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Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 1
Master of Library Science Final Exam Portfolio
Spring 2012
Linda Couser Barnette
Texas Woman’s University
11 March 2012
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 2
Contents
Work Product Competencies
Introduction................................................................................................................................... 3
Work Product Number One…………………………………………………….……………….. 4
Work Product Number Two……………………………………………………………………....6
Work Product Number Three……………………………………………………………………..8
Professional Development Plan
Professional Goals……………………………………………………………………………….10
Professional Goal Attainment Schedule………………………………………………………....14
Competencies Acquired From MLS Coursework……………………………………………….15
Continuing Education Sources…………………………………………………………………..16
Networking and Professional Organization Involvement……………………………………….19
Appendix One: Continuing Education Experiences………………………………………….... 20
Appendix Two: Special Library Association Professional Competencies……………....……... 23
References………………………………………………………………………………………28
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 3
Work Product Competencies
Introduction
Prior to submitting my application to Texas Woman’s University (TWU) for admission
into the Master of Library Science (MLS) program in the Spring semester of 2010, I possessed
little knowledge of special libraries, and in particular, health science librarianship. I am a native
of Nashville, Tennessee with a long history of volunteering in Tennessee public libraries. After
marrying a 5th generation Texan in 2007, my husband and I spent three years traveling in an RV
to determine where we wanted to purchase a home. During this period of time, we visited many
libraries and museums in pursuit of information about my husband’s Cherokee lineage. Along
the way, a long buried dream surfaced and I made a decision to return to school to become a
librarian. During the 2010 TWU Fall Forum, it became clear that my previous business
experience would align well with the competencies required for a special librarian. Next, as I
have progressed through my MLS coursework and served as the TWU liaison to HealthLINE (a
consortium of North Texas medical librarians), my academic focus narrowed to health science
librarianship.
Work examples that accompany this essay serve three purposes. First, they will
demonstrate the transferable competencies from my previous careers in sales, as a sales trainer,
and as a human resource manager. Second, they will also serve as illustrations of the
competency criteria outlined in the SLA document Competencies for Information Professionals
of the 21st Century (SLA, 2008). Third, they will relate to my future goals and objectives as a
potential consumer health or public outreach librarian, an embedded research librarian, or a
health science institution reference librarian.
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 4
Assessing my personal competencies and building upon my transferable skills will allow
me to enter the field of librarianship with a realistic vision for future employment. One of my
favorite business writers, Peter Drucker, was paraphrased by Bruce Rosenstein in the Special
Library Association (SLA) Jan/Feb issue of Information Outlook, concerning Drucker’s views on
competencies. Citing from Drucker’s address to the SLA 2002 Annual Conference, Rosenstein
stated:
Drucker implores people to know their strengths and to build upon them. What do you do
that is consistently excellent, something you can be paid for, now and in the future? To be
a true core competency, an activity must be a central part of your being, one that makes
you the kind of person others trust and with (or for) whom they are willing to work. You
have to be willing to take action to strengthen your existing competencies and to develop
new ones for an uncertain future (Rosenstein, 2012).
Work Product Number One
For the course LS5003-20 Collection Development, instructed by Dr. Lynn Akin in the
spring 2011 semester, I was asked to create a collection development policy relevant to the type
of library where I was employed. As I was not employed at a library during that semester, I
chose to create a policy related to a special library, as I had recently changed my academic focus
to special libraries after attending the 2010 TWU Fall Forum. This work example was preceded
by assignments consisting of the choice of a topic, a library type, a user group and design of a
user needs study, and the creation of a project collection within a specified budget amount.
The end result for my assignment was a collection development policy for a proposed
Guest Library in the Hard Rock Hotel, which is adjacent to the Hard Rock Casino in Tulsa, OK.
The Hard Rock Casino and Hotel are owned by the Cherokee Nation and operated by Cherokee
Nation Entertainment. My choice of topic demonstrated a competency from my previous career
in industrial sales: recognizing a need and offering a product or service to meet that need. Having
married a tournament blackjack player and not being a gambler myself, I have spent countless
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 5
hours in casino hotels wishing I had access to a library. By developing the library proposal and
the related collection development policy under the guise of it being a dream of the then
Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Chadwick “Corntassel” Smith, I demonstrated the
following SLA A.2 Managing Information Organizations Professional Competency: “Aligns the
information organization with, and is supportive of, the strategic directions of the parent
organization or of key client groups through partnerships with key stakeholders and suppliers
(SLA, 2003, 5).”
