Sadly, the semester is coming to a close. This is the end of my journey in Online Information Retrieval, but in a way it is just the beginning of my searching career. What a journey it has been! I feel that I have learned so much this semester and have developed into a more well-informed information seeker. Even in areas where I already had a limited bit of expertise (such as the use/existence of Boolean operators) I feel that my technique has been honed. I hope that you, dear reader, have enjoyed following my progress and learning from my mistakes and that you will somehow benefit from my documentation of this process.
A few of my favorite things: A semester-long summary
Content-wise, the most important thing I learned this semester (I suppose it is not necessarily my favorite thing...) was that libraries are not doing enough to support individuals with disabilities in their quest for information. This may be because of a lack of library outreach programs (as mentioned in my "JSTOR" post), poor staff training (as I mentioned in my "LexisNexis" and "Video & Social Media Databases" posts), or because the resources themselves are not set up in an accessible manner (as detailed in my "Science Direct" post). This makes me wonder what I could be doing now to help me better prepare for my career of serving a wide variety of patrons in the future. I was very happy to learn that there were organizations out there like DO-IT (detailed in my "DIALOG" post) and Utah Assistive Technology Program (mentioned in my "Video & Social Media Databases" post) to assist libraries with making their services and spaces more accessible to users with disabilities.
Searching-wise, I learned how to develop a command string for specialized searching (mentioned in my "LexisNexis" and "DIALOG" posts). I also learned about the existence of a new type of search limiter command – the "proximity search" limiter (described in both the "LexisNexis" and "DIALOG" posts). Finally, I learned about the importance of knowing common vocabulary terms used within your chosen subject area before conducting a detailed search (discussed in my "PsychInfo," "JSTOR," and "LexisNexis" posts; applied successfully in my "Video & Social Media" post). Database "search helps" can come in handy when they are available, but sometimes it is necessary to do the leg work yourself and research your topic before you begin your search.
If this is the first entry you are reading on my blog, this is no means all-encompassing of what I explored and learned this semester. There were many other interesting things I discovered along the way that I did not describe here. Hopefully this has piqued your interest enough to continue reading on!
While this blog will no longer be updated with new searches, I do hope you will be willing to comment, discuss, or drop me a line anytime on anything you found interesting during your perusal of this blog. I always look forward to hearing from other individuals who are interested in the field of library science!
- Crystal
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Video Clip & Social Media Databases
This is the last segment in my search for more non-traditional types of information. This week I examined both a video clip source called VAST Academic Video Online and a social media search engine known as SmashFuse.
I had noticed a pattern in my previous search results (particularly my post about LexisNexis) that indicated that librarians did not have adequate training when it came to assisting individuals with disabilities. It made me wonder how library staff could be trained and better prepared to serve patrons with disabilities. How could they equally enforce rules, while still making the library a welcoming place and allowing for patron differences? How could they support patrons with disabilities in the information finding process? I decided to search for some training topics to see what I could discover.
VAST Academic Search:
First, I decided to search VAST for training videos about using appropriate, "person-first" language when working with people with disabilities. The language a librarian uses when addressing a patron can affect the person's view of their library and can leave a lasting impression. If a librarian unintentionally uses incorrect terminology, he or she may offend the individual and they may be reluctant to seek help in the future. I can definitely see this as a potential barrier to information; a damaged relationship is often not so easily fixed.
My first search was for the terms “disability” and “etiquette” (I attempted a truncated search, but the database did not appear to allow for it using asterisks *).
I received a total of 7 hits from this search. I really liked the first result on the list. While it is intended for social workers and therapists, it does provide advice and considerations that anyone in a service-sector job could use. For example, it talks about how individuals with the same condition can be at various stages of disability. In addition, she talks about how something as simple as shaking hands can be different for people with disabilities. Someone with arthritis may experience pain when you attempt to shake their hand and they may feel uncomfortable with this.
(Note: Unfortunately, it seems that with Blogger's limitations that I cannot embed a video using iFrame tags... below are screenshots from the video and a link instead. Correct me if you are an HTML expert!)
