My students like to tease me that I carry a computer in my head. I know most people think librarians only deal with books but for many of us, we do have to carry a computer in our head. At least I do...so much of my job is about computers and technology and teaching those things to others. [Remember librarianship is about information, not just books! :)] And really, the world we live in is changing. Technology is changing the way we communicate, do work, etc.
And, I like to think of myself as fairly tech-savvy and fairly socially networked. A computer networking class in grad school helped me so much with feeling more comfortable with technology. But sometimes [I hate to admit it] even I get a bit tripped up with technology. Which, I guess gives me a new found empathy for many of my students.
As I've started to accept the reality that I will indeed be leaving Uganda in a couple months, I've started updating my resume, contacting potential references, etc. I've also been trying to update my LinkedIn account. To be honest, this is one social networking site I haven't quite gotten the hang of or quite figured out. But I decided since I am going to be on the job market again soon, it might be a good thing to have and keep updated. You never know, right? And everyone always says to Google your name and see what potential employers are seeing. With other Rachel Wightman's out there I figured I better make sure potential employers can find the real me.
Anyway, several weeks ago I was getting ready for a trip out of town. But for whatever reason instead of packing decided to poke around on my computer. [Oh, wait, I know why...because I hate packing! :)] And I ended up on LinkedIn. I made a few tweaks and thought that was that.The next day I left for my trip. And I rarely move [read: travel] with my computer here in Uganda...choosing, instead, to enjoy some time away from the overly connected, online world.
A few days later I came back and after settling in, I checked my email. Since I didn't take my computer I expected a lot of emails. And while there were a number of expected emails there were also loads of emails from LinkedIn with subjects: 'Re: Invitation to connect on LinkedIn' and 'Learn about ____, your new connection'.
And, I admit...I panicked. I assumed I was hacked somewhere.
I started reading through the emails and checked my LinkedIn account trying to decide if I was hacked and figure out what happened. It was so weird, actually, seeing how many responses I had to 'connect with me on LinkedIn' emails I didn't even know I sent. And it was embarrassing...after checking my LinkedIn I realized it had sent invitations to everyone in my contacts in my Gmail. And good old Gmail remembers every. single. person. whom you have ever emailed. So I unknowingly sent LinkedIn invites to everyone, including people I haven't spoken to in years, people I sent job applications to years ago, and the few students that have my email address.
Awkward.
And then the students started telling me they had 'gotten an email' from me asking about something called LinkedIn. And asked, what was the email about? And, seriously. How do you explain LinkedIn? To people who are just learning to use emails and computers? It's like trying to explain statuses, walls, and pokes.
Social networking is great...it really is. It allows us to communicate in new ways. But sometimes I think it is such a hassle. It has a language all its own that takes a lot of patience to explain. Social networking has taken over my days as a librarian in ways I never expected. And when my days are filled with simply trying to explain what a website is and whether or not you can save it to a flash drive for later, trying to explain different types of websites gets even more interesting. And when, for some reason, your LinkedIn account sends invites to 400 people and you have to field questions from many of them, you start to wonder is 'connecting' with people really worth it?
Yes, I want to be well networked when I start looking for a job again. But I also want to be smart about it. And I don't like sneaky, hidden check boxes that make one of my social networking sites talk to another one without me realizing it. And then make my job more frustrating trying to explain all these crazy sites American make up to make them more 'connected to community'.
Sorry. I guess this is a bit of a rant. Seriously, though, there's got to be something said for good, old-fashioned relationships that are not about invitations, status updates, liking and tweeting. Right?
