This is my reflection on how each of the seven Student Learning Outcomes were achieved throughout my coursework in the Masters of Library and Information Science degree at Old Dominion University. Gaining knowledge and experience through each project, equipping me for my future work as an information professional.
SLO #1. Create innovative responses to the needs and interests of a diverse and global community.
The needs and interests of my library community are unique and are apt to change. It is important for me as a librarian to know my community. With that knowledge comes the responsibility I have as a public servant to adapt the programs and services I provide my community. In my Planning, Selecting, and Managing Collections, Strategic Plan and Grant Proposal I began with an environmental scan and a needs assessment. Gathering data on the makeup of the community offered insight into the diversity among race, culture, and socio-economic standings. Asking how my library was currently meeting their needs and interests, I was then able to research programs and services to further provide for my community. In Planning, Selecting, and Managing Collections, after identifying the lack of diverse early readers, I proposed adding several more to our collection. Intrigued by this study, my manager asked for a list of 10 diverse early readers which she promptly ordered for our library. Responses can also be according to the evaluation of current programs and what they might be lacking. I found this in a recent roll out of the Growing Readers Program our county has. While meeting the needs of children 0-4 with early literacy programs and incentives, the 5 years old and up group of children were underserved. In my Strategic Plan I proposed and implemented the Me & the Beanstalk program for children 5 and up. My Grant Proposal addressed the needs of newborn babies with an innovative program to put board books in the hands of all newborn babies’ parents at a particular hospital. This would also reach community members who may not be patrons of the library.
SLO #2. Demonstrate leadership attributes for a variety of information environments.
Many organizations within the community have common goals. One such goal is public service to the community. Establishing partnerships with businesses and organizations as well as and developing interpersonal relationships with the people who work in those places advocates for libraries, strengthens the community, and multiplies the impact all of us can have to further advance our community. As a librarian I can lead the way by actively pursuing partnerships. Because my greatest strength is Ideation, I thoroughly I enjoyed designing and creating a Paired Teacher’s Guide. Choosing two complimentary books, one fiction and the other non-fiction, I designed and created lessons, bulletin boards, and hands on activities to meet the SOLs. An elementary school teacher could use this in her classroom, a children’s librarian for programming or a book club, or a homeschool parent looking for new and innovative ways to teach their child. In my Collaborative Collection Development project I showed leadership in organizing our group and dividing tasks to effectively complete the assignment. After brainstorming the needs of the community which had just come out of the Covid-19 Pandemic, as assessing the resources within and surrounding a community in Virginia, we chose to develop a program called Virginia Trails. Working together we looked to information environments such as museums, the National Park Services, Virginia State Parks, Cornell University, Norfolk Botanical Gardens, and The Wildlife Center of Virginia to provide us with information and resources which we would include in our library and the backpacks patrons could check out from the library. The benefit of librarians working together to develop a program or service was clearly seen through the combining our individual efforts. I was made aware of many more organizations to either partner with or gather information from. As a result, the library would add resources from these organizations to its collection.
SOL #3. Interpret and apply basic and applied research to improve their professional practice.
Research is foundational to the librarian profession. A Masters Degree in Library and Information Science means I have the knowledge on how and where to search for information. I know how to analyze and how to use the information to serve patrons and my community. The research I do should enhance my library’s collection. It should procure programs and services which meet the needs of the community and help the members to gain knowledge. The Practicum I did was an intense research project. I spent eight hours of interviewing librarians, managers, and program specialists to understand OPAC, learn how to run reports, explore accessing materials from the patron’s side, and learn cataloguing. By running a Dusty Book report in Blue Cloud Analytics, I was able to pull books that were 10 years old and/or had low circulation numbers. This improved the shelving space as well as justifying the purchase of new books. Through an understanding of cataloguing and assessing the ease of access to materials, I went on to make a display of the ANO homeschool resource books downstairs in our children’s department. After running a circulation report initially and then again several months later, our library system is open to the idea of re-cataloguing the 371.042 and making shelf space in children’s for them. Circulation for some of the books increased by 500% and even 1250%! Learning research skills for an environmental scan is crucial. I need to know the makeup of my community from population, to race, to socio-economic standing, and to organizations within my community. Having the data is just the start. What I do with it is the key. After learning that many children in the community are not reading at grade level I considered how I could put literature in their hands at the earliest of days, and how to educate parents on the fact that they are their child’s first teacher. In my Grant Proposal, I have a plan to put the Spring Baby boardbook in the hands of every new born baby parent at Memorial Hospital. The last page of the book has resources and ideas for new parents on how to introduce literacy to their young one. The QR code will bring them to the library website where they can apply for a library card, and programs for Mom and Baby.
