ILS599 Blog-Macpherson

I visited that Meebo chat room a few times, but I never managed to be there when anyone else was around.  I did read through the transcripts, though, and it all seems to work beautifully.  I think this would be a great resource for online office hours, especially if the transcripts stay available for a time.  It seems like it would be a great way to eliminate the repetition of questions.  In addition, it doesn’t limit the interaction to one-on-one.  Problem solving gets easier as more minds are added!  In that sense, I guess it would be useful for any group communication where shortish entries are appropriate.

Filed by lauriemacpherson at 2:04 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged assignment, chat, meebo
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I chatted with a reference librarian at Springfield College today.  He was very gracious in taking the time to answer my questions about the IM service.  I found the service incredibly simply to use–I really like using Meebo, mostly because I don’t have to bother with a login process and it seems so seamless.  I thought that chat went very well.  We discussed the way the staff breaks up scheduling IM coverage.  I asked if different kinds of questions come in via IM than in other formats.  I was a little bit surprised to find that, in the experience of the librarian I was chatting with, questions are similar in all reference formats.  A better way to put it might be that all kinds of questions come in all reference formats. They obviously range from the simplest Are-you-open? types of questions to in depth reference.  I probably shouldn’t be surprised by that.  It is after all, the same as my experience.  I work in a special library, though, and I guess I don’t trust our experience to be ‘typical.’

One other point I discussed briefly with the librarian was the issue of print vs. online reference resources.  I wanted to know if IM reference questions were most likely to be answered with online resources.  This was something that I wanted to compare with my own experience.  The answer was that there is a tendency to use the resource that would be the most convenient for the patron (good answer!), and because of that online resources are often the choice.  This answer was balanced, though, with the information that most of the reference collection is digital rather than print. 

All in all, this was a very positive experience for me.  There were no technology glitches, and the interaction was very pleasant and professional.  I have to say that I felt as if I would get the same level of service using IM as if I were asking questions.  That’s fabulous, since that’s what I want my patrons to feel!

Filed by lauriemacpherson at 1:45 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Assignments, chat, meebo
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I’ve reading the Annoyed Librarian blog (http://annoyedlibrarian.blogspot.com/ ) off an on for quite a while.  It seems that I’m often seeing it quoted or alluded to in listserv discussions; it usually is the crux of one argument or another.  The tagline of the blog is “Whatever it is, I’m against it.”  The blog itself is a perpetual rant against aspects of librarianship-everything from the salaries to the 2.0 trend.  While I find that most of the posts annoy me, I do see a certain usefulness in the blog itself.  For me, the frustration in the content makes me defensive of a field that I very much enjoy.  In addition, the author/s is/are very informed about the profession, if rather sarcastic about presenting that information.    

Blog’s main purpose:  The main purpose of the blog is to express the opinions of the author/s regarding whatever topics in librarianship may occur to her/him.  The point (as I see it) is to bring humor to discussions that might otherwise be taken too seriously.

Is it personal, professional, or mixed?  The blog is mainly professional, with enough personal touches in the writing to make it interesting and add to the humor. 

Is it authored by one person or several?  The blog is anonymous.  A recent post discussed the anonymity and suggested multiple authors.

How often does the author(s) post?  The amount of posts vary.  Some months have more than twenty, others only have a handful.  The month of May had five posts.

What is the audience (fellow professionals, library patrons, kids, etc.)?  The audience is fellow professionals–this blog has a wide leadership of all kinds of librarians.  The differences in attitude and point of view can be seen in the comments.

Any other comments you have about the blog, for instance, about the visual aspects: This a simply designed blog.  It’s easy to navigate and isn’t cluttered with too many extras. 

Filed by lauriemacpherson at 8:18 pm under Assignments  Tagged Assignments
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Hi everyone!  I’m Laurie, and this is the blog I created for SCSU’s ILS 599.  This is my second to last class in the program.  By the end of the year I will finally have my Master’s.  Phew!  This is my third summer in the program; I will take my final class in the fall.  I have been lucky to work in libraries while in school, so I have been content to take classes part time—but I will be VERY relieved to graduate.  As far as my life outside of work and school is concerned, I live with my husband and two cats, all of whom will also be relieved to see me graduate! 

I am very excited about the format of this class.  I love the idea of using the web 2.0 tools we are learning about, but I have to admit to having a degree trepidation about creating a live web presence. (I am ordinarily a chronic lurker.)    I bow to the educational process, though, and vow to get absolutely the most that I can from the experience…

Filed by lauriemacpherson at 7:33 am under Uncategorized  Tagged Bio
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