Reading Response Chapter 1

I don't usually read the preface of books,but for some reason, I did this time. I thought it fitting that the authors chose to add a CD to the printed and bound copy of the book because of editing concerns. It underscores the fact that ours is an age where information is not limited to books, and the libraries in which we are preparing to serve are changing to meet the needs of an ever-changing flow of information. I liked the idea that the authors brought out regarding the need for a physical place, the library as a hub, in the information highway.

I also liked this quotation because it serves as a summary of the need for researching a library's intended consumer: "Knowing who is using what, for what purposes and how often, as well as knowing what sources exist that can supply the information in the most cost-effective way, is the keystone of present and foreseeable collection development work." (p. 5)

An aspect of collection development that I had not really thought about is that selection of material for libraries is a very subjective pursuit and "it is a matter of systematically determining quality and value." ( p. 9) The person selecting the material is the one who has to determine if an item is "essential, needed, marginal, nice or luxurious." Wow. The power! This presents a very big challenge because if the needs and wants of the library community are to be the foundation of a collection, the librarian selecting materials really must try to be impartial and act in the best interests of the library's patrons. I also thought it interesting that different types of libraries really must employ different means by which their material is selected and must include more specialized people to help determine what is purchased for the library.

In walks, chapter two. This chapter details the importance of needs assessment. must take break, more to come . . .

busy busy busy

The past few days have been very busy for me and at times, I have been completely overwhelmed with the amount of stuff--school and otherwise--to do. I have been able to do lots of exploring in virtual worlds today and finally found the answers to some of my problems and questions. Got audio working after much effort last night in the wee hours. Not sure why it wasn't working out for us. It seems so simple now. Cammie and I spent a long time and countless pleas to other people for help, to no avail. No one really knew how to do the audio but we were dealing with people from other programs. Everybody else in our class was wisely sleeping I'm sure. Sometime after midnight, we called it quits and vowed to try again today. I finally got something figured out, so I feel much better. I feel better about logging on for class tonight. I am going now to check on the kids.

computer woes

I have bought a new computer for my coursework because our home computer is originally from the Cretaceous period. Anyway, I have been dealing with lots of computer set up issues, since I am migrating from PC awareness to Mac ignorance. Hopefully, I will get adjusted soon.

Group Meeting--Controversial Issues

Our Controversial Issues Group met online in the Teleplace forum Saturday evening. Our topic is witches. Members of my group are:

• Amanda Cain
• Tracy Call
• LeeAnn Perry
• Laurie Johnston

At first, we discussed what we should be doing/researching. We all agreed that we would like to have a better idea about the nature of the final assignment. Knowing who the intended audience is and the purpose of the information will help us focus our efforts. We had a bit of fun sharing how to move, look around, and post sticky notes in the forum. It was nice to have a collabortive effort. It was fun to look at the people's avatars. We only used text chat. It would definitely be easier to hear each other speak. We decided to focus our research on lists of books, etc. with witches/wizardry/magic as underlying themes and cite examples of actual texts that have created controversy in this area. We will will get together online after class on Thursday to report our findings. We posted an edited version of the transcript of our discussion in our group's room in the Collection Development Forum in Teleplace.

Getting Started--a whole new world

For the last 8 years, my world has been filled with diaper changes, Dora the Explorer, playgrounds, the Backyardigans, more diaper changes, never-ending dishes and laundry, and helping my kids with their homework (amidst their groans). Now, I have my own homework and a new set of groans. I am having to get used to lots of new things, the first of which is doing something for myself--going back to school--and feeding my brain again. It feels great but also a bit intimidating. This week has been hard, calling in favors to babysit my five kids while I go to my classes before my husband is done with his own obligations. I also realized immediately, I would need to buy a new computer for these courses much sooner than anticipated, so now I am learning a new computer (mac) instead of the familiar PC format I've been accustomed to. My brother has been trying to get me to get a mac for years. There is just a lot of new to get used to right now. My family also has to get used to different routines and a little less Mom to go around. I know it is more difficult here in the beginning, but we will get used to it soon.

I am very excited about this course, in particular, right now. I interviewed a librarian for the Tech course I am also taking and I am planning to help Ms. Reece with her greatest problem: low inventory of aged books and no money to get new books. Before my life of changing an endless stream of diapers, I taught middle school and Ms. Reece was the librarian. At that time, she was also taking classes for her master's through ASU. Now, I am in a position to be of service to her as well as learn about the operations of the public school library. It seems like a win-win. We are going to meet soon to work on applying for a $10,000 grant to build her library collection. I also wanted to learn about grant writing, so another win-win. I could probably blog forever if not for the call of responsibility in the next room--one sleeping baby and one toddler needing, you guessed it, a diaper change.