MIS For Discussion 2/2

The MIS I chose for last week's discussion was from Putnam's "Bowling Alone" article, and is found on page 19, paragraph 3:

"...If he comes into contact with his neighbor, and they with other neighbors, there will be an accumulation of social capital, which may immediately satisfy his social needs and which may bear a social potentiality sufficient to the substantial improvement of living conditions in the whole community."

I thought that this sentence was important to the theme of the article, and to my life personally. Regarding its importance to the article as a whole, I believe that this sentence gives the reader a good idea of what the effect of accumulating social capital is. From this sentence, the reader can understand that by attaining social capital, one's own social needs can be taken care of, and in turn, this social potential can affect the rest of the community through repeated instances of achieving social capital. In my own life, I can see that social capital is important, because it connects us to others in a social network. When we become connected to others, we might become more productive, creating a "public good" (pg 20).

Branch Libraries

"This is one of the ironies of investing in social capital that we will see in some other stories, too: improvements that help bring members of a community together sometimes also disrupt or sever old ties" (pg. 5).

This sentence especially attracted my attention because it not only applies to libraries but to other places in the community, as well. Communities are in a constant state of growth, just as people are. When people grow and their way of life grows, things change. These elderly Chicago residents have seen a drastic change in the way of life with the introduction of technology, something many of them didn't encounter until their later years in life. Watching a place, such as their local library, transform before their eyes was probably difficult in many ways and maybe they felt that changing wasn't worth their time. But, as communities change people need to learn to adapt. Your community is exactly that; yours. As people of a community, watching your hometown change before your eyes should only serve to strengthen ties, not sever them.

"Race & Place"

"Inquiring about wireless service, I was dismayed to learn that although wireless access was available a some locations, it was 'not available at our branch.'" - "Race & Place"

Several of the articles we've read have brought up the need for tailoring the libraries' collections for the specific communities the libraries serve. This makes a lot of sense and I would imagine is incredibly important in increasing circulation and use of the library. But shouldn't libraries be a place of equal access for all people? In "Race & Place" the author goes to her home library and finds they don't have wireless internet. It seems that this is unfair and having wireless would benefit the community. But she points out that she gains attention when she pulls out her laptop - implying that many community members don't have laptops. So what is the use of having wireless internet in a community where few have laptops? Maybe the library would benefit more from opening a new row of computers, since those are in demand. That may have come out a little wrong, but my basic question is - what is tailoring a library to its community and what is discriminating against a community and holding it back?

"Branch Libraries: The Heartbeat of the Community"

"No longer a passive repository of books and information or an outpost of culture, quiet, and decorum in a noisy world, the new library is an active and responsive part in the community and an agent of change." page 35

I found this sentence to be particularly interesting in the reading because libraries are having to constantly change to keep up with technology and the interest of the community. My library back home when I was young, had maybe four computers and only quiet sitting areas to read, compared to the library we saw in lecture on Tuesday that had things like shops and escalators where people roamed around for pure entertainment, some not looking at books at all. It is interesting to see how different libraries vary because of the interests of the people who go there. Before this class I had never taken the time to think about what technology, like the internet, did to the library environment and how it could completely change the role of a librarian.

"Race and Place"

"Though I'd excitedly turned my library card over and over in my hand all the way to the library and though my mother announced that I could check out more than one book because she didn't have time to bring me back midweek for another, the shock on my grandmother's face dampened my appetite. The inequities between the two libraries had restated our insignificance. 'There is something inferior about the people who live over there,' the white cathedral seemed to be taunting. I left the library without checking out one book." pg. 32

I found this paragraph to be especially thought provoking. I thought it was very sad that seeing something as simple as a library that was especially nice in another neighborhood made the author feel inadequate in some way. I feel really bad for the child in this story after reading this part. I also thought it showed that there really are many views on every situation. While the people from the richer neighborhood probably think that they deserve the nicer library since they use it more, the people from the poorer neighborhood see it as a kind of slap in the face that the wealth for public space is so unevenly divided. I think this paragraph could bring up many issues about how public money should be divided.

