Chapter 10 Textbook

1.      In Wikipedia, look for some of the concepts or topics we have discussed in class and share your impressions and comments about the information presented. Is there anything you would add or edit?

I looked up “Facebook” and “social media” through Wikipedia. For Facebook, my impression was that it was perfectly well explained. There is nothing I would add or edit. I have used Facebook for over five years and seen the movie, but there were many things I did not know which were mentioned on the Wikipedia page.

When I looked up “social media”, I had the similar impression as I saw the Facebook explanation. It was detailed yet easy to understand. One thing I felt was that it was mainly explained about social media in the United State. I know that some countries have created their own unique social media tools, but they were not mentioned. I would not add them, but it would be more attractive to readers if it could be compared with other cultures as well. But when I looked up “social media” in Japanese, it was explained the growth in Japan and other countries such as the U.S.

2.      On page 212, Weinberger gives an example of a third-order description of an imaginary person. Imagine that you are preparing a resume for a job application – a first order information package - how would you better tag yourself in terms of the third order to make yourself more marketable?

I would tag myself as a bilingual archivist. I would share that being bilingual does not mean just to be able to speak, write, and understand two different languages, but also to be able to communicate with people who have different backgrounds. I am a good listener and I believe my communication skill is great.

Also, I can read Chinese and Korean, which I believe makes me more marketable especially when there is an Asian collection in a library or archival organization. In fact, I was using my languages skills in my previous job for six years as an archivist including translating and interpreting.

Moreover, I am very patient, and be able to harmonize with others. I hope these strengths would make me more marketable.

3.      On page 215, Weinberger writes that “understanding is metaknowledge” – relate this to Shedroff’s model of Understanding as presented earlier in this course. Search for the model on the web if necessary.

Metaknowledge is a preselected knowledge, which can relate to the process of information into knowledge of Shedroff’s model of Understanding. They are both not wisdom, but very important process of moving towards wisdom.

I think the meaning of “understanding is metaknowledge” is that when people try to understand something, we connect, relate, or transform the information we have in our brain into knowledge. The process is usually called understanding. 

Module 10 Lesson

1.        MediaSite video of the lecture on “Library ILS”

I have learned about OPAC in other classes in the past, but I did not remember that cataloguing was first used in Muslim world in 9^th century. After studying how to access information throughout this course, the three strategy types- lead, expand, and extend, made much more sense to me. The lecture was certainly a good way to relearn about OPAC again. Also, because I was able to study about different kind of information, social media, or ways to access to information through this course, I appreciate and deepen my understanding more that how OPAC has significant impact to libraries around the world.

2.        TEDTalk video: “Brewster Kahle builds a free digital library”

This video was very interesting to me. It was also great to know that this kind of wonderful project has been happening. I am excited about the project that to scan books, however, I have a few concerns. One of them is about copyright. My understanding is that each country has different and unique copyright laws. As Brewster Kahle said, I believe that it is possible to scan all the books around the world, but I think it would not be possible to do it legally.

If there are some countries where there are no copyright restrictions, it would be great if every author of the countries would send him the original data of books so that the project team would not have to scan printed books.

Another thing I was impressed was about archiving homepages. I think it is very clever and useful to save every website. In fact, I have used their collections before. I think many people including me do not save previous pages. It could be a great business, but it is wonderful that they are all shown for free.

Chapter 9 Textbook

1.      What are some of the messes in your life and how do you try to organize them?

I have a few messes in my life. One of them is music I have collected over a decade. Some of them are on CDs, iTunes, SonicStage, or Mini Desks. I do not have a MD player so there is no way I can listen or move them into my iTunes. SonicStage is software from Sony which saves music different format from iTunes, so there seems no way to move the music from SonicStage to iTunes. Majority of my music is on SonicStage, but I stopped using it because of inflexibility, and I bought an iPhone. I try to organize them by moving all the music to iTunes.

Another mess is photographs. All the photographs I had before getting married been organized, and the same thing for my husband. When we got married and began to live together, we started to share a computer. I moved all the pictures on a picture folder. Now my photographs are completely mixed with my husband’s ones. Moreover, many of the pictures are the same but we had named them differently. What I have been trying to do is organize them by year, then go over every picture. When I find the same pictures, I delete one of them. I believe that is the best way, but it takes time, so I haven’t done yet.

