EDUCATION & LIFELONG LEARNING
LIS 269 - Internship
Site Supervisor: Mary Brown, Ph.D.
Internship Site: Marymount Manhattan College Archives
Spring 2016
All images © 2016 Crystal Lopez. All rights reserved.
Screen Capture: Cover page of the William Harris Papers finding aid
DESCRIPTION:
The artifacts below demonstrate my proficiency in one the core competencies required by the ALA, Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning. I have fulfilled this competency by completing an internship at the Marymount Manhattan College Archives during my final semester at St. John’s University. My experience at Marymount provided me with a structured pre-professional work experience within an archival environment. I was presented with the opportunity to associate theories and concepts learned throughout my academic career with concrete behaviors. I was also able to further define my career goals and accelerate my career path. Working for Marymount showed me the necessity of continuing professional development of information professionals. This field is always evolving and it is incredibly important to continue to learn new theories and instructional methods as the profession grows.
ANALYSIS:
During my second semester I was enrolled in LIS 238: Web Design for Libraries and Information Centers. The final assignment for this course was to create a website that would promote one of the physical collections within Marymount Manhattan’s archive. The time spent at Marymount and working on the final site inspired me to apply for an internship there with the hopes of working on similar projects. I wanted to continue to make positive contributions to and for their collections and while I did not end up working on a website, I did, however, gain valuable knowledge in applying theories and methods of evaluating and using recorded knowledge and information.
Though I was responsible for many tasks within Marymount, which are documented in my internship journal, I gained invaluable experience in processing, storing, and managing a photo heavy collection. Dr. Brown allowed me to completely own the management of the William Harris Papers collection including coming up with the naming convention and digitizing the photographs. I also wrote the abstract, arrangement, conditions governing access, custodial history, dimensions, immediate source of acquisition, language of materials, location of collection, material specific details, processed information, and the scope and contents portions of the finding aid to this collection, all of which required some deep thought and properly executed research. Writing the finding aid as well as the photo naming convention sheet allowed me to instill the learning theories taught throughout my academic career and provide those visiting the Marymount archives with instructional methods thus demonstrating their application in this information agency.
REFLECTION:
My internship and the artifacts discussed validate my proficiency in this core competency in that it represents my own growth within this field. In my first semester I created a finding aid as part of an assignment for LIS 271: Advanced Topics in Archival Representation. I remember being intimidated by this task and wondering if I was approaching it in the correct way. When I was assigned to work on the finding aid for Marymount those same feelings once again flooded over me. However, I was able to quickly get over this fear, as I was confident that my training and education properly prepared me for this job. My experience at Marymount has proved to be the highlight of my academic career and has taught me more about being an archivist than any course could.
I cannot say that upon receiving my Master in Library and Information Science (MLIS) and entering this field that I will always be a “practicing professional” rather than a “person with a job”, but I can say that I will try my hardest to become and stay active within new role I wish to embark on. As my career advances I hope to continue to have a positive attitude about my work and coworkers. I will try to bring as much knowledge and interest to my position as possible so that I may contribute to my organization in new and exciting ways. I will be proactive in learning new skills by keeping my hand on the pulse of what new trends are out there in the field. I plan on engaging in research geared towards all things "new" and as always, I will take an active interest in possible leadership roles.
I will also continue to work on different ways to improve my work as an information professional and foster lifelong learning by continuing to be an active member in organizations such as Metropolitan New York Library Council, American Library Association, Society of American Archivists and REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking. Though this may not necessarily be a “mind-set” I think engaging with these organizations are healthy steps I can take to keep me from becoming a “person with a job” and continue to be a “practicing professional.”
ARTIFACTS:
