brought to my attention that a book called "The Things a Brother Knows" by Dana Reinhardt was purchased by the PTSO and donated to the library. http://www.amazon.com/Things-Brother-Knows-Dana-Reinhardt/dp/0375844562 The book was sent to the district's library/textbook services department for processing but the head tech services librarian there took a second look. The call was made that this book is not appropriate for a middle school library collection. Amazon.com quotes the School Library Journal as saying this book is suitable for Grade 8 and up. However, I understand that the middle school must weigh concerns over parental challenges to library material and self-censorship. I've found these websites regarding the issue informative http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=Dealing_with_Challenges&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=11111. and http://www.librarystudentjournal.org/index.php/lsj/article/view/150/279.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
School References/Notebooks/Photographic Forensics
February 18 & 19th (School Library)
Monday (Feb. 17th) was a school holiday. The highlights for Tuesday and Wednesday's work in the library were being asked to put together a reference cart for a teacher whose class will be working on a science career assignment. Yes, this middle school does not have a reference section and a darn good one I might add! Many in education feel that schools should go totally digital with references; however I big to differ. I think students gain a lot of valuable insight into research techniques by going through print reference sources. There are more than encyclopedias and atlases in the collection. At one point the school's former librarian invested heavily in acquiring series of books on subjects such as careers, constitutional amendments, biographical material, etc.. We've found that the best way for the students to access this material is to prepare subject appropriate carts ahead of time.
The other highlight was the opportunity to assist students with an English literature assignment. This was my first experience in assisting faculty with the use of the HP notebook laptops that were donated to the school last year. These notebooks are not the most state-of-the-art but it does give the students the opportunity to use digital technology for their assignments. Many of the students at this school do not have access to computers at home and rarely visit the public library. I am eager to learn more about how to help students fully utilize the digital resources in the library. Up to this point, I feel the administration has been reluctant to allow me to take part in the management/administration of the HP notebooks although they are stored in the library's multimedia/audiovisual room.
Feb. 20th (Sacramento Room/Special Collections)
Today I've started processing a small collection of photographic images, including two glass negatives, a daguerreotype, and a few large black&white prints. The Photograph Accession Register for all digital images in the Sacramento Room collection requires specific information such as title, donor, publication date, a physical description, and summary of the historical context of the photo. I'm essentially doing the detective work on this images by pinpointing the details as best as I can surmise from clues such as the condition of the photograph, age, accompanying handwritten notes, etc. My understanding is that a cataloguer for the library will enter this information as metadata tagged to the photograph's accession number/call number. All of the images will be digitized and uploaded into the Sacramento Room's digital collections database, available at http://cdm16362.contentdm.oclc.org/.
According to the Sacramento Room's website, the Sacramento Room Digitization Project was launched in October 2010 with the intention of showcasing, in digital form, several choice images from the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room. Over 3,000 photographs, postcards and menus formed the original Sacramento Digital Collections which – from beginning to end – took over a year to compile, scan, and describe. In the summer of 2013, Sacramento Public Library established an ongoing relationship with the Capital Campus Public History Program at Sacramento State University. A student intern from the graduate-level public history program assists with all aspects of the digitization project. My role in this digitization project is as a volunteer in evaluating the historical content of the images and ensuring detailed notes are available.
My second bachelor's degree is in history from Sacramento State, while earning my degree I served an internship at the Center for Sacramento History. I'm enjoying experiencing special collections/archives from a public library perspective now as a library science student.
Monday (Feb. 17th) was a school holiday. The highlights for Tuesday and Wednesday's work in the library were being asked to put together a reference cart for a teacher whose class will be working on a science career assignment. Yes, this middle school does not have a reference section and a darn good one I might add! Many in education feel that schools should go totally digital with references; however I big to differ. I think students gain a lot of valuable insight into research techniques by going through print reference sources. There are more than encyclopedias and atlases in the collection. At one point the school's former librarian invested heavily in acquiring series of books on subjects such as careers, constitutional amendments, biographical material, etc.. We've found that the best way for the students to access this material is to prepare subject appropriate carts ahead of time.
