Kate Stockert
University of Washington Information School
Master of Library and Information Science Portfolio
Spring 2008
Portfolio
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Introduction
As my time at the Information iSchool draws to a close, I am eagerly
preparing for a future in maintaining a command of technology, working
with clients to define research needs, and facilitating access to and
the presentation of information. The past two years have been full of
new challenges and opportunities and I look forward to my future as a
librarian and information scientist.
The Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) is a mystery to many. What does it mean to have an MLIS degree and what skills can an MLIS bring to the workplace? To make matters more difficult, the definition of librarian varies greatly throughout society and industry. Some consider the librarian obsolete; as old fashioned as the horse-drawn buggy and the typewriter. However, the role of the librarian in the workplace is changing significantly and librarianship is becoming one of the most dynamic professions in this “information age.” With more diverse and versatile skills than ever before, the librarian is ready to guide individuals and professionals across the vast universe of information.
The term librarian in many professional environments is synonymous with the term information professional and there is significant debate within the field as to the nature and meaning of these labels. Nonetheless, an MLIS is equipped to wear either suit and work in traditional libraries, specialized libraries found on government and business campuses, market research and competitive intelligence units of organizations, engineering and technology departments of Internet and software companies, and alongside nearly every type of professional. Librarians add value to professional environments by equipping individuals with a diversity of information and tools needed to move forward with important decisions and projects.
My interest in Library Science began five years ago, after completing my BA at Whitman College and starting my first full-time job with Knowledge Mosaic, a developer of electronic research portals for the legal community. As a rookie in the field of customer support and training, I thought that attending the Law Librarians of Puget Sound (LLOPS) meetings would be a good first step in understanding the needs and abilities of my clients; attorneys, and law librarians. From that first meeting I found myself immediately impressed with the high level of professionalism and camaraderie of the group and realized that I wanted to be a part of this exciting profession. The idea of becoming a librarian — to purposefully immerse myself in a maze of information, with the objective of extracting, interpreting, and circulating — excites me enormously. I see the evolving role of the librarian as one that balances traditional and emerging technologies, negotiating the shape and direction information takes and utilizing technology to obtain the most valuable results.