SLO #4. Access, synthesize, and evaluate information to assist information seekers.
In the Practicum, the Planning, Selecting, and Managing Collections, and the Collaborative Collection Development, I sought information and resources, evaluated my findings, and synthesized the information to discern which would give patrons the best experience. As a information specialist, I need to gather the information from a wealth of resources narrow it down to the most beneficial, and thereby save the time of the patron. In the Practicum I explored the online catalogue from the user’s side, I discovered many tabs listed under the initial material description. I had not noticed these before. Because I spent time clicking on each link, such as, “You May Also Like”, I as then able to go through each one of these when I was teaching a homeschool group how to navigate our online card catalog. The other discovery was how to narrow a search. This is so helpful as patrons search the catalog. Do they need to narrow every category? Certainly not. After evaluating each feature to narrow, I determined which ones were a necessity and which were up to the patron. As a librarian I need to know my collection. The Planning, Selecting, and Managing Collections assignment helped me to pull information together from various resources. Running reports from Blue Cloud Analytics or from assessing the shelves, I determined what our collection was lacking (diverse early readers and non-fiction space materials) and what materials we would add that would best serve our community.
If a family wanted to explore Virginia and its’ trails, where would they even begin? Because I researched GLAMS (galleries, libraries, art galleries, and museums), pulling the best, up-to-date, most informative, engaging resources, an adult does not have to do their own research. The work is done for them and they know the materials are high quality and informative. The only thing they need to do is checkout the Virginia Trails Backpack and enjoy the books, hands on activities/ supplies provided), and begin the adventure, keeping track of it in the journal which is included in the backpack.
SLO #5. Integrate evolving technologies and theories that underpin their design, application, and use with library and information service.
In my Strategic Plan I used several prominent technologies to present my plan and to design my Spring Baby board book. I was introduced to Canva several semesters ago. This tool is undeniably one of the most used tools in our profession. After gathering data and statistics about my community, I used the graphing application in Canva to readily put information into eye catching, clear visuals like bar graphs and pie charts. Recently I presented a homeschool initiative to Harris County Youth Services where I again used the same Canva slides to advocate for programs for homeschoolers. In Canva I also designed the cover and first page to my Spring Baby board book. Interestingly, if the idea comes to fruition, I can further design the entire book in Canva and have it printed (elsewhere). The other technology I used was creating a QR code. This has become very popular. It is a quick, efficient way to direct a patron to a new website, a registration web site, or in this case to an online application for a new library card, as well as an informational page on how to introduce literacy to your newborn.
SLO #6. Analyze current and historical trends to forecast future directions of the library and information field.
A library needs to grown and change with the times. Analyzing trends, both current and historical, will keep the library, its collections, the programs, and the mindset of the staff looking forward. When Kodak did not do this, they missed the entire digital market. Libraries cannot afford similar circumstances. In my Grant Proposal I looked at data from the local school district spanning several years. The data revealed a decrease in the test scores for reading in elementary students. The forecast was not looking good. Designing the Spring Baby Board Book program with literacy how to’s, and a QR code to register for a library card, I was helping parents to be their child’s first teacher and jump start early literacy before preschool. While we as librarians see our libraries adding things like a Library of Things or Makerspaces, our patrons do not. Through the Collaborative Collection Development plan, offered at a time when more children were doing school at home and more parents were working from home, families were given the tools necessary to spend time together outside. Park passes lifted the financial burden. Parents were given the tools necessary to instruct their children on subjects like geology and bird identification. I will continue to seek innovative ways to meet the changing needs of our patrons.
SLO #7. Create a plan for continuous professional development and lifelong learning.
One of the greatest ways I have grown in my knowledge of the library profession was through the Practicum. I spent hours talking with others in my profession. Some had worked in the library for decades, while others were fairly new. I also reached outside of my branch to our Collections and Development team. Sharing what I learned with my co-workers made me realize that they were unaware of certain cataloguing procedures. It is imperative for me to spend time talking with colleagues; I will stay aware of trends, best practices, and add to my repertoire of ideas. In my research for the Strategic Plan assignment, I had to find my library’s mission, vision, and values statement. In order for me to uphold those, I have to use resources like the ones listed under my Resources tab to stay cognizant of my profession. Being a member of national, state, and local associations, reading articles and blogs, and attending conferences will contribute to my professional development and lifelong learning. Lastly, having the experience of researching and writing a Grant gave me the skill set for future grant writing. Funding for libraries, the programs, and services cannot be assumed. I will continue to explore previously written grants and use that information to write grants to fund programs. Currently I am looking into grant money for a STEAM rocket building program as well as purchasing children’s sewing machines.