Brief Bio[]
I'm a librarian. I'll soon start a new job as a Metadata Management Librarian for a university.
Skills[]
- Online: I've started using the Internet only since 1997 - progressing from university-based online tools for my graduate study to almost doing all my work now online. I have been playing around with blogs, wikis, content/learning management systems as tools for improving library services.
- Open Source: I've been trying to find ways to use Drupal, WordPress, Moodle and other open source tools for use within the library community.
- Programming: I took some basic courses in programming (Visual Basic) and web "programming" tools (ASP, JavaScript, HTML, SQL) as part of my associate's degree in computer information systems. But I can't say I can actually code, I tweak mostly. I taught myself a bit of PHP and MySQL to be able to configure open source applications but I can't go any further than that. I've learned XML in my MLIS program.
- Teaching: I've created a few online tutorials. I could probably teach a course in how to put together Drupal modules for specific uses.
What I Hope To Learn at FOSSCoach[]
There is a library community that wants to put together a clearinghouse of cataloging/metadata resources to help educators in this field put together cataloging courses that are relevant in a networked environment. I want to learn not only how to sharpen my technical skills but also how to participate in or lead online communities better for projects like this.
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I hope to be able to coach novices in the library community once I get my footing more firmly in my new job.