Ever since I was in Kindergarten I wanted to be a teacher.

I used to make my
brother sit still while I gave him homework and wrote his name on my little chalkboard
for being out of line. When college came, I enrolled in the Elementary Education
program without a second thought. I was excited to finally be one step closer to doing
what I had always dreamed of doing. After I graduated with my Bachelors Degree in
Elementary Education, I went on to get my first Masters degree in Reading Education
and became a certified Reading Specialist. Things do not always work out as we imagine
them and while I had experience teaching 1st grade at CPS, was an assistant in a special
needs room for several years in the suburbs, and taught Kindergarten in the suburbs, I
eventually became a substitute teacher in 15 different districts because I could not find a
job. As the economy changed, so did the world of teaching and my life in particular.
In my second year of subbing, and after much frustration, I found myself shelving
books in a school library in Winnetka. It wasnt long before I bonded with the head
librarian and her assistant and was requested to sub at that school most days of each
week. I breathed a sigh of relief every morning I knew I would be in the library. As I was
talking to the librarian one day, things started to click. Ive always wanted to work with
children. I love motivating children to read and sharing the love of books. My parents
read aloud to us and used to take us to the library every week and even as an adult I
would find myself at the library every 2 weeks or so. Becoming a librarian...it just made
sense! On my lunch break that day I enrolled in Dominicans MLIS program. I began my
year and a half journey in the GSLIS the following month.
I value not only libraries, but also librarians and library users. It is my hope that
my artifacts demonstrate my heart for people and service to them. I truly believe that

people are why we do what we do. Whether discussing current best practices or
considering how to organize a comfortable space, it all matters because it all comes back
to providing the best service possible for our patrons. Through Dominicans program, I
have entered into a thriving, dynamic profession and am better equipped as I work with
my team to provide excellent service that meets the needs of all types of people. While
impossible to share everything I experienced, I am happy to be able to arrange a
smorgasbord of delights.
701: Introduction to Library and Information Science was extremely eye
opening for me, as it was the class that welcomed me into the world of libraries. It was
held at Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago, which is a quick train ride
from where we live. I was always intrigued by the building with the amazing gargoyles
(which I learned are not actually gargoyles but are equally as fantastically symbolic!) and
was greatly looking forward to walking through those doors for the first time. While the
class had a level of intensity I was surprised by, the new things I learned each week were
fascinating. Several projects enlightened my understanding of the library world, which I
have included as artifacts, but I wanted to share a couple more thoughts. A name we often
spoke of was S.R. Ranganathan who proposed the theory of the five laws of library
science. They are as follows:
1. Books are for use.
2. Every reader his/her book.
3. Every book its reader.
4. Save the time of the reader
5. The library is a growing organism.

(Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_laws_of_library_science, 11/7/15)

Whether considering the physical layout or service to patrons, these foundational laws are
still just as applicable as they were back in 1931.
We also spent a lot of time discussing the importance of associations as each
student presented one to the class. Associations are critical for staying informed and
networking. Based on your career goals and interests, there is an association for what
seems like every librarian!
For the Core Values assignment, I chose life-long learning, as it is a term we hear
regularly in the teaching world, but I wanted to consider it from a librarians perspective.
The findings that stood out to me the most with this particular case study are as follows:
*Library staff are readers, but they must also be passionate learners if they are to provide
leadership for life-long learning.
*Learning is motivated by tapping into personal interests.
*Conversations, inquiry, and discovery of individual talents are key to learning
motivation, success, and empowerment. This has implications for all the realms of
learning and for determining how libraries might design and organize services to provide
servant leadership for learning.
Another assignment that broadened my perspective of librarianship was the
Subject Bibliography. School librarianship is no easy task. While my background is in
teaching, it was not until entering this program that I got a real taste of the role of a
school librarian and how much more demanding it is than l realized. Sadly, as most
teachers do, I assumed it was not as encompassing as classroom teaching. I spent three
wonderful years in a special needs classroom, yet had not given prior thought to how a