The other highlight was the opportunity to assist students with an English literature assignment. This was my first experience in assisting faculty with the use of the HP notebook laptops that were donated to the school last year. These notebooks are not the most state-of-the-art but it does give the students the opportunity to use digital technology for their assignments. Many of the students at this school do not have access to computers at home and rarely visit the public library. I am eager to learn more about how to help students fully utilize the digital resources in the library. Up to this point, I feel the administration has been reluctant to allow me to take part in the management/administration of the HP notebooks although they are stored in the library's multimedia/audiovisual room.
Feb. 20th (Sacramento Room/Special Collections)
Today I've started processing a small collection of photographic images, including two glass negatives, a daguerreotype, and a few large black&white prints. The Photograph Accession Register for all digital images in the Sacramento Room collection requires specific information such as title, donor, publication date, a physical description, and summary of the historical context of the photo. I'm essentially doing the detective work on this images by pinpointing the details as best as I can surmise from clues such as the condition of the photograph, age, accompanying handwritten notes, etc. My understanding is that a cataloguer for the library will enter this information as metadata tagged to the photograph's accession number/call number. All of the images will be digitized and uploaded into the Sacramento Room's digital collections database, available at http://cdm16362.contentdm.oclc.org/.
According to the Sacramento Room's website, the Sacramento Room Digitization Project was launched in October 2010 with the intention of showcasing, in digital form, several choice images from the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room. Over 3,000 photographs, postcards and menus formed the original Sacramento Digital Collections which – from beginning to end – took over a year to compile, scan, and describe. In the summer of 2013, Sacramento Public Library established an ongoing relationship with the Capital Campus Public History Program at Sacramento State University. A student intern from the graduate-level public history program assists with all aspects of the digitization project. My role in this digitization project is as a volunteer in evaluating the historical content of the images and ensuring detailed notes are available.
My second bachelor's degree is in history from Sacramento State, while earning my degree I served an internship at the Center for Sacramento History. I'm enjoying experiencing special collections/archives from a public library perspective now as a library science student.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Archives Fun
February 13th (Sacramento History Room):
Today I started my first day as a volunteer intern for the Sacramento Room inside the Central Library, see http://www.saclibrary.org/Locations/Sacramento-Room/. This internship will provide training with processing, preserving, and cataloging special collections records. My direct supervisor for this internship is Amanda Graham, Archivist for the Sacramento Public Library. My specific duties will include processing a small collection of photographs, entering the metadata in a photograph accession register, and rehousing them in appropriate preservation material if necessary. I may also process a manuscript collection and have an opportunity to learn more about Encoded Archival Description (EAD).
I spent three hours today reading over documents of archival processing and photographic preservation from the UC Libraries system and the National Park Service. I also perused the catalog records for photographs in the Sacramento Public Library's OPAC and descriptions in the Photographs Accession Register.
In 2005 I had a completed an internship for my history degree at the Center for Sacramento History/SAMCC. Although I learned much about archival processing techniques in that position I can see that a lot has changed over the last nine years and that I will need to get up to speed on a whole new way of processing archives. There are new digital tools and technology that archivists use to process metadata. In addition there is a new approach towards processing archives called the "More Product, Less Process" (MPLP) philosophy. This philosophy advocates reducing the backlog of unprocessed special collections by using the minimum of amount processing work to make the collections accessible to the public. Public access to holdings and efficiency are priorities. Since the Sacramento Room is an archives within the Sacramento Public Library system - the emphasis is on making the special collections items immediately accessible the public as much as possible.
I have an interest in pursuing archival studies as a concentration for my MLIS studies at San Jose State University beginning in the fall 2014. This position is great stepping stone towards that objective.
