Reference
During my time at the iSchool I had the opportunity to test out my reference skills in many different forms, including research and reader's advisory. The skills I learned in class and with these projects about finding and evaluating resources will be invaluable with any job I get in the information world, and these assignments offered me many opportunities to practice active listening to users' needs. Though these were class assignments, I believe I helped my patrons find solutions to their information needs!
Research Consultation
Rosalind Franklin
Our final assignment of the class "Information Resources, Services, and Collections" was to undertake a reference project for someone with a particular research question in mind. Our task was to assemble an information packet that would provide our client with a great starting point to their project. This packet was to include any or all of the following: a complete bibliography, links to various websites, pertinent details about the subject that might prove good focal points for a paper or a presentation, etc.
I worked on a labor of love involving Rosalind Franklin, a female scientist working with Watson and Crick on the discovery of DNA who is frequently neglected in the history books primarily due to her gender. Over the months I worked on this project I investigated every source I could find: books, magazines, websites, audio recordings, videos, etc. I compiled a packet of information including a timeline, points of interest, and a complete bibliography to get her started on the paper she eventually hoped to write. I lived the passion for a few months and completely immersed myself in the task of finding every piece of information possible. In the end, the satisfaction of my client was worth much more to me than the grade I received. You can view the full packet I passed on here.
My work on this project allowed me to view both sides of the information retrieval coin. I was able to experience the process of obtaining the user's needs and making sure that those needs were fully expressed and realized before beginning to actually research. I was also in the position to research as a user, which allowed me to learn what information needed to be front and center for me to easily find what I was looking for. Though every user group is different and therefore their needs are also different, these skills will still translate to archiving, particularly in the creation of finding aids and what information is made accessible in databases.
I worked on a labor of love involving Rosalind Franklin, a female scientist working with Watson and Crick on the discovery of DNA who is frequently neglected in the history books primarily due to her gender. Over the months I worked on this project I investigated every source I could find: books, magazines, websites, audio recordings, videos, etc. I compiled a packet of information including a timeline, points of interest, and a complete bibliography to get her started on the paper she eventually hoped to write. I lived the passion for a few months and completely immersed myself in the task of finding every piece of information possible. In the end, the satisfaction of my client was worth much more to me than the grade I received. You can view the full packet I passed on here.
My work on this project allowed me to view both sides of the information retrieval coin. I was able to experience the process of obtaining the user's needs and making sure that those needs were fully expressed and realized before beginning to actually research. I was also in the position to research as a user, which allowed me to learn what information needed to be front and center for me to easily find what I was looking for. Though every user group is different and therefore their needs are also different, these skills will still translate to archiving, particularly in the creation of finding aids and what information is made accessible in databases.
Business plans
During the class "Information Resources, Services, and Collections," we were tasked to develop a two-year planning strategy for an existing or made up company in the information world. We were to research the company, examine trends in the information industry, and offer recommendations for the future of the business. My colleague Lauren Kreutzer and I chose to research Half Price books, offering suggestions for dealing with the forthcoming prevalence of ebooks in a hard-copy company. This report (which you can read here) demonstrates our ability to research the history, habits, and needs of a client, and make recommendations based on current trends in the industry.
This report was a chance to research a heavily debated topic in our chosen field. In addition, it allowed me to put some of my business sense from my time working in a professional for-profit environment to work.
This report was a chance to research a heavily debated topic in our chosen field. In addition, it allowed me to put some of my business sense from my time working in a professional for-profit environment to work.
Reader's advisory
I had two formal opportunities to hone my reader's advisory skills: through the classes "Adult Reader Services in the Public Library" and "Genres for Adult Readers." Both classes allowed me to provide suggestions of books for readers, both simulated for class purposes and in real life. We discussed determining what in particular each reader reads for in order to decide on appropriate books to suggest. Does the reader connect strongly with characters? Are they looking for a particular time period or place when they search for books? Do they like something with a fast-moving plot? Do they tend to prefer award-winning or otherwise notable books? I gained experience with general and genre fiction, as well as nonfiction. You can find a list I created of various "hooks" and the books therein here, which illustrates my knowledge of readers' doorways and would be a good start to a book display. You can also view lists of suggestions I made for someone who has read and enjoyed Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman and The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell here.
Reader's advisory is a personal interest to me, simply because I love to read so much! Reading was for me, as I'm sure it was for many, the reason I decided to pursue library and information science as a career. Though my path has diverged from the traditional public library route, I believe the skills I have learned in my experiences with reader's advisory will translate to any job I may take, and indeed to the rest of my life as well. Reader's advisory is all about active listening, about taking in the information, processing it, and knowing what questions to ask from there in order to get as much information as possible before starting your research. It is up to you to understand the true needs and wants of your user, sometimes even before she knows them herself.
Reader's advisory is a personal interest to me, simply because I love to read so much! Reading was for me, as I'm sure it was for many, the reason I decided to pursue library and information science as a career. Though my path has diverged from the traditional public library route, I believe the skills I have learned in my experiences with reader's advisory will translate to any job I may take, and indeed to the rest of my life as well. Reader's advisory is all about active listening, about taking in the information, processing it, and knowing what questions to ask from there in order to get as much information as possible before starting your research. It is up to you to understand the true needs and wants of your user, sometimes even before she knows them herself.