Cranston PFE: Cover Letter & Resume

Christina Dufour
[insert address here]
1-207-xxx-yyyy
hufflepuff1602@gmail.com

I am writing to you today because I feel I meet many of the skills required for the digital librarian assistant.  I became aware of this position via OLIS list serve.  I am currently enrolled at the University of Rhode Island in my second year of their MLIS master’s program.

     In my time at Cranston Public Library, I came to discover a great footing to teaching computer literacy courses.  Thanks to that PFE, I have been able to add Computer Basics, Spotify, Microsoft Word, and more to the classes I feel strong teaching.  Wth kindness and patience, I was able to deliver services to these patrons.  In my undergraduate years, I learned much about PC and Mac computers as I had to, and still, use them every day.  This gave me the opportunity to stay aware of what games and programs the children and teens are using.  One of my favourites is Minecraft.  Since high school, I have been using Facebook and, since then, I have added other social media such as Pinterest, Tumblr, Vine, and Twitter.  

     It is my goal to combine what I have learned in the library field to be an extroverted, passionate being that would make positive contributions to your library.  Therefore I would like to be considered for this position and would welcome an interview.  Thank you for your time and consideration.  I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Respectfully yours,

Christina M. Dufour

Christina Dufour

[insert address here]
1-207-xxx-xyz
hufflepuff....@gmail.com

 
Personal Skills:

§  Ambitious

§  Customer service

§  Computer savvy

§  Coordinated & manages multitasking

§  Initiative

Library Experience:

North Kingstown Free Library                                                                          Sept. 2013 - Present

§  Young Reader’s Desk; YA program drafting, display making, organizing.

§  Circulation Desk

§  Reference Desk

Cranston Public Library - Central – Internship                                                Sept. 2013 – Dec. 2013

§  Digital Literacy Courses

§  IT learning; computer imaging, Envisionware, website maintenance.

§  Minecraft & Teen Room Team Discussion

Contact Information:

            Corrie MacDonald, Technology Coordinator.

Government Publications – Graduate Assistant                                                  Sept. 2013 - Present

§  Organization

§  Some Cataloging

§  Shelving & Barcoding

§  Sierra

Curriculum Materials Library – Graduate Assistant                                              Jan. 2013-May 2013

§  Classroom assistance: EDC courses

§  Reference & Directional Aide

§  LibGuide & Tutorial Creation

§  Sierra Use

Contact Information:

Head Librarian: Mona Niebdala.

Newport Public Library- Sunday Circulation Desk                                              Oct. 2012-Dec. 2013

§  Circulation desk: Millennium

§  Keeping updated with the week’s activities

§  Directional assistance

§  Informational aide

Contact Information:

Director        401-847-8720  x102             nptdirector@newportlibraryri.org

Farmington Public Library – Librarian Assistant                                             Feb. 2012-August 2012

§  Circulation desk & Barcoding Project

§  Monitoring cataloging

§  Updating publicity- displays & brochures

§  Technical Support/Walk-Throughs

-Skype with authors

-Facebook for Seniors

Contact Information:

Melanie Coombs; (207)778-4312.

117 Academy Street, Farmington ME, 04938

Relevant Experience:

Dunkin’ Donuts – Farmington- Customer Service                                          June 2012-August 2012

• Money exchange
• Listening/communication skills
• Coffee equipment & maintenance

Contact Information:

Christine Sylvestre, 207-778-3001.

615 Wilton Road, Farmington ME, 04938

Administrative Assistant at Center for Student Involvement                               Sep. 2008- May 2012

§  Illustrator Use(including Posters, Word, and Publisher)

§  FAQs & form/contract aide

§  Program management(Campus Guide and Latte Landing promotion)

§  Filing

§  Scheduling

Contact Information:

Mary Kay Kasper; kasper@maine.edu, (207)778-7346.

111 South Street, Farmington ME, 04938 

Receptionist at Dummer’s Beach Campground                                             June 2008- August 2011

§  Book scheduling & keeping

§  Patron aide

§  Concessions, as well as receiving and inventory

Contact Information:

Lloyd and Liz Shreve; Winter phone number: (401)433-1388. 

