Introduction

Welcome to my blog!

Honestly, I never thought I’d write those words. That said, I suppose a little explanation is in order as to why I chose such a peculiar pseudonym for my blogsite (i.e. Imposed Blog). As may be apparent by the URL and title, I hesitate to be the author of a public journal. The reasons for my reluctance are many:

1. Journal keeping is time consuming – whether on paper or online.
2. I have always considered journals as highly personal, and therefore innately private.
3. I am concerned about the potential for dissociation when composing on a computer.
4. I find it somewhat intimidating to know that everything I write will be globally published and universally available upon posting to a blog – the potential for misinterpretation is immense.
5. I have found many blogs to be just plain Boring.

Ultimately, all of these reasons bring me pause when I consider what to compose for open source publication.

Now for an explanation as to the “imposed” nature of my blog:

As of this semester, I am midway through the Master of Library and Information Studies program at the University of Oklahoma. One of the primary focuses of study I have chosen is technology; this being the case, I enrolled in “Design and Implementation of Web-based Information Services” as one of my courses this semester. The course is designed and implemented by a wonderful and wise professor whose nickname makes one think of well-made boots and punk rock music (i.e. Doc Martens). Though you might now be saying, “ah ha, the professor is the imposer,” you would be wrong. Doc Martens suggested, but did not require, that students create and maintain a blog – stating that other options would be made available for those who prefer to abstain from writing a blog, for whatever reason. If not the instructor, then who is the instigator who imposed such a challenging assignment on this librarian-in-training? The answer to that would be that I imposed the assignment upon myself. Here are the primary reasons I chose to do so:

1. I believe personal growth is attained through new and challenging experiences.
2. I believe keeping a journal increases one’s aptitude for writing.
3. I believe that writing is an extremely important skill to acquire and maintain – especially given the asynchronous nature of so many contemporary communications.

Finally, being that this blog was created because I am enrolled in library school, all things library will be the focus of any and all postings.