Information Behaviour and Me

Daniel Quintal is the current Vice-Chair of the CLA – UWO Student Chapter. He is a third term MLIS candidate at the University of Western Ontario, where he also holds a B.A. in History from the affiliated King’s University College. When not trying to wrap his head around information behaviour concepts and database management, he can be found recuperating in a downtown London used bookstore.

 I have been taking a course this term of information behaviour. A multi-disciplinary field of research, it involves the choices, decisions and behavioural patterns of individuals in the activities of information exchange. Not just about retrieving information, it describes people as active agents in a fluid chain of tasks including seeking, using, holding, sorting, and determining outcomes when dealing with information. A number of theories have been made to explain information behaviour, including Zipf’s Principle of Least Effort; Elfreda Chatman’s Life in the Round; and role theory. 

How the field of information behaviour relates to librarianship works for both librarians and patrons. A patron feels there is a knowledge gap which needs addressing, and within context determined by factors such as time, location and availability of sources a visit to the library is needed. Working up the initiative to walk to the help desk, or is in turn met by a roving reference librarian, the patron engages in a reference interview with the librarian. What follows is a sequence of steps enforced by feedback from both parties; the patron narrows down the request and the librarian falls on professional training to check the request within the library’s collective body of knowledge. This continues until the patron is satisfied; this satisfaction may range from being fulfilled entirely or determined by the patron to be “good enough” because the information is accessible and at least somewhat helpful.

 I have been learning over the last few weeks the different approaches people interact with information – the next several weeks will provide a little more sense to human information behaviour! As an aside in my research on the Shannon-Weaver model of information theory, I found one of the co-authors, Claude Shannon, was the inventor of the “Ultimate Machine” .

It Gets Better: Top Ten Tips for First-Termers

It Gets Better: Top Ten Tips for First-Termers

Tiffany Champagne is in her second term in Western’s MLIS program, and previously received her B.A. in History from Brescia University College. She has survived the ordeal of her first term and is now enjoying the high life that is elective classes.  When not MLISing away, she enjoys reading, writing, drawing, and other solitary pursuits that keep her calm.

I can still remember my first term like it was yesterday: armed with my syllabi and my laptop, I was ready to embrace the world of the MLIS program. The orientation had made it sound wonderful – plenty of chances for discussion, student programs galore, plenty of extracurricular opportunities, and best of all, no exams!

Then the assignments hit.

Perhaps you are like me, and knew some MLIS students prior to entering the program. Or perhaps you came into the program blind, not really knowing what it was about, but having enough of an interest in libraries to try and make it your profession. If that is the case – or even if it isn’t – then let me help you. I’m a (future) librarian, that’s what I’m here for.

10. Facebook: Besides being a lovely distraction tool when you’re up to your eyeballs in assignments and can’t write out another word, having a Facebook group for your cohort can be quite useful in communicating with other students in your term. Need someone to look over your 9003 assignment before you send it in? Post on your cohort Facebook page. Looking for someone to come to your MLIS movie night? Cohort Facebook page. Just found a library-related article you think is neat and want to share it with your classmates? Facebook. Don’t have Facebook? Get it. Your cohort doesn’t have a Facebook page yet? Start one yourself and start inviting all your classmates – initiative is a great thing to have, and your classmates will be grateful to know they have a place where they can chat.

9. Mentorships are useful. Having a peer mentor to chat with about the program can really be useful. It lets you know that you’re not alone, and that there are others who went through the same experience. Come the end of term, they can also offer advice that you won’t find elsewhere, or offer opinions on elective classes. Even just having someone there to vent when you’re stressed can be helpful. And above all, having communication between cohorts is a great thing and a great way to foster a community. (Why, by a fortunate coincidence, the CLA just happens to have a mentorship program!)

8. The Grad Club exists for a reason. It’s a good place to just unwind after class or between classes). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying to spend all your time there, but it’s a great way to socialize. By now you’ll notice that the first three of these bullet points talk about social activities. There is a reason for this: you’ll go crazy if you don’t. Even if you’re a massive introvert like me, having some sort of social outlet outside of class – and ideally, one where you’re not discussing class – will do wonders for making sure you’re not completely overwhelmed.

