Final Thoughts & Thanks

I'm glad I reached out to Fairfax Community Library for this assignment, mainly because the fusion of both public and school libraries is nontraditional, and gave an interesting take on technology - especially from a censorship viewpoint. 

Emily was warm and welcoming from the initial email to the eventual interview and offered her help in the future should I need it. I hope I have future assignments in which I can visit and pick her brain again simply because it was an enjoyable conversation and I left feeling welcomed.

This is important from a library standpoint - you want your patrons to visit again, feeling content with what they gained from that first impression. I was content with what I learned that day and despite a large shortcoming (on my part alone) I am happy with how the interview and this blog turned out in the end.

Enough foreshadowing, since we are on the subject of shortcomings...

To end on a more humorous note:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206775

Remember how I've been alluding to using a cellphone app to record this interview?

Well, ironically enough, technology fails...or rather sometimes the user fails to properly use said technology.

Emily stepped away to print off the Technology Statement and I decided to pause the recording on my phone so I wouldn't have to fast forward through dead air upon playback. When she returned, I thought I tapped resume...one thing I know for sure however is of the half hour interview I only managed to record the first 5 or so minutes.

I was focused on my interview (as I should have been and am glad now I did so) and failed to notice that instead of recording my phone was sitting by idle.

I didn't take a large amount of notes because as I've mentioned I like to be engaged more in the conversation and not scribbling as someone talks.

I didn't realize until I was almost home and checking the recording and was horrified, I was thinking maybe I stopped the original recording and had new one? Nope. Nothing.

Needless to say it was lucky I realized this as I immediately sat down once time permitted and jotted down the majority of what I remembered.

Was it perfect? No. Did I forget some things? I'm sure.

In this case, if I wouldn't have realized the interview failed to fully record and went about my day and the next few days before taking the time to jot down my thoughts and notes - I would have likely forgotten a majority of what was said when it was clear in my head.

All in all it was a healthy dose of "always have a backup plan" and technology is far from infallible (it also helps if the user is using said tech appropriately as well but chalk to up to mistakes happen and we learn from them!)

📚📚📚

I would like to extend a special thanks to Emily DiGiulio - and all of the staff and volunteers at Fairfax Community Library!