Published: November 24, 2015 

From time to time, iSchool faculty and staff receive thoughtful, unsolicited letters from alumni and current students who want to share their thoughts about the program and how it has affected their lives and careers. We love getting these letters, and we learn a lot from them.

The following letter is from iSchool graduate Eddy Hamelin to the iSchool’s director Dr. Sandra Hirsh and associate director Dr. Linda Main. Currently, Hamelin is living in Marina, California, located on the Monterey Bay, and is volunteering his time at the former Army base of Fort Ord. “Our mission is to educate the general public by preserving and sharing artifacts, buildings, photographs, stories, and other items of enduring and historical value,” says Hamelin. During his time at the iSchool, Hamelin’s studies took a definite archival focus, which makes him the ideal candidate to take care of historical documents and ephemera. Only four months after graduation, Hamelin was hired as a librarian by the nearby city of Salinas, California. Besides being an archivist and librarian, he also cites his important roles of husband and father of three.

Greetings Dr. Hirsh and Dr. Main:

My name is Eddy Hamelin, and I just successfully completed my e-portfolio. I would like to take this opportunity to mention briefly a few excellent things to you both. I find so often that people tend to write more when something is wrong, but I much prefer to write when I see something or someone that is outstanding.

First, I found the overall MLIS program outstanding. I learned much during my three years here. Of all the wonderful courses I took, my internship class and my peer mentor class were my best experiences academically. I found all the instructors informative and ready to help, and I appreciated it when they applied their “real world” knowledge to the course materials.

Second, my advisor for my e-portfolio was Dr. Debra Hansen. I did not have any classes with Dr. Hansen prior to my work on my e-portfolio. She made feel at ease by inviting questions, giving clear instructions, and giving timely and concise feedback throughout the entire process. She was also helpful during the beginning of course, when I was having a difficult time accessing the course site. Dr. Hansen is an outstanding professor and she should be commended for work.

Finally, thank you both for your leadership and the guidance that you give to the School of Information. I will always think of time here fondly.

Best regards,
Eddy Hamelin