Introduction/Statement of Professional Philosophy

I believe that this portfolio would not be complete without an introduction to its author. The context of who I am and how I came to the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science played a significant role in my choices within the program and toward my work interests for the future.

When I started working at Axys Pharmaceuticals in the fall of 1998, I wasn't clear on a direction for my future, but I had plans for how to locate the path. My first goal was to find a part-time job that would sustain me while exploring the field of biology at San Francisco State University. The job at Axys was an exceptional fit.

The library at Axys was staffed by a librarian who had worked solo for five years and an assistant librarian. I was well-qualified for the library assistant job. A good part of its focus was on document delivery and my previous job was for a document delivery company, UMI Infostore. At the Infostore I had learned the ins and outs of working with bibliographic citations from the library stacks, to the orders faxed in by customers, to the data management software, to the numerous sourcing tools. With much pride I joined the fraternity of command mode searchers, using such systems as Melvyl, RLIN, and CISTI.

So when I arrived at Axys, I quickly surveyed the document delivery landscape, quietly wondered how they had ever lived with tracking their requests on paper, and set to work on learning how to use FileMaker Pro by developing a document delivery database with it.

In January 1999, I began to study biology, taking one class each semester. I was given the opportunity to increase my hours at Axys and after four years I was working full-time and had amassed thirty-three units of biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and biostatistics, completing approximately half of the major requirements for a B.S. degree. Throughout this time, my ability to contribute to the company was significantly increased. I began to attend scientific seminars inside the company and I learned--with new understanding--what our research was about and what the perspectives were for scientists from different groups within the company. I began to take a new interest in the literature searches that I performed. I became able to better understand the needs of the end-user. Where previously I had done relatively complex searches using index terms and/or keywords and then simply handed off large amounts of results to the end-user, now I read through the article titles, abstracts, and, when necessary, the entire paper, to save the user's time by improving the precision of the output.

In October 1999, the assistant librarian left Axys Pharmaceuticals. The following January, I was promoted to assistant librarian. The management found no need to replace the third position.

My job responsibilities increased along with my knowledge, both gained in school and on the job. I searched biology and chemistry literature, intellectual property, and competitive intelligence. I used such systems as PubMed, SciFinder, Beilstein, Investigational Drugs Database, Integrity, Dialog, STN, Adonis, NERAC, and Factiva. I managed the library's website. I owned two databases: our document delivery management system and our online catalog. I trained users on many of the above systems. I presented seminars on our services and the use of our catalog. I purchased and cataloged almost all new books. I negotiated licenses with vendors and publishers. And I became a whiz with EndNote bibliographic software.

I received a second promotion in January 2004, “in appreciation of your talent and contributions”. This promotion came with financial reward, but with no change in professional status. In discussing this outcome with my supervisor, I realized two things: I was not likely to advance further at that company and the best way to continue in this career path was to pursue the MLIS degree.

As I prepare to graduate, I can say gladly that I still want to be a librarian! I have split my coursework between technical courses and those geared toward special librarianship. Whereas I enjoy the technical aspects of the profession, I feel that I would rather experience the challenges of a management position. I would like to continue to work in the pharmaceutical industry. My short-term goal is to be the head of a small library for a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company. I have witnessed the challenges of the industry and would like the chance to prove my abilities. This goal will be facilitated by my completion of SLIS courses such as LIBR 204 - Information Organizations and Management, LIBR 231 - Issues in Special Libraries and Information Centers, LIBR 282 - Seminar in Library Management, and LIBR 283 - Marketing of Information Products and Services. The areas of competence that I will heavily rely on toward this goal are the principles of planning, management, and marketing (#4), concepts of service (#9), oral and written communication skills (#13), and evaluation of programs and services (#14).

My long-term career goal is to blend information science with the pharmaceutical sciences. I plan to continue my studies in biology and chemistry after library school and I believe that I will be in a very good position to capitalize on a new segment of jobs for information professionals who possess such knowledge of science. I see a need in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology field for analysts who can not only know the information resources and perform expert searches, but can also read, synthesize, and discuss the information that will facilitate good business decisions that have a strong foundation in science. Toward this goal I will be using my understanding of research and analysis and synthesis of scholarly literature (competency #12), as well as communication skills (competency #13).

