Class+Introductions

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Introducing. . . Kathy Hayward

I selected this picture because it represents how I spend so much of my time - enjoying my grandchildren. This picture shows the newest addition to the family - 2 week old Cody - who will definitely keep his older brother, 2 year old Connor, busy. . . as well as his mom, my youngest daughter! In addition to enjoying my 7 grandchildren, I do find time to attend to my online teaching responsibilities. I am an adjunct professor for both UCD and UNC and my UCD experiences have include teaching the Foundations class, being the field experience coordinator for both the elementary and secondary levels, and teaching our current class, Information Storage and Utilization.

The subject of cataloging has never been an attention grabber, but as I have been working on this class I have realized how much this area of librarianship has changed since I first began. In my cataloging class (I won't say how many years ago this was!) my assignments involved typing index cards to be placed in the card catalog with perfect punctuation and spacing. . .UGH! MARC records were not even talked about and online searching a distant vision. This class will introduce the basic elements of cataloging without expecting you to be a cataloguer. We will cover a lot of aspects of how to find information and how to organize information and look at some of the trends that are taking place in libraries of today. I look forward to reading your thoughts on how you view some of the changes that are taking place in terms of how we access, store, and retrieve information.

My searching skills continue to evolve. I am constantly refining my keyword searching skills with the goal of eliminating frivolous information and bring up what I am really looking for. It's like a puzzle, and the reward is finding the perfect answer! I would give myself a B+ - pretty good but there is always room for improvement!

My one interesting fact is that my husband and I are published authors of a book about the brewpubs in Colorado. The title is "Drinking and Driving in Colorado: A Guidebook to the Brewpubs in Colorado" and it is available at local book stores. It was a fun retirement project combining some of our favorite actitivities - visiting small towns in Colorado and enjoying craft beer!

Introducing.... Leah Schultz

My Current Job: I have just completed my first year as a teacher librarian at Summit High School in Breckenridge. Along with being a first year librarian, I also taught a sophomore English class (which is what I did before I decided to go back to school for LIS). I have the same schedule for next year, which I am very happy about; with all of the budget cuts, it's good to know that there is still (some) value placed on what we do.

My Anticipated Date of Graduation: Well... I was well on my way to graduating at the end of next summer, but I decided to get married (see photo) next summer, so I am not sure how soon I will finish! I am not interested in trying to do a million things at once; I think getting married will be stressful enough without trying to finish this degree!

My Learning Expectations: I actually am very excited to learn about cataloging. I have some experience with it, having been through trial by fire my first year, but mostly, it was trial and error. I think I only understood about 10% of what I was doing. I spent a lot of time trying to get answers to my questions online or in a book. A MARC record has become a little less foreign to me, but there are plenty of items that still blow my mind! I am also very interested in learning about organizing information and access for my students and teachers.

Issues of Information Storage: I guess as I get older, I am worried about the information storage that my brain can handle - it seems to be randomly deleting things without my permission :) In all seriousness, I guess the issue that most concerns me about information storage is how we can teach our students and staff to access information effectively, and in turn, how I can organize information access to better serve my school community.

Searching for Information: While I have spent time searching on the internet, OPAC systems, and subscription databases, I would not give myself a very high grade for my "searching proficiency." Maybe a C or so. I often am embarrassed that I can't find the information that I am searching for when I should be the guru (or at least one in training). I find that I mostly struggle with our databases as I work with classes. I really have to spend time before I work with a class to make sure that I know how to find the info that they will need for a lesson. Interesting Fact: I can't think of anything that interesting right now, so I will tell you something about me that is very mundane. But, perhaps it is so mundane, you will find it very interesting. I once had a job removing staples from packets of paper. I removed staples for eight hours a day, five days a week. (I didn't last very long - it was a temp job thank goodness!)

[[image:mike's]] Mike Jurkiewicz ( I can't figure out how to embed my photograph)
Hey everybody…my name is Mike, as you can see above. I currently work in the Brighton 27J School District as the teacher-librarian at Prairie View High School. I just completed my second year as the school librarian.

Just to give you a little background, I’ve tweaked a segment taken out of the written statement submitted to the School Library Department when I applied to enter the program:

//If there is one word that sums up my immediate family’s life, it is the word “work.”

My first awareness of cultural identity occurred many years ago when I recall as a child my Mom telling us (seven children in all) stories about how hard life was when her brothers and sisters and she grew up during the Depression. But I didn’t fully understand how difficult the situation was for that class of ‘Slavic’ immigrants until I spent time working with my Dad, “Bill the Shoemaker.” He was also known as “Bicycle Bill,” since in addition to repairing shoes, he (and my brother Dave and I) also repaired bicycles. My brother and I started out by spending Saturdays with him “working” but mostly just getting in his hair.

…As I start my 25th year of teaching in my 56th year of life, things are starting to make sense. Like it is for many people, it was hard to accept the fact that the world didn’t revolve around ME. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way and I’ll likely make more as long as I’m alive, but I can’t quit trying to do the right thing. I learned along the way that there is nothing wrong with accepting a little help to make progress towards my goals. And finally, I can never stop helping others.

I have worked a variety of jobs, at all levels of authority. With more than 40 years of work experience, I’ve been a lawn-boy, a cobbler, dishwasher, busboy, delivery driver, firefighter, bartender, counselor, teacher, pizzeria worker, advertising salesman, public information officer, alumni director, and now I’m a teacher/librarian. You’re probably thinking, this guy can’t hold a job, but I think I’m more like Mark Twain who looked upon every job as an adventure. And, I think I still have a few good years left in me.//

In my position as the high school librarian, I spend most of my day collaborating with teachers, searching for instructional materials, teaching classes in the library, working with students visiting the library, managing the business side of the library operations, and finding materials to develop the library collection. It’s non-stop action from the minute we open the doors at 7 a.m. Even now, two weeks after the close of school, I spend 5-6 hours a day working in the textbook storage rooms—putting on new barcodes and patching up damaged textbooks. It’s a matter of working on the tasks that you never have time to deal with during the school year. It’s a more “sane” pace of work that quickly becomes tedious and repetitious. But, they’re things that need to be done. Overall, I love it!

