Reflections on an Experience

This post is going to be a little long and I apologize. I am required to reflect on my experiences of the semester and to sum up my internship experience as a whole.

I came into the internship with a series of expectations and over the course of the semester, have watched some of those expectations change and make me a better writer. I had never done an internship before and being the first intern for Rohrbach Library was definitely scary as I had to make a name for the position and uphold that name, giving the position potential and credentials.

Since I began my internship, I have truly learned so much more than I ever thought possible. I was coming into an organization that did not have a traditional PR strategy in place, therefore no brand, no true identity (other than the KU association) and watched as this identity grew and the PR strategies flourished. I became part of the team that is pushing the library out into the community and creating an image of the organization. Because of my background in Public Relations and writing, I was able to assist in this development using the skills I learned from my Professional Writing courses and the knowledge I gained from working as a Student Assistant for three years in the Electronic Resources & Periodicals department. I was given the ability to watch an organization grow and change, while learning its quirks, ins and outs. I now know more about Rohrbach Library and the way it works, than most students will ever know and I pride myself in that. I was given the chance to be out in the real world, without ever leaving the comfort of campus.

I had a number of unique experiences this semester but the one I will remember most: staff development. This project was a great undertaking as it merged many of my passions: the passion for writing, the passion for awareness, and the passion for education. It is through this project that I learned not only how to write copy for event literature, but I learned how to market an event and how to go about organizing it, making sure that I worked with a team to accomplish all of the steps. Over the course of several months, I had the opportunity to work closely with the Dean of Library Services on this project and she really got on board and saw the event's promise, even on those days when I was unsure if we could pull it off. It was a great success and much has come out of it including publication.

I received an e-mail a couple of weeks ago from our presenter who asked if she and her colleagues could use the handbook, that I created for the training session, in future training sessions hosted by the Bureau of Blindness & Visual Services. I was absolutely delighted and obviously gave her permission to do so.

There were more good experiences than poor ones but here's a list of the things I wish could have been completed this semester:

• Library's book
• Assistive Technology Plan
• More database fact sheets
• More work on the library's brand
• Completion of updated library borchures

Although these projects were not completed, I am lucky to have had the opportunity to be a part of their progress, to offer my suggestions, and to have a role in their design and implementation.

All in all, this internship has given me great experiences and hopes for my future; I'm excited to see where this takes me. Who knows? I may be hired to freelance some work for this organization in the future. That's one of the good things about writing: writers can freelance, get paid by the hour or project, have diversity in their work, and work when and where they want. This internship was given me great insight into the world of library PR and may one day lead to a freelance career in library PR. I wouldn't mind.

At Last

Tomorrow (Friday, April 24, 2009) is officially my last day but I figured I'd wrap things up today since my portfolio is due to my faculty supervisor tomorrow. Lately, it's just been tying up the loose ends and making sure everything is ready for the transition. After this semester, the library will have documents already made that they can use as templates for future projects and they also have an idea of where to go with them. I'm extremely organized and am ahead of schedule with the arrangement of my portfolio. So today is just another day down in the Curriculum Materials Center, though it's not too terribly busy.

Update!

I know it's been about two weeks since I last posted, but not much has been going on. Since the Workers Day Luncheon and National Library Week, my on-site work is pretty much completed and I'm spending the last week updating my site journal, job description and putting the finishing touches on my portfolio. The library was also visited by reviewers from the Association of American College and Research Libraries (ACRL) who met with various library faculty and staff members and my supervisor has been in and out of meetings for two days for this, so she hasn't been around.

I'm working on reproducing the database fact sheets for the Reference Department's summer bulletin board display but since our printer has not been working, I have been kind of stuck. But then today, I was invited to and attended a webinar for a new InterLibrary Loan system which should be up and running this summer and since I will be continuing to work for the library during graduate school, I needed the exposure and background for this system. I must say i got a lot out of it and am looking forward to working with the system as long as it's not a pain like some of the other systems we use.

The last week is going by very slowly but I am glad that I have this time to reflect on my experiences and to understand where I want this internship to take me!

Lots going on!

The last few days have been kind of busy, especially with National Library Week being April 12-19 and National Library Workers Day being today, April 14th. Yesterday was the calm before the storm, but when I arrived in the office this morning, it was absolute chaos. My supervisor's youngest daughter was hospitalized last night because of a seizure. Not knowing this, when I went upstairs for breakfast, I was pulled in a million different directions, since I was the only one who knew where all of our things were.

So, we began to set up the tables and chairs in the Periodicals area when I realized that the gifts for our attendees had not been put together yet; the pens and pads were ties together with the ribbon but the pen/pad combos were not placed in their mugs with name tags yet. So, I ran down to the office, grabbed the supplies and headed up to get started.

I spent some time getting them ready when our Graduate Assistant arrived and she started to help out. We got everything done when we needed to and the food soon arrived. The tables were set with maroon tablecloths topped with table tents featuring quotes from the library's book and pictures of our patrons.

The Dean of Library Services offered opening remarks, presented the Library Committee with certificates, and introduced the Provost and Vice provost, among the other administrators who were present. The Library Committee approved the minutes from the March meeting and everyone enjoyed the food catered by AVI. Students had the opportunity to have their pictrue taken with the President, and I took my chance, having my picture not only taken with the President, but the Provosts and Dean of Library Services as well. The luncheon was well-attended and a lot of fun; it's always nice to see the other library student assistants, faculty, staff and university administrators gathering to celebrate the library.