In these days when the size and number of libraries are threatened, but the need for information professionals is increasing, I plan to be an information professional who is at home in a multitude of settings. I will continue to support the existence of corporate libraries as ever so much more than a repository of resources. I will fill the gap between scientists, business people, and information. I will keep my eyes open for the unique opportunities that will be available and, if need be, I will create such an opportunity for a company that doesn't yet recognize it.

Being that my work interest lies in the private sector, I don't expect to contribute to the cultural or social well-being of the community at large. I do expect to contribute to the economic and educational welfare of my organization. On the economic side, the data are well-established that the presence of information professionals yields a financial gain to an organization. I have included such data in papers submitted for competency number three. For instance, Dresley (1998) shows that organizations “without libraries spend 2 to 4 times more to acquire information than those with in-house libraries” (p. 6). In part, my role toward this end is to

• Provide appropriate information resources
• Provide training on those resources in order to maximize the time and effort of the end-users
• Perform expert searching and analysis that will save the time of the user and provide information that will lead to good business decisions

On the educational side, I am of the mindset that most users are happy to perform work on their own, but there is often a barrier to taking on learning a new task. I believe that clearly written tutorials and brief one-on-one training sessions can give end-users immediately useful skills that will make their jobs easier. Large-scale training sessions are often necessary, but I find that many workers are unwilling to commit to a 1-2 hour session, especially if they don't really know what the use of the product will be for them. When I suggest that I come to their office for 10-15 minutes, they are willing and focused because the time commitment is minimal and they know that I am offering something that they can use.

In the spirit of Ranganathan's Laws of Library Science (Ranganathan, 1931), I have created my own set of laws for corporate librarians:

• Know thyself
• Practice good communication
• Save the time of the user
• Understand the organization's mission, values, and goals and incorporate them into your own
• Be able to show the value you bring to the organization
• Make the most of your resources (corollary: if you don't need it, don't buy it! [Seer, 2004])

Dresley, S.C. (1998). Value of information and information sciences. Retrieved April 4, 2006, from http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/viis.pdf.

Ranganathan's laws of library science. (1931). Retrieved November 16, 2006, from http://valinor.ca/muffin.html.

Seer, G. (2004). No pain, no gain: stretching the library dollar [Electronic version]. The Bottom Line: Managing Library Finances, 17(1), 10-14.

Organization of this Portfolio

• This front page contains the introduction, a list of the 14 competencies, and the conclusion.
• Each competency is linked to a page of its own containing an introduction to the competency and links to the evidentiary items for that competency.
• Some evidentiary items are websites. Others are files that may be downloaded or viewed on the screen. These files are marked as Word docs, pdfs, or PowerPoint files.
• The pages for the competencies are all linked back to this home page, but when linking to evidentiary items you may need to use your browser's back button to return to the portfolio.

My Process

I generally followed the guidelines of the SLIS LIBR 289 Handbook. After reading the handbook numerous times and highlighting areas I thought were most important, I quickly dove into the competencies. I wrote notes on ideas for each competency and tentative thoughts about which courses or projects immediately jumped into my mind in regard to each one.

The next step involved collecting all of the class data. I gathered my notebooks and re-read each of the class greensheets in order to review all of the assignments I experienced through the program. I selected the work that I thought was the best and put the electronic versions into a folder.

I started to make notes for the introduction. I worked through the competencies, submitting, receiving feedback, and rewriting a handful. Many of the competencies were straightforward and I was able to write and post evidence in one pass. Others required more thought and the possibility of needing to prepare new materials for inclusion in the portfolio. I particularly thought the wording of some competencies was awkward and opaque ( #7: Understand the system of standards and methods used to control and create information structures and apply basic principles involved in the organization and representation of knowledge) and I felt that for some competencies I had not experienced much, if anything, in the program that would prepare me to address such a question (#11: Design training programs based on appropriate learning principles and theories).

During this process I wondered how students in ten different program specializations who only have three required courses in common would be expected to show competence in the same fourteen areas. In the end, I wonder if a system of weighted competencies or one that groups competencies by program track would lead to a more useful representation of a graduate's best skills and abilities.