school librarian would need to modify and expand their collection to include special
populations. For this assignment I focused on materials appropriate for 4th-7th grade
reading levels and included issues on autism, dyslexia, synesthesia, and physical
impairments in large print, braille, and audio. It is my desire that all school libraries will
begin to add resources to their collection that include these issues. I believe that by
raising awareness of the various challenges students are facing, acceptance and unity will
closely follow.
Over the course of 704: Reference and Online Services I created a Lib Guide to
support Dominican students enrolled in 721: Library Materials for Children. It touches on
the use of materials, evaluation of materials, and selection of materials. My guide was
developed to help students further their research using the highly recommended resources
I compiled, including: circulating books, reference books, journals, web resources, and
associations that specifically relate to the course. The development of children, how to
write a book review, how to analyze the demographics of a school, and promoting online
safety are all issues included in my guide that students will be exposed to while on their
journey of Library Materials for Children.
Through the recommendation of Dominican staff member Mary Pat Fallon, I
accepted a position volunteering for three months as the school librarian at St. James
School in Arlington Heights, Illinois for all 3rd-5th grade classes. At that point in time, I
had been a classroom teacher for years, but was enrolled in the MLIS program for eight
months and had not yet started working in the childrens department of a public library so
my librarian experience was limited. I was thrilled to be able to dive into such a crucial
role and gain a valuable experience to add to my toolbelt and resume. The staff was

equally excited to have me jump on board. I planned engaging lessons that tied to the
state standards, incorporated technology while leading book talks, and began preparations
for their first ever Battle of the Books competition. The best part was that as the weeks
passed and grew into months, I could see students getting more motivated to read, their
love for books growing stronger, and the value for their school library increasing. I am
especially grateful for this experience as it solidified my decision to not continue with the
school library track. During that time, I accepted a position in a childrens library doing
storytime and programming and found exactly what I have been looking for. It was there
that I found my identity as a librarian and I have never been so happy at my workplace.
I used to view the Internet as a place I go to find information. Through 753:
Internet Fundamentals and Design I realized that web design and usability is a world in
itself, complete with its own language. Being immersed in this world positively impacted
me in the workplace. As a result of this class, I have been able to take on the design and
manage of a few of our departments web pages, regularly reading code and finding and
fixing the errors that pop up. I am providing our patrons with access to information in a
new way I was not expecting.
Times are changing. No one who works in a library or goes to one these days, for
that matter, can deny that. Through 805: Experiential Learning Spaces I learned that
STEAM programming, makerspaces, and more emphasis on experiential learning rather
than traditional research are the new mainstays of library programming. How do libraries
with limited resources and equally limited budgets keep up with this new trend? The
answer is simplethey do what they can with what they can get. A colleague and I went
to the Helen Plum Library to observe their space and talk about how they manage these

programs. We found that they are one of these libraries with limited space, yet do an
excellent job providing STEAM and maker programming. I speak in depth about this in
the first part of this artifact. Using what we learned from visiting Helen Plum, we
designed our own makerspace for an imaginary library. The second piece of this artifact
details what we presented to our class. We decided to locate our library in a small town of
about 6,000 people. The community just built a new high school with a state-of-the-art
digital media lab and creation space. But, the elementary school children and adults are
not able to use the space. The community has been requesting maker programming for a
few years, however the librarys operating budget is extremely limited. In fact, the only
thing that is not limited at the library is space. In response to the communitys request, the
library has decided to convert a first floor room, currently being used for storage, to a
makerspace using a budget of only $5,000. This assignment in particular was especially
helpful as within the same month my library manager put me in charge of our
STEAMagination and Makers clubs. The timing of this class was perfect. Seeing my
peer presentations on the makerspaces in other libraries, participating in engaging
discussions, and soaking up the expertise our professor Amy Holcomb shared was an
invaluable experience.
As committed librarians, what I believe our job comes down to is providing
excellent service to all. How does this look? We make a concentrated effort to get to
know the area we serve and do what we can to give them what they want. We design our
libraries so everyone can access the materials, from babies to grandmas. We provide
material that includes all different viewpoints. We adhere to policy, abide by copyright,
respect privacy, fight censorship, and advocate for intellectual freedom. Our collections

are diverse, including materials that can be reached by our special needs populations.
These are the common threads woven throughout each and every class I took while in
this program and all are values I stand behind 100%.
I consider the past year and a half spent at Dominican and am filled with gratitude
more than anything. Yes, even to the point of tears. As Ive reviewed all of the artifacts in
my portfolio, I see how far I have come. What started as a love for libraries at an early
age will end with a deeply fulfilling life-long career. This portfolio displays the
knowledge I gained and will carry on with me. It turns out, I did always know what I
wanted to spend my life doing: helping people, children in particular, connect with
reading and books. Its the HOW and WHERE that were the unexpected surprise. My
background, both as a teacher and reading specialist, combined with my graduate studies
have made me a confident and skilled professional. I am both thrilled and honored to
continue on as a childrens librarian, always learning, constantly growing. I finally found
my niche and have never been happier.
Lisa Marie Winchell
November of 2015