management

A group project for LIS 580 (Management for Information Organizations) required that we compile a Managerial Toolset and then apply it to a real world organization or event. While there was no shortage of enthusiasm within our group, we were initially hard-pressed to devise a working model, as our initial proposal to address the needs of the Spanish-speaking population using the Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon, was deemed too vague. This setback put our group behind schedule with deadlines looming.

Throughout this group process, my groupmates extended praise to me for my communication skills and my keen diplomacy when the group cohesion was, well, not so cohesive. Prior to entering the dMLIS program, I’d had few opportunities to lead within a group and was initially nervous about what role(s) I would take and whether or not I felt confident taking a leadership role and addressing unforeseen group dynamics in need of immediate attention. By the time I was enrolled in LIS 580, in the Spring of 2006, I’d been confronted with group projects in four of my previous courses at the iSchool. With each group experience, my confidence grew and my abilities sharpened.

My newly discovered ability to communicate well within a group proved invaluable at this crossroads, as I was able to, along with one other group member, set our new (and approved) project proposal in motion. We proceeded to draft a Managerial Toolset, along with a timeline for project completion, and then set forth to interview the actual director of Dia de los Ninos, a real-world event that occurs every spring in several branches of the Multnomah County Library. This event requires a tremendous amount of planning and task juggling.

Our Managerial Toolset was deemed a success when the director of Dia de los Ninos praised our ability to organize and manage large-scale, city-wide event and selecting the best tools for the job. She further added that she was impressed with our toolset and how suitable the various tools were for this particular event. She assured us that she would continue to use many of the tools we’d designed in future event planning for Dia de los Ninos.

leadership in the iSchool community

Leadership is something that has never come naturally to me. Prior to entering the iSchool, my minimal confidence in myself and in my abilities barred me from taking charge – or even believing that I was capable of doing so. Within one year of studying at the iSchool, I began to flourish. 

I was asked to become a ‘poster child’ for the iSchool and I also joined iPeer and served as a mentor for two years in a row, with both of my mentees confirming that my guidance was invaluable. (iPeer - iPeer matches incoming distance students with current distance students who have traveled the same road. iPeer can help you learn more about the program from a current student’s perspective as well as connect with a distance student in your local area.)

Most recently, I was asked to represent the iSchool as one of the hosts for the iSchool Alumni Reception at the ALA Midwinter Conference in Seattle, 2007.

I found that, not only did I come to believe in my own abilities and have confidence in myself, but others believed in me as well. I was very proud to help represent the school and the program that helped me become who I am today.

.