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Hello everyone! My name is Gwen Roberts, and I’m currently in my penultimate semester at FSU for the MSI program. My academic background is actually in the social sciences, as I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the New College of Florida in Sarasota. However, I’m happy to be getting my graduate degree in a field that facilitates another one of my interests, librarianship and information literacy. Currently I work for the Broward County Public Library System as a Librarian Trainee, on track to becoming a fully salaried Librarian when I graduate in August! I mainly work in Adult Services right now, but at some point I’d like to be a Youth Librarian as I feel like my enthusiasm and penchant for silliness suits that environment better. I live in Sunrise, but I’m actually from Trinidad, which is a place so rich in cultural diversity and natural beauty I can’t even begin to describe it.

I’m very excited for this class because I’ve been creatively inclined my entire life and really enjoy making art as well as engaging with it. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on Korean hip-hop music and cross-cultural expression, and for one of my classes last semester I managed to make an entire book trailer using only Powerpoint. It was quite possibly one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had making art since Powerpoint is not really a software for doing animation, but I really enjoyed trying to make it work. Hopefully this time I will learn how to use tools that are actually intended to be used for video editing however. I look forward to honing my (very elementary) skills in editing and digital media creation, and having a creative outlet. I’m also really excited to see what kind of unique artwork everyone else produces! Aside from writing about art and using unusual programs to make it, I also enjoy reading and playing video games, in the hopes of possibly making a game of my own some day.

Hello!

I’m Savannah Whitby and this is my last semester of my MSI degree here at FSU. I am so happy to be almost finished with this. It has been a fun ride and I have learned so much in my time here. I am so ready to be finished though. This degree didn’t necessarily need to be finished this soon but I like to rip off bandaids when I am able to. I started as a librarian in Volusia County at the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library almost three years ago now and I love it so much I had to do everything I could to pave the way for advancing. I am currently working in Youth Services and I don’t ever see me leaving. Storytime is truly my passion and I am unsure I could ever give it up. I left teaching elementary school to start this job and I will never even look back. New Smyrna Beach has always been my home and I have never wanted to live anywhere else. I am so proud to give back to the community that raised me by helping families engage with literacy both in our library and outside of it.

You will be surprised to read that my main hobby has always been reading. Currently I enjoy reading fantasy and romance novels and any mix of the two genres. My Goodreads is flooded with titles I have read and those I am currently reading (when I remember to update it, which is not often, I must admit).

I also spend an inordinate amount of time at Disney World and I am absolutely what you would call a Disney adult. We have been visiting the house of mouse since I was a small child and I have had an annual pass for most of my life. We enjoy our time there and will continue to do so for a long time.

My hope for this class is to hone my skills where digital media is concerned. I have some experience from when I was teaching and in my current position. Since this is my only class this semester I have more time to dedicate to it. My second goal for this class is to have fun with it. It is too easy in many situations to get bogged down with the assigned task and forget to enjoy it.

Hey Everybody! My name is Kenny and I was born and raised in Miami-Dade County, Florida. An interesting thing about Miami is the Coral Castle. It is a monumental structure made from very large and heavy limestone blocks that one man claims to have built yet there is very little known as to how he did it. This picture is of me at El Tazumal, in Chalchuapa, El Salvador and is attributed to the Mayans.

I currently work for the Miami-Dade Public Library System where I am an assistant and working towards librarianship. It is my second semester here at FSU in the MSI program. In my undergrad, I studied fine art and used to photograph with film a lot. I do it less frequently these days, mostly due to cost. I like to collect old books and records as well and enjoy spending time in nature and exploring different cultures. 

In this class, I hope to use my skills already obtained through years of photography and apply it to a more conventional and user-friendly design that aligns with the current trends in social media, communications, and libraries. I would also like to expand my knowledge and skills in video editing and production. I have done some in the past, but it has been a while. I am looking forward to working alongside everyone this semester and seeing how our ideas align.

Hi class, my name is Hannah Hargraves, but here’s more about me than a name and picture on a Canvas roster.

I graduated in 2024 from UNF with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English with a minor in Mass Communications. This is my final semester in the iSchool, and I will graduate in May with a Master of Science. I currently live in Tallahassee and work at a cute little coffeeshop and bakehouse called Ground Ops as a barista. I also recently started working as a Scholar Support Desk Assistant at the Dirac Science Library on campus at FSU.

 Outside of work and school, I love to read, and I just finished the newest Hunger Games book. In addition to reading, I also enjoy writing, specifically poetry, which I write in my journal or notes app whenever inspiration strikes. I love to travel whenever I have the chance, and most recently, I went to California and spent a whole week wine tasting at different vineyards. When I graduated from my undergraduate studies, I went on a trip with my family to London and Paris to celebrate. I also love discovering cute local coffee shops and trying their matcha (my favorite drink). I like to work out and try to go multiple times a week between work and school. Thrifting and antiquing are something I love to do in my free time, and I often go with my best friend, stopping to get coffee and matcha on the way. With my friends, I enjoy movie nights, sweet treat runs, going to the movies, and going to the local parks, etc. I also have a kitten named Petunia, whom I play with and cuddle every day.

