Jennifer Higgins

GSLIS Reflective Essay

8 March 2015

When I entered the MLIS program a year and a half ago, I had little idea of what
being a librarian entailed. Of course, I felt that an enjoyment of reading and a desire to
promote literacy and spread knowledge, all things that I have always espoused, were the
predominant and most essential characteristics of a librarian. While I believe that most, if
not all, librarians do and should share these sentiments, I know now that there is so much
more to being a librarian than loving books. Throughout the program, my concept of
what a library is and what a library can be has been constantly challenged and broadened.
Libraries house books, yes, but they are also so often makerspaces, learning commons,
safe third spaces for teenagers, and digital, literary, and general information access points
for their communities. Likewise, I have come to appreciate the field of librarianship as
more than just a group of collection developers, binding repairers, and book club hosts.
Librarians are often teachers, technology instructors, facilitators of access, promoters of
intellectual freedom, and staunch advocates for their communitys needs. It is difficult to
pinpoint all of the moments during my time at the Graduate School of Library and
Information Science that have been influential in this broadening perspective or in my
growth as a library and information professional. However, I have chosen to highlight a
few of my experiences as they relate to my development and the learning goals and
outcomes of the GSLIS.
In the fall of 2014, I was enrolled in the Special Topics Mock Newbery course,
and every aspect of that experience has had a pervasive influence on how I view my

GSLIS experience and my future career. On a personal level, this course redoubled my
excitement and pride in my career choice. Because of the cooperative, genial, and
supportive camaraderie of our mock committee, I look forward to meeting, networking
with, and collaborating with my fellow librarians at local and national levels. So
insightful and elevated were our discussions that I intend to find or create for myself the
opportunities to repeat the experience. Each aspect of the course, from the literary
analysis and justifying book nominations in accordance with the Association for Library
Service to Childrens criteria to lengthy discussions and debates, has made me a better
librarian. This experience meets several outcomes in each of the GSLIS goals to develop
a professional identity, including commitment to core values of LIS, synthesize theory
and practice within a dynamic and evolving information environment, and effectively
communicate and collaborate to deliver, market, and advocate for library and information
services. I am deeply familiar with the childrens titles published in the United States in
2014. I am better able to articulate the strengths and weaknesses of a book, both verbally
and on paper (outcomes 4a, 4b, 5d and 5e). Most importantly, I am also a better listener
and collaborator, finding it easier to accept and trust the validity of others viewpoints
after our prolonged discussions (outcomes 1e, 5c, 5f).
In terms of specific assignments, I most proud of my final project for the Special
Topics course, Media Literacy for Youth, as it was my first exposure to creating and
delivering a scripted lesson plan. I created this lesson plan with the goal of educating
teenagers about how to deconstruct information presented by the media, specifically in
political ads. As my target audience would be eligible to vote in the coming years, it is
important that they be aware of biases in these ad campaigns and have the skills and

strategies to determine the facts. While many aspects of the assignment resulted from
knowledge gained in this course, I also brought in information and strategies that I had
acquired through other classes. I brought in knowledge of age appropriateness from
Services for Children and Young Adults, lesson structure from School Libraries, and
video creation from Media Services and Production. Just as I pulled knowledge from
various courses, this assignment relates to multiple learning outcomes. The assignment
addresses information that is presented through the media, be it television, movies, music,
websites, advertisements, or branding (outcome 2a). By developing this lesson plan
specifically for an audience of teenagers who will soon be or have just become eligible
voters, I demonstrate the ability to assess my users information needs and respond
accordingly (outcomes 2c, 2d). I also demonstrated, in this assignment, my ability to
synthesize the information and strategies discussed and presented in class into a practical
application (outcome 4b). In presenting my lesson plan for my class and receiving their
participation and feedback, my confidence as a program creator, teacher, and speaker
increased dramatically.
The annotated bibliography on change and growth that I curated for the Library
Materials for Children course is a strong example of how my understanding of
information, materials, and library philosophies have developed during my time as a
GSLIS student. In my Introduction to Library and Information Science course, I was
given a similar assignment- to create an annotated bibliography of at least ten titles on
any subject I desired. We were directed to consider and choose items based on individual
value and on their relationship to the rest of the selected items. I chose ten biographies of
American presidents, a rather on-the-nose theme. My annotations were concise and

