Thank you for reviewing my portfolio and allowing me to share reflections of my time as

a student of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican

University.
I officially started this journey three years ago, yet my goal to obtain a Master of Library
and Information Science took many years to come to fruition. It is very gratifying to
finally arrive here; I could not have done it without the love and encouragement of my
family and friends, and the financial support and flexibility of my employer.
I could have chosen other schools to earn my degree and am pleased that I selected
Dominican. Courses were offered in a variety of formats and I chose many types; from
classroom - to online - to weekend to hybrid. I enjoyed each one, and valued being in
a classroom setting most of all. To me, sharing and interacting in a physical location
reinforced the experiences and connections. Yet, I was grateful for the convenience of
online classes during the harsh Chicago winters.
As I prepared this portfolio, the goals of the program and knowledge I gained in the
classes synthesized into a tapestry of enlightenment and appreciation. As a result of
this graduation requirement, I gained greater insight and understanding of how pieces of
the program fit together and how they fulfilled learning goals. Constructing this
presentation has been a worthy exercise; it made me review my work, remember things
I forgot about, and validated why I gave up days, evenings, nights, weekends, sleep,
and vacation time to study, and work on assignments!
LIS 701 laid the foundation for ensuing classes by providing me with the principles of
librarianship, which I consistently relied upon in my academic toolkit. Librarians are
DEBRA NELSON: REFLECTIVE ESSAY

champions for the causes of intellectual freedom, equal access to information, privacy,
and first amendment rights. American libraries promote knowledge, learning, and
expansion of ideas.
I was fortunate to have Janice Del Negro as my LIS 701 instructor. Her enthusiasm,
knowledge, and teaching style influenced my success at Dominican. Any misgivings
that I may have had about pursuing my MLIS evaporated as a result of being a pupil in
her class. She had high expectations of her students, and I worked very hard to meet
her standards. This experience instilled a work ethic in me that grew stronger every
semester. I recently saw Janice at the Reaching Forward Conference and thanked her
for her leadership and inspiration.
One of the best aspects of the library field is the helpfulness and willingness to share
ideas among colleagues. I worked for many years in the telecommunications industry
before I was hired in a public library. The contrast between my former and current
profession could not be more polar. Whereas my past experiences in the work force
consisted of keeping my knowledge and skills a closely guarded and competitive secret,
my professional life in a library is one of openness and sharing.
I did not fully recognize this aspect of the profession, nor understand its powerful
meaning until I took Information Policy (LIS 755) with Edward Valauskas. Like LIS 701,
this class deeply affected me and helped shape my beliefs. The class was small (6
students) and we tackled relevant topics every week, such as: net neutrality, privacy,
copyright, data collection, censorship, patents, contracts, and trademarks. We learned
how existing laws and judicial decisions influence the transmission of information. I wish

DEBRA NELSON: REFLECTIVE ESSAY

I had more classes that were as comprehensive, and went into as much depth as this
one. I have the knowledge and awareness to address concerns as they pertain to
information, and am confidently well versed in Information Policy issues since
completing LIS 755.
I believe my best work is the website I designed for LIS 753. I chose this class because
I wanted to face my fears head on. This class was unlike any other I took at Dominican
because it was purely technical. It is generally agreed that library staff must be more
technically advanced than ever and have the capacity to solve problems from both
creative and procedural angles a balanced mix of right brain and left brain
functionality. I had to use the left side of my brain to construct the website, yet it was, in
my opinion, an immensely creative accomplishment. By far, LIS 753 was the most
challenging class I encountered, and for this reason, my artifact for Outcome 3b is a
personal highlight.
The most significant learning experiences for me as a GSLIS student were when I
applied knowledge and skills to actual working scenarios. Outcome 4b is an example of
this type of learning experience. Knowing that I was contributing to the Polish Museum
of America librarys documentation efforts made the experience profoundly effective. I
like to see concepts in action; the practice behind the theory. I enjoyed working on class
assignments that generated usable finished products.
I guess you could say I am a results oriented person. Collection Management LIS 748
provided me with several of those experiences. When I created a seed collection as one
of the assigned projects, I discovered resources that had usefulness for the library I

