Many Cleveland residents are unaware of the historical gem moored behind the Great Lakes Science Center, the Steamship William G. Mather Museum. Nicknamed “The Ship That Built Cleveland” the Mather represents an era when steel was king and Cleveland was a thriving, industrial giant. For several years, I worked as the curator of the Mather and wanted to share the wonder of this Great Lakes freighter.
My intent with my Flickr search was to display the entire ship so viewers could appreciate this historical treasure. I hoped to find interior and exterior pictures of the ship that serve as a pictorial tour for viewers. I also wanted to illustrate the Mather as being an integral part of Cleveland. I incorporated pictures that showed the Mather in relation to other lake front attractions and highlighted the dynamic views the Mather offers of Cleveland. Listed below are my search terms:
Steamship William G. Mather
Steamship William G. Mather Museum
William G. Mather Museum
Mather Museum
William G. Mather
Great Lakes Freighter Flagships
Cleveland Cliffs
This exercise was my first experience using Flickr and I did not know what to expect. At first, I was uneasy because I thought I would be unsuccessful with my search. I was incorrect. No matter the search phrase used, I found pictures. I enjoyed viewing all the pictures and I struggled with selecting pictures to use for my gallery. The amount of pictures available for the Mather surprised me. I did not think Flickr would contain so many pictures of a former Great Lakes freighter. As I explored the various pictures, I found myself wanting to revisit the Mather and I plan to take a trip to the museum before the end of the summer.
I will use Flickr in the future and I look forward to creating more galleries. The amount of pictures available is amazing and I like that so many pictures are accessible to everyone. Flickr allows people to view pictures of places they may never have a chance to see in person. My only critique of Flickr is in regards to erroneous results that appeared using my search terms. Sometimes pictures not of the Mather appeared during my queries. Since I am familiar with the ship, I knew these were not actual photographs of the Mather, but someone unfamiliar with the ship might think they were. Users should be exact with search terms to help eliminate this problem. In addition, it is the viewer’s responsibility to ensure that pictures contain the correct label and to perform additional research if unsure.
The Steamship William G. Mather gallery can be viewed at this URL:
www.flickr.com/photos/tforf/galleries/72157624630911054/
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Assignment 5 - "Know it Now" & "Ask a Librarian"
This was my first experience using “Know It Now 24x7” and “Ask a Librarian.” Before I began this exercise, I imagined receiving excellent reference service from both sites. I started my query with “Know It Now” and the experience disappointed me from beginning to end.
I submitted my information request to Librarian294: “I am a 35 year old woman and would like information on training for a marathon.” I thought I phrased my request in a logical way, however the librarian asked for clarification. I explained that I needed websites, journal articles, or any other resources that would assist me with training for a marathon. The librarian stated that she located a good resource for magazine articles entitled Health Source: Consumer Edition. The librarian told me I could access the journal through Kent State’s databases. The librarian did not attempt to locate any journal articles from the magazine. I asked if the librarian could recommend any additional materials that might help me. The librarian then stated I should attempt a Google search and use the search term “marathon training.” The librarian also suggested that Cuyahoga County Public Library would have some resources regarding marathon training.
At this point, I was feeling frustrated with the whole experience. I expected the librarian to provide me with detailed information about marathon training. I restated my request one more time and asked for sources on how to physically prepare for a marathon, how to train for a marathon, nutritional advice, and advice on staying motivated. The librarian then listed three websites for me to view and asked if this information satisfied my query. Two of the three websites the librarian suggested were sites I discovered during my search for Assignment 4. The other website recommended did not specifically deal with marathon training, it dealt with physical fitness. Listed below are the librarian’s recommended websites.
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Articles/Sports-And-Fitness/M/Marathon-Training-Tips.aspx
http://www.marathonrookie.com/
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Articles/Issues/Body-and-Mind/T/The-Balancing-Act-A-Womans-Guide-to-Sports--Fitness.aspx
My “Know it Now” experience fell short of my expectations. I envisioned more helpful and knowledgeable librarians. I gathered more information researching on my own and the online librarian supplied only generic information. Online librarians should not conduct all of my research, but providing the titles of some journal articles would have been helpful. The information given by this online librarian did not adequately prepare me for a marathon.
