Interview Profile Paper

A Library Without Walls

Teague Orblych is a librarian and research education coordinator at Mardigian Library at the University of Michigan – Dearborn. Mr. Orblych earned a degree in history from Wayne State University, and set out for law school. Deciding law was not what he wanted to pursue, Mr. Orblych chose to study Library and Information Science instead. Now he has worked in his field for over ten years. He is approachable and willing to help, which suits his job as a reference librarian well.
The room where the interview takes place is in Mardigian Library, down a hallway beside to the front desk. The room is dimly lit at the time, windows on one wall hinting at the rainy weather outdoors today. The average classroom-sized room is filled mainly by a large, wraparound table and the many padded chairs that circle it. It has the feeling of a room that has seen many years go by, four walls that have surrounded countless groups of students in the process of learning. A blank white piece of material hangs at one end of the room, and one can picture the endless computer images that have been projected upon it. Teague Orblych pulls out a chair, sets down his travel coffee mug, and settles in to answer my questions. When he talks, he speaks his organized thoughts clearly. The librarian cares about his work, and it shows. He gives the impression that he would gladly supply you with information on almost anything you would want to find.
Mr. Orblych sees the influence of technology at the library on a daily basis. Systems have changed and adapted over time. Students can now access catalogs and the 240 databases from any computer. They can also email, call, or instant message the library to get answers for their questions. Staff is currently working on a texting system so that students can even text message the library. Information is more accessible than ever before. There are about 300,000 books in the building, but because of technology today, students can find over 17 million books with the click of a mouse. Mr. Orblych thinks of it as “a library without walls.”
Libraries have certainly changed over time, but Mr. Orblych points out that the change hasn't been sudden. More information has been transferred from printed to electronic form, and more services are available online, but circulation has not dropped off. The library offers what the Internet cannot: face-to-face interactions, helpful librarians, and classes to make sense of it all. Mr. Orblych reminds students that a Google search is not the same as using the library for research. Even Google Scholar connects to the library's materials, so students may use the library even more than they realize. Much more misinformation exists on the Internet because no one controls the accuracy of facts online, and students cannot trust every source they find just by browsing web pages.
Academic libraries like the one at the University of Michigan – Dearborn serve a different purpose than a suburban public library in a community. Mr. Orblych seems surprised at first when asked to compare technology at the school's library with a library like Northville's. He points out that people typically use the two kinds of library for much different reasons. Academic libraries would typically be a place for quiet homework, group project meetings, and research. Students would likely utilize technology in the form of databases and search engines. Public libraries would appeal more to someone looking for fiction, pleasure reading, computer access, and other leisurely activities. The use of e-books is probably more likely to affect a community library.
Technology affects libraries and how people use them on a daily basis. Students can access the school by phone, email, and instant messaging. Databases and networks make searching and finding a broader range of books easier than ever before. Change happens over time, but nothing can replace helpful interactions with a librarian or the information sessions that make sense of the endless knowledge available. As technology advances, libraries will likewise continue to adjust gradually and expand to meet students' needs however possible.

Second Life - Some Thoughts

This is a photo of a character from Second Life, the online virtual reality program. The photo reflects the choices that players can make to their characters, changing the virtual "people" to be anything the Second Life user wants.

Q: Analyze the name Second Life. What does it suggest about the virtual worlds relation to the first life of the physical world?

A: Second Life is a computer program that allows people to create characters and customize almost everything about that character's appearance and surroundings. "Second Life," of course, implies that someone lives in their real life and uses the program to "live" differently, as they might if they had endless possibilities.

Second Life gives you chances to explore ways of living that in your own life might not be possible. You have more choices and fewer constraints. You can have blue hair, for example, without worrying what your boss will think on Monday morning. There are different communities within the game too: you can explore everything from cities to forests to pirate ships to fairy lands. Being able to chat with other users is interesting too. In your "second life," you might say (type) things that you wouldn't in real life.


On a related topic, we read an article in class discussing the use of the word "space" for the Internet. In my opinion, the word space should be used loosely - virtual worlds are created by computers, but there is no location for these "places." If your character goes "somewhere" in Second Life, the images on your screen will change, yes. But there is no literal space to meet other fictional characters, for example. (In other words, laws and guidelines should still apply.)

Also, do games like Second Life emphasize or stifle creativity? I'm still not sure of my opinion.... Seeing a visual representation of a land that doesn't exist provides a vivid picture for the person seeing it. This could spark more thoughts about the virtual world, causing the imagination to take the concept further. On the other hand, seeing images that a program designer first imagined for themselves could stifle the creativity of those playing the game, because players don't need to picture much in their own minds - it's all just there in front of them.

Extra Credit!

I'd almost given up looking around for apostrophe mistakes for extra credit when I noticed this sign on my way into work at Caribou Coffee. Someone had decorated a chalkboard advertising our new tea, but they didn't need that apostrophe to make"teas" plural. Oops.

Topic Photos!

Mardigian Library (Dearborn, MI).

Front entrance. (Although with the help of technology, the library is also accessed in many other ways...).

A search page opened on one of the many computers in the library, displaying databases and helpful tools.

The Library Research Center, where students find face-to-face assistance with their research. Also where the office of Teague Orblych, reference librarian at UMD, is located.