The afternoon was a quiet one, especially after the hustle and bustle of the morning chaos. But the luncheon was done well and over before we knew it. Now, what am I going to do for the rest of the semester now that the luncheon is done, staff development is completed, and there's only a week left before finals? We shall see. I have a lot of catching up to do on paperwork and getting tickets for graduation but it's all coming together so nicely.

Tuesday, Thursday, and everything in between

Well, this week has been really kind of slow. I received a card from my O&M instructor, thanking me for the gifts we gave her for coming to present; she really knows how to make me cry. I've been working on wrapping up all of the loose ends here and there, making sure all of my projects are finished, or are semi-done. Some of them, like the book and Assistive Technology Plan, will not be completed this semester, but I have gotten a lot done on them, so they won't be so difficult to finish later on. Today,Thursday, was a very slow day. Everything is ready for National Library Week, which officially begins this Sunday; the only things that need to be put together are the gifts for the luncheon but those won't be done until next Tuesday, the day of the luncheon. This is because they won't fit in the boxes in which they came when we are finished with them and my supervisor doesn't want them lying around her office all done, but taking up more space than they need to. So I spent the majority of the day today getting things organized for my end of the semester and presentation which I have to give tomorrow. So, it's winding down and I never thought I'd say this but I'm ready for the next phase of my life called grad school. I want to be busy again; I miss the hustle and bustle but have enjoyed the calmness that is Rohrbach Library, at times. The future is upon me!

Friday and Monday

For some reason, Friday and Monday were not very busy, at least Friday wasn't. I had time to work on my portfolio, to make it everything it had the potential to be. I designed the dividers and got them printed up on heavier paper, to make them more professional-looking. I began working on my presentation of my internship, realizing that there's so much to present and I could spend all of my time talking about staff development, which will be a large part of my presentation since it was the biggest project, but it can't make up all of it. I have to give the other projects their time in the limelight, after all, I didn't spend ALL of my hours on Staff Dev.

Monday, today, was pretty busy. The library has an external reviewer coming in from the Association of College and research Libraries (ACRL) in a while so the invitations to meet with this person (or persons, I'm not quite sure) had to go out today. Since Campus Mail takes forever to get delivered, I went on a walk around the campus, in the rain, to deliver these invitations. Although I enjoyed getting out of my cinder-block box of an office, it was a lot of walking, in heels, in the rain with a long white cane. By the time I got back, it was time to go to lunch and get ready for my graduate school admissions interview. After the interview, I spent the afternoon updating my portfolio, making sure I had everything within that needed to be included, and began to brainstorm about the presentation. I also worked on converting the fact sheets into poster-sized documents for the Reference department's bulletin boards. They'll go up after National Library Week 2009, which is next week!

It's hard to believe I have worked so many hours on this internship but it has all been a good experience, something I know I will take with me into my future; well, that and I will always and forever be the first PR intern for Rohrbach Library. If/when someone else comes along, they'll have some large shoes to fill, which makes me happy; it means I have done an exceptional job and that I have excelled in what I set out to do. Let's see what tomorrow brings!

April 2nd

My site supervisor was out of the office at a SSHELCO (State System of Higher Education Library Cooperative) conference, so I decided to spend the day working on my portfolio in the Periodicals office. The office is a lot more open up there, and a lot brighter, too. I looked through the report from the staff development workshop and got a phone call from the copy center stating that my project was ready to be picked up. So after lunch, I stopped by and picked up my bound report and headed on my way. The afternoon went by quickly as I was busy calculating hours worked and projects completed. It's amazing how much work one can get done in a single semester, if given the chance to put in a lot of time. I will be moving on tomorrow to creating larger displays for the new databases ( large versions of the database fact sheets) but for now, I'm taking it easy.

Catch Up

It's been a long week since the last post and I apologize for the lapse in detail. Lots has happened since last Tuesday. With the invention of digital photography, I have spent the last week putting together a report on the workshop, complete with photos, captions, and a scanned image of the attendance sign in sheet. After days upon days of editing, re-formatting, and all the other design- and writing-related steps to producing a report, I finally submitted the final copy to the Dean of Library Services, and sent it off to the Copy Center to have it professionally printed and bound. It should be ready to go tomorrow...if I'm lucky. I purchased two copies of the report: one for my own records and portfolio, and one for Shelly, so she has a clean, professional-looking copy.

Looking through the photos, and putting the session in writing, as really shown me how much work truly goes in to creating a successful, interesting event and I am all the better for having taken these steps. I understand that I have had help along the way, but i couldn't have done all that i have without some assistance.

Also, the Student Brief has been published and my database list has been published within; so it's very exciting.

Now that the major project of the semester is complete, we are moving toward final preparations for National Library Week, a time where the library celebrates its impact on the community. Every year, Rohrbach Library hosts the National Library Workers Day Luncheon on the Tuesday of NLW. This year, however, planning was much simpler, as we kept thorough records of the steps we took to create last year's event. So, the posters, flyers, information, and signage will all be the same as last year, except the theme. The theme this year is "Worlds Connect @ Your Library."