Today I started my first day as a volunteer intern for the Sacramento Room inside the Central Library, see http://www.saclibrary.org/Locations/Sacramento-Room/. This internship will provide training with processing, preserving, and cataloging special collections records. My direct supervisor for this internship is Amanda Graham, Archivist for the Sacramento Public Library. My specific duties will include processing a small collection of photographs, entering the metadata in a photograph accession register, and rehousing them in appropriate preservation material if necessary. I may also process a manuscript collection and have an opportunity to learn more about Encoded Archival Description (EAD).
I spent three hours today reading over documents of archival processing and photographic preservation from the UC Libraries system and the National Park Service. I also perused the catalog records for photographs in the Sacramento Public Library's OPAC and descriptions in the Photographs Accession Register.
In 2005 I had a completed an internship for my history degree at the Center for Sacramento History/SAMCC. Although I learned much about archival processing techniques in that position I can see that a lot has changed over the last nine years and that I will need to get up to speed on a whole new way of processing archives. There are new digital tools and technology that archivists use to process metadata. In addition there is a new approach towards processing archives called the "More Product, Less Process" (MPLP) philosophy. This philosophy advocates reducing the backlog of unprocessed special collections by using the minimum of amount processing work to make the collections accessible to the public. Public access to holdings and efficiency are priorities. Since the Sacramento Room is an archives within the Sacramento Public Library system - the emphasis is on making the special collections items immediately accessible the public as much as possible.
I have an interest in pursuing archival studies as a concentration for my MLIS studies at San Jose State University beginning in the fall 2014. This position is great stepping stone towards that objective.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
School Library Dilemmas
February 11-12th (School Library):
This work week started on a Tuesday on account of the school holiday on Feb. 10th. For some reason, we've had several new 7th grade students transfer to the school this week - which meant checking out stacks of textbooks for each students per their class schedule. Here I was proud of myself that I had written out all four objectives for my paid position this semester - only to quickly realize that finding time to accomplish these objectives will be difficult as we get close to the end of school year. The first reason behind this has to do with teacher rush to get in class novel assignments and textbooks checked in before mid May. The second has to do with not having full dialogue with the certified teacher librarian on site.
On the up side, I have been able to spend considerable time repairing damaged fiction books while relabeling with new call number and genre stickers. I've noticed over the last few weeks that the new genre labels have coincided with an increase in student checkouts of fiction books, particularly the graphic novels and new paperbacks. Re-wrapping the book covers is also boosting the overall look of the collection. Sadly, the school does not have the funds to keep a fresh supply of new paperbacks in the collection every year. However, I spent a little time at the Scholastic Books warehouse in Natomas in December to pick up a few new paperbacks here and there. The library has also benefited from special donations of books from the PTSO.
I have had a request from a history teacher to make 30 copies of Copper Sun by Sharon Draper available to students for a class reading assignment. Again perhaps the PTSO may be able to help. Last year I was bombarded by 8th graders desperate for a copy of the book because all the local public library branches were out - if I'd had a little more heads up I might have been able to scrounge a few more copies from used book sales. Working in a school library, particularly at a middle or high school, requires being in tune with the curriculum in the classroom. If you're not constantly networking/corresponding with the teachers, you're not doing your job. This year I'm trying to see if we can avoid last year's inconveniences.
I'm thinking that the assignment of Copper Sun may be in line with Common Core Standards adopted by California schools this spring. I found this related article interesting http://www.slj.com/2014/02/standards/common-core/librarians-on-the-common-core-cautious-optimism/. I think that Common Core will be good overall for the school librarian profession as there will be greater need for students to develop critical research skills and Internet literacy outside the classroom. I attended a common core workshop on Jack London literature back in October 2013. Although there will be greater emphasis on non-fiction material in language arts studies, there's thankfully still a place for historical fiction novels in the curriculum. As a trained historian, I take comfort in this.
Again as a library tech, my rights to edit item notes, address fines, or weed items in the Destiny system is very limited or nonexistent. Only the certified librarians have full access to all of the cataloging and inventory features in the online catalog. This is somewhat frustrating but I continue to think of ways to be creative with the resources that I have. I'm expected to perform most of the same tasks as the school librarian during the days I'm working at the school.
