Reflection
While a comprehensive framework for any profession is a lofty goal, the seven MLIS Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) serve as a solid foundation for professional librarianship. These outcomes have been the guiding light throughout my 18 months at Old Dominion University, shaping my understanding and approach to the field. As I progress in the field, it will be crucial to reflect on these outcomes practically rather than just academically, ensuring that they are not just theoretical concepts but practical tools in our professional toolkit.
SLO#1: Create innovative responses to the needs and interests of diverse and global communities.
Each course emphasized that public libraries are meant to serve a community's needs. It's not just crucial, but it's our duty for public libraries to consider the needs of all community members, not just the most prominent groups. This should be considered when making decisions about collections (books, audiobooks, large print, etc.), buildings (signage, parking, restrooms, etc.), and events (virtual, in-person, children, etc.). Libraries often have limited budgets and must make tough choices about which resources to provide. However, it's essential for libraries to prioritize serving all members of the community when allocating their limited resources.
In my Personal Growth Plan assignment, I committed to expanding my knowledge of underserved communities, so this SLO becomes part of my responsibility as a librarian rather than just a school assignment. The collection plan and strategic planning assignments offered practice in applying theory to reality. In the Collection Plan assignment I created recommendations for increasing diversity in the pre-K collection at the Fairview Branch of Calvert Library. In the Strategic Planning assignment, I recommended offering a teen program focused on banned books, which often feature LGBTQIA+ characters, themes, and authors. Combining the personal growth plan tasks with a practical application of focusing on diversity will be of great value as a public librarian.
SLO #2: Demonstrate leadership attributes for a variety of information environments.
This SLO is the most difficult to demonstrate academically. While my portfolio's SLO chart acknowledges that I demonstrated this SLO through the Collection Plan and Strategic Planning assignments, I believe most of my leadership learning came from group projects. During the book discussions in two classes, some group members hesitated to share their ideas. Drawing on my experience in non-profit project management, I used leadership attributes to act as a coach, cheerleader, and organizer to ensure the success of the book discussions. Additionally, I focused on identifying the strengths of my team members and providing them with opportunities to shine. In other group projects, I utilized my leadership skills to clarify expectations, facilitate clear communications, and ensure that everyone had the chance to both lead and follow. While leadership is the central focus of this SLO, being a great follower also exemplifies great leadership. Providing my team with experiences to exercise both sets of skills is something I can apply to my current work as a public librarian.
SLO #3: Interpret and apply basic and applied research to improve their professional practice.
Research is vital in any academic program, but it is especially crucial in librarianship as it's a skill necessary throughout one's career. While formal citations may not be required in daily life, being intellectually curious is an integral part of being a librarian. One of the most important lessons I've learned about research is that it impacts people and isn't confined to written documents. Today's public librarian needs to be aware of the evolving nature of research to address budget challenges, book disputes, and industry trends. There's also a need to assist library patrons with their research needs. This was evident in the Identifying Future Trends assignment, as it involved research and its application in a creative format without resource limitations.
SLO #4: Access, synthesize, and evaluate information to assist information seekers.
This SLO specifically mentions information seekers, but I would challenge the SLO to expand to include more than just information seekers. Individuals walk into public libraries for various reasons, information being one of them. While I have only worked in the library for less than 100 days, I estimate that only about half of my interactions have involved information in the traditional sense. Some patrons are looking for entertainment, some are lonely and want to be around people, and some want to cool off in the sweltering temperatures. Whatever their reason for walking through the library doors, I promise to provide a safe environment to explore the library’s resources.
The Impact Report assignment is a good illustration of this SLO in the traditional sense. Creating a library collection from concept to reality was a unique opportunity to apply my skills while always keeping in mind the end user of the collection. While working with the National Emergency Training Center librarian, we created a framework for the donated collection and provided an avenue for growth if other individuals donated books to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create something from the beginning that will have a lasting impact on information seekers.
SLO #5: Integrate evolving technologies and theories that underpin their design application and use with library and information services.
The Identifying Future Trends assignment best aligns with this SLO. This task allowed me to explore library trends through research creatively. I delved into experiential retail and envisioned its application in a futuristic library. For instance, patrons could pre-select resources and receive reading recommendations before visiting the library. Personalized shopping is prevalent in retail, and the prospect of its availability in libraries is on the horizon. In my envisioned library, patrons would have the opportunity to customize their reserved reading room by selecting furniture, lighting, and even pre-ordering snacks. While this concept may manifest slowly, advancements in artificial intelligence and 3-D technology could bring it closer than anticipated.
SLO #6: Analyze current and historical trends to forecast future directions of the library and information field.
While the Identifying Future Trends assignment also applies to this SLO, the assignment I would like to discuss is the Collection Planning assignment. I focused on the needs of the pre-K collection based on the community demographics. Recognizing the community's changing demographics, it is important to reflect these changes in the collection. While diversity in children’s literature has exploded over the past few years, most books in the analyzed collection were from 2019 or earlier. Any library needs to recognize trends, especially in children’s literature, and replenish the collection with diversity in literature. While children’s literature is not my specialty, it is an interest that I would like to continue to learn about as a public librarian.
SLO #7: Create a plan for continuous professional development and lifelong learning.
My Personal Growth Plan assignment was my last assignment in the program. As I wrote it, I realized that a personal growth plan and a professional growth plan are one and the same for librarians. So much of being a librarian is embedded in being kind, empathetic, understanding, and curious. There isn’t a librarian I have interacted with who didn’t display these characteristics. The patience I have seen librarians demonstrate with frustrating patrons is remarkable. Patron services involve treating all patrons equally while recognizing that everyone is different, is on their own path, and carries their past with them.
My overall role as a librarian, as described in the job description, is to link library resources with patron needs in a safe environment. But saying hello to someone who may not be acknowledged as an unhoused person, offering a helping hand to a senior who is entering the workforce again, and providing food from a care closet for a struggling single mother are all parts of my daily job as a librarian now that were unexpected but are perhaps the most fulfilling. What an honor it is to be in this profession.