Rachel "Ivy" Clarke

As mentioned in my Statement of Personal Philosophy, my course of study for the Master’s degree in library and information science has been the most thoroughly engaging, educational, and enjoyable time of my existence. I am so pleased and excited to have finally discovered “what I want to be when I grow up.” As a highly self-motivated student with a dislike of classroom “busy work” and extensive experience with online communities and communication, I found the MLIS program at San Jose State University to be a perfect fit.

I appreciate the emphasis on hands-on, practical experience rather than solely theoretical approaches some other schools offer. I feel this approach has significantly benefited me in both my studies and the workplace. I also support the ability to select courses and tracks of interest suited to each individual student. My three lowest grades in the program (A- rather than A) were for the three courses in which I learned the most. To me this demonstrates the significance of errors and mistakes in the learning environment; classes in which I received high marks seemed easy to breeze though, with answers and solutions I already knew, be it from past training or common sense. Classes that required preciseness, where I had to work hard to master the material, like the beginning and advanced cataloging courses, and the vocabulary design class, forced me to learn from and correct my mistakes. Interestingly enough, these were three of my favorite courses and very topical to my focus of study.

In addition to self-motivation and drive, I possess knowledge in a variety of areas not strictly governed by an MLIS degree. My undergraduate degree in English ensures superior writing skills, a valuable strength in any field. Past experience as a graphic designer allows familiarity with visual communication techniques as well as technology and software. I am well read in a variety of areas, especially liberal arts and cultural studies, and I have hands-on experience in fashion and costume design and well as printing and publishing. I learned many of these skills on my own, under pressure and time constraints, and I firmly believe that I have the ability to undertake and complete any task I set out to tackle.

After being hired at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising library as a temporary circulation assistant in 2005, I was quickly asked to join the full-time permanent staff. I was subsequently promoted three times until my current position as cataloger. For now, this is my ideal professional position: a small specialty library where I can help implement improvements to the system to better serve students’ needs. However, I know that in time this is a position I will outgrow, both mentally and professionally. Shortly before completing my portfolio, I took on a second job with the stock image corporation Veer, in order to help stimulate and diversify my information architecture experience. In the future, I expect to take on other positions focused on specific user groups and needs and work on developing and improving user-based systems. Additionally, I anticipate participation in continual professional development by staying abreast of current literature and blogs; attending workshops, classes and webinars; and attending professional conferences. I also hope to share information about my work through publication and presentation.

The pursuit of the MLIS degree has served as a defining point in my life, helping me determine who I am, and who I will be. I can only hope to make as strong an impact on the profession as it has made on me.