Goal 1: Develop a professional identity and philosophy within the library and information professions.
Outcome 1a. Describe the evolving nature of the core values and ethics within diverse information environments.
The selected research paper from LIS 701 exemplifies research on the history of, and shifting priorities surrounding diversity in staffing and representation within museums and similar professional settings in Library and Information Sciences. The focus is largely on current statistics and the historical disparities that have led to the current state of many heritage institutions, as well as goals and progressive policies that are up and coming. Much of my research was devoted to study of institutions whose ethical practices and values have surpassed the efforts of their counterparts across the United States, why this is the case, and how others can learn from and follow their example.
Artifact 1a: Diversity and Accessibility in US Museums
Outcome 1b. Demonstrate how a philosophy, theory, model, and/or major perspective of the library and
information profession guides practice in diverse settings.
This Diversity and Inclusion reflection was written as part of an LIS 702 course heavily focused on access services and delivering to varied user needs. Diversity and Inclusion in public libraries has been a primary focus across most of my coursework, and this reflection depicts my understanding of and commitment to Diversity and Inclusion in any setting, but especially from a staffing and leadership standpoint. When this philosophy is nurtured from the top down, it encourages growth and public risk taking that is a safety net for diversity-minded staff. It is critical to not only accept differences, but to actively base programming and infrastructure around diverse needs and abilities to foster safe spaces and create positive and inclusive environments and communities.
Artifact 1b: Diversity and Inclusion Reflection
Outcome 1c. Participate in professional activities and associations, such as professional conferences and meetings,
internships and practicums, and professional email discussions and social media.
In this program, there was less face-to-to face professional association and activities than may have been the case had I completed more of my program prior to the Pandemic. While living in Chicago, I attended meetings of the Information Sciences Student Organization, and post-Covid I completed a practicum at the Oswego Heritage House in Oregon, participated in webinars through DU, and, in my 707 class I interviewed employees of the Multnomah County Library system through email and zoom conferences to gain insight on their perception of leadership in the institution. I have maintained relationships with many people I met through my professional activities. The artifact I have chosen to show my competence in this area is a leadership paper I completed for my 707 class, in which I synthesized general leadership research and a centrally featured book on the topic with the reports and information I gleaned from the employees I interviewed at MCL to assess and discuss the current leadership practices at that institution.
Artifact 1c. Leadership Paper
Goal 2: Understand the essential nature of information and its relevance to our diverse society.
Outcome 2a. Describe various definitions and concepts of information.
This artifact, a reading response from my 882 Metadata class, cites several readings that contributed to my overall knowledge of information, data, metadata, and other ways of comprehending, explaining, and organizing information. In my response to this I cite knowledge and concepts about information gained in from my 703 class, Organization of knowledge, and critically assess the concept of metadata and its hierarchical place in the information sciences. The reading response also discusses metadata as it pertains to the dissemination of information and general use and access to
information, and the concept and practicality of of metadata vs. other information.
Artifact 2a. Metadata Reading Response
Outcome 2b. Explain the impact of information policies on intellectual freedom, access, literacy,
information behavior, and other aspects of library and information science.
The artifact I have chosen to represent this goal is a Poster Presentation from my LIS 701 class, in which I discuss the financial policies that create access barriers to information institutions, in this case, explicitly museums. In addition to emphasizing intellectual freedom and avoiding censorship through collection building and accurate/inclusive cataloging, I have focused throughout my coursework on the role of often overlooked policy barriers like admission fees and late fines, that create homogenous and non-optimally accessible environments and the other financial considerations that dictate behaviors within, and access to information institutions and resources. This is one of many assignments where I focused on or included information about common financial barriers to access, the repercussions of selective financial policies, and the ways museums and other institutions can work toward barrier removal.
Artifact 2b. Museum Access Poster Presentation
Outcome 2c. Develop appropriate responses to assessed information needs within diverse
communities/organizations.
This artifact is a presentation I delivered in support of a program I developed to increase access to literacy services in a historically underrepresented area of Portland where I saw a lack of library infrastructure. My proposal (staged as a faux/theoretical job application presentation) is a trial run of laundromat literacy programming that would allow those far from a library building to participate in tutoring and storytime in a safe and useful area close to their homes. The plan would require minimal and affordable infrastructure that would furnish laundromats in the aforementioned areas, with planning for evaluation and reconfiguration, along with all of the financial planning and staffing considerations required to deliver the program and assess benefits with input from the community it would serve.
Artifact 2c. Laundromat Literacy Presentation
Goal 3: Navigate, curate and create information across the spectrum of human records.
Outcome 3a. Design resources or tools that facilitate access to information.
In LIS 882, as well as LIS 703, I learned basic, intermediate and advanced skills in the creation and use of metadata records using schema like RDA, VRA, Dublin Core, and more. One project required working in a group of 3 to create, encode, crosswalk and assess several metadata schema that we selected based on our chosen items, in this case, an art collection comprised of artists known to the record creators. We created unique records of items, and curated a collection of thorough and varied metadata records in various formats to accompany the collection. The artifact I have chosen to represent this is the Final VRA record I created for a painting, one of many records created for this project.
