So how is our Planning, Marketing and Assessment class going? I remember the buzz on Facebook between my classmates at the beginning of this class and how exciting the big class project was. Several people mentioned looking forward to diving in. Now that we are a little more than half way through this big project, I can say the enthusiasm has waned a bit, but I think many see the benefit of doing this sort of project.
The project has definitely been a lot more work and time than most of us expected. But I would say we are learning a lot. One of the disadvantages I've experienced in working on this project is the extensive requirements not always matching with the environment I'm working in. Working in a small school, some of the pieces that are required seem like a bit of overkill, however, I can see how those working in large academic libraries, or public libraries can use these tools and resources.
That is the thing I think I've appreciated most about this program in general. Not all the courses have been like this, but many of the things we have done, such as this Planning, Marketing and Assessment project, and all of the things we did in our Reference course are truly applicable to what we are or will be doing in our jobs. Unlike my undergraduate courses, which were still about memorizing and regurgitating facts, these are skills and process I will need to know when I begin working in a library.
So although we may whine and complain as many students do, it is great to be learning.