Firelane 9, Weld ME, 0428

Education:

University of Maine at Farmington; Bachelor of Arts in English                   (Sep 2008 – May 2012)    

GPA cumulative: 3.3

University of Rhode Island; Masters in Information and Library Science  (Sep. 2012- Expected 2014)

GPA cumulative: 3.7

British Studies Program: London, England.  Summer, July 2013.   Grade: A

References:

Melanie Coombs, Farmington Public Library Director; (207)778-4312.

Maya Kasper, UMF Assistant Director for C.S.I., kasper@maine.edu, (207)778-7346.

Dr. Taresa Welch, University of Southern Mississippi. (601)296-0528.

Cranston PFE: Continuing Education & Lifelong Learning

7. Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning: Graduates will be prepared to promote the meaningful use of recorded knowledge and information in their communities. 


7a. Understands the need and knows how to support continuing professional development of practitioners in libraries and other agencies. 

7b. Can explain ad advocate the role of quality library and information services in the lifelong learning of patrons. 

7c. Can apply learning theories, instructional methods, and achievement measures in libraries and other information agencies.

7d. Can deliver effective instruction in and support for the information literacy skills that advance lifelong learning. 

Of these four, I chose to apply 7d to my PFE. 

Cranston PFE: Technology Knowledge & Skills

I'm just going to say that these are ongoing notes for my PFE that I am doing this semester, so they might change in the few weeks.  I just need to put them here so that I can begin to create my Tackk website for my PFE portfolio in December.  With that said:

Technology Knowledge and Skills: Graduate will be prepared to apply appropriate technology to create effective interactions between recorded knowledge and its users.

4. Technological Knowledge and Skills: Graduates will be prepared to apply appropriate technology to create effective interactions between recorded knowledge and its users.

4a. Can use information, communication, assistive, and related technologies appropriately.

4b. Can apply technologies consistently with professional ethics and prevailing service norms.

4c. Can assess and evaluate the specifications, efficacy, and cost efficiency of technology-based products and services.

4d. Can identify and analyze new technologies and applications in order to recognize and implement relevant advances.

Of these goals, I chose to focus on 4a & 4b. 

A Recap on My Philosophy and a Look at YA Managing

Christina Dufour

LSC 535, Children and Youth Services

Lauren Mandel

Part 1 & 2

Part 2 Due October 25, 2013

Part 1 revised after September 27, 2013

·       What youth services are

To discuss what Youth Services are, we must first define who is “youth” is within a library.  Based on previous experience within libraries, a youth can be defined as “children in a community from ages 0 to 12 or 14” (Fasick & Holt, 2013, p. 6).  This group is classified within the same age for public, school, and special libraries.  They encompass pre-schoolers, young school-goers, and, in some cases, young adults.  As a result, a youth services librarian may maintain items such as “boardbooks, picture books, books for beginning readers, chapter books, graphic novels, nonfiction and reference books, foreign-language books, historical children’s books, parenting and teacher books for adults, and…other learning materials” (Fasick & Holt, 2013, p. 13).  In addition to materials, youth services also require programming and social activities.  These are typically events put on by the youth services librarian and other staff and they seek to engage several opportunities children may not normally have.  The events may seek to engage any of several social types- parent and child interaction, child to child interaction, outside of school education, and recreational activity.  As for programming, the library may use a book club, a movie or game night, homework help, author visits, and more.

·       Why youth services are important to librarianship and society at large

Youth Services are important to society at large because the youth eventually turn into adults and adults into elderly people.  By making a positive impact on a child, the librarian may be able to influence his or her later decision to return to the library.  The librarian has the opportunity to convince him or her the library is a valuable resource- in his or her adult years this could be very important to the future of the library as it would gather the users that will in turn use and fund the library.  Positive interactions and positive influences, while making an impression on a child’s library visit, are key.  At a young age, he or she may not realize what a great resource the library is, but he or she can remember it as a place of enjoyment.  On a similar note, the librarian may be creating a positive atmosphere or fun event that the child may not have had the chance to do outside of the library.  In some cases, children bring parents or guardians with them who may look around the library and decide to come back in the future.  These parents or guardians could also take up an interest in the library, volunteer or join the Friends of the Library (or a library equivalent).  Youth services have several pros in librarianship and, one could argue, no cons.

