Graduated: Master of Library and Information Science

I have graduated with my Master of Library and Information Science degree from San José State University. Barring any kind of administrative blunders at the university, I am now an accredited librarian!

I started in January of 2015 and completed 15 courses (43 credits) within 3 years. I did this while working full time at an academic institution as a library technician. Doing this allowed me to have a steady income but more importantly allowed me to stay connected to the library profession in a technician role.

I have been fortunate to have been given opportunities to develop myself as an information professional. I did this by attending and presenting at professional conferences and publishing my first peer-reviewed journal article this past September.

My last term required me to complete a culminating project. From August 26th to November 5th I wrote my ePortfolio which made me reflect on the fifteen core competencies that all SJSU graduates are required to have mastered.

Completed ePortfolio Course at San Jose State University

In eleven weeks, I wrote fifteen mini-essays totaling over 40,000 words (113 pages). More importantly, I reflected on what it means to be an ALA-accredited librarian.

Since November 5th I’ve had a lot more free time. Now that I am done my studies, what should I be doing? I have been taking some time to relax from the time-sensitive deadlines of the MLIS program. I have also started taking mini-courses on Lynda.com and now have the time to return to this side project, my personal/professional blog.

While working on my master’s degree I found little time to keep up with this blog. Post-graduation, I see this as a way to continue developing my writing skills and to continue my pursuit of lifelong learning. I plan to write more frequently and turn some of my course assignments into blog posts. I have worked on some interesting assignments over the past 3 years. I also intend to produce more fun blog posts centered around some of my other interests, games and technology.

Thank you to everyone who supported me during my graduate studies. I look forward to contributing more completely to the library and information profession.

Update #1 (January 22)

My SJSU account has now been updated to reflect my degree being awarded and my final GPA. Next update should be with diploma in-hand.

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