PLO3 Design and innovate to create equitable, just, and engaging information artifacts, including services, systems, spaces, resources, and technologies.
The skills and strengths built from Primary Learning Outcome 3 and the subparts will continue to develop as I continue my learning through a professional lens. Through assignments, readings, and discussions throughout this program, I am confident I have the foundation for becoming an instruction librarian engaged with equity and justice through design and innovation. In my professional career, that may manifest through lesson plans taught, and programs I facilitate. As a student, work focused on highlighting gaps in access or engagement with services, systems, spaces, resources, and technologies, was always coupled with my recommendations for mitigating those gaps. In the examples included below, I highlight specific assignments that currently assist me with my professional role.
3.1 Apply a repertoire of design principles and practices to plan, develop, and create information artifacts.
Primary Learning Outcome 3 (PLO3) asks students to understand and seek routes to design and innovate in an effort to create equitable, just, and engaging information resources (services, systems, spaces, resources, and technologies, etc.). PLO3 is broken into 3 steps. First, plan, develop, or create artifacts by applying differing and applicable design principles and practices through PLO 3.1.
In IST564, Accessible Library and Information Services, PLO 3 was heavily utilized. Students began the course by learning about disability history and choosing a specific library to observe for the duration of the course. As the course developed, our observations of the library facilities, assistive technology, resources, services, website, and the marketing/messaging, evolved. By the end of the quarter, students had submitted the library observation, an accessibility evaluation, a report on the Assistive Technology (AT) alongside recommendations for change, and the final project; designing a program, service, or event that was broken into 4 parts. 1) address a social justice need in community, 2) incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines, 3) accommodate a disability and another marginalized identity, and 4) create a proposal to implement the idea and present it to the chosen library’s leadership.
Examples:
3.2 Design artifacts that give users voice in decision-making regarding critical programs, services, and resources for diverse communities.
MLIS students at Syracuse University are asked to design user driven artifacts by amplifying users’ voices and honoring users’ decisions regarding programs, services, and resources for the user community.
Because of assignment highlighting goals like PLO3.2, I now work at the Sojourner Truth Library, in a 6-month temporary position on their instruction team. I bring this up in other PLO breakdowns, but that is because this is my first real academic library position, and I have been actively seeing how the PLO’s have been showing up with me to work every day. One major note is my gratitude for the assignments I have had to complete.
For my MLIS classes, I have observed or worked with librarians at this library for 4 separate projects. These projects, as well as others with a different library in focus, have enabled me to see how beneficial it is to know the library and its user base before beginning working there, and before attending a job interview at the institution. I am sure I will not complete multiple projects focusing on my next library role, but I will know the information that I want to pull from the library before I even decide if I would want to work there, begin the application and interview process, and then begin working there. The assignments asking me to get comfortable with a library I do not work in, expanded my network, brought me professional opportunities, and helped me start my first academic librarianship role with confidence.
Examples:
3.3 Critique existing designs to expose instances of inequity and injustice and move toward mitigation and repair.
PLO 3.3 brings critical librarianship or critical thinking strategies into the conversation. Asking MLIS students to critique designs, expose inequality and injustice, plan for mitigation and repair.
As already stated, I observed the SUNY New Paltz Sojourner Truth Library for many of my assignments. It is a nearby academic library, and my undergraduate institution. By the end of the quarter, my final project for IST564 was a recommendation for signage changes in and on the building. I highlighted where and how signage was not accessible for specific users, the different and multiple options for signage in the area, spaces that should be highlighted with labeling, and why this would benefit the SUNY New Paltz library users. I suggested that there should be one structured font, format, design of the signage across the building, using high contrast text and background for visually impaired users, and that every sign should include braille, while remaining malleable for changes in the facilities usage. I suggested that the elevators should have direction signs in the main area in addition to their signs right above the elevator. Finally, I suggested that each sign should have a QR code that links the sign to a webpage with audio, and translations available. In addition to my observations and suggestions, I outlined the research I did regarding signage practices, grants for sign replacements, and local sign companies.
Examples:
MeganBetke 