Isn’t writing great? The written word is an excellent way to organize thoughts, express creativity, and discover passions. Whenever I have been disciplined enough to pick up a pen – or keyboard – and produce a written self-expression, it has nearly always paid wonderful dividends.

 

The blog staff at Rebecca Crown Library is looking for submissions for our blog, and that means you. Are you taking a class you’re excited about and want to gush? Did you visit a really cool library recently and want to nerd out about it? If you are a graduate student in the Library and Information Science program or an undergraduate student working at the library, we want to know what’s cooking in that noodle of yours.

 

Below are just a few terrific reasons why you should contribute to the RCL blog.

 

Express Your Passion

 

Isn’t it the worst when you turn in an excellent paper that only your professor reads? A thoughtful discussion post, short paper, or class project description could make an excellent blog post. Your passion for learning is contagious so let your little light shine.

 

Learning can happen in sporadic ways. Perhaps a tangential topic comes up in class that you’d like a platform to explore further (recently for me, it has been prison librarianship). The RCL blog can be an excellent platform to channel that interest and share it with others. 

 

For example, a decade ago, out of pure passion I began blogging about Newbery Award winning children’s books. Fast forward to the present when I am in the Youth Literature graduate program here at Dominican. 

 

Reset, Reflect, Rekindle

 

Feeling a mid-semester motivational slump? Creativity is a powerful balm for your brain. Writing about a library-related topic you care about may be exactly the endorphins your brain craves. For integrating creativity with learning, I also highly recommend attending a workshop in our Innovation Lab and/or familiarizing yourself with our Recording Studio. But I digress!

 

Reflecting on our experiences are essential for growth. Are you graduating at the end of the semester and want to reflect on your academic journey thus far? Are you thinking about declaring or changing your major? There have been some excellent reflection posts on professional development experiences such as internships and conferences on the RCL blog. This could be a fantastic platform to share your insights. 

 

Blogging can be a safe, structured way to pursue interests. Last semester, writing for the RCL blog was the catalyst I needed to research libraries in Iceland. Researching for the post allowed me to gather information I needed to rekindle my love for traveling. And I’m glad I did! The inter-continental adventure changed my life.

 

Connect with your Community

 

There are many activities on campus to enrich your mind and connect you with community. This week I attended two events: The Journey of a Reconnection Taino, led by Dr. Lizette Rivera in celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day, and Blackened Bodies at the Hands of White America, a lecture by Dr. Safiyyah Kai El-Amin. Attending a campus event and writing a post not only allows us to reflect on what we’ve learned, but connects us with the stories and wisdom of others in our learning community. 

 

Writing is an important expression and self-affirmation of values, but it also shows one cares about the intellectual and creative needs of their learning community. That internship you had last summer? That class you took that exceeded your expectations? That library conference you attended? Let your community know about these experiences and become part of an informal mentoring process that enriches yourself and others.

 

Create Resume material

 

A blog piece byline shows employers your capability to write comprehensively on a topic. Especially if you are interviewing for a library position, hiring managers may be impressed you took the time and effort to write about a topic relevant to the library field. 

 

Perhaps you’d like to practice a professional development skill, such as interviewing. Writing a blog piece after interviewing a professor, librarian or educator is a great way to learn from their experiences and develop this useful skill. Who knows, a strategic interview could lead to future collaboration or provide you with useful connections.

 

As you can see, there are many reasons to write for the RCL blog. Your learning community is waiting for your insights – so let it rip. Don’t let those brilliant insights fade forever in tonight’s dreams. 

 

For information on submission: Want to Write for the RCL Blog?