This has been a rewarding and challenging semester. In many ways, I expected that changing universities would be straightforward. Even moving to another country, the same organization still accredits the program of study here. The academic and social cultures are relatively similar. I had already taken some courses towards the degree, and so by starting over I presumed I would be covering the same ground I already had.
While my previous institution had courses on library history and public libraries, the program here takes a more generalist approach. The history of the information professions is examined for the purposes of establishing foundational understandings of topics, rather than being studied as history. This program also includes a focus on the role of information professions in broader society, including corporate applications, in contrast to the GLAM-focus of my previous studies. While there was some overlap, I found myself encountering a lot of new ideas here.
This program pays much closer attention to matters of critical librarianship and social justice. We discussed topics including biases in algorithmic and “big data” computing tools, representative justice, Indigenous knowledges, cultural humility, disinformation, and the role of information professionals within their organizations and society within these topics. Having exposure to multiple new cultures helped me broaden my understanding and appreciation for different perspectives and needs.
I’ve talked previously about some of the communication challenges I’ve encountered during the semester. I am a rarely-speaking Autistic student, and communicating during in-person class activities has been a big change for me compared to my online experiences. I’ve had many opportunities to explore different styles of collaboration within my communication differences, and I hope I’ve broadened the experiences of my classmates who may not have encountered a non-speaking peer before.
Communication challenges and cultural differences, along with dedicating so much of my time to academics, has made building social connections difficult. Following the previous success of the peer support chat model, I’ve adopted that here, and it has given me some out-of-class interaction opportunities with my peers. There are several people in my cohort that I have connected with beyond a superficial acquaintance, but I am still left feeling isolated here. I hope that next semester I will be able to dedicate more resources to strengthening my social support network here.
I was excited to spend some of my academic energy exploring the topic of digital gardening. I wrote two essays on the topic, and both professors have suggested I could expand on my work and take my first steps into academic publication. I have mixed thoughts about participating in that system, but I am considering the possibility. Next semester I’m going to be focusing on research, bibliometrics, and publication, so going through the process of getting an article peer reviewed and published in a journal would complement those studies well.
I also get to pursue a practicum where I apply the skills I’m learning within an information management context. I am partnering with a medical research group that focuses on prehospital emergency medicine, an area of medicine I’m familiar with. I will likely share my experiences in the next few months as I, well, have them. This will also be an opportunity to make some professional connections, but will be an additional responsibility to balance.
I hope that 2025 has been kind to you. See you in 2026!