After my less than successful experience with “Know it Now,” I turned to “Ask the Librarian.” Unfortunately, I did not fare much better with this reference service. After waiting for over an hour, I finally connected with the librarian. I stated my information request: “I am a 35 year old woman who needs information on how to prepare to run a marathon. I need advice on devising a training schedule, nutrition, and staying motivated. Can you help me find any resources?” The librarian responded with the website Cool Running and gave me the links to pages dealing with marathon and training plans. The Cool Running website (http://www.coolrunning.com) is a great resource for marathon runners and I discovered it during my initial research.
Since I was already familiar with this site, I inquired if the librarian could suggest any more websites or journal articles. She then suggested the website Marathon Rookie (http://www.marathonrookie.com), which was also a website I found during my research for Assignment 4. At no point during our conversation did the librarian ask if the information provided was meeting my informational needs. After supplying the second website, the librarian ended our conversation.
My experience with “Ask a Librarian” also fell short of my expectations. The librarian did recommend informative websites but did not try to engage me in any type of conversation. The librarian did not delve any deeper than my initial request and ended our chat before asking me if the resources supplied met my informational needs. The websites suggested were ones I was already familiar with and I gained no further knowledge of marathon training during this interaction.
After my experiences with “Know It Now” and “Ask the Librarian,” I will not be recommending these sites to information seekers. I understand that different factors can affect the online reference experience. The librarian may be new to the job, may be trying to assist a multitude of people, or may be unfamiliar with my information request.
My main complaint with both services was that neither librarian seemed to care about helping me. Both librarians rushed through the reference transaction and neither tried to engage me in a dialogue. Neither librarian located any journal articles for me, even though I specifically asked for them. The “Know it Now” librarian did find a magazine for me but gave me no assistance with finding the specific issue that would contain relevant material. The websites supplied by the librarians did contain resources I could use, but I already discovered the websites during my own research.
I work in a library and excellent customer service skills are essential. Both librarians were brusque and did not spend a significant amount of time assisting me. I felt as if I were an interruption to their workday. I believe I found the best information on marathon training while conducting my own research. I cared about finding appropriate and ample information because the information need was important to me. My reference skills provided me with the best resources for preparing for a marathon. I do not believe I will use either reference service in the future.
I submitted my information request to Librarian294: “I am a 35 year old woman and would like information on training for a marathon.” I thought I phrased my request in a logical way, however the librarian asked for clarification. I explained that I needed websites, journal articles, or any other resources that would assist me with training for a marathon. The librarian stated that she located a good resource for magazine articles entitled Health Source: Consumer Edition. The librarian told me I could access the journal through Kent State’s databases. The librarian did not attempt to locate any journal articles from the magazine. I asked if the librarian could recommend any additional materials that might help me. The librarian then stated I should attempt a Google search and use the search term “marathon training.” The librarian also suggested that Cuyahoga County Public Library would have some resources regarding marathon training.
At this point, I was feeling frustrated with the whole experience. I expected the librarian to provide me with detailed information about marathon training. I restated my request one more time and asked for sources on how to physically prepare for a marathon, how to train for a marathon, nutritional advice, and advice on staying motivated. The librarian then listed three websites for me to view and asked if this information satisfied my query. Two of the three websites the librarian suggested were sites I discovered during my search for Assignment 4. The other website recommended did not specifically deal with marathon training, it dealt with physical fitness. Listed below are the librarian’s recommended websites.
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Articles/Sports-And-Fitness/M/Marathon-Training-Tips.aspx
http://www.marathonrookie.com/
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Articles/Issues/Body-and-Mind/T/The-Balancing-Act-A-Womans-Guide-to-Sports--Fitness.aspx
My “Know it Now” experience fell short of my expectations. I envisioned more helpful and knowledgeable librarians. I gathered more information researching on my own and the online librarian supplied only generic information. Online librarians should not conduct all of my research, but providing the titles of some journal articles would have been helpful. The information given by this online librarian did not adequately prepare me for a marathon.