Areas of Competence for Librarians

1. Articulate the ethics, values and foundational principles of library and information professionals and their role in the promotion of intellectual freedom
2. Compare the environments and organizational settings in which library and information professionals practice
3. Recognize the social, cultural and economic dimensions of information use
4. Apply the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy
5. Design, query and evaluate information retrieval systems
6. Use the basic concepts and principles related to the creation, evaluation, selection, acquisition, preservation and organization of specific items or collections of information
7. Understand the system of standards and methods used to control and create information structures and apply basic principles involved in the organization and representation of knowledge
8. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of current information and communication technologies, and other related technologies, as they affect the resources and uses of libraries and other types of information providing entities
9. Use service concepts, principles and techniques that facilitate information access, relevance, and accuracy for individuals or groups of users
10. Describe the fundamental concepts of information-seeking behaviors
11. Design training programs based on appropriate learning principles and theories
12. Understand the nature of research, research methods and research findings; retrieve, evaluate and synthesize scholarly and professional literature for informed decision-making by specific client groups
13. Demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations
14. Evaluate programs and services on specified criteria

Conclusion

Reflections on the MLIS Program

I came into SLIS with the feeling that my past work experience would give me a great advantage in the program. Many of the concepts were not new to me and I considered skipping over some of the classic courses: reference; cataloging; and online searching. I decided that the program would be a great opportunity to learn some new technical skills. In my first semester I took LIBR 240 and solidified my knowledge of HTML. There the fun stopped with technical classes. I had an awful time with XML/XSLT and Java and only had mild success with Javascript.

During my second semester, as I was sinking as a computer programmer, I was also taking LIBR 204 - Information Organizations and Management. I was terribly stimulated by this class, with Dr. Benjamin Speller, both by the management literature that we read and by the way the assignments got me thinking. With this one course, I received a clear picture of who I am and what I can contribute to an organization. I also learned to identify the causes of problems that had occurred in previous workplaces and ways to solve or avoid them.

This intellectual stimulation continued in LIBR 231 - Issues in Special Libraries and Information Centers, with Becky Barber, and LIBR 282 - Seminar in Library Management, with Dr. Jim Walther. Each of these courses gave me the opportunity to work on real-life problems and practice or develop skills that I will use on the job.

The big surprise was that my favorite course of the program was LIBR 210 - Reference and Information Services, with Dr. Charlotte Ford. I was amazed at how interesting the theory of reference work is—not only interesting, useful as well. An example is that friends and family invariably want to know what kinds of things we study in library school: I never tire of explaining—and of seeing the wonderment on their faces—the idea that a librarian must probe a patron to find an information need that the patron doesn't even know he or she has. I must give a great amount of credit to Dr. Ford. Her assignments were well-planned, useful, and provocative. Her lectures were informative and our classroom meetings involved a lot of hands-on time. Dr. Ford challenged us to find the connections of the application of the discipline to the scholarly work in the field. I give her an A+.

My Strengths and My Future

Perhaps the greatest theme in my life is that of being multi-faceted. As an undergraduate, I studied foreign language and literature with a concentration in four languages. I am an amateur musician and have studied voice, harpsichord, and recorder. Now, as a professional, I feel very useful being a generalist. I can turn with facility from teaching a patron, to managing a database, to reading a vendor license, to updating the library website, to performing a search. I consider myself to excel in the following skills and attributes:

As I leave the School of Library and Information Science, I am ready to use these strengths is a new way. My next position will be a managerial one where I am challenged with greater responsibility than in the past. I would like to be responsible for departmental planning, for creating a budget, and for overseeing a small number of employees. My next position will be a place where I can feel confident in contributing to the organization and making that contribution known and appreciated by upper management.

I plan to continue my growth in library and information sciences as well. I hope to work in a position that will allow me to continue to provide searching and analysis. I will continue to follow the changes and new offerings of resources in the pharmaceutical field. I will attend vendor user meetings and trainings. I have been a member of the Special Libraries Association since 2003 and I will continue to take advantage of the outstanding educational and networking benefits of the group.

Joshua Halberstam (2000) theorized that for workplaces to be successful, managers and employees must be happy. He discusses that all work is a mixture of self-directed work (that “flows from our own choices and reflects our own values”) and other-directed work (that “you are constrained to undertake” or “does not correspond to your own goals or interests” (p. 20)). He suggests that you should pick a vocation where the balance is in favor of self-directed work. I am a subscriber to Dr. Halberstam’s philosophy on work. In the end, I am planning for a career that will stimulate me and provide a reasonable subsistence. I would like to be able to enjoy my time at work and leave the job at the office when I go home. With such a balance, I can contribute to my organization and sustain a happy home life.

Halberstam, J. (2000). Work: Making a living and making a life. New York: Perigee.