Rebecca Anderson
Social Context of Information Professions
INFO 520-900
Assignment 1
- What are your goals as an information professional for the next 3-5 years and where do you see yourself working in the profession at the end of 5 years after you have completed your degree?
From the outside it may look like anyone could be a librarian. However, to do it well there is considerable depth to be explored, mastered, and evaluated. The field is constantly evolving, and I will not only be keeping abreast of these changes during my time at Drexel, but also after the degree has been attained. During the next three to five years I see myself utilizing the information acquired during my degree in my career as School Library Media Specialist, growing and evolving from the knowledge I attain from my instructors and classmates. I aspire to make life-long professional connections, as in my day-to-day routines I tend to work in isolation. I also plan to belong to professional organizations that can assist me with my studies and my professional developmentby offering conferences that allow me to stay current, both in library science and technology. Five years out I see myself applying my new knowledge in a school setting, working with young adultsinformational and technology related needs. Additionally, I intend to staywell informed of the newest and most popular books to develop the collection to meet the entertainment needs of young adults.
2. Review the associations' websites and other resources to determine which two associations provide benefits you think can be most helpful to you in reaching your goals.
Which associations have you selected as the two you think might be most helpful in reaching your goal? Why did you select these associations?
I have selected the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) a division of the American Library Association (ALA) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).YALSA has a sizeableassemblage of tools and web resources that will assist me not only in my research while attending Drexel, but also in my career thereafter. The web site is easy to navigate with sections including, but not limited to, “Conferences and Events” and how to “Get Involved”.
One of my goals while attending Drexel is to make connections with other professionals in the field. YALSA offers national, regional, and state conferences in addition to forums to participate in. Of particular interest to me is YALSA's Young Adult Literature Symposium, which I feel would directly assist me with not only my goal of making connections but also my goal of assisting students with their informational needs. This conference occurs in November and last years topics included sessions titled “Practical Ideas to Amp Up Your YA Literature Programming” and “Tough It Out!Rugged Characters in Young Adult Books” (YASLA, 2014). I could see myself attending this conference and have noted that the best rates are offered to their members.
Another goal is to stay current with the entertainment needs of Young Adults. YASLA offers a web page of links that connect to lists of books that are award winning or trendy. These links include titles such as “YASLA’s Best of the Best” which offers lists of books in categories like “Top 10 Best Fiction for Young Adults” and“Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers”(ALA, YASLA, 2014). Upon browsing the web resources YASLA has an abundant array of tools available to librarians, parents, teachers, and students. There is even a free application that features:
- A homepage featuring three titles from the database, refreshed each day
- The ability to search for books by author, title, award/list year, genre, by award, and by booklist (ALA, YALSA's Teen Book Finder for Android & iOS, 2015) (ALA, YASLA, 2014)
- A Find It! button, powered by the OCLC WorldCat Search API, that will show users where to find the book in a nearby library
- A Favorites button, to create an individualized booklist
- The ability to share books from the Teen Book Finder on Twitter and Facebook
(ALA, 2015)
The International Society for Technology in Education or ISTE will assist me with my goals of staying current with technology in order to better support young adultsby providing me opportunities to make connections with other professionals in the field. An example is the featured webinar for March titled “Twitter in the K-12 classroom”. The synopsis of this event notes that Twitter can be an “excellent tool for critical conversations about texts in and outside the classroom.” (ISTE, 2015) The International Society for Technology in Education provides countless opportunities to meet and discuss current technology issues with other professionals. One example is a “Connect” menu bar item that allows the user to join Professional Learning Networks with “topic-based communities focused on the hottest issues in ed tech” (ISTE, 2015).
- Do the two association have codes of ethics, often called guidelines? (Note that ALA divisions and many state library associations, many of which are chapters of ALA, use ALA’s code of ethics and usually do not have their own separate codes.) Provide a brief description of the codes, including their key principles and structures (e.g., how it is divided into sections).