The mission statement created for the Hard Rock Hotel library which appears in the
collection development policy supported Chief Smith’s purported goals for the library: (1) to
increase guest awareness of the rich cultural heritage of the Cherokee Nation, (2) to clarify some
misconceptions about Native Americans, and (3) for provision of resources to hotel guests
related to the current trend of ancestral or genealogical tourism. Here is the library mission
statement, created to form a partnership with the key stakeholders of Chief Smith, the Cherokee
Council, and hotel guests:
To support the mission of the Hard Rock Hotel in Tulsa, OK of being an important,
contributing member of the community by providing access to materials concerning
Cherokee Nation history and culture, as well as resources for guests pursuing
genealogical research on their Cherokee lineage (Barnette, 2011).
This assignment fits well into one of the SLA competency scenarios, with its detailed
description of a program that “inspires a shared vision and creates a compelling mission for the
organization that energizes people to work towards achieving its strategies and delighting its
clients and key stakeholders (SLA, 2003, 6).” One of my career objectives, as part of the goal of
obtaining a library position in the health science community, is to provide excellence in customer
service, measured by increased usage of library services, to meet the expectations and needs of
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 6
all stakeholders. I believe, at least in theory, this objective was affirmed when I discussed this
project at a North Texas Cherokee Community meeting. The project topic was met with hearty
approval, and it was suggested that I submit it to the Cherokee Nation for consideration. In a
more general sense, should I find myself in a position of actually developing a collection
development policy, I have demonstrated that I can adhere to project deadlines and
specifications, and can tailor such a policy to the unique needs of an organization.
Work Product Number Two
My second work product, Homebound Senior Citizen Library by Mail Program, met an
assignment requirement and received an “excellent” grade comment for the course LS5303-20
Public Library during the fall 2010 semester. Dr. Janine Golden was the instructor for this
course, and her assignment instructions requested the development of a plan to create “a viable
public library program, service, or collection to promote or enhance quality customer service in a
specified segment of the community. …the resulting documentation should be constructed in a
way that might lend itself to future presentations to organizational, community, or funding
resources (Golden, 2010).”
One of the traits that I share with other adult learners is the preference for being allowed
to relate new knowledge to prior experience. In one of my trusted sales trainer resources, The
ASTD Training & Development Handbook: A Guide to Human Resource Development, an expert
on adult learning theory, Malcolm Knowles, wrote Chapter 12 on Adult Learning. Knowles
explains why a discussion I had with a senior citizen while volunteering at my local library led
me to choose home bound senior citizens as my focus group:
Adults bring into a learning situation a background of experience that is itself a rich
resource for many kinds of learning, for themselves and for others…adults have a broader
base of experience to which to attach new ideas and skills and give them richer meaning
(Knowles, 1996, 256)
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 7
The premise for my paper demonstrates two more competencies that are transferable from my
previous careers: a high level of attention to detail, and the ability to apply what I have learned in
the past to future situations for making informed decisions.
Relating this assignment to the SLA competencies, it demonstrates both C.2 and C.3
under Managing Information Services, described as follows:
C.2: Conducts market research of the information behaviors and problems of current and
potential client groups to identify concepts for new or enhanced information solutions for
these groups. Transforms these concepts into customized information products and
services
C.3: Researches, analyzes and synthesizes information into accurate answers or
actionable information for clients, and ensures that clients have the tools or capabilities to
immediately apply these (SLA, 2003, 9)
This assignment also lends itself well as an example of the SLA applied competency scenario of
“customizes information services to better meet the specific needs and usage patterns of clients
(SLA, 2003, 9).
Through the development of a program mission statement, program goals and
methodology, a user needs analysis, a listing of personnel requirements, budget requirements and
funding sources, five library focus points for program implementation, and evaluation criteria for
program success, I combined previous organizational competencies with knowledge from my
MLS coursework. This met the ultimate assignment goal of creating a program plan that could
actually be proposed to an organization. Although the plan was designed for a public library
setting, the program components would adapt to any type of library that has identified an
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 8
underserved population, and would be a second way to meet my the objective of providing
excellence in customer service to all organizational stakeholders that is part of my goal of
obtaining my first health science library position.
Work Product Number Three
Third in my series of work products was the final term paper for the course LS5323-20
Special Library in the summer 2011 semester, with Dr. Evelyn Curry as instructor. Titled Health
Science Knowledge Management: Embedded Librarians in Hospital and Medical Libraries, the
term paper met the following instruction criteria:
Students must prepare a term paper on one of the following topics (oriented to the small
library): cataloging, reference, personnel staffing, volunteers, acquisitions, administration
or knowledge management, public relations, marketing, competitive intelligence, or
another mutually acceptable topic. The student will demonstrate through the literature,
how thought and practice related to that topic has changed or developed over the past few
years (Curry, 2011).
