Sue Castelin's portfolio

Libraries: information guideposts

The simple signpost at the top of the website points drivers traveling along a rural highway in Idaho to an information oasis in the woods—the local library.  When they turn down Library Road they arrive at a double-wide portable building  containing an assortment of books, computers connected to the Internet and  friendly librarians ready to guide them to the information they need—from exploring field guides about the long-legged birds they just spotted (sandhill cranes), to finding the nearest auto repair shop, to borrowing an armful of mysteries to curl up with at night.The photo signifies the main purpose of libraries and librarians to me—beacons that point people to the information they seek.

Throughout my life librarians have guided me in locating the information I needed: From my undergraduate college years when I needed academic journals, to when I was a newspaper journalist and editor doing research, to when I was introducing my children to the stories libraries held.

I am proud to be a part of the library profession that makes service its main focus. I started as a page substitute with the Pierce County Library System checking in and reshelving library materials; in my small
way I was helping make sure materials were returned to libraries in the system or properly back on the shelves for other patrons to acquire them. At that time I was engaged in the Tacoma Community College paralegal certificate program, upon graduation I landed a job assisting patrons at the reference desk of the Pierce County Law Library and found I could combine my love of the law with my interest in librarianship. There I assist attorneys or members of the public in locating forms or information that will help them solve a legal issue. It is most rewarding when patrons spend time looking at the materials and return for more resources to continue their research .

While I am earning my MLIS degree online from the University of Washington (I plan to graduate June, 2012), I work at a second job--at the UW-Tacoma library reference desk. There I am building my research skills in guiding undergraduate students in search strategies of various academic databases and helping them analyze the information they come across.

Around the world, libraries are more than beacons to information, they are integral centers of their communities, offering residents opportunities to not only find information that helps increase their knowledge, but in being able to socialize with neighbors by playing games or visiting in library cafes. I learned three main purposes of libraries in a class that took me to the Netherlands. The Dutch cite those purposes as: To guide users to information, to educate individuals, and to maintain and preserve information.

*   Librarians guide people through question-answer sessions at a reference desk, by developing research guides that help focus information resources, or by building descriptive catalog records that distinguish and collocate library holdings.

* They teach during one-on-one reference sessions, by conducting research classes or workshops, or by offering online tips and  assistance.

* They maintain and develop their collections by acquiring and reviewing their library collections, as well as archiving and preserving them.

I have learned through my work and classes how to aid users through reference guides, workshops or collection development. These webpages illustrate my interest in working as a beacon to information in a law library, especially at a reference desk. I also include a slide show of Netherland libraries that inspire me to think creatively in making a user's visit enjoyable.