Reflections

When I started on this venture into Information and Library Science, I pictured myself working at a reference desk or a genealogy/history desk helping patrons locate information.  I was currently working as a pharmacist at a mental health facility.  Though I enjoyed working with staff, patients and colleagues, I felt my talents could be used elsewhere.  I had acquired a passion for genealogy and the never-ending quest for information and I wanted to share it with others.  The best route for this was going back to school.

I started with one course a semester while a juggled work and the never-ending schedule of my teenage son.  After four semesters, the opportunity to retire (at ever a young age) occurred and I was able to become a part-time student at SCSU.

During these five years I have learned much about library and information science and I will share that with you in the following pages.  I currently work as a volunteer cataloguer at Godfrey Memorial Library, a genealogy and family history center.  I have used them as a primary source of projects and inspiration and publicly thank them .  

I also had the amazing opportunity to spend a summer at Pfizer in New London, CT working with a virtual library and some very tech-savvy librarians.  It was an amazing and very different from what I've ever seen. Working there gave me the opportunity to see a corporate team working to solve information problems while maintaining and developing new ways to share information.  I discovered new document delivery systems (Infotrieve, Reprints Desk) and ways of managing time through Outlook and Information through Sharepoint.

So as I approach graduation, I know there is still much to learn and I look forward to it.  As a lifelong learner, it is my hope to spread knowledge wherever there is a need.  I view the courses that were taken satisfy my goal of working in or at a reference desk, but more to developing digital collections and in-depth research help for those seeking information on genealogy and family history.  This doesn't exclude working at a medical or science library for which my background works well.  I will continue to evolve as I gain experience.

Norma J. Wright