Sixth Result:
What did I learn this week?
Content:
Sadly, this is actually to be last search of this project blog! However, this does not mean that I will stop searching for information! I plan to continue to research this topic through the course of my career. Likewise I would like to make a career out of searching for information as a Reference Librarian, so the more things I can learn about searching, the better I will be at assisting patrons with their information requests!
There were several topics I was not able to touch on in my searching blog and many of my searches had to be tweaked to fit with certain databases. I would like to continue doing research about assistive devices so I can continue to familiarize myself with them. Likewise, I wish I had more time to explore information seeking behaviors of people with disabilities. I also would have liked to research the universal design of websites in greater detail.
As far as searching goes, I wish that I had the time to explore some of TWU library's other resources that would be more tailored to my topic. For example, Rehabilitation Reference Center might provide some interesting takes on my topic. Additionally, I wish I was able to also explore and compare the databases of some of the other publishers like SAGE. I would also like to spend more time learning how to perfect my command string searching technique! Perhaps in future courses...
I had noticed a pattern in my previous search results (particularly my post about LexisNexis) that indicated that librarians did not have adequate training when it came to assisting individuals with disabilities. It made me wonder how library staff could be trained and better prepared to serve patrons with disabilities. How could they equally enforce rules, while still making the library a welcoming place and allowing for patron differences? How could they support patrons with disabilities in the information finding process? I decided to search for some training topics to see what I could discover.
VAST Academic Search:
First, I decided to search VAST for training videos about using appropriate, "person-first" language when working with people with disabilities. The language a librarian uses when addressing a patron can affect the person's view of their library and can leave a lasting impression. If a librarian unintentionally uses incorrect terminology, he or she may offend the individual and they may be reluctant to seek help in the future. I can definitely see this as a potential barrier to information; a damaged relationship is often not so easily fixed.
My first search was for the terms “disability” and “etiquette” (I attempted a truncated search, but the database did not appear to allow for it using asterisks *).
I received a total of 7 hits from this search. I really liked the first result on the list. While it is intended for social workers and therapists, it does provide advice and considerations that anyone in a service-sector job could use. For example, it talks about how individuals with the same condition can be at various stages of disability. In addition, she talks about how something as simple as shaking hands can be different for people with disabilities. Someone with arthritis may experience pain when you attempt to shake their hand and they may feel uncomfortable with this.
(Note: Unfortunately, it seems that with Blogger's limitations that I cannot embed a video using iFrame tags... below are screenshots from the video and a link instead. Correct me if you are an HTML expert!)
http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2048/login?url=http://ezproxy.twu.edu:3644/vast/view/work/1778795
In my next search I attempted to use the terms “disability” and “person-first language;” this term was mentioned in the other video linked above. I found the following clip which was much more general and not driven toward any particular field:
In my next search I attempted to use the terms “disability” and “person-first language;” this term was mentioned in the other video linked above. I found the following clip which was much more general and not driven toward any particular field:
In this video, three
individuals with disabilities discuss the appropriate way to address someone
with a disability without being offensive or politically incorrect. They speak
about pet peeves, such as referring to someone as being “challenged." Many
topics they discussed were things that I had never considered. It gave me a new
perspective about how important using person-first language is in making a patron
with a disability feel comfortable in the library. The information seeking
process can be uncomfortable for patrons and it is important not to add
additional factors into the mix to further make them feel overwhelmed by the
process.
