Yessenia Rivas ePortfolio

Hello and welcome to my e-Portfolio!

The e-Portfolio is a culmination of the work I, Yessenia Rivas, produced throughout San Jose State University (SJSU) as a graduate student in the Masters of Library and Information Science (MILS) program. The e-Portfolio shall meet the requirements to earn my MILS degree and enter my professional career.

INTRODUCTION

I began working for the County of Los Angeles Library during the summer of 2014. My experience in learning how to serve the community inspired my decision to earn my MLIS degree. Communities value the work and help you provide, and as you slowly immerse yourself, you build connections and friendships that leave an impression. Life at the library has been fun, and I enjoy helping children with homework, teaching different age groups about technology, answering reference questions, helping people apply for passports, and sharing my creativity alongside the guidance of the Young Adults (YA) Librarian. I entered the program during Fall of 2016 and have awaited this month since then because I am ready for the next step in aiding my community.

Having spent two years working at a library before enrolling as a student, provided me with time to ponder about the kind of librarian I would like to be. Entering the program, I knew I wanted to be a YA Librarian in a public library, and that has not changed. Young adults are eager to learn and express their creativity, and as a YA Librarian, you play a pivotal role in shaping the lives of the youth by providing them with resources and opportunities to engage in creative learning. The LIS program, however, has provided me with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be an LIS professional. Although my interest resides in YA Librarianship, I feel prepared to navigate any area concerning LIS to apply the competencies I have learned at SJSU.

E-PORTFOLIO STRUCTURE

The e-Portfolio consists of the following: a statement of professional philosophy, a section for competencies, reflections of the MILS program, and a personal growth plan. I used the new Google Sites to create my e-Portfolio due to my familiarity and experience in using the service to create multiple websites for previous LIS classes. The e-Portfolio website is easy to operate. On the left-hand side are the tab functions to navigate between pages. The competencies tab is the only one with a drop-down menu, featuring 15 competencies that cover diverse topics related to the field of LIS. Each competency includes a section that defines and analyzes the competency, a section explaining my preparation with accompanying evidence, how I intend to apply what I have learned in the future, and a list of references that helped guide my definition and analysis for the competency.

The MILS program prepares students to think about their competencies and e-Portfolio early in the program. In INFO 203 Online Learning class, Professor Runnels taught us how to use Excel as a source to track our progress in the MILS program. The Excel Sheet allowed us to keep a record of the classes and competencies we had taken during the semester. Apart from the Excel Sheet, I used a planner for quicker reference so that I would not have to navigate through browsers and software as I developed my competencies. In INFO 204 Information Professionals, Professor Stenstrom showed us how to save work on canvas for our e-Portfolio. Although a powerful and useful tool, I did not find myself using it in following semesters. As mentioned, my familiarity with Google Sites encouraged me to use this source for the development of my e-Portfolio.

The first competency I ever wrote was for INFO 275 Library Services in Diverse Communities. Professor Rebmann wanted our final assignment to serve as a steppingstone that would allow students to reflect on the work produced for that class in a manner that would satisfy our e-Portfolio. I am content with the outcomes of this assignment as it guided my understanding of the development of future competencies. I feel content to have reached the end of my journey as a MILS student, and I look forward to the future. Creating the e-Portfolio has been unforgettable. Scouting for sources is a mission that requires you to tap into past experiences, a feeling that is both welcoming and warming. I found myself running into assignments I had forgotten about, but the experience, of course, is unforgettable. For my readers, I hope you find new insights in my competencies and the work I produced, and observe the connections that prompted me to become a librarian.