Madeline McGuire- 2021

Reflective Essay

The first goal for School of Information Studies (SOIS) focuses on developing a professional

identity and philosophy within the library and information profession. Developing a professional

identity and philosophy were key aspects of my first semesters at Dominican University. Within my

first few semesters I developed a librarian philosophy which challenged me to think about what

kind of librarian I wanted to be. Although things have changed with how I interact with patrons due

to COVID-19 closures I still strive to guide patrons to discovery of information, creative practices, or

simply their new favorite book. In order to assist all patrons in this way I need to understand

policies that restrict inclusion of patrons. The population of people who are experiencing

homelessness are often restricted from properly engaging with the library due to various policies

that are meant to restrict people experiencing homelessness. Libraries are considered a safe space

for people to come and there should not be policies that restrict that. Learning about the policies

that often prohibit the homeless population from properly using the library gave me insight into the

inner workings of some libraries. It as well as informed me on how I want to work to ensure that

the library truly is a place for everyone. It’s my philosophy that the library is a place for everybody

to discover information on whatever they need or want.

Learning in class or while doing classwork was not the only place that I gained practical

information about being an inclusive space that helped shape my professional identity. In February

2020 I attended a LACONI meeting that focused on the Wakanheza Project and supporting LGBTQ+

youth in a library setting. The Wakanheza Project focuses on having an empathetic approach when

working with families in stressful situations. The project has steps to take and ways to interact so

no one feels attacked or called out in tough situations. Although this focuses on adult-children and

librarian interactions, having empathy in difficult situations is a core part of being a librarian . It’s

an important part of my professional identity that everyone feels comfortable in the library and that
extends to LGBTQ+ youth. One key takeaway was the importance of using pronouns in a

professional setting to make a more welcoming and accepting environment for LGBTQ+ youth.

Including pronouns in an email signature and wearing a pronoun pin on a work lanyard is an easy

way to show acceptance and understanding of those in the LGBTQ+ community.

Another key way to make sure the LGBTQ+ community feels welcomed and supported is to

have LGBTQ+ books in the collection. These books are often challenged by those who disagree with

having LGBTQ+ books in a collection for youth . The second goal for School of Information Studies is

to understand the essential nature of information and its relevance to society. People’s access to

information is crucial, especially information that depicts or informs on diverse communities. It’s

vital for those who are part of diverse communities to be seen in the materials they’re engaging in.

In addition it’s pressing for those who often see themselves in materials to see those who are

different from them as aids in understanding those who are different than they are, and it shows

that there are others who do not fit in with the majority of people. Censorship of LGBTQ+ materials

is a subject matter that I explored first during my first semester at Dominican but my awareness of

the matter has gone beyond what I first learned. As it’s crucial that this information is able to be

shared with various communities. It’s the duty of a librarian to make sure that information is

available to those who are seeking it.

It’s also necessary for a librarian to understand what the information needs of a community

are. In LIS 707 which focuses on leadership, marketing, and strategic communication I researched a

particular community to grasp their information needs. This included gathering data to understand

who was in the community and what their information needs were so that I could develop a plan to

better meet their needs. Information is essential not just to those who are served by librarians but

to librarians themselves. It’s relevant to understand the community that is being served and the

best way to do that is to gather information on said community. Through my coursework I learned

skills and resources to use to gather information on a community. With that information I assessed
the needs of the community and created a plan to better meet those needs. It’s imperative that

librarians are able to access information in a similar way just as it is imperative that members of

communities are able to access information on topics of their interest. This is true regardless of

challenges and work to censor certain materials.

Oftentimes when people in our communities access information they are unsure of the

quality or the relevance of the information to what they’re looking for so librarians work to assist

them. The third goal for School of Information Studies focuses on the ability to navigate, curate and

create information across the spectrum of human records. Through my classes at Dominican I’ve

learned the importance of curation when sharing resources with those who are seeking information

. In addition to understanding that there are different types of information to curate for people. One

example of curation that I created through taking LIS 724, which focuses on integrating technology

into library work, is a brochure with specific information on it. The brochure I created specifically

walks someone through checking a book out on their phone/tablet application Libby and

downloading it to their kindle. This curated guide does not give information on signing in or making

sure the person has an account; it is specifically for people who need instruction on how to check

something out and get it on their kindle. This is a prime example of curated information.

