SLO 2: The student identifies, evaluates, conducts, and applies current research and thought in library and information studies and in other fields.
As I have moved through this degree program over the past three years, one of the things I have to come to appreciate the most is the freedom to explore the topics I have found most interesting and engaging in the completion of my assignments. I began this program after a long gap following my undergraduate work. Conducting, evaluating and applying research was exceptionally intimidating for me. The ability to focus on topics of specific interest made that transition much easier.
In LIS 688 (Preservation Management) with Jennifer Motszko I wrote a research paper examining the topic of paper deterioration. Utilizing a variety of sources, I first explored what causes paper to deteriorate with a look at both internal and external contributors. I then looked at the methods for interventions to hinder that deterioration as well as projects in place in various institutions. As I read through the many years of research on the subject, I learned so much about the art and science of papermaking as well as the potentially complex reasons that paper deteriorates. The science became even more complicated as the different methods of intervention were introduced. The most challenging part of this research paper was to share some of the more complex aspects of the science of paper deterioration both concisely and effectively.
In another course, LIS 650 (Library Administration and Management) with Dr. Richard Moniz, I was tasked to write a research paper on a significant management issue and the relationship of that issue to the library environment. I chose to address the issue of workplace motivation. This topic was of particular interest to me at the time due to struggles I was facing in my own workplace. I was eager to learn more about the theory and the practical applications of motivation. I approached my research from just that angle. I began with an in-depth look at the primary theories regarding motivation. I then examined the topic of motivation in organizational behavior and its applications in the library environment.
It was enlightening on many levels to gain a better understanding of the challenges that managers face as they lead diverse groups. I gained a deeper appreciation for the situation in my own office and insights that will be applicable in any environment. While these two research papers were very different in focus they did share something in common. They helped me to evolve my skills as a researcher as I assimilated the wide variety of materials and subject areas required to create a full scope of each of these topics. Working on these two papers also helped me to overcome some of that fear attached to producing anything of my own.