MIS week 2

"The techno-utopian belief that access to unlimited information automatically translates into understanding and knowledge has proved to be false."

-Better Together, pg. 48

I thought that this quote really hits home, especially for students. I don't know how many times I have been writing a paper or just looking up something random and got hundreds of thousands of hits from google, only to find that just one website actually had what I was looking for. This is exactly the point brought up earlier in the reading that emphasizes the importance of librarians to help distinguish good information from bad. I think that this is one of the main reasons why libraries haven't been replaced by the internet. With so much information available out there, libraries and librarians are as important as ever, but in a slightly different role.

Discussion 1/27

"Networks and the associated norms of reciprocity are generally good for those inside the network, but the external effects of social capital are by no means always positive." 

Bowling Alone, p 21.

I found this sentence to be important because it brought to attention the flip side of community involvement. Groups, organizations, etc,  by design, create an in-group, which inevitably also creates an out-group. The out-group is defined as being the people who are not associated with the organizations. The networks that form between people involved in community activities give them a leg up in situations like running for school board or gaining support for an initiative they want passed. This seems especially is likely in old communities, where it's possible that active community members went to grade school together. The newcomers or those who do not have the time to be involved could lose out. 

Discussion 1/26

"Social networks are important in all our lives, often for finding jobs, more often for finding a helping hand, companionship, or a shoulder to cry on."

I feel that this sentence is very powerful and true. Each and every one of us can relate to this quote in many ways. No matter where we are or who we are with, we are building numerous social networks. As a result of being a part of many social networks, we have the opportunity to help and be helped in many situations. Throughout the article, many positive and negative effects of social networks are discussed. These effects, such as finding a job or having a shoulder to cry on, are most likely relative to our lives somehow, and I feel that this sentence sums the idea up very well.

Discussion 1/26/09

MIS from the "Bowling Alone."

"...a well-connected individual in a poorly connected society is not as productive as a well-connected individual in a well-connected society. And even a poorly connected individual may derive some of the spillover benefits from living in a well-connected community..." (pg 20)

I chose this paragraph because it shows the interdependence that we all have with one another. If everyone does their part, it achieves greater success than if one person just benefits from the good of the whole. This is relevant to our theme about library access to all individuals. Someone who is well-connected but living in a poorly connected community will certainly not have the access to the opportunities of a poorly connected individual in a well-connected society etc. In short, people need to be connected; they need to have the tools for success. This is clearly evident with regards to our theme of who has access to what tools.
Someone in class mentioned about the fact that this is a perpetuating cycle because individuals who are poorly connected living in poorly connected societies never have the opportunities of well connected individuals and it just is unfathomable to me that in such a country of opportunity, so many are left out.

Hello Everyone

Hey everyone, my name is Luke and I'm a a sophomore from Appleton Wisconsin. I played football and wrestled in high school. I'm a Biology/Chemistry major. I like just about everything that involves the outdoors-camping, hiking, snowbarding, and whatever else.

Kelly Jenson

Hi everyone, I'm Kelly Jenson. I'm a sophomore majoring in Apparel and Textile Design. I transferred here from UW-Milwaukee, and grew up in Beaver Dam, WI. Over winter break I went on vacation with friends to watch the football team in the Champs bowl game. Even though they got crushed, I enjoyed the sunny 80 degree weather for a week.

Kevin Nieuwenhuis

Hey whats up, I am Kevin Nieuwenhuis from Delavan, Wisconsin and I am majoring in Engineering.

Hey! This is Andre P.!

My name is Andre Perkins. I like various things. I went to see the Presidential Inauguration last week. It was pretty cool. I'm planning on majoring in Atmospheric Science and getting a certificate in Computer Science.

Luke

Hi, I'm Luke. I'm a junior in Industrial and Systems Engineering...next Fall I plan on studying abroad in Hong Kong.

