(re)Imagine, (re)Invent, (re)Innovate

Today I submitted the final documents for my e-Portfolio, which were approved by my advisor. I am so relieved to have finished this very long, but very rewarding journey to fulfill my dreams of becoming an educated person. Ultimately, this degree will enable me to work professionally as a librarian. Despite the economy and the budget cuts libraries are facing, I am thrilled to be a member the library profession. I have met so many wonderful people along the way.

The role of the librarian has not changed much, and that is to connect people with information. People will always need information and it is up to libraries to provide access to it, so I don’t see libraries going away. They just might look a little different than what we are used to seeing. But this is no surprise, as libraries have been changing and responding to new technology for hundreds of years. The only difference for today’s libraries is that technological change has a much faster turnover than before.

Often referred to as disruptive technologies, these changes are disrupting what librarians like to call traditional library services, forcing them take a hard look at their business models. Words like reimagine, repurpose, and reinvent, are words I keep hearing repeated over and over in meetings and at conferences. This is a good thing. Every organization must periodically examine and prove its value to its customers. It needs to provide a service that people need or want. Libraries that anticipate the needs and wants of its customer base and respond with creative solutions will survive. Librarians who do the same will be the ones who take libraries into the future.

Through the wall

I have finally reached that point where I feel like I will finish this e-Portfolio. What a huge thing to undertake, but knowing that so many other students have done this, I had to believe it was possible. I have 13 Competencies submitted and passed, and now have to complete one final Competency, the Intro, Philosophy and Conclusion. Four students in my class have finished as of today.

So, on to the more serious stuff. Baking cookies. I’ve decided to bake some peanut butter cookies using peanut flour. These are gluten free, but I’m using eggs and butter this time. The recipe is a creation of Zoe Francois from zoebakes.com.

And here they are. These cookies turned out a little dense, chewy, and not overly sweet, but very good–and with the peanut butter and peanut flour, they’re high in protein…and fat and calories, too. A glass of milk is a must with these cookies. I didn’t like these cookies enough, so I do not plan to make this recipe again.

I’ve hit the wall on Competency N

With nine competencies written and seven passed, I have absolutely hit a wall. I am attempting Competency N, which is about evaluation of library programs and services. I am finding that the material I need to write about was not really addressed in depth in the courses that I enrolled in at SJSU, so I am doing a lot of research just to get an understanding of some of the competencies. Thankfully, I can make most of my assignments work for evidence to support the competencies, but I’m not sure how long this will last as I get near the end. I’ve been trying to formulate my thoughts and just cannot seem to do it, so I write on this blog to keep my fingers going. If I write about something else, I stay motivated to return to my required writing. This project has got to be the most difficult thing I have ever done. My confidence levels are all over the place. One minute I am telling myself I can do this. The next minute, I am thinking I am going to fail. I am a fighter though, and I think the best way to get rid of the negative thoughts is just to get this done and keep working at it. It’s like rock climing and I keep slipping and looking for something to hang on to.

My technique so far through this eportfolio project is to decide what competency I want to work on. I have all of my assignments organized into folders, so I take a look at these as potential artifacts/evidence. Next, I start a Word document and write out the details of the competency. I put a few key terms on the paper and some thoughts and points I want to make. I research the topic a little if I need more understanding. I write as much as I can and then I walk away to digest some of the thoughts. Baking and cleaning my house help me to think. I am a multitasker and need to be doing something else that is not too complicated when I am in thinking mode.

This weekend I baked oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies and banana flax seed muffins to help me think. I’ve made the muffins before, but this was the first time I made this recipe for oatmeal cookies. They are fantastic. Plus, they are gluten/dairy/egg/soy free. There is no lack of flavor though. The recipes are from the Allergen Free Baker’s Handbook that I refer to so often on this blog. Here are a few pictures of the treats.