I have been working extremely hard at my professional internship this past week since it has gotten quite challenging. This past week and a half, I have worked around 29 hours. This is because I'm not just compiling information for the public and staff sites for the Marin County Free Library, but doing the larger tasks of posting the information to those sites, learning to use the sites including creating content like library items and websites, and basically managing the sites. It takes much work and a lot of time to learn how to utilize public and staff sites for libraries, especially as an administrator in training who must create and manage information, as well as experience lots of trial and error.
More specifically, I have been learning to use and manage the Research and Learning section of the public site. After I had compiled information for two social media subject guides, both a general guide and a parent's guide, I have had to learn how to create these subject guides in the Research and Learning section of the public site, which includes creating taxonomy (social media subject terms like Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, You Tube, and Websites), but also placing library items like books and also websites into the taxonomy fields I created. For instance, I created a taxonomy section for the General Social Media Subject Guide simply called "Facebook." I then had to learn to take library books about Facebook and also websites about Facebook and place them into the "Facebook" section of the General Social Media Subject Guide, and I did the same for the Parent's Social Media Subject Guide.
To do this work, I used a guidebook on how to manage or utilize the public site, which has instructions on how to add things to the site such as titles, websites, and databases.
Although the work is quite complicated to describe, perhaps too complicated for a simple and brief blog post, I am essentially learning to do what all library staff and administrators must do, which is utilize and manage the library's public site.
I have so far worked a total of 95 hours this semester, and have 40 required hours left. I know I have more challenging assignments ahead that will take much time to learn, so I have no more worries about filling up the required hours for this 3 unit internship. What I have not mastered yet is making decisions about what types of blog posts to make on the public site, but this internship certainly requires much trial and error, which may be frustrating, but I am glad my site supervisor wants me to take much time experiencing trial and error and work slowly in order to learn how to do things, rather than pressuring me to get the work done.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Week 8
This past week I have been using social media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter) to promote library events and also to provide staff members with social media training materials.
I have been creating blogs on the Policies and Procedures section of the Marin County Free Library staff site. These blogs on the staff site contain files of training materials for social media sites like Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter, which I had uploaded. The staff are now able to gain access to these social media training materials so that they can better utilize social media; particularly to promote services and provide information to patrons, and also work together to enhance the social media experience for both patrons and staff.
I have been spending even more time promoting and marketing upcoming library events to patrons through the use of social media including blogs on the public library site, as well as Facebook and Twitter. The events I have been promoting include those that are part of the Marin Public Library's Science Month project including lectures and discussions about mammals, humans, and the geographical area of Marin County; but also story times for children, Spanish Language courses, art related events, and many other events.
My site supervisor is getting close to having my next big assignment ready, which involves compiling and uploading information about the staff. In the meantime, or for the rest of the weekend, I will be doing more work with social media including uploading subject guides that I created to the Marin County Library's public site so that patrons can access them; one is a general subject guide and the other is for parents. I will also be doing more promotion and marketing of upcoming library events.
I have been creating blogs on the Policies and Procedures section of the Marin County Free Library staff site. These blogs on the staff site contain files of training materials for social media sites like Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter, which I had uploaded. The staff are now able to gain access to these social media training materials so that they can better utilize social media; particularly to promote services and provide information to patrons, and also work together to enhance the social media experience for both patrons and staff.
I have been spending even more time promoting and marketing upcoming library events to patrons through the use of social media including blogs on the public library site, as well as Facebook and Twitter. The events I have been promoting include those that are part of the Marin Public Library's Science Month project including lectures and discussions about mammals, humans, and the geographical area of Marin County; but also story times for children, Spanish Language courses, art related events, and many other events.
My site supervisor is getting close to having my next big assignment ready, which involves compiling and uploading information about the staff. In the meantime, or for the rest of the weekend, I will be doing more work with social media including uploading subject guides that I created to the Marin County Library's public site so that patrons can access them; one is a general subject guide and the other is for parents. I will also be doing more promotion and marketing of upcoming library events.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Week 7
My internship is now getting off the ground. I am no longer solely doing research, compiling information for staff and users, and revising staff materials. I am now learning to use the Marin County Free Library Intranet or the MCFL staff website. My site supervisor made me an administrator of the MCFL staff site, and in addition to receiving Intranet training, I have been learning to post content to the Intranet or staff website. I have taken the staff training materials and subject guides that I worked on since the start of the semester, and have now been able to upload them to the staff site of the Intranet.
This has not been as easy as it sounds. I did face challenges as there always is when learning something new. I spent a full day struggling to solve Intranet login issues. I had trouble logging into the staff site, but that was because of some mistakes I made and possibly login issues the library had been experiencing, but luckily my site supervisor guided me on how to correct such issues so that I could gain access to the staff site. It was also challenging to learn where and how to post content. It took me a while to learn how to post content in the appropriate sections of the staff site including the policies and procedures page, committee page, and staff home page. Furthermore, it had taken me some time to learn how to upload content onto the Intranet, which I found challenging since it is done a little differently from other websites such as our own D2L site. I also had to struggle to figure out how to upload files that are certain sizes, and basically how to solve issues regarding the uploading of file sizes. Although I know how to post images to the regular MCFL website for users, I still have not figured out how to post images to the Intranet, and solve issues with image size.