Having moved my academic focus to health science librarianship just prior to taking this course,
and after learning about embedded librarians at the first HealthLINE meeting that I attended
(mentioned in my Introduction), I chose this topic with a goal of acquiring information for a
future employment role.
Using a literature review process, I created a paper that provided evidence of how the
presence of an embedded librarian can positively affect Knowledge Management, and which
provided answers to three questions:
1) Who do embedded librarians serve?
2) What are the responsibilities and roles of embedded librarians?
3) What competencies and training are needed for successful employment in this role?
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 9
The three questions I sought to answer via my literature review are related to a competency I
possess from my human resources career: experience with conducting job analyses for the
creation of job descriptions, and for appropriate placement of individuals within an organization.
Using this approach to the term paper also supported one of my future career objectives: to
transfer previous employee relations career competencies, in combination with MLS coursework,
into future employment situations. In addition, it began an important thought process concerning
my own strengths, how I can best promote those strengths during future interviews, and what
areas of continuing education I may need to acquire to overcome identified weaknesses.
In the SLA competency article, Section B Managing Information Resources offers a
competency description and an applied scenario that are exhibited in this term paper:
B.3 Demonstrates expert knowledge of the content and format of information resources,
including the ability to critically evaluate, select and filter them.
Applied Scenario 2: Information Professionals (IPs) select and secure information
resources that are appropriate in terms of format, language, content, coverage, and that
provide special features that tailor the content and retrieval capabilities to specific needs
of the user group (SLA, 2003, 7).
In the article evaluation and filtering process, I obtained an original list of 113 articles that fit
within my parameters of currency (all but one were written in the last five years), full text, and
wherever possible, peer-reviewed. After scanning the original article list, I reduced my resources
to twenty-six for citation within the term paper. The format, language, and content of the final
twenty-six resources provided excellent answers to the three questions, and provided me data for
assessing future employment opportunities.
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 10
Professional Development Plan
Professional Goals
Looking towards my future in health science librarianship, I have seven major goals that I
hope to accomplish in the next five years. First, I will complete the necessary work assignments
for my Practicum, scheduled for the summer 2012 semester at the Tarrant County District
College, Trinity River Campus library reference desk. Plans are for me to work on the Nursing
and Allied Health reference desk, and to assist with research skills instruction. Second, I will
complete the requirements for my MLS degree, with a scheduled graduation in the summer 2012
semester. Third, lacking actual work experience in a library, I plan to identify and transfer
competencies from previous sales and human resources roles to the field of librarianship, for the
creation of a library science oriented resume and interview portfolio. The objective of this goal is
to compile an interview package to overcome the lack of library experience, and to allow me to
quickly move into a role where knowledge of working with diverse populations and treatment of
sensitive health and personnel data will be an asset. Examples of competencies which I have
already identified as being transferable to future roles include: budget administration, employee
development and training, meeting facilitation and team building experience, mentoring, both as
mentor and mentee, and project management. From my long history as a library volunteer, I have
experience with the full range of circulation processes and with an RFID implementation, and
have served as a historical storyteller and as a library advisory board member.
My fourth professional goal, after completion of my MLS coursework for a summer 2012
graduation, is to acquire the Graduate Certificate of Evidence-based Health Science
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 11
Librarianship which is offered by TWU. The work I complete during my summer 2012
Practicum, five of the courses completed for my MLS degree, and one additional course
completed in the fall 2012 semester, will satisfy the requirements for receiving this certification.
Here is an excerpt from the TWU course description for this certificate:
The post-master’s Graduate Certificate in Evidence-Based Health Science Librarianship
provides the knowledge and skills to be competent in practicing evidence-based
librarianship in the health profession. The curriculum consists of the fundamental
knowledge of library science and focuses on resources and services in health science
librarianship, with a capstone practicum in a health science library or information center
(TWU, 2012).
Provision of evidence-based information is a necessity for librarians who serve busy
health care professionals, men and women who are often on “information overload” as far as
staying current on medical updates. These professionals need to have the most recent findings at
their disposal to make informed decisions about patient care, or when comparing research
findings with other studies. My objective for acquiring this certification is based upon the
probability of enhancing my opportunities for a placement within the health care library
community.
Following receipt of the Graduate Certificate of Evidence-based Health Science
Librarianship, a fifth goal will be to obtain a position in one of the following areas of a health
science library or information center, or within an academic library that supports a health science
environment: consumer health librarian, public services outreach librarian, or embedded
reference or research team librarian. Informational interviews conducted with librarians who are
currently serving in these roles, and completion of MLS coursework related to health science
librarianship, have assisted me with identifying these roles as targets for future employment. All
of my previously discussed transferable competencies, augmented by the expert research skills I
have acquired during my MLS coursework and a consistent 4.0 GPA, will make entry into one of
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 12
these positions a reality. My objective for this goal is to again become gainfully employed,
which will allow my spouse, who came out of retirement to allow me to pursue my MLS, to
again retire and become active in his many avocations.