Hattie

Hey, I'm Hattie Strange, a sophomore from Memphis, TN. I'm studying Comparative Literature (French). And I really like to cook.

Stereotypically enough, I own a banjo. I don't know how to play it though. 

My name is Casey and I'm a sophomore planning to major in marketing. I'm not a big fan of cold weather or winter in general. I like to think I'm an artisitic person and hope to incorporate art into my evenual career. A few of my interests are coffee, flip flops, fleece, live music, and queso sauce from Qdoba. I'll see you all every Monday for the rest of the semester!

Mikey B

Ya, that's be in a dress.

It was halloween, there was a concert...it fit and it was 10$ :)

We have a while, and i haven't gotten to write for a while.
I'm a classics, classical humanities and philosophy major. This is my last sem. here and I can't wait. I'm applying for grad schools because I want to teach, yet I don't want to spend 3 years on a waiting list to be considered for the school of education.

Da's me

Courtney

I'm Courtney and I'm a sophomore studying human ecology. I love the warm weather and can't wait for summer. I transferred here from University of Arizona, but grew up in Wisconsin. I miss the pool parties and mountains a lot. My favorite ice cream is Dove Raspberry...it's my weakness

Marissa

Hi! My name is Marissa Mae Sura, & I'm a freshman. I am from Kenosha, WI. Okay, bye :)

Hi this is Lindsey Mullarkey. I'm a freshman from Chicago. My intended major is political science

Jessica

Hey, I'm Jessica. I'm a sophomore planning to major in Sociology. I'm from Chicago and I used to play ice hockey...with the boys.

My name is Phil Carson and I am a political science major. I enjoy long walks on the beach.

Tim

Hello I'm Tim, I'm a freshman majoring in philosophy, and I recently saw the movie Notorious.

Seugnet

My name is Seugnet Muller and I am a Kinesiology major here at UW-Madison. I was born in South Africa and lived there until I was nine years old. I now live in Milwaukee.

Blake Hewitt

Whats up all? I'm Blake Hewitt, I'm from Duluth, Minnesnowta. I find pleasure in snowboarding and playing futbol. Love music-minus country. I'm probably going to go pre-medicine, but not quite sure what major course I'm going to follow. The picture is of me and my roomies for next year in my apartment. I'm in the blue Cobra Starship shirt.

Amanda S

My Name is Amanda.  My hometown is Eau Claire, WI and my intended major is Marketing.  I enjoy snowboarding and over winter break I took a snowboarding trip to a cabin on a ski resort.

Jerad M.

A little about myself...

I am a freshman. I am majoring in journalism and political science. On campus, I am involved with the college republicans, pre-law society, ASM Legislative Affairs, and University Chorus. I come from Onalaska. WI. Outside of school I like to read.

Intro post : William K

My name is William Knox, and I am a junior at UW-Madison. I am majoring in Legal Studies and International Relations with a minor in Spanish. I just returned from a trip with the business school from India as well as a personal adventure to Ireland. Something interesting is that my mom owns cheese factories and I went to a high school thats nickname was the cheesemakers.

David Chiu is here.

My name is Ting-wen David Chiu.
I'm majoring in Economics.

Alidz Oshagan

I'm Alidz, and I'm a Junior majoring in Sociology.

Max B

My name is Max Bernstein. I'm a sophomore, and i'm majoring in Journalism. An interesting fact about me is that when i was 22 months old I knew the names of all of the presidents.

Dean S.

Hello class, my name is Dean Sundquist and I am majoring in computer science.

Karen Krupinski

Hello, I'm from Rice Lake, Wisconsin and I'm a junior studying Kinesiology. I spent last semester at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

Welcome!

Welcome to LIS 202-Section 301. Within the next little while, you should have received an invitation in your UW email account to create a Blogger account. Please take a moment to create that account by following the provided link. If you choose to use an account other than your UW email, please choose one you check and use regularly!

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