The book has been a slow-moving process. With the transition from an Information Commons concept of library service to a Learning Commons concept, many of our departments are changing, so it is not likely that the book will be published this semester, unfortunately. Although the histoey, up to this point, is complete, our patron profiles need to be finished, the department descriptions need editing, while two of the departments need to be removed from the listing, as they no longer exist under the Library.

In my free time, I have been compiling my internship portfolio, reflecting on all the work that I have done this semester, wondering how it could have all gone by so fast. It's hard to believe graduation is one month from tomorrow and that I will be finished with my internship in three weeks!

"Assisting Persons with Vision Impairments"

Yesterday was the most amazing day of the semester! I have worked so hard to make it everything it could possibly be and it was. It was an extremely busy morning with a Library Public relations Committee meeting but beforehand, I was updating certificates, making sure every attendee that sent in an RSVP had a certificate made and ready to be signed. then afterward, preparations began; I made sure that everything was ready to go and that I knew where everything was located. I headed to the Bookstore before lunch to pick up the frame for Shelly's certificate and completed her gift before she called saying that she was going to arrive around 1:50. 1:50 came so fast, it was hard to believe she was actually here. We headed to lunch and had such an enjoyable time catching up. I had to fill her in on who was coming, what their roles within the university are, and we just went through some simple pre-presentation preparations.

Then we got back to the library and I shared with her my portfolio and all the work I had done for the internship, including all of the planning and whatnot for our session. We headed over to the room where the presentation was going to be held and began to set up all the equipment and such (the goggles had to be labeled and piled so I knew which pile to pick up at which time during the presentation, since I volunteered to assist her). We also took some time to sign and prepare the certificates. We had some time, then, to relax and get mentally prepared for the presentation (something I needed as I was extremely nervous). When people started to arrive, it began to become real that this was actually happening; all the work I had done to prepare was actually paying off. Shelly and I also discussed the handouts for the event as i had created a handbook on sighted guide and other tips and tricks, for which she had brought packets of information for. She asked for a copy at the end to show her supervisor, my VR Counselor and my counselor's supervisor. Maybe they'll want the file to reproduce it...who knows!

Then, 3:00 was upon us and we were ready to begin. The session began with a welcome from the Dean of Library Services, Dr. Barbara Darden. She then introduced me and I had the honor and pleasure of introducing Shelly. We were off and running! I spent the time during the presentation distributing simulation goggles to our participants as Shelly explained the condition, the effects of the condition, and the identifying factors, when applicable. We then moved onto how to identify someone who is visually impaired (thick glasses, use of magnifiers or monoculars etc. or the presence of a white cane or guide dog). The discussion then turned to guide dog background and etiquette followed by some information and history of the long white cane. Shelly then demonstrated the technique used with the cane.

With that said, we moved into the teaching and demonstrating of Sighhted Guide technique, a technique which allows a person who is blind or visually impaired to use someone with vision as a guide. We demonstrated everything from the basic position and alignment to going through doors, taking the stairs, negotiating narrow spaces, etc. Questions and clarifications from the participants then followed. Soon, we were pairing off and lining up, receiving our simulator goggles and preparing for the practical application segment of the session. I had a partner for this leg of the trip and served as her guide, although we were aligned differently than the others.

We then proceeded to follow Shelly out of the conference room and through the AV Center to the stairway that leads to the first floor of the library, stopping at the bottom of the stairs to wait for further instructions. She talked the group through the stair scenario and we proceeded up the stairs. When we gathered at the top of the stairs, we fell into line again and proceeded out of the building, using the door technique and walked down the sidewalk, to the halfway point of the practical application segment.

When we had all arrived, we then switched roles, although I was relieved of my duties as a partner with the addition of a late arrival to the session. So, I spent the second leg of the trip monitoring positioning and technique of about seven pairs. My pairs were pretty well-trained and I only had to make a couple of corrections on the way back to the room. When we arrived at the room again, the guides guided their partners (followers) to a chair and the followers sat themselves and the guides followed suit.

The final part of the session was a discussion of participants' experiences and their thoughts of what they had just encountered. Many people found it was difficult to know exactly where they were while others found that they needed to walk much slower when they were working with little or no vision and the assistance of another person. The discussion then moved into services and more background about the Bureau of Blindness & Visual Services with some audience members asking questions regarding family members who were experiencing vision loss. It was quite surprising to know that many people did not understand that the Bureau of Blindness & Visual Services not only serves people with congenital vision impairments, but also has a program designed for older people experiencing vision loss. Then we discussed a little about the family's role in the life of someone who is blind or visually impaired and what family members can do to assist family members who are blind or visually impaired.

When we concluded the session, I had several side conversations with some participants who had personal questions for me and found out just how much this session truly impacted them. I also had a conversations with several of our participants who did not RSVP for the session and therefore did not receive certificates. They were not at all happy with the situation but I explained to them that they were not on my list and that they needed to RSVP for the event. A couple of them were students who, were technically not invited to participate as this was a session for faculty and staff but I had a discussion with the Dean today and straightened it all out.