After my less than successful experience with “Know it Now,” I turned to “Ask the Librarian.” Unfortunately, I did not fare much better with this reference service. After waiting for over an hour, I finally connected with the librarian. I stated my information request: “I am a 35 year old woman who needs information on how to prepare to run a marathon. I need advice on devising a training schedule, nutrition, and staying motivated. Can you help me find any resources?” The librarian responded with the website Cool Running and gave me the links to pages dealing with marathon and training plans. The Cool Running website (http://www.coolrunning.com) is a great resource for marathon runners and I discovered it during my initial research.
Since I was already familiar with this site, I inquired if the librarian could suggest any more websites or journal articles. She then suggested the website Marathon Rookie (http://www.marathonrookie.com), which was also a website I found during my research for Assignment 4. At no point during our conversation did the librarian ask if the information provided was meeting my informational needs. After supplying the second website, the librarian ended our conversation.
My experience with “Ask a Librarian” also fell short of my expectations. The librarian did recommend informative websites but did not try to engage me in any type of conversation. The librarian did not delve any deeper than my initial request and ended our chat before asking me if the resources supplied met my informational needs. The websites suggested were ones I was already familiar with and I gained no further knowledge of marathon training during this interaction.
After my experiences with “Know It Now” and “Ask the Librarian,” I will not be recommending these sites to information seekers. I understand that different factors can affect the online reference experience. The librarian may be new to the job, may be trying to assist a multitude of people, or may be unfamiliar with my information request.
My main complaint with both services was that neither librarian seemed to care about helping me. Both librarians rushed through the reference transaction and neither tried to engage me in a dialogue. Neither librarian located any journal articles for me, even though I specifically asked for them. The “Know it Now” librarian did find a magazine for me but gave me no assistance with finding the specific issue that would contain relevant material. The websites supplied by the librarians did contain resources I could use, but I already discovered the websites during my own research.
I work in a library and excellent customer service skills are essential. Both librarians were brusque and did not spend a significant amount of time assisting me. I felt as if I were an interruption to their workday. I believe I found the best information on marathon training while conducting my own research. I cared about finding appropriate and ample information because the information need was important to me. My reference skills provided me with the best resources for preparing for a marathon. I do not believe I will use either reference service in the future.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Assignments 1-3
Delicious ID: delicious.com/forfiatracie
Flickr ID: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tforf/
Library Thing: http://www.librarything.com/profile/TracieForfia
Flickr ID: http://www.flickr.com/photos/
Library Thing: http://www.librarything.com/profile/TracieForfia
Information Awareness Report
Several years ago, doctors diagnosed my father with a severely slow heartbeat. At times, his heart rate would slow to only twenty five beats a minute. Doctors installed a pacemaker in his heart to control the beating and to save his life. Before his heart problems, my father was very active. He ran almost daily and competed in several races. After his pacemaker, I thought he would slow down and lead a more relaxed lifestyle. I was wrong. He continued running and inspired me to begin the activity. Running has become an integral part of my life and helps me feel good and stay in shape. I run for fitness, not competition, but a dream of mine is to run a marathon. My challenge is I am unaware of how to train for a marathon. I know it is a serious commitment and requires more than running several miles weekly. I am in my mid-thirties and feel now is the time to work towards this goal and that is why I am researching the topic for my Information Awareness Report.
As Weinberger suggested, one of the best sources is an expert. Unfortunately, I do not know any marathon runners so I began my search at the library. My first search term was “marathon running” which yielded 50 results in the catalog. I found several of the results to be totally irrelevant. There were fiction books about running, and some results appeared only because the word running was in the title. Listed are some of the titles that matched what I wanted.
Marathoning for Mortals by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield
The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women by Dawn Dais
Marathon Runner’s Handbook by Bruce Fordyce and Marielle Renssen
Marathon: the ultimate training guide by Hal Higdon
I decided to try my search again, but this time using the search term “training for a marathon.” I thought this search term would generate many results, but only 6 titles appeared. Three fourths of the titles were unrelated to my search, and titles that did match were identical to those in my previous search.