After I have settled into my first health science librarianship position, my sixth goal is to
pursue adjunct instructor opportunities at one of the many colleges and universities within
driving distance of my home. Acquiring my MLS and transferring my training competencies and
knowledge of adult learning will equip me for part-time instructor contracts in business and/or
library science academic areas. This objective of this goal is to hone my skills as an instructor,
particularly in today’s online teaching environment, in anticipation of acquiring a library science
related PhD for a future teaching career.
As I mentioned in my sixth goal description, the seventh goal that I am charting for my
career future will be acquisition of a PhD in a library science related field. It may be somewhat
aggressive to imagine completion of this goal in five years, but I am targeting choosing a
university, submitting an application, completing my first course, and registering my thesis
research topic by 2016. As my spouse and I are both willing to remain in Texas or move to my
native state of Tennessee, I will be investigating, in addition to TWU, the doctoral degrees listed
below:
University of North Texas Health Science Center, College of Information,
Denton, TX: Interdisciplinary Information Science PhD
University of Tennessee – Knoxville: PhD in Communication and Information
University of Texas – Austin, TX: Doctor of Philosophy
Vanderbilt Peabody College – Nashville, TN: PhD in Learning, Teaching and
Diversity
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 13
The objective for this goal is twofold: engage in advanced studies related to library science and
prepare myself to instruct library students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate online library
science programs.
On the following page, I have provided a schedule of actions to meet these goals.
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 14
Goal Attainment Schedule Goals 2012 Actions 2013
Actions
2014 Actions 2015 Actions 2016 Actions
Completion of
Practicum at
Tarrant County
District College,
Trinity River
Campus Library
Practicum application
submitted 2-12-12;
Awaiting final
approval by MaryAnn
Kitchens after
application deadline
closes 4-1-12
Complete MLS
requirements
with anticipated
graduation in
summer 2012
semester
Scheduled for
Summer 2012 after
completion of
Practicum and final
course, Health
Reference Information
Sources (LS5473-20)
Creation of e-
portfolio,
resume, and
interview
package based
on transferable
skills and
experience and
MLS
coursework
competencies
Begin work on this
goal August 2012,
after graduation with
MLS –Spend Sept
2012 in TN renewing
relationships with
family and friends,
and begin launching
resumes in Oct 2012
Acquire
Graduate
Certificate of
Evidence-based
Health Science
Librarianship at
TWU
Enroll in Information
and Communication
Technology (LS5043)
at TWU in fall 2012
semester, which will
complete
requirements for
certification
Obtain first
position in
health science
librarianship
Target
date for
first job:
3-1-2013
Continue working in health science role,
with plans to advance from reference
desk to Consumer Health, Public
Outreach, or Embedded Librarian Role
Obtain part-time
instructor
contract in
business or
academic
department of a
local college or
university
Jan 2014:
Submit
applications and
credentials for
part-time
instructor
June 2014:
Begin as
contract
instructor
Sept 2014:
Research PhD
Programs
2015: Continue as
adjunct professor on
a contract basis for
the three semesters
June 2015: Submit
application, chosen
PhD program for
admission January
2016 and begin
process of packing
and selling home if
moving to Tennessee
Obtain library
science oriented
PhD
By July 2016,
complete first PhD
course and register
dissertation topic:
anticipate subject
being related to
caregiving
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 15
Competencies Acquired From MLS Coursework
Completion of my MLS coursework not only enhanced competencies that I possessed
prior to entering the program at TWU, but provided me with new ones that I will take into the
field of health science librarianship. Undoubtedly, the primary competency I gained was the
ability to learn in an online environment. The courses for my undergraduate degrees, B. A. in
Business Administration and Marketing, and a B.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology,
were all conducted in classroom environments. Learning to navigate the Blackboard platform,
engage in discussion board communications, and interact with students from all over the world
without meeting them face-to-face has at times been a challenge, but will reap rewards when I
achieve my goals of securing an adjunct instructor position and later, a PhD instructor placement.
A second important competency that I gained during pursuit of my MLS was the
acquisition of expert searching skills. When I entered the MLS program, I had some experience
with Lexis Nexus as a resource for legal precedents while writing human resource policies.
However, as I look towards graduation, I am now comfortable and proficient with not only
navigating an array of databases, but in filtering and selecting resources appropriate for given
information need.
