Narrative Document
A. Information regarding the host site:
I was introduced to Robin Haun-Mohamed through a connection I made at the Government Printing Office while setting up a panel discussion on careers in federal libraries. I approached Robin with the possibility of taking on a virtual project, as I was not able to travel to Washington, DC. We worked together to create the project that I worked on, laying the groundwork for developing a program for students to learn about government documents while searching for items fugitive to the FLDP program. My orientation came in the form of conference calls, emails, and study of resources provided to me by Robin. I did not meet most of the people I worked with in person, but had regular email/phone contact with them. At the University of Washington I was assisted by Cass Hartnett in the government documents department to understand the University of Washington documents collection and to gain advice on the project related to UW collections.
I chose my own work space for the project. I set my own hours, and was widely self directed in the actual work. I chose Suzzallo as my ‘office’ and worked on my own laptop. I set my hours for when I was on campus and worked with the collection, wrote up my notes, and traveled around campus exploring the various collections.
My duty was to create my project, determine the best practices for looking for the documents, and discover fugitives among the collection through my research. I was required to report my hours and progress on a weekly basis through a weekly memo, all of which are posted on my directed fieldwork website. I maintained regular contact with Robin and came to her with questions and for advice. She answered my questions via email or in phone conversations, or set up meetings and introductions for me to access GPO staff to find out further information on the project in topic areas in which she was not able to personally provide information.
My directed fieldwork focused on the specific area of identifying where government documents from or related to the FDLP are housed in the University of Washington collections. I conducted interviews with staff, learned to use equipment and online resources, became familiar with the scope of government documents, and created a lengthy report detailing my findings. The report is going to be used as the basis for the establishment of a national program.
The site I worked in was virtual. I determined my work space and my host site became my personal Toshiba mini-computer, as well as study carrels and the stacks in Suzzallo. I spent a lot of time in the govpubs department, wandering around Suzzallo, and working anywhere there was a desk and a power outlet.
It is difficult to describe the structure of the host site. During the course of the project I worked with librarians at the UW, with staff at GPO from numerous departments, and with my ‘host’ Robin. It was a little difficult to work in the virtual space, because while I learned a great deal about the FDLP and connected with numerous people throughout the project, I did not learn about a space and cannot well describe the entire structure of the GPO. I did gain a wealth of understanding of the operations of the University of Washington Libraries, and the organizational structures at UW. I also learned a great deal about the history of GPO, and the organization of the FDLP. The FDLs in the program are an extension of the GPO, because the documents in the FDLP are ‘owned’ by GPO. In a way, all FDLs work in a virtual space, connected to GPO but working remotely to provide access to information to a local base of users. I was another remote extension of the GPO network.
B. Student self-evaluation of the Directed Fieldwork experience:
I knew that the project I was taking on was a new venture and I would be testing the waters. Other iSchool students have worked on virtual projects with the GPO, but my project became very self directed and while I was in regular contact with my adviser, I was responsible for making sure the work was done. My directed fieldwork became an independent study because of the nature of the project. I enjoyed the project and learned a great deal, but was not specifically directed in the work, so much as advised and provided with a scope in which to work.
I expected to learn about government publications, and I learned much more than I expected to. I knew that I would need to be more self-reliant than in most directed fieldwork cases, and Robin was always available to help me, or find someone for me to speak with when I was stuck. I also reached out to librarians at the UW, and found direction by making my own direction with the project. I feel that it was a valuable experience and I really appreciated working on the project and with everyone at GPO.
I think I did well. Robin seems to be satisfied with my work and I did not receive any negative feedback during the course of the project. It was difficult to know if the direction I chose and the final products delivered were what was expected. I think I need more regular feedback to know that I am producing satisfactory work, and this is a weakness in myself. I found strength in the required self-reliance and dedication, but was often unsure of myself. I also found a strength in learning to approach people, to reach out to the librarians and to learn more about the project through my interviews with librarians, and through the discoveries I made that led the direction of my work.
I am very glad that I took Government Documents, Cataloging, Collection Development, Instruction for Information Professionals, Public Library Advocacy, and Archives. Each of these classes helped prepare me to understand the tools I worked with, collection management, public speaking, materials preservation, and how to create a process document as my final product.
