Media Services in the Library

Anika Vaquera

Writing and Language Studies

University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley

English 1302-05M

March 20, 2023

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Media Services in the Library

Media services is a discourse community offered by the University of Texas-Rio Grande

Valley (UTRGV). Located in the ELIBR University Library on the UTRGV campus. The

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley provides its students with a variety of media services that

can assist them in their day-to-day work and research activities. As part of the service, students

will have access to printing stations, working computers, scanners, movies, and a variety of

electronic devices. These can be borrowed over the course of the semester.

The primary concern in this community is funding. University students make effective

use of the media services available to them. It is the printing stations that are most popular,

resulting in lines of students waiting for their turn. However, each student has several credits

towards certain printing options like a color printer. Furthermore, the poster printing service has

been limited as well, allowing students to print a maximum of 3 posters per semester. The

borrowing of media devices has also been restricted. Because of funding, there is a limited

amount of equipment available each semester.

The aim of this research is to understand the media service's needs, what they are doing

to prevent problems from arising and what students can do to help. A popular service within the

UTRGV library is the provision of media services. This is because students often need accessible

technology equipment for class or personal needs. As a result, there is a high demand for this

equipment, so it can only be used by a limited number of students. As of now, the library is

doing a great job managing the budget for students. During the course of a semester, a student

who runs out of credits for a particular service may send an email requesting more credits for

that service.

Literature Review
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Common Public Goals

It is imperative for discourse communities to have a set of public goals, which are a list of

objectives they hope to achieve through the community. A discourse community's set of goals

will be unique to each one, defining the purpose for which the community exists in the first

place. These goals provide a sense of direction and purpose for the discourse community,

allowing members to understand what the community stands for and what it hopes to

accomplish. This helps to foster a sense of unity and ensure that everyone is working towards the

same goals.

The main purpose of media services is to provide students with materials they can use to

help them with their studies. Everything offered by UTRGV's library is accessible to enrolled

students. These services can be accessed on the library's website and through its library. The

university provides students with the opportunity to check out movies, voice recorders,

computers, calculators, etc.

Intercommunication

Intercommunication refers to how discourse communities communicate within

themselves. Communication is crucial to the well-being of a community because it allows

members to express their opinions, feelings, and concerns and make sure everyone is on the

same page. In addition, it is crucial for maintaining relationships, solving problems, and creating

a sense of unity among members of the group.

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There is a challenge with intercommunication among media services. To log in, a student

will need their UTRGV email address and password in order to be able to interact with the

service. For example, if printing from one of the many printing stations, the printer will ask for

an email and password to log into the computer and print. If printing a poster there is a form that

needs to be filled out in order to request a spot for a printed poster. This form asks questions

regarding the need for a poster. If any errors occur the media services staff will send an email

regarding the issues and what steps may come after.

Participatory Mechanisms

“Participatory mechanisms” are the various things members of a discourse community

must do to merit their membership. When it comes to media services, one must know and

understand the various ways different medias work, and how to use them. It is critical to note

that each media service at the university has its own way of working and understanding. To

understand how a service works there will be a list of instructions one must follow. If there is

any trouble, ask a nearby librarian or student. For further assistance email the library.

Forms of participation in media services would be turning on and using a community

computer or signing into a scanner and making copies of book pages or articles. There is also the

option of watching an educational movie in a shared computer lab. The media service provides

participatory mechanisms to its discourse community through these mechanisms.

Genres

Within discourse communities, there are a series of genres that members view. Genres

can be thought of as different ideas used to express different aspects of a community. For

example, chick-fil-a's model is "eat more chicken" with a cow mascot. By stating 'eat more
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chicken,' it expresses the discourse community's goals in that by promoting the fact that they sell

chicken, and by having a cow mascot, it shows humor throughout the discourse community.

In order to reflect this in the library's media services, students and staff are able to access

the community website to learn more about the UTRGV community and how they can become

involved. As a result of its site, members of the community are able to gain an understanding of

the services offered by the library. Additionally, different fliers posted on the walls of the

university and library allow students to get a better understanding of the ideas shared by the

community at large.

Lexis

In discourse communities, there are various forms of terminology used throughout the

community. By having a specialized set of languages, it allows members of the community to

have a common understanding of the topics and values being discussed. It makes it easier to

convey information and ideas, as well as to understand each other more easily. It also helps to

create a sense of solidarity within the group. For example, at a dentist there are various names for

tools and techniques that someone outside the community would not understand.

Media services have their own set of lexis. When working with equipment there are

special keys or buttons needed to be pressed in order to work. In the case of a printer, for

instance, there is an option to print on both sides, hole punching or staple the paper. However,

people that work closely with this service will understand how to do technical work.

Threshold of Knowledge

The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Library has an active media services

community as part of its library services. The media services offered by the library include

access to a wide range of digital and print materials, as well as access to specialized software and
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equipment. Additionally, the library offers customized instruction on how to use these services in

order to enhance the learning process and the success of students. Media services are a popular

community within the library due to the range of materials provided. The library provides

students with access to the resources they need to be successful in their academic pursuits.