Once the last person left, I spent some time with Shelly and Dr. Darden, and introduyced them to one another as I had not really had a chance to do so beforehand because of ocnflicting schedules. We gave Shelly her certificate of appreciation in addition to two dozen roses in a beautiful vase and a KU stuffed bear which we had given to the participants. When all was said and done, I walked Shelly out to her car and as we were walking, we were talking about my future plans and such and I asked if I could be involved in any other of her presentations if they were in my area and she said that she would keep me in mind the next time she did a presentation in my area of the state. She also said that she was going to send my name in to the person who coordinates panel discussions on behalf of Blindness & Visual Services so when an event is happening in my neck of the woods, I will be included and if available, participate and continue the work that I am doing now with these types of discussions. This is definiatelty the continuuation of a beautiful relationship.

I was sad to see her go, as always. But I know that I will see her again as the Bureau in Pennsylvania keeps mobility instructors with their clients as long as possible, unlike others that make their clients change instructors every time a case must be reopened. And, of course, Shelly will be kept up-to-date on everything that we produce in regards to the session, so I will be talking with her again.

Yesterday was a wonderful day. I'm glad it's done because it was such a success and now we get to keep working on the second phase of the project: articles, a white paper, and possibly a presentation (keeping my fingers crossed that all of this really does happen and it's not just a discussion).

One day left!

Today was a busy day (when is it ever not a busy day?). I had an early morning meeting with the Dean to finalize some arrangements for tomorrow. The room is all set up the way we need it for tomorrow's training. The gifts are ready and the certificates are ready and waiting to be signed. i have 29 people registered for the session at this point. Who knows, I may get one more within the next few hours or early tomorrow morning. But, I am happy with what I can get as far as attendees are concerned. All there is to worry about now is keeping cool and working on other projects which I have neglected over the past week or so. It's just so hard: wanting to make sure verything is perfect and ready to go, while balancing the other demands of the internship (but I'm relieved that my comprehensive exams are over). tomorrow shall be interesting; I'm surely looking forward to it. I just hope I can sleep tonight. See you tomorrow!

Friday

I didn't get into the office today until 1:00 because of Senior Comprehensives, but when I got there...oh my. There was a lot to do, especially since staff training is only 2 workdays away! but I took my time getting through designing the certificates for our participants. Yes, that's right, participants get certificates for this training session, but it's going to be a good one. I did a little more organizing of my portfolio and updated the RSVP list for Tuesday; it's hard to believe I have 24 people coming to this session. All in all, I'm taking it easy and not stressing out too much. now that Comps are over, I can breathe a little.

Wednesday and Thursday...all wrapped together

Wednesday was kind of an exciting day with a lot going on and a lot getting accomplished. I began my day by assisting the department Graduate Assistant with setting up for the party. One of our staff members is retiring soon so we put together a party, with a large poster filled with messages from other staff members written on cut out fish; it came out really nice. I have also been working on the final touches for Tuesday's staff development session, including getting things ready for our presenter, figuring out the food/gift situation and working on choosing flowers and a gift for our presenter. In addition, I received a couple of RSVPs for the event, so the attendance list is growing by the day, which is quite acceptable.

Because I had a ticket to see Barbara Walters at the Decision Makers Forum Q&A, my day in the office was cut short, but in the time I spent, I got a lot of work done.

On to Thursday! Thursday was quite a busy day which started with a meeting with the Dean of Library Services to finish the discussion regarding training on Tuesday. Right in the middle of our meeting, our presenter, my O&M instructor, called to verify dates, times, etc. and we ended up making plans to have lunch together on Tuesday before the presentation, which will be nice. I am truly looking forward to it. All of my hard work this semester on this event, my "baby" is actually beginning to pay off and I am really getting excited about the journey on which I am about to embark. I purchased the frame for the certificate which I will present to Shelly on Tuesday, and I completed the design and approval of the certificate; all that is left is to print it, sign it, and frame it. I also have to write the introduction for the event (Shouldn't be too hard, but how do you introduce someone as special as Shelly? I need to figure this out this weekend).

All in all, I'm having wonderful experiences and gaining valuable skills. More to come!

Tuesday!

Well, for a Tuesday, today was not as boring as it could have been. I had a meeting with the Dean of Library Services this morning to discuss the Staff Development training session as it is coming up very quickly (7 days and counting). We discussed everything from the certificates and handouts, to the gifts for our presenter. In addition, we also discussed the evaluation of the session and our plans for the information after the session. As of late this afternoon, i have around 22 people signed up for the seminar, so I am extremely happy about it. So, I spent the day working on the final plans and preparations, making sure that everything is done and done well. I have submitted my notes from the session planning to the Dean.

We were supposed to have a Public Relations Committee meeting this morning, but my supervisor was out sick, probably with the flu.

What a couple of weeks!

WOW! It's amazing how fast time flies. Lately, my work has centered around the Staff Development training session "Techniques for Assisting Persons with Vision Impairments". So far, we have 17 people signed up for the session, so I went ahead and announced the session at last Thursday's University Senate meeting, in hopes of generating more interest. I have also put an announcement/advertisement in the Daily Brief and one of my colleagues has sent out an invitational e-mail to all university faculty and staff. I hope that I can get the last 13 seats filled before next Tuesday, but I am happy with the numbers the session has generated already. The handbook for the session is complete and has been sent over to the Print Shop on campus to be copied for the event. I will also be putting it on the P drive for the Library so our staff has access to it, if they wish to make copies, or for those who cannot attend the session but would like the information anyway. Next, I will be working on putting together a session evaluation form to assist in understanding attendees' reactions to and views of the session. I am working on scheduling a meeting with the Dean of the Library for this week to discuss the last few details of the session: if there's going to be food/drinks, what we're doing to thank Shelly for presenting, among other small details.

