For this assignment I was expected to identify elements of various planning processes, documents (e.g., strategic, marketing, facility, project plans) and assessments. I was also expected to evaluate viable budget solutions. I drafted a proposal for Mirror Lake Library to consider creating a seed lending library to increase patronage and encourage community involvement.

For this assignment, I worked in collaboration with four classmates to create a Collection Development Policy for Westchase Elementary School. We broke the policy into sections, then met virtually 2-3 times a week to discuss our progress, brainstorm, and problem-solve any issues that arose.

Dr. Stites assigned the task of reviewing an actual job description, separating each individual primary duty, responsibility, knowledge, skill, and ability from the position description. I then created an interview question to align with each item. This required me to word them carefully to ensure the questions effectively communicated what information I was seeking from the interviewee. This document was instrumental in preparing me when I interviewed for my current position as an elementary school librarian.

Professor Short gave us several assignment options for each ethnic/cultural group we studied. For our module on Black American literature, I wrote a letter to a local bookstore, Tombolo Books, encouraging them to consider purchasing more titles by and/or about Black Americans. St. Petersburg's population is currently about 20% Black American; it's important for all of our citizens to be able to see themselves in the books on the shelves.

I interviewed two reference librarians over the phone, Mrs. Sandra Gordon, at SPC in St. Petersburg, and Mrs. Catherine Hardman, at the National Institutes of Health in Vienna, VA. This was one of my first courses in the MLIS program, so it was a thrill to speak at length with two women who have extensive experience as librarians, one in a college setting and one in a governmental setting.

At the time I took this course in Spring 2021 Mrs. Burns-Simpson was the president of the BCALA. I participated in a live virtual Q & A session with her. Afterwards, I summarized what I had learned from her in this document. This was an extra-credit assignment that gave me the opportunity to speak directly with someone in the LIS field.

This was one of my favorite assignments because I knew the completed project would be something I could utilize in my school's library without haste. My school is 52.7% minority enrollment. I want those students to see faces that look like them in the books we read. With this toolkit, I can work to achieve that. I'm at a strong starting point with diverse titles and going forward I will be able to expand the toolkit throughout my tenure.

All library systems need a strategic plan in place. They help guide not only those in leadership roles, but the entire staff. I reviewed the strategic plan of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative (PPLC), compared it with the strategic plans of two other public library systems, and made recommendations for improvement.