Jessica Steere Portfolio
Goal I: Leadership and Innovation
"Students are innovative, ethical, problem-solvers able to lead and manage through communication, collaboration, and reflection."
I.a. Students are able to evaluate critically, reflect, and problem-solve individually as well as collaboratively.
I conducted a comprehensive review of the Florida Memory Digital Library belonging to the State Library and Archive of Florida. This examination included a deep dive into the mission, layout, collection, and digital sophistication of this archive. I concluded from this extensive appraisal that the organization of this digital library is simple and useful, making it highly accessible. I did uncover two weaknesses of the library that could be systematically addressed. First, I discovered that searching on its website is unfortunately clunky, and serious researchers would find the digital library somewhat slow and unwieldy. Second, software for listening to media files off the website is limited. My conclusion is the Florida Memory is an excellent digital library, interesting, educational, and easy to use, providing unparalleled access to records otherwise difficult to access without traveling to Tallahassee.
A critical, central function of building archives and managing records is developing a descriptive listing of every collected record, along with noting its location and other pertinent data. Building a real-world record inventory where there is a valued collection of material, but no existing record inventory, schedule, or record series provides an excellent opportunity for a unique experience. I had the chance to examine and inventory extensive family records that spanned a period of over sixty years, records that included financial transactions, medical history, government documents, personal records, and media files. I created a Records Inventory Instrument, the first step in building a formal archive.
I.b. Students demonstrate effective communication skills.
LIS 6603 Basic Information Sources & Services: Ybor City LibGuide
Assisting patrons pursue their interests and investigators conduct their research is a foremost communication skill for librarians. A central manifestation of this skill is to build library guides (LibGuides) and to work directly with the users in maximizing their value. I built a LibGuide on the famous Ybor City, a historical corner of Tampa Bay that is rich in culture, is a significant landmark, and is a continued subject of important research. The records and archives that touch upon Ybor City are spread throughout a variety of institutions and databases. I then created an accompanying to help patrons navigate the LibGuide.
I.c. Students participate in professional and community engagement activities in the field.
For my Practicum, I was given the opportunity to complete a ten-week internship working remotely for the US Library of Congress. This Fieldwork policy manual describes my project to create metadata for their foreign gazette collection, focused specifically on material from Uruguay 1965-1969.
I.d. Students demonstrate leadership skills and innovation in a diverse global environment.
Librarians have a unique opportunity in our country to quietly lead and impact our society through the way we organize and manage our libraries and how we offer key information. A prime example is to build an interesting, educational digital photographic presentation for libraries. That is precisely what I proposed to do, highlighting sisters Patricia and Priscilla Stephens (Create link) who are regarded as influential advocates in Florida’s civil rights history. They are credited as the founders of the Tallahassee chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which championed civil rights using nonviolent tactics. I proposed building a presentation on their existing letters, pamphlets, photographs, and articles.