Since the news release for the Web of Science has been completed, we are now working on the plans for the reception and training session for that. Our student assistant has been working on designing the invitations for that, which will include some of my writing from the release.

National Library Week plans are underway and the next Public relations Committee meeting for the library is tomorrow, so more details will come afterward.

Monday

Well, this week is off to a busy start. After the Spring Break, everything is in full swing for the rest of the semester. I'm working on getting the Library book updated and making sure that for the patron profiles, we have photos to go with the text.

We have also sent out the invitations for the Sighted Guide training session and have been receiving RSVPs for the event. As of the end of today, we have about 10 people from the library attending. I'm hoping to keep this up and have our 30 participants for this session. We also sent out invites to our selected committees and will be awaiting their replies. Thursday is the University Senate meeting so we decided that we would give our other lists until Thursday to RSVP, then we would open it to the University Faculty and Staff, beginning with an announcement to Senate!

So this week was off to a busy start, but I am looking forward to getting this all together!

UPDATE!!!

So, it's been a few weeks since my last post, but who can blame me? It's been a crazy few weeks with all of the projects and deadlines fast approaching. So, I've been up to my eyeballs in newsletter articles; the Spring edition of the newsletter was printed and circulated a couple of weeks ago and yours truly has 4 bylines in this issue. I had originally written six articles but our editor combined a couple of the short database pieces that focus on two music sources. I also had the opportunity to do some copy editing before the newsletter went to press.

In addition to the newsletter, I was busy working on database fact sheets for our Electronic Resources & Periodicals department coordinator and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed creating those pieces; I did my research using the databases' information sites, then formatted the description text and created visually appealing documents. Because the Web of Science purchase was a huge deal for our library so I also wrote the press release that will be sent to the University Relations office in the near future. I'm also working with a couple of colleagues to put together a reception and training session for this new database. It's all so exciting.

But my biggest project, one that I have been passionately involved in since the beginning is the Staff Development session which the library is hosting for its staff and selected university staff groups. We are hosting a workshop called "Techniques for Assisting Persons with Vision Impairments" for which my Orientation & Mobility instructor from the PA Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services is presenting. We're going to be training attendees in Sighted Guide Technique in addition to providing background information on the causes of vision impairment in the college student population; it's a replicated presentation from the first one we did for some Periodicals department staff members. Our invitees include library staff members, DO-IT Profs, DO-IT Admins, the ADA Task Force members and Library Committee members outside the Library. I am hoping to have a good turnout!

All in all, things are going well. I'm enjoying what I'm doing and the work I am producing is professional-looking. I can't wait to see what my portfolio looks like at the end of the semester...but I don't want the end to come too quickly; I'm not ready to graduate...yet.

Friday, Monday, and Tuesday

2/13/09
1.) Newsletter final edits
2.) Book work

2/16/09
1.) Staff Development marketing research
2.) Interview with the University President for book
3.) Preparations for Staff Development meeting with the Dean of Library Services

2/17/09
1.) Staff Development planning meeting with Dean of Library Services
2.) Preparing printed newsletters for mailing
3.) Staff development research / phone calls
4.) Scheduled Assistive Technology Center tour/demonstration
5.) Portfolio updating and organization

Finally Updated

Here's a quick rundown of what has happened over the days between the last post and now:

2/3/09
1.) Library PR meeting updated projects
2.) Scheduled Assistive Technology Center tour for a Special Education course
3.) Assistive Technology Plan meeting discussed current research and plans
4.) Preparations for meeting with the Dean of Library Services

2/4/09
1.) Assisted a student with résumé formatting, editing, and organization
2.) Worked on Staff Development training session planning
3.) Meeting with the Dean for Staff Development--set preferred dates, discussed the topic, how to get attendees, and details for session
4.) Continued Staff Development research

2/5/09
1.) Library Book formatting, editing, and compilation
2.) Newsletter articles revisions

2/6/09
1.) Fixed database fact sheets and submitted to appropriate contact
2.) organized article drafts
3.) Created the first working draft of the Library Book

2/9/09
1.) Library Book work
2.) Newsletter article work
3.) Staff Development training work

2/10/09
1.) Library Book
2.) Newsletter
3.) Discussed administrative interviews for book

2/11/09
1.) Web of Science press release
2.) Newsletter edits

2/12/09
1.) Staff Development work
2.) Organization of site binder
3.) Newsletter final edits

Monday

I'm posting yesterday's experiences this morning because it was a very busy Monday. In the morning, I worked on my newsletter articles, since they are due to my site supervisor by Friday. I figured I'd get them into her before then so she'd have more time to edit and do with them what she needs to do, and not be so stressed out about it. In the Spring edition of the Rohrbach Library newsletter, I will have seven articles included to introduce some of our new databases. I also edited and submitted the January Library Committee minutes to the Dean of Library Services. i spent the afternoon doing research for the Assistive Technology Plan.

Today's Accomplishments
1.) Organized site binder
2.) Final preparations and submission of newsletter articles
3.) Proofed and submitted Library Committee minutes
4.) More Assistive Technology Plan research

Friday

Friday, Friday, and more Friday. Well, like all the other Fridays this semester, not too much went on. I got the fact sheets corrected, printed, and submitted for some of the current databases and I proofed several of the articles for the newsletter. I had an offsite meeting to attend, which didn't take too long but broke up the monotonous Friday.

