1A.The ethics, values, and foundational principles of the library and information profession.
1B. The role of library and information professionals in the promotion of democratic principles and intellectual freedom (including freedom of expression, thought, and conscience).
1C. The history of libraries and librarianship.
1D. The history of human communication and its impact on libraries.
1E. Current types of library (school, public, academic, special, etc.) and closely related information agencies.
1F. National and international social, public, information, economic, and cultural policies and trends of significance to the library and information profession.
1G. The legal framework within which libraries and information agencies
operate. That framework includes laws relating to copyright, privacy, freedom of
expression, equal rights (e.g., the Americans with Disabilities Act), and intellectual property.
1H. The importance of effective advocacy for libraries, librarians, other library
workers, and library services.
1I. The techniques used to analyze complex problems and create appropriate
solutions.
1J. Effective communication techniques (verbal and written).
1K. Certification and/or licensure requirements of specialized areas of the profession.
ALA Competency 1:
Foundations of the Profession
I started working at Southwest Research Institute in April of 2020. With permission from my Practicum professor, I was able to include all of my hours from April through the end of the semester (December 4, 2020) into a cohesive log documenting the duties and projects I worked on as part of my Practicum experience.
INFO5090 - Practicum | Fall 2020
Project Description: Document your experiences working at least 120 hours on a project or projects during your Practicum. At the conclusion of the Practicum, write a two-page reflection on what you learned, what surprised you, what you liked/disliked, what you look forward to, etc.
ALA Competencies: 1A, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1I, IJ, IK, 2C, 2D, 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, 5F, 5G, 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, 8B, 8C, 8D
With information science jobs that focus on information organization such as cataloging and metadata, technology skills are a requirement. However, it is important to remember that at the center of our work is a duty to the user. Therefore soft skills, though often overlooked, are important skills for every information professional to have.
INFO5000 - Information and Knowledge Professions | Spring 2020
Project Description: Research and create a presentation reporting the analyzed results and trends of a type of position in the library and information science field.
ALA Competencies: 1A, 1E, 1F, 1J, 5B, 5D, 5F, 6A, 7A, 8B
Elizabeth McArthur, Digital Equity and Strategic Technologies Librarian, and I discussed the digital divide in San Antonio. We examined how her work at BiblioTech helps residents across the city gain much-needed access to digital content. Leslie Stapleton, Archives and Special Collections Manager, shared about the intricacies of acquiring content for archival collections at Texas A&M University-San Antonio and issues of being institutionally affiliated off-campus.
INFO5000 - Information and Knowledge Professions | Spring 2020
Project Description: Interview an information professional on a challenging/widely-debated topic to help gain a real-world understanding of practice in the information science professions.
ALA Competencies: 1A, 1B, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1J, 2C, 2D
Censorship has existed across centuries. As oral histories evolved to be captured in written formats, there have been growing incidents of censorship. Censorship is important to the field of information science because as librarians, we believe that everyone should have unrestricted access to information. In this literature review, I examined two of the most common reasons for censorship. I also analyze data from the past five years to identify trends among groups that challenge materials, types of libraries that get challenges, and the number of requests not fulfilled each year. I also explore various themes that are deemed to be inappropriate for all readers. Finally, I explain the importance of intellectual freedom and some best practices that may help librarians traverse censorship issues.
INFO5000 - Information and Knowledge Professions | Spring 2020
Project Description: Research and write a 2,000 word literature review to gain an in-depth understanding of an area related to the information field.
ALA Competencies: 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1I, 1J, 6A