Considered both a challenge and a competency, at least from my own perspective, was
the learning experience of online team projects. My sales and human resource careers placed me
into many team environments, and I have designed and presented training on effective team
management. However, being part of a team in an online environment was a challenge at those
moments when team members procrastinated on assignments or had differing opinions about the
level of quality that an end result should possess. I learned two major concepts, the first being to
take extra care in the wording of my discussion posts to prevent misunderstandings about their
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 16
intent. A second concept that I learned was to cease enabling other team members who were not
meeting assignment expectations, as being an engaged and supportive team member does not
equate to doing more than my share of a project. Approaching graduation, I am proud to say I
have survived the online team experience, and have gained valuable insight into the process for
the eventuality of being in an instructor role in a similar setting.
Continuing Education Sources
As demonstrated by the list of seminars, webinars and workshops that I have attended
during my time at TWU, I take continuing education very seriously (please see Appendix One
for a complete list). These activities were specifically chosen to either enhance my future
offerings to the field of librarianship, or to augment MLS coursework.
For future continuing education, I have identified six activities that I plan to pursue to
continue to develop myself personally and professionally. First, I will continue to participate in
human resource conferences and workshops to maintain my SPHR (Senior Professional of
Human Resources) certification. Having this certification allows me to provide HR consulting
services, both for profit and in volunteer situations, and will be another asset for future employee
relation interactions in the library world.
Second, I plan to utilize the SLA Virtual Advisor website
(http://www.sla.org/content/jobs/advisor/index.cfm), which is an email service that allows an
SLA member to receive access to career advice and guidance specifically related to the field of
librarianship. These emails are answered by career professionals who volunteer their time to
answer career questions (SLA, 2012).
Third, I have identified a weakness in my knowledge of webpage design and html, so I
plan to attend a course to boost my proficiency level in designing website presentations. Our
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 17
local community college offers this course each semester, so I plan to enroll for the spring 2013
class.
Fourth, while conferring with Dr. Carol Perryman on her application for grant funding for
the project Care for Caregivers: Supporting the Information Needs of Family Caregiver, I have
gained a basic understanding of the grant application writing process. However, I have a
weakness in my lack of knowledge to actually write a grant. I have scheduled attendance at a
National Library of Medicine grant writing workshop on April 23, 2012, to develop skills in this
area.
Fifth, I have a goal of continuing to attend at least one online event or Webinar each
quarter (preferably more frequently), to stay current on trends and to boost my knowledge level
on library issues. My favorite sources are the offerings by the SLA Click University
(http://www.sla.org/content/learn/aboutclicku/index.cfm) and the Texas Library Association
(http://www.txla.org/ce), both of which have offer many free or low fee webinars on topics such
as copyright, knowledge management, and library employment tips.
Sixth, I plan to apply for the Medical Library Association’s (MLA) Academy of Health
Information Professionals. This is MLA's peer-reviewed professional development and career
recognition program, which recognizes professional performance and contributions to the
association and to the profession. The academy provides a structure for individualized
professional development for all health information professionals, no matter how long they've
been in the field. Admission to the academy is based upon academic preparation, professional
experience, and professional accomplishments. I will qualify for the Provisional Member Level
based upon the following criteria, as listed on the Academy’s website:
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 18
American Library Association-accredited M.L.S. or a non-ALA-accredited
master's degree with documented course work in all the Professional
Competencies
Evidence of current employment in the health information field, with less than
five years of professional experience in the health information field following the
master's degree
OR
Currently seeking employment in the field, with less than five years
experience. (Please note: Upon renewal one year later, Provisional Member is
required to show evidence of employment in the field via employer letter).
Because they are new to the field of health information sciences, Provisional
Members are assigned a mentor and are required to document 8 points of
continuing education each year following the first year of academy membership.
(MLA, 2012).
In addition to the formal continuing education resources that I plan to pursue, I also
subscribe to a number of blogs, discussion groups and listservs for which I will continue
subscriptions after graduation. Some of my favorites include:
BHIC Web Log. National Library of Medicine Bringing Health Information to the
Community Health Blog. Website: http://nnlm.gov/bhic/
D-Lib Magazine. Website: http://www.dlib.org/about.html
Health Literacy. National Library of Medicine Health Literacy Discussion List. Website:
http://lincs.ed.gov/mailman/listinfo/Healthliteracy
Learning Times Library Online Community. Website:
http://www.learningtimes.com/who-we-are/
Provider of online conferences and learning activities to engage learners – I receive a
weekly update of events
OPAL: Online Programs for All. Website: http://www.opal-online.org/
OPAL is an international collaborative effort by libraries and other organizations of all
types to provide web-based programs and training for library users and library staff
members. These live events are held in online rooms where participants can interact via
voice-over-IP, text chatting, synchronized browsing, and more. Everyone is welcome to
participate in OPAL programs. Usually there is no need to register. Nearly all OPAL
programs are offered free of charge. Examples of OPAL public online programs include
book discussion programs, interviews, special events, library training, memoir writing
workshops, and virtual tours of special digital library collections (OPAL, 2012). I receive
a weekly update of events.
