Competency B
Competency B
B. describe and compare the organizational settings in which library and information professionals practice;
Explication
Librarians, with the increasing emphasis on technology and virtual environments, have more opportunities than ever to find a variety of work environments, including the organizational settings. The variety of libraries where one can work means that there is a range of choices. On the other hand, in this economic climate, library staff may have very specific ideas on the person they would like to fill a position. With a preponderance of white, female librarians, they may give preference to a male, someone from an ethnic minority, or someone with expertise in several foreign languages.
Public Libraries
Public libraries are often sufficiently large to have a head librarian and departments, each with their own administrative head. Possible positions might include coordinating volunteers, reference, children or teen librarian, technology guru, or administration. The entry jobs I have seen advertised include Page or Library Assistant, Library I and Library II (the latter two placements requiring an MLIS but then the amount of experience determines placement in Library I or II.
Public libraries serve a diverse clientele. They generally reflect the surrounding community. They may provide low cost or free meeting spaces and computer use. They may provide programming such as storytelling or a teen club. At a spring conference, “Eat the Library,” I learned about public libraries partnering with food banks to provide meals for children in need. Some libraries have started their own organic garden on the premises or provide a “Seed Library” for gardeners. A public library can range from the one room trailer I visited in Harrison, Idaho, with a staff of two librarians, to a multistory, multifunctional building such as the Berkeley Public Library, with a diverse staff and many volunteers. Many public libraries also have a “Friends of the Library” group, composed of volunteers interested in fund raising. The Berkeley Public Library has its own Friends of the Library Book Store on the main floor. Larger libraries have a hierarchical structure. I am not sure how easy it is to move from one department to another. The Contra Costa County Libraries also have a cadre of traveling substitute libraries who make the rounds, working in the various libraries part time.
Academic Libraries
Academic Libraries, such as those at a college or university, have similar hierarchical structures. Many campuses have their collections divided up into a number of smaller library collections. For example, at Harvard, Widener is the main library and many stacks are closed (or were when I studied there) so there are a number of pages who will take your request slip and head into the stacks to find your chosen book. Harvard has many smaller libraries including Lamont, where most undergraduates can find their text books pulled for them. Tozzer is the Anthropology library. There is a map library and one for collections of letters of historical and literary interest. Each of the smaller libraries has a director, a supervisor or two, several librarians for reference, pages, and security personnel. I would guess that all the directors meet to form policies for all the libraries. The academic clientele is mostly undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, some alumni, and some visiting researchers. Most academic libraries are quiet and orderly. Universities with affiliated Business Schools, Law Schools, Medical Schools, and Public Policy Schools each have their own libraries and librarians for those specialties. It would be helpful to have background in the particular field. For example, someone who was a former paralegal and is now a librarian would be better qualified than many other candidates to work at the Law School Library. The librarians need to be able to work well with professors and support them in finding materials for classes and research. The kinds of research guides provided by the SJSU King Library aid in helping students navigate searches, especially in periodicals, for research materials.
School Libraries
School libraries, public or private, elementary, middle or high school, are generally much smaller than a public library and have a much smaller staff. Most public schools are fortunate to have one Teacher Librarian and volunteers. This was the case at Ocean View Elementary, Albany, California, where I interned. They had a computer area for classes, a closed meeting room, mostly used by ESL and Special Education and the stacks. Berkeley High School is unusual in that it boasts two Teacher Librarians for a population of about 3000 students. They work well with the teachers to coordinate availability of research materials. They have a glassed in, closed computer lab. I assisted in teaching ABC Clio to students who needed to research a history articles database. The librarians had trained a group of parent volunteers who generally served two at a time for about four hours apiece once a week. Students were also trained to assist with check out of materials and writing supplies. As an intern, one of my jobs was to monitor the computer lab during lunch so that the Teacher Librarians could have their lunch. The Teacher Librarians interact with the high school administration on a variety of issues. The main issue seems to be how much funding they can get from parent organizations and other sources of grant funds. The Teacher Librarians also had a network of friendly relationships with local book stores. One book store hosted fundraisers for books for the BHS Library.
