Johnny goes to the library . . . .

My love of books began with a box of crayons. OH! how the black on white needed emphasis! I find my powers of research challenged as literature moves through the digital age. Graduate school presents new information for my enjoyment and consumption. READ ON!!!!!

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thinking about it?

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

THIS WEEK IN THE TROPICS, UH, TEMPERAMENT

As promised we shall continue our journey through the, for lack of a better idea, the mind. As you may recall, or for you new comers, we are looking at post-Jungian learning instruments. This weeks collaborator is after my heart- he has the most colorful sight to date- watch out kiddies?

The Kiersey Temperament Sorter-II is a FREEBIE, 70 question instrument that "helps individuals discover their personality type." According to the Temperament Theory people can be sorted into one of four groups. This follows the Jungian construct, and the post-Jungian constructs, of sorting people into four groups of something or other.

Four preference scales sort testees into one of four temperaments, and one of 16 character types.The preference scales measure:
Expressive vs Attentive
Observant vs Introspective
Tough-minded vs Friendly
Scheduling vs Probing


So far it looks like to me he covers a wider range of a personality than the other two instruments we have looked at. What looks more interesting yet is the four temperaments into which a person can be tested into- if they dont already have any ideas about theirselves. Covered are:

Artisans (composers, crafters, performers, promoters)
Idealists (healers, counselors, champions, teachers)
Rationalists (architects, fieldmarshals, inventors, masterminds)
Guardians (inspectors, protectors, providers, supervisors)

Herr Doktor: fieldmarshals? (1940s?)
: masterminds? reminds me of Megadeth' Cryptic Writings (1997) CD
: While reading this site the same feeling came over as when I began to hear and see clips from Forrest Gump. I havent seen it to date for fear of the literal virtual lobotomy. To much information usually forces out critical brain cells, leaving me lacking in one sense or another

Personally, I fall way into the artisan hole, although I had to take a close look at the rationalists. Remember, Jung worked his theories during the first half of the twentieth century, basically. With so many options in which to land your personality, and so many descriptions laid out for you by the Keirsey Advisor Team, you might be better off just picking a few categories for yourself, and trying them out for a while, prior to taking the test. As with most ventures in life, once you get good at something, leading the gullible onwards becomes folly for the fuel.

The Keirsey Advisor Team, like others, has a sideline of articles to help testtakers: reports, maps, paper, pencils, original and student versions in foreign languages, alone or packaged together in bundles.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Academia- we like this one. I bought it without taking a test drive. Someone ought to be persuaded to put a little personality back into personality testing- what do you say? next time: never you mind hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Saturday, February 17, 2007

learning for the masses, eh messes, ih misses, oh mosses, uh musses, yh mysses

Thank you teacher for coming to my rescue. I was contemplating what I would babble on about for the next 3 months in this log- until TODAY. You affirmed what I was getting to, but thanks for the reinforcement. I am going to assess assessments currently or pastly used, and probably be used in the near and distant future, for ease of the multitutes. As a lay person, I have only to interpret the aforementioned interpretations to my liking- if not a free country, it is at least a free universe, right?

Because you began with a Jungian construct, I will continue with same. As I don’t want to plagiarize, I will paraphrase to the best of my ability? So far I have learned that learning styles instruments include the Jungian instruments, among others. If time permits later this semester, I will digress. 4 Jungian models are:

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI3)
Keirsey Temperament Sorter II
Gregorc Style Delineator

The Kolb LSI3 is similar to the MBTI, with four scales: converging, accommodating, diverging, and assimilating. It is short (only 12 items) and is self-scored. David Kolb is an expert in experiential learning, and his product line is available at one source in particular, and those products include:

Kolb learning style exercise
Kolb learning style inventory
Kolb learning style inventory online
Kolb learning style floor mat
Kolb learning style reference card
Kolb learning style T-shirt
Kolb personal learning guide
Kolb team learning experience
and MORE!!!!

We should all be so intelligent. I am currently thinking of a launching a magic carpet floor mat, in the learning style of Maharesh Mahesh Yogi, with scenes of the ancient home of the Dalai Lama in the Himalayas. The possibilities for T-shirts boggles the imagination!@#$?

