Maria Fierro

Reflective Essay

Spring 2023

Introduction

I applied to Dominican University’s MLIS program after having worked in social

services for seven years. I worked at different community centers which provided a variety of

programs and events that were public library adjacent. I had been considering pursuing

librarianship since I was an undergraduate but post-graduation, I continued in social services for

the time being. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, I was furloughed from a community

center I was working at, and so I decided that I would finally apply to the program I had been

wanting to apply to for years.

Upon reflection, the program was challenging but rewarding. I had originally planned to

finish the program in two years, but life intervened and I finished in three. A couple of months

after starting the program, my mother was hospitalized in the RUSH ICU due to COVID-19, and

she stayed there for over six months. While she was in the hospital, I had to step up and take care

of her home and my high-school-aged siblings. Later, the program was challenging in different

ways. I am a child of divorced immigrant parents who have struggled financially my entire life.

If I wanted this degree, I had to work for it myself. Throughout the entirety of the program, I was

enrolled as a full-time student, held multiple jobs, and took up internships -- all while taking care

of a newly disabled parent. These last three years have been difficult, but they have been an

enormous learning experience.

At the start of the program, we were told that we would eventually submit an ePortfolio where

certain goals had to be met by the conclusion of the program. The goals were the following:
 • Goal 1: Develop a professional identity and philosophy within the library and information

professions.

• Goal 2: Understand the essential nature of information and its relevance to our diverse

society.

• Goal 3: Navigate, curate and create information across the spectrum of human records.

• Goal 4: Synthesize theory and practice within a dynamic, evolving, and diverse

information environment.

• Goal 5: Effectively communicate and collaborate to deliver, market, and advocate for

library and information services.

Goal One

The first goal asks us about the ways in which we have developed a professional identity

and/or philosophy within libraries. While pursuing the MLIS, it was clear that as future library

professionals we had to create a space for ourselves in librarianship.

The first artifact that I presented in a paper that I wrote for LIS 701. We were prompted

to write about an issue facing libraries today. The issue that I decided to write about was the

issue of neutrality in the library. It appears that “neutrality” in libraries has traditionally been

enforced to minimize any biases that librarians might have and that might keep them from

adequately helping patrons. This notion has recently been challenged due to the imperative need

for librarians and other information professionals to advocate for underrepresented groups, fight

against white supremacy, push back against misinformation campaigns, amongst other issues.

This paper brought into perspective how librarianship and its core values are in flux as the need

to adapt to current issues arises.

 The second artifact I produced was a paper that I wrote while I completed a n

independent study at the Rebecca Crown Library. For the practicum, I wanted to focus on

collection management and development since it is a type of librarianship that I would like to

pursue post-graduation. I had been working at the Rebecca Crown Library as a Technical

Services Assistant for about a year when I started my independent study. I had some familiarity

with collection development practices since I was in the acquisition department and had also

taken LIS 748, which focuses on collection management. In the paper, I discussed how

collection development practices either overlapped or differed from academic library to public

library. The independent study gave me further confidence in my skills to develop and manage

collections for different library types.

The third artifact I provided are the notes that the Library Director and I produced while

in a meeting on collection development policies at the Poetry Foundation Library. From June

2022 to December 2022, I was the cataloging intern at the Poetry Foundation Library. I was

offered to extend my internship with them, but due to scheduling conflicts I had to decline.

While there, I copy cataloged books of poetry, chapbooks, anthologies, literary criticism, and

children’s books. I enjoyed my time with the Poetry Foundation immensely! I learned how to

copy catalog on a new-to-me system (EOS) and I had the opportunity to expand the

bibliographic records to be full and (hopefully) more accurate and discoverable. I also gained

useful reference experience since I often sat at the front desk to help with patron inquiries.

Overall, the internship also was a great networking experience and it allowed me to further my

professional development.

Goal Two
 The second goal asks us to develop a deeper understanding of information and its

relevance. The first artifact that I produced is a discussion post that I created while taking LIS

758: Community Informatics. The discussion asked us to define what community informatics

was and why it matters. I was not familiar with “community informatics” before enrolling in the

class, and it provided me with insight that I am excited to use in the field.

The second artifact that I produced was a short, five-minute podcast that I made for LIS

702 in which I discuss the danger of falling into complacency in cataloging/technical services.

As catalogers, we are expected to become extremely familiar with cataloging rules and policies

in order to create accurate bibliographic records, but there is a danger of becoming too enveloped

in the policies. If we do not question policies set in place, there runs the danger of falling into a

dangerous complacency that hurts instead of helping library patrons. As someone who has been

working in technical services and who hopes to continue working in technical services,

researching for that podcast was fruitful to my practice.

My final artifact I present for goal two is a paper where I discuss the current spread and

increase of misinformation, and our role as librarians in the fight against it. I argue that in order

to be successful agents of change and bridges towards accurate information, we must be up to

date on misinformation trends in order to better develop the skills to fight against them. It is also

important that we remember and hold close ALA core values. New, malicious campaigns like

these force us to develop appropriate responses to fight against them. The responses we make

should also take into consideration who our audience or patrons are since each community has

different needs.