The Krafty Librarian. Website: http://kraftylibrarian.com/
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 19
Networking and Professional Organization Involvement
I learned early in my professional life how important networking is for success in
attaining career goals. Upon graduation, I will convert my membership in these professional
organizations from student to regular member status: American Library Association (ALA),
HealthLINE (North Texas Medical Librarian Consortium), Medical Library Association (MLA),
South Central Chapter of Medical Library Association (SCC/MLA), Special Library Association
(SLA), and the Texas Library Association (TLA).
Having served as the TWU liaison to HealthLINE for the past year, I will continue to be
involved with that group, and offer myself as a mentor in the student mentoring program. With
SLA, I have an interest in becoming involved with the Student and Academic Affairs Advisory
Council. And, with all the professional organizations in which I hold membership, I shall avail
myself of their employment resources and job boards.
In the social media realm, I am a member of LinkedIn, and plan to use it as both a
networking and an employment contact resource.
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 20
Appendix One:
Continuing Education Experiences
11/2/2010 Baby Boomers: Serving the Next Generation of
"Seniors" Texas State Library and
Archives Webinar
11/9/2010 Volunteers: Recruitment, Development and
Supervision University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
11/12/2010 Online Research Strategies for Librarians University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
11/15/2010 Capturing History: Digitization Projects University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
11/16/2010 Senior Spaces: Creating Your Library as a Place for
Older Adults Texas State Library and
Archives Webinar
11/18/2010 Job Hunting for the Recent or Future MLS Graduate LLAMA (Library Leadership
and Management Association)
Webinar
11/20/2010 Gifts for Libraries: Be Careful What You Wish For University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
12/2/2010 Serving the 21st Century Patron WebJunction Webinar
12/2/2010 Library Privacy and Confidentiality: Law and Policy University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
12/2/2010 Basic Budgeting University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
12/5/2010 Become an Effective Trustee University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
12/7/2010 Managing Copyright for the Digital Age Special Library Association Webinar
12/10/2010 The Road to CIVILITY: Implementing a Choose
Civility Initiative
Texas State Library and Archives
Webinar
2/9/2011 Ten Tips to Effectively Serve the Genealogy Searcher
with Willie Braudaway
University of North Texas LE@D Program
Webinar
3/2/2011 Volunteer Screening and Placement University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
3/3/2011 Seven Steps to a Successful Volunteer Recruitment
Program University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
3/4/2011 Volunteer Orientation, Training, Evaluation: Creating
an Engaging Environment University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
3/4/2011 Volunteers: Policy and Procedure Development University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 21
3/5/2011 Volunteer-Staff Good Relations: Navigating the Divide University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
3/8/2011 Are You Really Ready for Volunteers University of North Texas
LE@D Program Online Course
3/24/2011 Ethics in the Library and Beyond NTRLS (North Texas Library
Partners)
Onsite - Southlake
Public Library
4/8/2011 Legal Reference Skills for Non-Law Librarians Texas Weslyan School of
Law Onsite
Workshop
4/26/2011 Help, I'm a Librarian, Not a Social Worker NTRLS (North Texas Library
Partners)
Audio Conference
Call with Handouts
5/3/2011 Life of A Book: From Idea to Distribution—Collect,
Discover, Assess Library Journal and Bowker Webinar
5/4/2011 The 8th Habit: New Paradigm for Leadership AMA (American
Management Association) Webinar
5/13/2011 Libraries Partnering to Support Small Business and
Entrepreneurs WebJunction Webinar
5/17/2011 Achieving ROI from Self Services Library Journal and Tech
Logic Webinar
6/8/2011 New Lessons In Leadership PLA (Public Library
Association) Webinar
7/12/2011 Ten Tips For Basic Cataloging with Melissa Powell University of North Texas
LE@D Program Webinar
7/13/2011 Connecting with Your Community via Facebook: They
Already Like You
Texas State Library and Archives & Seattle Public
Library Webinar
7/14/2011 Decisions, Decisions, Decisions: Educational Standards
for Virtual Adult Education MLA Online Clinic Webinar
9/16/2011 Tell A Great Story - Get a Job
Texas Library Association) - Kerry McGeath and Cynthia
Pfledderer of Southlake Public Library
Webinar
10/17/2011 e-Book Acquisition: Planning and Forecasting Rittenhouse Book
Distributors Webinar
10/19/2011 Job Hunting for Today's Libraries in Today's Job Market LLAMA (Library Leadership
and Management Association)
Webinar
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 22
10/24/2012 Know & go - What's New with the Pew Internet &
American Life Project - Christine Peterson, Presenter AMIGOS Library Services Webinar
11/7/2011 Know & Go: RDA Update AMIGOS Library Services -
Instructor: Bill Walker Webinar
12/6/2011 From Beyond Our Borders: Providing Health
Information to Refugee Populations
