SLO 6: The student applies appropriate technology for effective information services.
Technology is everywhere you look in today’s world of information services. Being of an age that I did not have a computer in my home as a child, I have experienced some of the transitions as we come to rely more heavily on technology in everyday life. When I came into this program, I considered myself comfortable with technology but not familiar or proficient in many areas. My comfort levels have increased dramatically as result of my coursework.
During the Fall of 2016 I took two courses that provided with some challenging opportunities to learn new technology to share information more effectively. In LIS 620 (Information Services and Sources) with Dr. Jim Carmichael, I created a LibGuide on topic of my own choosing. This was my first experience with LibGuides. Through this project I learned to appreciate LibGuides as a versatile tool for sharing information on any number of subjects in a very user-friendly way. My LibGuide, A History of British Cars, includes resources such as book, articles and websites. It also has additional information that might be helpful in searching. While intimidating at the time, I feel confident now in my ability to both navigate and create a LibGuide that is both informative and digestible.
I gained another valuable technology experience in LIS 688 (Special Collections) with Noah Lenstra. I was tasked with creating a small technology resource based on a special collection of my choosing. In exploring potential topics for my project, I began communicating with the Kernersville Museum. The Kernersville Museum is a small non-profit resource dedicated to preserving local history. In our discussions, they introduced me to a collection they were currently exhibiting focusing on the textiles industry in the local area. It included a variety of photographs, maps, and company newsletters. They had a strong interest in making that collection available after the exhibit was off display and were happy to make the collection available to me. After digitizing a selection of the photographs and newsletters, I set about creating an online resource. I chose to create my resource in Omeka. As it is gaining in popularity I wanted to get some experience in working with it. I was also a little intimidated by it, so it seemed best to face my fear. My final product was a simple resource called A Textiles History of Kernersville that includes a simple collection arrangement with metadata. I felt tremendously accomplished at the end of this project, not only because I had created the Omeka site but because it is now being used by the Kernersville Museum as part of their website providing continued access to the Kernersville Textiles exhibit.
LibGuides and Omeka represent only two of many different resources I have explored throughout my coursework. I even gained enough confidence to edit the html to make changes to my LibGuide. But technology is constantly evolving and it is important that information professionals evolve with it. While I am excited by all that I have learned, I am aware of the need to keep current on technology trends as they continue to evolve.