YASLA is a chapter of the ALA and as such has a set Code Of Ethics in its Parent organization. The ALA’s code consists of eight wide-ranging statements that help to dictate behavior when ethical dilemmas occur in the field. However, YASLA has its own set of Guidelines that incorporates a web page titled “National Guidelines and Position Papers”. This site includes sections on: Guidelines for Youth Services, Teen Programming, and Teen Space. Additionally, it contains a competencies link with eight core areas that can be “used as a tool to evaluate and improve service, a foundation for library school curriculum, a framework for staff training and a set of guiding principles for use when speaking out for the importance of services to teens in libraries” (YASLA, 2010). These areas are in: Leadership and Professionalism, Knowledge of Client Group, Communication, Marketing and Outreach, Administration, Knowledge of Materials, Access to Information, and Services.
ISTE does not have a code of ethics or a set of guidelines for professionals. However, they do have curriculum standards for students, teachers, administrators, coaches, and computer science educators. ISTE’s About Page notes that these standards “set the bar for excellence and best practices in learning, teaching and leading with technology in education” (ISTE, About ISTE, 2015). These standards do have ethical guidelines embedded in them including, but not limited to” Promoting and modeling digital citizenship”(ISTE, ISTE Standards Teachers, 2008)
4. What services do these associations provide that can help you at each of the following three stages: a) as a student, b) within the first 1-2 years after completing your degree, and c) at the end of 4-5 years in the profession? You must respond to all three of these time periods in the discussion section of your text, not in the table. Which specific services do these associations have that can help you reach your goals?
YALSA:
As a student YASLA can provide me with an abundance of resources. This includes discounts on membership, access to the student portal with information on career opportunities, unlimited occasions to get involved and make connections with other students and employers, awards, grants, stipends, scholarships, and online resources with links to national guidelines and current research (YALSA, 2015). The student membership rates are significantly lower, with a $60 membership fee versus $127 for regular members. This fee includes of the ALA benefits (i.e. Discounts on insurance, identity theft protection, and free registration to JobList Online and more) as well as the YASLA benefits. Each year YASLA offers$150,000 in grants and awards to deserving members. Currently, there are several grant opportunities posted. The one that I would take advantage of is one of the two available grants for $1,000 to attend YASLA’s annual conference for the first time. This grant is available to “librarians who work forordirectly with young adults in a public or school library or library agencyto enable them to attend the Annual Conference for the first time” (YASLA, Awards, Grants, Stipends and Scholarships, 2015). Inaddition to the various grant opportunities there are also scholarships and stipends available. The stipend that I would be most likely to take advantage of as a student is the Young Adult Literature Symposium Stipend. This stipend provides $1,00 for travel and registrations to attend the symposium when it is offered. I also could see myself taking full advantage of the online resources YASLA publishes.
Within one to two years after completing my degree I see myself still accessing articles and publications and staying abreast of the new technologies and resources available to me. The official Journal for YASLA is the Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults. I have perused this resource and have noted several publications that I believe could assist me in my combined role as a Library Media Specialist and Technology Integrator. Articles such as “Issues in Teen Technology Use to Find Health Information” are useful in that they not only discuss the kind of information that teens are looking for, in this case health issues, but it also give strategies that librarians can use to assist young adults in finding that information(Farmer, 2014). Another article of personal interest to me was titled “The Impact of Assigned Reading on Reading Pleasure in Young Adults”. This affirmed my strong conviction that we are forcing our students to be dissatisfied with reading by selecting the books that they read for them (Creel, 2015). YALSA also offers free weekly webinars for members to participate in. Upon researching I found the topics, such as Navigating the Tides of Teen Behavior and Teens: and the Future of Libraries to be interesting (YASLA, YALSA's Webinars, 2015)
At the end of four to five years in the profession I hope to be taking on more of a leadership and research role. YALSA has a variety of resources to fulfill this goal. One of which is a blog with a regular featured article titled “Level Up Your Leadership Skills”. The article I accessed was a short piece with four quick tips on how to think intentionally in a leadership role (Hartman, 2014). Additionally, YASLA accepts nominations for books that deserve to be given an award or to be put on one of YASLA’s many featured book lists. I hope to contribute to the field by submitting book recommendations or possibly submitting informally to one of YASLA’s two main blogs.