The LSI3 identifies preferred learning styles (no freedom of thought here, kiddies) for problem solving, working in teams, resolving conflict, communicating at work and home, and considering a career. AND, one of the features of the LSI3 is “use of four color reinforces concepts”- that’s what it says at
http://www.hayresourcesdirect.haygroup.com/Learning_Self-Development/Assessments_Surveys/Learning_Style_Inventory/Overview.asp

Well, I for one, am SPENT! Till next time. . . . . . . . . …

Friday, February 16, 2007

class preparation Feb 17, etc

I may be off, but Stuert & Moron write on p. 77, "TQM no longer has the success it experienced several years ago, particularly in Japan where it originated. . . ."

tonite. the more I read this text the more fun I have. I mean, I MEAN, I'm sitting here on the bench- - remembering all the comments everyone made about planning and anticipating the future and DEJAVU- AND WE GET TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN! Thats cool- I was goofing on it the first time. So tomorrow I will read & see what memories the book jerks out of me this time.

tomorrow. it happened again- I missed tomorrow- I must have fallen asleep @ 1159 again. so here it is today again

Sunday, February 11, 2007

LET ME POST THIS BEFORE THE GREAT COMPUTER COMES AFTER ME AGAIN

version 3.

For the third time I will attempt to make comments on Saturday' class, before computer crashes again, or cuts me off

The more I think I know, the less I know. I have spent a lifetime touring the world in 3-5 year spurts. Getting to know anybody on a personal basis is patchwork at best. Recently someone asked me about something, and I surprised myself with the response: " yeh totally, but you all speak English." With all of the nuances of the the English language- which I have heard many times as being one of the most difficult to learn-, I wonder why so much effort has been spent trying to identify perceived cognitive and communicative styles. - this has been going on for many years now-

I wonder who, or what group, developed this particular tool, and who it was geared to at the time of its creation, for what reason in particular. I would like to see a bio or group history on the creators.

This assessment agitated me from the getgo. I honestly could not complete it as requested- it was not assessing me, but some view of an alternate reality of the creator(s) for other purposes. I did it as such: for each option, for each question, I gave a 0-3 rating (nothing was relevant enough to receive a 5) based on my perceived value on the items' worth. I related each option to how such an option had served me in my life' experience. How the results might be observed by someone else, I know not, but here is the jist of it:

RESULTS: BOTH OPTIONS OF QUESTION 4 RECEIVED '3.'
4. Do you get along better with people who are: a. creative and speculative, or b. realistic and "down to earth"

No response merited a 4 or 5, all other responses ranged from 0-2

I dont think the life experience is best looked at from a literal view, but needs to be experienced to be appreciated. When concepts and ideas, such as those presented in the selfassessment, are taken to heart, or proven to be truly useful, and understood, and of value, then maybe a true assessment can be made.But the literal, such as this assessment, must not be perceived as the actual.

A mentor- one of the first chief information officers of the Chevrolet Motors Division- had a favorite quip, which he could be he

