Final Reflection

So this is it. The final day of the semester. It's been a long one, although in retrospect, maybe not long enough. I enjoyed this class, but would have enjoyed maybe just one or two weeks more to delve into some topics a little deeper. However, I suppose that is what the rest of the LIS classes are for.

I came in with a fairly good understanding of what the modern day librarian looks like. This semester has only helped confirm these beliefs (not a shushing bun-head!), but expanded on them. It was interesting looking back on the LIS leaders of the past, who helped make this field what it is today. I feel like modern societies often think of past civilizations as quaint and simplistic, and while that may be true when compared with immediacy and connectivity of modern society, our research showed how futuristic some of these innovators of the past really were. The Library of Medicine would hardly be what it is today without the former battle surgeon John Shaw Billings, who I had the pleasure of researching for the assignment.

Quaint and simplistic are often associated with the librarianship profession, as a whole. We have all heard the stereotype of the woman in glasses who likes to read, but as our Think Tank articles and Ethics Scenario assignment taught us, the profession is anything but quaint and simplistic. Modern public libraries are providing services that were not even dreamed of in the past. They are dealing with all levels of society, all races, all religions. Not many institutions can claim that it provides services specific to every man, woman, and child.

I feel as though the most important thing I can bring to the field is my ability to make connections across different topics. I stated in my initial blog post that I am interested in so many different things, it's hard to decide where exactly I would like to land within the LIS field. The diversity of my interests is carried out in my daily life, as well. I read and research topics that are all over the board, from language and linguistics, to wine and spirits, mathematics and computer technology, philosophy, anthropology, child development, and astronomy. One reason I was draw to and currently enjoy the field of LIS is that it welcomes diversity. There is a librarian for every subject somewhere! Throughout my discussion board posts, I think critically about the articles given, and I draw in related information from other specialities that might enhance the overall conversation.

From here, I plan to focus my academic coursework to anything related to language, data collection, data analytics, organization of information, and databases. The role of a cataloger was mentioned in one of our classes, and after doing my own personal research, cataloging may be a role I pursue within the library system. However, as of right now, I am still maintaining my path to a non-library destination. This class has laid the groundwork for my studies, and I am looking forward to continuing them more in-depth over the next two years!