ISTE:
As a student ISTE offers a discounted membership fee of $49, compared to the standard fee of $115, this is a significant reduction. This fee includes many resources such as discounts on conferences, access to Professional Learning Networks, access to previously recoded webinars, and free or discounted ISTE Standards-based resources (ISTE, Individual Membership Options, 2015). One of the most popular features, and one that I could envision myself accessing both as a student and as a professional in the field, are the Professional Learning Networks. According to ISTE this is a page dedicated so professionals “can ask questions, learn from colleagues, and get access to exclusive events and professional learning opportunities” (ISTE, Professional Learning Networks, 2015). There are many PLN’s to choose from. Some of my favorites are the Digital StoryTelling Network, Digital Citizenship Network, and the Librarians Network.
Within 1-2 years after finishing my degree I see myself staying well informed of the new technologies to support Young Adults with their research/ academic needs. I also envision my professional network growing both virtually and face to face. ISTE provides many opportunities and resources for professionals to stay well informed in the ever-changing Technology field. Webinars, Podcasts, on-line resources and books are just a few of the ways that this association can assist me with this goal. The webinars offered by ISTE, most free for members, are current and relevant in the technology field. Topics include: Twitter in the K-12 Classroom, The Basics of Flipped Learning, and G.A.M.E. An Educators Gaming Guild. Books featured on their site currently are Securing the Connected Classroom and Flipped Learning for Science Instruction, both of which are sold to members for a significant reduction in price. ISTE also provides many opportunities to interact with other colleagues and professionals in the field. Currently, the Connect page is featuring Upcoming Events such as Interactive Fiction and Gamifiction #Metagame Book Club+, discussions on contests, and recent files that have been shared by members (ISTE, Welcome to the ISTE Community, 2015).
As noted in the YASLA section at the end of 4-5 years in the profession I hope to be taking on more of a leadership and research role. ISTE has two main blogs, EdTekHub and the ISTE Connects blog, which I would be able to informally contribute too. Additionally, they host a large databaseof lesson plans, titled Project Reimagined, that meet the Common Core and ISTE standards. The web site notes “Within this new social learning community, K-12 teachers and coaches will work with standards experts and other community members in real time to develop real lessons they can freely share and implement anywhere” (ISTE, Project Reimagined, 2015). I think it would be exciting to contribute a lesson plan to this resource, as well as to utilize the lessons in my daily teachings.
5. Provide a simple table with three vertical columns: one for the titles of the categories of benefits (e.g., continuing education, codes of ethics, discounts, publications, etc.), and the other two for the two associations you selected. Then make 7-10 horizontal rows of at least 7-10 services and benefits. Provide the brief summary content for each cell for each organization's benefits, such as: publications, including the names of journals in italics and other serials and whether books, reports and other publications are provided; discounts provided for specific services, such as conferences, webinars, tuition at Drexel Online, etc.; CE programs with examples; mentoring programs such as sessions at meetings, listservs, specific matching of mentors and mentees, etc.; codes of ethics or ethics with summaries of key tenets; advocacy programs; and other benefits. Do not just indicate that the association has the benefit or service by using an X.
