When I decided that I wanted to do my masters through Dominican, I had high

expectations for myself.I knew I wanted to finish the program quickly when I started it in Fall

2020, and will finish 3 semesters later in Summer 2021, having taken 12 credit hours each

semester. I have been working to graduate with as close to a 4.0 as I can, and as of now am on

track to do so. I also had set the goal to soak in all that I could despite having to do the entire

program online, and find a solid work/school/life balance despite the demands graduate school

placed on me. So far, I have achieved all that and even more. Going in, I expected the program to

be challenging, exciting, and overall rewarding, and that’s exactly what it ended up being. I have

even gone above and beyond my expectations, and have been offered a job as the youth services

librarian in Coronado, California.

My most significant learning experiences during the program came on a variety of

platforms. Some were technical, like learning how to properly catalogue books into library

systems. That is an extremely important task to learn how to do properly and it was one of the

classes that I still have notes from to help me once I start my job. It was one of the classes that

was the most difficult because it is essentially coding for librarians and if you mis-type

something or enter the wrong data, users will have trouble finding the material, or possibly won’t

be able to find that at all. And that is something that as an information professional, I want to

ensure never happens, and it shows how important knowing how to properly catalogue and label

material is.

Surprisingly, this was not one of my most difficult classes. It required a lot of focus, note-

taking, and meticulous work on my tests and assignment but I enjoyed it. It felt like my first

“real” class as an information & library science masters student. I think this was also because I
took it in my first semester, fall 2020 and I was so excited to finally start the program and the

other classes were introductory or centered around my youth services certification. Not that these

classes weren’t important for my degree, but this cataloging is something that I knew I’d be

learning about that I didn’t have any background yet. But I found it fascinating getting to learn

how cataloging works because I know how important it is for librarians to know.

Another significant learning experience I had was when I took Ebony Elizabeth Thomas’s

seminar class The Black Fantastic. This class focused on bringing awareness to Black authors of

science fiction, fantasy and more while educating myself and my classmates on the lack of

diversity in the literary, film, and TV world. In this class I developed a collection development

plan centered around Black writers and characters, learned that just because a booklist says that it

is all Black authors does not mean that is the case, and the importance of diversity within library

shelves. This class was an excellent class and I am grateful that I was able to take it, since I

doubt it would usually be a virtual class. This class also was exceedingly simple for me, because

I was fascinated by the coursework and was encouraged to learn more about The Black Fantastic.

I felt that it was a kickstarter into diversifying into other cultures and races as well.

A third and final significant learning experience that I’ve had has been not in an official

class, but from my fellow classmates. While I had planned to do this entire program online and

knew that it would a “isolated” masters program, COVID-19 forced everyone into online classes.

This meant that I met and took classes with people that I may not have ever gotten the change to

take class with because they live in the Chicago area and were planning on taking in-person

classes this last year. What this also meant was the people I met and interacted with was a wider

range of personalities. Through our group discussions and the zoom classes that I had I learned
new ways to work with collections, with patrons, and new ideas on how be a good librarian. As

an information professional I value any chance I get to learn more and to see what other people

think about the classes we take and the ideas we take away from the classes. And this is the

learning experience that I would deem as the most important one. While all my classes have had

valuable learning experience, as a future librarian (especially a youth librarian) I find that some

of the most valuable learning is done though others and experiences. Having your fellow

students comment on your work, give you pointers on what they liked/didn’t like about

presentations helps you grow. It also helps you practice taking criticism when necessary, which is

important in our field. We as information professionals look to our patrons to give us guidance

on how we can better serve them, what they want to see from the library, and if we are doing a

good job as their librarian. And a great place to start this is in classes. If we were in person these

are the people that I would befriend, study with, ask to read over my assignments if I needed a

second set of eyes, and make connections with. So that’s why I believe that this learning though

peers was so important: it was practice for the job I will be starting in just a few weeks.

