Like many in this program I have an insatiable passion for books.

Reading has always been a favorite past time, and the best place to
facilitate this love was always the library. It was not until I was working
on my undergraduate degree that I discovered my true love lay with
books that were very, very old. I took multiple classes on early English
Literature and epics, and was not only fascinated with the stories, but
also how history had affected their authors and helped to shape these
masterpieces. So when I decided to continue my education it made
sense for me to lean towards a certificate in Archiving and Cultural
Heritage. I want to be a part of preserving our past as well as our
current stories for the future. My time at Dominican University has
made that preservation dream a reality. Through the last four
semesters I have been able to take a wide variety of classes that I feel
have prepared me for future opportunities in the Library and
Information world.
There were three classes that were very significant to my
education. These classes helped me narrow down my passions within a
field that offers many different opportunities and avenues. The first
class was LIS 885, Cultural Heritage Resources and Services. Through
this class I was able to spend time out in a community, and really
trying to understands the needs of those particular people. It also
made it apparent that there are all too often not enough, or the correct
kind of resources available for those community members. This

revelation has made me a better information professional as I am

aware of this issue, and have been given ideas and tools to try and
combat the lack of assets.
Preservation of documents, photographs and other unique
paraphernalia became an important part of the second half of my
education at Dominican University. Because of my passion for working
with the preservation of records, LIS 713, Introduction to the
Preservation and Conservation of Library and Archival Materials, made
sense as a class for me to add to my schedule. While the structure of
the class was a little unorthodox, it really spoke to me as a hands on
learner. We examined examples of different materials such as paper,
book bindings, and how books have changed over the centuries. We
did projects such as paper repairs and binding our own mini books.
There was also an outing to the University of Chicago in which we were
given a comprehensive tour of their library facilities as well as the
chance to look at very rare items found in their Special Collections
department. We also learned about disaster preparedness, and how to
deal with items that have been involved in a disaster such as flooding
and fire. I finished this class feeling as though while I may not be an
expert, I have built a very solid foundation to begin work as an
archivist. The final class, or really experience that has made a profound
impression on me as someone who hopes to work in an archive was my
Practicum. I have been working in the Dominican University Archives

on the Chicago Archery Clubs collection of scrapbooks from the early

1900s. As someone who likes to work with their hands, being able to
scan and do basic repairs on these items has given me an incredible
opportunity to gain practical experience. It has also taught me that
being an archivist is not always a glamorous job. It is often dirty and
messy, with the items being in various states of disrepair. However, I
have found the work in my Practicum to be very fulfilling and for the
most part enjoyable.
The artifacts represented here are not only the assignments I felt
best matched the GSLIS Goals, but they also form a picture of what I
hope to be as a librarian or an archivist once I leave Dominican
University. The artifacts I feel are my best may not necessarily be the
very best work I turned in, but they are the assignments that stuck
with me, or gave me a better understanding of what it means to work
within a community as their information professional. The artifact I
choose for 2.B from LIS 881 is very important to me because it deals
with a slippery policy. Copyright is something that everyone talks
about, and most people understand the basics of, but there is so much
more to the copyright laws that many users and/or professionals do not
consider. Copyright laws leave grey areas that are often up for
interpretation. However, that leeway can get people into trouble. With
this assignment I was able to see copyright law as it pertained to
multiple scenarios within an archive. It was helpful to take the time as

a class and break down the nuances of copyright law, and discuss how
as an archivist we would deal with these different questions and
scenarios.
The next two artifacts are a Request for Proposal and a Grant
Proposal. For goal 2.D I used my Request for Proposal from LIS 885.
This assignment resonated with me because I was actually forced out
into one of the communities within the greater Chicago area. At first it
was a bit unnerving, having to wander about a community and their
cultural heritage centers trying to understand how I as a librarian or
archivist could be advantageous these people. Yet it was one of the
most rewarding experiences I had in library school. I was able to see
the struggles the German American community has faced since their
immigration to the Chicago area. After the World Wars this community
has all but forgotten or hidden their culture. It was very gratifying to
try and think of a program that could benefit and help these people
reconnect with their heritage. The final artifact I would like to discuss is
Goal 4.C, a grant proposal for the digitization of a Zine collection. Zines
are mini magazines with a print run of one to one thousand per issue.
They are full of original artwork, narratives and poems that cannot be
reproduced. Because of the rarity of these items I felt it important that
they be digitized, not necessarily as a preservation technique, but as a
way for the public to see these wonderful and unique works. Getting
grants is very significant for institutions, and these two artifacts taught