Artifact 3a. VRA Record
Outcome 3b. Utilize resources or tools to manage information
In my Digital Curation class we used Omeka to create digital collections, and used and assessed other tools for the creation and access of varied types of digital collections. While the items included our class Omeka Exhibits were not preserved (only the main info page, mine is available here http://108.166.64.190/omeka222/collections/show/86) We used our experience using and observing information management platforms and tools to create digital curation plans for three types of collections – social media, scientific data, and digital humanities. To create this plan we pulled from previous class experience and the knowledge and use of information management tools we had practiced throughout the semester.
Artifact 3b. Digital Curation Plan
Outcome 3c. Evaluate resources or tools that manage and facilitate access to information.
Evaluate resources or tools that manage and facilitate access to information.
In my 882 Metadata class, in response to the Metadata record collection we created for the group project described in Goal 3a. I assessed our group work as well as the schema that we chose. In my report, I analyzed the contextual pros of cons of the schema my group used and the usefulness and extent of the metadata that each schema supports and facilitates. The group consensus was that VRA was most useful and detail retentive for our our purposes, though the other schema were suitable, if not optimal. The report discusses why, in more depth.
Artifact 3c. Metadata Group Report
Goal 4: Synthesize theory and practice within a dynamic, evolving, and diverse information environment.
Outcome 4a. Apply library and information science theories, principles, and research to professional
practice.
This artifact, a mock grant proposal for an archival collection, is an example of a skill I improved upon in this program. I am able to use it professionally, which I have successfully done, freelance, since early 2021, as well as in an assisting capacity prior to this program. I have used this skill to gain public and private funding for myself, as well as other artists and educators ranging from $3 to $20k. This artifact is evidence that I am able to not only use the skill of grant-writing in professional practice, but do so while extolling the virtues and principles behind archival and library work, and justify or promote archives in a professional setting. I am also able to perform the necessary research and technical information compilation to support a grant proposal as well as other of types professional documentation.
Artifact 4a. Grant Proposal
Outcome 4b. Evaluate current and emerging technologies for information capture, organization,
dissemination, access, and/or curation to meet the variety of information needs of diverse communities.
This artifact is a response to several publications and a guest speaker in LIS 882 about the advent of and potential implications of linked data in the broader information management and library science community. In this response I discuss linked data benefits and how to describe or sell the benefits to a workplace or group, and explain how it fits into the information landscape. I note current practices and difficulties in data dissemination/management, and how greater adoption of the technology would affect our profession and the broad community of digital information users.
Artifact 4b. Linked Data Response
Outcome 4c. Demonstrate teaching and learning principles in relation to professional practice.
The artifact I chose for this goal is a museum or classroom lesson plan based around appreciation of indigenous art and empathetic discussion of artists and subjects. It uses the principles learned in my LIS702 class regarding educational best practices and designing learning and activities for specific age groups. The lesson is designed to be delivered in a museum or remotely in a classroom, with instructions that can be adapted for remote learning and varied funding abilities.
Artifact 4c. Lesson Plan
Goal 5: Effectively communicate and collaborate to deliver, market, and advocate for library and information services.
Outcome 5a. Apply marketing and/or advocacy principles to demonstrate and promote the value of
libraries and information agencies.
This artifact is a Record Management/Information Governance plan for a theoretical university whose RM/IG issues were (according to my professor) based on an actual university. I had to assess threats, argue for/market my proposed solutions to advocate for proper funding, and outline how my solutions would be delivered and implemented. A key part of this assignment was to advocate for best practices in information governance and management and communicate the solutions’ benefits as well as the potential threats to the university (largely legal) if proper services and solutions were not implemented. I also had to assess urgency and prioritize proposed services case by case.
Artifact 5a. RM/IG Plan
Outcome 5b. Demonstrate effective professional communication to achieve common understanding
as an individual or in group settings.
This video presentation of a program proposal shows that I am able to speak publicly to a group or individual in a professional setting. For this video, I recorded myself in one take while presenting a Powerpoint to support my proposed plan and maintain optimal engagement with my audience, and received full points and excellent feedback about my ability to achieve common understanding regarding this proposed project and its value. This shows my ability to communicate effectively face to face and/or remotely, which is now so critical with the onset of the pandemic and a large shift to remote work and education.
Artifact 5b. Laundromat Literacy Presentation
Outcome 5c. Demonstrate leadership principles in an educational, professional, or community context.
This artifact is a Leadership Paper in which I assess leadership practices and principles at an institution I chose to work with and whose employees I interviewed about their experiences and impressions of successful and unsuccessful leadership practices and principles. I worked with several employees at Multnomah County Library and synthesized my findings with research articles found independently, along with readings assigned in class to analyze the current environment and make evidence-based recommendations for improvement. For this assignment we were required to incorporate principles from an approved full-length book on leadership, and I selected the book Dare to Lead by Brenee Brown, which I read twice in its entirety for this assignment.
Artifact 5c. Leadership Paper
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