Professional Development Plan

• Graduate with Masters in Library and Information Studies, focus in Academic Libraries
• Complete practicum with Duke Library's Accessibility and User Experience Department
• Begin internship with Wake County digitization of public records project

This will be the first year of my library science career. As I wrap up my time in internships volunteering, I'll be able to see a clearer outlook on my future positions as an academic librarian. My work experience will have given me a solid foundation and competitive edge in the university workforce, and will hopefully also make me a valuable asset to my university's team of librarians.

• Complete Wake County digitization internship
• Become established within new university library system, ideally in a position as Reference Librarian on track to become Head of Reference
• Continue writing and research for conferences and publication
• Begin laying foundation for Accessibility and User Experience work within the department, should this work not already exist

My second year within the university library system may include some movement. By this time, I will have discovered where I am most comfortable working in the library, and which projects I am most effective at applying myself towards. It is during year two that I will be able to full expand my work portfolio and CV with more teaching experience, academic research, and hopefully a scholarly publication.

• Establish regular teaching during the semester as an instructional librarian
• Continue attending conferences and reading publications specific to academic libraries
• Begin grant-search endeavors to help fund and support future university program, in reflection of “whole student” programming like Wake Forest ZSR Library's Library for the Whole Student

During my third year, I believe I will have become established enough in my position at the library to begin opening doors to the programming that I have seen become so influential at other academic institutions. The two that I see as being most powerful are establishing an Accessibility and User Experience ¹⁾ department or program, and creating a sister-program to Wake Forest's ZSR Library's own Thrive program.

• Create connections with Wake Forest and their Thrive program to receive program ideas, support, and research data needed to help implement a similar program at my home institution
• Establish a task force to help carry on the mission of the Thrive program
• Begin work to solidify AUX programming

With an AUX program in place, the library will have even more tools to help determine how effective their programming, physical spaces, web layouts, and instruction are. In this year, the first usability tests and observational studies will begin. Additionally, Wake Forest's sister program of Thrive will launch on a small scale.

• Begin assessment of current library performance, issues, and areas of excellence; use this data to determine a hierarchy of usability tests and observational studies which can be preformed
• Manage soft launch of Thrive mirror program
• Collect and save data for both programs, with goal of presenting them at ALA or NCLA conferences

Year five will be one of reflection and examination. The Thrive mirror program will have gone through heavy adjustments to ensure that it is serving the student body as strongly as it can. The AUX program will possibly be on its way towards full department status. Either way, both programs will require constant monitoring and readjustment through the use of assessment and evaluation, things which will serve the librarians maneuvering them as well as the students benefiting them.

• Publish reports on AUX department and Thrive mirror program
• Add additional staff and student volunteers to both programs
• Continue to research ways in which both areas of the library can improve, through internal testing metrics as well as conference attendance and regular reading of the literature