B Sides: FieldWork
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Little Free Libraries: A Necessity or A Luxury?
Full text linkoai:bsides:id:27882“Little Free Libraries: A Necessity or A Luxury?” explores recent development in community driven and managed book collections housed in freely accessible ‘micro-libraries’— small, often outdoor housings for books, inspired by Tod Boll and Rick Brooks efforts. Little Free Libraries have spread across the North American continent and the world
Breaking Down Invisible Barriers: Using Bookmobiles To Facilitate Library Outreach in Urban and Suburban Communities
Full text linkBookmobiles were originally conceived as a mobile form of library outreach, and the perception persists that bookmobiles are primarily for rural locations or small towns without libraries of their own. However, the presence of a brick-and-mortar library does not mean that all the members of that community have equal access to library services. Distance, time, transportation, and language can all be barriers that prevent community members from utilizing the services that libraries provide. Consequently, bookmobile librarianship offers a potential solution to many of these outreach problems. In addition to serving as mobile book depositories, bookmobiles can be outfitted with computer stations that feature mobile internet connectivity, and their staff can participate in neighborhood events and bring educational programming to local parks, churches, clubs, and other existing community gathering places. By using my experience starting my own bookmobile, the Antelope Lending Library, I will demonstrate the ways in which bringing the library and library services to the community in bookmobiles offers a unique opportunity to both librarians and community members to connect in ways that are comfortable to both parties and can bridge the informational and digital divide that so often impedes those who are unable to access library services in traditional ways
Creating a Digital Scholarly Edition of Walt Whitman's Short Fiction: A Case Study in TEI/XML
No full textThe increased accessibility of nineteenth-century newspapers and magazines in online archives represents an opportunity for new literary discoveries. Many nineteenth-century writers, including the poet Walt Whitman, made contributions to periodicals. In the 1840s, well before the publication of the first edition of Whitman’s poetry volume Leaves of Grass (1855), he authored a novel and several short stories that first appeared in periodicals, ranging from literary journals to popular newspapers. Since 2010, I have discovered 324 previously unknown printings or reprints of Whitman’s fiction in periodicals. Based in part on my research, The Walt Whitman Archive’s NEH-funded Pre-Leaves of Grass Fiction Project (co-edited with Nicole Gray) constitutes the first scholarly edition of the original printings of Whitman’s fiction and the first collected edition of his fiction since 1963. This poster documents the creation of this online scholarly edition by examining the process of text encoding or the making of a machine-readable version of the fiction in Extensible Markup Language (XML) using the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) guidelines. Taking Whitman’s “The Tomb-Blossoms” as a case study, this poster reveals the commonly used markup tags for and the unique challenges of encoding fiction printed in nineteenth-century periodicals. As a result, the Pre-Leaves of Grass Fiction Project stands as a model for digital projects that require the encoding of selections from historical periodicals. It also serves as a starting point for a future digital archive that will document the publication history of Whitman’s fiction and explore the national and international circulation of his stories
Homebound Services in Public Libraries: understanding an antiquated service in a modern society
Full text linkThe Library Bill of Rights identifies the provision of information to an entire community as an essential role of libraries. In an effort to achieve this standard, Homebound Programs exist in many public libraries to provide services to patrons who are physically unable to visit the library. When reviewing the literature, it can be observed that homebound programming is often operating just as it was 40 years ago, though libraries and communities have changed drastically in that time. Evaluating the outreach services currently offered to homebound patrons in Iowa can help one understand what services are commonly provided in the region, evaluate weaknesses, and identify changes that can be made to meet the needs of a unique population within a modern society
File Naming Standards for Digital Collections
Full text linkThis paper discusses file naming standards for the digitization of physical items and outlines the naming conventions used in the University of Iowa's Szathmary Collection
With the Turn of a Wrench and the Click of a Mouse: A Case Study of the Online Learning Practices of HVAC Professionals and Homeowners
No full textPoster Presentation Spring 2013This study examines the learning practices on display in several discussion forums on the site www.heatinghelp.com. These forums are used by professionals in the HVAC industry to address, among other things, the problems and questions they encounter in their daily work lives; questions that range from technical matters such as water chemistry to more general topics like small business management. Homeowners also frequent the site contributing questions or concerns about their own heating systems as well as offering advice to others.This project draws on theories and concepts from across the broad LIS spectrum. From the world of education and literacy theory, Brian Street (2001) uses the term “literacy practices” to describe “behavior and conceptualizations related to the use of reading and/or writing” (438). In a related vein, Kaestle (1985) writes of the varied uses of literacy across history and, with an eye to the future, notes the need for “research on the functions of printed matter among different reading publics” (45).From the world of information science, Tuominen, Talja, and Savolainen (2005), in their brief overview of what they term a social constructionist view of information practices, note that: “Studying how information practices, actors, and technologies are constructed in discourse and conversation provides a broader sociological perspective for understanding information seeking and information technology use” (331).Using the theoretical perspectives outlined above, this study looks at the rich and varied ways in which this online community’s participants interact via written exchanges (including text, diagrams, and photographs) and how these forums serve as a means to create useful knowledge and foster learning for all participants
Spaces of Encounter: Community and the Public Library
Full text linkIn our increasingly globalized world, the space of the public library is changing. This poster sheds light on and discusses two different sorts of negotiations of space and how they relate to the public library. The first is the concept of the low-intensive meeting place, in which people are exposed to ideas and values different from their own. The second is the idea of Third Space, where people encounter a culture and redefine themselves in relation to the discourse of the space. Taken together, these two models suggest how public library users relate to the space of the library and how librarians can understand and manage the construction of the symbolic library space to benefit the diverse communities that they serve
Where the Queer Things Are: Library Services to LGBTQ Youth
Full text linkIn an age of shrinking budgets, tough decisions and political tensions, libraries must have a strong justification for LGBTQ youth services that is grounded in credible research if they are to stand up to challenges. My research examines why these services are essential in a world that is still unsafe for far too many queer identified youth, how to best engage with the community and what resources libraries can provide to young LGBTQ information seekers. Literacy and education theory were used as a foundation for the examination of the impact literacy has on the development of self through the formation of personal identity, the importance of mentors, and the opportunity for action. Current research about providing services to the LGBTQ community was examined for best practices and effective methods. The most important factors in successful services to the LGBTQ community are authentic and comfortable interactions, and the integration of queer and non/queer resources in reader’s advisory and reference response for all patrons. While statistics on bullying and homophobic remarks indicate that conditions are improving, LGBTQ teens are still at great risk for homelessness, depression and suicide. Libraries must do everything possible to provide a safe space for LGBTQ youth to build their identity and interact with the community
