Dana Kaput

When I began my MLIS coursework at Dominican University, I had a very simple goal. I

wanted to learn the mechanics of librarianship so that I could better fulfill the responsibilities of

my current job. As a Teen Library Associate for the Chicago Public Library, I had many of the

same responsibilities as a librarian such as reference, readers advisory, programming, and

minimal management responsibilities. However, I lacked the foundational skills needed in order

to fully succeed in this position. Reference and readers advisory took an exceedingly long time

because I did not know how to conduct a reference/readers advisory interview. I conducted teen

programs, but I lacked the skills to properly assess their effectiveness. I struggled with marketing

library services to patrons and community members at outreach events. In addition to this, I was

not allowed to do tasks such as collection development which was a huge hindrance when it

came to trying to fulfill the information needs of the community. At the time, I had hit a career

plateau; without proper instruction I could not gain the competencies needed for my job and I

could not advance in the company. Fortunately, after two intense years of studying, I feel that

Dominican Universitys School of Information Studies (SOIS) has taught me the skills that I

lacked before.

In addition to taking courses that fulfilled my targeted competency goals, I tried to take

courses that would diversify my understanding of librarianship. In addition to taking the required

core courses (LIS 701, LIS 703, LIS 704, and LIS 770), I experimented with areas that I had

little knowledge. For example, during the summer of 2016, I took LIS 773, School Libraries, not

necessarily because I wanted to be a school librarian; rather, I wanted to better understand school

librarianship in the hope that I would be better prepared to market library services to school

officials at outreach events. In the same summer, I also took LIS 724, Integrating Technology
into Programming, Services, and Instruction, because I wanted to learn about new technology

tools that I could integrate into library programs. An interesting by-product of taking classes

from the School Media Program was that I gained knowledge in school learning standards,

program/lesson instruction, Web 2.0 technology, working collaboratively, networking, and the

importance of advocating for library programs. In addition, I took LIS 713, Introduction to

Preservation and Conservation of Library and Archival Materials, because I wanted to explore a

part of the library world that I knew nothing about. Through taking this course, I learned about

practical solutions for caring for materials from monitoring an HVAC system to rebinding

materials to doing simple in-house repairs. I also learned about the rapidly evolving field of

digital preservation and enjoyed learning about how I could integrate that knowledge into my

professional practice at a public library.

In addition to the above electives, I also took courses that related more directly with

literature, programming, and collection development. Literature based courses such as LIS 721,

Library Materials for Children, LIS 763, Readers Advisory Services, and LIS 804, Fairy Tale

Fantasy for YA Contemporary Media, exposed me to the vast scope of children/YA literature and

the appeal factors of different genres. These courses also taught me how to write professional

book reviews, annotate book titles, and promote literature through book talking. In LIS 718,

Storytelling for Adults and Children, I was trained in the art of storytelling and gained experience

in telling stories appropriate for different age groups (toddlers, school age, and adults). In

addition, by immersing myself in traditional literature collections I gained a robust knowledge in

the different types of stories available to the librarian for storytelling and programming purposes.

Lastly, courses such as LIS 748, Collection Management, LIS 796, International Childrens Book

Fair, and LIS 804, Issues of Cultural Diversity in Literature for Children and YA, taught me
about the importance of developing strong collection development policies. They also taught me

about the importance of understanding the history and current climate of book publishing in

order to evaluate and select materials appropriate for the patrons at my library.

By taking courses in a variety of formats, I was able to engage with the class material

using many different learning styles. In the courses that I took fully online, I found that the

flexibility to watch lectures and complete assignments on my own timetable allowed me to more

fully engage with the reading material. I also found the dominating force of discussion postings

to be a great way for me to synthesize information and demonstrate my knowledge on any given

topic. Next, the main advantages that I found to taking an in-person class was the prominence of

the exchange of ideas through face-to-face discussion with other students, community building,

and the potential to add contacts to my personal learning network. Lastly, the hybrid courses that

I took combined the beneficial characteristics of the previously mentioned class formats to

develop a very dynamic learning experience. I enjoyed the hybrid courses that I took because

they had flexible timetables, required me to synthesize reading materials through discussion

posts, and there were face-to-face discussions. In addition, the online and hybrid courses that I

took exposed me to a variety of web-based platforms (such as Skype, Google tools, Prezi,

Twitter, blogging platforms, content curation sites, and other conference software). I feel that I

received a very well-rounded education my taking courses in a variety of formats. Furthermore,

by varying the class formats that I took, I was better able to fulfill the SOIS student learning

goals and outcomes.