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

diffusioN oF innovationS

Title of Article
Adoption and Diffusion of Encoded Archival Description
Authors and Biographies
Elizabeth Yakel is a University of Michigan (U of M) Associate Professor, with a Ph.D. in information. She is interested in use and user services for archival materials, particularly focusing on the digital realm and the development of recordkeeping systems. Yakel is involved in several research projects; has participated in numerous elected, appointed, and voluntary professional and service activities; has won various awards for her research and professional contributions; has published many books, chapters, journal articles, papers in conference proceedings, technical publications and manuals, and book reviews; has given presentations as invitee, has given workshops, and has taught courses at the Universities of Michigan and Pittsburgh.
Jihyun Kim is a U of M School of Information doctoral student. She is interested in digital library/archive use affected by interactions of social and technical factors. The Society of American Archivists (SAA) maintains many of Kim’ scholarly works on the SAA website, and they gave Kim the Oliver Wendell Holmes Award.
Source and Credibility of Source
This female mentor/protégé team has collaborated on several scholarly endeavors (U of M, School of Information, 2007). The prestigious U of M School of Information is an American Library Association (ALA) Accredited Master’s Program in Library & Information Studies (ALA, 2006). The “Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (JASIST), a fully refereed scholarly and technical periodical, has been published continuously since 1950” (American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T), n.d.). ASIS&T, “(s)ince 1937. . . has been the society for information professionals leading the search for new and better theories, techniques, and technologies to improve access to information” (ASIS&T). “Wiley InterScience. . . is a leading international resource for quality content promoting discovery across the spectrum of scientific, technical, medical and professional endeavors” (John Wiley & Sons, Inc. , 2007).
Thesis and Summary of Major Points
The authors reported their interpretations of two to eleven year old data related to encoded archival description (EAD), through the filter of E. M. Rogers’ (1995) Diffusion of Innovations theory, itself a nine year old theory at the time. They assumed the reader had a working knowledge of the theory. Diffusion of innovations, a macro (general) level communications and technological theory, “centers on the conditions which increase or decrease the likelihood that a new idea, product, or practice will be adopted by members of a given culture” (Universiteit Twente, 2006).
Adoption of EAD within the U. S. archival community ranges from total to nil. Yakel and Kim (2004) measured the acceptance of EAD, using two primary measures- EAD education, and the actual diffusion pattern- to interpret data reported by participants of Research Libraries Group and SAA workshops held between 1993 and July, 2002. EAD focuses on finding aids (registers, inventories, calendars, card catalogs, indexes, etc.), but other access tools might benefit from construction with EAD.
Characteristics of Innovations
“Rogers poses five characteristics of innovations that can be examined in relation to adoption: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, triability, and observability” (Yakel & Kim, 2004, p. 1428). Authors found compatibility (with descriptive practices, institutional structure, staff size, and infrastructure) to be the major characteristic effecting EAD adoption in the archival community. They discussed methods of publishing finding aids, to address the characteristic of relative advantage.
Funding impedes the implementation of EAD in many environments. Funding colored the discussion of complexity, the other major characteristic, discussed in terms of EAD encoding software, encoding and publication of finding aids, outsourcing and consortia. “(C)omplexity (is) diminished with the use of support tools, such as the EAD Cookbook” (Yakel & Kim, 2004, p. 1434).
Roger’s (1995) theory re-emerges within “Funding Models” during the discussion of triability, stating “. . . that there are five stages in the innovation decision process: knowledge gathering, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation” (Yakel & Kim, 2004, p. 1435). Workshops offered one method of gaining information. Participants experienced EAD, and if they understood it, they might have made an informed decision about EAD implementation. Funding also affects observability. If invisible to users, innovations may as well be nonexistent.
Discussion
Yakel and Kim (2004, p. 1435) determined several findings needed further discussion; “(a) size as a factor in EAD adoption, (b) compatibility with current descriptive programs and practices, (c) technological expertise, and (d) adopting but not diffusing EAD.” One conclusion stood out from the others, and seemed to refute what they had tried to establish. EAD could exist without diffusion of EAD expertise, in defiance of all efforts made to implement EAD. Only maintenance and extension of EAD knowledge could ensure internalization of EAD expertise, ensuring the continuance of good finding aids, and whatever else EAD might encompass.
Conclusion
This early analysis of EAD diffusion and implementation indicated “that a majority of the respondents (58%) have not adopted EAD. Reasons for the lack of adoption include an apparent size barrier, a lack of compatibility with existing descriptive practices, and the complexity of the technology” (Yakel & Kim, 2004, p. 1436). EAD adoption in the U. S. lacks uniformity. The U. S. archival community will continue to monitor its ability to maintain the trend of innovation of EAD, if at all possible.
Reactions, Thoughts, Opinions
Diffusion of innovations provided a theoretical framework to filter findings of surveys for reporting. Rogers’ update of this hundred year old theory (Rogers, 1995, p. 40), ten years old at the time of publishing, might still work as a relevant communication theory. However, in those hundred years, practitioners in the fields of anthropology, sociology, education, public health and medical sociology, marketing and management, geography, economics, and others, have found it lacking (Rogers, pp. 42-43). A new angle may work better. Failed attempts at innovation litter evolution and world history. Technology improves and progresses quicker than potential users accept it. Rogers’ theory offered the best way to evaluate equally old data. Perhaps its time to forget about raising the dead, and glue the book’ cover to his headstone for his epitaph.
Other theories, on different levels of observation, exist within the communication and information technology field, and may have provided better interpretation of data, and a more transparent reporting of results. Adaptive structuration, a mesa level, or more specific, theory, examines “the role of advanced information technologies in organization change. AST examines the change process from two vantage points 1) the types of structures that are provided by the advanced technologies and 2) the structures that actually emerge in human action as people interact with these technologies” (Universiteit Twente, 2006). A closer examination of survey data might have presented the findings on a more personal, understandable level, for practitioners who do not have the perceived advantages offered by individuals with Ph. D.’s.
