{"id":4948,"date":"2022-04-13T08:00:30","date_gmt":"2022-04-13T15:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ischoolgroups.sjsu.edu\/alasc\/wp-students\/?p=4948"},"modified":"2022-04-12T18:01:51","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T01:01:51","slug":"working-in-a-non-traditional-lis-space-qa-with-digital-education-specialist-tracy-matthews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ischoolgroups.sjsu.edu\/alasc\/wp-students\/working-in-a-non-traditional-lis-space-qa-with-digital-education-specialist-tracy-matthews\/","title":{"rendered":"Working in a Non-Traditional LIS Space: Q&A with Digital Education Specialist, Tracy Matthews"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In February<\/span>, after attending a Web of Science training session for Vicki Steiner\u2019s Online Searching class (<\/span>INFO 244<\/span><\/a>), I connected with <\/span>Tracy Matthews,<\/b> the Digital Education Specialist at Clarivate. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hired right out of Drexel after receiving her MSLS, Tracy is celebrating 21 years of training librarians and other users on how to use Clarivate resources, like Web of Science and its recent acquisition ProQuest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I took the opportunity to ask her about how the skills she gained in school and in libraries prepared her for non-traditional LIS work for a vendor. The good news for those of you considering the same path: your library experience still counts!<\/span><\/p>\n

ALASC: You are a Digital Education Specialist. What does that mean?<\/b><\/p>\n

Tracy Matthews: <\/b>I\u2019m basically an instructional designer, creating learning materials like videos, documentation, and self-guided courses.\u00a0 The goal is to help our Web of Science and InCites users get the most out of their time in our resources, learning at their own pace and on their own schedule.\u00a0 I use my library skills to enable our learners to find what they\u2019re looking for and solve their information needs.\u00a0 I administer our LibGuides presence and contribute to our learning portal.<\/span><\/p>\n

ALASC: What skills do you use from past experiences?<\/b><\/p>\n

TM: <\/b>Everything I have learned about libraries, whether from school or hands-on experience, is useful in my daily work.\u00a0 Understanding the challenges of both librarians and researchers is key to being able to create meaningful instruction.\u00a0 My time on the reference desk and meeting with librarians and researchers across the world has taught me so much about user behavior and information seeking.<\/span><\/p>\n

ALASC: At SJSU, a lot of people are on “tracks” towards public and academic librarianship and data management, among others. What were your interests while you were studying at Drexel? How did those interests change over time?\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>TM: <\/b>My interests, if I\u2019m being honest, were quite scattered.\u00a0 The only thing I knew with certainty was that I wasn\u2019t cut out for cataloging and tech services.\u00a0 I wanted to work directly with researchers in some capacity.\u00a0 At the time I attended Drexel there weren\u2019t formal tracks.\u00a0 There was a lot of freedom to develop a path to meet your own needs. It was great, but I was quite unsure about my final goal, so I took classes across the curriculum in science resources, visual information retrieval, digital libraries, content representation, and more. I discovered I had an affinity for all forms of classification, indexing and information retrieval. I did a year-long internship in an academic health sciences library working reference, which was a lot of fun, before landing my first role at the Institute for Scientific Information where I began learning extensively about citation indexing and bibliometrics.\u00a0 So,<\/span> I really didn\u2019t have a grand plan, but the stars aligned in the end.\u00a0 So be encouraged if that sounds like you too.<\/span><\/p>\n

ALASC: Looking back at 21 years at Clarivate, how do you feel you’ve grown into the role?\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

TM:<\/b> When I first began as a trainer, my instruction was delivered 100% in person, but I was absolutely terrified of public speaking!\u00a0 I really had to stretch myself to feel comfortable talking to large groups.\u00a0 There is no better way to gain confidence in holding an audience and communicating complex information than to do it over and over again, while accepting lots of constructive feedback.\u00a0 Over time the delivery mode of my instruction shifted to be virtual, which is another set of skills to learn, and then eventually into the realm of instructional design and communicating asynchronously. I think the common threads are being able to distill complex topics into digestible information and understanding user needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ALASC: What advice do you have for students thinking about applying for jobs outside of traditional LIS settings?\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Most of us go to library school because we absolutely love libraries.\u00a0 It really is a vocation for many of us, but we can also get wrapped up in thinking our identity as a librarian is tied to the physical library.\u00a0 Librarianship is about getting the right information to the right user at the right time.\u00a0 You can use those skills in many different settings, and you\u2019ll still be a librarian.<\/span><\/p>\n

Specifically in the vendor space where I work, businesses that support libraries need people who understand libraries and can act as liaisons between the business and the customer.\u00a0 We have librarians working across the business in product development, education, customer support, sales, editorial, content and data management.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure I\u2019m leaving some out.\u00a0 <\/span>There isn\u2019t a single path into a non-traditional library career.<\/p>\n

I do think it\u2019s useful to spend some time working in a traditional library setting.\u00a0 <\/span>Working the reference desk, answering questions, and just seeing how libraries operate daily is invaluable.\u00a0 That time was helpful for me in confirming what I did and didn\u2019t like about the traditional library setting before taking a different path.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s about figuring out what makes you tick and where your aptitudes align.\u00a0 And don\u2019t think that you\u2019ll necessarily be good at something instantly \u2013 I had doubts initially that I would be a good instructor, but it turned out to be the best fit for me.\u00a0 \"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Also, reach out to people who have taken a non-traditional path and ask them about their experiences.\u00a0 I\u2019m always happy to connect, so feel free to reach out to me and I can help connect you with others in my network.<\/span><\/p>\n

Special thanks to Tracy for taking the time to answer my questions.<\/b><\/p>\n

If you have a question I didn\u2019t think of, Tracy welcomes library students to connect with her on <\/b>LinkedIn<\/b><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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