For the first goal, I developed a professional identity and showed a commit to core LIS

values throughout the entire course of my MLIS studies. This goal was embedded into

everything that I produced for the program. For the purposes of my e-portfolio, I chose to
showcase my fulfillment of outcomes 1b, 1c, and 1d. For outcome 1b, I chose to include a

professionally written informational book review that I completed for LIS 721. This book review

articulated the importance of evaluating books on set criteria such as authority of the author,

scope of the work, inclusion of references, and identification of the books targeted reading ages.

By writing this review, I demonstrated the importance of writing, reading, and using well-

articulated book reviews as aids when selecting materials for the library collection. For outcome

1c, I chose to include a group presentation on bookmobiles completed in LIS 701. This

presentation demonstrated the recognition of a core value of librarianship: access for all. Lastly,

outcome 1d was fulfilled through a reference librarian interview that I conducted in LIS 704. By

conducting this interview, I reflected on how the literature related to the practice of a

professional reference librarian. Through this interview, I determined approachability and

properly conducted reference interviews to be essential in determining the information need of

the patron. Through these artifacts, I have developed a professional identity that values

contributing to the LIS field (demonstrated through writing book reviews), understands the

importance of access (demonstrated through evaluating bookmobile services), and striving to be

approachable so that the patron will feel comfortable enough to engage with me concerning their

information need.

For the second goal, I demonstrated my understanding of the intrinsic role that

information plays in society through the fulfillment of outcomes 2a, 2b, and 2d. For outcome 2a,

in a discussion post for LIS 703, I described the librarians role as a gatekeeper of information

for assisting the patron in integrating available information into their knowledge base. However,

the sheer volume of information available necessitates the need of organizing information

through standardized systems (i.e. authority records, subject headings, etc.). By organizing
information, the librarian can assist the patron in their information need much more efficiently

than if there was no standardization. For outcome 2b, in LIS 701, I wrote an issue paper on the

topic of internet filters in libraries. This paper examined the effects of internet filter laws on

funding, patron access to information, and internet use policies. Lastly, for outcome 2d, I

researched, wrote an essay, and presented on the topic of readers advisory and gaming in the

library (LIS 763). I articulated different strategies for engagement with the gamer player such as

modifying the RA interview to include game playing appeal factors, book lists and book displays

highlighting game play read-a-likes, and collaborative gaming programs. Through these artifacts,

I demonstrated my understanding of informations role in society through identifying the

importance of organizing information for the purpose of accessing it (demonstrated through a

discussion post), evaluating the impacts of internet filter laws (demonstrated through an issue

paper), and developing appropriate responses to engaging game players in the library

(demonstrated through an essay and presentation).

For the third goal, I demonstrated my ability to navigate, curate, and create information

across many different platforms through the fulfillment of outcomes 3a, 3b, and 3c. For outcome

3a, as part of a final exam for LIS 703, I wrote two essays on the importance of using FRBR,

RDA, LCC, and MARC21 encoding for creating and assessing information from the online

catalog. In addition, I created three bibliographic records that demonstrated my understanding of

the previously mentioned principles and methods. For outcome 3b, I created a subject guide on

pet ownership and care for LIS 704. Through designing and creating this tool, I gained

experience in navigating a wide range of tools such as catalogs, web-based search engines,

databases, and shelf browsing for the purpose of creating useful aids for patrons looking for

information/resources on specific topics. Lastly, for outcome 3c, I created a narrated PowerPoint
presentation that evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of various print and online tools for the

purposes of selecting adult fantasy and science fiction novels (LIS 748). Through these artifacts,

I demonstrated my ability to manage information through the creation of bibliographic records

(demonstrated through a final exam), design tools that make information more accessible

(demonstrated through creating a subject guide), and evaluated the usefulness of a variety of

tools for the purposes of selection (demonstrated through a selection tools presentation).

