Professional Philosophy

In this part, I'm supposed to talk about how my concept of librarianship relates to the specific type of library or information organization I intend to work in. However, I have gone through the entire degree process without figuring out one of the key prerequisites of addressing that statement. While I have some thoughts on what librarianship entails, I can't say what kind of information profession I want to pursue.

Regardless of the particular career, the core duty of a librarian or other information professional is the preservation and presentation of information. Whether the job is arranging a display of romance novels, or archiving papers from the 1800s, it's about making information available for those who want it. Librarianship is a service profession that connects people with information. Aspects of this include determining a patron's information need and locating the items that meet it, but also assessing the materials themselves, and cataloging and filing them so that they're findable.

When people ask me what sort of job I want after I get my degree, I usually answer with "I'll have to see what's out there." I don't know at this point if I would prefer to work in a public library or an academic one, in an archive or a library, or for a private company. There are also many kinds of information professions that I still don't know much about. What I do know is that I would prefer to work with the materials themselves, such as in acquisitions, processing, cataloging, or indexing. I don't mind doing reference work, but it is not my main passion, and I would not want to do it as my main job.

I did my undergraduate studies with the intent of becoming a teacher. The liberal studies concentration suited my diverse interests, but I ultimately decided that teaching was not for me. However, my undergraduate years also introduced me to library work. I started my work study job as a student assistant in the computer lab, and later worked both in the computer lab and at the circulation desk. Student workers mostly dealt with checking books in and out and keeping track of the class reserves, which were materials a teacher would place aside for their students. Our duties also included shelving and shifting books, and occasionally shelf-reading. Reference work was handled by professionals, who sat at a different desk inside the library proper. I enjoyed working with the books, as well as the basic work I did with the computers. Even so, I didn't think about a career in libraries for several years.

After I graduated, I worked for a short time at a used book store. My job was to process the collection of paperbacks, and later the hardcover books, in the warehouse. I enjoyed the process of cataloging the books, which included making an assessment of the condition, determining the price through research of book Web sites, and categorizing the work into one of several genres. These details and others, such as the title, author, and ISBN, were entered into a computer database. I also enjoyed the process of arranging the books in the store, whether it was organizing them on the shelf or creating a display. Unfortunately, the store closed a few months after I started the job.

What I learned from these experiences is that I enjoy organizing and presenting information. The dabbling I've done in Web design and databases is also an expression of this. Since librarianship is about finding ways of providing information to the public, I thought it might be a career I would be suited to. Specifically, I thought I would enjoy doing the "behind the scenes" work that keeps a library functioning. When I started the library science program, I decided to concentrate my studies in what was then the information architecture track. I felt that the classes from this track would give me a foundation for working with whatever system or software would be used in my future job. In addition, it gave me experience with indexing, internet searching, and database design and construction, as well as Web design experience, which I pulled from to build this site.

Organization and presentation are important parts of any information profession. Whatever career I end up in, my aim is to help make information findable. Easily accessible information benefits all segments of the community. Poor organization can lead to unused information and frustrated patrons. Research for school assignments, thesis papers, personal projects, or simple curiosity would not be possible if the information was not organized. Even pleasure reading can be hampered by poor organization. If a display is uninviting, or seems chaotic, patrons will be less likely to browse. Likewise, patrons are less likely to use a Web site that is confusing or cluttered. The information might be there, but it is not truly available if the patron cannot or will not access it. Just like an organized library building, a well-designed site that is clear and easy to use is an essential part of serving the information needs of the community.