Overall, I have greatly enjoyed this term working as a reference and instruction intern, and I feel as though I have learned a substantial amount about the library. Through training at the (virtual) reference desk, I have discovered many new strategies for navigating the library’s collections more effectively and have even found myself implementing some of them in my own work as the term draws to a close. Additionally, through working on the open access video (that I mentioned in my first blog post), I was able to explore Open Access resources at Carleton as well as figure out how to create a video presentation using Panopto, which proved very useful as I coincidentally had to make a Panopto presentation for one of my classes a few weeks later! Lastly, I have been able to look behind the scenes of the course library guides by checking links from the guides as well as actually getting a chance to contribute to one.
In light of what I’ve learned, the library certainly appears a lot different than it did a few months ago, and I think one of the main causes of this is my new knowledge of its resources. Throughout the term, I have learned about many resources that I was not aware of before as well as resources that I was aware of but did not fully know how to use. Also, as a side note, every time I consult a library guide for any reason, I think about how I know a little bit about what went into creating it. Finally, after reading about and discussing reference and instruction, I view the library and its resources as simply more accessible than I did before, and I am excited to learn more during the winter term!
Owen Schuster