If things go as planned (Do they ever?) I should graduate from UCD approximately one year from now…the summer of 2011. It’s hard to believe, it seems like just a short while ago that I was signing up for my first SLIL class, and now the end is in sight!

To put it bluntly, I am most worried that I know very little about cataloging books and other materials. I received a half-day training session when I first started in my school, which was enough to be able to enter new sets of textbooks into our catalog/circulation system (Destiny) and bar code them. I’ve also played enough with the system/program to know how to search for materials, create lists, and run reports for LRC usage and statistics.

I’ve avoided the inevitable by hiring an extremely proficient paraprofessional. I search for and purchase the new materials, and she catalogs them into the system. I have an idea how she does it, but it would take me days and numerous phone calls to actually figure out how to do it on my own.

I have to be honest again and admit that before I started working in the library, I was one of those infamous “Google-maniacs.” I would work my way through pages of results until I found just the right source of information. I’ve now learned the proper way to “limit” my search parameters to find the most useful internet links. The same is true in searching for materials on our intranet OPAC. To students I stress using “power” searches and trying a variety of search engines that may be better suited to the type of information they are looking for. I apply the same theories when searching in databases. I’ve learned that databases are reliable and updated regularly…and that’s not always the case with sites listed in a general Google search. Overall, as much as I’d like to call myself a “10” (sorry, Dudley Moore) I would rate myself as a 4 or 5 in the searching proficiency category. But look out Bo Derek! I’m sure that will all change after our cataloging class.

The most interesting thing about my family is that both my children will attain “official” adult status this summer. My son, Cole, turns 21 this next Monday, and my daughter, Maggie, turns 18 on July 1st. (Why do **I** keep paying their rent?!) Maggie is also currently traveling across Europe with a group of school friends. She left on June 7th and will return on the 21st. She had a pocket full of Euros and a charge card when she left, so she may single-handedly try to devalue the Euro and boost the US economy. J

Sarah Voigt Hello! This is a picture of my husband, Josh, and I hiking last summer in Oregon. The “real me” enjoys traveling and being outside as much as possible. Josh and I are getting ready for a big change. We are expecting our first child around the 14th. I am very excited for her arrival!

I just completed my first year, out of the classroom, as a teacher library at The Studio School. It is a public arts magnet elementary school in Northglenn, Colorado. Next year I will be taking a one year leave of absent to be home with our daughter. I also will complete my library endorsement next fall.

My biggest concern regarding cataloging and information storage is making the Dewey system and other information resources accessible to young students. I want the students to have a clear understanding of their purpose and also the ability to utilize the systems. As a lifelong learner I have quite a bit of experience searching the internet and databases. However, I also am aware that there always seems to be another trick to increasing the efficiency of your search. So I would say I’m proficient but always attempting to update my skill set.

As mentioned above, I am in 40th week of pregnancy with my first child. As the summer heats up I’m thankful that she due sooner than later. I cannot wait to meet my little girl.


 * MARY SILEO**

After taking a year off of teaching to work on this UCD School Library program and spend the winter in New Zealand with my family (above), I am now actively seeking a Teacher Librarian position in Jeffco - one of which looks very hopeful! My tentative graduation date from this program is May 2011. I'm cramming this summer with three classes (that's cramming for me!) so that I only have four classes left come fall.

My biggest concern regarding the topic of cataloging is that I don't know what my biggest concern is! I'm pretty "green" when it comes to this area so I'm eager to learn more through this class.

My "searching proficiency" on the internet, OPAC systems, and on subscription databases (mostly Jeffco Public Library databases) is probably a B. I'd be curious to have someone else grade me though! :)

An interesting fact about myself is that I spent the summer of 1993 is Moscow, Russia and saw the embalmed body of Lenin in his glassed-in tomb at Red Square (if that was really him....there were rumors that it was a wax figure of him lying there!) It was a cool time to be in Russia.

My name is Kathy Plath. I currently work as a media specialist in a pre-k to 5 elementary school. I just completed my second year. I felt a lot more confident my second year. I think it is the best job in the entire school. I teach classes at all grade levels and support the teachers in their efforts to integrate technology into their lesson plans. We will have Mobi’s, document cameras, clickers, and a distance learning lab installed over the summer. I will also return in the fall to a new checkout system. Always lots to learn! This is one of four classes I am taking this summer to complete my degree. It goes so quickly. I will be glad to be done with school for awhile. I feel like I am becoming proficient at web searching, using our OPAC and our (sadly) one database. I would give myself a B in that area. One interesting fact is that we own land at 11,000 feet and enjoy it as our family getaway. I have two wonderful boys, two friendly dogs and a supportive husband.