ezproxy.twu.edu:2048/login?url=http://ezproxy.twu.edu:3644/vast/view/work/1779044
SmashFuse Search:
For this search, I decided to continue with my theme of training for librarians about how to better serve people with disabilities. I had never heard of or tried SmashFuse prior to this course, but essentially it is a social media search engine that combines the results of many popular social media platforms in one place (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and many more). Perhaps it is just my imagination, but I really think that it looks at my own social media accounts and what I have “liked” to help filter my results. I say this because my Twitter account has a lot of both Utah things and library-related things I am subscribed to. A majority of my top results were related to libraries or to Utah. Here is a screenshot of my search:
ezproxy.twu.edu:2048/login?url=http://ezproxy.twu.edu:3644/vast/view/work/1779044
SmashFuse Search:
For this search, I decided to continue with my theme of training for librarians about how to better serve people with disabilities. I had never heard of or tried SmashFuse prior to this course, but essentially it is a social media search engine that combines the results of many popular social media platforms in one place (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and many more). Perhaps it is just my imagination, but I really think that it looks at my own social media accounts and what I have “liked” to help filter my results. I say this because my Twitter account has a lot of both Utah things and library-related things I am subscribed to. A majority of my top results were related to libraries or to Utah. Here is a screenshot of my search:
There were two results (the second and the sixth above) out of hundreds that I liked and I have
included these below. My first choice below is a video that discussed customer
service skills; this fits the theme of other videos I have already discussed. I included the second choice, a tweet, because
it deals specifically with relevant training sessions in my area (Utah!).
Second Result:
Sixth Result:
Content:
While the videos are not specifically targeted at librarians, I still feel that librarians can get something out
of them. Librarians may feel uncomfortable assisting patrons with
disabilities because they do not want to offend them and are unsure of how to
proceed; the more they are aware of how different things may affect patrons
with disabilities, the better they can serve them and the more comfortable
these patrons will feel. These videos provides some excellent tips for librarians to take
away. My favorite thing that I learned was to ask a patron if they would like to do something or if
they would like assistance with the task. That way, you allow the patron to
decide the level of help they may need. If you simply take over and do the task for them, (for example, opening the door for them) they may view it as
patronizing.
I also learned that there is a great organization in my area, the Utah Assistive Technology Program, (http://utahatprogram.blogspot.com/), that assists patrons with disabilities in accessing information. They also provide free trainings to individuals who serve in a public service positions. Not only would I be interested in attending these trainings for continuing education, but I after reading their mission, I am very interested in volunteering with them at some point (when my graduate work slows down) as well!
Searching:
Searching-wise, I learned of the existence of social search engines. I had not heard of these types of search engines until Dr. Akin mentioned them in class. Now that I know of their existence, I can see how they would be vital for library marketing programs! A librarian could simply type the name of their library or event in to these engines to determine if people were sharing/talking about the event. Likewise, a public reference librarian could determine what that week's hot topics were so that they could familiarize themselves about likely patron questions that might arise. I honestly believe that SmashFuse knew my own favorites and follows on Twitter. It suggested Utah events and library events without me even needing to set those limiters! Technology can be fascinating... but it can also be a bit creepy at times.
Reflections:
Would I use VAST or SmashFuse again?
I also learned that there is a great organization in my area, the Utah Assistive Technology Program, (http://utahatprogram.blogspot.com/), that assists patrons with disabilities in accessing information. They also provide free trainings to individuals who serve in a public service positions. Not only would I be interested in attending these trainings for continuing education, but I after reading their mission, I am very interested in volunteering with them at some point (when my graduate work slows down) as well!
Searching:
Searching-wise, I learned of the existence of social search engines. I had not heard of these types of search engines until Dr. Akin mentioned them in class. Now that I know of their existence, I can see how they would be vital for library marketing programs! A librarian could simply type the name of their library or event in to these engines to determine if people were sharing/talking about the event. Likewise, a public reference librarian could determine what that week's hot topics were so that they could familiarize themselves about likely patron questions that might arise. I honestly believe that SmashFuse knew my own favorites and follows on Twitter. It suggested Utah events and library events without me even needing to set those limiters! Technology can be fascinating... but it can also be a bit creepy at times.
Reflections:
Would I use VAST or SmashFuse again?
Absolutely! I am really glad that I discovered these two databases.