2.      What are your thoughts on the work of Valdis Krebs as presented beginning on page 180? Is this something that would interest you as an information scientist?

Yes, this is very interesting. This could happen in any working environment or organization. I am a person who is very strict about ordering. I think many times it is easier that contacting directly to teammates or other departments without communicating project managers. But on the other hand, I think actions should be taken case by case, and sometimes communicating project managers is necessary. I think it is important to educate employees that you are always part of a project, which means that the information or comments you send to others, especially other departments, can represent the whole project. So it is important to aware that if it is ok to communicate directly among teammates or other departments without routing questions and ideas through their own leaders.

Also, I think the work of Valdis Krebs helps the following situation. When I looked back my career as an archivist, there were times when my teammates and I would get emails and phone calls about questions regarding what we had archived and details about them. There were some patterns of questions, and two people received emails and phone calls much more than the rest of the teammates. I think that analyzing who gets what kind of questions how frequently would help efficient the work environment.

3.      Relate what Weinberger is saying about the definitional view and the prototype view to the information behavior models presented in this course.

I believe that the definitional view is related to environmental scanning. I think each mode of the environmental scanning defines certain way of viewing or scanning.

On the other hand, the prototype view is certainly related to the berry picking model. It would not be a linear process, but each step somehow leads a searcher closer to a goal.

4.      What are the library prototypes Experiment with identifying three levels of abstraction for libraries? Be sure to think about how different cultures may think about/abstract libraries.

I believe that the library prototypes for many countries would be materials, patrons, and librarians. Materials include printed books, eBooks, audios, DVDs, and so on. I am sure that depending on cultures or types of libraries, kinds of materials vary, but there is no way libraries exist without materials.

Next, I am certain that libraries exist for people in many countries, so patrons are necessary. In the digital age, there might not be as many patrons as it used to be physically in a library, but more patrons are accessing library’s service such as its homepage and catalog.

Last, I believe librarians are one of the library prototypes. Again, in the digital age, there may be a library without any librarian physically in a desk, but librarians are taking care of its website and catalog. Without librarians, it would not be possible for a library to fulfill its mission which is to provide high quality, easy, and equal access to all people.

Module 9 Lesson

1.        MediaSite video of the lecture on “Library ILS”

It was one of my favorite lectures throughout this course. The MLIS degree we are pursuing is for the United States, but I think it is always good and important to learn about related topics around the world.

The YouTube video about technology in Uganda was very surprising. I think that having the latest technology doesn’t necessary mean the best way for all people, but I think that governments should try their best to provide equal access to all citizens so that they can make a choice.

I was moved by the Room to Read program in Nepal established by John Wood. Through the video, I realized that libraries can not only help kids to have reading habit, but also give opportunity for kids to be able to read. To know that many women are unreadable was shocking to me, but also to realize that libraries have so much influence to educating children was powerful. To support children’s education as a librarian definitely became one of my interests after watching the video.

The last video was also great. I learned that technology and the Internet now enable everyone including disabled people to access information. I was amazed that the blind lady could use a computer and do a search perfectly. The technology which helps rich people richer is not inspiring to me, but the technology which help physically challenged people to have more opportunity is simply amazing.

2.        TEDTalk video: “Anil Gupta: India’s hidden hotbeds of invention”

This video had a lot of impacts to me for a few reasons. First, I knew that India had the wide gap between rich and poor, but I did not know that there were so many poor labors. I was impressed by Anil Gupta that he did not get arrogant by his circumstances, rather always sought for helping others. I think if every wealthy or successful professional seriously started to think what they can do for poor labors like Gupta did, it will be a better world.

I agree with Gupta that minds on the margin are not marginal minds. I was thrilled to see all the devices which are filled with wisdom of living. Especially I really liked the bike that can cross a river. I live by a river, and in order to go to grocery shopping or a restaurant, I need to cross the river. The bridges have terrible traffic, so if I could buy it, I will definitely buy one. I realized there are so many things we can learn from grassroots innovators.

I think that the Honey Bee Network is amazing. The concept of the Honey Bee Network is something that information professionals should learn and know. I believe the Internet and social media enable to support grassroots innovators like what Honey Bee Network is doing. 

Chapter 8 Textbook

1.      Weinberger writes about context as both explicit and implicit, p. 150f: what are some examples of both explicit and implicit contextual messages found in libraries?