 * **Getting to Know Each Other** ||
 * (1) **Rae Ciciora** (the school has frustratingly used my given name and not my preferred name. So any time you see Janet Ciciora, scratch the Janet and put in Rae :-) ||
 * [[image:Rae_pic.jpg]] ||
 * (3) I currently work as a para-educator at Superior Elementary in BVSD. I’ve been there for 7 years, 6 of which I have been at least 2 hours a day in the library. This year, with budget cuts, I will not be assigned the library and my librarian is freaking out. I cried on the last day of school. I absolutely LOVE working in the library and can't wait to have my own! ||
 * (4) I hope to graduate August 2011. ||
 * (5) I have been doing the cataloging at our library for years, but have never been “educated” about it. I learned as I went, asking my librarian when I had questions. I have a passion for accurate and consistent data, but I admit I’ve been rather flaky with the cataloging because I really don’t understand MARC records, and the database is already messed up from previous attempts and three software changes. I’m fairly good with basic Title and Copy information, but when it comes to keywords and such, AACKK! ||
 * (6) I thought I was fairly adept at internet searches until I tried yesterday to get some detailed engineering specs on the DeepSea Horizon rig and piping for my uncle. It was futile and I’m not sure if it was my searching, or the absence of that type of information.
 * (6) I thought I was fairly adept at internet searches until I tried yesterday to get some detailed engineering specs on the DeepSea Horizon rig and piping for my uncle. It was futile and I’m not sure if it was my searching, or the absence of that type of information.

I have very little experience with OPAC systems and subscription databases. I have only begun to try these resources in the last year, when I started this graduate program. I would have to give my overall searching proficiency a “C.” I’m better than most in my extended family, but I have a ways to go before I’m anywhere near proficient. ||
 * (7) Our family consists of two young teenagers, two dogs, two finches, one cat, 65 gallons of salt water with corals and fish, and a freshwater tank with a lonely fish. I’ll be purchasing something colorful next weekend to keep it company. Its companion disappeared last week – I think the aquatic frog jumped out and became a puppy snack! ||


 * Bob Vankirk**



I am currently the Library Technology Educator at Queen Palmer Elementary in Colorado Springs D11. It's a small school of about 220 kids K-5 near the Olympic Training Center. We are a very low socio-economic, title 1 school - about 95% free-reduced and high mobility. LTEs in our district are heavily involved in tech integration and support - this summer we are anticipating the addition of wireless hot spots and netbooks, something we are very excited about.

I have gone through this program very non-traditionally, this is my 2nd to last class. I anticipate graduation in the Spring of 2011, since my final class isn't offered in the fall. This will be a nice break though because our first child will be born in August!

Cataloging is not a large concern in my current district - we are lucky and grateful to have a central processing person who adds copies to our shared catalog. We just switched last year from Sirsi to Destiny and I couldn't tell you what the differences are in the background information entered. This class really will be my first introduction to how library records are created and used "behind the scenes."

As far as proficiency for searching is concerned, I would give myself at least a passing grade (B+). This is my second masters level degree so over time I have had to prove proficiency at locating resources through a variety of search engines, catalogs, etc... As I mentioned we do share a catalog with all schools in our district and I am an avid user of the public library catalog (OPAC).

I am an avid dirt biker and will be doing most of this class on the road with mobile broad band and hot spots, as we camp and ride.


 * Alexi Seabourn**



We had 80s day at school the last week so here is a pic. of me and my teammates! I was wearing a large cuff bracelet that everyone says looks like a Wonder Woman bracelet. It’s funny that the flash makes it glow like that! J

I have taught 6th grade language arts for the past four years and next year I will be teaching 8th grade (Eek!) language arts. I work in Monument, CO at Lewis-palmer Middle School.

I have really been enjoying my classes in this program but I believe they are coming to an end! I hope to graduate in December. Yea!!

I think my biggest concern for cataloging is learning the terminology and systems that schools use. This is such a crucial part of a successful library and one I know very little about. I think I am going to feel more confident and comfortable in the library once I get a better handle on the how and why of cataloguing.

I would give myself a "B" for searching. I can comfortably search OPAC and the internet. In terms of databases, I have had quite a bit of practice through the program but I still am not as successful as I’d like to be. I can usually power through to find what I need but I don’t quite have the skills to teach kids to use it well.

I live in beautiful Manitou Springs, CO and will be spending my summer there working in a jewelry store, hiking, and enjoying the Colorado sun! My friends and I have a tradition in the summer of hiking and lunching. Each week we try a new hike and a new restaurant in town! It’s one of my favorite things about summer! This spring I got a new puppy, a Mini-Australian Shepherd, and he is looking forward to summer hiking as well!

This is me (obviously) with my kids on the Oregon coast. We were touring the redwoods, and took a day to visit Oregon as well.
 * Roxanne Albrighton**

//Job:// Currently, I am finishing my second year as a teacher librarian in a small rural school near Greeley. It is a fun job, and as I learn more working on my master's, it is becoming even more enjoyable. //Graduation date:// I am planning on finishing in August, 2011. Looking forward to it! //Concern regarding cataloging:// I have been waiting for this class. I have so many questions about how books are categorized, why, where, and what is the reasoning. I look forward to having this information to improve my skills. //Experience in searching for information:// I would give myself a B in finding information. I can find the information, although not as quickly as I would sometimes like. I am becoming more proficient with OPAC systems, as well as databases. I am finding that I have my favorites where I go first to find information. //Interesting fact:// My kids are very involved in 4-H. They (along with my husband) raise their own show pigs. We travel around during the summer to various shows. I hope I have time this summer to go to a few with them!

