Full version of my Masters thesis online!
A year ago when I was writing up my MSc Information and Library Management dissertation, covering the situation in academic library blogging in the UK, I relied heavily on a PhD thesis by the American library studies professor, Michael Stephens. I remember being very grateful and somewhat impressed that he had made the full document available online. It saved me a lot of hassle finding it, quoting it and referring to it later!
In the spirit of the thesis, which dealt with the role of the modern librarian and his/her relationship with new technologies, I decided to share my findings as Stephens had done, using the blog I wrote as a research journal, and once it was done, the thesis itself (as long as it turned out to be a success).
Well, now I have the Masters certificate safely filed away, and another little certificate showing that my thesis won the Harry Galloway award for the highest mark in the UWE Library and Information Management course – effectively the highest mark in the South West of England! – I feel confident in posting the thing on my new blog and “closing that chapter”, as it were.
So here it is, click here to open the documents page. Enjoy!
Other news? I’m ready to take a well-earned break with my friends. We’re off to Caernarfon for a week. I can’t wait!
I’ve learned a lot over the last six months about librarianship in action.
I’ve catalogue a lot of books, done a few hundred hours of enquiry desk work, dealt with a lot of routine enquiries and some more interesting and memorable ones, and overseen some sections of a complex collection management project. Plus I’ve worked on reviewing instructional and policy documentation for metadata, and started building some wiki pages!
I’ve taken part in a “Twitter conference”, I’ve started working on my Chartership, and more-or-less begun to produce reflective writing on my work and personal/professional development. I’ve attended 3 or 4 training courses (apart from the excellent ones provided at work) and a conference.
No wonder I need a break! It’s been an action-packed six months. I shall return to blogging in August and I wish you all a happy summer 
MSc in Information and Library Management
Having started my new job today, I feel I need to take a break from all the (very interesting!) books I’ve been reading up on – I just can’t take in so much new information at once.
However, it seems like a good moment to reflect on my work over the last year – mainly, completing my MSc.
At the time it felt like I was just constantly working and going from one deadline to the next; lots of information flowing into my window of attention and straight back out.
Now it’s complete, I feel quite satisfied – and almost surprised! – that upon reading these further books on information science and IT, I actually understand a lot of what they say and am able to put it into context.
The dissertation was the highlight of the year for me – although at the time it was certainly often difficult, I think the satisfaction gained from producing one’s own piece of professional research is worth the struggle!
Although the research focussed on a very narrow field of interest – the information literacy impact of academic library blogging in the UK – the resonances from each of the concepts in that field meant that I was able to learn a great deal about topics as diverse as the foundational technologies, software and standards of the Internet, the culture(s) and psychology of blogging and bloggers, the meaning of Web 2.0, the links between liberal arts education and information literacy, the history of academic librarianship…
This has made me much more aware of the context in which I work, and whether I am able to directly apply my research in my current or future roles, I have a very different perspective on this profession.
Finally, the research produced some concrete evidence which is accessible to the community of academic librarian bloggers themselves, in the form of a directory of all the blogs. I feel that I have added to the work which I have studied, not just examined it clinically, while at the same time, I have been critical (in the good sense of that word) and made positive proposals for future developments.
I have just posted a short (only 7 pages!) version of the dissertation on my documents page. Please feel free to read it and leave me a comment or email me with your impressions.
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