Presenting my Subject Heading Project

 Log 15

Presenting my Subject Heading Project

Student: Austen Esch

Supervisor: Shelley Barba

 

April 11, 2025, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

I'm printing out two copies of my PowerPoint for Shelley and MacGregor. I chose to do this so that they could keep a physical example of the presentation I created.

On Friday, I gave my presentation in the same dean’s meeting room where Shelley previously held her OpenRefine workshops. Before the presentation started, I handed out printed copies of the PowerPoint so Shelley and Macgregor could follow along more easily. I was pretty nervous at the start, and my mouth got dry quickly, which made it a bit difficult to speak. Still, I managed to push through the nerves and made it all the way through the presentation without skipping any of the content. Both Shelley and Macgregor told me they were really impressed with the structure and clarity of my presentation. They especially complimented the PowerPoint layout and how clearly I had outlined the workflow process. It felt really good to hear that the time I spent preparing had paid off.

After the presentation, they both offered helpful feedback on ways to improve it further. Macgregor suggested that I include a visual example of the LCSH website so that viewers who haven’t used it before can better understand what I’m referencing. Shelley pointed out that I should be more positive about my work and said I shouldn’t dismiss the title page like I did at the beginning. She explained that every part of the presentation, including the title, reflects how seriously I take the work I’ve done. I agreed with their comments and thanked them for taking the time to give me such thoughtful suggestions. We then said goodbye to Macgregor, since he’s leaving soon for his wedding and won’t be back before the semester ends. It was a nice moment, and I wished him the best for his big day and the honeymoon. Overall, I felt proud of how everything turned out.

 

April 14, 2025, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

I'm taking another photo in front of the windows. I'm meeting with the final new person, a third reference librarian.

I met with the third and final reference librarian whom Shelley knows well through her husband. She is the librarian for the Health and Human Sciences department at Texas Tech. Shelley had mentioned beforehand that she was very talkative, and that turned out to be true in the best way. We had a long and engaging conversation about the various aspects of her job. A big part of her work involves answering student-submitted questions online through the library’s help system. She also walked me through the different groups and committees that librarians can be a part of while working at a university. It turns out there are committees for nearly everything, and librarians rotate through the seats depending on the term.

One committee she was on required members to read several books throughout the semester, which she found stressful because she isn’t a particularly fast reader. Still, she said it was an interesting experience and showed me how diverse a librarian’s responsibilities can be. She also talked about the importance of staying connected with other departments and faculty across campus. Toward the end of our meeting, she told me she really hopes I’m able to get a job at South Plains College quickly after I graduate. That meant a lot to me, especially coming from someone who clearly understands the field so well. Meanwhile, I’m getting close to finishing my second batch of subject headings. Shelley had predicted that I would probably only have time to get through two batches because of how much detail and review each one requires.

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