This work week started on a Tuesday on account of the school holiday on Feb. 10th. For some reason, we've had several new 7th grade students transfer to the school this week - which meant checking out stacks of textbooks for each students per their class schedule. Here I was proud of myself that I had written out all four objectives for my paid position this semester - only to quickly realize that finding time to accomplish these objectives will be difficult as we get close to the end of school year. The first reason behind this has to do with teacher rush to get in class novel assignments and textbooks checked in before mid May. The second has to do with not having full dialogue with the certified teacher librarian on site.
On the up side, I have been able to spend considerable time repairing damaged fiction books while relabeling with new call number and genre stickers. I've noticed over the last few weeks that the new genre labels have coincided with an increase in student checkouts of fiction books, particularly the graphic novels and new paperbacks. Re-wrapping the book covers is also boosting the overall look of the collection. Sadly, the school does not have the funds to keep a fresh supply of new paperbacks in the collection every year. However, I spent a little time at the Scholastic Books warehouse in Natomas in December to pick up a few new paperbacks here and there. The library has also benefited from special donations of books from the PTSO.
I have had a request from a history teacher to make 30 copies of Copper Sun by Sharon Draper available to students for a class reading assignment. Again perhaps the PTSO may be able to help. Last year I was bombarded by 8th graders desperate for a copy of the book because all the local public library branches were out - if I'd had a little more heads up I might have been able to scrounge a few more copies from used book sales. Working in a school library, particularly at a middle or high school, requires being in tune with the curriculum in the classroom. If you're not constantly networking/corresponding with the teachers, you're not doing your job. This year I'm trying to see if we can avoid last year's inconveniences.I'm thinking that the assignment of Copper Sun may be in line with Common Core Standards adopted by California schools this spring. I found this related article interesting http://www.slj.com/2014/02/standards/common-core/librarians-on-the-common-core-cautious-optimism/. I think that Common Core will be good overall for the school librarian profession as there will be greater need for students to develop critical research skills and Internet literacy outside the classroom. I attended a common core workshop on Jack London literature back in October 2013. Although there will be greater emphasis on non-fiction material in language arts studies, there's thankfully still a place for historical fiction novels in the curriculum. As a trained historian, I take comfort in this.
Again as a library tech, my rights to edit item notes, address fines, or weed items in the Destiny system is very limited or nonexistent. Only the certified librarians have full access to all of the cataloging and inventory features in the online catalog. This is somewhat frustrating but I continue to think of ways to be creative with the resources that I have. I'm expected to perform most of the same tasks as the school librarian during the days I'm working at the school.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
"What's a Classic?"
February 5th (School Library)
Today I worked 4.5 hours in the library but things were so busy that I barely had enough time to choke down a decent lunch. When I arrived, I realized I had forgotten about an English teacher's 2nd period class that was coming in to browse the fiction collection for a good read. I had several requests for recommendations - this took me pleasantly by surprise. I was told that one student really liked Gary Paulsen's The Hatchet and was looking for something similar that was challenging to read - I came up with The Transall Saga.
I could be imagining things but it feels like the teachers are more comfortable this year with having their students utilize the library for general class reading assignments beyond the classics, biographies, or history/constitutional amendment research. It tells me that the faculty have a little more confidence in the collection this year and my ability to help students navigate the stacks. However I think the library has also been made "more legitimate" by the rehiring of a credentialed certified teacher librarian on a half-time basis. It might also have to do with the fact of simple accessibility - the library doors are open M-F now from at least 9:30am-2pm. Predictability of hours and familiarity with staff go a long way in making a library functional within a school environment.
A few hours later, just before lunch, I had a young woman walk in and blindly me ask me "What's a classic?" This caught me off guard so I decided to probe a little. "Is this for a class? Do you need it for an assignment?". "Yes!" she says eagerly, "My English teacher wants me to pick a classic. I need a classic. Can you help me?"
