Technological Experience

Before enrolling in the iSchool I viewed computer technology in much the same fashion as I do cars... With a car I turn it on, fill it with gas and it takes me where I want to go. If I have a problem I call a mechanic. With computer technology, I turn it on, hit enter and it works magic. If I have a problem I call a computer technician.
	1956: RCA Bizmac Computer

 

Internet Technologies and Applications - I have to admit that when I registered for my first quarter in the iSchool and received the syllabus for LIS 541 I was more than a bit intimidated. Sure I use computers and e-mail on a daily basis for my job, however I had no idea how it all worked nor did I really care. Three days into the quarter and I found myself surprised at how interesting computers and technology could be. I learned how to create a web page without the use of wysiwyg programs. I learned about the many ways in which blogs, Power Point, messenger and chat platforms could be used to communicate with people across vast distances. I learned how to use audio files and graphics programs to add variety and content to web based information resources. In addition to these I also gained an understanding about the history of the world wide web, basic networking and security issues involved in maintaining computer systems for work and at home. Our final project was to create a web page about anything that interested us. I chose to create a web
page for my local dog training club. While this began as a simple class assignment it has grown into much more. It started out as a straight forward hand coded page telling people about the club. It has turned into an interactive portal where club members can meet, discuss business and share information about tracking with the world. In the process of creating this page I have continued to explore ways in which to present information and communicate through different uses of technology.
	BSTCM Home Page

Geographic Information Systems - The following quarter I took a GIS course from the Geography Department at the University of Montana in addition to my classes at UW. While this class was outside the iSchool it opened my eyes to ways in which technologies and information can work together in areas outside the library. I became aware of many similarities between Geography and Information Science. We discussed the importance of metadata and being able to find and retrieve information from a variety of sources. We learned how to use technology in the form of computer programs such as SPSS, SURFER and ArcGIS to combine information and present it in a useful manor in the form of maps (.pdf) and reports (.pdf). Learning how to actually create maps not only gave me further insight into how technology has affected information retrieval and dissemination it has helped to create a better understanding of the items that I catalog at work on a regular basis.

Online Manual for Bibliographic Management Services - I was having fun creating and maintaining personal web pages however, I never thought I would be using what I learned about web page creation and design in my current job. At one of our monthly meetings the interim director of Bibliographic Management Services Department announced a new project and asked for volunteers. She wanted to create a department wide manual and have the finished product housed on the library's intranet.
	Bibliographic Management Services Online Manual
A fellow co-worker who is also interested in web design and I volunteered to create and maintain the web page. Almost a year later I have discovered that maintaining a web page at this scale is much more difficult than a simple personal page consisting of a few files. Organization is vital, otherwise links become dead ends and later updates prove more than difficult. I have also discovered that I am extremely happy that we were forced to learn how to hand code html in LIS541. While some of this page has been created using Dreamweaver much of it has been hand coded using Notepad++. Because the web page is located on a secure server with restricted access I am unable to to provide a link to the active page; however an inactive copy of the main page is available for you to view.

Macro Express - The knowledge and skills with technology that I have gained through my experiences at the iSchool have given me the confidence to learn and experiment on my own. In our library we have access to a program called Macro Express. After some experimentation I was able to create a few macros that were useful for some of the repetitive tasks I do on a regular basis. After sharing these with a couple of co-workers, news spread and I was asked to share my macros with the rest of the department. At the following departmental meeting I gave a short presentation (.ppt) about macros, what they are and how they can be helpful in increasing accuracy and efficiency in daily routines. This lead to the development of a core set of macros available for use by all technical services staff in the University of Montana consortium. Documentation which includes basic instructions (.docx) for using Macro Express with the Voyager system and descriptions (.xls) of the available macros is also being created. In addition, other interested staff members are encouraged to share their macros. A workshop was organized to introduce staff members to the basics of using Macro Express.This particular project is very significant to me because it has allowed me to take what I've learned and apply it in a work setting. I found it very exciting to be able to be a part of a creation that not only improves efficiency and accuracy in the department; but has inspired others to experiment with, and use technology in new ways.
Technology, in all it's various forms, is an integral part of our daily lives. As a distance student I have become even more aware of how important technology is to individuals. Libraries are changing. No longer are they confined within four walls nor are their clients limited to local persons who visit on site. As information professionals it is imperative that we not only are familiar with computers and other technologies but we must be willing and able to change with the changing technology and teach those around us to do the same.
	A fellow student explaining that technology is fun
The classes and experiences listed above have provided me with a solid foundation and understanding of technology; how to use it and how it relates to everything around us.

 

 

 

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