Competency G
G. Understand the system of standards and methods used to control and create information structures and apply basic principles involved in the organization and representation of knowledge.
Introduction
The world around us is a web of information structures and it is becoming more complicated each day. The information that we get comes from a variety of sources. Many of these sources use similar structure and principles. As informational professionals, it is important to learn and know these systems, as well as how they are organized and what they represent for the average user.
I understand this competency to mean that I know how to use, control, and set up structures for gathering information and knowledge. I take it to mean that I know the basic rules for using such information structures like MARC records or that I can use principles such as those in tagging for sites like Blogger, WordPress, or Flickr. I define competency G to mean I know and understand the common rules used of cataloging using a variety of classification systems as well as knowing the correct standards that are set for things like using metadata to create a digital collection for an archive.
“The primary purpose of organizing library collections is to meet the various information needs of library users” (Rubin, 2004, p. 217). Therefore, knowing the basic workings of information systems such as MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) and classification systems such as Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) or Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is essential the librarian field. Those in the information field also should know and understand information structure and organization. As a result, this competency is vital to know and understand. Librarians would not be able to explain to a patron where to find the cookbooks if they did not know the Dewey Decimal system. At the same time, information professionals need to understand how keyword searching is done so that they can easily find a picture in a digital archive. These tasks are all important to someone going into this field because our field is highly dependent on knowing how to and understanding the retrieval of information, which as Haycock and Sheldon (2008) write, is “dependent upon its having been organized” (p. 98). Understanding how information is structured and organized in an online environment is also important as we move more and more into a technological age. By understanding how things such as keyword searching and tagging work, the profession as a whole can better serve its patrons.
For me as an information professional, librarian, or archivist, knowing and understanding how information systems work, even on a basic level, are highly important. Rubin (2004) talks about access points and their role in the retrieval of knowledge and he writes that “access points can also be human” (p. 219). This is how I see myself as an information professional. Yes, those patrons could look for the information on their own, but I feel that if I have learned the basics for information structure, I can help them even more. That is why this competency is important to understand. By understanding it I will be able to help people locate the information they need. I also feel, as an archivist, I should understand how information is structured and organized. As an archivist I will be using not only the foundations learned in school but also those I have learned on the job such as creating metadata. By knowing this information, I am able to help in the creation of the metadata for the creation of digital exhibits and archives.
Over the course of my library school time, I have taken cataloging which was a challenging experience for me. This class gave me a better understanding of how items are organized within the library system. I have also done work in school with folksonomies in such places as Flickr or WordPress. Outside of school, I have worked with information structures such as metadata and how it is applied in the archival field.
For this competency I will be submitting several pieces of evidence. The first piece of evidence deals with cataloging records using both the DDC and LCC systems. I will also be presenting a folksonomy project in order to demonstrate other information systems. Lastly I will be presenting the metadata on a project I did work my work at the archives.
Evidence
The first piece of evidence has two parts. The first part is an exercise I did for LIBR 202. I am including it to show that I understand, at that time before I had taken cataloging, what MARC records were and what problems could arise in MARC records. The second part of this piece of evidence is an actual piece of cataloging that I did for LIBR 248. Having had the practice of basic cataloging allows me to understand the basic rules and standards set for cataloging. Knowing this will help me serve patrons better in locating the information that they seek.
The second project I am submitting for evidence for competency G is a folksonomy or tagging project I did for LIBR 202. These classification system uses tags to share items and refine keyword searching. They are popular and used extensively in the online environment (Guy and Tonkin, 2006). For this project I did a compare and contrast of the tagging systems on two sites, WordPress, where I have one of my blogs, and Flickr, a photo-sharing site. Both sites have their advantages and disadvantages and both work for the users that they are trying to attract. With the Flickr project, I used their tags as they fit the photos I was uploading. However, on my blog, I was allowed to create tags, which I fits my blog better than having a set group of tags. Having the knowledge and understanding of how different sites use different tagging systems is beneficial to me in the profession. I am to provide that service if needed as well as help patrons employ the use of them in their own searching and learning in a way that they may not have thought of before.
Lastly, the third piece of evidence that I am submitting to show that I understand competency G is a spreadsheet of the metadata that was used to create the Irwin Nash digital photographs collection at Washington State University, Manuscripts, Archives, Special Collections (MASC). In this project, I scanned the images from the contact sheets and saved the images to the MASC CONTENTdm database and described them. In this project I not only had to describe the image shown as many of the images were unlabeled as well as come up with keywords. Many of the keywords that I used to describe the photos came from the Library of Congress Thesaurus for Graphic materials I: Subject terms. Learning this process and becoming familiar with the scanning as well as the describing into the metadata and all its intricacies have given me the knowledge and understanding of the rules, guidelines and principals need to understand metadata when used in an archive. Having this knowledge for future use will allow me as an archivist to create metadata for other online areas such as digital exhibits and collections.
Conclusion
Through the evidence I have presented here, two looks at growth in cataloging, a folksonomy project, and a metadata project, I feel I have proven that I understand competency G to the best of my knowledge. Using the information I have learned through my work experience and classes at SJSU, I feel I have the knowledge and understanding of the methods, controls, and standards of information structure as well as the basic principles of how knowledge is organized and represented.
References:
Guy, M. & Tonkin, E. (2006, January). Folksonomies: Tidying up tags?. D-Lib Magazine, 12(1),
retrieved from http://www.dlib.org/dlib/january06/guy/01guy.html.
Haycock, K. and Sheldon, B. (2008). The portable MLIS: insights from the experts. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Rubin, R. E. (2004). Foundations of library and information science. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.
