What I knew before the course

Sometimes when I start these courses I'm not sure what to expect. I'm taking a course online that is required of me in order to complete a diploma in a field that I really love working in. Often I feel like it is more of a burden working all day and part time and doing the courses then and enjoyment. But it is usually when the course is completed that I look back and note to myself that I did learn in that course and I will be able to use materials/ideas from this course in my job.

It is not like when you are in undergrad and you are taking a class on the Russian Revolution that you will know right away what you would expect to learn. In courses like these ones were are working on learning a skill that can assist us in our jobs.

What did I know before the course?

I feel like I knew nothing. Looking at the title, "Information Services", hmmm, hard to say what I know about that. The text book by Reidling "Reference Skills" I still feel lost for words. Further down it says "tools and tips" for helping TLs. That could be good.

I feel like I know the research processes, but not in depth and not one style. I don't follow one model. I feel like I know information literacy. I help students find the information they need. But I also feel that this is my weakest area by far and I will learn so much from this course. I want to be stronger and confident with these skills.

I am challenging myself this year to do different things in the library. The past couple of years have been hard as I was always setting up a new library and getting routines and standards down. This is the first year where I am able to branch out. I started a blog/webpage for my library at the Christmas break which I am very excited about, but is also a work in progress. I have run info sessions with parents are reading skills and info sessions with the kids on plagerism and I have set up the public library to come in and do one on database searching.

Hopefully this course will help me feel more confident in helping students find the materials they need, answer their questions, and give them better direction. I feel that the lack of TL time has hurt this part of my job, it is harder to work with teachers in creating research schedules as the teachers and I have such strict schedules in elementary school. But with some confidence I will be willing to over look the schedule issues in order to make things work better.