For years I resisted getting my MLS. I thought I knew everything about the library, having worked at one for so long.  I wasn’t totally wrong - I knew a lot, but not everything obviously. I had been working for the same library throughout my career, and though I worked my way up to Librarian II, I still wasn’t satisfied. Though I had the experience necessary, I realized I couldn’t move and get a comparable position/pay unless I got my degree. 

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As I started looking at programs, I decided this would be my chance to diversify my abilities. I had already worked in Youth Services for years, and while I could certainly strengthen those talents, I wanted to branch out into other areas. Years before, I had taken workshops in cataloging through NEFLIN. Shortly after that, I joined Youth Services and never had the chance to put that knowledge into practice. 

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Looking through the courses offered by USF, my interest was piqued by Digital Libraries, Web Archiving, and Digital Curation. It wasn’t until I took Organization of Knowledge I however, that I began to think the subject was one I could truly have an interest in. In my undergraduate degree, I shied away from embracing new technology and I didn’t want to make the same mistake this time. 

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I wound up taking several other electives outside of that realm. Young Adult Materials  I took because youth services was still an area I was interested in. Public Libraries I took because I’ve worked in public libraries my entire career, and may possibly continue to. Preparing Instructional Media I was interested in because there was an element of design and it allowed me to flex some of my old art muscles. 

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Back to me thinking I know everything. One major thing I learned about through my degree was the Library Bill of Rights. I wish it  was emphasized more to library workers outside of an MLS. Perhaps that is where things are heading, but I don’t think I heard much about it before I started (other than through SSLLI - which still consisted mostly of people with an MLS), which is a shame. Frontline staff, who are less likely to have an MLS, need to know about the Bill of Rights too, as I think it would help answer a lot of questions they may have about policy, as well as empower them to tell patrons why certain policies are in place. 

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Another thing is the importance of a collection development policy. I don’t know if it was a short-coming of my predecessor or on administration, but when I was doing collection development for my previous library, I don’t remember policy being emphasized. I knew there were procedures in place if someone wanted to challenge a book, but beyond that I didn’t know of any set guidelines for material selection. Through my classes (and a new job in a different county), I realize how lucky I was to never have a challenge in all of my years of selection.  While Banned Books Week certainly brings to light the dangers of censorship, it never translated into the danger that could happen if someone challenged my books. I know now how important it is to have a policy to stand behind when challenges occur.

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Those aren’t the only things I learned, but I’m trying to be brief - and this portfolio is basically all the things I have learned. In the short-term future, I want to be a librarian in the public library system I am currently in. I like the people I work with currently, which makes a big difference. However, I also work in a rather decent sized system and people shift around all the time, so that happiness may be temporary. 

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My ultimate dream is to work for the archives for Disney or Pixar. To do that, I know I need to expand my knowledge more in archiving. I know when I’ve looked at the positions in the past, I need to know programs such as SQL, Python, and even HTML. I’ve taken basic online courses in these programs, but I know I need to delve further and maybe get some practice at it. However, even if I fall short of that dream, I think I would be happy working for other archives like Florida Memory.