Introduction
The world around us is a web of information structures and it is becoming more complicated each day. The information that we get comes from a variety of sources. Many of these sources use similar structure and principles. As informational professionals, it is important to learn and know these systems, as well as how they are organized and what they represent for the average user.
I understand this competency to mean that I know how to use, control, and set up structures for gathering information and knowledge. I take it to mean that I know the basic rules for using such information structures like MARC records or that I can use principles such as those in tagging for sites like Blogger, WordPress, or Flickr. I define competency G to mean I know and understand the common rules used of cataloging using a variety of classification systems as well as knowing the correct standards that are set for things like using metadata to create a digital collection for an archive.
“The primary purpose of organizing library collections is to meet the various information needs of library users” (Rubin, 2004, p. 217). Therefore, knowing the basic workings of information systems such as MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) and classification systems such as Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) or Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is essential the librarian field. Those in the information field also should know and understand information structure and organization. As a result, this competency is vital to know and understand. Librarians would not be able to explain to a patron where to find the cookbooks if they did not know the Dewey Decimal system. At the same time, information professionals need to understand how keyword searching is done so that they can easily find a picture in a digital archive. These tasks are all important to someone going into this field because our field is highly dependent on knowing how to and understanding the retrieval of information, which as Haycock and Sheldon (2008) write, is “dependent upon its having been organized” (p. 98). Understanding how information is structured and organized in an online environment is also important as we move more and more into a technological age. By understanding how things such as keyword searching and tagging work, the profession as a whole can better serve its patrons.
For me as an information professional, librarian, or archivist, knowing and understanding how information systems work, even on a basic level, are highly important. Rubin (2004) talks about access points and their role in the retrieval of knowledge and he writes that “access points can also be human” (p. 219). This is how I see myself as an information professional. Yes, those patrons could look for the information on their own, but I feel that if I have learned the basics for information structure, I can help them even more. That is why this competency is important to understand. By understanding it I will be able to help people locate the information they need. I also feel, as an archivist, I should understand how information is structured and organized. As an archivist I will be using not only the foundations learned in school but also those I have learned on the job such as creating metadata. By knowing this information, I am able to help in the creation of the metadata for the creation of digital exhibits and archives.
Over the course of my library school time, I have taken cataloging which was a challenging experience for me. This class gave me a better understanding of how items are organized within the library system. I have also done work in school with folksonomies in such places as Flickr or WordPress. Outside of school, I have worked with information structures such as metadata and how it is applied in the archival field.
For this competency I will be submitting several pieces of evidence. The first piece of evidence deals with cataloging records using both the DDC and LCC systems. I will also be presenting a folksonomy project in order to demonstrate other information systems. Lastly I will be presenting the metadata on a project I did work my work at the archives.
Evidence
The first piece of evidence has two parts. The first part is an exercise I did for LIBR 202. I am including it to show that I understand, at that time before I had taken cataloging, what MARC records were and what problems could arise in MARC records. The second part of this piece of evidence is an actual piece of cataloging that I did for LIBR 248. Having had the practice of basic cataloging allows me to understand the basic rules and standards set for cataloging. Knowing this will help me serve patrons better in locating the information that they seek.
The second project I am submitting for evidence for competency G is a folksonomy or tagging project I did for LIBR 202. These classification system uses tags to share items and refine keyword searching. They are popular and used extensively in the online environment (Guy and Tonkin, 2006). For this project I did a compare and contrast of the tagging systems on two sites, WordPress, where I have one of my blogs, and Flickr, a photo-sharing site. Both sites have their advantages and disadvantages and both work for the users that they are trying to attract. With the Flickr project, I used their tags as they fit the photos I was uploading. However, on my blog, I was allowed to create tags, which I fits my blog better than having a set group of tags. Having the knowledge and understanding of how different sites use different tagging systems is beneficial to me in the profession. I am to provide that service if needed as well as help patrons employ the use of them in their own searching and learning in a way that they may not have thought of before.
Lastly, the third piece of evidence that I am submitting to show that I understand competency G is a spreadsheet of the metadata that was used to create the Irwin Nash digital photographs collection at Washington State University, Manuscripts, Archives, Special Collections (MASC). In this project, I scanned the images from the contact sheets and saved the images to the MASC CONTENTdm database and described them. In this project I not only had to describe the image shown as many of the images were unlabeled as well as come up with keywords. Many of the keywords that I used to describe the photos came from the Library of Congress Thesaurus for Graphic materials I: Subject terms. Learning this process and becoming familiar with the scanning as well as the describing into the metadata and all its intricacies have given me the knowledge and understanding of the rules, guidelines and principals need to understand metadata when used in an archive. Having this knowledge for future use will allow me as an archivist to create metadata for other online areas such as digital exhibits and collections.
Conclusion
Through the evidence I have presented here, two looks at growth in cataloging, a folksonomy project, and a metadata project, I feel I have proven that I understand competency G to the best of my knowledge. Using the information I have learned through my work experience and classes at SJSU, I feel I have the knowledge and understanding of the methods, controls, and standards of information structure as well as the basic principles of how knowledge is organized and represented.
References:
Guy, M. & Tonkin, E. (2006, January). Folksonomies: Tidying up tags?. D-Lib Magazine, 12(1),
retrieved from http://www.dlib.org/dlib/january06/guy/01guy.html.
Haycock, K. and Sheldon, B. (2008). The portable MLIS: insights from the experts. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Rubin, R. E. (2004). Foundations of library and information science. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.
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