[And, oh yeah, you can leave a comment here on this social networking site to let me know what you think...so, you know, we can feel more connected. ;)]
Showing posts with label Computers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Computers. Show all posts
11 May 2012
10 March 2012
Redefining 'Work'
I think in the US we often define 'work' as being busy, getting things accomplished...those 'things' being tangible, of course. Things that at the end of the day we can look at and document. We say we are 'going to work' when we are on our way to a job that pays us money. We are 'getting work done' when we are accomplishing something we can see. We 'work out' when we go to the gym and run around for X miles to lose X pounds. We [read: I] feel unproductive when at the end of the day we can't say exactly what we've accomplished. And it makes sense, right? Look at these definitions of work from dictionary.com:
But if I have learned nothing else this year, it's been re-learning the meaning of the word 'work'. Or at least redefining the word 'productive'. Yes, there is a physical, tangible element of what I'm doing [cataloging books, installing computers] but some days very little of that actually gets done. Some days I spend all my time greeting students as they come to the library, answering their questions, finding books, and troubleshooting email questions. I'm learning to redefine my goals and expectations. I came here as a librarian, yes. But I also came to learn and be a part of a community. I am determined to learn about my students, about librarianship in East Africa, and how to be a part of the RTC community. This means sometimes honoring the East African tradition of greeting everyone. Sometimes that means simply listening when one of them decides to tell me about growing up in Rwanda after the genocide. Sometimes it means learning to live in African time and being flexible as plans change unexpectedly. Ultimately, I came to tell a good story, which to me means loving those around me the best I can. It means listening to their stories and letting others' stories impact my own.
I'm sure I've said this before but computerizing a library is about so much more than cataloging the books and entering information into a computer. It's about teaching students how to use computers. It's about figuring out how to network said computers in the best way possible. It's about creating an atmosphere of learning that involves technology. It's teaching what a library is for and how to use the space to build community. If I define productive work as the number of books cataloged or the number of reference questions answered, I will be disappointed in my own productivity. But if i define what I'm doing by what I'm learning, I think maybe, just maybe, I've accomplished a lot.
- exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something
- productive or operative activity
- one's place of employment
- a task or undertaking
But if I have learned nothing else this year, it's been re-learning the meaning of the word 'work'. Or at least redefining the word 'productive'. Yes, there is a physical, tangible element of what I'm doing [cataloging books, installing computers] but some days very little of that actually gets done. Some days I spend all my time greeting students as they come to the library, answering their questions, finding books, and troubleshooting email questions. I'm learning to redefine my goals and expectations. I came here as a librarian, yes. But I also came to learn and be a part of a community. I am determined to learn about my students, about librarianship in East Africa, and how to be a part of the RTC community. This means sometimes honoring the East African tradition of greeting everyone. Sometimes that means simply listening when one of them decides to tell me about growing up in Rwanda after the genocide. Sometimes it means learning to live in African time and being flexible as plans change unexpectedly. Ultimately, I came to tell a good story, which to me means loving those around me the best I can. It means listening to their stories and letting others' stories impact my own.
I'm sure I've said this before but computerizing a library is about so much more than cataloging the books and entering information into a computer. It's about teaching students how to use computers. It's about figuring out how to network said computers in the best way possible. It's about creating an atmosphere of learning that involves technology. It's teaching what a library is for and how to use the space to build community. If I define productive work as the number of books cataloged or the number of reference questions answered, I will be disappointed in my own productivity. But if i define what I'm doing by what I'm learning, I think maybe, just maybe, I've accomplished a lot.
12 February 2012
Creating Space for Community
The students are returning to RTC this week. Classes began last Wednesday. It's so great to have them back on campus! :)
My first few weeks on campus were quiet in the library as I prepared for the new semester. I tried to split my time between cataloging, creating a few new signs, rearranging, etc. I'm happy to announce that we now have 5000 books cataloged! I believe at this point we're more than halfway. Pretty exciting. Especially because now that the students are back I know my days will look very different.
But one of the things I wanted to do do over the break was think carefully about the space I have in my library. With one room I have limited space but I knew I wanted to make a couple of small changes. I believe that one of a librarian's main jobs is to build community. To provide a space that empowers people with information and helps build its respective community.
