Final Reflections

This has been such a whirlwind of an experience and first semester. It seems like yesterday I was at orientation, nervous and anxious-excited to get started. I have learned so much about the librarian profession in such a short amount of time. My paradigm of this career path has changed dramatically. I used to think that librarians only dealt with books and their space, but in reality, librarians are the gatekeepers of information for the world. That’s a lot of responsibility and an amazing opportunity to change the world. This is an exciting time for librarians because of the digital era we are in. There are so many new issues that weren’t even in existence five or ten years ago! The landscape of the digital world is something that I look forward to diving into deeper as I progress through the program.

I’ve found that I love doing research and discussing topics with my classmates. I love seeing what everyone else’s take on ethical issues are and how they would address the problem. It’s amazing to see how our life and world experiences influence the choices and values we have as future librarians. I really enjoyed the LIS agency visit and analysis assignment. One of the main things I’ve been working on in my personal life is to be more confident and assertive with people. That assignment really made me take charge and be bold. Completing that assignment made me really proud of myself because I worked through my discomfort of asking questions about a topic I am not an expert and came out the other end more knowledgeable than before. I loved getting to see different libraries work through industry-wide problems and obstacles. That assignment also taught me the value of my organizational and time management skills. It was satisfying to turn in a paper that I know I put a lot of time and effort into the final product.    

I also learned that it’s okay to take my time getting through this program. I work full-time and due to financial constraints, I am unable to take more than one class at a time. It’s frustrating sometimes to know that it will take me longer than I would like to get into the profession, but maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe taking my time will allow me the space and leisure to really explore what I want to do as a librarian and how I want to contribute to the world of information. This program has really put my career life into perspective. For a while there I was just working because I had to, not because I was passionate about it. Sure I excelled at all my previous jobs but there was no desire to do more with it. Becoming a librarian is something that resonates with my soul; it defines a part of me I didn’t know was undiscovered. It may sound cheesy, but I do believe that this is my calling. I’m so proud of this profession and so exhilarated to be a part of it.

I will bring a myriad of skills to my professional position. I am a great listener, I respond well to feedback, I am organized and detailed-oriented. I have a background in advertising, public relations, and marketing, I know how to use a variety of computer-software programs, I’m friendly, I have a phenomenal work ethic, I am a self-starter, I am an avid reader, I’m naturally curious and like to ask questions, I am committed to being a life-long learner, and I love to help people.

My perceptions and attitudes have changed and developed across the semester. I used to think that being a librarian might get a little stale after a while, but it is anything but that! Being a librarian is far more exciting than I ever imagined. There is information all around us, and I get to be one of the people who decide how to manage, organize, and disseminate it. I love research so getting to assist others with finding information makes me geek out a bit. My attitude toward the profession is one of hope rather than despair. There are a lot of hard-hitting ethical dilemmas to be aware of and other issues relating to patrons, funding, resources, and materials, but I see them as a chance to start changing the way libraries are thought of and maintained. Part of my background is Advertising and Public Relations, so my brain works in a way that is seeing the brand image of a company; how do I feel when I think of this place, when I walk in, when I interact with the staff. I have plans and ideas of how to shape the image of libraries and I want to get started working on them now.  

The role of the information professional is one that comes at a high level of responsibility. We are the gatekeepers of information. We must know how to find accurate and relevant information for others and ourselves; wading through the junk and inaccurate content. We must protect everyone’s right for their freedom of access to any materials or information they want. We must protect their privacy when it comes to the information they search for. We must listen to patrons and the community in order to understand their needs and what resources they really are looking to have. We need to stay up-to-date on our own skills so we can teach others how to use technology and navigate through the digital realm. We must always remember that we are here to serve the good of the community.

From here on out I plan to go into each semester with the same gusto and passion I did for this one. I’m going to continue to push myself in class discussions and in my papers/assignments to dig deeper into the issue and really analyze it from all angles. I plan on continuing my self-guided education by reading articles and books pertaining to topics on librarianship, diversity, and literacy. My next big step is to become employed at a library so I can get hands-on experience while I work toward my degree. My next big step is to figure out a way to finance my studies so I can take more than one class and still keep a roof over my head, all without taking out any loans (still trying to pay back my undergrad). But mostly, I plan on enjoying every second of this program because it’s amazing and life-changing for me.