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Heather's CV

Directed Field Work Experience, Autumn 2019

Welcome to the Artifact Repository for my Directed Field Work Experience with Literary Arts at the Pima County Public Library!

Introduction

In my second year of iSchool, I completed my first Directed Field Work Experience at the Pima County Public Library in Tucson, Arizona. While I work at this library system as a Library Program Instructor, I ventured into an entirely new dimension of library services during my internship with the Literary Arts Librarian. I provided support for the twice-a-year Writer in Residence Program and the annual publication of the Southwest Books of the Year.

Learning Outcomes

1. Collaborate with a team of writers, subject matter experts, designers, and librarians to create a quality publication that aligns with the mission of the Southwest Books of the Year to inspire the appreciation of literature of the Southwest Region.
2. Serve as Assistant Editor of the 2019 edition of Southwest Books of the Year, employ writing, editing, and design skills to improve submissions of form and content to align with print and web design standards and constraints.
3. Learn and apply best practices for collection and curation of Southwestern regional literature, including acquisition, criteria, processes, evaluation, assessment, and readers’ advisory techniques to connect readers to books.
4. Learn and apply best practices for a complex contact database using Microsoft Excel.
5. Learn and apply best practices for identification and support of a diverse Writers in Residence program in a public library setting. In keeping with the University of Washington iSchool’s commitment to diversity, social justice, and equity, ensure invitation of a widely diverse candidate pool in terms of background, cultural and ethnic identity, and audience appeal.

Accomplishments

I collaborated with the Literary Arts Librarian to ensure timely completion of a variety of tasks leading to publication and distribution of Southwest Books of the Year for 2019 as well as setting up our 2020 Writers in Residence Program.

• I attended reviewer panel meetings including final luncheon to celebrate their work.
• I created an up-to-date master distribution list that includes a grand total of required copies for distribution to each entity. This involved consolidation of multiple lists of contacts into one master database for distribution of SWBY publication to libraries (regional, tribal, college/university, public, state, and Pima County Public Library), bookstores, political entities, and publishers in the Southwest Region.
• I edited text for content and grammar and checked facts. Upon publication of galleys, I checked layout version lines, spacing, captions, front matter, content, and graphics.
• In conversation with SWBY reviewers, I elicited and compiled a concise but descriptive articulation of the process used to select top picks. I used metacognitive strategies to articulate my own process of selection of quality books appropriate for the SW Books of the Year collection. I will publish this as a blog post or article to describe the process.
• I liaised with reviewers to facilitate deadlines and stood by to offer support when necessary.
• I researched, identified, and invited diverse candidates for the library’s two annual Writers in Residence programs for spring and fall, plus a bonus writer for the coming year. PCPL successfully contracted with spring and fall Writers in Residence prior to the 11/13/19 grant deadline, and I provided a list of future candidates for consideration, including diverse authors that appeal to children, youth and adults.
• I drafted the narrative for the Writers in Residence Arizona State Library grant.
• I drafted the narrative for the SWBY Arizona State Library grant.
• As an extension of work done in LIS598 Grant Writing course, I drafted matching grant language to support PCPL’s Literary Arts program in conjunction with Poets and Writers Magazine. These funds can be used compensate professional writers to support community writers as an adjunct to the Writers in Residence program.
• I identified several tasks that extend beyond the scope of the DFW timeframe, including commission and ensure availability of books for review. This process begins much earlier in the year and involves monitoring the market to find/screen suitable books, contacting publishers, making orders, and organizing incoming books for consideration.
• I began writing an editorial calendar for lists of southwest books with written annotation of a number of titles for inclusion in the library’s BiblioCommons website throughout the year. This will support ongoing promotion of southwest books that did not make the cut for the print publication, but that appeal to our audience. It is a year-long process to read, evaluate and annotate books for possible inclusion in the collection, and the plan is to invite our Ravenous Readers team and other library staff to contribute to this process in keeping with a crowdsourcing culture of sharing enthusiasm of books and other resources through our website.

Artifacts

• DFW Midterm Report
• SWBY Excel Distribution Database (pending permission)
• SWBY Final copy (pending publication)
• SWBY Grant Application Narrative 2020 (pending)
• WIRL Fact Sheet ALL Libraries (pending)
• WIRL Fact Sheet Host Libraries (pending)
• WIRL Fact Sheet Writers in Residence (pending)
• WIRL Grant Application Narrative 2020
• WIRL Letter of Congratulations upon Acceptance
• WIRL Letter of Invitation Candidates
• WIRL Letter to Request Schedule, Program Description, Headshot, Spring 2020 WIRL
• WIRL Letter to Request Schedule, Program Description, Headshot, Summer 2020 WIRL
• WIRL List of Potential Candidates and Communications Log
• WIRL Benefits and Obligations
• WIRL Talking Points for Authors Offering Presentations