I think further courses in the 530 spread on databases and cataloging tools would have been helpful. I struggled to understand the nuances of the CGP, and could have had used some further courses in search methods. I think the 530 and 531 cataloging courses I had taken gave me a great base, and in speaking to the person from GPO about Marcive and with the cataloger at UW I filled in the gaps in my knowledge. My directed fieldwork project with NOAA Seattle Library also provided a base understanding of cataloging methods. However, further study in this area would have helped in understanding how the catalog functioned and may have improved my online search methods.
The theories of classification, access, and instruction learned through my MLIS program were helpful in succeeding in this project. I also appreciated the desire to provide access to materials and the mission of the FDLP that I came to understand through the government documents class. Understanding library science as a whole helped immensely in understanding why documents were handled as they were at the UW, and in understanding what GPO is trying to accomplish through the FDLP and CGP.
I was confused at first about what I was actually asked to accomplish. The fieldwork was not entirely designed at the start, and evolved as I completed the work. I think the problems I encountered had to do with working in a virtual environment. The issues were overcome and my adviser at GPO was very available and responsive to questions, and helped me resolve any issues that came up.
I think for the project I chose, it would be necessary for the student to understand that much of the work will be self directed. I think I actually accomplished an independent study, rather than a directed fieldwork. I appreciated the experience, but think the project would need to be re-worked so that more direction is involved to be classified as directed fieldwork. I think if I’d worked under Cass, as a liaison with GPO, and learned more about daily operations of the government documents department I would have gained a better understanding of the FDLP in Academic institutions. However, I am happy with the direction my project took and feel that I gained a very solid understanding of the FDLP program overall. I managed my time well, embraced the self directed nature and it came out all right in the end. It was hard though, to work on my own and to figure out the project with little specific instruction.
I think directed fieldwork gives us practical experience that builds on our theoretical framework. While I do not think it should be required for graduation, I do appreciate that it is highly encouraged. The opportunity to work in areas we are interested in helps us learn about ourselves and the careers we will choose to pursue after graduation. I really enjoyed my experience working with government documents and I hope to follow the path and pursue opportunities related to the field in the future. My experience at GPO has helped me lay the groundwork for future opportunities in working with this area of information.
I was introduced to Robin Haun-Mohamed through a connection I made at the Government Printing Office while setting up a panel discussion on careers in federal libraries. I approached Robin with the possibility of taking on a virtual project, as I was not able to travel to Washington, DC. We worked together to create the project that I worked on, laying the groundwork for developing a program for students to learn about government documents while searching for items fugitive to the FLDP program. My orientation came in the form of conference calls, emails, and study of resources provided to me by Robin. I did not meet most of the people I worked with in person, but had regular email/phone contact with them. At the University of Washington I was assisted by Cass Hartnett in the government documents department to understand the University of Washington documents collection and to gain advice on the project related to UW collections.
I chose my own work space for the project. I set my own hours, and was widely self directed in the actual work. I chose Suzzallo as my ‘office’ and worked on my own laptop. I set my hours for when I was on campus and worked with the collection, wrote up my notes, and traveled around campus exploring the various collections.
My duty was to create my project, determine the best practices for looking for the documents, and discover fugitives among the collection through my research. I was required to report my hours and progress on a weekly basis through a weekly memo, all of which are posted on my directed fieldwork website. I maintained regular contact with Robin and came to her with questions and for advice. She answered my questions via email or in phone conversations, or set up meetings and introductions for me to access GPO staff to find out further information on the project in topic areas in which she was not able to personally provide information.
My directed fieldwork focused on the specific area of identifying where government documents from or related to the FDLP are housed in the University of Washington collections. I conducted interviews with staff, learned to use equipment and online resources, became familiar with the scope of government documents, and created a lengthy report detailing my findings. The report is going to be used as the basis for the establishment of a national program.
The site I worked in was virtual. I determined my work space and my host site became my personal Toshiba mini-computer, as well as study carrels and the stacks in Suzzallo. I spent a lot of time in the govpubs department, wandering around Suzzallo, and working anywhere there was a desk and a power outlet.
