The End is Near

As my last semester comes to a close, I am both excited and scared to embark on my new career. The job market is not ideal for a new graduate so I am filled with doubt about whether I am good enough for the few jobs that are out there. Not to mention, I constantly question whether I have absorbed enough information to allow me to enter the job market or if I have even selected the right profession. Did I take the right classes? Do I have enough experience? Will the job market improve? Am I a good fit for this profession?

While I question myself, I do not question the education I have received. I have had the opportunity to connect and learn with fellow students from a variety of backgrounds. Through everyone’s unique situations, I have learned valuable lessons. For instance, it is possible for a young mother to return to school though it may not be easy or that after a twenty-year career in retail/education/hospitality, it is possible to start over.

My courses at SIRLS have provided me with a range of information from practical skills to theory-based knowledge. At times, I resented the SIRLS CORE classes, but now that I am finished, I am so grateful for the thought and consideration that goes into deciding our foundational knowledge. Because of 506, I am better equipped to read and comprehend quantitative research and perhaps even write and publish a paper in the field. The final project in Professor Atkinson's class was challenging, but fun. By picking a research study and analyzying the other cited studies in the paper, one can see that not all research is built on a sturdy foundation.

Thanks to the technology course requirement, I have a better understanding of what the future holds for the library science profession from a technological perspective. In Professor Botticelli's course 574 Digital Libraries, I was able to take a closer look at what it takes to build and develop a digital collection. Other courses have also built on my technology skills. In 584 with Dr. Mathieson, I will be building a website to go along with my final project on Interlibrary Loan and Copyright Compliance in Medical Libraries. Also, in Dr. Malone's Information Literacy Instruction course, I am creating a web-based tutorial that will dicuss the resources available to staff at a local hospital. In addition to the tutorial project, I have also learned what is necessary for good Information Literearcy Instruction in Dr. Malone's course. The first of two exercises in her 585 course instructed us to take a closer look at what kind of help resources are available in vendor databases. And the second exercise asked us to evaluate a web-based tutorial. Both exercises have helped me discover just what is necessary for good web-based instruction. Finally, due to the management requirement, I have been able to look back at my experiences as a manager and see where I can improve and mold my skills to fit a library setting as opposed to a retail setting.

Though looking for jobs can be discouraging in the current economic climate, a few posted jobs have piqued my interest, and my SIRLS education has given me the confidence to apply for jobs I would have never previously considered. Due to SIRLS offering an excellent array of courses, I have been able to receive an outstanding education that has set me up to be a top contender for any job I apply for (despite my own silly insecurities).

My experiences throughout the last 18 months have been incredibly varied. I have worked three jobs and attended face-to-face class; been unemployed and attended online courses; and worked part-time and attended online courses. My jobs and activities have ranged from barista, to nanny, to graduate assistant, to library assistant, to blogger and each job taught me a little more about myself. I even moved to Tucson for a few months before family duty called me back to the Phoenix metro area. I have been busy for the last year and a half, but I have also learned a lot. Both the theory-based courses, like Introduction to Copyright, and the practice-based courses, like Planning and Evaluation of Libraries and Information Centers, have prepared me for my future as a librarian. Though I worry about my future, I know that I am ready for graduation and all the new challenges that I will face as this next stage in my life begins.