OK, so I had to think about this a little - here's a 8th grade student who clearly doesn't know what the word "classic" means in the library/literary world. Sadly, I think in the age where student digital literacy is being emphasized, traditional education in print literature is suffering. The backroom stacks of our library is filled with classic novel sets - To Kill a Mockingbird, Treasure Island, The Hounds of Baskerville, to name a few. Somehow this particular student was yet been given an education of how these works define classic literature. This surprises me as surely she's already been assigned a classic novel in any number of courses - Language Arts, History, Social Sciences.
Yet she has a decent grasp of "genre" so I start from there. What types of book do you like to read? Historical fiction? Mysteries? Sci-fi? "Sci-fi, umm yeah, I like sci-fi," she says indecisively. "OK well who's your favorite sci-fi author?" "Well, I liked The Hunger Games series". So I'm running through my mental list of who's who in the sci-fi literary world - Asimov, Le Guinn, Tolkien - "Well have you read The Hobbit?" "Yeah I have, well wait I think so - I just need a classic though. Can you recommend any?" Sigh - let's take a different tactic, I'm not a sci-fi reader but maybe just recommending any classic will steer her in the right direction - "well I have some favorite classics of my own, how about these?" I pulled Watership Down and The Good Earth off the shelf. She examines the Pearl Buck book - "oh yeah, this looks good" she says, "where is this set?" "In China." "Oh yeah that's great because my teacher said it had to be multicultural classic. Thanks!" Of course, I should have known, uggh.
I'm understanding that as a school library tech, I possibly have a greater role in educating these kids about literature. Concepts like genre and classic seem to be lost on majority of young adults. I'd like to start a literary circle but am told that only the certified teacher librarian is authorized to supervise these. So in the meantime I'm looking for a way to reclassify/reorganize the collection to make it easier for students to understand what it is they're looking for. The genre label identification project, I'm thinking, would be a good way to measure progress towards helping students find what they're looking for. A seems like many school library teachers are moving towards shelving books by genre rather. Again the board http://www.pinterest.com/lauraholton/genre-shelving/ has some interesting ideas.
I may also have to develop some other strategies, like say recommended book lists, to assist both the teachers and students in their assignments.
Today I worked 4.5 hours in the library but things were so busy that I barely had enough time to choke down a decent lunch. When I arrived, I realized I had forgotten about an English teacher's 2nd period class that was coming in to browse the fiction collection for a good read. I had several requests for recommendations - this took me pleasantly by surprise. I was told that one student really liked Gary Paulsen's The Hatchet and was looking for something similar that was challenging to read - I came up with The Transall Saga. I could be imagining things but it feels like the teachers are more comfortable this year with having their students utilize the library for general class reading assignments beyond the classics, biographies, or history/constitutional amendment research. It tells me that the faculty have a little more confidence in the collection this year and my ability to help students navigate the stacks. However I think the library has also been made "more legitimate" by the rehiring of a credentialed certified teacher librarian on a half-time basis. It might also have to do with the fact of simple accessibility - the library doors are open M-F now from at least 9:30am-2pm. Predictability of hours and familiarity with staff go a long way in making a library functional within a school environment.
A few hours later, just before lunch, I had a young woman walk in and blindly me ask me "What's a classic?" This caught me off guard so I decided to probe a little. "Is this for a class? Do you need it for an assignment?". "Yes!" she says eagerly, "My English teacher wants me to pick a classic. I need a classic. Can you help me?"
OK, so I had to think about this a little - here's a 8th grade student who clearly doesn't know what the word "classic" means in the library/literary world. Sadly, I think in the age where student digital literacy is being emphasized, traditional education in print literature is suffering. The backroom stacks of our library is filled with classic novel sets - To Kill a Mockingbird, Treasure Island, The Hounds of Baskerville, to name a few. Somehow this particular student was yet been given an education of how these works define classic literature. This surprises me as surely she's already been assigned a classic novel in any number of courses - Language Arts, History, Social Sciences.
