I'm baaaaack...with an MLS!

Hello Force Field readers (a.k.a. Amy)! Recently I had an opportunity to answer some pretty thought-provoking questions about how I choose to live my life and why (I will reveal where these questions came from and why if I make it to the "final round"), which was enough motivation to bid farewell to this many-year hiatus of not consistently posting and start being disciplined about writing again.

I also happen to have a lot of time on my hands these days given that I am finally done with my Masters degree (after twice as long and incurring twice as much debt as initially planned) in Library and Information Science...and have yet to find a full-time job.

 

I am officially a Librarian/Media Specialist, or what I like to refer to as an Information Scientist. With Special Collections and K-12 certificates. I am currently seeking a position as a middle or high school librarian. When I tried to put into words why I want to be a school librarian, here is what I came up with:


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When I started down the path to become a librarian, I did so because being a voracious reader in my developing years helped to form my beliefs, shape my dreams, and set my values. One of my favorite books from those developing years is The Giver by Lois Lowry because the story changed the way I looked at and interpreted the world around me. Even as I reread the book recently, I felt a sense of awakening with each page I turned. Earlier this year I finished Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick, and I was mesmerized by the intertwining stories. Both of these books illustrate why I want to be a school librarian; through literature and our ever-evolving technologies I want to help students look at the world with a new sense of understanding like Jonas and to help connect the past with the present like Ben and Rose.

(Note to readers: If you (or your kids) haven't read either of these books, do yourself and your brain a favor and check them out from your local library immediately!)

To complete the K-12 portion I had to create an "assessment portfolio" to showcase my philosophy of education, artifacts accompanying explanations related to all of the Illinois standards, as well as a summary of my impact project. I worked really hard on this, all of its components individually but also structurally and aesthetically so that it would be a visually appealing artifact in itself to page through. 
Here it is, ladies and gentleman, the summation of 4 years of grad school: Alyse's Assessment Portfolio

It probably comes as no surprise that while studying to be a librarian I rediscovered my love and desire to voraciously read and recommend books. You can follow my book reviews and be my friend on Goodreads here: Alyse's Goodreads Profile
My intention is to refocus this blog to be mostly about everything related to books, reading, literacy, etc. in hopes that I can share the love with all of you and that this blog can serve as more of a virtual conversation with fellow lovers of lit. So don't be shy! I want to hear from YOU!

What are you reading? What is your favorite book? What book do you hate? Tell me, I want to know!

 

(Seriously, why do I not own something with this phrase on it?)

Another intention while I'm at it: Create a kickass, creative business card like one of these: Awesome Librarian Business Cards