I love the sense of community that exists in East Africa. I love that my neighbors notice when I'm not around. I love to watch students walking hand in hand after class. I love how taxis are sometimes so crammed with people that a stranger will hold someone else's baby. [Ok, sometimes I don't love the cramming part, but you get the idea. :)]
And I want the library to be a place where that community can continue to exist and maybe grow. Probably the biggest change in the library since I came has been the installation of computers. Four of them for students to use. It's been a big challenge for me as a librarian to simply be handed computers and expected to install, network, and maintain them. It has tested my technical skills but also my critical thinking skills as I think about where to put computers, what policies to create, the purpose of having computers/technology, etc. While I was in the US, I had the opportunity talk with an old professor from grad school about how to arrange computers/technology to encourage and build community. In the US we often see computers individually arranged to give everyone their own privacy and space. But here I want the computers to encourage people to do what they do naturally: work together. So I decided to experiment.
You might remember pictures like this from last year:
Five students crowded on one side of the table, around 2 computers. I've loved seeing how they work together. But I started to wonder if I could make space for even more people if I spread things out a bit. So, I rearranged the computers just a bit.
Before:
After:
I honestly have no idea if this will be better or not. I hope that creating more space will encourage more students to work together on the computers, which they tend to do already. But I am afraid by creating this extra space I've implicitly said that the students themselves should be more spread out. I'm going to observe for the first couple weeks and then if needed, move everything again.
Along with trying to use technology and the library to build community among students, I'm also trying to create the sense that the library is for the entire RTC community. Along with everything else, I've been trying to welcome the kids that live on the RTC campus. I'm sure I've talked about these kids before. They've captured my heart in a lot of ways. This one in particular:
He recently came marching into the library saying, "Rachel, I want to color these" and pulled out a few small pieces of cardboard. Over the past year I've created a shelf of things for the kids: coloring books, crayons, games, children's books, etc. I told him he was welcome to use the crayons and to just put them back when he was finished. I LOVE that he felt comfortable just walking in and helping himself to what he knew he was allowed to use.
I want everyone at RTC to know that the library is a safe place of learning and studying and also of community. A place where we use technology together to learn, research, study, and grow.
My first few weeks on campus were quiet in the library as I prepared for the new semester. I tried to split my time between cataloging, creating a few new signs, rearranging, etc. I'm happy to announce that we now have 5000 books cataloged! I believe at this point we're more than halfway. Pretty exciting. Especially because now that the students are back I know my days will look very different.
But one of the things I wanted to do do over the break was think carefully about the space I have in my library. With one room I have limited space but I knew I wanted to make a couple of small changes. I believe that one of a librarian's main jobs is to build community. To provide a space that empowers people with information and helps build its respective community.
I love the sense of community that exists in East Africa. I love that my neighbors notice when I'm not around. I love to watch students walking hand in hand after class. I love how taxis are sometimes so crammed with people that a stranger will hold someone else's baby. [Ok, sometimes I don't love the cramming part, but you get the idea. :)]
And I want the library to be a place where that community can continue to exist and maybe grow. Probably the biggest change in the library since I came has been the installation of computers. Four of them for students to use. It's been a big challenge for me as a librarian to simply be handed computers and expected to install, network, and maintain them. It has tested my technical skills but also my critical thinking skills as I think about where to put computers, what policies to create, the purpose of having computers/technology, etc. While I was in the US, I had the opportunity talk with an old professor from grad school about how to arrange computers/technology to encourage and build community. In the US we often see computers individually arranged to give everyone their own privacy and space. But here I want the computers to encourage people to do what they do naturally: work together. So I decided to experiment.
You might remember pictures like this from last year:
Five students crowded on one side of the table, around 2 computers. I've loved seeing how they work together. But I started to wonder if I could make space for even more people if I spread things out a bit. So, I rearranged the computers just a bit.
Before:
 |
| Five computers basically in a line (one of which embarrassingly didn't work properly) |
 |
| A bit more spread out...most noticeably computers on opposite sides of the table, with an extra chair at each |
I honestly have no idea if this will be better or not. I hope that creating more space will encourage more students to work together on the computers, which they tend to do already. But I am afraid by creating this extra space I've implicitly said that the students themselves should be more spread out. I'm going to observe for the first couple weeks and then if needed, move everything again.
