SOIS Goal 2
Understand the essential nature of information and its relevance to society.
Outcome 2b
For my final exam in Organization of Knowledge I was tasked with the assignment of presenting to the Bliss Public Library board why they should retain my position as a cataloger for the library. Because funding was limited, the library was considering eliminating the position. Arguing my point for library catalogers was helpful in creating dialog around the relevance of professional library practices. Yes, practices do change and evolve out of necessity. However, core aspects of traditional information organizing has set the tone for civilization to preserve information for public consumption for centuries. (When you open the artifact, please scroll down to the highlighted section.)
Outcome 2c
In Reader’s Advisory, there were many assigned readings highlighting how libraries have adapted to accommodate and serve patrons of all races, genders, sexual preferences, ages, and special needs. One assigned discussion of a particular note was about serving the LGBT community. We had other’s that spoke of serving the Black community and the Hispanic communities as well. Having similar assignments like this one throughout my classes aided me in shaping my perspective more wholly for inclusion. I do not live in a bubble and my preferences aren’t necessarily everyone else's. These discussion posts imposed open dialogue about what could be uncomfortable subjects and how it is crucial to understand culture and subculture in order to serve the community effectively.
Outcome 2d
In my Cultural Heritage Resources and Services course, I completed a grant proposal as my final assignment. I entitled my project Finding Your Family. I created a fictitious grant proposal for XYZ Foundation who was seeking to launch a cultural heritage network titled, Chicagoland Cultural Heritage, starting on January 1, 2020. I created a not-for-profit organization as a subset of an actual local historical society. This institution was seeking an endowment for $100,000. The grant would support the training of staff and the community in the topic of genealogy, particularly as it relates to African Americans and peoples of the African Diaspora.
Hopefully it is apparent from this type of practice that the research and time that it took to undertake the writing of a grant proposal is no small feat. The actual historical society that this grant would have benefited is still in need of sponsors for many projects and ambitions they wish to fulfill to be of service to the Black community. Such is the challenge of many organizations with various foci and limited funding. This project is one of many that required research and data to respond to the needs of the institution and the community.