Tara Humphrey
Learning Outcome 2
Critique and synthesize research and identify appropriate research methodologies to solve problems in the field.
Commune Culture Capstone
To finish off my History degree at USU, I wrote and presented my research on the culture of American communes during the 1960s and 1970s. This involved reading and engulfing myself in sources of the era and synthesizing a coherent message. Following my research, I was able to share my research at a capstone conference with fellow students and history professors.
In my research, I largely utilized cookbooks and magazines of the time that were read and used by those who would have lived in a commune at that time, even trying some of the recipes I came across. At the end of my project, I had a clear picture of what life in a commune would have looked like, and started making connections between daily habits and politics of the time.
Game System Research Project
This assignment was a final project for my LIS 60050 (Research and Assessment) class. I came up with the idea to research the community interest and ability of Logan Library to circulate game systems, to go with the games they circulate. This project includes a research proposal and Qualtrics survey questions.
The two parts of this assignment are the research proposal and the Qualtrics survey questions. A link to the survey is listed at the end of the second document. I did a lot of research about the concept of renting out game systems and consoles, along with other non-book items. Where some libraries have already begun circulating these kinds of materials, I wanted to focus on the Logan Library setting. I created the survey questions to find out how the community would feel about this concept. While my research included a literature review about the possibility of circulating consoles, the survey was research into the specific user population. This fits with the patron awareness competency, as well as collection management, because it involves understanding the community and potentially adding game consoles to the collection if it proves relevant.
In doing this project, I was able to utilize important research methods in an literary and social way. Surveys are often used in library settings to evaluate community interest in programs, effectiveness of events, and many other things. My knowledge and skills with the process of developing survey questions is demonstrated with these documents.
College Students Research Paper
An assignment for my LIS 60030 (People in the Information Ecology) class asked me to research a specific user group. For this paper, I looked at the context, behavior, and needs of college students to understand how to better serve them through the library.
This assignment exemplifies research I did about a specific user group -- college students. In a library environment, it is crucial to keep up on how various groups think and act, as evidenced by the patron awareness competency for public librarians. In understanding the users, the library can offer user-specific tools and services. This paper is an example of using research to learn about the community and coming up with effective ways to reach out and address its needs.
In the case of a library struggling to relate to a certain user group, this kind of research would be vital to improve the service to such groups and ensure the library remains a hub of information, entertainment, and assistance for anyone in need. This paper shows my ability to identify problems, and then research, interpret, and apply solutions.