Assignment due: Completed journal is due December 7th. Wrap up your journal with final reflections upon the things you learned throughout the semester.
It is great taking master’s level Library Information Science (LIS) classes at Wayne State University. The class I am writing this blog for is called Introduction to Universal Access. These are some reflections on what I have learned this semester. When I started, I was excited about helping people with disabilities access library services. While I have always liked working with seniors, I am now just as excited with working with seniors as people with disabilities.
The books that are required reading are amazing. Disability: A Diversity Model Approach in Human Service Practice by Mackelprang and Salsgiver (ISBN: 978-1-933478-59-3) and Issues in Aging by Novak (ISBN: 978-0-205-57869-6) changed my views on disabilities and on aging. The first book gave me a great idea of what it is like to have disabilities, and the second gave me an idea of what is it like to be older. They are about more than sympathizing; both books gave me a historical view of disabilities, aging, and techniques to help people today.
With every paper and assignment during the Universal Access class, I felt I could publish a paper on the topic. I came up with these “ah-ha” moments when doing the classwork. My professor, Dr. Maatta, started me thinking during a meeting to look around and see what activities are already in the area and to partner with them to fill in the gaps. The activities she had us work on and homework assigned helped me learn what to do with the profession in general as well as how to specifically address Henika’s extra building that they just bought. Especially helpful were the journal activities about “Get to Know Your Local Community” and “Visit Your Local Library (Again).”
What can you bring to your professional position in the future and/or your current workplace?
I can bring an understanding of disability and aging studies, as well as several possible programs to incorporate these populations into the library to my current position. I have learned so much this semester and I am already changing how I work at Henika District Library. Dr. Maatta suggested that I start with something small, like computer classes for seniors. I am giving more computer classes at work, mostly helping people that are older and do not know how to use computers. We at Henika are advertising my classes, putting an ad in the paper, posting on our web site, Facebook and Twitter. I start patrons working with Microsoft Word and surfing the Internet. I also found free keyboarding software that can help people learn how to type. There are also some people in the area who are going blind, and some with learning disabilities that need books on tape. I am trying to help them sign up for the Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled, and help them get books with bigger print, and/or help them access the computer with auditory instructions.
There is another library next to mine that is also going to start teaching computer classes now that recently received a $25,000 technology grant. I have enough hours at work so I don’t think I would like to work there as well as where I am located, but it could be good to have even more support in the area. I wrote a letter of support for this grant, and helped my friend with some of the grant by helping her with writing it. It was a good experience for us both, as it was her first grant, and my first grant working with libraries.
What could distinguish my library from my friend’s library could be the type of classes offered. I would like to start a class for volunteers that help seniors use the computer to talk with their grandchildren, as did the Detroit Public Library. This and other activities could be done by partnering with organizations such as the Older American Program in Allegan County and Allegan County United Way. These organizations can act as a type of outreach, find us volunteers, and maybe even help fund some of the activities. United Way would like someone in Allegan County to run a literacy program for adults. It would be a great deal of work, but I think with the new building that Henkia has bought there will have enough room for tutoring the young and old alike. I will have to see if it is possible and find volunteers for this program. I will be meeting with these two organizations in a few days.
I am also meeting with Grand Rapids Community College and the Older Learning Center (that can be found at https://learning.grcc.edu/) to discuss my long-term goals of working with them in the future. I would like to partner with them to take their award winning aging activities south of Grand Rapids. We could move a whole center south, having nonfiction book clubs, enrichment classes and exercise classes. Instead of reinventing the wheel, our library needs to partner with some of the great programs in the area.
Henika’s staff and library board may not be so interested to do all of these activities, and I have to see if they even want to act on some of these ideas with the new building. I have an uphill battle since I am out of the loop on most things; at my work, while they want my help, I am on a “need to know” basis. There is a board meeting next Thursday and I am thinking of talking to them about some of these ideas at that time. I am worried they are going to deny my ideas. I may only start with the small idea of computer classes, so I can say it is part of what I am doing already so the board may agree.
If I can get the library staff and board in agreement with ideas such as computer classes and literacy classes, I am hoping to do my capstone project where I work. I would like to help with the extra building that we just bought, and help decide what to do with it and how to fund it. We could start a senior advisory counsel who could help direct what activities are needed. Finally, if this group could get started, they could turn into a “Friends of the Library” group, something the library hasn’t had in years.
How have your perceptions and attitudes changed and developed across the semester?
My perceptions and attitudes changed and developed across the semester by changing my perspective of what disability and aging means. I have learned from the Mackelprang book and the Novak book that everyone: friends and loved ones, and even I can do just about anything within reason. Like the girls in the book review I did, The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen, both Jessica (who lost her leg), and her friend Rosa (who has cerebral palsy) just want to be seen for who they are and not for their disabilities. For those who have not read the book, here is a little about it:
This book helped me understand a little of what it is like to loose a leg and understand the larger picture of wanting to be seen for who they are and not for their disability. In the book, Jessica had a revelation about other people who have disabilities, wanting to be treated like anyone else. This led me to a revelation.
In what ways have your understanding about the role of the information profession changed or developed?
I have learned the important role played by networking; media portrayals; the role of ethnic, racial, social or religious groups; and technology. As I have talked about activities and networking a great deal (also see “Get to Know Your Local Community” in this blog), that was my biggest “ah-ha” moment in class.
I didn’t realize that the Baby Boomers are and will more in the future change our view on aging. I wrote about this on the discussion board and in this blog about the media representations (see “Fairy Tales For a New Generation: Does Disney portray age and disabilities in a negative manner, or is it a more positive, modern approach?” and “Media Portrayals of the Old, Young, and those with Disabilities in TV Commercials and in Magazines”).
Regarding media portrayals, I think about how aging and disabilities is portrayed every time I talk so someone or see something on TV or the radio. These classes are changing the way I think. I didn’t know ethnic, racial, social or religious groups played such an important role for the information professional (see “The Aging Hispanics and Orthodox Christians Needing Library Services”).
I knew little about the importance of technology, but to what extent that the information profession can help others is amazing. There is still much to learn. My class will continue our studies at University of Alabama in the next class called “Information Technology and Universal Access.” I wrote on the discussion board about the role technology plays in the lives of two older people, John and Anne. More technological savvy volunteers like John are needed to help those who are not so technological savvy like Anne. We need to tap into the Disability culture that already exists in the area to help and act as role models to others.
I would like to add here a movie that my group did for class. We did a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of three libraries: a city library with The Detroit Public Library, a country library called The Harpersville Public Library, and the one I interviewed, the Wyoming branch of The Kent District Library in Michigan. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQQqjSF3ssM
This analysis taught me skills to learn how to look for a job in the future, how to analyze the location of the library learned its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to be able to portray these ideas to a board that may hire me. In one of my other classes, I did a similar analysis of two local public libraries in my area as well. I learned a great deal about libraries by interviewing them. I can now apply these research skills to other libraries, such as where I work at Henika.
I now understand a little of what it is like to be older, with a disability, and both. I have always enjoyed working with older people but now I enjoy it even more. I know how to help people more prolifically. I thought everyone viewed seniors as wise sages, but now I realize that this has not always been the way they were seen. There have been problems over the centuries, and even today, which can be seen in my blog below (see Persons With Disabilities Experience Oppression). I am happy to see that the treatment of people who are seniors and people who are disabled are improving, but a lot more development is needed. I would like that to be my role.
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