Students will evaluate technology-mediated access in library and information services.

While there are many principles in libraries that correlate directly with the profession of librarian, few are held in higher esteem by the professionals themselves than the awesome responsibility to evaluate the validity of information. In a world where information is literally on the fingertips of any user, this responsibility has increased exponentially. As I reviewed the huge number of technology-related papers, presentations, and assignments in my six semesters of work in the University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS), I found that two papers best illustrated my newfound understandings in this area. Technology has been a core piece of my work in this program, and while I took courses in metadata, cybersecurity, digital libraries, and even programming, it was the challenges of two very different assignments that really opened my eyes to the work that awaits me as I continue to work in this profession over the next few decades.

I took Dr. Burgess’ Academic Libraries (LS 531) course with an initial goal to put aside my twenty years of public library experience and see if there was a new career path for me in academic librarianship, and while I ultimately did not choose to continue down that path, my eyes were opened to the overlapping challenges that face libraries in a number of areas, especially in vendor negotiations centering around digital platforms and resources. My paper, pithily titled Strategic Thinking in Academic Library Vendor Negotiation: Finding Solutions Through Library Leadership on the Road to Open Access and Collaborative Engagement, began as a heavily-researched tome on negotiation strategy in this area (which later served me well in Dr. Yates’ Management Theory and Practice course – LS 508) that was far too much of a literature review than the assignment required. As I dug deeper, I realized that the issues in this area weren’t just about the deceptive practices of library vendors or the problems with open access in scholarship, though those are definitely issues at play. Instead, it became clear that the bigger problem was that libraries weren’t working in concert, and this lack of professional unity had left many academic institutions simply too small to make much headway against the handful of giant vendors at play. This was a depressing revelation for me, but the literature definitely seemed to illuminate that conclusion, and my paper then came together quickly. It became a realization that stuck with me as I began to dig deeper into technological resources in later courses

And while I did discover dozens of issues involving access and technology in other courses, the assignment that most clearly opened my eyes to the possibility of understanding the value of analysis came in Dr. MacCall’s Digital Libraries (LS 562) course near the end of my time at SLIS. At this point, I had a firm grasp of the ethical issues at play involving access and technology, and my experience in the field had opened my eyes to the value of policy work, but it wasn’t until we were asked to analyze a digital collection development policy at a major university that I was able to bring these two subjects together. I was assigned the University of North Texas (UNT), and while I didn’t initially enjoy the framework that was written by UNT’s Libraries, I eventually found that it was the combination of policy documentation and open access focus that really made their work come alive. It became fascinating to see how a university was taking on the various challenges in digital collection development work and writing a series of truly living documents to combat those challenges. These documents weren’t perfect, and the resources didn’t blow me away, but it was very intriguing to see the work being done.

I believe that I have received a firm understanding in the evaluation of digital access in our field, and these two assignments show a high quality of work in the world of digital libraries of which I can be proud. I also believe that these efforts show not just an understanding of library and information services but my commitment to important skills like collaboration, policy development, and strategic thinking that will continue to help me grow as a leader in our profession.