First I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and I hope that the start to the new term has been good for you all! And I would also like to welcome all of the new MLIS students, as well as those returning from co-op! This upcoming term will be an exciting one and we have some great ideas brewing!
As the new Chair of the CLA- UWO Student Chapter, I wanted to write the first blog post of the term to express how excited, and nervous, I am to take over the position. Our last Chair, Robyn, has graduated and is now on the job hunt! Robyn worked incredibly hard to bring this student group back from the grave - literally. She is already missed, but we will continue to keep in contact with her. Your CLAers wish you all the best!
When I took over this position I was incredibly nervous about the role and expectations, as well as balancing school work with the work it takes to run a student group. I've been pleasantly surprised so far! Already I've made some great contacts including Chairs of other CLA student groups across the country. I hope to keep in contact with them to share ideas and hear what other groups are doing.
Another major project that Dan, the Vice-chair, and I took on today was cleaning out the CLA lockers in NCB. They were stuffed full of everything you could imagine, but we organized them and we are ready to go! I also found a lot of helpful information from past CLA Chairs which I read while making dinner tonight. The past CLA groups put on some fantastic activities such as networking events, library tours, and an MLIS prom (yes, Prom!). I was also impressed that the student group hosted the CLA President every fall. THIS would be an incredibly cool idea to resurrect. We have a lot of great ideas that we will build on and we hope to finalize the projects that we will take on this term at tomorrows meeting. My executive team has also been amazing, and you guys have already calmed my nerves. I can't wait to start planning events and fun group activities. Check back for more information on activities for the term, and don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Cheers!
Meagan Berry
UWO CLA Chair
CLA Zine Preview!
The
UWO-CLA blog regularly publishes writings of its student members in
order to allow our them to express their thoughts and opinions on issues
in library and information science. These writings are not meant to
represent the views of the UWO-CLA itself or the greater CLA
organisation. Your comments and questions are encouraged on this blog.
If you wish to contact the UWO-CLA directly please email claatuwo@gmail.com.
We here at the CLA – UWO Chapter are currently working away
at our upcoming zine. It is a collection of writing and art by inspired MLIS
students involving experiences, musings, rants and maybe a few cats related to
the world of library and information science. The zine will be a snapshot in
time, a product of our sleepless nights as information
professionals-in-the-making.
Here is a preview of what is to come, a short excerpt from a
piece called Beyond the Banker’s Boxes: Visiting the Toronto Public Archives:
We were three students
from an archives class new to the site, an opportunity to look at these
archives with fresh perspectives and hot coffee. Expecting a building similar
to Library and Archives Canada or even our own Weldon Library fortress, we had
braced ourselves for an extended afternoon in a solemn labyrinth with dim
lighting and low whispers.
We were to be proven wrong.
Scott Jones on Information Privacy
The UWO-CLA blog regularly publishes writings of its student members in order to allow our them to express their thoughts and opinions on issues in library and information science. These writings are not meant to represent the views of the UWO-CLA itself or the greater CLA organisation. Your comments and questions are encouraged on this blog. If you wish to contact the UWO-CLA directly please email claatuwo@gmail.com.
Information Privacy: Gone too far
by Scott Jones
Writer's Profile: Scott is a 2nd term MLIS candidate at the University of Western Ontario. He currently holds a BA with a honors specialization in History from the King's University College at the University of Western Ontario. Scott has recently been active in professional discussions involving copyright and perceptions of libraries and librarians.
There is a lot of talk in our field and also on open message boards about freedom of information, access to information and advocacy for such actions. Everyone seems to think that with the advent of the internet, that information is just a few clicks away and that we all have the right to all this information, but I am not going to talk about access and freedom of information; rather I am going to bring up the other side of this argument: privacy. Privacy is something that many people, some who advocate for freedom of information, as well as those who do not, care deeply about; they fight tooth and nail for the right to their own privacy, but want access to all other information. I propose that there is such a thing as too much privacy.
Many of you are likely reading that last line and thinking I must be insane and/or joking. This is not true: I am quite sane and very serious. As a history major, I have been privy to a lot of information, that at the time the documents were created, was never intended to pass by my eyes, let alone be used in academic papers. Many of these documents were either medical records, private letters or financial records; these are some very important documents in conducting historical research, not to mention business, English and sociological research. What would happen if the people of the past guarded information in the same manner we do today? Archives would be barren, as many of those documents are of a personal or private nature. If everyone just destroyed all their private documents, as many businesses do today with their financial documents, we would have little to no financial history or statistics to compare our recent recession to the great depression of the 1930's, for example.
