I have always been drawn to technology. I love learning about visual art, science, language, literature, history, geography, mathematics, music, and religion and finding ways that technology can be used to better my understanding of these subjects. The interchange of technology and liberal arts is where my interests lie. Libraries stand at the intersection of technology and the liberal arts. My progress through the SJSU MLIS program, focusing on web development, proves this to be true.

The courses taken in this program prepared me to achieve my dream of working with technology in an academic library. While in my second year of the program I applied for a software developer position with the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University (BYU). Although slightly off course from my previous professional employment my technical experience combined with my MLIS coursework enabled me to get the job. Since the end of 2014 I have been working full-time as a Data Services Engineer. I love my job and work with the HBLL. I work on the web development team within the library's IT division to support the library's vision and mission. Working in an academic library while finishing my masters degree has been very instructional. Courses and assignments completed in the MLIS program have helped me accomplish my web development role in the library and better understand the work of an academic library and my colleagues in the library. My work in an academic library also influences my understanding of the course material completed in the SJSU MLIS program helping me contribute to discussions and on projects. With this new perspective I am better able to contribute to the library in my position both through my web development work and through working with non-IT library staff.

Part of my position at the HBLL includes supporting Digital Scholarship (DS) and Digital Humanities (DH) efforts. Taking a course on the Digital Humanities (INFO 220) and a course on XML (LIBR 246) motivates me to continue the pursuit of combining my love and interest for computers and technology with the efforts of the HBLL in supporting the liberal arts, DS, and DH. The web application tool ATOM (A Table of Metadata) is an example of a current project that supports these kinds of academic efforts. I also plan to contribute to the academic library community in publishing and contributing to and releasing open source software projects that will benefit the larger library communities.

While this conclusion marks an end to the work in the SJSU MLIS program it also marks a beginning to positively contribute my talents and learning towards bettering the HBLL and the community it serves.

This is my portfolio. There are many like it, but this one is mine.