Yet she has a decent grasp of "genre" so I start from there. What types of book do you like to read? Historical fiction? Mysteries? Sci-fi? "Sci-fi, umm yeah, I like sci-fi," she says indecisively. "OK well who's your favorite sci-fi author?" "Well, I liked The Hunger Games series". So I'm running through my mental list of who's who in the sci-fi literary world - Asimov, Le Guinn, Tolkien - "Well have you read The Hobbit?" "Yeah I have, well wait I think so - I just need a classic though. Can you recommend any?" Sigh - let's take a different tactic, I'm not a sci-fi reader but maybe just recommending any classic will steer her in the right direction - "well I have some favorite classics of my own, how about these?" I pulled Watership Down and The Good Earth off the shelf. She examines the Pearl Buck book - "oh yeah, this looks good" she says, "where is this set?" "In China." "Oh yeah that's great because my teacher said it had to be multicultural classic. Thanks!" Of course, I should have known, uggh.I'm understanding that as a school library tech, I possibly have a greater role in educating these kids about literature. Concepts like genre and classic seem to be lost on majority of young adults. I'd like to start a literary circle but am told that only the certified teacher librarian is authorized to supervise these. So in the meantime I'm looking for a way to reclassify/reorganize the collection to make it easier for students to understand what it is they're looking for. The genre label identification project, I'm thinking, would be a good way to measure progress towards helping students find what they're looking for. A seems like many school library teachers are moving towards shelving books by genre rather. Again the board http://www.pinterest.com/lauraholton/genre-shelving/ has some interesting ideas.
I may also have to develop some other strategies, like say recommended book lists, to assist both the teachers and students in their assignments.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Schedule Changes, Class Novels, Library Fines!
February 3rd and 4th (School Library)
The last two days at work have been particularly challenging. Yesterday, February 3rd, I began a new work schedule due to changes in personal family arrangements. I arrive at the library at 9:15am and work until 12:15pm, so I only work a total of three hours on Mondays. This was confusing to both the teachers and the students yesterday (Feb. 3rd). It's a disadvantage to first period teachers who would like to have a librarian available in the morning for their students to check out class texts, etc.. Yet it's an advantage to the students because it now means that the library is open during the lunch hour on Mondays in addition to other weekdays. However because my work hours cannot overlap with those of the certified librarian's on Mondays, it also means I need to close up the library just before the end of the lunch hour. I can see it will be difficult to monitor/police activity of the students in the library on Mondays because of this disconnect.
Today (Feb. 4th), every class period hour from 9:16 am through 1:15pm was booked straight by teachers seeking to get their students class text novels. I juggled these checkouts with the usual student and teacher requests for individual library items. The checkout of class novels comes in waves - right now the popular titles are Animal Farm, The Crucible, and The Outsiders. The school's policy is that every student check out their own individual class novel as part of their textbooks.
With the absence of a full-time librarian at the school, the faculty are challenged with timing the beginning of their reading assignments with the availability of the class novel sets and availability of the part-time library tech (myself) or the certified teacher librarian on Thursdays and Fridays. Class novel sets are stored in the backroom stacks separate from the library's fiction and nonfiction collection. It's tempting for the teachers to browse the backroom stacks (while a librarian is not around) to pull the books they need that day to start their assignments. However, they have been honoring the checkout policy by bringing the students in during a scheduled class period checkout time. It's the only way to hold the students accountable for the school's property.
In the process of checking out class novels to the students I am discovering that many copies of certain titles are in extremely poor/unusable condition. For example, paperback copies of To Kill a Mockingbird and The Crucible are worn thin to the point they are falling apart and pages are missing. As a library technician, I do not have the authority/rights in the Destiny system to "weed" out poor quality copies. However I am setting aside these books in hopes that the certified librarian and principal will get an idea of just how many copies should be replaced with hardback/Everbind copies should funds become available. Follett and Everbind publishers make hardback copies of popular classic novels specifically for school readers. They last so much longer and are much more appealing to read because of their durability and larger text fonts. The drawback is that they do require more storage space because of their extra thickness.Another challenge with the class period checkouts is the issue of library fines. If students have any outstanding textbooks or library fines, then technically I cannot check out new material to them until these outstanding issues/fines are resolved. The teachers who bring in their classes to check out class novels are not aware of every individual student who might have outstanding fines - so this presents a problem in their curriculum if a particular student cannot check out a textbook because a fine was not resolved. One 8th grade student currently has a fine of $230 on their record due to textbooks that were not returned during their 7th grade school year - the student reported that the parent would be writing a check for the amount at the end of the 2013/2014 year .