I understand that the census now has an option to not allow the release of information if a responder does not want it released; that being the case, what is the point of filling out a census with so much information if no one is going to be able to use the data? It seems counter productive and to only protect their privacy today, yet hurt our society for years after the person has passed away. Essentially we are restricting important information for the sake of over concerned people who are worried that some historian or business major might find out a male in southern British Columbia made $40,000 in the 2011 fiscal year. People seem to think that everyone who looks at that information is going to run with it and steal their identity. The Canadian government has laws and major penalties for information leaks; there is no way to avoid it completely, but it is fairly general information and unlikely to be elicited for unscrupulous purposes. If you have a birth certificate, health card, debit card, or student debt, you are having information collected on you as you read this. Total privacy is not practical and worrying about it to the extreme which hurts the future of information that could be used for positive purposes is not helpful for information professionals, academics or society.
Nikola Mitrovic on Generations at a Glance
The UWO-CLA blog regularly publishes writings of its student members in order to allow our them to express their thoughts and opinions on issues in library and information science. These writings are not meant to represent the views of the UWO-CLA itself or the greater CLA organisation. Your comments and questions are encouraged on this blog. If you wish to contact the UWO-CLA directly please email claatuwo@gmail.com.
Generations at a
glance
There is a tendency to analyze
history through generations and comparisons between generations are usually
drawn for various reasons to shed light on contemporary times. Some indicators
of how a generation is characterized are based on an abstract image that could
be labeled a legacy. This legacy can be interpreted in many ways though,
ranging from ideas and institutions to music and art left behind for future
generations to analyze. Each indicator has its own values and limitations.
Another important aspect of this analysis is the presentation of the indicators.
If there are a variety of outlets of these indicators then they are more likely
to break through into the so-called mainstream or help shape it. This results
in the creation of a more complete and complex image of a generation because it
is reflective of a variety of perspectives. An example of this multi
perspective is evident when one looks at the 1960’s and 70’s in the United
States of America. Some images that surface of this complex time are those of
the anti-Vietnam war movement, Civil rights movement and a soundtrack to all
these and more, ranging from James Brown to Bob Dylan. The point of this
example is that ideas and accompanying music that were considered anti-establishment
or not necessarily mainstream at that time, were still heard as well as
remembered by many, including the succeeding generations.
However, since that period where
multiple perspectives have broken into the so-called mainstream, there has been
a gradual but ever increasing concentration of ownership of the media. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/giants/
) Some interesting perspectives I have found on this topic are from Noam
Chomsky and Jared Ball. Music itself can be looked at in the US as an example.
If there are more and more monopolies that increase in power, then can the
ideas and music seen in the mainstream still be representative of a generation?
While it is important to look into what content is being shown in the media, it
is enough for this blog post to just look at how much
media is controlled. Does it make a difference if there are many media outlets
if they are owned by one corporation or if they show the same content? Can the
popularity of a song still be judged by how often it is played or heard in
different places if the majority of the music industry is owned by few big
corporations? However one looks at it, there certainly is no denying that
constant exposure to one thing will have an impact on a person that they might
not expect at first. If this is the case then the so-called mainstream is not
so diverse or offering multiple perspectives and as a result its characteristic
as indicator of a generation is questioned.
Since the 1960’s and 70’s there
have been many more wars, scandals and movements that defined a generation but
it seems the soundtrack to them is not as readily available compared to the
previous generations. Considering
the activity present on the internet on an individual basis through various
media outlets, there certainly remains a vibrant spectrum of perspectives.
However, it seems more effort is needed to find these perspectives,
particularly ones that don’t fit with the so-called mainstream. This
concentration of media ownership seems contradictory to defining a generation
if indeed there are many more perspectives still out there. This shift towards
concentration also reflects on other outlets and their role in society. Perhaps
in the end alternatives could be seen as those revolutionary agents of change
that we think of in other generations. These alternatives would by default be
any other outlet than those big corporations. Thus, public institutions would,
whether wanting to or not, be involved in this trend just because of where they
stand in society. This post has just looked at music as an example but this
trend certainly spills into discussions of different natures.
Here are some songs of a soundtrack that could be relevant
to events that future generations might use to characterize this generation.
However, they might not find these songs as readily available because they have
not “broken through”. Rap was chosen as the genre because it is itself a
defining characteristic of the 1990’s and 2000’s.
Tupac Shakur - Words of wisdom
Killer Mike – Reagan
Lowkey – Hand on your gun
Immortal Technique – The 3rd world
Talib Kweli - Bushonomics (feat. Cornel West)
Cornel West & BMWMB - Mr. President Feat. KRS
One and M1
Time to start up the FIMS Mentorship Program again!
Peer Mentorship
New
to the MLIS program and looking for someone to talk to about what to
expect re: courses, co-op, job-shadowing, and other issues? Why not sign
up to connect with a peer student mentor also in the MLIS program here
at Western?
The
CLA student group’s peer mentorship program is geared to first-term
students interested in exchanging information with other students with
more experience with the program. Mentees are matched with volunteer
peer mentors (other MLIS students who have completed at least 3
courses).
