Welcome to the Non-Fiction section!
The Non-fiction section is what I consider the heart of the Library. It is typically where most of the budget is spent, it contains a large organized, diverse and useful collection of books that helps us learn anything we desire. The information is accurate, trusted, focused, vetted and extremely useful in learning new things. For many generations, the Non-Fiction section is the most trusted place to go for important information. You never had to worry about whether the information was correct, or truthful; you trusted the authors and Library organization to assist you in gathering all the most correct information on the topic there was. All Libraries were not created equally, some were able to amass the largest, most detailed collections since the great Library of Alexandria. Once the internet was invented however, the whole paradigm changed, leveling the field of access, and enabling anyone to access and find the same materials and resources, no matter where they were physically located.
Throughout this Masters, many of my discussions, papers and artifacts examined this evolution of Libraries to Digital Libraries. I wanted to understand this progression, to see where the humble beginnings of digitization began, and what direction we are currently heading as a information based society. Are we losing a trusted institution? Or are we gaining a more democratic, egalitarian, open and accessible model that removes layers of discrimination?
Wiki Article about Cybraries
|
 |
This wiki article I wrote helped crystallize my feelings and understandings about Cybraries in a short, succinct and accessible article that can be read, shared and improved upon by future students. I wanted to provide some background, history and especially a definition for this Cybrary concept that would help citizens understand better this transition to a digital service model. This reference article fits nicely into the Non-Fiction section of my ePortfolio as it is a great starting point to begin further research into the concepts of Digital Libraries & Information Literacies.
This is exactly the strategy I take with my own students, both online, and in a face to face setting. Wikipedia articles are an excellent starting point, but due to their limited formatting, storage, open access editing and democratic tools for group-authorship, they become problematic as key resources for any research task or project. They can help you immensely in getting started and finding your way, happily down the rabbit hole of research, but they should never be your key discussion evidence.
The Evolutionary Library
My next artifact is a more indepth exploration into the Evolutionary Library, expanding on their history, new service models, teaching and learning strategies, design factors, community building, and publishing roles. This paper was a great exercise in assessing the pedigree, current state and future of this exciting development. I enjoyed compiling many of my different readings, personal experiences and thought experiments into this paper, highlighting my personal passion on this topic.
|
 |
This paper most succinctly captures my understanding of what a Digital Library is today, and can be tomorrow. To be a part of this process, helping define and create the Digital Libraries of tomorrow is incredibly exciting and I am so happy to have the opportunities I do at the Vancouver Learning Network to develop the Vancouver School Board's first Cybrary!
To summarize this very important and essential section of my ePortfolio, and connect it with the larger topic of Digital Libraries, it is important to look at the progression of the Non-Fiction section onto the Internet. Online Databases are the most important tool for Digital Libraries to continue meeting the information needs of their patrons. Almost all of the important Encyclopedias of the traditional library have migrated into an Online database format. World Book has an amazing assortment of products for all levels of education, as does EBSCO. These companies are providing classic resource products, delivered over the internet, with no restrictions on time, or how many copies are available. They provide easy to use reference information for citing their information and they help students with learning disabilities access and understand the materials. It truly is exciting to see how the Non-fiction section is growing, expanding and becoming more user-friendly.