It is difficult to describe the structure of the host site. During the course of the project I worked with librarians at the UW, with staff at GPO from numerous departments, and with my ‘host’ Robin. It was a little difficult to work in the virtual space, because while I learned a great deal about the FDLP and connected with numerous people throughout the project, I did not learn about a space and cannot well describe the entire structure of the GPO. I did gain a wealth of understanding of the operations of the University of Washington Libraries, and the organizational structures at UW. I also learned a great deal about the history of GPO, and the organization of the FDLP. The FDLs in the program are an extension of the GPO, because the documents in the FDLP are ‘owned’ by GPO. In a way, all FDLs work in a virtual space, connected to GPO but working remotely to provide access to information to a local base of users. I was another remote extension of the GPO network.
B. Student self-evaluation of the Directed Fieldwork experience:
I knew that the project I was taking on was a new venture and I would be testing the waters. Other iSchool students have worked on virtual projects with the GPO, but my project became very self directed and while I was in regular contact with my adviser, I was responsible for making sure the work was done. My directed fieldwork became an independent study because of the nature of the project. I enjoyed the project and learned a great deal, but was not specifically directed in the work, so much as advised and provided with a scope in which to work.
I expected to learn about government publications, and I learned much more than I expected to. I knew that I would need to be more self-reliant than in most directed fieldwork cases, and Robin was always available to help me, or find someone for me to speak with when I was stuck. I also reached out to librarians at the UW, and found direction by making my own direction with the project. I feel that it was a valuable experience and I really appreciated working on the project and with everyone at GPO.
I think I did well. Robin seems to be satisfied with my work and I did not receive any negative feedback during the course of the project. It was difficult to know if the direction I chose and the final products delivered were what was expected. I think I need more regular feedback to know that I am producing satisfactory work, and this is a weakness in myself. I found strength in the required self-reliance and dedication, but was often unsure of myself. I also found a strength in learning to approach people, to reach out to the librarians and to learn more about the project through my interviews with librarians, and through the discoveries I made that led the direction of my work.
I am very glad that I took Government Documents, Cataloging, Collection Development, Instruction for Information Professionals, Public Library Advocacy, and Archives. Each of these classes helped prepare me to understand the tools I worked with, collection management, public speaking, materials preservation, and how to create a process document as my final product.
I think further courses in the 530 spread on databases and cataloging tools would have been helpful. I struggled to understand the nuances of the CGP, and could have had used some further courses in search methods. I think the 530 and 531 cataloging courses I had taken gave me a great base, and in speaking to the person from GPO about Marcive and with the cataloger at UW I filled in the gaps in my knowledge. My directed fieldwork project with NOAA Seattle Library also provided a base understanding of cataloging methods. However, further study in this area would have helped in understanding how the catalog functioned and may have improved my online search methods.
The theories of classification, access, and instruction learned through my MLIS program were helpful in succeeding in this project. I also appreciated the desire to provide access to materials and the mission of the FDLP that I came to understand through the government documents class. Understanding library science as a whole helped immensely in understanding why documents were handled as they were at the UW, and in understanding what GPO is trying to accomplish through the FDLP and CGP.
I was confused at first about what I was actually asked to accomplish. The fieldwork was not entirely designed at the start, and evolved as I completed the work. I think the problems I encountered had to do with working in a virtual environment. The issues were overcome and my adviser at GPO was very available and responsive to questions, and helped me resolve any issues that came up.
I think for the project I chose, it would be necessary for the student to understand that much of the work will be self directed. I think I actually accomplished an independent study, rather than a directed fieldwork. I appreciated the experience, but think the project would need to be re-worked so that more direction is involved to be classified as directed fieldwork. I think if I’d worked under Cass, as a liaison with GPO, and learned more about daily operations of the government documents department I would have gained a better understanding of the FDLP in Academic institutions. However, I am happy with the direction my project took and feel that I gained a very solid understanding of the FDLP program overall. I managed my time well, embraced the self directed nature and it came out all right in the end. It was hard though, to work on my own and to figure out the project with little specific instruction.
I think directed fieldwork gives us practical experience that builds on our theoretical framework. While I do not think it should be required for graduation, I do appreciate that it is highly encouraged. The opportunity to work in areas we are interested in helps us learn about ourselves and the careers we will choose to pursue after graduation. I really enjoyed my experience working with government documents and I hope to follow the path and pursue opportunities related to the field in the future. My experience at GPO has helped me lay the groundwork for future opportunities in working with this area of information.