The due date for applying to the Peer Mentorship program is Friday, September 27, 2013.
The due date for applying to the Peer Mentorship program is Friday, September 27, 2013.
If you would like to participate in the mentorship program or have any other questions about it, please contact Annick Lapalme and Megan Cook, Co-Peer and Mentorship Coordinators, at westernmentorship@gmail.com.
Meagan Berry on Social Media
***
I would first like to welcome all the new and returned
students at UWO and I hope everyone has a great term! I volunteered to write a
blog post for the CLA blog for two reasons. First, I’m very excited to be apart
of the UWO’s student chapter as well as serving on the executive this term and
thought this would be a great opportunity. Secondly, I’ve been assigned to
create a personal blog for one of my classes and this seemed like a great way
to ease my way into the blogging world. Until this week I did not imagine
myself to be a blog writer; however, I see enormous benefits to keeping up on
all areas of the social media world. Especially when it comes to librarians. We
have an ENORMOUS presence across all forms of social media. Whether you prefer
quick 140 character tweets, or getting into the nitty-gritty details of the
information world through blogs, WE ARE EVERYWHERE. Before starting my MLIS I
subscribed to several librarian blogger sites and Twitter accounts, and read as
much as I could about what was happening in the field. I didn't always
understand the issues being discussed (and I still don't), but it's a great
starting point. And if serious information issues aren't your thing, then there
are plenty of other ways that librarians get involved online. There are
hilarious librarian blogs, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr pages...you name it and
we're there covering the world of books. We also cover exciting topics such as
what we're reading, funny and inspiring library stories, and pictures of our
cats. I encourage anyone interested in the profession, working on their MLIS,
or already working in the field to get online and see what librarians are
posting. It's a great way to make connections, stay up to date on issues, and
stay ahead of the game by finding job postings almost as soon as their made
public. So I encourage you to explore the librarian presence on the web, and
hey if you’re brave enough, maybe start your own blog. Happy social media-ing!
Carl Sack on Feedback
The
UWO-CLA blog regularly publishes writings of its student members in
order to allow our them to express their thoughts and opinions on issues
in library and information science. These writings are not meant to
represent the views of the UWO-CLA itself or the greater CLA
organisation. Your comments and questions are encouraged on this blog.
If you wish to contact the UWO-CLA directly please email claatuwo@gmail.com.
***
Feedback
By: Carl Sack
Carl Sack is in his third term of Western's MLIS program. He has previously received a BA in
History from UBC. He neither likes
nor dislikes long walks on the beach. He considers it perfectly natural to have a favourite
type of history, and even more so for that type to be social history.
Disclaimer: I have done no formal research on this topic, nor have I
seen the results of any of these types of surveys. This piece merely represents my personal opinions on the
subject.
It has
become increasingly common for libraries to solicit feedback from their patrons
using optional online surveys sent out by mass email. In the eight months I have spent living in London, I have
received surveys of this nature from the public library, from Western's general
library services, and from our own Graduate Resource Centre. And while this form of gathering
information about the needs of patrons has some definite points in its favour,
there are also certain limitations.
It therefore seems appropriate to look at some of the issues associated
with this method of research.
The main advantage in using an online survey to gauge the needs of
one's patrons is that it casts a very wide net. Libraries – academic ones in particular, but also public
ones – are increasingly becoming repositories of digitally stored information
rather than physical items. As
such, there will be a large portion of the population serviced by the library
whose main connection to its resources is through a computer. Online surveys are a quick, convenient
(and, it must be said, cheap) way to reach a wide swath of patrons in a way
that directly approaching them cannot do.
But
simply casting a wide net does not mean that it will capture all the things
within its reach. The patrons who end up responding to the survey will most
likely be patrons of a certain type.
Optional online surveys tend to garner responses from people who have
the time, inclination, and resources to answer them. And if there's one thing I've learned from my time in
post-secondary education, it's that there is no shortage of busy and/or
apathetic students in any given institution. Similarly, a public library's low-income patrons (to pick
one example) may lack the resources to respond to an email requesting their
thoughts on library services. If
our job as librarians is public service – and it is – then we must reach out to
all members of the community we serve, not just the ones who conform to a
certain profile. Relying
excessively on online surveys will only yield data from a portion of patrons,
and if we are to address patron needs to make our institutions better we must
endeavour to reach as large a percentage of this population as possible.
This
is not to say that online surveys have no place in this kind of research. As I mentioned above, they are a good
way of quickly gaining a large amount of information from quarters that might
not otherwise be reachable. And of
course, other methods of data collection all have significant flaws
(particularly with selection bias).
I am merely arguing that while they are a useful tool in gauging patron
needs, they should be used as a supplement to other kinds of data, such as
focus groups. If we become overly
reliant on any one perspective, it will inevitably cloud our judgment.
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