Students are also encouraged to take advantage of the library's workshops and events to further

their knowledge and skills.

Methodology

To conduct research, one must have a set of methods to gather primary information.

Within research, it is best to try many methods so if one methodology does not turn out as

planned there is a backup. Having multiple methods of research can also provide a wide range of

perspectives and data points, allowing for more comprehensive analysis. Additionally, by having

multiple methods of research, it can be easier to compare and contrast different approaches,

providing insights that may not have been possible with a single method.

Research methods used in this study included conducting in-person interviews and

observing the environment. As a first step, in-person interviews with specialists are a valuable

way for us to learn more about what it's like to work within a particular community. Second, I

made an observation of the environment to gain a personal perspective on how the community

functions and how it functions within it.

Meeting with a Media Services Professional

As a first step, a meeting with a professional from the media services department was

arranged. I started by sending an email to the professional and setting up a meeting in person as

soon as possible. Our meeting took place on a Friday, and she provided me with an overview of

the library's media services.

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My findings were overall positive. As a result of this method, I have gained a deeper

understanding of the discourse community. I am more familiar with where everything is located,

how it works, and where to obtain information or assistance. I was able to grasp exactly what

media services are, and how they are offered to students at UTRGV, and also understood what

issues the community faces.

Observing the Environment

A second method used in this research was environmental observation in which I visited

the library and observed how the various services were used by students. By observing the

students in action, I was able to get an accurate picture of how they interacted with the library

services and how they used them. This allowed me to draw conclusions about how effective the

library services were and how they could be improved.

In the context of this study, I found this to be an effective methodology because I was

able to see how the discourse community operates on a daily basis. As a result of this method, I

was able to determine which media was most popular and how university students interacted

with them.

Limitations

There is a high level of use of media services among university students, so finding

information about the community should not be difficult. However, there was one limitation that

adversely affected the flow of the research, which was the availability of research time. In spite

of the fact that there were few issues that I encountered during the course of conducting this

study, I found it to be challenging at times. I am a university student at the UTRGV, so I have

limited power roles, as a result, I cannot change the flow of the community as a whole. It was my
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job simply to observe what a media service is and how its functions are carried out, as well as

how it works.

Research time

As a full-time student at UTRGV, I found it difficult to devote time to conducting

research. With 5 other courses, finding time to go to the library and observe was tricky.

However, collecting the data was straight forward, allowing for a faster process. I was able to

come up with meaningful results within a few weeks. After the research was complete, I was

able to use the data and draw conclusions that were valuable to my studies.

I was able to overcome this problem by managing my time well and finding open spots in

my schedule to make the trip to conduct research. This data was critical for my research, and I

was able to complete the project successfully. I was satisfied with the results as it helped me gain

a better understanding of my topic. As a whole, everything worked in my favor and I was able to

complete my research as planned.

Conclusion

In order to get the most out of this research, it was imperative to describe media services

as well as how they work. Furthermore, it is imperative to note that students regularly use the

service within the UTRGV Library, and that it is considered a very significant part of the library.

However, the limited funding that the library receives prevents the service from being expanded

and updated on a regular basis.

My solution to this issue is to use the equipment when it is absolutely necessary. Library

students print, scan, and use equipment for personal use like clubs, notices, and posters. In order

to limit students, the UTRGV library created limitations towards media services. If renting out a

device a student or staff member has up to three days before returning it. Some media is strictly
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restricted, such as a student cannot leave with it or can only have it checked out for a certain

amount of hours. As a result of these solutions, the community is able to keep going with enough

to share among the members.

In conclusion, the UTRGV libraries need an increase in funding to be able to provide

more services and decrease the limitations. More funding would allow for more resources to

expand the library's collection and provide more services to its members. It would also help to

reduce the wait time for library materials and increase the number of available computers and

study spaces.
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Reference page

Jeremy Myntti, & Jessalyn Zoom. (2019). Digital Preservation in Libraries : Preparing for a

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John M. Swales (1998). The Concept of Discourse Community Boston: Cambridge IP,1990. 21-

32. https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/fywpd/files/2020/01/swales_concept-of-discourse-

community.pdf

Mensah, & Bosire Onyancha, O. (2022). Building and enhancing library services: Patrons’

awareness of, and engagement with social media in academic libraries in Ghana. Journal

of Librarianship and Information Science, 54(4), 604–621.

https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006211036738

Stvilia, & Gibradze, L. (2017). Examining Undergraduate Students’ Priorities for Academic

Library Services and Social Media Communication. The Journal of Academic

Librarianship, 43(3), 257–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2017.02.013

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. (n.d.). UTRGV Library. The University of Texas Rio

Grande Valley University Library. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from

https://www.utrgv.edu/library/index.htm