Without further ado, ME! Erik Jordheim

Hello! My name is Erik Jordheim. I am currently working in an international school in Stavanger, Norway. Though the dated tends to fluctuate a bit I plan on ‘graduating’ in 2011. My biggest concern with cataloging is that I have never done it before and that I don’t have the foggiest idea where to start. I like to be organized but when I sometimes find keeping my desk tidy and organized a challenge I shudder to think what it will take to keep an entire media collection under control and in a place where any user can locate what they need… and quickly! The one bonus I do have is that I have been fortunate enough to, as a teacher and with my school’s teacher-librarian, teach a few lessons to my students on information literacy and strategies to find useful information. I feel relatively confident in being able to use keyword and more advanced search techniques and tools on the internet that can help both me and my students find what is important to us. OPAC systems, on the other hand, I have only used in much the same way as students do. I find them very useful when I know which book I would like to check out and somewhat helpful if I am browsing a general topic. However, I would not consider them to be a tool I would use at all if I were simply looking for a new book to read. My proficiency with online databases varies on the database. In general I can navigate them relatively easily but I do have difficulty with some databases when their search functions are limited or counter intuitive. All in all I would give myself an information search grade of 8 out of 10 but with a practical/actual use grade of 7 for my day to day searches

As an interestingg aside I have spent a quantity of time this year, with my entire grade level’s students, developing a trade-able/playable review game as a learning extension program. The game, whose ‘classroom decks’ are composed of cards whose names and powers reflect general topics that all 4th graders should know form the foundation of the game so that anyone can play. The cards which students can earn, through activities outside of school, are based off of topics that continue past those we discuss in class, series books, writing and more. It has been amazingly successful as students, who play the game and those that do not, are all excited to earn these collectible cards and share their work with the class. It has brought a lot of kids out of their shells, allowed many students to display additional talents outside of traditional academia and has turned many of my reluctant learners into avid workers outside of class

Sandy Lind here, I just finished my seventh year as an intermediate teacher. For the past three years I have taught fourth grade at the Dual Immersion Academy (D.I.A.), a bilingual school in Grand Junction, Colorado. D.I.A. is first a school to our students, and second an international airport to those lucky enough to travel with their families! My first year at the school I taught the Spanish section of fourth grade until I realized I was insane and switched to the English section where I am much more comfortable. We are a title one school offering pre-K through 8th grade with about 300 students. About 75% of our student population are Hispanics, and 100% of our students are learning a second language- either English or Spanish!

I'm hoping to graduate Fall 2011 if I'm able to squeeze in all of my classes on time! By the end of this summer I'll be half way through this program- an exciting prospect!

My biggest concerning regarding the topic of cataloging is being unfamiliar with the details behind cataloging systems. Much like I feel when searching for a number in a telephone book. I'm positive that number exists somewhere based on someones organizational method but instead of finding the number I find frustration and simply go to the Internet.

My experience in searching for information using subscription databases has been positive. Last summer I was told that our school district has a subscription to searchasaurus in both English and Spanish. This was a great help for our Spanish teachers because it is difficult to find resources in Spanish. Using this program my students, many ELLs, were able to research information about their Colorado animal.

My personal experience searching for information generally depends on the amount of time I have to find that information and the kind of information I am looking for. I can usually find what I am looking for when I need it but my frustration is dependent on the tools I'm using and the type of information I find. I am not as familiar with OPAC as I feel I should be, and this may be an area in which I learn more this summer! My searching proficiency grade would be a solid B.

One interesting fact about me is I just got engaged last April in Savannah Georgia with my boyfriend of two years. This summer I'm working on my degree, and our wedding that is set for mid September! My dress will be partially purple and mostly ivory (Steve, my fiance told me these are his high school colors). We're very excited.


 * Shelly Wasson**

I just discovered that I’m always //behind// the camera taking the photos, and somehow I’ve managed to avoid getting photographed since Christmas! So, my 7-year-old son took control of the Canon and captured a nice pic of Mom and Dad on our back deck in Summit County just a few minutes ago. We live up here in the high country (9,100 feet!) with our 3 kids, 2 cats, 1 dog, 2 bettas, and 2 hermit crabs who just moved out today to take up residence with a new owner (yea!).

I am currently working as the media para at Summit Cove Elementary, which is a small PreK-5 school just west of Keystone. I //love// my job, but would love it even more if/when the district reinstates the media specialist position at my school. Fingers crossed, that will happen in the next few years. I plan to finish this program in August 2011. I currently work four days a week and teach all the library/computer classes at our school, and am still in the learning stages of cataloging.

My biggest concern regarding cataloging is that some fantastic book will be lost in the shelves forever because I have somehow screwed something up. The media teacher and I have definitely been learning cataloging “on the fly,” and I’m really looking forward to figuring it all out in this class this summer!

I think I’m pretty good at searching the Internet, mainly because I had lots of time to practice as a stay-at-home mom the past decade. However, I’m still learning OPAC systems and subscription databases, so I’d give myself an overall grade of B or B+ for searching proficiency.

Hmmm, I’m not thinking of too many interesting facts about my family right now, except that my kids are 5th generation Coloradoans. Not real exciting, but kind of fun! My great-grandfather wandered around this area in his youth before marrying my great-grandmother. They lived in a mining camp called Bonanza (southwest of Salida) until my grandmother was born; then my great-grandmother demanded that they move to Denver and live amongst civilized people. I grew up in Fort Morgan and have lived all over the state, but have never left. My poor husband grew up all over the world but now that he’s married to me I think he’s stuck in Colorado for the duration. Ah well, not such a bad place to be stuck!

