Competency 2

Competency 2: compare the environments and organizational settings in which library and information professionals practice

Libraries are broken into many specialized settings that affect the way information seekers both seek information and use information. Generally, the most common differences in library environments are private, specialized libraries (such as medical libraries, law libraries, art libraries, museum libraries and so on), academic libraries (both private and public school), and public libraries. In a museum library you may find librarians who preserve manuscripts and art as a main focus, whereas in an academic library, librarians are serving both professors and students, and in most cases instructing students in research mastery. In the special library it is entirely possible that a collection may be completely closed to the public, as well as not have any circulating material. It may serve the staff alone, or specialized master's in its relevant field, or even the the public. In a public library the patrons, as well as the environments, are completely different. The services of a public library are for all (boundaries may only include residency, if that). Circulating materials are a large portion (along with programming) of what a library offers it's public in the way of information. Whats more, in a public library, differences in environment may run deeper. For example, a public library may serve society in different entities within itself. They may have a literacy department, a senior library, a bookmobile, or other components that are completely connected, yet running independently from the main library or general circulation. In some cases they are even funded by grants separate form the general fund. And all these environments are affected by economic and social differences, making it more complex and unique per situation.

Another environment that tends to be separate from the rest is the digital one. More and more, librarians are choosing to go completely digital. Going virtual is not only a viable option but for a largely technological world it is becoming a necessary one. Even brick and mortar libraries are forced to have vast amounts of online options like instant message, reference help. In this world, one may never actually "see" a librarian. However, a librarian is the key component to making this work. The digital librarian is serving in a digital environment that revolves around how an autonomous patron will want to find their information. Often the emphasis is on not only the information but the way the environment is built (for example a website). Whats more, this new environment may not even be a component of an official public library, but rather the brainchild of a private digital librarian! In the artifacts below, I accomplished a range of assignments exemplifying this competency. They show the differences in varying library environments and the challenges they individually face. Here are assignments that deal with a specialized film library, teen services in a public setting, and a digital environment that I created. These libraries couldn't be more different in their approach and practice, even if they share a common goal: to facilitate information services.

Demonstrative Works:

In Artifact 1, I examine The Margaret Herrick Library, a private film library, in Los Angeles, California. They hold books, pamphlets, periodicals, a photographic archive, scripts, interviews and oral histories, and the special collections houses and preserves film. This is just a snapshot of all this Moving images library attempts to do with its services. It doesn't run off government funding so it doesn't have to follow standard government guidelines. It is open to the public but has no circulating materials. Through and through this library (though completely unique) exemplifies the special library and the many attributes commonly found as differences within all special libraries.

Artifact 2 is a review of an article that was first published in Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy in 1998. It looks at how a demographic (in this case: young adult patrons) use the public library. Vacca’s research and the points made in this article are interesting views into how public and school libraries serve teens, and how they are left behind unknowingly, in an that has to serve serve special communities, unique populations, and different groups (of all demographics, backgrounds, financial means) and how they do that within government funding ad guidelines. I reviewed this book because I feel that it is important to pay attention to different environments and special populations within the public library. And to find how we can better serve them, their unique needs, and information seeking behavior. It's important, no matter how benign, that we don't marginalize teens within a public library, or for that matter, seniors, literacy patrons, parents and children, and so on. This review shows that I am aware of government bureaucracy, funding, and trends can affect the way we serve various environments (patrons and sections of the library) as well as, the public library as a whole.

In Artifact 3, I show how a body of information can be represented digitally as both a database and pathfinder, and in the end an overall digital information source. Having the class on film libraries got me thinking about online databases such as imdb, that serve the public, as well as the specialized industry, completely online. It intrigued me as I started to build the completely online film database required in that course. I decided to choose a topic that would require a little cross-reference and would hold interest as a unique entity. Rather then just writing annotations for films by the work of a director or actor, I approached it as a whole body of information for a long working team in the film industry: Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. What was interesting about this was that I could add the films that this team worked on together, as required, as well as take it a step further by having links and resources of interest that pertain to the duo as a working team. In the end the database took on an environment of its own as it is open for public use to anyone and cover almost every aspect one could need while researching either of these actors or the two as a team. This database is not only different for that, but it also keeps in mind the type of user that would be seeking information about film and what and they may need when doing so. It also is notably free to the public and easy to access on the Internet.

Artifact 1: Special Library Review: Moving Image Library

Artifact 2: Vacca Article Review - Don't Marginalize Teens in the Public Library

Artifact 3: Tim Burton & Johnny Depp Film Pathfinder and Database