I think one of explicit contexts in libraries is how materials are placed. Last week, I went to my local library to find a Yoga DVD in Spanish. It could be placed in sports area, language area, or DVD area. It was on a language area. As we learned from this course, sometimes a material has its places, not necessarily its place. I believe there is and will be some explicit contexts in libraries especially how to place them.

Another explicit context would be that libraries keep providing physical environments for study. Most of libraries today do have study rooms or where users can freely sit down and study. I think there will be more digital libraries and some may not have physical libraries in the future. Then, there will be no physical place for users to study.

I think one of the main implicit contexts is that libraries are for people. I believe libraries will keep providing easy and equal access to information for everyone. It should never change.

Another implicit context would be that libraries will keep helping patrons to understand the research, teaching and learning needs of their users. This should never change either.

2.        In the section “Mapping the Implicit”, Weinberger quotes the GIS director at Rand-McNally that “we’re targeting maps for specific audiences” (p. 158). Adapt the sentence to read for librarians as “we’re targeting information products for specific audiences”. Think about your past experience and education and how to combine it with an MLIS degree to create information products for specific audiences. What products would you create, what audiences would you target, what would be your niche?

I would like to create an information product specifically for kids. I have always thought that many kids have learned how to use the Internet at home by themselves. I know that some schools started to teach their students how important to aware of risks. However, some schools struggle with budget cuts and cannot afford computers or teachers. I would create a product which is like a quiz. If kids use computer in a library, they have to pass the quiz in order to log in. If they do not know the answers, librarians would help them. I believe it is very crucial to teach kids the proper ways of using the Internet. It would be my niche.

3.        After reading the section “What Isn’t Said” with the four points about how the Web might overcome the volume of information to make useful connections, think about Kevin Kelly’s point about having to be transparent in order to benefit from The One. How has your position on transparency and information sharing changed over the past few weeks of this course?

I think that my position on transparency and information sharing have not changed much during this course. I have used social media such as Facebook and twitter over the years, but I mostly read others and not update on mine. The reason why is I am aware that it is my responsibility to protect my privacy. On my accounts, I have set my privacy very high, do not retweet or click “like”, and sometimes not accepted to be linked. The only change I had during this course was I updated status once on my Facebook when I was looking for a bike. By learning about social media through this course, I thought it would be worth trying it. One of my friends contacted to me that she was interested in selling a bike. After receiving that comment, I contacted her through email. I do know like to have a conversation where many other friends can read. I definitely learned the benefits of transparency and information sharing, but I think my attitude will remain the same.

Module 8 Lesson

1.      Watch the PowerPoint lecture “Library 2.0” and post your thoughts on your blog.

First, when I listened to the lecture about examples of Web 2.0, I realized that I had used most of them without realizing they were Web 2.0. I think that the principles of Web 2.0 are wonderful. I remember that I had to pay to get an email account, and I am glad those days are over now.

Second, I checked out the Ann Arbor District Library system as Dr. Roland suggested. I believe that being able to choose languages help many patrons not only for those who does not speak English, but also for those who are studying other languages. The Japanese translation of the page was not perfect, but good enough to be able to understand.

My local public library, Multnomah County Library in Oregon, has translations in four languages; Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Vietnamese. The page also has tutorial videos in each language about how to use libraries. These four languages are the most popular languages in Portland area. I believe that libraries should continue being a model of SOPAC.

2.        MediaSite video on “Visualizing Information”

The lecture was very helpful because Dr. Roland showed us many different websites and explains details. It was great that I got to hear questions from audiences.

One of my favorite web sites from the first part, visualizing information, of the lecture was Web Trend Map from Information Architects. When I took a closer look, I realized that the map showed not only popular web sites in the United States, but it also put web sites which were popular in around the world. And similar web sites were placed next to them. After listening to the lecture, I searched some other visualizing information to learn more about it, and I found an interesting one.

This is interesting because it shows the similarities and difference between the holy books of five world religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. I think visualizing information is very useful because it can be used in many different ways of showing relationships.

I learned a lot of things from the second part, open access. I especially agreed with Dr. Roland when he said that we could access to the information where we would not be able to visit such as Cuba. I think that open access enables people to explore the world. Also, by listening to Tim Berners-Lee’s talk from TED, I realized how much accomplishments there were after his talk in the previous year. I believe by keep sharing data through the Internet, people can make a better world together in many ways.

