Reflective Essay

I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.

-Jorge Luis Borges
Libraries are places of discovery. From the time books were placed on the
shelves by their size and locked up for limited use, to todays modern day literary
environments that offer information both on their shelves and through new technology
screens. Libraries have always been my passion. I equate the concept of a library with
an environment of safety, comfort, inspiration and enlightenment! My childhood was
blessed with numerous trips to the library with my mother. As we walked through the
large glass doors, I could smell the familiar and comforting scent of pages. The gray
slate lobby had a beautiful fountain resembling two crystal mushrooms with coins
decorating the granite flooring. First, my mother and I would establish a meeting time,
then anxiously venture off to our appropriate sections of interest. As I entered the
childrens department, Miss Gloria would greet me with a welcoming smile and
enthusiastic recommendations. These were the years I was introduced to my first
favorite authors: Beverly Cleary, Carolyn Haywood and Roald Dahl. After finding a
sufficient pile of chapter books, I would meet my mother, with her carefully selected
mysteries, and share our newly found treasures. This experience was the beginning of
a passion for reading that has continued to flourish into my adulthood. After high
school, I decided to major in English Literature because of the passion for reading
instilled in me from those amazing library days with my mother. I chose to continue
being surrounded by books when I worked at Borders Books & Music for 12.5 years
after my college graduation. It was here that I developed the gift of sharing my

favorite childrens books with others. I continued to share the joy of reading when I
completed my Masters in Teaching in Early Childhood Education and taught first
grade for 4 years. This time I was not only in charge of sharing books, but I was also
granted the awesome responsibility of teaching the skill of reading! This was a very
important and enriching time in my life. I developed my classroom library with
purchases from my years at Borders and from my own personal childhood favorites
collected through the years. The same joy that Miss Gloria shared with me years ago
was now reflected in my teaching each day. I was developing new readers and I
wanted to be sure they all realized the gift of reading was for everyone! Finally, during
these wonderful years of continuing my education through the GSLIS Program at
Dominican University, I have developed an even stronger passion and appreciation for
the growing organism that is the library.
I have worked as a Childrens Services Assistant for 4 years and have been
fortunate enough to attend several literature conferences and workshops to enrich my
lifelong learning. The Reaching Forward Professional Development Conference and The
NIU Childrens Literature Conference were invaluable experiences for me as a library
professional. To share my passion for books with so many professional bibliophiles was a
great privilege and truly inspired my passion for supporting these wondrous
environments of information sharing.
I worked part-time in two libraries when I began my GSLIS program. During my
first year in Youth Services, I created an annotated bibliography for grades kindergarten
through fifth. This was such a rewarding experience because I was able to read and
research new books in the librarys collection and offer a readers advisory component all

in one pamphlet. The pamphlets were a great resource for patrons and an excellent way to
promote literacy. I also noticed the popularity of our Science and Storybook Theme
Boxes. These boxes circulated very well through the years, so I was asked to create Math
Theme Boxes including: addition & subtraction, multiplication & division, shapes,
fractions and time & money themes. Each box included books, flashcards, manipulatives,
songs and file folder activities to connect with different learning styles. They have been
extremely popular for home check out and in-house tutoring. The math box idea was a
great opportunity to develop a resource that connects to the needs of the community.
As I reflect on my journey through the GLIS program at Dominican, I remember
the excitement and satisfaction of knowing I belonged in this area of study. In LIS 701
Introduction to Library and Information Science, I began with the history, philosophy and
purpose of library science. I was especially intrigued by the elements of collection
development and the future trends in information technologies. The textbook was
fascinating and the research projects were a great way to establish a foundation in this
area of study.
LIS 703 Organization of Knowledge took my brain on an amazing neurological
marathon! Finally, I understood all the intricacies of processing new books and the logic
behind the machine-readable language and subject catalog headings. The Descriptive
Cataloging Exam was an exercise in patience, persistence and perfection. I created
MARC records using RDA and ISBD. I used MARC fields to transcribe bibliographic
data. It was the most intriguing and exhausting brain exercise I experienced in my
program and an integral example of navigating and creating information. This was an
online course with a plethora of information to cover each week, but it was impeccably

organized with a professor who truly shared a passion for this area of study. I did
however have to rest my eyes, axioms and dendrites in a dark room after each of these
assignments.
LIS 704 Reference and Online Services was my first experience with an online
course. This was a valuable experience in reference service and technology capabilities.
One of the assignments required researching a variety of databases and websites and
presenting them as worthwhile resources for a self-created college level course. This was
a great method to help familiarize oneself with the Crown Library databases and practice
avenues of accessing information. We were also asked to evaluate a reference department
in a library of our choosing. This was a great way to experience the different layout and
scope of the particular librarys reference collection. The reference interview process was
also introduced and practiced.
LIS 719 History of Childrens Literature was one of my favorite courses in the
GSLIS program here at Dominican. I waited so patiently for this course to be offered
because it is a fascinating area of study. We began the course with an introduction to the
childrens literature of the 15th and 16th centuries. We examined hornbooks, chapbooks
and popular magazines of the 19th century. Our study continued through the golden age of
childrens books, dipping into folktales, fantasies and fables. I revisited some classics and
was intrigued with the way some stories come alive once again when read through adult
eyes. Easy readers came next and finally, the portion of the course dearest to my heart,
picture books. There are few things I enjoy more than being surrounded by picture books.
They are absolutely my favorite genre of childrens books.