Goal Three
The third goal asks us to present artifacts that showcase our abilities to navigate and create

information resources. For the first artifact, I presented a zine and LibGuide that I worked on

while in the Outreach Team at the Rebecca Crown Library. I created the zine from the LibGuide

that Beronica Avila had created. The zine was printed and put out at the circulation desk. In

order to further and facilitate access to the information in the LibGuide, I was also tasked with

some translation and overall creation of the Spanish language LibGuide. The creation of a

distributable informatic and the Spanish language LibGuide provides wider access to information

to students and educators.

Outcome 3b asks to present an artifact where I utilized resources or tools to manage information.

I took LIS 703 during my first semester in the program, and I unexpectedly really enjoyed

cataloging. After the completion of LIS 703, I soon enrolled in LIS 730 and quickly applied for

the position of Technical Services Assistant at the Rebecca Crown Library, where I have now

been working for two years! The artifact that I present is the Cataloging Portfolio assignment

from LIS 730. We were tasked with cataloging five different artifacts, and we had to consult

many cataloging resources in order to successfully complete the project. I had a lot of fun with

that assignment, and it provided me with experience on how to utilize library resources and tools

to organize and manage our collections. It also deepened my interest in technical services, which,

again, I hope to continue to pursue post-graduation.

The last artifact I presented for the third goal is a paper I wrote where I analyzed the leadership

at my local public library – the Berwyn Public Library. I would argue that librarians themselves

are tools and resources to information, and the efficiency of librarians is dependent on successful

library management. In my paper I evaluate the leadership and management at the Berwyn

Public Library and its successes. I wrote this paper for LIS 707: Leadership, Marketing, and

Strategic Planning, which taught me a lot about the managerial side of librarianship. Focused on
flexing, communication amongst coworkers, interdepartmental communication, and conflict

resolution.

Goal Four

Goal four asks us to synthesize theory and practice within an information environment. The first

artifact that I produced is a proposal for a Comics and Manga Book Club in a high school setting.

In order to propose a program like this, it was required that we stay up to date with new releases.

The proposal was also actionable since it was required that create a reading list, but also

marketing materials, a budget, and program evaluation materials. The creation of this proposal

was an exercise in applying the culmination of knowledge I knew about program planning and

research to create a practical proposal.

Goal 4b asks us to evaluate a current and/or emerging technology. Throughout the semester in

LIS 708, my group and I worked towards a large, hands-on research project. For this project, I

had to work in a group with four others in order to create data collection materials for the project.

I often spearheaded the Zoom meetings and delegated the groups’ tasks. We used the data we

collected in order to produce our final paper. In the paper, I wrote about eBook usage amongst

MLIS students. This assignment equipped me with incredible knowledge on data collection,

quantitative and qualitative researching, and data synthesis. It also provided me with knowledge

of new technology and its use. It also emphasized librarians’ responsibility to purchase and

market these resources.

The last artifact that I produced was a short instruction video with a short lesson aimed toward

3–5-year-old patrons. In the lesson, I give a small PowerPoint presentation on Earth Day,

followed by a small craft and conversation. I enjoyed working on this assignment since it felt
familiar to me. For three years I worked at a community/family center, and I was often in charge

of creating lesson plans like the one attached.

Goal Five

The last goal asks to produce artifacts that prove our ability to effectively communicate and

collaborate to communicate library/information services. For my first artifact, I display the

marketing materials I created while in the Outreach Team at the Rebecca Crown Library. I

suggested that we create a book recommendation campaign during Women in Translation Month

(August). I created weekly posts with book recommendations to be posted on the RCL Instagram

page. I learned a lot about utilizing marketing resources for creation. We also had to pull up the

materials we had to post during our weekly meetings and co-workers and colleagues provided

feedback. It was a learning experience not only because I had to finesse my design skills, but it

also allowed me to work in a team and receive constructive feedback.

My second artifact is another lesson plan that I and two others created for LIS 702. Working on

this assignment was also a lesson in collaboration, coordination (especially since we were in

different time zones and had different approaches), and communication.

The last artifact that I produced is another program proposal, except that this program proposal

was created with the intention to help bridge an important need amongst young children in the

Berwyn community. This assignment was a practice in conducting local and community research

and synthesizing the found data into an actionable and relevant program. I have lived and worked

in the Berwyn community for many years now, and the attached proposal felt personal and close

to home. It reminded me that community leadership requires that we research seriously and

deeply to be useful and relevant leaders.

Conclusion
My ePortfolio showcases work that I did while in the program. Although I produced work for

different libraries and for different types of librarianship, I overall concentrated on gaining the

most experience and insight in technical services, cataloging, collection management, and

collection development. I had entered the program thinking that I wanted to pursue public

librarianship, and although that is still an interest I would like to pursue in the future, I was

surprised by how much I gravitated towards academic, special, and research libraries.

With the now relevant academic library experience that I have acquired throughout the

program, I am looking for librarianship opportunities in academic and/or special libraries. I have

recently applied for a full-time position at the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries with the Art

Institute as a Reference and Cataloging Librarian (the resume included in my ePortfolio is the

one I submitted). I also currently hold a part-time position at the Mansueto Library with the

University of Chicago, and my supervisor has encouraged me to apply to new full-time positions

that are in development.

My hope is that the fifteen artifacts that I have produced adequately display my

professional development in librarianship, as well as the development of my identity as a

librarian and information professional. I'm confident that the program has equipped me with

knowledge, tools, and skills that I need for the success of my professional career.