Orinda School District is advertising a position for one library to travel between one middle school and about four elementary school libraries. That seems like it would be especially difficult in terms of organization. All the commuting between schools would make it difficult to forge relationships with teachers and administrators at each school. Plus, the libraries would only be able to remain open when the librarian was at another school if they had a trusted cadre of volunteers to keep the library running smoothly.
Special Libraries
Hospitals have their own libraries. In most cases, there would be a librarian and a back-up librarian or assistant. Private companies, such as Google, increasingly have their own libraries. Again, there is probably a lead librarian and an assistant or the librarian works on his own. Law firms have their own libraries, probably with one librarian, answering to the Office Manager.
Governmental agencies have their own librarians. At Social Security, we have a main library in Baltimore at Headquarters and most of our materials are available online. Actual books and periodicals can be ordered and delivered to the various Processing Centers. I know a librarian who works at a government repository where they store the books and pamphlets in bins. There is a manager or director. Many of the other librarians and technicians are involved in cataloging, retrieval and shipment of materials.
Other varieties of libraries include those at correctional facilities and juvenile facilities. Generally there is one librarian or one traveling librarian. Private libraries such as the Presidential Libraries have a director, someone for marketing and fund raising, catalogers, archivists and conservators all working under department heads or the director.
There are special interest libraries such as libraries for music, the Pacific Film Archives at UC Berkeley, and libraries with more realia or artifacts, more like the storage at a museum. Depending on the size of the library and the emphasis, they would have a head administrator and then a variety of departments or librarians with specialties. For example, at the Pacific Film Archives there would be conservators and people who are skilled at presenting different forms of media to the viewing public.
Artifacts:
My first artifact is an Environmental Scan of Berkeley High School Library (BHS)(environ scan bhs), based on an interview with Ellie Goldstein-Erickson, the head librarian who has been the librarian at BHS for more than a decade. I asked her a series of questions and then wrote my own reflection or analysis in response. Topics included the culture of faculty and students using the library, what collaboration with faculty occurs, what is a typical day like as a high school librarian, what is the surrounding community like, and what are some of the issues facing California school libraries today.
I was a teacher at Berkeley High School in 1999-2000. I did this interview in 2010. I returned to BHS spring semester 2012 for my internship. This library is one of the few California high school libraries to have two credentialed Teacher Librarians. Alex, the second librarian, is a SJSU SLIS graduate who was in Mary Ann Harlan’s graduating class. I chose this artifact to prove competency in the organization of libraries because it allowed me to discuss organization and day to day experiences in a high school library in depth with a master librarian. Ellie is very involved with her library and in various professional organizations so I feel that she has a broad viewpoint of high school librarianship. My ultimate goal is to manage my own high school library.
My second artifact is a Reflection on what my ideal school library would be like, from my LIBR 233 Library Media Center class on November 28, 2010 (233 nov 28 reflection). The purpose of the assignment was to reflect on the semester’s readings, discussions and assignments and to consider whether my vision of the ideal school library and its program has changed. In addition, I was to consider what might worry me about the profession and the challenges of the job. I feel it reflects my competency in understanding the organization of school libraries in that it covers the feelings of isolation that can result from being the only librarian on campus. I have looked at one job posting where I would be the only librarian in the school district, traveling between one middle school and 4 elementary school libraries. That seems like a job where it would be difficult to build consensus with staff and administration at all the schools and whatever went wrong with the libraries would be scapegoated on the librarian. I would not find that an ideal position for me.
The reflection discusses an elementary school library where I was a volunteer. In this case the librarian kept a very tight ship. The library was her own fiefdom and was generally quiet most of the day while she worked alone or perhaps with one parent volunteer. It was very orderly but somewhat sterile. This was in comparison to the elementary school library where I was an intern. It was somewhat chaotic in feel but more lively as classes continually came and went and as we coached students in the computer lab. I witnessed more collaboration with teachers at the second school. In addition, the principal came by several times while I was there just to see how everything was going and to chat with the librarian. I liked this more “organic” situation rather than the more “perfectly tidy” other library. I feel that the two elementary school experiences gave me two very different pictures of how an elementary school library could be organized and what role it might play in the school program as a whole.
My third artifact is a short paper from LIBR 200 entitled Analysis of a Professional LIS Organization or Association: The Western Association of Map Libraries (Westernmap analysis). It discusses the geographic area encompassed by the association and membership requirements and benefits. I went more in depth into my interests and skills in mapping, such as my work with GPS (global position system) mapping for the U.S. Census and for my Search and Rescue volunteer work, and my training in Arc GIS provided by a class at the University of Washington. Arc GIS is a computer based technological tool for planning in which you layer different kinds of maps and study the data associations. The paper also discusses the International Cartographic Association (ICA) and the available tools and data bases on the Western Association site. This artifact demonstrates my awareness of map libraries, a division of Special Libraries, and my knowledge of where to find further resources relevant to map libraries.
Conclusion
Managing a library is similar to running a not for profit business. For example, for a public library, there is a Director or Manager, accountable to a Board, the City Council or County Administrators, and ultimately, the community. Beneath her are department heads such as Collections Development and Purchasing, Cataloging, Volunteer Coordinator, Reference, Children’s Librarian, Teens’ Librarian, Foreign Languages Librarian, Information Technology and Computers, Web Master and coordinator of Virtual Library, and technicians under the department heads. Lower down are pages, security personnel, and people coordinating check out and return of materials. Good communication is essential between all the various stakeholders.
References
Kane, Laura. (2008). Careers and environment. The Portable MLIS: insights from the experts, 5, 42-46. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Library Job Postings on the Internet, http://www.libraryjobpostings.org/
LIS Jobs, http://www.lisjobs.com/
environ scan bhs
LIBR 233, Environmental Scan of Berkeley High School Library
environ scan bhs
233 nov 28 reflection
LIBR 233 reflection
233 nov 28 reflection
Western map analysis
Western map analysis
B. describe and compare the organizational settings in which library and information professionals practice;
Explication
Librarians, with the increasing emphasis on technology and virtual environments, have more opportunities than ever to find a variety of work environments, including the organizational settings. The variety of libraries where one can work means that there is a range of choices. On the other hand, in this economic climate, library staff may have very specific ideas on the person they would like to fill a position. With a preponderance of white, female librarians, they may give preference to a male, someone from an ethnic minority, or someone with expertise in several foreign languages.
Public Libraries
Public libraries are often sufficiently large to have a head librarian and departments, each with their own administrative head. Possible positions might include coordinating volunteers, reference, children or teen librarian, technology guru, or administration. The entry jobs I have seen advertised include Page or Library Assistant, Library I and Library II (the latter two placements requiring an MLIS but then the amount of experience determines placement in Library I or II.
Public libraries serve a diverse clientele. They generally reflect the surrounding community. They may provide low cost or free meeting spaces and computer use. They may provide programming such as storytelling or a teen club. At a spring conference, “Eat the Library,” I learned about public libraries partnering with food banks to provide meals for children in need. Some libraries have started their own organic garden on the premises or provide a “Seed Library” for gardeners. A public library can range from the one room trailer I visited in Harrison, Idaho, with a staff of two librarians, to a multistory, multifunctional building such as the Berkeley Public Library, with a diverse staff and many volunteers. Many public libraries also have a “Friends of the Library” group, composed of volunteers interested in fund raising. The Berkeley Public Library has its own Friends of the Library Book Store on the main floor. Larger libraries have a hierarchical structure. I am not sure how easy it is to move from one department to another. The Contra Costa County Libraries also have a cadre of traveling substitute libraries who make the rounds, working in the various libraries part time.
Academic Libraries
Academic Libraries, such as those at a college or university, have similar hierarchical structures. Many campuses have their collections divided up into a number of smaller library collections. For example, at Harvard, Widener is the main library and many stacks are closed (or were when I studied there) so there are a number of pages who will take your request slip and head into the stacks to find your chosen book. Harvard has many smaller libraries including Lamont, where most undergraduates can find their text books pulled for them. Tozzer is the Anthropology library. There is a map library and one for collections of letters of historical and literary interest. Each of the smaller libraries has a director, a supervisor or two, several librarians for reference, pages, and security personnel. I would guess that all the directors meet to form policies for all the libraries. The academic clientele is mostly undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, some alumni, and some visiting researchers. Most academic libraries are quiet and orderly. Universities with affiliated Business Schools, Law Schools, Medical Schools, and Public Policy Schools each have their own libraries and librarians for those specialties. It would be helpful to have background in the particular field. For example, someone who was a former paralegal and is now a librarian would be better qualified than many other candidates to work at the Law School Library. The librarians need to be able to work well with professors and support them in finding materials for classes and research. The kinds of research guides provided by the SJSU King Library aid in helping students navigate searches, especially in periodicals, for research materials.
School Libraries
School libraries, public or private, elementary, middle or high school, are generally much smaller than a public library and have a much smaller staff. Most public schools are fortunate to have one Teacher Librarian and volunteers. This was the case at Ocean View Elementary, Albany, California, where I interned. They had a computer area for classes, a closed meeting room, mostly used by ESL and Special Education and the stacks. Berkeley High School is unusual in that it boasts two Teacher Librarians for a population of about 3000 students. They work well with the teachers to coordinate availability of research materials. They have a glassed in, closed computer lab. I assisted in teaching ABC Clio to students who needed to research a history articles database. The librarians had trained a group of parent volunteers who generally served two at a time for about four hours apiece once a week. Students were also trained to assist with check out of materials and writing supplies. As an intern, one of my jobs was to monitor the computer lab during lunch so that the Teacher Librarians could have their lunch. The Teacher Librarians interact with the high school administration on a variety of issues. The main issue seems to be how much funding they can get from parent organizations and other sources of grant funds. The Teacher Librarians also had a network of friendly relationships with local book stores. One book store hosted fundraisers for books for the BHS Library.
Orinda School District is advertising a position for one library to travel between one middle school and about four elementary school libraries. That seems like it would be especially difficult in terms of organization. All the commuting between schools would make it difficult to forge relationships with teachers and administrators at each school. Plus, the libraries would only be able to remain open when the librarian was at another school if they had a trusted cadre of volunteers to keep the library running smoothly.
Special Libraries
Hospitals have their own libraries. In most cases, there would be a librarian and a back-up librarian or assistant. Private companies, such as Google, increasingly have their own libraries. Again, there is probably a lead librarian and an assistant or the librarian works on his own. Law firms have their own libraries, probably with one librarian, answering to the Office Manager.
Governmental agencies have their own librarians. At Social Security, we have a main library in Baltimore at Headquarters and most of our materials are available online. Actual books and periodicals can be ordered and delivered to the various Processing Centers. I know a librarian who works at a government repository where they store the books and pamphlets in bins. There is a manager or director. Many of the other librarians and technicians are involved in cataloging, retrieval and shipment of materials.
Other varieties of libraries include those at correctional facilities and juvenile facilities. Generally there is one librarian or one traveling librarian. Private libraries such as the Presidential Libraries have a director, someone for marketing and fund raising, catalogers, archivists and conservators all working under department heads or the director.
There are special interest libraries such as libraries for music, the Pacific Film Archives at UC Berkeley, and libraries with more realia or artifacts, more like the storage at a museum. Depending on the size of the library and the emphasis, they would have a head administrator and then a variety of departments or librarians with specialties. For example, at the Pacific Film Archives there would be conservators and people who are skilled at presenting different forms of media to the viewing public.
Artifacts:
My first artifact is an Environmental Scan of Berkeley High School Library (BHS)(environ scan bhs), based on an interview with Ellie Goldstein-Erickson, the head librarian who has been the librarian at BHS for more than a decade. I asked her a series of questions and then wrote my own reflection or analysis in response. Topics included the culture of faculty and students using the library, what collaboration with faculty occurs, what is a typical day like as a high school librarian, what is the surrounding community like, and what are some of the issues facing California school libraries today.