Medical Library Assoc & National Library of
Medicine (Houston) - Presenter: Cheryl Rowan
Seminar - UNT Health Science Ctr
Library - Fort Worth
1/17/2012 Maintaining Collections While Maximizing Budgets Rittenhouse Books Webinar
1/19/2012 Now Is The Time to Mobilize Your Board to Raise
Funds - Part 1
North Texas Library Partners (Trainer: Judi
Margdin with Grant Station)
Webinar
1/20/2012 "Genealogy is Bigger In Texas"
RUSA (Reference & User Services Assoc) at ALA
MidWinter 2012 in Dallas, TX
All Day Seminar
2/14/2012 Beginners Guide To Weebly
Weebly.com - Richard Huffaker, Customer
Satisfaction Manager (for Class Project Website
Presentations)
Webinar
2/15/2012 The Changing Hospital Environment: New Roles for
Hospital Librarians
SEA NN/LM (Southeast
Atlantic Region of National
Medical Library)
Webinar
3/1/2012 to 4/6/2012
“Super Searcher: Enhancing Your Online Super Searching Powers” – Five Week Course
NN/LM (National Medical Library – Emily Hurst,
Instructor) Webinar
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 23
Appendix Two:
SLA Professional Competencies
(Excerpted from SLA Competencies for Information Professionals in the 21st Century)
A. Managing Information Organizations Information professionals manage information organizations ranging in size from one employee
to several hundred employees. These organizations may be in any environment from corporate,
education, public, government, to non-profit. Information professionals excel at managing these
organizations whose offerings are intangible, whose markets are constantly changing and in
which both high-tech and high-touch are vitally important in achieving organizational success.
A.1- Aligns the information organization with, and is supportive of, the strategic directions of
the parent organization or of key client groups through partnerships with key stakeholders
and suppliers.
A.2 Assesses and communicates the value of the information organization, including
information services, products and policies to senior management, key stakeholders and
client groups.
A.3 Establishes effective management, operational and financial management processes and
exercises sound business and financial judgments in making decisions that balance
operational and strategic considerations.
A.4 Contributes effectively to senior management strategies and decisions regarding information
applications, tools and technologies, and policies for the organization.
A.5 Builds and leads an effective information services team and champions the professional and
personal development of people working within the information organization.
A.6 Markets information services and products, both formally and informally, through web and
physical communication collateral, presentations, publications and conversations.
A.7 Gathers the best available evidence to support decisions about the development of new
service and products, the modification of current services or the elimination of services to
continually improve the array of information services offered.
A.8 Advises the organization on copyright and intellectual property issues and compliance.
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 24
Applied Scenarios Develops strategic and business plans that support the host organization's
goals and that establish long-term stretch targets and near-term priorities for
the information organization.
Inspires a shared vision and creates a compelling mission for the organization
that energizes people to work towards achieving its strategies and delighting
its clients and key stakeholders.
Conducts market research of the information behaviors and problems of
current and potential client groups to identify concepts for new or enhanced
information solutions for these groups. Transforms these concepts into
specialized information products and services.
Sets clear performance expectations linked to organizational strategies and
priorities.
Provides professional development opportunities for staff members.
Calculates a return on investment for information services and products or
develops other measurable contributions of the information organization.
Clearly demonstrates the value-add of the information organization to clients
and key stakeholders through communications with top management.
B. Managing Information Resources
Information professionals have expertise in total management of information resources, including
identifying, selecting, evaluating, securing and providing access to pertinent information resources.
These resources may be in any media or format. Information professionals recognize the importance
of people as a key information resource.
B.1 Manages the full life cycle of information from its creation or acquisition through its
destruction. This includes organizing, categorizing, cataloguing, classifying, disseminating;
creating and managing taxonomies, intranet and extranet content, thesauri etc.
B.2 Builds a dynamic collection of information resources based on a deep understanding of
clients' information needs and their learning, work and/or business processes.
B.3 Demonstrates expert knowledge of the content and format of information resources,
including the ability to critically evaluate, select and filter them.
B.4 Provides access to the best available externally published and internally created information
resources and deploys content throughout the organization using a suite of information
access tools.
B.5 Negotiates the purchase and licensing of needed information products and services.
