Academic librarianship is an exciting field that offers opportunities for research, service, and community with those dedicated to learning. Through these roles and opportunities, academic librarianship provides tremendous variety in patrons, job duties, challenges, and possibilities. I hope to work as a Latin American Studies librarian in order to continue to use my Spanish, and to serve others in their search for information in the multitude of areas encompassed by Latin American Studies.

Though it is hard to pinpoint an exact moment when I knew I wanted to be a librarian, the day I finished reading my first novel in Spanish, La aventura de Miguel Littín: clandestino en Chile (The Adventure of Miguel Littín: Clandestine in Chile) marks an important step in the process. This novel, which describes the ways in which a Chilean exile used film to capture and protest the horrors of the Pinochet regime, allowed me to connect to a language, a culture, and people of which I had previously known very little. Feeling this connection was a powerful experience that I think parallels the work of librarians-to serve as an intermediary between library resources and community members in order to enable these patrons to find and easily access the information they seek. Although this role occurs in all libraries, I am especially interested in the academic library situation due to its great variety, and thereby potential to create many different kinds of connections.

Academic librarians are in a unique position to help many patrons with the crucial skills of finding relevant information from appropriate sources and evaluating them. Information literacy is an issue I find particularly interesting based on my experiences as a peer research tutor. This year, I worked with a Writing Center-Library pilot program that I helped initiate in order to combine my interest in libraries with tutoring skills. Working closely with two supervising librarians, I received library training to assist introductory writing courses with finding library materials to use in structuring arguments. Throughout this process, I observed and presented several instruction sessions. During my first session, I became acutely aware of the challenge of responding to such a wide variety of individual interests, experiences, and attitudes toward the library-even within the undergraduate setting. Some students did not know how to find a book within the library; most began research with a Google search; none were unaware of the many scholarly resources easily available to them.

While these students had specific research concerns, international students face different obstacles to which I am particularly sensitive after a semester of study at the University of Salamanca in Spain. The foreign language, different organizational system, and in many cases, overwhelming number of available resources, complicate the already difficult process of adjusting to life in a new country. As a Latin American Studies librarian, I would be especially prepared and interested in assisting these students, as well all patrons.

Libraries now are in a crucial time as they continue to discern how to balance the changes in technology to best serve patrons, as well as to change the image of inapproachability and intimidation that the library often holds for students. In support of this goal, I have noticed a renewed commitment at the library of my undergraduate institution since my first year that demonstrates that, as stated in its strategic plan, "students trust that their needs are the library's top priority." This dedication has been demonstrated through providing a suggestion box for new collection additions, implementing a trial program of extended hours during finals week, and offering coffee and cocoa during the last weeks of each semester, among other projects. The variety of these programs demonstrates the creativity involved within librarianship. I hope to contribute in this time of re-definition for academic libraries, to assist both with the current image of the library, and to implement changes that will shape its identity for years to come.

One of the most exciting opportunities for academic librarians is the chance to pursue their own research. Just as they assist patrons in a variety of ways to access information for effective use, they set an example through conducting research. Library research, like much of the work in academic librarianship, offers a great variety of possibilities. From studying how libraries have changed throughout the world to evaluating new programs to meet specific needs, this field offers many opportunities for new research. For my senior honors research project, I explored the way detective novels reflect the transition from dictatorship to democracy in Spain and Chile. Due to severe censorships in both countries during the regimes, popular literature published shortly after the end of the dictatorships offers a particularly enlightening view of each country. In a similar way, censorship and the restriction of information are areas that offer opportunities for library research. I look forward to continuing research I began as an undergraduate in Hispanic Studies, English and music, and to exploring research possibilities within library science.

Overall, academic librarianship offers me a way to use my skills in a variety of ways, allowing me to aid, research, and contribute both to the library and to the academic community. Just as Miguel Littín used film to connect the greater world to the situation in Chile, I would be in the position to connect patrons to a variety of resources. Though I cannot promise that these resources will provide them with life-changing experiences as this book did for me, I would provide sensitivity and a wide range of experiences to better aid library users of all backgrounds-and a passion for the importance of accessing information.