Today's Accomplishments
1.) Proofed articles for the newsletter
2.) Proofed and submitted fact sheets
3.) Attended a meeting off-site

Two days in a matter of 8 hours

Because yesterday was a snow day, the library was closed so I didn't get any site work done. I need access to my network login to get things done, but even then, I don't have access to the Library's P drive (only from the computers in the offices where I work). So, I tried not to think about it too much. If I had, I know I would have stressed myself out.

Today was a good day with a lot going on and a lot of accomplishments. I spoke with my O&M instructor yesterday so today I began to look at my calendar and my site supervisor's calendar to begin deciding on a date to have staff development training, however, we then realized that I need to meet with the Dean of Library Services before all is said and done; she is the one that has to make the final decision on which days we can recommend. So I am set to meet with her next Wednesday to get dates put aside and to get her updated on the project's progress.

Moving on, I worked on research for the Assistive Technology proposal and a another proposal which I am currently working on, one for the library, and another for myself in relation to the library. To top it all off, I proofed my fact sheets and was all caught up by the end of the day. All is well that ends well.

Today's Accomplishments
1.) Scheduled an appointment with the Dean of Library Services to discuss Staff Development Training
2.) Worked on two proposals' research
3.) Proofed the fact sheets

Articles, Articles, and Even More Articles

I spent all day working on articles for the Library's newsletter. Apparently, the library purchased more databases than I thought, so I had to highlight a few key purchases in the library newsletter. But it wasn't at all bad; I like knowing that what I write will impact someone, even if it's just a handfull of newsletter readers. I know: I'm such a writer. I like what I do and I am doing what I like. I actually got the first drafts of all of my articles done today, so it's a huge relief. I still have to do some proofreadin, but I think they're pretty good. So keep an eye out for them when the newsletter is published.

After my major overhaul and completion of articles, I had an opportunity to check my e-mail and I had sent one of my professors an e-mail regarding one of the new databases we acquired and she wants me to do a fact sheet on it for the Writing for Public Relations class and another. So, that's what I will be doing tomorrow: working on designing and editing a fact sheet to be used by the Professional Writing faculty; it's kind of scary, but I am really looking forward to it.

Today's Accomplishments
1.) Articles, articles, and more articles
2.) Getting ready to begin the database fact sheet

The Monotonous Sounds of Monday

Well, it's Monday at Rohrbach Library, so the students have not arrived in droves yet (that should start about Wednesday or so), so it was pretty quiet and I actually got some stuff done. This was especially important for me today since I had a doctor's appointment in the early afternoon. Thankfully, it didn't take too long, so when I got back, I did not have a lot of time to make up!

There were no meetings or major events to tend to, so i was on my own working on my newsletter articles and fact sheets for our new databases. It looks like I may have another article or two coming; that's what I am here for.

Unfortunately, I did not hear back from my O&M instructor regarding staff training but I am not worried yet, though I will be in another week or so if I have not heard from her by then.

All in tall, today was a good day; I got much accomplished and am really getting into the heart of the internship experience. Let's see what happens tomorrow.

Today's Accomplishments
1.) newsletter article edits
2.) Complete first drafts of fact sheets
3.) Full design workup on the fact sheets

Second Friday

Well, I survived my second week on internship but this whole working 8 hours a day thing is really getting to me, though I'm getting used to it. Assignments keep flooding in but that's what I need to build my site portfolio.

This morning I updated my internship blog to reflect on the work of the last couple of days; I didn't realize I had gotten so much done this week, it being a four-day week and all. Then, I picked up where I left off with yesterday's staff development training research; there's a lot of information out there on raising awareness of disabilities and guides for librarians to working with patrons with disabilities...which is exactly the information I have been seeking. I also began to put together a survey for our students with disabilities; I want to know what they need so we can develop a plan with detailed information and need analysis. I finished off the morning with fact sheet research for a couple of the databases we have acquired.

I spent the afternoon working on the fact sheets for ARTstor and some of the other databases. I ended up finishing the one for ARTstor and now have to edit it and make final adjystments before sending it to the Periodicals librarian for review.

Today's Accomplishments
1.) Updated the KURLPR blog
2.) Made more headway on the Staff Development research
3.) Worked on the fact sheet for ARTstor
4.) Began the preliminary development on the Assistive Technology survey

Two Days...in one post

I did not have time to update this, so I decided to wait until today to update my projects and such. So, here it goes!

1/21/09
I made initial contact with the Dean of Library Services in an effort to get some questions answered for the upcoming Web of Science press release which I have been working on for the past couple of days. I sent her an e-mail but did not have a chance to set up a meeting or anything...yet.

After completing the e-mail correspondence, I spent most of the morning editing the articles I have been writing about our new databases for the Spring 2009 Rohrbach Library newsletter.

I also spent about an hour prior to lunch working on the research for staff development in addition to resources for the Assistive Technology plan which I am working on with a colleague of mine.

in the afternoon, I continued my research for staff development and began preparations for Thursday's meeting with my site supervisor (regarding the training session) in addition to preparing for the meeting with my colleague. Both meetings were scheduled for Thursday.