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 25
B.6 Develops information policies for the organization regarding externally published and
internally created information resources and advises on the implementation of these policies.
Applied Scenarios
IPs are experts in identifying the best information resources, comparing free
versus fee resources to determine if value-added features warrant the cost,
examining features of resources available from multiple vendors, and
providing access to those resources for the organization by negotiating cost-
effective contracts with vendors.
IPs select and secure information resources that are appropriate in terms of
format, language, content, coverage and that provide special features that
tailor the content and retrieval capabilities to specific needs of the user group;
IPs may work together to provide group pricing or other cooperative
arrangements both inside and outside the organization that provide the
maximum value for the investment made.
IPs integrate externally published and internally created information
resources as well as knowledge resources to create new client-specific
information collections and sources.
IPs may use off-the-shelf information products recognizing that these
products could require modifications to meet the needs of specific user
groups; IPs then select or design and implement the required modifications.
IPs select, preserve and make accessible technical reports, standards, best
practices guidelines and other internal documents for ongoing use.
IPs establish document retention schedules and access procedures to meet
regulatory requirements.
C. Managing Information Services Information professionals manage the entire life cycle of information services, from the concept
stage through the design, development, testing, marketing, packaging, delivery and divestment of
these offerings. Information professionals may oversee this entire process or may concentrate on
specific stages, but their expertise is unquestionable in providing offerings that enable clients to
immediately integrate and apply information in their work or learning processes.
C.1 Develops and maintains a portfolio of cost-effective, client-valued information services that
are aligned with the strategic directions of the organization and client groups.
C.2 Conducts market research of the information behaviors and problems of current and
potential client groups to identify concepts for new or enhanced information solutions for
these groups. Transforms these concepts into customized information products and services.
C.3 Researches, analyzes and synthesizes information into accurate answers or actionable
information for clients; ensures clients have tools or capabilities to immediately apply these.
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 26
C.4 Develops and applies appropriate metrics to continually measure the quality and value of
information offerings, and to take appropriate action to ensure each offering's relevancy
within the portfolio.
C.5 Employs evidence-based management to demonstrate the value of and continually improve
information sources and services.
Applied Scenarios
Seeks opportunities to work with clients on projects or within their
environments or operations to fully understand their processes, information
behaviors and how information services can most effectively be utilized.
Analyzes and synthesizes information into accurate answers or actionable
information for clients, and ensures that clients have the tools or capabilities
to immediately apply these.
Customizes information services to better meet the specific needs and usage
patterns of clients.
Develops and delivers specific information packages or alerting services for
clients such as competitive intelligence, business intelligence, industry
monitors, topic or issue indicators.
Develops, delivers and manages curricula educating clients in information
literacy, Internet usage, and locating and interpreting information sources.
Uses evidence-based management to present reasoned evidence of a service's
value and an organization's abilities. Develops and applies measures of
service/product usage, client satisfaction and the organizational or client
impact of services and products. Regularly assesses clients' information wants
and gaps using market research tools including questionnaires, surveys,
interviews, focus groups and observation.
D. Applying Information Tools & Technologies
Information professionals harness the current and appropriate technology tools to deliver the best
services provide the most relevant and accessible resources, develop and deliver teaching tools to
maximize clients' use of information, and capitalize on the library and information environment
of the 21st century.
D.1 Assesses, selects and applies current and emerging information tools and creates
information access and delivery solutions
D.2 Applies expertise in databases, indexing, metadata, and information analysis and synthesis
to improve information retrieval and use in the organization
D.3 Protects information privacy of clients and maintains awareness of new challenges to privacy
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 27
D.4 Maintains current awareness of emerging technologies that may not be currently relevant
but may become relevant tools of future information resources, services or applications.
Applied Scenarios
IPs are active partners with technology vendors, providing feedback,
suggesting improvements, and keeping the needs of the clients in the
forefront
IPs maintain awareness of emerging technologies through reading
professional and popular documents, participating in peer dialogs, and
attending courses, workshops, and conferences.
IPs is prepared to advise all levels of the organization on how technology
trends will affect the organization and the clients.
IPs lead technology initiatives in their organizations by forming partnerships,
obtaining buy-in of upper management, overseeing the project management
life-cycle, and communicating to all critical levels of the organization.
IPs test, select and use new technology tools as they are developed.
IPs maintains awareness of the latest policy and legislative initiatives that will
impact privacy, accessibility, and openness of information use and transfer,
and of technology deployment.
IPs educate others in the use of information tools and technologies in a
variety of ways, from training people in finding the information they want on
the Internet or in proprietary databases to integrating information tools into
their clients' workflow or curriculum (SLA, 2003)
Barnette – MLS Final Exam Portfolio – Spring 2012 28
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