The good news is that I did manage to upload all the files my site supervisor wanted on the staff site, and the appropriate places to upload them, for instance training materials that need to be uploaded to policies and procedures page.
Furthermore, I also had to learn about the taxonomy of the staff site. Taxonomy is vocabulary created to help staff find the right places to access certain information and also post content. For instance, the word "Procedures" is an example of taxonomy and was created for the staff site so that staff can upload and access all files related to library procedures. I had to learn how to choose and create taxonomy so that I knew where to post my content, and also where my content can be accessed by library staff.
My site supervisor did say that I need to take my time to learn all these things, and that I don't need to rush to complete assignments. We still have until November 6 before the Intranet actually goes live.
This has not been as easy as it sounds. I did face challenges as there always is when learning something new. I spent a full day struggling to solve Intranet login issues. I had trouble logging into the staff site, but that was because of some mistakes I made and possibly login issues the library had been experiencing, but luckily my site supervisor guided me on how to correct such issues so that I could gain access to the staff site. It was also challenging to learn where and how to post content. It took me a while to learn how to post content in the appropriate sections of the staff site including the policies and procedures page, committee page, and staff home page. Furthermore, it had taken me some time to learn how to upload content onto the Intranet, which I found challenging since it is done a little differently from other websites such as our own D2L site. I also had to struggle to figure out how to upload files that are certain sizes, and basically how to solve issues regarding the uploading of file sizes. Although I know how to post images to the regular MCFL website for users, I still have not figured out how to post images to the Intranet, and solve issues with image size.
The good news is that I did manage to upload all the files my site supervisor wanted on the staff site, and the appropriate places to upload them, for instance training materials that need to be uploaded to policies and procedures page.
Furthermore, I also had to learn about the taxonomy of the staff site. Taxonomy is vocabulary created to help staff find the right places to access certain information and also post content. For instance, the word "Procedures" is an example of taxonomy and was created for the staff site so that staff can upload and access all files related to library procedures. I had to learn how to choose and create taxonomy so that I knew where to post my content, and also where my content can be accessed by library staff.
My site supervisor did say that I need to take my time to learn all these things, and that I don't need to rush to complete assignments. We still have until November 6 before the Intranet actually goes live.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Week 6
This week, I have been given access to the staff home page of the Marin County Free Library website; not just because I'm an intern, but mainly since my future assignments will be done on the staff homepage, such as uploading and posting information. I was given a username and a password to log into the staff home site.
A future assignment in which I cut and paste information into the staff site, like staff information, has been put on further hold and is still in development.
My assignment for this week is learning to use the library's Intranet. An Intranet is as Wikipedia states, "a computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to share information, operational systems, or computing services within an organization." I will be watching a training video on how to use the Intranet. I will be using the Intranet for many future assignments to share staff information, training materials, and anything for the staff so that I can meet the student learning outcomes that state, "the student will help develop and maintain the staff website, as well as create and maintain training materials to assist the staff in improving staff communication and efficiency," and "the student will maintain existing materials and create new materials for publicity and trainings to enable staff to help promote the library and its programs."
I will also be filling out and emailing a time sheet to show the library the days and hours I worked in September, which I must do at the start of every month.
I do not completely understand all the technology that I must use for the staff home site and the Intranet. However, I will be going through a list of assignments for this next week one by one, and by doing so, slowly and gradually gain an understanding about these technologies, how to maintain and develop the staff site, and how to use the Intranet. At this point, I'm a little lost, but I will have to take these assignments a little step at a time.
A future assignment in which I cut and paste information into the staff site, like staff information, has been put on further hold and is still in development.
My assignment for this week is learning to use the library's Intranet. An Intranet is as Wikipedia states, "a computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to share information, operational systems, or computing services within an organization." I will be watching a training video on how to use the Intranet. I will be using the Intranet for many future assignments to share staff information, training materials, and anything for the staff so that I can meet the student learning outcomes that state, "the student will help develop and maintain the staff website, as well as create and maintain training materials to assist the staff in improving staff communication and efficiency," and "the student will maintain existing materials and create new materials for publicity and trainings to enable staff to help promote the library and its programs."
I will also be filling out and emailing a time sheet to show the library the days and hours I worked in September, which I must do at the start of every month.
I do not completely understand all the technology that I must use for the staff home site and the Intranet. However, I will be going through a list of assignments for this next week one by one, and by doing so, slowly and gradually gain an understanding about these technologies, how to maintain and develop the staff site, and how to use the Intranet. At this point, I'm a little lost, but I will have to take these assignments a little step at a time.
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