Kristin LaLonde

MLIS Candidate
Wayne State University
School of Library & Information Science

ePortfolio Reflective Essay

When I started my graduate studies at Wayne State University School of Library

& Information Science (SLIS) in the Fall of 2008, I was already working in a library. In

addition to the experience adding valuable career skills, working at a Library prior to

entering SLIS helped to show me what I really needed to learn and what I wanted to

explore, particularly with digital library services. I had learned a lot on the job but I knew

my limitations and that I would only obtain certain skills and information through

graduate level education. During my time at the Wayne State SLIS I aspired to gain a

strong background in library history and administration procedures in addition to

developing new technical skills so that I would have the ability to develop innovative

digital library services.

As I entered into the graduate program at SLIS I wasn’t exactly sure what type of

library I wanted to work in and not much has changed now that I am in my final semester.

There are appealing things about every type of library and I was never able to decide

which type was the best for me. Luckily for my indecisions, web services and emerging

technology are constant needs in every type of library from the smallest public library to

the largest academic system. The information gathering techniques of library patrons are

becoming increasingly web based and all libraries are working to accommodate these

needs. Similarly, the digital divide between those who are technically proficient and those
who have limited technical abilities is becoming wider and the library is the perfect

institution to close that gap. As a Library Science professional specializing in emerging

technologies, I feel that it is my responsibility to not only look towards the future of

information gathering needs but to make sure all library patrons have the ability to learn

essential technical skills.

Throughout my time at SLIS, I have noticed that it is a common stereotype that

library professionals “behind the scenes” are not very personable or easy to approach

with questions. My experience within the information technology world of libraries has

been the exact opposite. Many of the web services librarians and information technology

students I have worked with during my studies at Wayne State have been customer

service oriented, accommodating and user focused, which is what I wish to emulate in my

future career in web services. I believe that library web services should be similar to

library services in person, in that their main goal is a friendly and easy library experience.

I have learned that even though the programmer can understand where to find

information on their service, it doesn’t mean it’s readily apparent to the patron and their

perception is most important.

My experience at Wayne State was enlightening in many ways, particularly the

technical skills I acquired through my core and elective courses. Since my undergraduate

background was not in computer science but in humanities, so I knew that I would be

behind the curve when it came to learning certain technical skills like programming and

database development. To my surprise, a good number of students who wished to

concentrate on emerging technologies within Libraries also had non-technical

backgrounds. My courses not only taught me the fundamentals of certain skills, like
database development, data analytics and web programming, but they also put them into

a practical library perspective which made learning them much more personal. When you

can visualize how your skills can be used in real life scenarios, you become inspired to

keep learning more and go beyond what you thought you could accomplish.

Several items that I have included in my ePortfolio are reflective of the technical

skills and abilities I have acquired during my time at Wayne State and what I can bring to

the table as a web services librarian. The database I created for my LIS 7460: Database

Applications course demonstrates my ability to design databases and use SQL language

to create inquiries & gather data. In LIS 7420: Client-Based Web Site Development, we

were required to learn many different programming languages and apply them for

particular projects. At the culmination of this course we created an RSS feed using XML

programming skills, which I feel is a great reflection of my technical abilities for web

scripting. Finally, my capstone project for LIS 7490: Competitive Intelligence and Data

Mining showed that while creating services and digital content for libraries is important,

it is just as important to evaluate how it is being used and how you could improve

accessibility and traffic to your services. Each of these items represents a different facet

of library digital services, from design to creation to analysis, each facet just as important

as the last. Taken as a collection, these samples show my diverse and in-depth abilities to

tackle popular web services used in libraries.

In addition to the technical skills and theory I have acquired at Wayne State SLIS,

I have learned the value of collaborative learning and group work. Prior to my entrance

into the world of Library Science I was a solitary learner and preferred it that way. As I

became more emerged in my courses and the theories behind library science, I began to
see the true value in the professional library community. Working with other library

science students, discussing particular scenarios and possible solutions to nagging issues

showed me that there was not one single correct way to approach a problem. In some

cases, problems could only be solved when a number of us would get together and

discuss the different perspectives to the issue.

Library Science is a people profession and my experience within the Wayne State

School of Library & Information Science has confirmed to me how valuable that

perspective can be. My time at the Wayne State University SLIS gave me a multitude of

skills and valuable experiences that I will take with me into my career in libraries and

web services. The people I have met along the way will be lifelong colleagues and friends

within the profession.