me not only how to work on a grant, but also the processes involved in
grant selection. These three artifacts I have chosen are representative
of the person I have been shaped into by my education.
Throughout my time in the GSLIS program I have learned an
incredible amount about the restrictions and problems that face users
in a library setting. One of the things that struck me was the different
ways in which information can be censored or restricted. I had heard
about books being banned in schools and knew that my own school
system had an Internet blocking system in place that would block
anything thought to be harmful. What I did not realize was that this is
not an issue exclusive to school libraries. All libraries feel pressure from
their boards, patrons and communities to restrict access to certain
materials and on the Internet. This was very frustrating to me,
especially as I did research on these programs that were put in place to
filter websites. These programs at best work only a fraction of the time.
And they are unreliable as to what is getting filtered, meaning that
bad sites can get through while some educational and informational
sites are lumped in with the sites being filtered. My education at
Dominican has made me aware of the issues facing librarians today,
and made me a life long crusader for the freedom of information.
When I first began my career at Dominican I knew that I wanted
to work with old, rare, and fragile documents and books. I believed that
the answer to the problem of the actual artifact failing was simply to

digitize everything. My thought process was then that the artifact had
been preserved, it could be found by users, and no more expense need
be allocated for the preservation of the original document. I can
honestly say my perspective has almost completely changed. The idea
of digitizing items to make them more available to the public is a
sound notion. It allows users access to rare materials while also
keeping the item safely in storage. However, there is something to be
said for actually using the original document in research, to
understanding exactly how the paper looks and feels. So while
digitizing rare and/or frequently used documents in order to make
them more readily available and save them from damage is an
excellent strategy, using preservation techniques on the originals is
still extremely important. There is also something to be said for the
fact that digitization is still an untested method of keeping files forever.
It is a recent method of preservation, and has yet to withstand the
tests of time. When I still believed that digitization was the answer to
every archives dreams, the expense and amount of storage, not to
mention time required for such a project is unfathomable. I have
learned an incredible amount through my time at Dominican, although
at times the realities I now face are not as easy or unrestricted as I had
pictured when I entered the GSLIS program.
My e-portfolio is a representation of the standards and ethics I
hold myself to as a library and information professional. I believe that

access is incredibly important, and that steps should be made by

institutions to provide that their collections and information are as
available to the public as possible. What is the point of being involved
with these amazing pieces of information if not to share their wealth
with others? This idea of access is two fold. One is from the archivist
standpoint where you are often working with very old, rare, and often
fragile items. The question becomes how do we make these items
available to the public? Digitization is a powerful tool, and can be very
useful. However, it does not have the ability to simply save the day.
Storing digital files can be very expensive, and may not be a safe and
reliable storage medium for the future. This is where the idea of
preserving the original documents comes into play. And it is here that I
believe more effort needs to be made. Repairing and correctly storing
damaged or rare items can make it so they are can be available for the
public to view in the right conditions. The second issue with access is
more at the public library level in the form of censorship. I believe as
the ALA does, that censorship has no place in libraries. While there
may be some benefits to censorship, the repercussions far outweigh
any sort of these argued benefits. My e-portfolio reflects my stance on
freedom of information, as well as making this information as available
as possible to the public. This includes learning about the community
being served, and figuring out the resources that are of most interest
to them. Then making these resources available to the users.

After graduation I hope employed as an archivist with an

institution such as a historical society or a museum. I would like to use
the opportunities and skills I have learned through my time in the
GSLIS program in real world experiences at a well-established
institution. After I have spent some time working in an archive gaining
skills and work experience I would like to learn more about the
reparations aspect. Eventually I would like to be more involved with the
conservation and reparations of very old and damaged documents. I
would like the opportunity to work in close quarters with a conservator
and learn more about what their job entails. Working on the
conservation of items and preserving them or restoring them for the
future would be incredibly gratifying for me. The time I have spent in
the GSLIS program at Dominican University has been invaluable. I have
had the opportunity to work with wonderful instructors and participate
in discussions with other students who truly are going places. The
close-knit community within the Library Science program is like nothing
I have experienced in an academic setting, and it has made a lasting
impression on me. Thank you for the opportunity to study and learn in
an atmosphere that has truly prepared me for the next stage of my life.