Again as a library tech, I cannot override a fine to allow a student to check out a new item. In order to minimize disruption to the class assignment, my solution has been conditional checkouts of new items to students with a grace period for returning textbooks or paying fines. I feel I need to be flexible with the system because the education of the students is priority. If I had been inflexible today then at least 10 students from the teacher's class would not have received their assigned reading novels due to outstanding fines. This situation was not acceptable to the teacher.
Still library fines become a serious issue towards the end of the year - particularly for graduating 8th graders. I'd rather be reminding the students now to return books or pay a fine than waiting until the end of the year when I will need to call the parents. It's a fine line between being firm with the students for lost material/fines and being flexible for the sake of school curriculum.
"Multiculturalism" as a book genre
January 27, 28, 29th (School Library)
During this week I continued to fix the barcodes on the textbooks. However the highlight of the week has been trying to assist students from a history teacher's class find books with a multicultural fiction slant for a reading assignment. The initial challenge was in trying to assess what the students were looking for exactly. The teacher sent in one student on Tuesday to ask if the library would be available to find multicultural books - from there I had to do some sleuthing. For what class? For what type of assignment? Could the multicultural stories take place inside the United States or did they have to be geographically located elsewhere? What was the reading level of the students - 7th or 8th grade? Was there a page requirement (some teachers specify that the books have to be 200 or more pages)? Did the book have to be a classic (e.g. "The Good Earth") or specifically by a multicultural author?
What defines multicultural fiction? Well I like Judith Mercado's answer, see http://judithmercadoauthor.blogspot.com/2009/09/what-does-multicultural-fiction-mean.html. "Multicultural" I would agree is an American construct. I've only found one DEMCO subject classification sticker with a "multicultural" label. It seems a bit racially defined, leaving out gray areas of general minority group (cultural, religious, social) experiences throughout the world.
As more students from the class trickled in I began to see the bigger picture. The teacher was organizing literature circles for students to explain their reading of fictional stories that took place in other countries - the fiction could be classic or modern. They were asked to find the "purple dot" marked books in library. It's important to note that the previous librarian identified "multicultural" fiction books in the collection with a purple dot label. However the "multicultural" designation does not distinguish between stories that take place in the United States versus outside the country's borders. Books identified as "multicultural" include those about Native American life in the U.S., the Japanese American experience, and so on. The faculty and students are obviously still used to identifying certain types of fiction books by the dots - and I've learned that "multicultural" is a genre that is particularly important to the curriculum for this school. In this case the DEMCO genre label sticker might work, so I've decided to invest a little personal money in getting more stickers.
This particular incident/multicultural book assignment a great opportunity to teach students how to locate books in the library. I could tell that most students were initially reluctant to ask me for help. So rather than repeat myself umpteen times with every new student that came in, I requested that the teacher send all the majority of students in at once so I could give them a brief lesson in how to find a book that was appropriate to the assignment. I find that most teens/young adults still want you to locate material for them; however it's important to empower students with the knowledge to find the information for themselves first. The quick assembly of a recommended or example multicultural book selection list seemed to help direct the kids in their quest for the perfect book. The find of the day (my opinion) was "The Whale Rider" set in New Zealand!
During this week I continued to fix the barcodes on the textbooks. However the highlight of the week has been trying to assist students from a history teacher's class find books with a multicultural fiction slant for a reading assignment. The initial challenge was in trying to assess what the students were looking for exactly. The teacher sent in one student on Tuesday to ask if the library would be available to find multicultural books - from there I had to do some sleuthing. For what class? For what type of assignment? Could the multicultural stories take place inside the United States or did they have to be geographically located elsewhere? What was the reading level of the students - 7th or 8th grade? Was there a page requirement (some teachers specify that the books have to be 200 or more pages)? Did the book have to be a classic (e.g. "The Good Earth") or specifically by a multicultural author?