·       Yourself as a youth services librarian

As a librarian, I feel I have much to learn about the younger patrons.  Some aspects, such as which programs work and which ones do not, will be learned on the job.  But I do know that I want to be the librarian who creates a space for children to go where they feel safe, valued, and engaged.  To be there for the youth and to offer a wide variety of services is a start.  I hope to be able to offer programs that engage (socially and mentally) each age group as appropriate without neglecting one.  However, it’s not all about the children, their parents or guardians have to be accounted for: I hope to create a space where they want to learn together and can be creative.  In listening and having chances for adults and children to give feedback, there is a lot of opportunity for positive outcomes.  Lastly, while there is typically one staff member for the children's area, I would like to give staff of my library the chance to be involved.  There are department heads for a reason, but there may something that other staff members observe that -try as I might- I might oversee.  Ultimately, the aim is for a positive experience that makes the youth want to use their library both now and in the future.  

Part II: My Personal Philosophy of Managing Youth Services

·       What is a manager?

A manager, according to Merriam-Webster, is someone “who is in charge of a business, department…someone who directs…performance” ( Merriam-Webster, 2013, para 1).  F. John Reh of about.com defines a manager a little more clearly.  He says a manager is “a person who helps others… get more done. A manager helps others get more done by:

• motivating them
• providing directions
• making sure they are working together toward a common goal
• removing roadblocks and
• providing feedback”(Reh, 2013, para 1). 

 How does this relate to the library?  Within the children’s department, the manager is likely the chief of staff for this department.  This simply means that they are the one in charge of collection development, programming, and services.  The manager in the children’s department must get everyone to see their vision because it is what will meet the mission statement (or goal) of the children’s department.  This means motivation as well as direction.  To do this, there has to be communication.  

·       How you see yourself as a manager?

As a manager, I want my staff to feel empowered and driven.  If I am out of the office or on vacation, I want my co-workers in my department to feel that they can complete their tasks.  That being said, I want those I manage to feel comfortable coming to me with questions or concerns.  Part of directing people requires constant involvement.  A manager cannot simply hire someone and expect them to never have doubts.  I would rather someone in my team ask me a question (after having searched for a solution first) than to blindly go ahead.  This is also not to say that I do not wish my team to have their own ideas.  Part of what keeps a library fresh is their ability to adapt to change as well as the unified vision of their goal.  As a manager, my ideal is to be a strong, but relatable force. 

·       What do you see as the particular challenges to managing youth services?

The first challenge I see in managing youth services is that those hired in the children’s department are coming in from different experiences and some will be able to read children’s needs better than others.  Part of being a manager includes being able to observe how well the staff are adjusting to children’s services, as it will also take time to adjust to a new library.  Secondly, we have to make the time to be able to work with these young patrons.  All departments in a library can get busy, but it is important to find the time to give children instruction and to present yourself as approachable.  This brings us into another possible challenge of youth services- time and planning.  Renee Valliancourt points out that

“Often librarians- especially YA librarians and media specialists, who are responsible for providing direct service to patrons as well as managing their department or media center- have trouble finding the time to plan.  Without planning, there is no way to determine where you are going or how to tell when you have gotten there” (Valliancourt, 2002, p.91).

 This is why it is important to make sure you and your team are on the same page.  Because there is a crunch for time, you and your staff will be most likely to utilize your time if the tasks are delineated.  Valliancourt suggests that the department creates a series of measurable goals and objectives (para 1, p. 96).  While this too can take time, it gives the team something tangible. 

Works Cited:

Fasick, A.M., & Holt, L.E. (2013). Managing children’s services in libraries.  Santa Barbara, CA:

ABC-CLIO.

Manager. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/manager

Reh, F.J. (2013). What is a manger? About.com.

http://management.about.com/od/begintomanage/a/whatismanager.htm

Strong, S. (2004). Sights, sounds, and silence in library reference service to children. Public

Libraries, 43(6), 313-314.

Vaillancourt, R. J. (2002). Managing administrative duties: Paperwork and planning. In R. J.

Vaillancourt, Managing young adult services: A self-help manual (pp. 91-100). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman.