Thursday, May 17, 2012
Project 3
Select the link below for a small sample of how information is divided and searched for.
http://lib.lbcc.edu/laney/lib204/TrentLib204.pdf
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Blog Reflection #8
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Blog Reflection #7
Although we have learned about some amazing electronic resources, for this particular subject (Crashes Caused by Texting and Driving) I would probably suggest starting with a favorite search engine. However, the results need to be scrutinized and not chosen simply by the order they come up. I would tell the user to scan the results for government sponsored sites to ensure legitimacy and accuracy. I would also suggest going straight to USA.gov as that site provides information about public safety and the law. ProQuest would be my next suggestion, if the user has access to a subscription. Many people like Wikipedia, but I would not use it as a complete reference; simply to get basic information that could be researched. There is no guarantee that the people providing input to Wikipedia have accurate information. For this subject, I don’t believe encyclopedias would be a good reference.
a) Searching via a favorite search engine – One that the user is familiar and comfortable with
b) Government sponsored websites, such as:
- www.usa.gov (Government Made Easy)
- www.fcc.gov (Federal Communications Commission)
- www.distraction.gov
c) ProQuest or other electronic journal/newspaper, such as:
- World News Digest (Facts on File)
- Issues and Controversies (Facts on File)
- EBSCO - Student Research Center
d) Wikipedia – Only as a starting point for information that may be helpful. This site should not be used as an absolute reference, but it can help a user know what to look for.
e) Encyclopedia.com - Although encyclopedias cover factual information, this site does not list news and statistical information. It offers descriptions and/or definitions of texting rather than the results of what can happen when texting and driving.
f) Encyclopedia Brittanica.com – Encyclopedia that is offered through a subscription
Even though I listed a “favorite search engine” as my first suggestion, I would still insist that the user evaluate a chosen result for accuracy.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Project 2: Proposal to create Reference Library
I am proposing to build an elementary school library at Whittier Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois. This school is a Pre-K through 8th grade school located in the Pilsen (lower west) community of Chicago. As of 2009-2010, this school’s performance rating is Low Academic Standing and it is on probationary status. During this time there were 372 students enrolled; 98.4% were low income students; 10.2% were Special Education students; and 57.5% were Limited English Learners (http://www.cps.edu/Schools/Pages/school.aspx?id=610228). Although this Dual Language School (Spanish and English) is faced with many problems, it has a mission and vision to challenge each student to achieve academic excellence and be prepared for high school and beyond (http://whittierschool.org/about-2/mission-and-vision/). Unfortunately, there is no school library located at this campus. There has been an on-going battle between parents, community members, and the Chicago Public Schools district about using an old field house next to the school for a library. The field house was found to have many structural and architectural defects which would cost too much to repair and turn the building into a library; the school district wants it torn down and the property used for a soccer field (http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/886933-312/chicago_parents_kids_stage_sit-in.html.csp). It appears that the district sees building a library as a financial burden rather than an academic windfall.
Pilsen is Chicago’s largest Mexican American community, with 93.5% Latino (predominantly of Mexican heritage). The median age is 18 years (the youngest for any Chicago community). Over 36% of the community’s children live below the federal poverty level. Unfortunately, the level of gang-violence is considered to be second only to East Los Angeles, and 70% of Pilsen adults have not even completed 9th grade (http://www.uicni.org/page.php?section=neighborhoods&subsection=pilsen). Building a library at this school has the potential of educating and changing many lives for the better.
There are currently 24 Chicago libraries located within 5 miles of Whittier Elementary and 4 of them are within 2 miles. However, it is not always possible for an elementary student to travel that distance to visit a library. The closest library is the Lozano Public Library and it is geared mainly toward cultural and Hispanic arts (http://www.chipublib.org/branch/details/library/lozano/p/History/). The Harold Washington Library Center is the main library for the Chicago Public Library system. This is a full-service library but is located over 4 miles from the school. It offers a media center; children’s library; general information services; business, science and technology; government publications; visual and performing arts; special collections; exhibits; a talking book center; and more (http://www.chipublib.org/branch/details/library/harold-washington/p/About/). These are the things that would be important to access in a school library.
My school library would include a knowledgeable reference librarian. It would have a media center and computers for students old enough and responsible enough to use them. It would include a younger reference area for the students in Pre-K through 3rd grade with picture dictionaries and encyclopedias. There would be a reference section with bilingual dictionaries, almanacs, yearbooks, and encyclopedias. There would be tutors available to help students after school each day. There would be electronic reference sources available such as ERIC, World Factbook, ProQuest, FedStats, and InfoPlease. There would be availability to monitored social networking and blogging. Some of these sites may be advanced for the younger students, but the upper grades would benefit by knowing how to properly do research by the time they get into high school. This is one way to make sure that Pilsen’s future adults get a higher education than many of their parents. This school library does not have to be large, it just has to have dedicated staff and students to fulfill Whittier Elementary School’s vision of success.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Blog Reflection #6
Just as a reference librarian needs to know what questions to ask in order to help a guest obtain the best information, I am learning that I need to know what keywords to use. And knowing the correct type of reference to use makes a huge difference too (biographical, statistical, etc.). I have to admit, I've wanted to do a google search for some of the homework answers, but that would be defeating the purpose of learning about new references. As with anything new....practice makes perfect!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Blog Reflection #5
When I was reading about basic search techniques back in Chapter 3, it mentioned that Chapter 13 was devoted to finding information on the Internet. Out of curiosity, I jumped to Chapter 13 and as I scanned over the information, there was a line that caught my attention. It said that Internet information must be treated as “guilty unless proven authoritative.” I didn’t have to read the entire chapter to find out that authority, reliability, and currency are major factors in evaluating websites.
After looking at a few different “How to Evaluate” sites, the one I liked—after careful evaluation, of course—was called “Guide to Evaluating Web Sites” (http://people.wcsu.edu/reitzj/res/evalweb.html). The first thing I noticed was there were no advertisements at all! The information was published solely for the purpose of educating people on how to determine the credibility and accuracy of a website. At the end of the information there was a person’s name, location, and e-mail address to send comments and/or concerns to. It also provided a date for when the site was last updated.
The author of this site provided information on criteria, techniques, and objectivity for evaluating websites. Then the part I really liked was that it provided samples of actual sites for the user to learn how to identify bias or hidden agendas. Sometimes taking an extra few minutes to really search a site, and not simply browse through it, can make a big difference in the information we choose to use.