I.a — Evaluate critically, reflect, and problem-solve individually and collaboratively

In LIS 5020 (Foundations of Library & Information Science), I wrote about job and career preparation at the St. Louis Public Library as a resource for immigrants. I lived in St. Louis for six years. St. Louis has the largest Bosnian population outside of Bosnia, and it was interesting to learn how that library system addresses the needs of St. Louis’s diverse population.

View artifact: Service/Values Paper →

In LIS 6026 (Archives and Records Management), I wrote a research paper about Greene & Meissner’s 2005 “More Product, Less Process” (MPLP) framework for archiving. I included a reflection on the ongoing debate, which remains active 20 years after MPLP was proposed.

View artifact: MPLP Paper →

For LIS 5268 (Applications for Library & Information Science), I paired a home/work technology inventory with a reflective analysis weighing privacy-versus-convenience trade-offs, such as those related to smart speakers and video doorbells.

View artifact: Device Inventory →

In LIS 5937 (Genealogy for Library and Information Science), I created an instructional screencast teaching viewers how to locate and interpret ship manifest records on Ancestry.com.

View artifact: Ancestry Ship Manifest Training Video →

I.c — Participate in professional and community engagement activities in the field

In LIS 5526 (Teaching Information Literacy), my assessment plan for training on initial Institutional Review Board (IRB) applications used polling questions to gauge attendees’ prior experience. I continued to develop this training, obtained feedback from IRB staff and other colleagues, and introduced the concepts of the training in my department in Spring 2025. My goal is to hold this training for graduate students in Spring 2027.

View artifact: Lesson Assessment →

Some of my co-curricular activities are also related to this sub-goal. The University of Tampa archiving internship involves working with Gino Pasi, Archives & Special Collections Librarian. I iteratively developed a plan with Gino to make the William C. Cramer, Jr. archive as accessible as possible within the time constraints. My transcription at From the Page is community-engaged, involving volunteers who transcribe and read others’ transcriptions to double-check content and formatting. I also attended the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Meetings in San Diego (2024) and Chicago (2026). In 2026, this included a pre-conference workshop organized by the Genealogy and Local History Discussion Group of ALA’s History Section. I enjoyed networking with others. On my own, I visited St. Hyacinth Basilica in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood, which gave me an even deeper understanding of Polish history and community, part of this workshop’s focus.

I.d — Demonstrate leadership skills and innovation in a diverse and global environment

In LIS 5268 (Applications for Library & Information Science), I proposed a Microsoft Access relational database of accessible mental health resources, drawn from an existing undergraduate course I teach each summer. I designed this resource for library use and future website development to create a new public-facing library resource for people with diverse experiences related to behavioral health. I know the need for such a resource from my career in mental health services research and my involvement in our undergraduate behavioral healthcare major.

View artifact: Project Proposal →

II.a — Identify and analyze diverse information needs of individuals and communities

In LIS 6409 (Introduction to Library Administration), I observed the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library. It was interesting to note how the renovation of the library over a decade ago addressed the information needs of the community by moving the information desk to the middle of the main circular area, with two staff sitting back-to-back, evocative of a theater in the round. The addition allowed for a larger children’s library that is divided from the rest of the library with glass windows. This is one of three libraries in the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative with a Learning Hive, which is yet another way this library meets community needs. Self-serve check out kiosks, a small computerized stand where patrons can answer a brief survey, and a dedicated section of desks equipped to plug in equipment (such as laptops), demonstrate how technology is leveraged to serve patrons.

View artifact: Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library Observation →

In LIS 6661 (Government Documents), I also used the Census Business Builder to extract economic indicators for a community. I chose those indicators that were likely to be useful and understandable to a diverse population.

View artifact: Retrieval Exercise 4 →

II.b — Evaluate and select print and digital information resources and systems to meet user needs

In LIS 6603 (Basic Information Sources & Services), I developed a Mid-Century Modern Architecture LibGuide. I used this as an opportunity to visit the USF Tampa Campus Library to see how materials were organized and to view print materials in person, given the visual nature of this content. It was interesting to learn that materials for this topic are housed in both Library of Congress Class N (Fine Arts) and Class T (Technology). Mid-Century Modern Architecture is a large topic, so I narrowed the focus to residential architecture. Building the LibGuide helped me learn how to curate resources and present them in a way someone new to a topic could enjoy and understand.

In LIS 6661 (Government Documents), I traced the legislative history of a public law using both ProQuest Congressional and GovInfo, compared their effectiveness, and concluded which one served the task better.

View artifact: Retrieval Exercise 1 →

II.c — Understand and use appropriate information technology for information services

In LIS 6661 (Government Documents), I cross-referenced three geospatial tools — USGS TopoView, Census TigerWeb, and HometownLocator — to trace historical topographic maps of the same address across changing map eras, comparing scale and resolution differences between systems.

View artifact: Retrieval Exercise 3 →

III.a — Analyze, organize, and describe various formats of information objects

In LIS 6603 (Basic Information Sources & Services), I developed a Mid-Century Modern Architecture LibGuide. This was, in part, a curation exercise. Several formats of information objects were available to convey this information. I focused on resources that would be accessible and interesting to an audience new to this topic. I settled on the main categories of “people,” “places,” “things,” and “Go” for the LibGuide. This allowed me to showcase information objects focused on people (such as Richard Neutra), specific places (such as the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed Florida Southern campus), things (such as the modern chair), and Go. The Go category includes information about mid-century homes that are accessible to visit, categorized by state.

In LIS 6711 (Organization of Knowledge), we completed several assignments focusing on ways to organize information objects. Below are links to two examples.

View artifact: Metadata Assignment →

View artifact: Classification Assignment →

III.b — Identify and apply best practices in the use of different technologies for knowledge representation

In LIS 5268 (Applications for Library & Information Science), I proposed a Microsoft Access relational database structuring accessible mental health resources for library use, applying database design as a knowledge-representation technology for a defined audience.

View artifact: Project Proposal →

IV.a — Describe applications of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in LIS

In LIS 6511 (Collection Development & Maintenance), I developed a Community Collection Needs Assessment for the St. Louis Public Library. The proposed assessment would include data from public sources, key informant interviews, and a patron survey.

View artifact: Community Collection Needs Assessment →

In LIS 5937 (Genealogy for Library and Information Science), I researched three generations of my Rowe family. The Kinship Determination document contains a 16-page narrative and 68 pages of documentation. This is an example of qualitative research focused on obtaining primary source material.

View artifact: Kinship Determination Project →

IV.b — Identify opportunities for research and develop plans for research in applied settings

In LIS 6661 (Government Documents), my institutional profile of a Federal Depository Library explicitly named a gap in the field — no existing study of Federal Depository Library website navigability — and proposed research to fill it.

View artifact: FDL Collection Profile →