In 2023, after an extended health crisis that involved different periods of hospitalization and a life-changing surgery, I decided that I was going to truly start living the life that was given back to me and pursue my personal goals. This decision led me to apply to graduate school. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from San Diego State University in 2021, I found finding a job a challenge. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and stagnant job market, the feelings of isolation crept up and feelings of uncertainty about my future emerged. Although the prospect of graduate school had been a passing thought throughout my undergraduate studies, it did not seem attainable to me. During the pandemic, my frequent visits to the local library provided a sense of community. Being around others who were going through the same thing as you, i.e., the pandemic, truly brought people together. This sense of community rekindled my thoughts about pursuing a master’s degree. From an early age, I had a profound love for libraries, visiting daily with my grandparents, where I spent my time exploring the bookshelves, doing homework, or interacting with the librarians. The library provided a sanctuary for me and still does to this day. In 2023, I decided to do something with my passions and found the Library and Information Science program at Dominican University.
Throughout my pursuit of the Library and Information Science master’s degree at Dominican University, I have experienced growth not only as a student but in my personal development. The various courses I have taken during the master’s program has given me knowledge that will be instrumental in my upcoming career and will continue to influence different phases of both my professional and personal life. The integration of classes and the various assignments with real world issues and scenarios has prepared me to enter the LIS workforce and apply what I learned in my classes to real world settings. The outcomes of this program have provided guidance throughout my two years in the program aiding in development of plans for my future, the strategies to achieve it, and my aspirations as a student and professional. I was challenged academically which allowed me to become more curious and more motivated to do my best in my classes. The rewarding feelings at the end of each semester pushed me through the program and reminded me why I was doing this. The classes gave me that excitement to start my career and that feeling of uncertainty from my past started to diminish.
Throughout the program, interactions with professors and fellow students had influenced my learning experience at Dominican University. Learning from professionals in the field who have a passion for librarianship has transformed my educational journey. The ability to connect with other students has been instrumental in how I completed this program and maximizing the graduate school experience. Fellow students provided support in a variety of classes by offering ideas and giving feedback. Organizing events to meet each other and participating in different online groups had helped foster a sense of belonging, despite the fact that I was doing the program entirely virtually. This sense of community motivated me more than ever to complete coursework and explore new concepts and ideas. My love for this profession guided me in how I approached and completed assignments in the diverse range of classes I have taken. Receiving grades and feedback from professors and peers encouraged self-improved and reflection in how I wanted to show up, not only as a student, but also a professional. Interactions with students outside of the classroom fostered a sense of connection and motivated me to expand on my knowledge. These connections helped me develop a professional identity and how I wanted to engage in the profession. Goal 1 of the program emphasize the development of a professional identity and philosophy within the field and by using this to guide my coursework and interactions with a diverse student body helped that development.
Through the assignments completed in this program, I gained a more comprehensive understanding of the goals and outcomes of this program and how they were integrated into each piece of work I completed undertaken during my time in graduate school. I became more knowledgeable on how these outcomes effected the LIS profession. The Library and Information Science (LIS) profession is inherently linked with the principles of equity and access to information. As society evolves become increasingly diverse, libraries will have to continue to adapt to match the needs of these changing communities. In the past two years I spent my time curating a professional identity through the series of projects I have done, with each project providing a reflection of the future I want to achieve in the profession. The consistent integration of access to information in almost every one of my assignments connected my work back to the outcomes and goals of the program. By developing a professional identity and philosophy within the profession, I demonstrated how this concept of access to information guides practice in diverse settings and also explored the evolving nature within information environments. Throughout my courses I was able to gain insight into the nature of information, its effects on society, and the continued evolution. The recurring theme of access to information in all classes allowed me to effectively communicate its importance in relation to the LIS profession.