Today's Accomplishments
1.) Initial contact with the Dean of Library Services regarding the Web of Science press release
2.) Editing of newsletter articles
3.) Research and material review for meeting preparations
4.) Staff development research
5.) Preparations for meeting with site supervisor
6.)Preparations for meeting with Technology Technician

1/22/09
Today was an extremely busy day for I had three meetings throughout the course of the day, in addition to the work I needed to continue for my other projects. I started my day with research for my colleague's assistive technology plan which I am assisting him in completing. I put together a background packet for him with information on current technologies that are available.

The next item on my agenda was the first Library Committee meeting of the semester. The Library Committee is a governance committee of the University Senate and is comprised of administration, faculty, staff and a student representative selected by the Student Government Board (that's me). We gather once per month to discuss current events within the Library. This meeting was used to discuss the new database Web of Science which was partnered with a demonstration and introduction from our Electronic Resources & Periodicals librarian. Discussion was had on how this new database would affect student and faculty research in addition to the news that KU is the only university of its size to provide thes services of this database to its users.

After a much needed hour-long lunch break, I got right back to work, editing and refining the Library Committee minutes from the meeting; they need to be submitted to the Dean within a week or so of the meeting, but I still have to get some more information from my supervisor on one of the discussion topics but that will have to wait until next week when she is back in the office.

Then, my site supervisor and I got together and discussed the staff development training session and what we need to do in order to get started with the plans (we had a meeting to plan what we needed to plan...crazy). We figured that we would aim to have this session sometime in March, since February is close at hand and National Library week is in April, along with the last weeks of the semester. So, I put a call in to my O&M instructor to start the plans on her end and i am hoping to hear from her within the next week or so.

After that meeting, I met with our Technology Technician to discuss the Assistive Technology Plan that we are putting together in an effort to give our patrons with disabilities better access to the Library and its resources. On Friday, he has a meeting with the Electronic and Information Technology Access Task Force, at which he plans to present our preliminary plan and hopes to get more information which we can use to help in the progress of the plan.

After finishing that meeting, I headed back to the office to work on newsletter articles and put the finishing touches on my very long day. All in all it went well and a lot is going to be happening in the next few weeks!

Today's Accomplishments
1.) Technology Plan research and compilation
2.) Library Committee meeting and minutes (partial)
3.) Discussion about Staff Development training session
4.) Meeting regarding Assistive Technology Plan

Work, work, and more work

Well, I survived my first full week as a PR intern and am still going strong, though I wish I had worked yesterday; I have some major catching up to do this week to make up for the hours I missed because of MLK Day. I can do it, thought; it's just a matter of getting to it. But today was a productive day; I got a lot accomplished.

In the morning I began outlining the Web of Science press release that has to go out soon, since the database has been purchased for awhile. I have my questions prepared for my sources; I just have to set up meetings with them, or get responses from the e-mails I sent with the questions included in them. But there's no pressure yet, as far as I know. I also began the research for my Oxford Islamic Studies Center article. Since I have decided on a format and needed information for these articles, the subsequent ones are coming out a lot better and they are a lot easier to write as well.

My colleague and I also emptied the gift-filled water bottles from National Library Week 2008 in preparation for National Library Week '09 in April.

I also completed the first draft of the Oxford Islamic Studies Center article and completed the first edit.

I spent the afternoon working on the staff training information-gathering. My supervisor and I will be getting together sometime later this week to begin laying out the basics of the program. She has put me in charge of developing the program but will be helping me to schedule it and such. I am excited to really get started on this; it's my baby and my biggest project for the semester.

Tomorrow shall be interesting...I don't know what's on the schedule but there is never a dull moment around Rohrbach Library.

Stay tuned!

Today's Accomplishments
1.) headway on the Web of Science press release
2.) research for the Oxford Islamic Studies Center newsletter article
3.) emptied NLW water bottles to prepare for NLW '09
4.) completed the first draft of the Oxford Islamic Studies Center newsletter article
5.) made more headway on the staff training discussion and resources

Week one...Done

It's hard to believe the first week is over; I never realized just how much full-time work can take from my energy. I was alone in the office today, but I had plenty of visitors and plenty of work to get done, but not as much time to do so as today was not only the first Friday, but it was also the first meeting of the Professional Writing Senior Seminar.

The newsletter articles were coming along really quite well, so I decided this morning that I would spend the day working on the staff training information-gathering which I had neglected for the past couple of days. I did some research to find tips and suggestions from professional organizations and began to compile the information into a single file. The first few entries were basic in nature, from simple definitions of degree of vision impairment, interaction Do's and Don'ts and a step-by-step guide to Sighted Guide Technique. After I finish gathering the information and placing it all into a constructed document, I plan on working on the product's design in order to make it visually appealing as well as informative.

Today's Accomplishments
1.) gathered resources for staff training manual and began to compile the information

More of the Same

Today was a lot like yesterday, only I was the only one in the office since the GA is only in the office two day out of the week. But it was nice, since people popped in every once in awhile. I got a lot accomplished though and have begun to get into the full swing of the internship. It's about time. I got two articles written for the newsletter and even completed two drafts of one of the articles and began working on the press release for one of our new databases. I'm so excited; I finally get to do a real press release that may get used for something other than a class project. Tomorrow, I am hoping to get some of the questions answered that I have for the press release.