For fourth goal, I demonstrated my ability to synthesize and apply theories into my

professional practice through the fulfillment of outcomes 4a, 4b, and 4c. For outcome 4a, in a

discussion post for LIS 770, I articulated the importance of using assessment techniques, such as

benchmarking, for the purposes of evaluating library programs. In my discussion post, I used a

health care sign-up program as an in-depth example for how the benchmarking technique could

be used by a librarian to assess library programs/services. For outcome 4b, as part of LIS 748, I

created a core collection of cookbooks for a public library. Through this project, I identified and

created several important parts of a collection development policy such as an overview of the

library, scope of the collection, community scan, and recommended selection tools and review

sources. I also developed a unique set of selection criteria and gained experience in evaluating

and selecting materials that supported a collection development policy. Lastly, for outcome 4c, I

wrote a research paper and created a narrated PowerPoint presentation on the critical role that

library institutions must take in assisting patrons to preserve their born digital materials (LIS

713). I supported this thesis by assessing how a variety of LIS theories and practices such as the

community archives movement, value estimations for selection (i.e. primary and secondary

values, and S.R. Ranganthans Five Laws of Library Science could be used to preserve a rapidly

evolving form of information: born digital content. Through these artifacts, synthesized theories
and applied them to my professional practice by articulating the importance of using assessment

techniques (demonstrated through a discussion post), selecting materials that adhered to a

collection development policy (demonstrated through a core collection of cookbooks), and

assessed how various LIS theories and practices could be used to support the library and patron

in preserving born digital materials (demonstrated through a research paper and presentation).

Lastly, for the fifth goal, I demonstrated my ability to communicate and collaborate for

the purposes of marketing and advocating for library institutions through the fulfillment of

outcomes 5a, 5b, and 5c. For outcome 5a, as part of LIS 770, I created a marketing plan for a

fictional public library that served the visually impaired. This marketing plan demonstrated the

need for detailed planning that articulated the goals of the program/service, assessment methods,

timelines, and communication and promotion plans. Without these elements, it is difficult to

market library services to a community. For outcome 5b, as part of LIS 773, I participated in a

group presentation that advocated for the importance of a fictional school media program. In our

presentation, we spoke directly to stakeholders about the menu of options available through the

school media program such as technology, printed materials, research assistance, and

collaborative lesson planning and instruction with teachers. We further advocated for the

importance of the school media program by tying available library services directly with other

goals of the institution (i.e. Common Core Standards). Finally, for outcome 5c, I participated in a

group project where we were required to develop a makerspace inventory and create/present a

Prezi presentation that advocated for a new school library makerspace (LIS 724). In order to

communicate as efficiently as possible, my group employed a combination of online tools and in-

person meetings. We leveraged tools such as Google Docs and Prezi for its collaborative editing

abilities. In addition, while working remotely from one another, we used the chat function in
Google Hangouts to constantly stay in contact. We also set up an in-person meeting to touch base

and practice our presentation before it was presented in the class. By using all of these methods,

our group was able to develop two very strong and visually appealing works that advocated for

maintaining a library makerspace. Through these artifacts, I demonstrated my commitment to

communication and collaboration for the purposes of marketing and advocating for library

institutions by articulating the value of detailed planning as it relates to launching a

program/service (demonstrated through the creation of a marketing plan), speaking directly to

stakeholders and advocating for a library program (demonstrated through a group presentation),

and using a variety of online and in-person tools to collaborate in creating objects for a common

goal (demonstrated through a makerspace inventory and presentation).

Completing my e-portfolio has allowed me to fully recognize the massive growth that I

have gone through from the beginning to the end of the MLIS program. I was once a professional

that struggled with the basic competencies of my job; however, after completing my coursework,

I feel fully competent to continue working in the public library sector. My education through

SOIS has made me a bit of a jack of all trades. I can derive the true information needs of patrons

through reference interviews. I can organize information and design tools to assist the patron in

finding information. I have a better understanding of the scope of children, YA, and adult

literature. I can evaluate and promote books orally and in writing. I understand the core pillars of

librarianship and can dissect the true impact of laws and policies on the library institution. I am

able to develop collection development policies and select materials that support the collection

development policy. I can develop program plans for intended audiences. Lastly, and perhaps

most importantly, I have learned how to market and advocate for all of the important resources

that the library has to offer their community. My choice to join Dominican Universitys MLIS
program is one of the wisest decisions that I have ever made. For without the education I

received through SOIS, I am sure that I would still struggle with my current job responsibilities.

While I may still be a bit unsure about the type of public librarian I wish to be (children, teen, or

adult), I am excited to continue engaging with professional development opportunities to find

out.