Whitney Hammond's Blog for LBS 850

 It was definitely a struggle getting through Catalog It! but it was important for me to read. There was so much information in this one book about how to catalog and its importance in a school library.    I really appreciated Chapter 8 in the text about the future of cataloging. Last week I discussed in my blog about how I was interested in learning more about MARC records and then this chapter opened by saying that MARC records must die! YIKES! There eventually has to be a new computer framework for us to learn and implement in our school library catalogs. I hope the next system is a little easier to understand. The text mentioned that a system called BIBFRAME might be this new system to replace MARC. It seems like this system could work but the author does voice concerns about how much the system encompasses. It seems like it's more geared towards bigger libraries such public and university libraries. School libraries seem to be forgotten in the development of these ...

I have had some experience with cataloging in both public and school libraries. I first was introduced to cataloging when I did an internship at my public library when I was in high school. I was taught how to catalog new books and materials by entering information into the computer. I would then have to cover the books and add the call numbers and barcodes to the book. I also remember having to write certain information inside the book such as the call number, where the book was purchased, and the price. I liked this part of the internship a lot because I liked looking at the new books and inputing their information into the system. I was happy to do it again when I started working in a school library. One of the things that I was interested in learning more about were MARC records. I first was introduced to these in the last school I worked but at my boss didn't really explain them to me. MARC stands for MAchine Readable Cataloging and to be honest reading chapter three left me...

I enjoyed creating this professional development presentation this week. I had to create my first professional development presentation last semester for a different class and I definitely struggled with it. I knew it was just an assignment and that I wouldn't have to present it, but I constantly worried about how I could keep the presentation engaging for my intended audience. I ended up getting a good grade, but I wasn't entirely happy with it. This week, however, I really put a lot of time and effort in this presentation. When I was stumped about who I should make the presentation for and what it should focus on, I talked with my boss. She gave me the idea of creating a presentation for the parents of incoming freshmen who might be unaware of all the tools and resources that the library has to offer. I thought it was a great idea because our libguide and tools could definitely seem overwhelming at first for students. I think it's also important for parents to know ab...

I had some fun looking at these apps and tools again this week. I like revisiting them because I'm never going to forget about them! I thought about my top 5 tools and they are listed below! 5) Screencast-o-matic: I think this is a great tool for school librarians to use. I think I have mentioned this before in the boards but at my old school my boss made a lot of screencasts to help teachers and students who weren't as comfortable coming into the library as others. The videos were great because they explained the different parts of the library, how to search the library catalog, and how to navigate around the library lib guide. I definitely want to make screencasts in the future. 4) BubblUs: I love creating mind maps. I usually stick to creating these on paper in very messy handwriting but this site helps make the maps a lot neater. I also think it would benefit students to create mind maps in school. I remember making them in elementary school, but I continued to make t...

This week has a been a little stressful! It seems as though cold and flu season officially has begun because I have been out of commission for a few days! But I am back to almost normal! Anyway, I did a little exploration of the assistive and adaptive technologies and tools available at the current school I work at. My boss pointed me in the direction of the Center for Learning and Academic Success and I am glad I got to learn more about this program and the efforts of these teachers to help students who may need more assistance when it comes to learning and understanding the material they are presented in class. I also took a look at some articles this week including "Assistive Technology: 10 Things to Know," which was very interesting and informative. I think steps two and three are important to note. We should be aware of the different technologies and tools that are available to use that are assistive and adaptive for students. A lot of these tools are also free, which ...

This has been a really great week because I've been able think more about my social media journey and to get to know more about my boyfriend's journey as well. Before we moved in together this past July, he warned me about his love for playing World of Warcraft . This is the only game he plays and he only has the time to play it on his days off and sometimes for a little bit when he gets home from work. This is his hobby. My hobby is reading and watching too much television. His hobby is World of Warcraft and I refuse to judge him for this. I mentioned in my paper that at one point he was addicted to the game and some may think this is a cause for concern. However, I am not concerned because the game does not consume his life like it  did when he was a teenager.  Jared has a  job that he loves, a better relationship with his parents, friends that he cherishes, and an overall better outlook at life. I don't mean to make it sound like a "happily ever after" situa...

Ahhh social media. This is something that has been apart of my life for about fourteen years. It all started with AIM instant messenger. Back then I was known as Dolly34501. I remember in fifth grade we'd pass notes in class that said to write down our screen names. Then I'd rush home, log on to my family's desktop computer and add the screen names of my classmates that I collected that day.  I would wait until I heard that little ping sound that meant someone signed on and start chatting. This was my first step into social media. The second step was when my sister, Emily, told me it was time for me to make a Facebook profile when I was thirteen. It was the summer before 8th grade and I was always curious about why my sisters were always on this site called Facebook. I had no idea what it was but since I am the youngest sister, I always wanted to do what my sisters were doing. So one day Emily asked me if I wanted to make a profile and of course I said heck yes! I was t...