7. Because you will be overwhelmed. This advice might apply more to those who are taking a full-time course load (4 or 5 classes per term) than the part-timers, but the idea is the same. Depending on what background you have, you might be used to courses with only a few, large, assignments per term, rather than a whole host of smaller ones like MLIS offers. I know I was the same way, and suddenly being confronted with a tsunami of assignments was stressful. Sometimes I wondered if I was cut out for the program. Times like those I found it soothing to take a deep breath, calm down, and message my CLA mentor on Facebook. She knew what I’d gone through, and just having someone to vent with can be reassuring.

6. It’s never too early to start thinking about the next term. The first term is where you’re confronted with a little bit of everything, and you can begin to see what you like the most. Do you like cataloguing? Reference services? Theory? Start looking at some of the possible courses for summer term now and see if any really interest you. This doesn’t apply if you want to go on co-op for your summer term, but getting a handle on what you like, and what you might want to do with your degree, can be useful. You might be really interested in academic libraries, for example, and great news – there’s a course for that!

5. Research Methods and Statistics really isn’t that scary. For those with a humanities background, something like Stats can seem intimidating because ewww, math.  I know I was surprised by the fact that it was included, because it didn’t seem to be library-related…but then I learned that stats are actually super-important for libraries. If you don’t like math or research or anything of that stripe, don’t worry – it’s just the one class, and it’s less frightening than you expect. Trust me, don’t be spooked by the thought of Excel or strange Greek symbols you only vaguely understand. It’ll be fine.

4. But speaking of co-op, don’t stress too much about it. This advice might ring a bit hollow, as I didn’t apply for co-op, but I saw many, many people stressing about getting that coveted 75% average for the program. Honestly, just relax. Take a deep breath. Have a cup of coffee. Realize that you had enough smarts and talent to get into the program, so you’ll be fine. I wish I could offer more advice here, but FIMS has a lot of co-op information sessions, who probably know far more than I do. If that doesn’t work, reread what I wrote above about the power of communication: there’s probably someone out there who does know.

3. Don’t stress out too much in general. I know this is easier said than done, but I beg you to hold off punching me through the screen. I won’t lie, I had my fair share of stress dreams involving failing one too many courses and being forced to drop out of the program. Then, when I got my grades back? I did fine. I’m sure you’ll do fine, too. And, for those of you still worried, let me blatantly steal some advice from Lucia Serantes, who I had the pleasure of having as instructor for 9003 last term: employers aren’t going to care if you have a 95% average or a 75% average. It’s the skills you have and how you apply them that counts, so don’t worry about it. (Citing your sources is important!)

2. You’re not alone. It can be tempting to freak out at the prospect of having an assignment due in every class that week (yes, this is an actual scenario that happened), but everyone else in your cohort is going through the same thing. They know your pain. I keep harping on the social aspect of the program, but I can’t stress enough the merits of having friends who understand exactly what you’re going through. Yes, this won’t make the assignments disappear, but there’s definitely some advantage to knowing that others know exactly what you’re going through. You’re all in this together.

1. It gets better. Honestly. I’m personally finding elective classes to be somewhat less stressful overall than the core ones. Which isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy the core ones, but they did have to give a solid grounding in the subject and cover a wide variety of bases. Electives tend to be a bit more specialized, and while they still have assignments, my experience shows me that they tend to have less, or so it feels like. Obviously not all classes will be the same, but it’s a good thing to remember: once you get through this first term, I think you’ll find your second term easier to deal with.

New Year, New Term....and hey, maybe even a prom?

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 2^nd 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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwi48UlkA3w

Killer Mike – Reagan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lIqNjC1RKU

Lowkey – Hand on your gun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBNeD57-RVg

Immortal Technique – The 3^rd world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOINSUWOqyo

Talib Kweli - Bushonomics (feat. Cornel West)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FauNFa9epc

Cornel West & BMWMB - Mr. President Feat. KRS One and M1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbqN69A_yPw

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.

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.