Module 13: Final Post

Sadly, this is my last week of my internship, I really enjoyed my time interning for an academic library and learned so much during this internship. First and foremost I learned about the roles academic libraries can play in service-learning, and how their support is necessary for all the stakeholders. Service-learning should be part of any major, because it provides differing perspectives and chance to think outside of the box, and perhaps be out of your comfort zone. 

I believe libraries play an essential role in civic engagement and democracy, and every time our library branch closes, and budgets are cuts, because some believe we are no longer needed or relevant, we lose a piece of our democracy, this applies to our public education system as well. Libraries in general are supported by taxes, but when a governmental agency, news agencies, corporations, or political parties believe that access to our public libraries and schools should be leaner and meaner and ran like a business then they are taking citizen’s personal freedoms away, by denying access to knowledge. Every inch that is taken away from both libraries and education which provides opportunities for all our citizens we lose a mile of democracy and civic engagement. Service-learning and civic engagement are firmly entrenched in public libraries, and now academic libraries are beginning to implement service-learning as part of the services and partnerships they offer to their students, faculty, staff, administrators, and communities.

I really enjoyed our instructor Professor Franks, who is simply awesome and you know she is fully invested in her profession, and working with my intern supervisor (which I will keep private) and all the experience I have gained from working with both of them, thank you.

Crunch Time…Time to start wrapping up assignments.

The re-edits have been re-submitted and I added more content regarding the analysis and I found additional articles to support the needed content. I have to say so far this has been the most difficult analysis I have done, 68 cites and 18 pages of nothing but analysis, not including the literature review, abstract, title page,  and bibliography, not my longest paper, but difficult for me regarding content. With the understanding that this paper may be published, but most importantly supporting a case statement for service-learning. This paper is not completed, it still needs final approval and may need to supplement with additional content has been time consuming. I now need to finish other homework, and try to spend at least one day in the S-L LibGuide. So here’s hoping to finishing the grant paperwork today.

Learning to let it go

This week we read articles on team-players and self-starters. I believe that I am a self-starter, but I have appreciated being in a team environment. What I like about teams is that everybody has special talents. For my business administration classes when they were team projects we would describe what we were good at and we would divide the assignments accordingly. I must say even the worse slackers ended up being assets towards the end of the course. You would be surprised what the least motivated can pull out of their hat. Admittedly when I speak in public I become nervous and have difficulty looking into the audience, in fact I may even stutter, geez, I have had panic attacks, even if I am talking to classmates that are supporting me and I am friends with them. I have problems virtually speaking as well when presenting, I get panicky and nervous. Twice during team presentations we had to each present are own part, but we needed someone to do the presentation throughout the process, and I have to say that both times it was the one that contributed the least, didn’t practice with the rest of the group, did not contribute work, the slacker ended up being the lead presenter who had the natural gift of gab. Each time, I was grateful, and all the drama, resentment, and extra work we all had to do, and ill feelings evaporated when the slacker(s) came through and presented. Even when the inevitable rate your team-mate report came up I would think about the last minute save and I would rate accordingly as opposed to previous ill will I/We may have towards them. Perspectives change when you least expect it.

Module Ten

Partial Post...

I completed my literature review and analysis and now I finally able to focus on the LibGuide, I have so much content to add, this part I am so excited about, because it is a relatively new LibGuide. I don’t have much to write about, but I know I will next week, when I begin adding content. I will add more to this blog post when I begin adding content.

Module 9

Today is Halloween, and I had made a promise to myself that I would complete my analysis for my internship, it looks like I won’t be done  until the 3^rd of November, ah...dagnamit. I have a few more portions to fill out and I have begun refining the analysis. But well I am doing my internship I am learning how to be critical of other people’s work, which means my own as well. I am trying not to overthinking it, but at least I am almost done with all of it, including the analysis, so I will pat myself on the back. I cannot wait to begin working on the LibGuide, I will expend as much energy as possible in that guide, which to me is more exciting than writing and analysis. I sure have learned a lot by doing it though. 

Took a snippet of a personality test based on other tests like Briggs & Meyer, my outcome is INTP:

“If your closest personality type is INTP then you have a strong sense of the hidden principles that govern how the world works. You are interested in theoretical models and explanations, and when other people put forward their own theories you put them to the test to find out how true or robust they are. You enjoy solving difficult intellectual problems and seek to understand the real truth behind any situation, even when it involves several complex factors.”

Really, I don’t believe that is true, truth seeker, yes, but solving difficult intellectual problems, no thanks.

The dreaded elevator speech...

In preparation of an elevator speech, first just to let you know I need to work on my public speaking skills. I also begin to stutter a bit when giving a speech. I have never been a great orator and I have mumbled and stumbled whilst giving a talk, even amongst my classmates. It is a fear I have to get over, especially if I work in an academic or public library.  Don’t get me wrong, I can be quite gregarious and open, even with strangers, but when it comes to public speaking and I freeze. I am on the cusp of an introvert and extrovert, but going to school full-time online has me walking on the introvert side.  So what are employers looking for, according to the monograph (Paths in a working life: Charting your 21^st century career) the following traits:

·         Good communicators

·         Trustworthy

·         Energetic

·         Positive in their attitude

·         Flexible

·         Good team players

·         Dependable

·         Confident

·         Competent

·         Competitive

·         Open-minded

·         Goal-oriented

·         Leaders

·         Customer oriented

 The elevator speech should be no less than thirty seconds and no more than sixty seconds. Hmmm, here goes…”Hello my name is Faylene Keep and I just graduated with my MLIS with an undergrad in business administration. I have an interest in technology, grant writing, and research. I am a team player and enjoy project management and believe that being flexible and open-minded are some of my best traits.” Now I know I will have to work on the re-wording and begin to practice as well, egad finding employment is far more complicated in the 21^st century.