Mary Lynn Miller
MLIS Portfolio
Valdosta State University
Dr. George Gaumond
MLIS 7800
November 30, 2009

Goals

My overarching goal is to contribute to the Library and Information Science and Archives professions. I am proud to be a part of these service-oriented professions and I believe that better Librarianship leads to the betterment of society as a whole.

As a cataloger, I hope to make a contribution to the evolution of metadata standards that will ensure greater access to information, not just to the materials I work with, but to all collections everywhere. There is a great deal of emphasis today on the digitization of all types of library materials. This creates challenges for catalogers, who, in many cases, are still working to catch up on analog backlogs and must now also contend with cataloging their digital surrogates. As metadata standards are changing, it is imperative that catalogers keep up with, and contribute to, their evolution. I believe that my cataloging emphasis in the MLIS program has given me knowledge and skills that will enable me to make a lasting contribution to the University of Georgia Libraries by developing and implementing excellent cataloging standards and practices.

I am honored to have in my care one of the greatest and most unusual broadcasting archives in the country. In Media Archives, we are in a sense a miniature library, acquiring, processing, cataloging, preserving, and providing access to the materials in our collections. As I continue my postgraduate education, I will continue to learn about how to organize, preserve, describe, and provide access to this unique cultural treasure. At Valdosta State University, courses in Management, Reference, and Database Design enabled me to broaden my expertise into areas beyond cataloging in order to better support our collections and meet the needs of our patrons.

My professional development plan for the next two years is available here.