I enjoy documenting my life through vlogs on my prized digital camera, as well as photos on the same camera of everywhere I go. Documenting my life is not always just done digitally, but through my journal in which I write in daily or scribble poems in every so often. I was intrigued by this course and interested in how to document things digitally, as I already sometimes do.

My name is Danielle, and I live in between DeLand and Sanford in Central Florida. Until the end of last year, I served as a media specialist at a K-8 charter school. I truly loved my job, the students and my colleagues. Although it breaks my heart that the position was eliminated due to budget cuts, it revealed an unexpected silver lining. By increasing my course load, I’m now on track to graduate this May, an entire semester earlier than I originally anticipated.

After graduation, I am looking forward to applying for positions anywhere and everywhere. I am a single mom and my son, Jasper, will start high school (what!?!?!) in the fall. Looking for opportunities over the summer to begin a job before the new school year would be ideal. The idea of moving is both terrifying and exhilarating. I have worked so hard for what seems like so long, I almost can’t believe it is happening. Returning to school librarianship is my main focus, but I am not ruling anything out. This field has so much to offer that I am looking forward to seeing what all the possibilities are.

I’m a board game enthusiast. I was introduced to board gaming a few years ago and have since built a diverse collection. I’m particularly drawn to tile-placement games like Harmonies and Azul, as well as engine-builders such as Mycelia and the Century Road series. I attend local meetups as often as I can. Much like the librarian community, I’ve found board gamers to be incredibly welcoming and always ready to share their expertise with others. My collection of games can be viewed on my profile on the Board Game Geek website. As I get more into the hobby, the games get more challenging and usually significantly longer (and more expensive!). I’m looking forward to attending my first board game conference this year! 

I have made hundreds of digital graphics for various reasons, but I have found that I tend to use one application over others. I am ready to learn how to use various other platforms to create. I have only created a few projects using both video and audio. Last semester I designed a book trailer for a young adult novel on Canva. I was pleased with the outcome, but it wasn’t something I was confident in making. Having little experience creating with video and audio, I am both nervous and excited to learn how to integrate more of these aspects into my work.

A timeline of myself starts with understanding the plight of an island girl, from Trinidad and Tobago, as she acclimated to the American culture. From a flight to Miami, leaving behind my original homeland to venture into a new culture. I found myself and understood this challenge, as well as how change is directly important for my parents and the future me. The dynamic American system of education felt different, but I pressed on. Matriculating through middle and high school, as a private person understanding the daunting task of processing who I was, who I will be, and now who I am.

From Interior Design to History Refined

            Fast forward, after a degree in Interior Design, a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, and many years working both sides of the experience a patron might encounter (visitor and employee), I finally feel connected to my calling as a librarian. With the help of my amazing husband, of now 19 years, and my supportive sons (11 and 14), as well as my husband’s family, this pursuit of a Master’s degree has been not only an experience that has uplifted my values but also an opportunity that has improved my fit with the county library system, in Coconut Creek, Florida, or the Butterfly Capital of the World. My parents taught me to strive for the best, my immediate family encouraged me to branch out, and my library family has brought my creative side out through the offerings, programs, displays, and activities that are composed by yours truly.

            As a special interest, especially one that I dive deeper into, thematic displays have fostered my creative application skills and have sparked the interest of many of our library’s patrons. Some are simply related to holidays, some are related to a national focus of a concept like Autism Awareness, but all displays are designed to bring to life the impact that literature and content can have for young readers, which are my area of focus at the library I work at.  These are important features of my work life, but not the only part of who I am.

Natural Born Investigator

               In fact, my home life, my interests in crime and forensics has guided some of the reading for pleasure, as well as some of the content I have looked over for the requirements of FSU’s Master’s in Library Science Program. However, this is not the only part of me that makes me unique, as I am the mother of two boys, who are just as amazing. Both are active learners, both are vigorously thorough, and both are the apples of my eye, alongside my husband. Now that you have gotten to know a little about me, it is important to know that lifelong learning will continue to guide my decisions.

Kelly John-Strate, a person who has continued to discover more about herself because of those finite moments of directionality and dedication. Thus, an avid and altruistic persona, but represented by my spirit cat, Luna who is an all-black British Short hair with both sass and grace. You will find me where information, inquisitiveness, and ingenuity are central to an experience worthwhile. Though I am not a digital media person, this course will afford me the opportunity to dive deep into my own ability to engage with social media, support digital resource use for patrons, and hopefully feel more confident as I continue to evolve as a librarian.