Benefit / YASLA / ISTEPublications /
- Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults – latest issues can be found online
- YASLA Books – Recent titles include: Teen Services 101: A Practical Guide for Busy Library Staff and Intellectual Freedom for Teens: A Practical Guide for Young Adult & School Librarians
- YALS – An online companion to the official Journal of the Young Adult Library Services Association
- YASLA eNews – An emailed weekly bulletin
- eNewsletters - ISTE Update and the ISTE Member Communities Newsletter
- Journal of Research on Technology in Education (JRTE)
- Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education (JDLTE)
- ISTE Member Magazine
- ISTE Standards for students, teachers, administrators, coaches, and computer science educators
- ISTE books
Discounts / All of the ALA discounts including:
- Auto Rental– Budget Car Rental
- Pet Insurance
- Auto Insurance – Geico
- Auto Rental – Avis
- Awards, Scholarships & Grants for ALA Members
- Conference Discounts– ALA Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting
- Credit Card–CardPartnerfromUMB
- Digital Galleys – NetGalley - Priority access of digital galleys for ALA members
- Dollar Day Savings
- Homeowner’s Insurance – Geico
- Identity Theft Protection–LifeLock
- I Love Libraries website for the public
- JobList Online – free registration
- Office Supply Discount Program – OfficeMax
- Publication Discounts for Members
- The UPS® Savings Program
- Free and discounted ISTE Standards-based resources
- Discount on the ISTE Conference and Expo (More than $100)
- ISTE books — 30% Off!
- ISTE webinars —60% Off!
- Free 30-day job posting on our job board — $375 value
CE Programs /
- YASLA Academy – online videos
- Online courses – provide 10 contact hours with topics such as Welcoming Spaces: Designing Library Space to Accommodate Teens with Special Needs
- Webinars – Sixty minutes long in a variety of topics such as: Teens and the Future of Libraries and DIY: Outcomes and Impacts
- Twitter chats
- Webinars – Examples include: Getting started with Connected Learning and Global Collaboration, Twitter in the K-12 Classroom and Common Core, Integrate Technology to Teach the English Language Arts, and Standards to Get Students College and Career Ready
- Online courses – Examples include: Course 1: coach as Leader and Course 1: Overview Academy Course – Digital Citizenship
- Custom professional learning by topic
(ISTE, Find Ed Tech Resources, 2015)
Mentoring Programs /
- Virtual Mentoring Program – “Pairs an experienced librarian with a new librarian” (YASLA, YASLA's Virtual Mentoring Program, 2015)
Listservs /
- YASLA hosts 24 different electronic discussion lists. Topics that you can subscribe to include: Interests in library services for and with middle school aged youth, New YALSA Members, Teen Music and Media, and YALSA Intellectual Freedom Interest Group
Codes of Ethics /
- ALA code of ethics with eight broad statements
- YALSA competencies that include 7 different categories of what a librarian will be able to do. These categories are: Leadership and Professionalism, Knowledge of Client Group, Communication, Marketing & Outreach, Administration, Knowledge of Materials, Access to Information, Services
- None available – although there are curriculum guidelines (standards) for students, teachers, administrators, coaches, and computer science educators. These are broad statements that focus on how teachers can leverage technology in the classroom. Examples include: Communication and collaboration, research, and creativity and innovation. Within each category there are examples on what methods could be used to meet that guideline.
Advocacy Programs /
- Nice breakdown of how to use your time to advocate i.e. if you have 5 minutes, if you have 15 minutes, if you have an hour, if you have lots of time. The 5 minute category involves supplying resources on educating yourself and spreading the word. The 15 minute category involved how to share your information with policy makers and provides same ideas that you could share. Within the hour category YASLA provides tool kit with resources on how to reach out to others, and in the lots of time section the are resources on how to “Build Your Skills”
- Venues to “Share your story to increase funding for broadband across the nation”
- An advocacy toolkit with resources like:
- State by state profiles that provide useful information to use when advocating
- Bill Summary resources to stay up to date on the current legislative topics
6. Select from the many benefits those that you think will be most helpful to you and discuss briefly what specific ways you currently think you should become involved in these organizations in the future (at each stage: as a student, 1-2 years after completing your degree, and in the more distant 2+ years after completion of your degree)? Do consider student and local chapters of organizations. Be specific. Don’t just say serving on a committee or participating in a division; instead, state which committee and which division and why. This part of the assignment is to help you to identify your current thoughts and to help you take actions. It will also be a helpful benchmark for you to revisit in the future and consider revisions and different actions.