Another example of curation is the curated annotated bibliography I created in LIS 721

which focuses on Library Materials for Children. This curated list had ten titles of books that were

fairytale, folktale, and mythology retellings aimed at grades 4 through 6. This is another way of

sharing curated information but unlike the brochure it focuses on sharing books that fit a certain

interest rather than information in a how-to form. The curated list of books uses the tool of a formal

citation to manage the information about a title in a cohesive and uniform manner which assists in

the navigation of information. It’s essential for a librarian to have the ability to navigate various

tools for curation and be able to evaluate the tools. Through LIS 724 I evaluated two different video

editors to create book trailer videos for the same book. Using the exact same book allowed me to
focus on the tool itself by comparing its features and ease of use. There are a variety of tools that

can be used to assist in curating and offering information support for people. As a librarian I need

to be able to evaluate the tools both for their outcomes and the ease of use so that the person using

them or engaging with them is able to properly navigate through the information. Beyond using

specific tools to guide a person through the necessary information an librarian may present the

information.

Goal four of the School of Information Studies focuses on the ability to synthesize theory

and practice within a dynamic and evolving information environment. A prime example of using

theory in practice is a librarian presenting a storytime program. This combines theories of child

development into a fun interactive program that brings together both child and adult. I created and

presented a storytime in LIS 720 (Picture Books and Early Literacy). The storytime plan I created

was made in mind with the evolving environment; when created storytimes and other programs

were all virtual but the plan could easily transition to an in-person program if the environment

allows. It’s clear that technology and the information environment are always changing. Screen

recording is a newer technology that has gained popularity for instructing. It allows the presenter a

way to walk someone through using a website, database, or application without in person or close

contact interaction. In LIS 724 (integrating technology into programming, services and instruction)

I created a database tutorial that showed people how to use the database Creativebug to find a

project through the use of screen recording along with a voice over. This involved theories of

instruction as well as integration of technology which has become crucial to our evolving

information environment. I’m hopeful that our evolving information environment will change again

over time and allow for in person programming and instruction.

Theories and practices of instruction will still be in place and will still play a vital role in

instructing regardless of the format. In LIS 702 which focused on facilitating user learning and

information needs I developed a lesson plan for a craft program. In order to develop a lesson plan I
needed a background in teaching principles and theories that I could then use to create the lesson

plan. Through LIS 702 we learned teaching principles and theories and practiced putting them to

use by presenting the lesson plans we had created. Presenting information and instructing are

common practices in the information profession. It is more than likely that I will be instructing and

or presenting information to various types groups such as adults, teens, and kids as a librarian.

Being a librarian goes beyond presenting information another vital aspect is effective

communication and collaboration.

Goal five of the School of Information Studies directs that librarians need to be able to

effectively communicate and collaborate to deliver, market, and advocate for library and

information services. In LIS 724 we were often paired with others to work on projects and

discussions. One project we worked together on was a group lesson plan and that we then

instructed the class through. A group project like this had us all communicating and collaborating

together to work towards the common goal of instructing and sharing information with our

classmates. Later on with the same group we used technology to create a collective booktalk video

with books all from the same author. As both group projects were done virtually collaboration and

communication were vital to the process. I took the lead on the video book talk project due to my

familiarity with the software we used. It still required effective communication to collaborate to

deliver information services to our class. During my time at Dominican I’ve also worked as Teen

Services Assistant in this role. It's vital that I effectively communicate and collaborate with others in

my department and the library staff was a whole. Information needs to be shared with other

members of a team so that everyone is on the same page and knows where things are. In the case of

a craft kit like the teen Take and Create ones I create an email that clearly communicates the

necessary information to my team members so that they are able to share the correct information is

crucial. Communicating with others is a key element of being a librarian.

 Through my time at Dominican I gained a larger understanding of what it means to be a

librarian and gained the skills needed to be an effective one. I developed a professional identity that

revolves around the belief that everyone belongs in the library and gained practical skills to assist

in the access of information for all. I learned what it means to curate information and practiced

using practical tools to do so. I developed an understanding of synthesising theory and practice

with how it relates to the information profession. I learned about the various aspects of youth

literature from board books to books for teenagers and learned how to evaluate the various types

and genres. I developed a passion for advocating for diverse literature as part of a well rounded

collection. I gained knowledge on the importance of effective communication and collaboration for

work as an information professional. Before Dominican my view of what a library was and what a

librarian did was narrow. Through my classes and practical work I learned how broad the work of a

librarian really is and the importance to the communities we serve. Based on what I’ve learned and

how I’ve grown I’m ready to be a librarian.