FinalReflection11

Final Reflection 11:

Trying to sum up what I have learned in this class is encapsulating what my 18 year career in libraries is: ever changing.

First, let me reflect on the students in my class. All have an intense interest in what libraries should be. The backgrounds are different, as well as the financial resources. Some are very secure in their jobs, I am never quite sure how long mine is going to last. From those with financially stable schools, I learned about databases that exist that I can put on a wish list; work towards gaining funding for some of these resources. For those in similar situations, we have rejoiced in the bounty of free resources that are available. We just needed the tools to find them. It is like drinking from a fire hydrant at times.

My project partner has been a valuable asset. Our careers and lives span generations, but I hope to think she took something away from our collaboration the way I have. I hope to keep communicating with her, her suggestions and fluency in technology was extremely helpful this summer. She was my cheerleader when I became frustrated, and I owe a lot to her.

The tools that I learned to use, some proficiently, will allow me to reach more students (and teachers) in my building. I am sold on the (free) screen casting software & utilized it again in our LibGuide. My plan is to create more tutorials for my school. I hope that the students will be able to use them successfully. I do worry, especially with all new administrators, that my job is not secure. I hope that by enhancing my library with online tools (that will not increase my budget needs), I may prove myself to be a worthwhile investment. I can communicate with our science department; they are the teachers in my building that utilize technology more often and are well versed in Web 2.0 tools. I look forward to sharing my new knowledge and skill set with them. I hope to enhance their classroom with ideas and information learned in this class.

The past two years have been difficult. Merging three libraries, including going to the shuttered buildings and packing up resources myself, has been difficult. There is no support staff available to assist in this process. I have spent a lot of time just treading water, trying to keep some semblance of order among the hundreds of boxes still unpacked in my library. I believe that this class has renewed my passion for the library.

It has been a difficult summer, attempting to stay afloat in this class. At times, frustrating. I am happy that I can walk away with new skills, new ideas and a renewed passion for my job.

The final project is part of this labor. This past winter, I spent several hours engaged in a webinar featuring David Loetscher and his vision of an online library world—the Virtual Learning Commons. I was very excited by the idea, and although I thought I was ready to get this up and running, I know now that there is more I want to offer before I bring this to my administrators. The technology that I learned about this summer, and learned how to use, will enhance this idea. Rather than spend the summer improving what I started in my VLC plan, I learned in this class the tools that will make our VLC better.