In my third search of the library’s catalog, I tried a different tactic. I searched using the term “women runners.” I hoped to narrow the results to materials specifically designed for women. This exploration yielded 30 results, with most relating to famous female runners. Listed below are two good sources I can use to prepare for a marathon.
Run for Your Life: a book for beginning women runners by Deborah Reber
Runner’s World Complete Book of Women’s Running by Dagny Scott
I conducted one last search of the library’s catalog using the term “running for women.” This search resulted in 78 hits, many unrelated to my topic, and many of which appeared in previous searches. I did discover some appropriate sources. The search displayed books dealing with running issues related to women, such as running while pregnant, and how running affects a woman’s body. Displayed below are sources I would use to train for a marathon.
Run for It by Karen Bridson
The Complete Book of Running for Women by Claire Kowalchik
I had a positive reaction to the sources I found in the library. I learned the importance of something as simple as selecting running shoes and how to eat for optimum nutrition. The books were great resources because they covered all facets of marathon training. They covered the initial phases of training, all the way through what to do for your body after you complete a marathon. The motivational stories and technical tips, interspersed throughout most of the books, kept my interest high and made me feel I really could do this. These books will be useful tools as I move towards my goal.
Time was the one negative of consulting books. Once I chose a book, I needed to review it, and that was time consuming. Each book contained good information, but it was not easily accessible. I needed to peruse the book and find the chapters that best fit my needs.
After consulting books, I searched online. I conducted Google searches using the following terms:
• Training for a marathon
• Running a marathon
• How women should train for a marathon
The searches resulted in an abundance of information. Each search term yielded more hits than I could ever view. I narrowed the search by reviewing only hits displayed on the first page. I hypothesized that these were the most relevant to my needs. The websites I found most helpful were Marathon Rookie, Runner’s World, Marathon Training, Cool Running, Associated Content, and the Women’s Sports Foundation. Listed below are their URLs.
http://www.marathonrookie.com/
http://www.runnersworld.com/subtopic/0,7123,s6-238-244-255-0,00.html
http://www.marathon-training.net/
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_4/143.shtml
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1619983/tips_for_women_training_for_a_marathon.html?cat=5
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Articles/Sports-And-Fitness/M/Marathon-Training-Tips.aspx
My online search also yielded positive results. The information gleaned was informative and helpful, and presented in a more concise manner. The websites were easier to browse and were not as time consuming as reviewing the books. I found the information presented on the websites to be similar to the information I discovered in the books. The websites stressed nutrition, avoiding injuries, training schedules, staying motivated, and success stories. The one piece of website information I found particularly interesting was the mind/body connection. Some of the sites stressed the importance of training your mind as well as your body because your mind propels your body to finish a marathon.
The only negative aspect of my website searching was information overload. There were too many websites to examine and I found myself becoming overwhelmed. I ended my information search because I felt I had sufficient resources to train for a marathon. I know what to wear, what to eat, how to train, how to stay motivated, how to avoid injuries, and most importantly, how to devise a training schedule I can follow. I believe I can successfully complete a marathon by the end of 2011.
The fact that I consulted books before the Internet speaks volumes. For everyday searches (weather, movies, etc.) I happily use the Internet, but when it comes to research, I usually begin with print resources. My emphasis on print resources comes from being a History major. Through my undergraduate and graduate career in History, my professors taught me the value of books, and I still believe in their value. I am not opposed to the Internet, but it is usually not the first resource I consult. As Weinberger states, we are living in an age of abundance. When I use the Internet, I sometimes feel inundated with information and it makes me want to quit searching. Dr. Roland stated that people born prior to 1980 are not as comfortable with technology as digital natives are, and perhaps that is true. This exercise taught me that I need to use both online and print resources equally. If I concentrate on one more than the other, I will be doing a disservice to myself or a patron.
As Weinberger suggested, one of the best sources is an expert. Unfortunately, I do not know any marathon runners so I began my search at the library. My first search term was “marathon running” which yielded 50 results in the catalog. I found several of the results to be totally irrelevant. There were fiction books about running, and some results appeared only because the word running was in the title. Listed are some of the titles that matched what I wanted.
