Impact of My Professional Development
The Information Science program has had a significant impact on my personal growth. The program has taught me that organization is the key to efficient and easy access to all types of knowledge. One of the main skills that I have gained from the program is knowing what questions to ask and the resources to access them. Throughout the courses I have taken in the program, I have gained a diverse understanding of information, technology, and knowledge-based concepts. The projects and deliverables we worked on used real-life concepts as representations, paralleling the rigor of real-life circumstances. The research conducted for my projects primarily involved database searches and accessing reference materials as resources.
The program has taught me to prioritize users and put their needs first. A user-centered approach opens up access to knowledge to the people who need it. I have learned the skill of conducting detailed needs assessments and project planning, mirroring users' needs through the program's simulation of them. The program has also enhanced my writing and communication skills, with a focus on content-purposeful sentences and citation practices that meet American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition standards.
The program's assignments required term projects designed to demonstrate the eight components of the American Library Association. These projects helped me to comprehend the importance of user access, privacy, and literacy to the institution and idea of Librarians and information service providers. Additionally, my internship experience at Cushing Memorial Archives and Libraries taught me how to organize, catalog, preserve a collection, and manage information-based databases. The course work has also assisted me in mastering the importance of preserving different types of reference material such as digital media, textiles, posters, awards, and newspapers, which are essential to archives for easier access to information. The coursework has allowed me to develop a strong foundation in the principles of librarianship and technological accessibility, including attention to detail and deadlines, that will enable me to excel as an information professional.
The program's knowledge about user access and needs assessment has had a significant impact on my research in the education sector. Gifted people of color (POC) face systemic barriers at educational institutions, which can lead some into the school-to-prison pipeline. I have learned the importance of user equity and the need for alternative education methods devised through needs assessments and technological applications. One practical experience I have had through this program is that librarians play a vital role in providing quality access to knowledge that can help counteract some of the socio-economic factors that can hinder successful learning. The Makerspace Manual class has also opened my mind to new learning and teaching approaches due to its creative way of suggesting an interdisciplinary way of adhering to a user-centered approach to the practice and dissemination of knowledge.