Hi! Nice to meet all of you. Unlike most, I am not currently employed, although my work history includes substitute teaching and vocational instruction. I’m not sure about my graduation date since I’m just in the process of applying, but hopefully once accepted, the anticipated date will be August 2011. I don’t have any concerns about cataloging at this point in time. Like Mary Selio, I’m an open book on the topic. I love searching the internet and am very persistent until I find what I am looking for (especially when it comes to searching archives of political commentary websites). OPAC systems don’t give me much trouble; it just takes some time to become familiar with the system. I do not have a lot of experience with subscription databases. Overall though, I’d give myself a passing grade on searching proficiency with plenty of room for improvement. One interesting fact about my family is that I am the only one of five members measuring under the height of 6’2”…lol!
 * Introducing JoAnn Johnston**

Not me, but I wish! I //was// a Special Education teacher at Chaparral High School in Parker, CO, but wow has there been some changes. I somehow, //somehow//, got hired to be the librarian at Castle View High School (another DCSD school) in Castle Rock, CO. I am very excited about this job, but am also very nervous because it comes with a good slice of the tech department in it’s management. I might be in some trouble, but I look at it as a test, and I LOVE tests! I am looking at a graduation date of Summer 2011. I was really hoping to be done in the Spring of 2011, but that pesky Leadership class only being offered in the summer is going to put a crimp into that. Rats! (I’ve noticed that others have put Spring 2011 as their graduation date—if the Leadership class is the last we have to take, then what are you doing to graduate in the Spring; I would love to know) I think we had to rate ourselves on this same question for the Information Literacy and Reference class. I said then that I was a 3, given that these questions are generally followed by a slew of readings and activities that show me that I don’t know boo. Well, after that class I feel confident enough to give myself a 3.5 now. I truly think I am higher (probably an 8), but man I hate to be wrong! So for now I will play it safe and stick with the 3.5. I have found that I typically can find what I need no matter the system. I still have some difficulties with conglomerate databases like Gale, and EBSCO, but I am steadily improving. I am at the point now where I can do the searches myself, but I would struggle in explaining it to others. Internet searches, or OPAC searches typically do not throw me too much for a loop, but I still tend to ask questions when searching the internet instead of using quality search terms. It is a habit I have tried to break with some success, but still have a way to go.
 * Shake Hands with** Ryan Whitenack

An interesting fact about my family: my great great grandfather was a famous photographer/photo-collector-entrepreneur in Dublin, Ireland. I guess his pictures can be found in Dublin’s museum, but I know that it is quite common to find his pictures (randomly) in Irish bars, errr, pubs here in the USA. At one point, I remember a family member saying that he was the first creator of a picture postcard. So when you are dropping one of those in the mail during your vacations this summer think of William Melvin Lawrence. Several of the pictures on [|this website] can be found in my parents’ living room. Also, I know that he is family, because not only does he have a big schnozz, but also the family picture on the linked website has picture of a guy that looks //exactly// like my older brother. Creepy! Above: A real picture of me punching a statue in Chengdu, China. The statue had it coming!

Hi! My name is Kim Kennedy Cox. Current Job: I am currently teaching Family and Consumer Science courses at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch. The classes that I teach include Fashion, Interior Design, Child Development, and Professional Internship. I also sponsor the FCCLA chapter and work with ninety students on monthly community service projects. Graduation: Well, if I can survive the four classes that I am taking this summer, I will be done at the end of July! I took last summer off to get married in California so I had to double up this summer to stay on track for graduation. I will be ready to celebrate at the end of next month! Biggest Concern: Honestly my biggest concern in regards to cataloguing is how it can possibly be taught in the online format. I am eager to see what the class will bring! Searching Experience: I would describe my searching strategies as fairly random and sporadic. I don’t recall ever getting any sort of formal training on how to search databases or even websites like Google. I typically see a search box and just start typing!Because of this program, I am becoming much more comfortable with helping my students find information on the MVHS subscription databases and am improving my Google search skills by following the Boolean searching rules. For my searching abilities, I would rank myself as developing. There is definitely room for improvement! Family Fact:My entire family spent the last weekend of May in Ithaca, New York watching my older sister graduate from Cornell with a PhD in Plant Biology.This was also the first time that many of my family members met my adorable nephew Oliver who is now nine months.Fun times!

Hello, my name is Helen Taft.



I have attached a picture of myself and my husband taken at a wedding on the Arkansas River last summer. Chip has supported me through all my graduate work including this endorsement in school librarianship. Chip is a pilot and sometimes I think he questions my never ending goals in education. I have been an early childhood teacher, a reading teacher, a K-2 teacher, and now, my dream job, a librarian. I have just finished my second year as a part time, elementary school librarian. My other job is a part time reading teacher. These two positions dovetail nicely!

I have completed the first five classes in the course sequence. It would be great to complete this endorsement by next August but in reality it may take a semester after that. I am not sure how I will complete the required field placement hours.

My biggest concern regarding the topic of cataloging is searching. I always seem to get close to what I am looking for in a library database. Hopefully, through understanding how things are described and classified, I will be be more successful. I would give myself a C as a searching proficiency grade. As an elementary librarian, I have been able to help students locate information using the Internet and the few databases subscribed to by our district and the public library. Most students just want to Google everything. It is remarkable how proficient young students are at navigating the Internet.

Chip and I own a 1940 Chris Craft wooden boat. It is a 19' barrel back. Chip started the Colorado chapter of The Antique and Classic Boat Society. We love taking //Round the Bend// to chapter gatherings throughout the summer. Grand Lake is our favorite place and we will be having a family reunion there this July with our three daughters, their spouses, two granddaughters, and a zillion other relatives!

=Meet Maggie Mae Miller! (I'm a fan of alliteration)=

I’m currently a part-time TL in an elementary school in Jeffco. My school is smaller which is why I’m part-time. I just completed my 2nd year there. I was hired without my endorsement or master’s degree, so I have 2 years to complete it. I anticipate graduating in December this year, then with my masters. A concern of mine with cataloging is that (if any of you are in Jeffco, you’ll know what I’m talking about) our library system, TLC, already has books catalogued for us. When I get a new book and am ready to barcode it, I look in the system for the specific book. If I find it, I just need to add the barcode number and call number for my library and that’s that. If I don’t find my book in the system, I have to send it over to our cataloguing district department and they do it for us. I’m worried that I won’t put into practice how to catalogue materials and may need it in the future. I would give myself a B+, well maybe an A-, it sounds better, when it comes to searching online or wherever. I definitely don’t know all of the shortcuts or hints (I don’t know what you would call it) to use when searching, but I seem to know enough since I can usually find what I’m looking for. An interesting fact about my life this minute is that my 1 ½ year old just started her first swim class on Monday. It’s only 2 weeks long and it’s Mon-Fri morning for 25 minutes, but it sure is fun!