Searches for current literature about EAD do not readily appear in searches of academic data bases, a fact which precipitated the authors’ creation of this current effort. As stated, “. . . literature consists primarily of overviews of the history and evolution of EAD. . . , case studies describing individual experiences with EAD. . . ,” and “three cross-institutional analyses of EAD adoption “ (Yakel & Kim, 2004, p. 1428). With this article more information now exists. Will the majority of implementers of EAD find the information understandable, and most importantly, useful? The findings indicate only about one-half of responders to the survey have implemented EAD. This population may or may not be indicative of the population as a whole, but it does provide some processed data. Figure 1 (Yakel & Kim, p. 1429) did not include any responders to the survey from corporate bodies. This constituent includes the majority of institutions at work as money-making concerns. The numbers may not speak for themselves.
Methodology and statistics introduce fledglings to the mire of numbers, and the myriad ways to report them, if the imagination allows it. For the academic community, and professional organizations who follow such publications, this knowledge may represent a past, or perhaps current, state of EAD in institutions, and offers a starting point from which to continue the internalization of EAD. Numbers presented interesting information about EAD encoding software (Yakel & Kim, 2004, p. 1433), and encoding and publication of finding aids (Yakel & Kim, p. 1434). EAD got compared to Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) in many ways (adoption and diffusion patterns, finding aids, training, internalization, incorporated principles and standards, format, implementers). However, EAD may not become as ingrained in archival society as MARC became in the library world. Archival professionals say EAD encoding lacks incorporation in budgets because the budget lacks funds for personnel. The vicious cycle continues. No money for personnel, or, no resources for resources!
The idea that adoption of EAD could exist without diffusion of EAD expertise seemed both paradoxical and alluring. Fully two-thirds of encoders and interested persons get introduced to EAD at workshops. Encoders included mostly professional archivists, but also paraprofessionals, students, and clerical employees, from various and related technological skills. So the nuts and bolts of encoding might not require the theoretical knowledge and abilities of doctoral students. That makes life easier. When resources became available for maintenance and extension of EAD, some institutions provided time for continuance of encoding, and its internalization. The “Electronic Archives” course should instruct to a much greater proficiency than a workshop would. When the resources become available, personnel become available to pursue encoding, the production of finding aids, and publishing the results. Access to information, provided by the learning, or internalization, of information, to get the information encoded, finally provides a more or less good package for use by customers. To date, the usability of finding aids runs the gamut, from not usable, to very usable. Professional archivists live this reality every day (T. Featherstone, personal communication, January 23, 2007) (C. Lewis, personal communication, January 26, 2007).
The article read like something produced by a student with lots of book knowledge, but little real world experience. At times the reading became confusing. Perhaps an overabundance of data, a lack of understanding, personal interpretations of the writers, or maybe lack of communication skills, led to a lack of desire to continue reading at points. Continuing, and not understanding, proved the method to make it to the end of the article- sort of like a surgical shotgun blast, tearing up everything in sight, and baffled! Thoughts and opinions formed the basis of the analysis. The organization, and diversity of subjects discussed, left room for learning, and further comprehension. The enjoyment of the learning experience came by way of reading. Learning occurred. Interpretation of data led to new literature, a reason for the paper to begin with.
References to outside resources, which offered much basic information on the subject of EAD, led to the discovery of new sources of information for future pursuits. The EAD Cookbook- 2002 Edition (SAA, 2004) contained references to the Encoded Archival Description, version 2002 Official Site (Library of Congress, 2006). Basic and detailed information describes EAD beyond current knowledge of beginning encoders. Further research in these references can further internalization of skills. Knowing that specialized EAD software exists makes for a bright future, assuming the institution has software that works. Of course, without knowledge of the basic archival principles, the interpretation and reporting of research for users may be futile.
Finally, with this insight, knowledge of the past and present leads to visions in the future. But has EAD had judgment passed already? Does lack of resources (people, materials, money, time) mean EAD will end up as so much more worthless information, waiting for its discovery in a time capsule by a future citizen, or by some alien being that runs into a distant space craft launched in time memoriam? Maybe they forgot to include it on the inventory as an oversight. Discarded technology comes and goes. Which technology, current, or yet to be designed, will save our historical information for future generations and worlds?
References
American Library Association (ALA). (2006). 2006-2007 directory of institutions offeringALA-accredited master's programs in library and information studies. Retrieved February 1, 2007 from http://www.ala.org/ala/accreditation/lisdirb/lisdirectory.htm#us
American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T). (n.d.). About ASIS&T. Retrieved February 1, 2007, from http://asis.org/about.html
American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T). (n.d.). Journal of the American society for information science and technology. Retrieved February 1, 2007, from http://asis.org/jasist.html
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2007). Wiley InterScience. Retrieved February 1, 2007, from http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/aboutus/
Library of Congress, Network Development and MARC Standards Office. (September 8, 2006). Encoded archival description, version 2002 official site. Retrieved January 22, 2007, from http://www.loc.gov/ead/.
Rogers. E. M. (1995). Diffusion of innovations. New York: Free Press.
Society of American Archivists (SAA). (2007). SAA search results: Jihyun Kim. Retrieved January 30, 2007, from http://www.picosearch.com/cgi-bin/ts.pl
Society of American Archivists. (3/30/04). The EAD cookbook- 2002 edition. Retrieved January 22, 2007, from http://www.archivists.org/saagroups/ead/tools_and_helper_files/ead2002cookbook/EAD2002cookbook.pdf
Universiteit Twente. (05/31/2006). Communication theories. Retrieved January 21, 2007, from http://www.tcw.utwente.nl/theorieenoverzicht/
University of Michigan, School of Information. (2007). People: faculty profile. Elizabeth Yakel. Retrieved January 29, 2007, from http://www.si.umich.edu/people/faculty-detail.htm?sid=247
University of Michigan, School of Information. (2007). People: Ph.D. student profile. Jihyun Kim. Retrieved January 29, 2007, from http://www.si.umich.edu/people/phd-detail.htm?ID=817
Yakel, E. (04.10.03). Welcome to Elizabeth Yakel’s website. Retrieved January 29-30, 2007, from http://www-personal.si.umich.edu/~yakel/yakelhome.htm
Yakel, E., & Kim, J. (2004). Adoption and diffusion of encoded archival description. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 56(13), 1427-1437.