Along with trying to use technology and the library to build community among students, I'm also trying to create the sense that the library is for the entire RTC community. Along with everything else, I've been trying to welcome the kids that live on the RTC campus. I'm sure I've talked about these kids before. They've captured my heart in a lot of ways. This one in particular:
 |
| Little Seme playing a typing game |
He recently came marching into the library saying, "Rachel, I want to color these" and pulled out a few small pieces of cardboard. Over the past year I've created a shelf of things for the kids: coloring books, crayons, games, children's books, etc. I told him he was welcome to use the crayons and to just put them back when he was finished. I LOVE that he felt comfortable just walking in and helping himself to what he knew he was allowed to use.
 |
| The kids' shelf |
I want everyone at RTC to know that the library is a safe place of learning and studying and also of community. A place where we use technology together to learn, research, study, and grow.
14 January 2012
If You Give a Student an iPad
Several times over the past year I was asked (mostly by other bazungu...white people) whether or not the work I did last year was/is relevant or even necessary. Because: "Can't everyone just go on Google?" and "Isn't all information online?" and "Aren't books becoming obsolete?" The mentality seems to be, if so much information is available online why bother cataloging all those books? I was even asked why I don't just give all the students iPads.
If you only they knew.
Never, never ask those questions to a librarian if you don't want a long answer. Or, at least don't ask this librarian.
There's nothing wrong with Google. There's nothing wrong with going online. There is nothing wrong with an iPad.
But.
They aren't the answer for every research question or for everyone's research or information needs. Especially for a tiny library in Africa, with no budget and very limited power and internet. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Libraries exist to connect people to information and librarians help build community by making information accessible, organized and understandable. This means in print and online. Could Google, computers, iPads, etc. accomplish those goals? Probably. Going online is great...there's plenty of information there. But for our students sometimes that's not the answer. I've discovered that many RTC students really value the written word. Where they come from books are rare and treasured. And computers (and computer research) are still a big unknown to some. It is more comfortable to look for a book than to use Google.
Not to mention infrastructure. We barely have power for 12 hours straight...if everyone had a computer or iPad I doubt they'd all be able to keep them charged. And wireless internet is only available in a few places around Kampala.
Would I love to have more computers and technology in the library? Of course. But is technology the answer? And more importantly, what are the goals? I am continually asking questions about what I'm doing and how to do it. Am I making mistakes? Maybe. Am I trying to be sensitive as I make decisions and changes? Definitely.
Most importantly, though, I don't want to create an American library in Uganda. I want to create an African library in Uganda. I do this by starting with what I have and moving forward. What we have right now are 10,000 books than need to be accessible. We have 4 computers for students to use, two with internet. We have students willing to learn and space for them to study.
I'm trying to look at the bigger picture of how to use technology, while arguing that cataloging is still necessary. I've learned that the whole process is a lot more complex than I realized. 'Computerizing a library' involves a lot of decisions, thinking and planning.
So, for now I'm taking the resources we have, combining them with the culture I'm in, while teaching students about all of it, and hoping that in the end we are making an African Library, where students find information and community is built. iPads are optional.
If you only they knew.
Never, never ask those questions to a librarian if you don't want a long answer. Or, at least don't ask this librarian.
There's nothing wrong with Google. There's nothing wrong with going online. There is nothing wrong with an iPad.
But.
They aren't the answer for every research question or for everyone's research or information needs. Especially for a tiny library in Africa, with no budget and very limited power and internet. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Libraries exist to connect people to information and librarians help build community by making information accessible, organized and understandable. This means in print and online. Could Google, computers, iPads, etc. accomplish those goals? Probably. Going online is great...there's plenty of information there. But for our students sometimes that's not the answer. I've discovered that many RTC students really value the written word. Where they come from books are rare and treasured. And computers (and computer research) are still a big unknown to some. It is more comfortable to look for a book than to use Google.
Not to mention infrastructure. We barely have power for 12 hours straight...if everyone had a computer or iPad I doubt they'd all be able to keep them charged. And wireless internet is only available in a few places around Kampala.
Would I love to have more computers and technology in the library? Of course. But is technology the answer? And more importantly, what are the goals? I am continually asking questions about what I'm doing and how to do it. Am I making mistakes? Maybe. Am I trying to be sensitive as I make decisions and changes? Definitely.
