When I was an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan in the early 1990s, I had little interest in digital technology.  As an English major, computers were simply a tool I used to type my papers and poetry, and I had very

little desire to expand my knowledge of them beyond this very basic function.  I actually recall at one point arguing with my father that the importance of computer skills was exaggerated and there was no reason why I should take a computer class while in college.  While I have managed quite well without that undergraduate computer class, I no longer dismiss the importance of computer skills.  Still, it wasn’t until the advent of the World Wide Web and a visit to an Internet café while on a trip to LA in 1996 that I realized what a truly incredible thing digital technology could be.  With a few clicks of a mouse button, a whole world of information opened up before me, and I’ve been hooked since then.

Though I had developed a fair amount of computer skills before enrolling in the InformationSchool, my experiences at the iSchool have been a great help to me in broadening the scope and depth of my information technology knowledge.

Object Role Model Database Design

During the Winter of 2006 I took LIS 542 and learned the basics of Object Role Modeling (ORM).  For the final project I worked with Melissa Kinnunen to create a model for a recipe database to be used in a commercial kitchen setting.  If used for the purpose we designed it for, this database would allow kitchen workers to quickly organize and access recipes and to make optimal use of kitchen resources.  Learning ORM and designing this database model proved a challenging and enjoyable experience, and though, due to the limited number of credits I had available for electives, I opted not to continue my study of databases and ORM in LIS 543, I hope to build upon the knowledge and skills I acquired from LIS 542 at some point in my career.  This project provided a solid foundation on which to further my growth in this area.

Uma and Chad’s Spice Kitchen

Before entering the iSchool, I had only designed one website - a very simple teaching resource on the art and poetry of William Blake.  (Note that in an effort to stay within the bounds of fair use law, I’ve password protected this site, making it available only to students to whom I’m teaching William Blake and to

those interested in my teaching practice.  Please email me for the password if you fit either of these categories.)  This web site is very rudimentary.  In creating it, I relied solely on Netscape’s web design software and did not tinker with the  underlying HTML.  Nor did I place this site on a server until quite recently.  My Fall 2004 LIS 541 class, however, required that I both design a website coded entirely in my own HTML script and publish it online.  The result was Uma and Chad’s Spice Kitchen, an admittedly basic but nonetheless functional introduction to some of the Indian spices and seasonings my wife and I cook with at home.  Despite the simplicity of this site, it was a significant learning experience for me at the time I designed it, requiring that I rapidly learn basic HTML, which I only had a glancing familiarity with before LIS 541, and that I learn the ins and outs of online web publication.

Technology on the Job

I occasionally use the web design skills I’ve acquired over the last few years at my current position as librarian at Lakeside School.  However, since I began working at Lakeside in August 2006, I’ve acquired and applied a variety of other technology skills on the job.  Some examples include learning to use SMART Boards and incorporating them into my instructional sessions with students, teaching myself Microsoft Publisher in order to design a library brochure for teachers, and using wiki technology for the first time, in order to publish and manage the Lakeside Book Club Wiki with Krista Hutley, one of my colleagues.  (Note that the Lakeside Book Club and the book club wiki are both only a few months old, and, as the lack of student participation on the wiki might indicate, it’s not clear that we’re going to be able to generate enough student interest in the book club to justify the time we’re putting into it.)  All of these skills have obvious significance for me since I am currently applying them in a professional setting and will likely find ample opportunities to apply them in the future.