LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION

Goal I: Leadership & Innovation 

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Students are innovative, ethical, problem-solvers able to lead and manage through communication, collaboration, and reflection.

I.a. Students are able to evaluate critically, reflect, and problem-solve individually as well as collaboratively.

LIS6409 Introduction to Library Administration: Strategic Plan Evaluation

For this project, I selected a library strategic plan and wrote a reflection to evaluate the plan, taking into consideration the planning process and appropriate elements: mission, vision statement, goals, objectives, action plans, and other plans (e.g., financial, marketing, and/or communication plans). While working for the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative (OCPLC), I thought to use my own library's strategic plan—connecting my coursework to my workplace. The evaluation not only benefited myself as a student but also the library where I worked in terms of providing insight for future local planning. Upon request, the Director shared with me a copy of the library's strategic plan for that year (“FY2023 OCPLC Strategic Plan") along with other documents that pertained to it such as the budget narrative.

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I.b. Students demonstrate effective communication skills.

LIS6511 Collection Development: Collection Development Policy

I wrote a collection development policy for a public library using materials provided in class and additional library resources that contain actual library collection development policies. I consulted various sources and several other policies to help me construct a policy for the Destin Library. All sources for the policy are cited in the appendix.

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LIS5566 Multicultural Materials for Children and Young Adults: Diversity Statement

This assignment consisted of preparing a Statement of Diversity that provides a justification based on documented sources for a library to contain a diverse collection of literature that includes books by and about people of color, indigenous, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented groups. I constructed the statement to be used as part of the Destin Library's Collection Development and Maintenance Policy.

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I.c. Students participate in professional and community engagement activities in the field.

LIS6603 Basic Information Sources and Services: Librarian Interview

I selected a Youth Services Librarian to interview for this assignment. The interview took place in-person on Tuesday, September 28, 2021. The librarian has worked professionally in the field of librarianship for over 30 years within public, academic, and special libraries. During their extensive work in libraries, the librarian gained valuable knowledge and experience in the field of reference services. The purpose of the interview was to find out the librarian’s perception of high-quality reference service. The report summarizes my learning from this experience.

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LIS5937 Community Engagement: Community Analysis Assignment

I conducted a data analysis of my community and provided a report on Destin, Florida. This assignment serves as an introduction to my city that could be used for example in a grant application. The following variables are included in the report: population, age & sex, race & ethnicity, population characteristics, households & families, language(s) spoken at home, education, health, economy, transportation, employment & occupation, poverty, financial characteristics, computers & internet subscriptions, and business & economy.​

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LIS5937 Community Engagement: Community Connections Assignment

I investigated organizations in my community that the local library could partner with (either potential or existing partners), taking into consideration the community data gathered in the Community Analysis Assignment. I chose one organization from those I investigated that aligned with the data discovered during the Community Analysis Assignment. Then, I attended two separate events held by the organization I selected in the community. Events include board meetings, public meetings, or special events sponsored by the organization. I then wrote a report that includes the organization's mission, vision, and goals as well as the services they offer. In the report, I included the organization's website, evaluate the organization as a suitable partner for the library, and consider the benefits of a partnership between the library and organization. 

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I.d. Students demonstrate leadership skills and innovation in a diverse and global environment.

LIS6409 Introduction to Library Administration: Project Plan Proposal

This assignment gave me practice developing a simple project proposal. I began by thinking about a problem in a library that needed a solution. I then considered what project, service, or special program could be implemented to help solve that problem. The document includes but is not limited to the following: a problem statement, the solution, required resources, project partners, a brief assessment plan, budget, and a timeline.