Sunday, February 04, 2007

FADS

This article verified what I have had a strange tinkling about for a long time- that every few years those in management either get straight, too old, they retire, or they die, leaving the rest of us to wonder what it was they were trying to pass off on the rest of us as wisdom.

Friday, February 02, 2007

strategic plan

WSU has a strategic plan I will forward to group.

FEBRUARY 3 PREPARATION

In mid 1990s the Dept of Defense was big on TQM (totalitarian quality management). I was only an interested party- bored and trying to pickup on whatever seemed interesting, to pass the time before a) I died of boredom, or b) I died at the hands of an enemy our country had helped to create. Anyway, as almost an assistant to a general staff of 45 generals of the largest corps in the army (ordnance) [I decided to leave the service- a person can take just so much subservience to an ungrateful country]. I became aware of TQM- I didnt know it had originated in Japan, but it sounded good- a good buzz word- made people happy.
I tracked down people trying to implement it from the Pentagon on down. I dragged it down to my level, although nobody I talked to could tell me anything about it. So I figured why beat a dead horse. I dont know if it ever took- they probably renamed it and passed it off as their own- I believe Al Gore of internet fame was vice president at the time. fizzle POOF shizzle
NEXT: to do case study I found it helpful to browse through entire text- I'm glad I thought of it. Life experience helped in writing evaluation.
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