I was a teacher at Berkeley High School in 1999-2000. I did this interview in 2010. I returned to BHS spring semester 2012 for my internship. This library is one of the few California high school libraries to have two credentialed Teacher Librarians. Alex, the second librarian, is a SJSU SLIS graduate who was in Mary Ann Harlan’s graduating class. I chose this artifact to prove competency in the organization of libraries because it allowed me to discuss organization and day to day experiences in a high school library in depth with a master librarian. Ellie is very involved with her library and in various professional organizations so I feel that she has a broad viewpoint of high school librarianship. My ultimate goal is to manage my own high school library.
My second artifact is a Reflection on what my ideal school library would be like, from my LIBR 233 Library Media Center class on November 28, 2010 (233 nov 28 reflection). The purpose of the assignment was to reflect on the semester’s readings, discussions and assignments and to consider whether my vision of the ideal school library and its program has changed. In addition, I was to consider what might worry me about the profession and the challenges of the job. I feel it reflects my competency in understanding the organization of school libraries in that it covers the feelings of isolation that can result from being the only librarian on campus. I have looked at one job posting where I would be the only librarian in the school district, traveling between one middle school and 4 elementary school libraries. That seems like a job where it would be difficult to build consensus with staff and administration at all the schools and whatever went wrong with the libraries would be scapegoated on the librarian. I would not find that an ideal position for me.
The reflection discusses an elementary school library where I was a volunteer. In this case the librarian kept a very tight ship. The library was her own fiefdom and was generally quiet most of the day while she worked alone or perhaps with one parent volunteer. It was very orderly but somewhat sterile. This was in comparison to the elementary school library where I was an intern. It was somewhat chaotic in feel but more lively as classes continually came and went and as we coached students in the computer lab. I witnessed more collaboration with teachers at the second school. In addition, the principal came by several times while I was there just to see how everything was going and to chat with the librarian. I liked this more “organic” situation rather than the more “perfectly tidy” other library. I feel that the two elementary school experiences gave me two very different pictures of how an elementary school library could be organized and what role it might play in the school program as a whole.
My third artifact is a short paper from LIBR 200 entitled Analysis of a Professional LIS Organization or Association: The Western Association of Map Libraries (Westernmap analysis). It discusses the geographic area encompassed by the association and membership requirements and benefits. I went more in depth into my interests and skills in mapping, such as my work with GPS (global position system) mapping for the U.S. Census and for my Search and Rescue volunteer work, and my training in Arc GIS provided by a class at the University of Washington. Arc GIS is a computer based technological tool for planning in which you layer different kinds of maps and study the data associations. The paper also discusses the International Cartographic Association (ICA) and the available tools and data bases on the Western Association site. This artifact demonstrates my awareness of map libraries, a division of Special Libraries, and my knowledge of where to find further resources relevant to map libraries.
Conclusion
Managing a library is similar to running a not for profit business. For example, for a public library, there is a Director or Manager, accountable to a Board, the City Council or County Administrators, and ultimately, the community. Beneath her are department heads such as Collections Development and Purchasing, Cataloging, Volunteer Coordinator, Reference, Children’s Librarian, Teens’ Librarian, Foreign Languages Librarian, Information Technology and Computers, Web Master and coordinator of Virtual Library, and technicians under the department heads. Lower down are pages, security personnel, and people coordinating check out and return of materials. Good communication is essential between all the various stakeholders.
References
Kane, Laura. (2008). Careers and environment. The Portable MLIS: insights from the experts, 5, 42-46. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Library Job Postings on the Internet, http://www.libraryjobpostings.org/
LIS Jobs, http://www.lisjobs.com/
environ scan bhs
LIBR 233, Environmental Scan of Berkeley High School Library
environ scan bhs
233 nov 28 reflection
LIBR 233 reflection
233 nov 28 reflection
Western map analysis
Western map analysis
