Observations of an Info-ologist

“Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.”

Neil Gaiman

When I was a child my happy place was our public library, where every summer I would scour the paperback revolving rack searching for supernatural or mystery titles. I was rarely disappointed. The children’s librarian, at the end of summer, chose a perfect book for me to keep, that I still have to this day, Jane-Emily a supernatural mystery by Patricia Clapp. I was awe struck that she had taken the time, without me knowing, to observe my reading preferences and cater to them as an end of summer reading program prize. To this day, that small gesture has had a profound impact on me. It showed me how much influence a skilled librarian can be for the good of a child’s development, for it fueled in me an even greater flame for my love of reading.

Three of my lifelong passions are singing, writing, and reading. I get to express my love of singing as cantor for our local Catholic Church and I occasionally write poetry. When we moved to the desert over a decade ago, I found myself, once again, drawn by my love of reading, to the literary fortress of my youth, the local public library, only this time I devoured my favorite science fiction authors from the adult fiction section. I spent my first year in Boulder City reacquainting myself with some old friends (the books) and made some new ones (the librarians). I found that what I desired to do, more than anything, was work in the public library, a career choice that had amazingly never occurred to me before. After many years, I finally had my chance and was hired as a part time Youth Services Associate. I found it to be the most perfect job for me ever, as I was now surrounded each day by people and books I love.

It is an incredibly diverse and inspiring experience to spend one’s days in a library. Over the course of my first year as a Youth Services Associate, I absorbed a new culture that I had not been previously exposed to, the wide world of librarianship. It is a rich and varied, but structured culture, and I feel like I have found my tribe. I have been impressed by the dedication of my coworkers, several of whom returned to school later in life to study to earn a Master Degree to become accredited librarians. It was then that a new future unfolded before me, I, too, would study to become a true librarian!

I was inspired to return to school, first to finish my undergraduate work with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies at Arizona State University (ASU) as an online student, then on to Graduate school to study for a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) here at San José State University. Being a non-traditional student has many challenges, but I have surprised even myself with how well suited I have been to pursuing this exciting new career path. My greatest weakness is that I never finished my Bachelors Degree. I started as a legacy at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), where my recently immigrated Russian grandmother had earned her medical degree in the 1930s. While there, I would often miss class due to illness and fall behind, leading me to withdraw and ultimately drop out of college the first time around.

Back on path on my journey, I continue to learn more about the exciting and front-line nature, particularly, of public librarianship. Throughout the course of my liberal studies, the concept of the Digital Divide has surfaced many times, and it has become the focus of my professional interest. The Digital Divide is that difference in the quality of life, or opportunities for the benefits of social mobility, between those who have access to technology and those who do not. It is an interdisciplinary problem, and libraries are quite possibly the number one solution on the frontline. Libraries are one of the few places a person can come and have free access to technology (including Wi-Fi, computer terminal access, and at cost printing), stay as long as they want (during business hours) and not be expected to buy anything.

The needs of the population vary from the extremely young, with story times and early literacy programs, to the more mature patron, who needs anything from a printed boarding pass, to technology classes or tax forms, and everyone and practically everything in between. It is a testament to the continued vitality of the public library and the universal access for which it represents. There is no one sector served, rich or poor, young or old, all have a place within the library walls of service and knowledge. It is my deepest desire to be a part of that, a welcoming place where continued learning and access are available to all.

ePortfolio Notes

This ePortfolio was created using google sites. The adventure starts with a homepage introduction (you are here!). Continue with navigation to the 14 competencies through menu selection with a competencies master list for reference. A conclusion awaits at the culmination of this ePortfolio journey along with my affirmation.

This work is a cumulation of many of my proudest achievements. Every artifact was meticulously crafted and prepared with the aspiration of achieving excellence in the field of Library and Information Science.