 My name is Janine Kowalsky and this is a picture of me and my middle child, Sydnie. I have just completed my first year as a Teacher-Librarian in Jefferson County Public Schools. I am very close to obtain my library endorsement. Hopefully, my the end of this semester I will have met all the requirements! I have also just completed a masters degree in Educational Technoloy last May! Graduate school has been a great learning experience but look forward to finishing the necessary requirements! I have enjoyed the library as my new classroom. I have had a library aide this past year and due to budget cuts will be losing her. I will now be totally responsible for cataloging the library and want to make sure that have a handle on the new procedures. The library aide has had 15 years of experience and now that this will also be a part of my responsibility I would look forward to learn how to correctly catalog! I have a pretty good handle on searching the Internet and databases but could use some additional techniques. I plan on developing a research lab inside the library and could use a few pointers, especially in the area of databases! I would give myself a B+!

Hi, I'm Susie!

Susie Gray Isaac
My name is Susie Isaac. I legally changed my name from Gray to Isaac last October, but as you might be able to tell from my header in class, I have sort of not gotten around to changing it with CU yet. I actually got married 4 years ago, but didn’t change my name until this past year. To make a long story short, having a child changed my mind about changing my name. I’m thinking I should probably get on the ball and change my name with CU, since this is my LAST CLASS before getting my endorsement! Woohoo!

I have worked these past three years as the Teacher Librarian at Sunrise Elementary School in the Cherry Creek School District. Prior to that, I taught fourth grade for three years. Currently, I am part of the specials rotation, and I also house the computer lab in the library, so I have a pretty fun opportunity to integrate research and technology skills, and I get to spend about 10 weeks every year with each class from grades 1-5. I love my job, and hope to be fortunate enough to keep it for many years to come!

My biggest concern regarding the topic of cataloging is that I work in a district where our central library pretty much does all the cataloging for us. I am worried this will create a certain degree of laziness/ chosen ignorance in me, and I want to be sure that I am still aware of how things work “in the real library world.”

My experience with searching using databases is pretty limited. While I have always managed to find the information I needed for this program using the Auraria Campus online library, I often have felt that I am just skimming the surface of the resources available to me. I often have problems accessing the text of articles, but have never gone through the steps of calling and asking for help or going patiently through an online tutorial. I am lazy about too many things that I often categorize as things I don’t absolutely need to know to get by. It’s a big weakness! I would grade myself as Partially Proficient at searching databases, and give myself an Advanced at being lazy.

One interesting fact about me is that I was just today called and admitted to a competitive NEH teacher workshop about Women in the West from June 20-25th at the Molly Brown House downtown. I am super excited, and can’t pass the opportunity up… but I’m a little scared about getting all of my work for both of my classes done during that week! Tomorrow I will be heading down to the Molly Brown house to pick up my books that need to be read before the 20th!


 * Hi, I'm Patti Lowther...**

...and I like to live by the motto, "it may be the opportunity of a lifetime!" One of my last big opportunities was to accept the media specialist position at Jordahl Elementary School in Fountain Fort Carson District 8 back in July of 2005. I will be starting my sixth year in that library this July. I am on a 200-day contract, as opposed to classroom teachers at 187. So, my school year runs from about July 30, to June 9, or so. Makes for a short summer, but a nice paycheck! I have been in the CUD masters program since the fall of 2009, and have completed five classes. I truly hope I will be graduating after summer classes in 2011. In the five years I have been in the library, cataloging has become increasingly easier. We now have the Follett Destiny program which allows me to download MARC records effortlessly. In the past I used the Library of Congress site for most of my cataloging records. I don't think I did that once this year. The one thing I struggle with the most is cataloging and classifying to get the most interest and circulation for each item. I love to search the internet and often spend hours in the hunt. I have tried hard to fully understand the attributes of the Destiny catalog and to teach the OPAC. The students are getting pretty good at using it. I am certainly not advanced in my searching proficiency, but probably somewhere in the "B" range. And, finally, an interesting fact: Both our girls, Nicol, age 24, and Samantha, age 20, are in Guam right now. My husband, Jeff and I, married 28.5 years, are now empty nesters as of Memorial Day.

Hi, I'm Heather Riffel

...and I just switched to a Mac this week after a lifetime of only PC's, so forgive me if this photo (from my recent honeymoon to Colombia) doesn't work out:)

Present Employment: I've been the Agriculture teacher at the Boulder Technical Education Center here in Boulder, CO for the past 7 years. I teach mostly classes in the plant science and environmental sciences, but have dabbled with courses in mechanics, business and regular science class. I became interested in earning my librarian endorsement a couple of years ago and figured I'd take a few courses and see if it might be a good match.

Therefore: My graduation date is not really set. I'm just picking up the librarian endorsement, so I'm taking a class at a time, which puts me about 6 semesters away.