Most importantly, though, I don't want to create an American library in Uganda. I want to create an African library in Uganda. I do this by starting with what I have and moving forward. What we have right now are 10,000 books than need to be accessible. We have 4 computers for students to use, two with internet. We have students willing to learn and space for them to study.
I'm trying to look at the bigger picture of how to use technology, while arguing that cataloging is still necessary. I've learned that the whole process is a lot more complex than I realized. 'Computerizing a library' involves a lot of decisions, thinking and planning.
So, for now I'm taking the resources we have, combining them with the culture I'm in, while teaching students about all of it, and hoping that in the end we are making an African Library, where students find information and community is built. iPads are optional.
11 March 2011
Computers!
I am happy to announce that the library at RTC now has four (yes, four) computers and internet access! :) This is huge, let me tell you. It is going to make a huge difference for the students.
Seriously, think about the last time you looked for a book. Was it at home? At the library? At a book store? If you were looking at home you probably knew where to look and were able to find what you needed fairly easily. But now imagine looking for a book in a library or bookstore where there is no discernible organization or list of what is available. Maybe some division by subject but that's it. Now imagine trying to do research for a class. That's the library right now.
BUT! Having the computers and an Integrated Library System (ILS) is going to help. We are going catalog, catalog, catalog! To all you non-librarians reading, this means we will enter information (title, author, subject, etc.) about the books into our ILS. Once the information is entered students and staff will be able to search for the materials. Each book will also be assigned a call number (think dewey decimal) and then we can just go to the shelf, find the number, and get the book. Voila!
Yes, this is going to take time. And patience. And a lots of orientation and training sessions when we are finished. I have struggled with making sure we are not installing computers just to install computers. I think sometimes it can seem like having computers will make everything better and suddenly everyone will flock to the library. But I am reminded again and again that it is not the computers that will make people use the library (although, I do think it will help) but also educating users on the resources we have and what they can find. Creating an attitude of curiosity and critical thinking. Training students and staff how to use the computers as a research tool and not just a place to set up email. Reminding students the library is more than a room of books and tables.
Will this new attitude happen tomorrow? No. Next week? No. By the time I leave? Maybe. One step at a time. Each book cataloged, each dewey decimal number, each time a student checks out a book, each positive interaction, brings us a little closer.
Seriously, think about the last time you looked for a book. Was it at home? At the library? At a book store? If you were looking at home you probably knew where to look and were able to find what you needed fairly easily. But now imagine looking for a book in a library or bookstore where there is no discernible organization or list of what is available. Maybe some division by subject but that's it. Now imagine trying to do research for a class. That's the library right now.
BUT! Having the computers and an Integrated Library System (ILS) is going to help. We are going catalog, catalog, catalog! To all you non-librarians reading, this means we will enter information (title, author, subject, etc.) about the books into our ILS. Once the information is entered students and staff will be able to search for the materials. Each book will also be assigned a call number (think dewey decimal) and then we can just go to the shelf, find the number, and get the book. Voila!
Yes, this is going to take time. And patience. And a lots of orientation and training sessions when we are finished. I have struggled with making sure we are not installing computers just to install computers. I think sometimes it can seem like having computers will make everything better and suddenly everyone will flock to the library. But I am reminded again and again that it is not the computers that will make people use the library (although, I do think it will help) but also educating users on the resources we have and what they can find. Creating an attitude of curiosity and critical thinking. Training students and staff how to use the computers as a research tool and not just a place to set up email. Reminding students the library is more than a room of books and tables.
Will this new attitude happen tomorrow? No. Next week? No. By the time I leave? Maybe. One step at a time. Each book cataloged, each dewey decimal number, each time a student checks out a book, each positive interaction, brings us a little closer.
 |
| Two library staff computers: Before |
 |
| Wires! |
 |
| Can we conquer this? |
 | |
| Joshua patiently rearranges wires and computers |
 |
| Two library staff computers: After |
 |
| Joshua and Me...at the desk, ready to answer questions |
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