Library Essay from the SLA Minority Scholarship Winner
By Makiia Lucier, lucier_makiia@dwc.edu

As an African-American/Pacific Islander raised in the U.S. Territory of Guam, I became interested in library science as a profession while studying journalism at the University of Oregon. The University of Oregon Knight Library, which houses the majority of the University’s 2.4 million volumes, is considered the largest library facility in the state of Oregon. From 1993 to 1996, I worked as a library assistant in the Government Documents Department. My responsibilities were to provide assistance in locating and utilizing collection material, which included local, national and international government publications, business resources, maps and aerial photography, microforms, and an extensive collection of historical Oregon newspapers. It was an eye-opening introduction to specialized collections and reference work, and I discovered that I very much admire a profession that provides access to information and seeks to promote, with enthusiasm, the use of literature to further research, provoke thought, and advance teaching and scholarship.

Currently, I work as a reference librarian and evening supervisor at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire. In addition to offering an undergraduate program in the social sciences, the College operates a well-known and highly respected aviation program. A large part of my responsibilities involve assisting students and faculty in the use of specialized print and electronic resources relating to flight ops, aviation management, air traffic control, and aviation operations. I also participate in creating pathfinders and research guides to further assist the college community in their teaching and research efforts.

My long-term goal is to work in a special library with collection strengths in Western European arts and humanities. My undergraduate course work includes extensive credit hours earned in Italian language, art, music, history, and literature, several of them I earned while studying abroad. I have also recently passed a French reading proficiency test, which will enable me to begin the process of obtaining a second master’s degree in art history.

Additionally, I am excited about learning more about the development of special collection digitization and its role in ensuring that material is made increasingly accessible to a larger research community. I am fascinated by digital projects like The British Library’s “Turning the Pages” and look forward to being able to participate firsthand in similar ventures that provide online access to special collections and primary sources.

To date, I have earned a 3.7 GPA in my graduate courses at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition to completing core requirements and fieldwork credits, I hope to complete many of the following elective courses in the next year: Special Library & Information Center; Information Sources and Services in the Social Sciences and Humanities; History of Books and Printing; Using Archives: The Value of Primary Resources in the Information Age; and Research Methods in Library and Information Science.

I believe that my experiences and graduate level performance, earned while juggling the responsibilities of a toddler and a professional job, are evidence of my dedication to a career as a librarian. I am eager to complete my studies by Summer/Fall of 2007 and am hopeful that the SLA Boston Chapter will offer support to help me realize my goal. I very much look forward to proving it was a wise investment.