Schools have access to databases through public libraries, but students and teachers utilize few of them. Our project raised awareness of two databases that third grade dual language teachers and students were not already using: World Book Online Kids and Britannica Library Children. Our curriculum map showed teachers which features and articles align with their science curriculum and standards, while a video compared and contrasted the two, making it easier for teachers to add these resources into corresponding lessons. A video tutorial for students showed them how to access Britannica so they could use it independently.

The pandemic affected almost every part of our lives, especially social services that were delivered in person. We conducted a longitudinal research study interviewing 20 Washington State public librarians during the pandemic and tracked how their programming shifted throughout the year. We found three main themes that surfaced in our data – job satisfaction, changes to programming, and rethinking the profession once the world is "back to normal." We plan to ultimately disseminate our findings in a published paper to help librarians learn successful programming options to meet the needs of their communities.

My Capstone Project was concerned with information literacy among public library users, and produced educational and informational resources. These resources consisted of two public programs concerning the ways in which people navigate and share information online. The first provided an online security overview, focusing on how cookies and personal data are used by websites and social media, along with tools to protect their privacy. The second covered digital minimalism, helping attendees find and discuss ways to achieve a healthier balance in their online activities. Both programs were well received and have resulted in patrons taking control of their online behavior.

Queer Air is a podcast that explores queer archival materials within the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections, alongside guest speakers who are also involved within the archival field and/or queer community. Queer Air’s second season is a continuation of a previous Capstone project and seeks to create more visibility for UW’s queer collections and provide alternative ways to access resources. Queer Air lets patrons interact with the UW’s queer collections by allowing them to listen to the podcast’s hosts discuss collection materials, their provenance, and the significance of these histories for the past, present, and future.

Similar race and ethnicity classifications are needed to identify health disparities between different groups. There are 3 broad categories of race and ethnicity classifications - surveys using versions of the OMB 1977 standards, using versions of the OMB 1997 standards, and datasets with non-standard classifications. Even datasets that use an expanded version of the OMB 1997 standards (with specific ethnicities) exclude some identities. Using specific ethnicities that people identify as results in fewer blank and “Other” responses for race and ethnicity questions. A more inclusive and consistent collection of race/ethnicity data would support research to address health disparities.

Pasadena City College offers a Library Technology Certificate Program which prepares students for Library Paraprofessional positions in all types of libraries. Currently, the required coursework includes introductory classes to library services like reference, access, and technical services. As a former participant of this program, I saw an opportunity to design lesson plans and assignments within the courses offered that incorporate digital storytelling and instructional design concepts. The curricular content developed for this project will help students learn practical skills to design digital resources and apply strategies for storytelling that create personal connections, regardless of their role in a library.

Renton Technical College takes pride in the racial diversity of its student body. But is the library’s fiction collection representative of that diversity? In this audit, it was found that while RTC’s student body is 69% students of color, 88% of books in the fiction collection have White authors, and 81% have White main characters. This resulted in our recommendation to RTC’s library: increase the percentage of books by BIPOC authors by 10% by the end of 2022. This audit data will help inform the library’s collection development in the future to better meet student needs.

The Language Metadata Table (LMT) is a standard set of language codes used in the media and entertainment industries. The LMT Working Group received several sets of requests for new language code additions and updates. I compared these requests to the existing coverage, performed background research to prepare the languages for ingesting, and made recommendations for inclusion. As a result, 95 languages have been sent to the LMT Working Group for review and inclusion, for an increase in coverage of almost 40%, while an additional 83 were sent to subcommittees and partner organizations for further review and discussion.

This project creates priorities for the preservation of an iconic VHS tape collection. Seattle’s Scarecrow Video is one of the world’s largest physical media collections, with over 130,000 film titles available to the public to rent on DVD, Blu-Ray, and VHS. The institution’s VHS collection is comprised of around 15,000 items. VHS tape is an obsolete media format at high risk for deterioration. With such a massive collection, Scarecrow needs to be able to prioritize its rarest and most valuable titles for preservation.

The Worcester Public Library’s intranet, or SHP, is underutilized, outdated, disorganized, and not intuitive for its users. The absence of an effective, centralized communication and knowledge-sharing platform makes it difficult for staff to access the information they need to meaningfully assist and inform the community. We delivered a two-phase consultative report to guide redesigning the SHP, detailing best practices, user research findings, a redesigned intranet concept, and change and organizational management recommendations. Our project uncovered communication deficiencies and provided the WPL with a framework for redesigning and implementing a new intranet. Improved staff communication will facilitate overall community engagement.