Today's Accomplishments
1.) 1st draft of Web of Science article
2.) 1st draft of Gale Virtual Reference Library article
3.) 2nd draft of Web of Science article
4.) proofreading Gale Virtual Reference Library article
5.) listing questions for the press release

Oh, the newsletter

Today was not as diverse in the writing as yesterday, but I feel I got much needed work accomplished. In the morning, I continued my research on library users with disabilities and began to look more in-depth into the issues that patrons with disabilities face while using the library. I received responses and feedback from a couple of people who completed a survey I posted on discussion boards through Facebook and the American Foundation for the Blind website.

The Public Relations Committee meeting, for me, marked the first day of work on articles for the Electronic Resources & Periodicals department, so I continued researching the library's two large database purchases for this semester and found the database websites to be full of useful, notable information which I could use in my articles. It always amazes me what types of databases are out there and all of the information they contain.

The CMC Graduate Assistant also gave me a tour of the CMC, in order for me to learn where all of our materials are located so I can help students when they ask questions of me.

Today's Accomplishments
1.) first surveys received for staff training research
2.) beginnings of research on the new databases
3.) orientation to the Curriculum Materials Center

Back-to-back and everything in between

Day two was MUCH better than day one. It could be that I had first day jitters and didn't sleep the night before. I had breakfast with the Periodicals staff when I arrived and enjoyed their company. Then, I completed the difficult task of leaving my comfort zone with them to return to my internship for the day's events. I worked on the library's book for a bit before the Library PR Committee meeting which was held from 10-10:50. Much was discussed regarding National Library Week, the library's book, discussion about whether to create a new books section of the library, among other things. The newsletter deadline was set for the beginning of February and possible article topics were discussed. The meeting was adjourned in enough time for me to get to my 11:00 ADA Task Force meeting which was held off-site.

After the ADA meeting, I had lunch with a couple of colleagues and ended up running into my site supervisor and the CMC's graduate assistant. One of my colleagues had made dessert, so we left lunch and the two of my colleagues who I had lunch with came to visit me in the office where I am interning. We had a good time. But then it was back to work.

I spent the next few hours working on the library's book, checking e-mail and such. This afternoon was cut short, however because I had to get to a Student Government Board meeting, but I had to run back to my room to pick up my supplies first. Tomorrow, I will be working hard to do a little catching up. It may seem like I didn't get much done, but I really accomplished a lot.

Today's accomplishments
1.) getting back into the swing of PR meetings
2.) doing some much needed work on the Library book

First Day

Well, I have officially finished the first 7.5 hours of my 450 hour internship doing PR for the library, though nothing much happened today. Since it was the first day of classes, the CMC was busy with education students getting a head start on their projects for the semester. I, on the other hand, was busy at work doing preliminary research for the projects that I will be doing this semester.

I spent the first part of the morning working on the library book, since I decided I didn't like the layout I had done last year when I worked on it. After about an hour, I needed caffeine, so I headed toward the library coffee shop. But, when I came to the top of the stairs, I decided before getting my hot chocolate and bagel, I would stop by and see my good ole friends in Periodicals. It wasn't nearly as busy up there as it was down in the CMC, so we had a chance to catch up on things. When I looked at the clock, I realized that I had been upstairs for a good twenty minutes and decided I better head back downstairs and get working on the book. So, I said goodbye to Periodicals and headed down to the coffee shop where I did indeed get my bagel and hot chocolate. While I sipped my hot chocolate, I pondered the format of the library book, hoping something creative would spark from all the caffeine-induced nerve firings from my brain to my hands. I think I may have caught onto something, but only time will tell.

The morning seemed to go by slowly, but when I shifted gears and began research for some staff development articles and such, time seemed to fly. Noon was right around the corner and soon, I was having lunch at the Academic Forum with a colleague of mine. As fast as the latter part of the morning went, that's how slow lunch felt. I don't know why, but it seemed like an eternity between the time we arrived at the Forum and the time that we left; I guess I was just nervous about being late from lunch, though I don't know why.

After lunch, I headed back to the office for an afternoon of research and e-mail checking. I submitted November's Library Committee meeting minutes to the Dean and went back at the researching. I found many good sources of information, many handbooks and such, but without ready printer access, I had to take notes by hand, instead of my normal print everything out and highlight way of organizing and summarizing information.

Taking breaks every now and again to check up on my Facebook page became a real peacemaker. Because the office was so quiet, I needed a way to entertain myself, so checking Facebook and seeing how everyone's classes were going proved to be a good time.

The afternoon went by much quicker than the morning did and before I knew it, it was 4:30m which meant I could head on back to the dorm, though after working a full day, I still had some stuff of my own to do, so the "To-Do" list never ends for me.

Tomorrow is a new day and it will be interesting to see what happens.

Today's accomplishments
1.) catching up on the Library book
2.) beginning research on disabilities and libraries
3.) more research
4.) survey development

The Night Before

It's the night before my first day as the first Rohrbach Library Public Relations intern and I am so excited and nervous and the same time. I'm excited because I will be the first Professional Writing Public Relations intern for the library, but nervous for the same reason. There's a lot riding on this internship and I really want to give it my best shot and give it the time it deserves. I will be working on the library's book, updating staff training in resources related to patrons with disabilities and overseeing Public Relations committee projects, in addition to anything my supervisor requests. It's going to be an interesting experience. Stay tuned.