informative, and I chose titles diverse in author gender, author race, time period covered,
and political partisanship. However, I had a woefully limited knowledge of the materials I
chose or of the wider pool from which I was drawing. I had little understanding of how
best to search for and evaluate these materials. Finally, and most ominously, I lacked the
confidence to tackle a less straightforward subject. Four semesters later, I approached
this new annotated bibliography with a vastly improved knowledge of the reserve of
materials from which I was now choosing, resulting in a confidence to take on a less
literal and obvious theme with less literally and obviously related titles. Rather than a
simple categorical theme, this annotated bibliography features titles that approach, in
various ways, the concept of change and ensuing growth. I created a digital annotated
bibliography, using Tumblr as a platform, and included hyperlinks that ideally would lead
to each items entry in my librarys catalog (outcomes 2c, 2d, 3a, 3b, 5g). Again, I was
responsive to a collections need for diversity; this time representing not only authorial
diversity but also diversity of reading level, culture, gender, and format (outcome 1b, 2c,
2d). This assignment, especially when I compare it to my first annotated bibliography,
underscores the growth of my knowledge of childrens literature, of my ability to utilize
review tools, and of my audience and their needs.
Finally, I spent most of my time in the program with the intention of going into
the School Library Media Program, meaning that I had only nine elective credit hours. I
used three of those hours to take the Services for Children and Young Adults course, and
it will likely have the most frequent impact on my work as a librarian. The course
produced numerous artifacts that I am proud of, but did not have space to include in my
e-Portfolio. Coming from a rural setting, my public library did not have youth

programming when I was a child. As a result, I came into the program and this course
with little idea what youth services librarians did aside from curate collections. In this
class, I learned how to plan an engaging and educational storytime, how to recognize and
perpetuate the qualities that make successful tween and teen programs, and how to
promote a love of reading in patrons of all ages. We learned the importance of deliberate,
thoughtfully designed physical spaces for children and the implications design choices
have on access, agency, and fostering a love of reading (outcomes 1c, 2b, 2c, 2d). We also
discussed the importance of incorporating early literacy skills and STEM into our
programs. I discovered, critiqued and applied new technologies and digital platforms to
youth services and programming (outcomes 3b, 3c, 3d). I collaborated with my
classmates to develop and execute a STEM-related tween program (outcomes 2c, 2d, 4b,
4d, 5g). Because of the nature of its assignments, which involved presenting a live
storytime program, a thirty-minute booktalk, and a thirty-minute program segment, this
course transformed me into a more confident and commanding speaker. I entered the
course a self-conscious and timid presenter, but I left it with a newly found ease. The
course also involved a lot of hands-on exploration of various makerspace and craft
projects, brought in for the purpose of familiarizing us with popular activities in youth
programs and the makerspace at our instructors library. While these experiences made
much more aware of activities and products that can be used in that setting, I also learned,
as a result, the importance of establishing a safe, nonjudgmental space that also supports
improvisation. I have a vivid memory of struggling, as a masters degree candidate, with
a circuitry craft frequently completed by elementary-aged children. It was that moment,
and the mindset fostered by the course in general, in which I began to embrace struggles

and failures as opportunities for collaboration and reminders to take situations and myself
less seriously. As someone who is generally an anxious perfectionist, hoping to go into
youth services, this was an incredibly important lesson to learn. I am now more open to
challenging myself, thus increasing the likelihood of failure, but I am certain that this
willingness to step outside of my comfort zone and try new things will make me a
stronger librarian than I could be if I played it safe.
Though I entered the program with the intention of being a school librarian, I am
exiting with the hope of joining the youth services department of a public library. My
ideal position involves developing and running programs for school-age children, tweens,
and teens or working as a liaison between the library and area schools. I am confident
that the coursework that I have completed for my MLIS, with a focus on school libraries,
curriculum, and youth services, has prepared me to be successful in either capacity. In my
time as a GLSIS student, I have grown both professionally and personally. I am more
self-assured, articulate, and welcoming of collaboration than before. Through
participation in the ALA 2015 Midwinter conference and the Mock Newbery course, I
now understand and appreciate the importance of the library community and the wealth
of support and knowledge that lies there. Investing in the creation and maintenance of a
professional learning network will allow me to be of better service to my community than
I would be capable of in isolation. Additionally, now, not only do I have a stronger grasp
on the driving tenets behind librarianship as a whole, but I have also developed my own
professional values. Moreover, I understand how to enhance the access, advocate for the
intellectual freedom, and promote the literacy appreciation that I find so important.
Courses such as Media Literacy for Youth, Services for Children and Young Adults, and

Curriculum and School Libraries have broadened my concept of information and its
dissemination, making me a more diverse and conscientious collection developer and
educator. With insights and knowledge gained from Media Production and Services and
Organization of Knowledge, I have the skills to manage, manipulate and create tools that
promote and encourage the access of information, curbing barriers to and enhancing
usability of library catalogs and materials. Assignments and activities in the materials
courses for children and young adults, as well as the School Libraries and project-based
Grant Writing in Practice, have already put my classroom knowledge into practice with
authentic assignments and activities. Finally, even though I have no formal library
experience, I have been given multiple opportunities throughout my GSLIS tenure to
apply my skills and explore my programming, presentation, and advocacy styles in a safe,
constructive environment.