I fondly remember the book talks in LIS 721 Library Materials for Children. The
enthusiastic instructor of this Childrens Literature course facilitated an engaging and
thought-provoking discussion covering recent book titles from various genres. After
reading the titles from the assigned booklist, we then created a reading journal reflecting
on literary elements and insights involving themes and literary criticisms. We learned
about the science of creating and polishing a concise and thorough book review and
presented information on chosen authors from the syllabus, which was a great resource
for future readers advisories. This was a valuable course for many reasons. I was able to
enhance my readers advisory skills by reading newly published titles from multi-cultural
authors. I was also able to share opinions and listen to a variety of viewpoints that have
improved my skills as a library professional in regards to open access and censorship.
My experience in LIS 722 Library Materials for Young Adults developed my
passion for young adult literature. This was previously an undesirable area of readers
advisory for me, but with the information shared in lectures, the four novels read each
week and the valuable booklists from this course, I now feel inspired to expand my
reading horizons to continue to include young adult titles in my reading choices. This is
such an important age to reach as a library professional. As we send our young readers to
this new section, after sixth grade in my particular library, I feel we sometimes lose the
opportunity to continue to instill a love of reading. Young adults are often overscheduled
with sports and school sometimes resulting in a loss of recreational reading.
LIS 723 Services for Children and Young Adults was a wonderful chance to
practice and improve my story time skills, sharing creative ideas with others and
participating in the programs from a childs perspective. It was also a wonderful

opportunity to learn more about outreach opportunities and how to be prepared when
spontaneous literary promotions come your way. One of the assignments involved
observing three different public library programs and writing an observation paper noting
similarities and differences in programs. This was a valuable experience because it
offered me the opportunity to compare the different formats libraries use to reach their
patrons. I visited different sized libraries, so the programs were handled differently in
each environment. We also created booklists using a particular platform of our own
choosing to share as a resource with the other classmates. This was my first introduction
to Pinterest, and it was a wonderful learning experience that I continue to use both
professionally and recreationally.
In LIS 770, I learned about the managerial side of librarianship. Beginning with
the foundational aspects such as organizational culture and emotional intelligence, and
then diving into the financials of line-item budgets and marketing plans. This has been a
great resource in my library career. It has prepared me for professional experiences such
as board meeting presentations and strategic planning committees. I am now on the
Strategic Planning Committee at my library, and it has been a fascinating and rewarding
experience. I have participated in both SWAT and PEST analyses learning about internal
and external opportunities and threats to the library; and I have presented at the Library
Board meeting.
LIS 777 was a fascinating introduction to advocacy, access and policy in the
library field. I participated in an advocacy campaign and analyzed different library
policies focusing on their impact on intellectual freedom and access to information. I was
also involved in analyzing different library policies and experimented with developing

my own ideas for what components are integral for clear policy writing. Math skills also
played a part in this fascinating course as we developed both qualitative and quantitative
analyses of the library space.
My final courses in the program were LIS 804-01 Picture Books for Pre-Readers
and LIS 804-02 Picture Books for Independent Readers. Picture Books for Pre-Readers
was a great resource for understanding the evolution and history of picture books
published for the pre-reading child. Each week we received a booklist and shared in a
book talk with developmentally appropriate titles including: board books, wordless and
concept books, timeless classics and read alouds. We discussed important elemental
features of the texts including lines, space, palate, texture and tone. Picture books for the
independent readers concentrate on a more detailed and eloquent text with the balance of
artful illustrations to support and balance the story or factual information. Picture books
are many times misinterpreted as read alouds for only the very young or pre-readers,
when, in fact, they are useful resources for the upper grade levels as well. Many picture
books include lengthy narratives with enriching vocabulary and artful illustrations that
challenge the reader and appeal to visual learners.
I have been in school for 21 years now. As I draw near to the completion of my
second masters degree, I feel a unique sense of foreboding loss. I realize I do not want
my educational experience to end here. During these important years of discovery, I have
learned to appreciate that lifelong learning is a gift to oneself that may continue as long as
one is curious about life and excited to encounter new ideas. Each one of my courses has
inspired, challenged and enriched me as a library professional. I find myself referring
back to textbooks, syllabi, handouts and PowerPoint and Prezi slides from certain

courses, making those important connections, which reassure me of the importance of my

lifelong learning experience at Dominican!