What defines multicultural fiction? Well I like Judith Mercado's answer, see http://judithmercadoauthor.blogspot.com/2009/09/what-does-multicultural-fiction-mean.html. "Multicultural" I would agree is an American construct. I've only found one DEMCO subject classification sticker with a "multicultural" label. It seems a bit racially defined, leaving out gray areas of general minority group (cultural, religious, social) experiences throughout the world. As more students from the class trickled in I began to see the bigger picture. The teacher was organizing literature circles for students to explain their reading of fictional stories that took place in other countries - the fiction could be classic or modern. They were asked to find the "purple dot" marked books in library. It's important to note that the previous librarian identified "multicultural" fiction books in the collection with a purple dot label. However the "multicultural" designation does not distinguish between stories that take place in the United States versus outside the country's borders. Books identified as "multicultural" include those about Native American life in the U.S., the Japanese American experience, and so on. The faculty and students are obviously still used to identifying certain types of fiction books by the dots - and I've learned that "multicultural" is a genre that is particularly important to the curriculum for this school. In this case the DEMCO genre label sticker might work, so I've decided to invest a little personal money in getting more stickers.
This particular incident/multicultural book assignment a great opportunity to teach students how to locate books in the library. I could tell that most students were initially reluctant to ask me for help. So rather than repeat myself umpteen times with every new student that came in, I requested that the teacher send all the majority of students in at once so I could give them a brief lesson in how to find a book that was appropriate to the assignment. I find that most teens/young adults still want you to locate material for them; however it's important to empower students with the knowledge to find the information for themselves first. The quick assembly of a recommended or example multicultural book selection list seemed to help direct the kids in their quest for the perfect book. The find of the day (my opinion) was "The Whale Rider" set in New Zealand!
Friday, January 31, 2014
Welcome!
Welcome to my new blog! This blog will document the work experiences of "Library Mama" in two library internships this semester as part of the LIBT 498 course at Sacramento City College. These internships include 1) a paid position as school library media technician for a middle school in the Sacramento City Unified School District; and 2) a volunteer internship at the Sacramento History Room in the Central Library of the Sacramento Public Library system. For each day I am working at these locations I will maintain a journal of my tasks and experiences.
A little bit about myself: I am a student of the Library and Information Technology program at Sacramento City College, a mother, a trained historian, and an active volunteer in the Sacramento City Unified School District as well as in the world of libraries, museums, and archives. I have held my position as library media technician since October 2012. I begin my volunteer internship at the Sacramento History Room on February 13th. For the purposes of this blog, I am backdating to the first applicable day of credit for the LIBT 498 course (Jan. on which I was also working.
Today I resumed the task of identifying new genre labels to the fiction collection in our library. The previous librarian used the colored "dot" system to identify the subject genres (e.g. sci-fi fantasy, historical fiction, graphic novels, etc.) of books. However, what I have found over the last year is that the students are confused by this system. DEMCO has new label stickers that clearly identify the genre. I have already noticed that more students are checking out books with the new sticker labels rather than the "dots". The new system has allowed me to group more of certain genre books together such as the graphic novels. The students seem to like the new system. Eventually I hope to grow this genre-ification project into a complete reorganization of the collection.
A little bit about myself: I am a student of the Library and Information Technology program at Sacramento City College, a mother, a trained historian, and an active volunteer in the Sacramento City Unified School District as well as in the world of libraries, museums, and archives. I have held my position as library media technician since October 2012. I begin my volunteer internship at the Sacramento History Room on February 13th. For the purposes of this blog, I am backdating to the first applicable day of credit for the LIBT 498 course (Jan. on which I was also working.
- January 21, Tuesday (School Library):
- January 22, Wednesday (School Library):
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