I like that VAST includes more scholarly videos. I am used to searching YouTube which anyone can upload pretty much anything to. You find the occasional gems, but not without digging for a diamond in the rough. VAST does not appear to have that issue. All of the videos I found were educational in nature. Because I only retrieved 7 videos, I did not feel the need to apply any further limiters, but the advanced search features of VAST are... well... quite vast! I found it interesting that you could limit by the person discussed, a particular historical event, or the subject discipline of the video (just to name a few).
As far as SmashFuse is concerned, as I stated in the last section, I really see a lot of potential of the use of this search engine in libraries. The only drawback with the site is that it did not appear to have any sort of advanced searching. Boolean terms and certain symbols worked (asterisk, for example), but the only limiter I found was to search by the type of social media platform. If there is some sort of advanced search feature, they have certainly kept it well-hidden.
Ideas for future searches
As far as SmashFuse is concerned, as I stated in the last section, I really see a lot of potential of the use of this search engine in libraries. The only drawback with the site is that it did not appear to have any sort of advanced searching. Boolean terms and certain symbols worked (asterisk, for example), but the only limiter I found was to search by the type of social media platform. If there is some sort of advanced search feature, they have certainly kept it well-hidden.
Ideas for future searches
Sadly, this is actually to be last search of this project blog! However, this does not mean that I will stop searching for information! I plan to continue to research this topic through the course of my career. Likewise I would like to make a career out of searching for information as a Reference Librarian, so the more things I can learn about searching, the better I will be at assisting patrons with their information requests!
There were several topics I was not able to touch on in my searching blog and many of my searches had to be tweaked to fit with certain databases. I would like to continue doing research about assistive devices so I can continue to familiarize myself with them. Likewise, I wish I had more time to explore information seeking behaviors of people with disabilities. I also would have liked to research the universal design of websites in greater detail.
As far as searching goes, I wish that I had the time to explore some of TWU library's other resources that would be more tailored to my topic. For example, Rehabilitation Reference Center might provide some interesting takes on my topic. Additionally, I wish I was able to also explore and compare the databases of some of the other publishers like SAGE. I would also like to spend more time learning how to perfect my command string searching technique! Perhaps in future courses...
As always, I would love to hear (er... read) your thoughts about searching or about any of the topics I have posted about in this blog. Have you conducted librarian training before? Did it include any kind of etiquette or lessons on the use appropriate terminology in the session? If you were designing a training session for librarians on how to better serve people with disabilities what would you include? Are there any other social media search engines you have used and enjoyed (this is a very new type of database for me)? Feel free to post about it in the comments!
- Crystal
References:
“Disability-Affirmative Therapy: A Beginner's Guide.” Microtraining Associates video, 01:15:50, 2006. Accessed November 1, 2014. http://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/1778795.
“Improving Customer Service for People with Disabilities,” YouTube video, 8:03, posted by “Westsuburban,” May 4, 2011. Accessed Nov. 1, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViraivX2o2k.
Miller, Robbin (director).“How to Talk to Persons with Disabilities While Being Politically Correct.” Microtraining Associates video, 30:49, 2010. Accessed November 1, 2014. http://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/1779044.
Utah AT program, Twitter post, Oct. 23, 2014, 10:55 a.m. Accessed Nov. 1, 2014. https://twitter.com/utahATprogram/status/525344683233669121.
- Crystal
References:
“Disability-Affirmative Therapy: A Beginner's Guide.” Microtraining Associates video, 01:15:50, 2006. Accessed November 1, 2014. http://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/1778795.
“Improving Customer Service for People with Disabilities,” YouTube video, 8:03, posted by “Westsuburban,” May 4, 2011. Accessed Nov. 1, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViraivX2o2k.
Miller, Robbin (director).“How to Talk to Persons with Disabilities While Being Politically Correct.” Microtraining Associates video, 30:49, 2010. Accessed November 1, 2014. http://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/1779044.
Utah AT program, Twitter post, Oct. 23, 2014, 10:55 a.m. Accessed Nov. 1, 2014. https://twitter.com/utahATprogram/status/525344683233669121.
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