Marathoning for Mortals by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield
The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women by Dawn Dais
Marathon Runner’s Handbook by Bruce Fordyce and Marielle Renssen
Marathon: the ultimate training guide by Hal Higdon
I decided to try my search again, but this time using the search term “training for a marathon.” I thought this search term would generate many results, but only 6 titles appeared. Three fourths of the titles were unrelated to my search, and titles that did match were identical to those in my previous search.
In my third search of the library’s catalog, I tried a different tactic. I searched using the term “women runners.” I hoped to narrow the results to materials specifically designed for women. This exploration yielded 30 results, with most relating to famous female runners. Listed below are two good sources I can use to prepare for a marathon.
Run for Your Life: a book for beginning women runners by Deborah Reber
Runner’s World Complete Book of Women’s Running by Dagny Scott
I conducted one last search of the library’s catalog using the term “running for women.” This search resulted in 78 hits, many unrelated to my topic, and many of which appeared in previous searches. I did discover some appropriate sources. The search displayed books dealing with running issues related to women, such as running while pregnant, and how running affects a woman’s body. Displayed below are sources I would use to train for a marathon.
Run for It by Karen Bridson
The Complete Book of Running for Women by Claire Kowalchik
I had a positive reaction to the sources I found in the library. I learned the importance of something as simple as selecting running shoes and how to eat for optimum nutrition. The books were great resources because they covered all facets of marathon training. They covered the initial phases of training, all the way through what to do for your body after you complete a marathon. The motivational stories and technical tips, interspersed throughout most of the books, kept my interest high and made me feel I really could do this. These books will be useful tools as I move towards my goal.
Time was the one negative of consulting books. Once I chose a book, I needed to review it, and that was time consuming. Each book contained good information, but it was not easily accessible. I needed to peruse the book and find the chapters that best fit my needs.
After consulting books, I searched online. I conducted Google searches using the following terms:
• Training for a marathon
• Running a marathon
• How women should train for a marathon
The searches resulted in an abundance of information. Each search term yielded more hits than I could ever view. I narrowed the search by reviewing only hits displayed on the first page. I hypothesized that these were the most relevant to my needs. The websites I found most helpful were Marathon Rookie, Runner’s World, Marathon Training, Cool Running, Associated Content, and the Women’s Sports Foundation. Listed below are their URLs.
http://www.marathonrookie.com/
http://www.runnersworld.com/subtopic/0,7123,s6-238-244-255-0,00.html
http://www.marathon-training.net/
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_4/143.shtml
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1619983/tips_for_women_training_for_a_marathon.html?cat=5
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Articles/Sports-And-Fitness/M/Marathon-Training-Tips.aspx
My online search also yielded positive results. The information gleaned was informative and helpful, and presented in a more concise manner. The websites were easier to browse and were not as time consuming as reviewing the books. I found the information presented on the websites to be similar to the information I discovered in the books. The websites stressed nutrition, avoiding injuries, training schedules, staying motivated, and success stories. The one piece of website information I found particularly interesting was the mind/body connection. Some of the sites stressed the importance of training your mind as well as your body because your mind propels your body to finish a marathon.
The only negative aspect of my website searching was information overload. There were too many websites to examine and I found myself becoming overwhelmed. I ended my information search because I felt I had sufficient resources to train for a marathon. I know what to wear, what to eat, how to train, how to stay motivated, how to avoid injuries, and most importantly, how to devise a training schedule I can follow. I believe I can successfully complete a marathon by the end of 2011.
The fact that I consulted books before the Internet speaks volumes. For everyday searches (weather, movies, etc.) I happily use the Internet, but when it comes to research, I usually begin with print resources. My emphasis on print resources comes from being a History major. Through my undergraduate and graduate career in History, my professors taught me the value of books, and I still believe in their value. I am not opposed to the Internet, but it is usually not the first resource I consult. As Weinberger states, we are living in an age of abundance. When I use the Internet, I sometimes feel inundated with information and it makes me want to quit searching. Dr. Roland stated that people born prior to 1980 are not as comfortable with technology as digital natives are, and perhaps that is true. This exercise taught me that I need to use both online and print resources equally. If I concentrate on one more than the other, I will be doing a disservice to myself or a patron.
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