About
I have gained a multitude of experiences while working toward my MLIS, both academic and professional. I began working at Transition Projects, Inc. in June of 2007, just prior to beginning the online degree program through the University of Washington. During the first quarter of my studies, I realized that special librarianship and service of underrepresented communities were in no way mutually exclusive. This is one theme I hope to exemplify throughout this portfolio.
I enrolled at the iSchool looking toward a career in special librarianship, either in a corporate or an academic setting. Given my interests in database design and management, cataloging, and reference services I sought out opportunities to explore these areas of librarianship specifically. In addition to the coursework I completed in these areas, I also made employment and internship choices that allowed me to focus on these topics. These endeavors provided me with hands–on use of an SQL database and data retrieval system, time in the reference department of a prominent academic library, and additional familiarity with two commonly used classification systems.
A Visit to the RAC Construction Site
Now, as I begin my professional career as the Information Manager at Transition Projects, among my myriad responsibilities will be collecting and maintaining information resources, as well as assisting with program development and analysis. This position will therefore require that I put to use a variety of skills I have acquired to date in order to fulfill duties of both a solo librarian and a research analyst. I am especially looking forward to having the opportunity to develop library resources at the Resource Access Center (RAC) for our clients and the staff and volunteers who serve them.