DEBRA NELSON: REFLECTIVE ESSAY

work at, resulting in purchases based on my suggestions. Another assignment was a

collaborative project by all the students in the class to create a Programming Survey for
the Berkeley Public Library. It is interesting that the survey exercise illuminated what I
learned in LIS 770. In Library Management, I learned how a librarys commitment to the
information needs and interests of the community is demonstrated by its efforts to be
accountable. One avenue to accountability is measuring performance through customer
satisfaction. A survey is an opportunity for a library to get feedback. Responding to the
information collected is the outcome of policy and assessment, and is part of the
information delivery cycle. Creating the survey for the Collection Development class
took these Library Management concepts full circle. Thanks to Lenora Berendts
Collection Development class, I have a better understanding of how to evaluate and
choose services/ resources my patrons require, as well as deselecting the ones that no
longer serve a purpose.
Ed Valauskas taught courses that always included field trips or class speakers that
connected the subject and learning goals of the class to each other. Those visits made
the classes memorable, which reinforced what I learned. For instance, I always wanted
to see a handwritten book, and got my chance to view a pre-Guttenberg manuscript
while on a visit to DePaul University for a History of the Book class, LIS 712. To me, the
book symbolized the before and after of the Modern Age. Other classes discussed the
importance of the Guttenberg Press, but it was not until I saw the painstaking detail of a
handwritten book that I understood the true impact of the invention, and how it related to
my course of study.

DEBRA NELSON: REFLECTIVE ESSAY

In my personal statement I wrote, These are challenging times to say the least.
Economic hardship is taking its toll on communities. Digital transformations seem to be
occurring at an exponential rate. Virtual books are replacing actual ones. However, I
see this as an exciting renaissance. New technologies and the user experience are
taking center stage. Libraries can never go back to the way things used to be. Nor
should they expect it to! I agree with what I wrote as much today as I did three years
ago.
I look to Dr. S.R. Ranganathans Five Laws of Library Science as my guiding principles:

Books are for use.

Every reader his [or her] book.
Every book its reader.
Save the time of the reader.
The library is a growing organism.

The word book can be interchanged to describe the many resources libraries that
provide, but the spirit of the principles remains the same. Libraries are dynamic, growing
organisms and it is exciting to be at the threshold of the professions metamorphosis.
The libraries of the future will look different from the ones of yesterday. There are
success stories and some are really surprising. For instance, the Aurora (Colorado)
Public Library opened an outpost branch in a K-Mart store! Patrons can place and pick
up holds, return materials, or use the computer center. According to Library Journal
(http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/07/library-services/colorado-library-opens-outpostinside-kmart/) this is the first such computer center in a retail store. Libraries are

DEBRA NELSON: REFLECTIVE ESSAY

becoming community centers, meeting places, and are finding new ways reach the
communities they serve.
One of the major challenges facing libraries today is staying connected to their
customers. By connected, I mean more than just technology. However, technology is
at the core of this challenge because it has grown exponentially. The internet has
changed the library landscape. Reference questions can be answered, and books can
be downloaded anywhere a person has internet access using the device of choice.
Libraries are simply becoming access points. Ironically, libraries promote their virtual
services such as databases, downloadable music and e-books; yet become concerned
when their door counts drop. Its a catch-22. As of August, 2011, 78% of American
adults use the internet (Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project Surveys, March
2000 August 2011). Staying connected with patrons is important because a trip to the
library is no longer necessary, which can have an eroding effect on how libraries are
valued and perceived.
I advocate for libraries anytime I find an opportunity to do so. My library radar is always
on; it is almost instinctive. Whenever I encounter someone who says that libraries are
not necessary, I no longer get dismayed. Instead, I kick into elevator speech mode. I
credit GSLIS at Dominican for instilling me with the passion, and providing me the
knowledge and tools to walk my talk.
I am invested in libraries and the future of the information profession. Earning my MLIS
from Dominican University attests my commitment to librarianship, and makes me a
better public servant, manager, and employee.

DEBRA NELSON: REFLECTIVE ESSAY