Personal narrative
Library science has been one of my passions since my elementary years, when the refuge of a book painted new worlds for me to explore. Books bridged gaps between strangers and friends, taught me inter- and intrapersonal skills, gave me glimpses into history. My intrigue with books and computer science gave way to a newfound interest in library and information science. In 2023, during my M.S. Forestry program and after my full-time shifts at the County library, I would take night classes for database management and coding. From there, I decided I needed to take the next step in my newborn career.
Having worked in a public and an academic library, my interests rest in the intersection of community engagement, education, and public service. Enrolling in the MLIS program with USF has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Each course felt carefully tailored to each prismatic skill a librarian would need to flourish different corners of librarianship. To reflect this experience, my Digital Portfolio is organized into Student Learning Outcomes: standards decided by the School of Information to represent core competencies. Each SLO is paired with an artifact from a core (marked with a star) or elective course.
My core classes provided me with the knowledge and practical skills required for general librarianship. Research Methods in Library & Information Science honed my skills in qualitive and quantitative research, paving the way for educated administrative decision-making based on statistical and literary analysis — the fruits of which are reflected in my Research Proposal. Introduction to Library Administration introduced me to what it means to manage a library, juggling complex budgets and collaborating with different departments. Collection Development and Maintenance explored analyzing community needs, and how to put that information into practice through collection development policies. Getting to create a Needs Assessment for my neighborhood and a respective Collection Development Policy was very special (and not to mention taxing!). Foundations of Library & Information Science laid the groundwork for the role libraries play within society and how those roles have transformed over time. Basic Information Sources & Services examined reference work in different capacities. Finally, Organization of Knowledge investigated knowledge organization systems and their manifestations into databases, metadata, and more. Here, I flexed my metadata fixation the most.
My elective coursework allowed me to zero in on my passions within the library: metadata and academic librarianship. In Cultural Heritage Institutions & Libraries, I learned about institutions around the country and how they can connect academia with community engagement. Rare Books & Special Collections brought special insight into the obscure world of Special Collections, and the special care taken into curation. I learned about archival metadata creation and organization in Archives & Records Management. Outside of my coursework, I interned with the Library of Congress Metadata Program, which spotlighted the marriage of these competences. I had the opportunity to work with historic materials such as early 2000s International Legal Gazettes and Congressional Bill Summaries from the 1970s. I worked in a group setting, challenging me to collaborate with people from around the country with different skills, all working together to meet several deadlines. I also had the privilege of serving as an Instructional Assistant for an Information Policy and Ethics course for the last year. Through this role, I learned to manage online courses, tackle difficult conversations and conflicts, and try new teaching methods.
Surveying the many landscapes of library and information science through the USF MLIS program has been an incredibly enriching experience. I entered the program a duckling, just barely come out of my shell. I poked my nose through the weeds of metadata, administration, community service, and collection management — and emerged (though still a duckling) with my head held high, ready to take flight.
