Many of the assignments in the Master’s program are meant to replicate “real world” scenarios, but none felt as comprehensive and challenging as the final project of crafting a Records Management Plan. Given a hypothetical scenario of taking on a new role leading a Records Management Department, I had to develop a 12-month timeline for tackling the various trials facing the imaginary university. The project required drawing on the entire set of evaluative skills we had learned throughout the semester to determine the proper order of tasks and select the best tools for delivering on the given objectives.

In this circumstance, a university functioned closer to a corporation than an academic library, though every organization faces many of the same challenges to organize and preserve records. Learning how to prioritize an organization’s information needs and select the best solution for a variety of situations is a fundamental professional skill.