Learning outcomes:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles, concepts, and ideas of participatory library service.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of emerging technologies and how they relate to information services and environments.
3. Articulate a planning strategy for services built within the framework of the participatory service model.
4. Synthesize current thinking about cultural and technological change within a framework of libraries and information work.
5. Articulate and synthesize current use of and an overview of an emerging technology in the form of a report intended for current awareness and planning.
6. Use various online tools to experience, discuss, and evaluate course concepts as they relate to library services.
Overview:
At first I thought this class had to do with being super connected to our patrons via technology. I soon realized — to quote Professor Stephens — that “the Hyperlinked Library is about people”. Throughout the course he continually brought us back to the heart of librarianship. What is the heart of librarianship? It encompasses many factors touched upon throughout the course: engagement, empathy, participatory and infinite learning, transparency in our decision-making, forward-thinking attitudes and embracing change, to name a few. As students we were required to use WordPress to share our reflections on the weekly modules. I’m grateful for this exercise as I am re-using that same blog here as the tool to highlight the program learning outcomes of my Post-Masters Certificate.
My last reflective blog post for this class details my takeaways from this course, namely to re-examine my profession through a lens of openness, transparency and risk taking. I was able to take the ideas for projects I had worked on in the Marketing and Grant Writing classes and further develop them in the assignment on emerging technology planning and the Director’s Brief.
Favorite assignments:
- The Emerging Technology Planning assignment required me to craft a plan for incorporating and emerging technology of my choice. The goal was to engage with the community via technology, service or some other innovation. The most rewarding part of this assignment was coming up with my “action brief statement”:
I’ve use the action brief statement several times now when trying to convince my colleagues or administration the need for a new service or as a talking point to begin a conversation on a new idea.
- Director’s Brief where I discuss a participatory online platform for faculty and students.
Technologies used in class:
The opportunity to use new technology was important to round out my education in the Post-Master’s Certificate. I was very happy to get reaquainted with WordPress and I was introduced to many new educational and presentation technologies through my peers. I chose Adobe Spark to create a draft of a marketing piece highlighted in one of my reflective blog posts. It is a quick learn and a great outreach tool. I used Screencast-O-Matic to create my Virtual Symposium and several of my reflective posts such as this reflection:
Final Project:
- Virtual Symposium ( My takeaways from the class)
- Create a participatory online space
- Investigate “infinite learning possibilities” that can make the library a hub of exploration and creativity
- Build a digital media lab so that students can build 21st century skill sets
- Text of Virtual Symposium