I’d like to begin with a quote by Mary Shelley from Frankenstein, “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.”
Shelley’s quote on change feels especially pertinent today of all days as I officially mark the end of my graduate school career with UT’s School of Information Sciences. During these two years, I have grown quite comfortable and accustomed to the life of a grad student. However, nothing is quite as exciting as I—and all of us graduating today—set another foot into the future.
I feel prepared—I cannot speak for all of you—but I feel prepared to take my first steps into the changing field of information sciences, and I owe that preparation not only to the professors and instructors …show more content…
We all have a community to call on when we’ve hit stumbling blocks in our professional growth or when we want someone to share in our achievements. When we all face our next big change, or challenge, let us remember to embrace it, too, because we do not have to face it alone. Let us also remember the teamwork and collaboration that this program has fostered in all of us because it is one of the most important skills we can take with it to build a better world for those we seek to help whether in a public, school, or academic library, an information center, a government agency, or in a position that has not been created yet.
Margaret Mead said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” I certainly agree with that statement because who else but librarians are more thoughtful and committed to changing the world. I’d like to end by reminding everyone here today: Embrace change in our world, embrace change in those we help, but most importantly let us not forget to embrace change in