I've had much keeping me occupied since mid-January. My classes this semester are more focused on technical work.
Cataloging and Classification, which meets in-person, is going more in-depth with cataloging practices, beyond what I studied in Organization of Knowledge during my first semester. We had a major assignment for which we cataloged audiovisual items, and even a kit. We've also learned about constructing authority files, which are forms of the names of people used for identification purposes in records. We also had some a good discussion about ethical matters in cataloging. We've even had guest speakers who do cataloging work in libraries.
My other class is entirely online, Metadata for Digital Resources. Basically, metadata is information about information. As an example to illustrate, if you had a book in hand, metadata would describe things about the book, like the author, the publisher, and the copyright date--but wouldn't be the actual content of the book. There are various methods used to script information about digital resources so that computers can read it and display it for users.
Also as part of my coursework, I have a practicum this semester at Argonne National Laboratory's library. I've had the opportunity to work on some projects like LibGuides, which provide information on resources pertaining to a particular subject, like physics. I've also done some cataloging work. And I've spent time with the various people on staff in the department learning about their work--as well as sitting in on staff meetings to learn about all that's happening.
I'm also pleased to say that I've officially submitted my e-Portfolio, which is a requirement for graduation. It's basically a website showcasing the work I've done throughout my studies, and demonstrating how I've developed as a library and information science professional. Please feel free to check it out.
Indeed, I've accomplished important work so far. Now it's off to the final push.
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