Final Class

What a wonderful job everyone did on their controversial issues project. I learned a lot through listening to the viewpoints and examples brought up by every group. What Kecia said makes perfect sense in the grand scheme of things. If you ban one book, you have to ban the others. I never thought of it that way, but she is absolutely right. Banning literature is like opening a can of worms or scratching at a scab.

Copyright Project

I am pleased with the product I created for my copyright project. I think it is a way to think outside the box and get the staff buy in. I loved the idea of creating a game that would involve students and staff, and I think this would be a fun way to learn new information and reinforce important copyright laws and guidelines.

I pitched it to my media coordinator as a possible event to coordinate with Copyright Awareness Week in March. I told her I would totally help run it. We shall see!

Controversial Issues Presentation

I was very pleased with my group's presentation online. What a challenge, but what an accomplishment to say we were able to work together as a group to the very end to figure out how to present our project in the virtual world. I'm so thankful to have worked with these girls!

Controversial Issues Project

I just met with my group about the final product in our presentation for tomorrow. I am excited to share this with them, because I feel like we all three worked so hard to get it finished, and I know how much I learned throughout this project.

I began the project with a narrow mind about gang literature...what gangster is actually reading in the library?! But now, I realize that this is more than just a glorified lifestyle, it is a message to the youth. Not only for those thinking about joining the lifestyle, but for those who have left it. I read an article about how displaced those feel that leave the gang. They feel they are making the right decision, only to be flagged by school officials and the justice dept. as criminals for the rest of their lives. I can see how they end up in a downward spiral. I can see how this lifestyle may attract a hopeless child. I can see how these books deserve a place in the public library or school media center.

Controversial Issues Project

I was surprised to find my opinion change during the research phase of this project. In the beginning our topic of gangs seemed unreasonable to defend. But the more I read about the literature and the opinions and purposes of the authors, the more intrigued I am about why you wouldn't allow some of these books into your library. I found some good examples of gang literature, and I found some questionable examples. Some books that tried to lead the reader away from that path, and some that gave too much detail for a librarian to be comfortable with. Overall, I was intrigued that my opinion could be swayed in either direction.

Collection Development Action Project

This was my favorite project to date. It was the first time that I actually felt like a librarian. I got to analyze the material and make a decision like I was leading my own library. It was great to talk to the librarian about our collection because being a recent graduate herself, we agree that our collection is in desperate need of weeding. She wanted a copy of my suggestions to use when it comes time to pull unneeded material. Apparently our staff is weary of getting rid of any material (big surprise, huh!). To make it easier on herself and to avoid controversy, she is planning on doing a lot of the heavy weeding over the summer. Eager to learn and lend a hand, I offered my services to her! I hope that between the two of us, we can make some much needed decisions to equal some big changes!

Weeding

I chose an article about weeding for my final critique because I wanted it to coincide with our next project. It helped because it had a helpful outline to help you weed effectively and efficiently. I am genuinely excited about this project because our collection age is so old (1988). I want to see what I can do to help. My librarian said that if I saw something that definitly needed to be weeded to go ahead and pull it. She is going on maternity leave in the spring, so she's glad to have any help she can get!