Knowledge
A public librarian requires a range of working knowledge bases. Below are some of the key knowledge bases I have cultivated during this program and examples of how I have applied these competencies.
Leadership:
One of the required courses in the MIS program is ISI 5706 Professionel de l'information et leadership. I took this course during the Winter Semester of my first year in the program, and wrote numerous essays and reflection papers on leadership theory and experience. For example, I completed three leadership journals where I noted my personal definition of leadership, the theories I find most helpful, and analyzed two real-world demonstrations of leadership. These journals helped me to realize that my preferred method of leadership is Server Leadership, wherein one provides services for others without expectation of something in return. This leadership theory aligns with my attraction to the public library, one of the few places left where people can enter and receive help without having to pay for it.
Reference Services:
One of the MIS required courses is ISI 5704 Reperage des ressources informationelles, which provided an opportunity to gain knowledge about reference services. In this class we studied the reference interview, which is a method used most often by public librarians to meet the information needs of a library patron with a research question. I completed a report on how I would use the reference interview in a public library scenario when asked for resources on climate change.
Knowledge Organization:
Another course I took in the MIS program was the required course ISI 5302 Knowledge Organization. In the Knowledge Organization course, I learned about the different types of classification systems, categorization, as well as metadata. For the course term paper, I analyzed and evaluated the search functions and features of the Library and Information Science Source. I must continue to hone my knowledge and skills of knowledge organization to prepare for a job as a public librarian.
Digital Preservation:
I also took the elective ISI 6330 Resource Description during my MIS. In the Resource Description course, I gained experience in cataloging items using MARC. I also learned about metadata schemes such as RDF. In the course's midterm essay, I completed a comparative study of library resource description professionals and paraprofessionals. It demonstrated to me that while library technicians are the most likely to create code and catalogues across library systems, librarians must have an extensive knowledge of them in order to organize the catalogues.