Personal Statement

About The Portfolio

To best address each goal area of the Library and Information Science program, I chose to separate my portfolio by focus area. Each goal is held on its own page, with its subgoals defined within it. To support my efforts towards the objectives, artifacts from both coursework and professional work are displayed under the goals they address.  

During the design of my portfolio, consideration was given to both aesthetic qualities and accessibility needs. As such, high contrast colors were chosen and alternative text was provided on images.  

About my Time in The Program

I began the Master of Library and Information Science program in the Fall of 2023, immediately after completing my bachelor’s degree in psychology. Throughout my teenage years I was stuck between two career aspirations; half of my wanted to become a librarian and the other half wanted to work in the realm of public health. It wasn’t until I began the MLIS program that I realized I had an opportunity to combine both dreams into one as a health librarian. Once I realized this, I chose to direct my studies around this goal. I took classes like Health Information Sources and in nonspecialized courses I tried to complete assignments while imagining how it could be applicable in my future career. For instance, In Basic Information Sources, our final project was to create a LibGuide. I chose to create mine from the perspective of someone working in a health academic library and focus on an Ebola outbreak. 

Core courses like Organization of Knowledge, taught me specifics of the information field that I had no idea existed before –– I learned about metadata and how databases are organized using controlled vocabulary, two facts that have already helped me in my career as a future librarian. Introduction to Library Administration taught me leadership skills that will no doubt be helpful in my future but also assisted me in the now by educating me on the organizational structures of libraries and how information facilities are run behind the scenes. As I seek out a career in the academic-sector, no course has been as valuable to me as Research Methods in Library and Information science, which taught me to analyze and understand research in the field, as well as the building blocks of performing my own research.  

As I went through the program my confidence in my career choice grew alongside my skills. I received the confirmation I needed to begin my professional journey and started as a full-time library specialist at Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, USF St. Petersburg’s academic library. I am not closing out my first year in the role and not only have I learned invaluable hands-on skills in the areas of circulation and reference, but my choice in master’s program has been proven positive. While I learned the details of library science in my schooling, I was able to affirm my knowledge by practicing these skills firsthand in the field. It was beautiful to see my coursework demonstrated in the real world and to have a baseline understanding of library functions as I pursued my new career.  

As I now finish out my degree, I am invaluably grateful for the program and the peers I have met through it.  Through USF’s MLIS program, I have received the knowledge and skillset needed to continue my career in the field of information science and the confidence needed to do it.