One of the toughest classes that I have taken is one I am in now, LIS 708 Evidence Based

Planning, MGMT, and Decision Making. This class is one that takes me out of my comfort zone

and into a more scientific look at libraries, and how to research moving parts of the library. This

is an important class to take because knowing how to survey and examine the inner working

parts of a library, patron usage of a library’s programs/resources, and overall patron satisfaction

are all important, and those are only a few things that can be measured within a library. This

class is difficult for me because my brain is not wired for science, which causes me to have to

spend extra time on this class in order to learn the material and really get a handle on the
assignments for the class. But the challenge is inspiring me to focus and really buckle down,

especially since I am in the final stretch until graduation. Other than this class, it is hard to think

of another class that I have really found difficulty that I was (or am currently) taking. I

understand the important and reason for all the classes that are required, and all the electives I

took were my first choices.

Switching to my portfolio, there are 3 items that stand out as my favorites and ones that I

am exceptionally proud of. One is the presentation that I put together titled The Importance of

Picture Books for Preschoolers is my number one favorite. This presentation, directed at first

time parents, highlights why it’s so important to promote literacy with preschoolers. The reason

that I consider this my top favorite out of the three is because it really embodies my values and

my background. As a certified elementary school teacher, who has taught preschool the last 4

years, and who is also a massive bookworm, spreading the value of literacy is one of my top

priorities when it comes to my career. I think that literacy is one of the most important things to

develop and encourage with readers of all ages because it sets children up for success and as

future library patrons! Some of my proudest moments as a preschool teacher are parents coming

up to me and going on about their children’s love developed for reading and thanking me for

providing them with tips and tricks to help them encourage reading at home. This is something

that I hope to continue to do as a youth librarian but on a larger scale.

From here I turn to my second favorite portfolio item; my book talk for elementary aged

kids centered around fantasy youth book series. This is something that I am proud of because it

unintentionally provided me with a huge challenge. One of my challenges as a teacher and

librarian is that I talk very quickly, and here I had to really focus on the speed that I spoke at.
Looking back at it, I can see a huge growth in my speaking speed and am very proud of the work

and focus I used. And the content is something else that I am very proud of. All the books that I

speak about with such passion are all book, and book series, that I have read. This was the first

book talk that I did in my graduate program, and in doing so I got a glimpse about what my

future as a youth librarian will look like. Since COVID, many libraries have moved a large

chunk of their services online and will continue to keep services online even now that the world

is beginning to reopen. So I can easily envision myself putting out monthly book talks online for

my young patrons to watch before exploring new books either through the online catalogue or by

coming into the library.

And the third item in my portfolio that stands out is my paper titled Libraries: Timeless

or Dated? because the topic is one that I’ve thought about a lot. I argue that libraries are not

dated because they adapt and work to be reverent as time goes on and technology progresses. I

also felt this topic was important because when people find out what I’m studying and what I

want to do for my career they often stare at me with surprise. I can’t count the number of times

I’ve had people ask “You need a masters degree to be a librarian” or “Librarians are still a

thing?”. I don’t know a single other person who has to explain their career choice like I’ve had

to, and it has just inspired me to work harder and show the world that yes, libraries ARE still a

priority and are relevant. This paper was one step to take, because through it I gained new

information to share with people who don’t see the point or value of libraries anymore.

Writing this paper, I can really see who I am as a librarian come through. I can see my

passion, dedication, and exactly where I will end up, in a children’s library. My passion for

literacy, educating others (especially children), and installing a love for reading shines, and this
makes me happy. I’ve always known that I wanted to work with children and books, and when I

realized this was my path I never looked back. I’m also lucky to have a background in education

which will really help when I am running story times and planning youth programs.

In fact, I am headed this route sooner then expected. In the beginning of June I saw an ad

for the youth librarian job in Coronado, CA and decided to apply. I got the job within three

weeks, and will be starting within two weeks of when I turn this paper and the rest of my e-

Portfolio in. I am so excited to start my librarian journey before I even finished my LIS program

in August. And not only do I already have a job, I’m also going to be working in the library that I

have been going to since I was six years old. It has been my dream to work at this library for

years and the fact I get to work there is something I didn’t think would happen this early into my

librarian journey. As I progress in my career and become more comfortable in my new role I

have so many plans on how to promote the library and connect with the community and to draw

in more young readers, including those that I used to teach. Parents have already told me how

excited they are to be able to have me in their kids lives and help them learn to love reading just

like the librarian did for me when I was their age. And honestly, that is what I feel is the most

important thing as a librarian, especially as a youth librarian. And I can’t wait to start.