3.        Watch the TEDTalk videos

Larwrence Lessig on laws that choke creativity

The talk of Lawrence Lessig was very inspiring. I liked that he had so much compassion towards kids and future. It was interesting to hear about the history of trespassing because in Japan, civil aircrafts cannot fly above the U.S. Armed Forces. So I thought there were some regulations in the sky in this country.

I agree with him especially that balance is important. I think that laws can choke creativity, but kids are not the case. They have been always creative, but there were limitations to express their creativities freely because of laws. I strongly agree with him that we can’t make kids passive. I think it is certainly important that kids become initiative.

Larry Lessig: Re-Examining the Remix

I have had strong interest in copyright and fare use issues. I agree with what Larry Lessig talked. I believe fair use is a right that must be exercised if it is not to be lost because everyone should have equal access to the same amount of information, scholarship, and research that exists regardless of an educational institution’s financial conditions.

In the U.S., copyrighted works are not generally considered to be cultural property; however, Japan has one of the most complete systems for the promotion of culture in the world because of explaining that copyright is cultural property.

I think YouTube has strict regulations because some countries do not have fair use doctrine. However, Japan, like other countries, takes into account the U.S. legal system when considering amendments to their own laws. This is because the U.S. has such a significant intellectual property market. Whether a similar doctrine needs to be introduced in Japan has become one of the most popular issues debated among Japanese scholars and government entities involved with copyright legislation. I hope that YouTube becomes more open and steady in fair use doctrine because we need fair use doctrine in Japan or any other countries. 

Chapter 7 Textbook

1.      Comment on Weinberger's analysis of Wikipedia's definition of neutrality - p. 136. Does this definition work for the library profession, say for example in the book banning situation? Why or why not?

I believe that the definition of neutrality does not usually work for the library profession. In the book banning situation, the purpose of it is mostly to protect citizens especially children. Wikipedia is a website that people can freely edit, so when users read it, they are aware of the characteristics and risks. On the other hands, I think patrons trust the books in libraries because they believe libraries should be a responsible place.

I also agree with Jimmy Wales’ comment that an article is neutral when people have stopped changing it. In fact, in the past, some books were banned purposely by government so that they could control information. I think Wales’ point is true, but not necessary work for the library profession.

2.      On p. 143 Weinberger writes "Deciding what to believe is now our burden" as opposed to being "passive knowers" who trust what we read in authoritative resources such as the Encyclopedia Britannica. Use Schedroff's model of Understanding to describe how your knowledge of a particular topic was affected by the new understanding of authority that Weinberger articulates in the last paragraph of the section on Authority and Truth, p. 143. Schedroff's Model of Understanding was first presented in the Module 3 lecture on "The Information Age" and again in the Module 5 lecture on "ASK and Environmental Scanning".

A particular topic for me of the question is about prejudices. Unfortunately, many countries have prejudices and discrimination toward certain races. Based on the information I learned from school and though TV, I gained my knowledge, and I have had a prejudice against North Korea. But when I saw a video on the Internet which showed people smiling and chatting in the city of Pyongyang, I thought I was being prejudiced without having encounters with them. I might have been controlled by authority. It was shocking and affected to me. However, as Weinberger mentioned on the textbook, I think it is true that now it comes from enabling us inescapably fallible creatures to explore the differences among us, which is great.

3.      Comment on the last paragraph of the chapter and incorporate what you have learned about how you learn through the course. Again, relate to Schedroff's model and remember that context is everything. Schedroff's Model of Understanding was first presented in the Module 3 lecture on "The Information Age" and again in the Module 5 lecture on "ASK and Environmental Scanning".

As Weinberger mentions on the textbook, the Internet enables us to have conversations globally to share our knowledge. This is exactly what I have learned in this class. I have also learned a big picture of the Internet world. I had experiences using social media, Wikipedia, or many other websites that was mentioned in this class, but I did not know how they were created, nor the impact have they to the society today. I had being a user who knows how to operate this machine without realizing or appreciating the greatness of it.

Using Schedroff’s Model of Understanding, I had some information and knowledge before taking this class, but through learning in this course, I certainly gained wisdom.