Garima Mishra Bengaluru India
Challenging times- A new ray for librarian/Media specialist/ Specialist/ technology
The time has challenged us to realise what are we doing? How productive are we? How to make use of our profession and how to make impact globally?
Yes the current situation has asked us to stay home,but has not asked to sit without work, but to use our time more productive. Yes I am librarian and I feel proud in being librarian, but the moment I say, I too am working from home or when I say, I have to take lessons, people say what? How? When did librarian start having lessons for students, making lesson plan and all stereotypes related to my profession.
Things keep changing as with change in time things evolve and so am I and my profession, my profession has added multiple ways to look forward for and bring change in society and community we belong too. And I will try to do this whole heartedly.
Working from home has not only allowed me to look or learn from different perspective but has asked me to more update my learnings. WFH provide me the privilege to strengthen my weak areas, I have even started doing many new things and will continue as well like I have started writing blogs, I have started new certification course on copyright for educators and librarians, I have started to work on my padlet about my learnings, I have started sharing more content with my educators, I have started to know more tools and apps for helping educators in simplest way, active participation in librarians group, implementing myself with various digital agencies, learning how to collaborate with others and share knowledge, I had focused on critical thinking and more focused in preparation of lesson plans, my first zoom session with all liferarians across india and much more. Doing so I realised my writing skills are getting improved and I am learning more about my profession and active involvement and looking forward more to help through various means.
If I recall I learnt about many new applications ( kahoot, zoom, class dojo, Dropbox, Edmodo, mangecbac, epic, seesaw, Google classroom, socrative teacher)and how virtually we can connect and help each other, rather than critising anyone's role, more importantly what I observed is people are more helpful and creative with innovative ideas. To my knowledge nothing has stopped us from teaching learning process, we all are learning everyday and proud to say we easily adapted this practice of virtual teaching instead of digging holes into it. Everyones participation matters in making our children grow,learn and expand.
A new way to create virtual libraries :
Yes, it's the right time to create virtual library platform to help our students and teachers by sitting at home and supporting users.
A virtual school library is an online medium of sharing the resources physically present in your library, which can be accessed 24*7, where users can search and access your digital materials.you can even do this using learning management systems (LMS) or you might build a website and embed content from other platforms into it, this can enable interaction between students and teachers, if interested even we can provide access to parents as well. Making online presence for library can help our school in many ways more importantly how rich are we with resources in our own school library, being available online we can even help many other local library needs through ILL(Inter library loan). Living in Digital world has made a major impact on us by using internet, which has not only smoothen our lifestyle, but has made things simpler and approachable, like wise librarians can help folks from anywhere through internet in providing authentic resources to our users. The librarians can play a multiple role and help community in different ways as needed.
I guess this is the right time to strengthen on our areas, many of us are librarian by choice, many might not, there can be multiple reasons to it, but what I feel is instead of dwelling into what we don't know we should focus more learn, share and practice, try to collaborate and clear your doubts as many as you can, utilise your time in doing productive, have critical thinking approach and new ways to look forward for.
There is saying that if you put real energy, zeal and passion in any anything, you will definitely succeed.
And yes one should feel proud in what we are and how we can stand and support our nation through our roles.
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