MLIS e-Portfolio

This e-portfolio constitutes a detailed summation of my Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree program at San José State University. It comprises this introduction plus three other main sections:

Areas of Competency: An in-depth look at the program's 14 Core Competencies (A–O). Each entry includes my definition of the competency and my understanding of why that competency is important to the information profession. For each competency I present specific pieces of evidence—my coursework and other work—and explain how that evidence elucidates the skills and knowledge I gained. Lastly, I describe how those newfound skills and knowledge might benefit me in my professional career.

Conclusion: A final reflection on my time and work in the MLIS program, plus a brief discussion of the proficiencies and strengths I have developed over the course of the program and how I might bring those to bear on a career as an information professional.

Affirmation: Statements declaring that the work presented is my own, that I have password-protected the content, and that the content respects the privacy of individuals.

At the beginning of my MLIS career I read advice to not wait until my final semester to prepare for my e-portfolio, but to plan ahead both in my course selection and in gathering materials. I took this advice to heart. From my very first semester and over the next two and a half years, I kept a version of the student success planner Excel spreadsheet updated with information that would help me meet the competency requirements.

On the Course Planner tab, I listed both completed and planned courses, with checkmarks indicating which courses fulfilled which competencies. I included backup options in case, for example, my first-choice courses weren’t available during a certain semester. I adjusted the entries as needed based on courses I was actually able to take or as I refined my area of interest as I progressed toward my degree.

On the Evidence Organizer tab, I listed out any class assignment or other work that I thought I might possibly want to cite in the e-portfolio, including multiple projects and assignments per competency to leave myself plenty of options. As each semester went on, I downloaded graded and otherwise completed works and saved them in a special folder to spare myself from having to dig them all up and organize them during my e-portfolio term.

I found that these exercises in organization and planning not only better prepared me for the e-portfolio, they also helped me think about my degree in a more critical way. Revisiting my courses and coursework throughout the program kept not only the work itself but my intended end goal top of mind. It helped me place my work in context to better understand how the pieces fit together in the grand scheme of my MLIS degree.

Moreover, examining what types of assignments and courses I was eager to a) include in the e-portfolio, and b) take on in the future to meet the competency requirements helped me realize that my real interest lay in a special librarianship path. It was with great enthusiasm and excitement that I completed this e-portfolio as both the culmination of that degree path and a way forward to pursuing a role in that profession.