The research papers and literature reviews I have completed throughout the program are the artifacts that I considered as my best work. While all the artifacts included in this portfolio are a source of pride, these are the artifacts that have stood out to me. These assignments helped give me a better understanding of the MLIS Student Learning Goals and Outcomes, which I was able to incorporate into my assignments to guide how the papers were written and researched. For instance, my Core Collection paper, which focused on the topic, “Women and Philosophy and Concepts of Women and Feminity,” incorporated Goal 3. Goal 3 was the most important in creating this paper as it emphasized the ability to, “Navigate, curate, and create information across the spectrum of human records. In this assignment, I created a hypothetical collection that would facilitate information for the topics of women and philosophy, including feminity. By utilizing different resources to create the hypothetical collection, I was given the ability to not only manage information, but evaluate them in order to make sure they sensible fit into the collection with information that was not previously accessibly. The creation of this collection helped me explore the spectrum of human records and consolidating them into a chosen collection to improve accessibility for a specific community. This assignment also allowed me to understand how new collections increase accessibility and relate to the different outcomes in Goal 3.
Various assignments, such as my Leadership Paper, called, “Examination of Leadership Models and Women in Leadership,” had helped me develop a professional identity within the field, aligning with the goals and outcomes of the program. As a woman in the LIS field, I am increasingly aware of the evolving values and ethics within in the field and its effects on women in librarianship. An interview I conducted with a local librarian, explored her thoughts of women’s leadership within the field and her experiences with male and female managers. She explained the different leadership styles and the overall distinctions between men and women in the workplace. The persistence of gender-based disparities has motivated me to advocate for the continued evolution of the profession, to bridge the gender gap and eliminate gender bias. Through this paper and others, I have had a significant increase in confidence sharing my personal viewpoints on issues and a decrease in discomfort when expressing emotions. The classes in this program have demonstrated that is acceptable to address inequalities and other issues even if it uncomfortable to do so. In fact, it is a responsibility. The profession, as a whole, advocates for the equality of all members and their access to information. Papers like this have allowed me the opportunity to express attitudes that resonate with the profession.
The paper I resonated the most with and felt reflected the outcomes of this program was my Library and Information Science Issue Paper, which examined current trends or issues currently in the profession in relation to international libraries. I chose to do my paper on the significance of preserving cultural heritage during periods of war or crisis. The concept of cultural heritage is linked to the American Library Association’s value of access. Cultural heritage is a part of every culture in the world and the preservation of these materials is what allows societal evolution. By focusing on how information is relevant to our diverse society I was able to connect this back to the program by understanding how libraries impact their communities. The collection of materials and resources varies from library to library, depending on their geographical location and community members. This assignment presented the importance of libraries in their community roles and has inspired me to continue this importance in my future career. The ability to preserve history and enable community members to access information that is valuable to them pushes me to excel in the field.
Balancing a full-time job while also being a full-time student limited my opportunities to pursue an internship or other professional experiences in the field. Volunteering at my local library, particularly in the children’s section, was one of the very few opportunities I had available to expand my knowledge outside of the classroom. While I am still proud of my accomplishments in this program, I still wish I had the ability to focus exclusively on academia. Currently, I aspire to work in an academic library, particularly a archival role. When I first began this program, my goal was to work as a librarian in an academic library without a specific role. This was also due to the fact that I did not know the different roles for librarians until starting this program. In the beginning of the program I had thought that I wanted to be a reference librarian but as semesters went on and I had coursework that focused on archives, I began to realize that I had a strong interest in this area. While the role of a reference librarian remains a possibility, the possibility of working in an archival role has become a predominant thought. The concept of preserving various resources aligns with my reflection of accessibility to information in the LIS profession. Additionally, I have dabbled with the idea of working in a museum setting, particularly in art museums. The nature of historical preservation is very intriguing to me. Engaging with a diverse group of students provided me with valuable insights into the profession and allowed me to see the variety of opportunities available in the field. Interacting with peers that were at all different stages of their life allowed me to have the realization of the diversity of the LIS profession and the numerous career paths.
My hope is that this e-Portfolio reflects the change that I want to make as a librarian in the Library and Information Science (LIS) profession. Throughout the program, various of course and assignments allowed me to concentrate on the theme of information access and preservation. In my upcoming career, I aim to provide and ensure information access and meet the informational needs of those in the community I serve. Given the increase prevalence of book bans, particularly under the current White House administration, the importance of access to information is more important than ever. This program has allowed me to become more aware of my beliefs and be able to effectively communicate them with others. I have become more politically engaged within the field of librarianship by advocating for diversity and library funding amid the current political climate. I aspire to work in a field that maintains its values even in times of adversity or political pressure. I hope to share the profound impact this program had on me with others in my life.
Sydney Karlos Portfolio 