I'm a little concerned about this course specifically, because, though I know my way around a library, I never gave Dewey much thought before. I remember quite vividly the card catalog with its little golf pencils, but have been using the internet catalog for so long that I'm used to going straight to a book, rather than browse a section. What perhaps concerns me most is making the judgment call on a book that spans two categories strongly (a biography about a specific event/time period, etc.) I feel that I'm about a B+ in my own library searches, but imagine this course will help me improve on that. I'm looking forward to seeing what we'll be learning. Something interesting going on this summer for me is a research trip to Botswana at the end of July. I hope I can get my last week's assignment in early:)

Suzanne Cucchetti


My name is, obviously, Suzanne Cucchetti. I have a gabazillion nicknames, but I'll save you (and myself) the trouble - you can just call me Suzanne. I currently am attempting to be a librarian at Grand Mesa Middle School - a position I didn't think I'd get when I applied for it. I have been a German teacher for the last 10 years and loved every minute of it. Leaving my position at GJHS was difficult, but I am excited about trying on my "Librarian shoes". I expect to graduate in the Summer of 2011 - even though I'm still planning a 3 week trip to Germany with students next summer (it'll be an interesting summer!) As for my searching abilities, I'd give myself a solid 2.5 out of 5. Most of the time I'm pretty good at finding what I'm looking for, but every once and awhile I get completely lost. I wouldn't say I'm nervous for this class - I'm "nervous" for every class in this program because I come into each class not even really understanding the title! As for cataloging, I'm more intrigued than concerned - our school district doesn't require teacher-librarians to catalog, and they get a little miffed when we put things in "places they don't belong" - like grouping all of our graphic novels together. I am interested to learn the basics of cataloging so that I understand why a book is classified the way it is when it gets to my library. An interesting fact? I'll tell you an interesting little story: My last name, Cucchetti, rhymes with spaghetti. I often tell my students this in order to help them remember my name. When I first started teaching, I was part time ESL, part time German. Many of my ESL students (elementary) would call me "Miss Spaghetti" by accident. One boy in particular, George, could NEVER remember what my name was and always called me "Miss Meatball". Cracked me up every time. Interesting fact #2 - I have the thick curly hair most women pay mega $ to have. And I love love LOVE it.

Hello! My name is Katie Darrin. I am posting a bit late this week because my husband and I just returned from a fabulous trip to San Francisco. I was the teacher librarian at Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer (a dual language immersion school in BVSD) this past year and am still waiting to see about next year. I will either be the librarian at Whittier International School in Boulder or a literacy/ESL teacher at Pioneer (my principal decided to place a para in the library due to budget cuts). I hope to complete my endorsement program by spring 2012. My biggest concern regarding cataloging is figuring out how to be efficient in English and Spanish. I am also slightly intimidated by the numbers/codes that are part of the process. I would say my experience in searching has been decent, not really good but not horrible. I’m looking forward to learning the skills necessary to find what I’m looking for (what a concept!). I would give myself a C for searching proficiency. Something unique about my family is that my husband and I met through our dogs! We arrived at Mt. Sanitas in Boulder at the same time and our dogs did the typical sniff-your-rear-dog-greeting and we all decided to hike together…two years later we were married and our canine companions were our ring bearers! We now have two little ones Caden Mateo (4 on July 16) and Carmen Josie (1 on June 16). This is my fave picture of my babes, when Carmen was 6 weeks old.
 * Katie Darrin**

**Hello from Josette Russon** I am presently an Activity Leader for the Damon Runyon Elementary School Age Child Care program. Summer school is in session until August 6th so we care for and entertain between 40 to 75 kids a day ages 4 through 11. I’ve only been able to take one class per semester so it may be August 2012 before I graduate. I use the library quite a bit for personal use but otherwise have no experience cataloging. So far I’m trying to remember what all the definitions, numbers, and abbreviations mean! An “A” for searching proficiency would be nice since I find what I’m looking for. I don’t have a lot of OPAC or database experience yet I persist to find what I need. Not so interesting fact: My beautiful 6 yr old daughter is adopted from China so I am frequently mistaken for her caregiver. The photo was taken by her. @http://josetterusson.wordpress.com/ @http://josetteirene.wordpress.com/

Lisa Lorenzini  Our proud moment this year was when our son graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a Chemical Engineering degree. He bought me the sweatshirt to wear to graduation a week before the event. I guess he felt that after 4 years I deserved one. I wore it proudly. His Grandma was as proud as we were. I am one who also has a different first name than the one I use. On the class shell it says Sharon but I go by Lisa, my middle name. I am currently not working in a library. I have spent the last few years filling in for absences in different school libraries which, after my first year as a long term sub, led me to enroll in the school library program at UCD. If all goes well, I will be graduating this fall. I still have my elementary field experience to complete and hope to complete the hours this fall. I have subbed in two school districts in between these jobs and will continue to do so next year. I have to say I do not know much about cataloging. I have worked in districts that have a central cataloging center and have not had to actually do any cataloging myself. I did work with a lady who helped with the cataloging for one district and she loved it! If she ran into a problem with how to catalog a book, she would come to me for help. I do not think I was much help to her but she always made me feel like I was. J I realized the importance of cataloging records when I was working at one school and was looking for materials for a lesson on National Parks. I did a keyword search for national parks and found several titles; however, I knew there were more books than the ones that surfaced in the search and decided to investigate. I went to the shelf to find some of the titles that did not come up in my search and did a title search. I was surprised to find that nowhere in the records was the term national park. I have always thought I was pretty good at searching the internet and subscription databases until I was sent a google search test and found out I was not! Here is a link to the test. [] I was surprised at how much I did not know. Before the test I would have given myself a B for my searching ability, but afterwards I would have to say I deserve a C-. While I have always been able to find what I am looking for, I realize there are more efficient ways to search for information. I can not think of anything particularly interesting to say about my family or myself. Nothing much changes which I guess is a good thing.

