#cantwaitformore!

[librarylearning17-blog]

Final Reflections

I can’t believe how fast this semester went by! I have learned so much that I hadn’t even thought about before taking this class. I think the biggest thing that was rather “mind blowing” to me was the ALA Code of Ethics. It makes since that there would be a code of ethics for this profession, but I had never thought of it! It is nice to have something to refer to when in the middle of a tough situation, or when something could get tricky. This is something I can bring to my current and future positions. Right now I am working in a fine arts library, so copyright issues come up quite often. It is nice to refer to the code of ethics when I need to. 

Having class discussions with my classmates was also very insightful for me. It was really nice to hear what other people were thinking and what they were interested in pursuing in this field. I didn't realize how many different jobs there are in library science! I always thought about working in an academic library or public library; not in a law firm or hospital or even a museum really. This really made me think about different ways to take my career path. However, I found through this exploring that I do actually love academic libraries and would love to someday be a librarian in an academic setting. I also realized however that I would be happy being a reference librarian or subject librarian and wouldn’t necessarily have to be working with music everyday to be happy. Of course it would be very nice to use my background in music, but if I don’t I still have a passion for libraries without the music aspect. 

Our searching exercise was also very helpful to me. It forced me to delve deeper into searching and finding information. I usually only search one database and can usually find what I am looking for, but learning how to use different databases and find information gives me so many more options. This can really help patrons that I work with now and also in future positions. 

I can’t wait to take even more classes! It will be so exciting to continue learning about this field. This class has really helped me to concretely know that I want to pursue a degree in library science. I definitely want to focus on academic libraries and it would be nice to become a subject librarian some day. Right now, I see myself enjoying my current position for awhile. I look forward to the future and my career in library science. 

[librarylearning17-blog]

Revisiting Assumptions/Assertions of LIS

Looking back on my post about what I was expecting and thought of LIS, I realize by just taking this first class towards my MLIS I have learned A LOT. Libraries are much more than just a place to check out materials. Librarians do more than just find information and not all librarians work in libraries or with the public. At first I thought that a subject or reference librarian was mainly there to help patrons find information. The reality is that they order materials, have their own research, are on committees that help libraries continue to thrive and are actively involved in professional associations- along with interacting with and assisting patrons. By viewing my colleagues’ work and thoughts, I realize that not everyone has the same goals nor do they want they same “job” even though we are pursuing the same degree. Some people want to work in law firms, museums, schools, and hospitals- not just public or academic libraries. I think the term “information specialist” is a great way to look at library science professionals. This helps to eliminate the idea that all librarians do the same things in libraries only. 

Some things that have stayed the same for me through the course of the semester are that I knew librarians did more than just check out books, just not to the extent that I learned about in this course. I also realized after exploring different outlets of this profession, that I still am passionate about academic libraries and want to be a subject librarian. I am glad my goal stayed mainly the same, but I now have so many other ideas about what I want to do. I am so much more interested in learning different technologies (even blogging was new to me). I also want to be more involved in professional associations such as the Music Library Association. I don’t just want to be a member, I want to be actively involved with the association by presenting research or posing discussion questions- maybe even being on a committee or being an officer for the association. Now I don’t feel like I will just be searching materials for patrons, but will be more involved in the library and community I serve. I feel very lucky to have had the experiences I have had with libraries and in this class. It has been wonderful to connect with people who share an interest in passing along information and researching topics. It is also nice to see how many outlets this profession contains.