SLO 5: The student engages in professional development and service and identifies specializations and related professional organizations as relevant to individual interests.
While completing this program I have often struggled with feelings of disconnect and uncertainty. As a student in an online program simultaneously working full-time in a very different career field it has been a challenge sometimes to feel as much a part of things as I would have liked. I had to seek out ways to lessen that feeling of isolation.
In order to feel more engaged and informed about the library community I joined several organizations very early on in the program. The first organizations I joined were the American Library Association (ALA) and the North Carolina Library Association (NCLA). My strong interest in archives also led me to join the Society of North Carolina Archivists (SCNA). While I have not had the opportunity to attend a conference yet it has been beneficial to be a part of these organizations. Being on the list-serves allows me to keep up with what is going on in a larger community. It also affords me access to webinars and learning opportunities that I would not have been aware of otherwise.
Another opportunity to connect with professionals in a particular area of interest was in LIS 688 (Archives Management) with Jennifer Motszko. We were tasked with choosing an archive we would like to learn more about then arrange for an interview and tour of that facility. A list of specific questions was provided. I chose to visit the Mint Museum Archives in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was my first opportunity to sit down with an archivist and learn about their day-to-day activities. I was especially interested in this collection because of my interest in art. I was also eager to learn more about work in a small institution with a single archivist. It was a wonderful visit that fueled my desire to gain more archival experience.
My desire to learn more about archives led me next to begin volunteering at the UNCG Special Collections and University Archives. While my full-time job only allowed for me to work a small about of time each week, this volunteer time enabled me to experience the work of an archivist. Over the course of a year I was able to process and prepare the Women’s Professional Forum Records for digitization from start to finish. It also allowed me to meet with other people in the program and learn through hands on experience.
While these have been beneficial learning opportunities I do look forward to attending conferences and meeting other professionals and paraprofessionals. It is my intention to maintain my association memberships and my volunteer work as pursue my change of career. My current activities in combination with conferences and webinars will allow me to continue learning and growing in this everchanging field.