Emily Swan
Emily Swan is a graduate student from Columbia, South Carolina, pursuing her master’s degree in mass communication. Her interests include entertainment journalism, nonprofit public relations and health communication.
Posted January 20, 2017
By Emily Swan and Zachary Frazier
Photos: Ashley Griffith at work as a library assistant.
Alumna Ashley Griffith (Information Science '16) is confident in her abilities as a library assistant with the Greenville County Library System. She credits both her undergraduate and graduate programs at the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) for equipping her for a career she is passionate about.
After starting her higher education at a technical college, she transferred to USC to pursue a bachelor’s degree in information science (BSIS).
“I thought a BSIS degree would be a great degree to have in preparing me for a future in a library,” Griffin said. “Best decision I ever made towards my education.”
In the undergraduate program, Griffith learned various methods of communication and discovered the importance of information gathering and transmitting.
One of the most valuable lessons she learned involved communication directed at people from different backgrounds, as they may interpret information differently.
“It is extremely important to provide information correctly through communication that is understood by diverse patrons,” she said. “The undergraduate classes taught me how to communicate effectively, keeping in mind that there are different ways in which to communicate.”
Griffith says she thoroughly valued her time at USC, and has a particularly strong appreciation for her professors. She admires their dedication to their students, vast knowledge and genuine desire to teach.
“My favorite thing about SLIS is how much the professors value their students,” Griffith said. “The staff in SLIS would go above and beyond to make sure the students were prepared for the information science field. They always welcomed students to visit them in office hours to go over assignments and always pushed students to grow in their education at USC.”
This relationship with her professors was instrumental in Griffith's decision to continue her education by also working towards her Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from the school.
“The University of South Carolina program was the school I chose because I knew 100% that they sought to give each student the best education,” she said. “Graduate orientation reassured me that I made the best decision because you could feel the authenticity in the staff’s interest of helping students on their way in succeeding in future goals.”
Griffin is excited about the possibilities the MLIS will eventually afford her.
“I would like to be a school librarian in either a middle school or high school,” she said. “My goal is to move Charleston, South Carolina to seek a position in school librarianship.”
Zach Frazier
Zachary Frazier, is a graduate student form Seattle, Washington. He is completing course work for a Ph.D. in information and library science. His research focuses on the role that information plays in creativity and innovation.