Introduction of Jordan Hogg…

I am currently a stay-at-home mom of two young girls. My oldest is six and just finished kindergarten. I volunteer as a few committee chairs for programs at her school. One is organizing math tutors and the other is organizing the library volunteers. I also volunteer in the library and in the classroom, when my youngest daughter is in her preschool. She is now three and we have spent the week preparing for and celebrating her birthday, which is why I am just now finishing my homework on Sunday morning! I also teach water aerobics three nights a week, which is a good work out, a lot of fun, and they actually give me a little money too!

I originally thought it would be sooner, but am now anticipating my graduation date to be in the summer of 2012. There are so many things going on in my life, that taking one class at a time is plenty, and I may have to take an entire semester off. My interesting fact will explain why.

My biggest concern regarding the topic of cataloging is that I really don't know much about it and I hope this class will teach me enough to be able to handle it on my own someday.

I have searched for endless amounts of information on the internet, and a little bit on both subscription databases and OPAC systems. I think that my grade would be a B-, because although I have done quite a bit of searching, and think that I can usually find what I am looking for, I feel that I have a long way to go before I will feel proficient.

Finally, the interesting fact that you have been waiting for since I alluded to it in my second paragraph is that my family will be moving to England! My husband is in the Air Force and we are currently stationed at Kirtland AFB, in Albuquerque, NM. However, we will be moving next November, which is why I am not sure if I will be able to take a class next semester. I am still trying to figure out if I could make it work, but there will be a lot going on so I'm not sure if I want to add to it with a class. I thought about explaining to the Air Force that I can only move between semesters, but I don't think they will appreciate that.

** Hello! My name is Lynn Jankura. I am currently the Library/Technology Specialist (or ETIL teacher) at Soaring Hawk Elementary in Castle Rock, Colorado. The interesting fact about me is that after 17 years in the Douglas County School District, I will finally find out what it is like to teach on a traditional schedule. I have been on a 4 track year round schedule for all 17 years in the district. I will actually have a summer this year! I have two more weeks of school and I will be done for the school year! For my position, I am responsible for both the library and the computer lab. I am lucky to work with a para in the library and a tech in the computer lab. Next year with budget cuts, the para hours will be cut down, so we will have volunteers helping out. I am in the "Specials" rotation and teach ETIL. I teach both computer classes and information literacy lessons.
 * Lynn Jankura

This is my last class for the endorsement program! I will take my PLACE test in September and I will be done! My Master’s Degree is in Instructional Technology.

I really don’t have much knowledge about cataloging. Our district switched over two years ago to the Destiny Management system and so the schools don’t have to do their own cataloging. I send the books to the district media center and they come back cataloged! It’s like magic! ;-) I have seen marc records and upload them to Follett to have analysis done, but other than that I am clueless. This class will really help fill the gaps in my knowledge.

As for my searching abilities, I would grade myself a B. I have taught district classes on how to search the Internet using keyword and directory (heading) searches, but I still have room for improvement. I enjoy the challenge of finding information for people. It is like a puzzle, trying to find the right keywords or headings to use.

I look forward to working with all of you this semester!
 * My Name is Katherine Kellee Ivers ( Prefer to go by Kellee) ||
 * //I work at Dixie State College of Utah, in the HR Department as well as working for the Academic Vice President. I have a lot of job responsibilities, but the most important one is to keep the adjunct files current and to make sure that they are complete.// ||
 * My anticipated date of graduation. 2012. //I am only taking 1 and sometimes 2 courses right now. Between my job and my children I feel that this is all I can handle right now.// ||
 * My biggest concern is regarding the topic of cataloging. //I really am not quite sure about this question I am sure that I will have more questions as we go along.// ||
 * My experience in searching for information using the Internet, OPAC systems, and/or subscription databases. Along with your verbal description, give yourself a “searching proficiency” grade//. I use the internet a lot for research as well as using library online catalogs. I feel that I know how to use them pretty well but there is always room for improvement and learning how to use the catalogs better.// ||
 * One interesting fact about yourself and/or your family//. My family lives in Southern Utah, which is about an hour and a half from Las Vegas. We love it here because it is so pretty. We love spending our time outside going to Zions or Snow Canyon.// ||

== =//Maria Gordon// =

Howdy! My name is Maria Gordon. My husband Joe is the cute cowboy on the right.

Currently, I'm the District Librarian or Teacher Librarian at Primero School District in Weston, CO. Primero is a small rural K-12 school with approximately 120 students. In addition to my library duties, I'm required to teach 4 classes of computer skills/AR or Study Island Testing, 1 journalism/yearbook class and 1 CCCOnline class. I anticipate graduating at the end of the Fall 2012 term or just prior to having a nervous breakdown. My biggest concern with cataloging is which software to use. I'm in a rural area and there have been catalog wars here for several years. I'm under pressure to use AgentVerso. However, my former superintendent purchased Follett Destiny w/ Alliance. I can't get a straight answer from surrounding librarians due to the emotional levels during conversations. Any advice? I have experience with EBSCO and the Auraria Library database. I want to become a better researcher. I will be facilitating CCCOnline classes that laison through Trinidad State Junior College. If I had to grade myself on “searching proficiency” I'd give myself a B-. I'm very resourceful. But, when it comes to using data bases, I find it time consuming and difficult. I have experience with EBSCO and the Auraria Library database. I want to become a better researcher for my students. One interesting fact about myself is I have taught overseas. I've worked in Turkey, Russia, Hong Kong and Thailand. I'm also accomplished at helping people find teaching jobs overseas. Just recently, two of my teaching friends were down-sized. After using my expertise, one will be working as an English teacher in Saudi Arabia and the other will be working as a computer teacher in Brazil. I can't get my husband to go with me overseas. So, we'll be concentrating on our ranch in Trinidad and starting a family.