On the other hand, the US Episcopalian Church is currently my institutional hero for leading the way on LGBT blessings, women bishops and all that good stuff

Two of my friends just got gay-married while one is in seminary to become a priest! And they even live in student family housing.

I haven't been in months, and I have Jesus issues, but I lurve my episcopal church.

Well, derr! What with the Papistry and all, totally satanic.

Well, and if you go all Dia de los Muertos, then it's Papist and satanic and all furrin' and shit.

Two of my friends just got gay-married while one is in seminary to become a priest! And they even live in student family housing.

That's so cool! Whereas here, I have LGBT friends seriously reconsidering their vocations to the Anglican church, whose new 'official' stance just became a Don't Ask, Don't Tell, But We Definitely Don't Approve kind of thing. Irritating.

Still, my little parish church is run by a lovely gay priest who's going to conduct the blessing at our Big Gay Wedding. The Anglican church: a big mess of contradictions, but I manage to find places to fit in there.

Witches praise mother earth by bringing her fruits, nuts and herbs.

sounds like they have the nuts covered ....

Would anyone mind if I posted my 500+ word essay for the MLS program here? I have to address (1) my decision to pursue the program, (2) my expectations of the program to meet my professional goals, and (3) how I believe I will contribute to the library and information science profession. I just need some feedback on whether it sounds coherent and fulfills all three points.

I know it's just the circles I run in, but I'm always surprised when an Episcopal priest isn't gay.

I wouldn't mind, Kathy.

Good! I just want to make sure I covered all the points and didn't cut it off at the end too abruptly (I was just tired of writing it and it's already about 100 words over the minimum).

Here it is:

In my childhood, libraries were a refuge, and I idealized the people who worked there. But as I grew up and started working in libraries, first as a volunteer, and then in college as an employee, I became aware that there was a lot more to the profession than just reading and recommending books all day long.

There is dealing with the paperwork, the patrons who don’t want to be there, the students who want you to do all of their work for them, the vendors who are always looking to make a sale, and the board who wants maximum return on minimum budgets. But, there is also the fulfillment of teaching patrons how to find information and seeing them explore the sources on their own initiative, the fun of tracking down answers on subjects you didn’t know existed that morning, and, always, the joy of introducing your favorite titles to patrons who come back and thank you for the recommendation.

Working in a variety of libraries, from academic to public to corporate, I’ve been exposed to both the highs and the lows of the profession. One thing has remained constant, though—the information. The media used to deliver it, the range of subjects, and the availability of it to the general public have changed, but the information is always there.

As a self-professed information geek, research and information dissemination has become the central part of my professional life. When I worked in business publishing as an editor, I massaged information into pleasing page layouts and edited it into readable text. Now, as an information specialist in state legislative issues, I get questions on tax and corporate law from my company’s editors, and contact the state employees for the answers. I update databases full of legislative information, from session length to ballot issues to bill status.

But, I want to learn more. How to gather information from sources other than the ones I’m familiar with. How to organize it so that people can find it without getting lost in the intricacies of esoteric databases. How to work with patrons so I can get the actual questions that they need answers to, instead of the ones they think they need answers to. Education is the key, and a master’s degree in library science is the way to get those skills.

An MLS is a degree I’ve always wanted to pursue, but life, and finances, got in the way. After twenty years of accumulating work experiences in various related fields, I’ve reached a point where I need to expand my knowledge of research tools, and I feel that the library science program is the best way to do so.

The fields of both legal publishing and library science are changing as rapidly as most professions are in this constantly shifting world, in both economical and technological ways. To keep up, one needs to broaden one’s skill set to remain a viable asset to the profession. However, certain things remain central to anyone in the business of providing information—being able to ascertain what information is needed, knowing how to get it, being able to convey that information efficiently, and, if one is lucky, passing on some researching skills to the person asking for the information.

In my opinion, teaching a person how to do their own research is an important part of providing information. People might have problems when it comes to asking for the information (shyness, lack of interest in tracking through the layers of bureaucracy to talk to just the right person), but giving them the option of knowing how to find the answers themselves is empowering and something I enjoy passing on to those I help.

Some quick initial thoughts:

In my childhood, libraries were a refuge, and I idealized the people who worked there. But as I grew up and started working in libraries, first as a volunteer, and then in college as an employee, I became aware that there was a lot more to the profession than just reading and recommending books all day long.

Maybe add a sentence about why you idealized the people or thought that they had a great job.

There is dealing with the paperwork, the patrons who don’t want to be there, the students who want you to do all of their work for them, the vendors who are always looking to make a sale, and the board who wants maximum return on minimum budgets.

I think that this needs an introductory sentence.

Working in a variety of libraries, from academic to public to corporate, I’ve been exposed to both the highs and the lows of the profession

this could be a good introductory sentence.

Now, as an information specialist in state legislative issues, I get questions on tax and corporate law from my company’s editors, and contact the state employees for the answers.

Instead of "contact", maybe something like "communicate with"?

How to gather information from sources other than the ones I’m familiar with. How to organize it so that people can find it without getting lost in the intricacies of esoteric databases. How to work with patrons so I can get the actual questions that they need answers to, instead of the ones they think they need answers to.

these are fragments, they need different punctuation

An MLS is a degree I’ve always wanted to pursue,

a little too passive, I think.

After twenty years of accumulating work experiences in various related fields, I’ve reached a point where I need to expand my knowledge of research tools,

why? you should expand on this.

However, certain things remain central to anyone in the business of providing information—being able to ascertain what information is needed, knowing how to get it, being able to convey that information efficiently, and, if one is lucky, passing on some researching skills to the person asking for the information.

this is awesome.

I'm not getting the contribution part, unless you mean by teaching others to do research?

That's really nice, Kathy.