Reflective Comments-Intro. to the Library and Information Profession-SU Course 511-Day 1

In this first day of discussion, I discovered the relationship between librarianship, library science and information science. Individuals in each of these areas each use knowledge and skills from the other areas. Ultimately, we all access information needs of patrons and provide services. As librarians, we actually use research discovered by those in the library science realm. The interrelatedness of these three different perspectives may take various forms depending on what is applicable in each particular library situation.

Another topic of interest in today's discussion concerned searching, queries and where the librarian comes in to play during these activities. Librarians are a necessary piece in the puzzle of solving a patron's information needs. Many times a patron does not really know what/can't put in to words what exactly it is that they want to know. A librarian turns a patron's question into query terms that are searchable. A librarian is involved in selecting a tool to search with and manipulating within it using connectors and limits. Finally, a librarian helps evaluate materials and adjusts the search as necessary in order to solve a particular information question.


In addition, large part of today's activities involved listening to speakers involved in the public library sector. Kate McCaffrey from Northern Onondaga Public Libraries gave useful tips for interviewing for public library jobs. Some of these included having questions for the interviewers (you are also interviewing them), show that you take risks and to learn about the decision making process. I especially liked Bev Cholcto-Devlin's (Mid-York Library System) advice about following your passion and pursuing what you really want to do. She mentioned that public libraries stand for Intellectual Freedom and Free Access for ALL (this includes technological access for the less privileged). I feel that these important standards are true not just for public libraries but school libraries as well. Bev also mentioned the importance of knowing your community-also equally important to school libraries.