Disclaimer: This is a long post and if you don’t think you can make it all the way through, at least read the conclusion because that’s where the moral of the story lies.
Introduction
As library and information science and archives and records administration students, we’re constantly bombarded with terms “professional development,” “networking,” “professional branding,” etc., by our instructors and other more experienced figures. And although most of us know what these terms means, sometimes it can be hard to figure how to successfully put them into practice and make the most of the opportunities afforded to us. I can honestly say one of my biggest regrets in undergrad was that I was one of those students who did not take full advantage of the opportunities I was given. Through this incredible journey at San Jose State, my number one goal has been to not make the same mistake! I got wise to this knowledge a little late, but I have seen that often times many of my peers and colleagues still haven’t learned the lesson. So I want to take this time to share with you about one of the more recent events I attended and how important it was to actually listen to the wise words being spoken to us.
It’s easy to feel like an outsider, especially when you are someone like myself who has very little to no practice experiences in the LIS field. As a 22 year-old student, I came straight to the MLIS program straight out of my undergrad. It can be hard to become active and engaged in the community, especially when you haven’t built the connections that allow you to do so. Before I start talking about this event I was recently at, I will leave you with a bit of wisdom that was imparted to me by an experienced soul: If you can say yes, then just say YES! If you see an event that your schedule permits, whether or not it looks the most interesting to you or might be a bit inconvenient to attend, then just say YES! It’s the best way to push yourself out of your comfort zone, and get you moving on the right path to success. That is why it is so important to get active and involved in as many activities, events, workshops, and conferences as soon you possibly can. These things open up networking, learning, social, and professional options that you may think are harder obtain than they are.
The Event
The Geisel Library.
On March 15, the University of California, San Diego Chapter Mentor Committee of the Librarians Association of the University of California hosted a special event called the “Librarians Shadow Day” for MLIS students and recent graduates from across the region. Registration was free, and any who registered by the March 1st deadline were invited to attend. It was held at the Geisel Library of UC San Diego, and provided incredible access to both the library’s facilities and staff. The purpose of the event was to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the various departments of the Geisel Library, along with one-on-one and group time with librarians from each department. It was a fantastic opportunity both personal and professional growth. Hearkening back to the advice I gave before: Just say yes! The majority of those in attendance were not from the San Diego area and made the early morning trek down from Los Angeles or Orange County to make the event. It was inconvenient to drive down to San Diego so early in the morning, but our schedules allowed us the time, so we said yes!
What did we actually do?
The day began with a complimentary breakfast social where students attending the event got to meet and network. We also got to know some of the mentoring librarians on a more personal level. I was able to meet several classmates from SJSU that I otherwise would not have been able to meet in person. We had a range of experience levels and variations in our progress through the program, but we all got to share our experiences, ideas, and advice with each other. We discussed professional and academic interests, personal backgrounds, shared interests, and more. We learned about the benefits of taking certain classes from people who had already completed them, and could tell us based on our interests if they would be a good fit. It was a fantastic experience because I got to know several classmates, which is a lot of fun when you attend an online school and rarely get to physically interact with your peers.
Following the end of the social, the group broke up and each student was assigned to spend one-on-one time with a librarian who works in the student’s subject interest. I was paired up with the Digital Initiatives Librarian and Curator of the Tuzin Archive for Melanesian Anthropology, Cristela Garcia-Spitz (more to come about this experience later). The librarians showed us their workspaces, spoke with us about our interests, and taught us about their day-to-day jobs.
After meeting our mentors, we broke up into small groups where we enjoyed a variety of different tours and workshops based on our personal interests. I joined a group of students for a private tour of the special collections area of the library where we learned about the school’s unique policies, responsibilities, and purpose regarding their special collections. We also got to look at and interact with pieces of the collection. There were items that ranged from the personal copies of speeches given by Dr. Jonas Salk (the virologist who discovered the vaccine for polio) to a 15th century incunabula (a book that was printed, not handwritten). As a historian, this was my geek-out moment!
Following the tour, we got a behind-the-scenes tour of the library’s facilities for digital and analog preservation. Talk about a fantastic experience! We learned from Roger Smith, the school’s director of the digital library development program about the university’s individual and collaborative efforts to digitize and preserve the library’s collection. The tour included the sound studio, film room, a look at the book imagers, and more. It ended with a look at the analog preservation room where the Preservation Manager Jack Neve walked us through library’s process for identifying, evaluating, and repairing the physical assets of the library. This was one of the coolest parts of the tour because I got to talk with a preservationist about how to protect the integrity of a set newspapers my great-grandparents saved from Hawaii when they survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. It’s also the field that I am the most interested in going into when I graduate, but it’s also the field I’ve had the least experience with. I now have a contact in the preservation world – -who was also an SJSU student — and I get to learn from his experience about what my best class options are if that’s the career I choose to pursue.
We were invited to a pizza social for lunch where we talked, networked, and learned from over two dozen librarians employed at UC San Diego. Lunch was followed by a roundtable event (also known as “librarian speed-dating”) where each student got to pick three different librarians from three different areas of the library to talk with for seven minutes to learn more about their jobs. I took this time to talk to three librarians that worked in fields I knew little about (or thought I had little interest in). As it turned out, I made fantastic connections with two of the three librarians, and found a whole new interest in their lines of work. Their advice and information was invaluable, and it may have even changed my focus and direction a bit!
Afterward there was a general Q & A session where students were able ask questions to all the librarians. This was one of the most valuable opportunities for me because I was able to ask big questions about résumés, cover letters, and more, while getting a variety of answers and opinions.
What I learned, and why it’s important:
Figuring out what you want to do…
This was a major part of the purpose of the event. It was great because I got to learn about: 1) which areas I was not interested in pursuing. It helped narrow the options I was considering; 2) new fields of interest I hadn’t considered or had known much about before; and 3) excellent strategies for success.
Mentorship…
I made a great contact (and I would like to think a friend) out of the mentor, Cristela Garcia-Spitz, whom I was partnered up with. We share similar interests, and I can definitely see her as a guiding light and support system throughout my future endeavors. In the days since the event we have already been back in contact and she has offered to help build a list of skills and other abilities that I should invest in developing. This kind of valuable information only comes from someone who has the experience to teach you from his or her mistakes and successes. It has been said by many and in a variety of ways, but “a smart person learns from their mistakes, a wise person learns from the mistakes of others.”
Résumés, Skills, and Personal Marketing…
This was one of the most important areas of the event for me. Throughout the day I learned how to build a better resume with practical advice on how to market myself as a 22-year-old with limited experience. The event helped me identify the deficiencies in my knowledge and skills base, as well as how to plan to overcome them through professional development. I also learned a valuable lesson about how to effectively market myself and the skills I already have.
My lessons learned and what I want to share with you…
The best way to get an analysis of your skill sets and deficiencies is to talk with someone who has the job you want. For every skill you are lacking, there are ways to learn them. Sometimes it just takes some extra effort. Everything you have done in your life is valuable experience and provides you with transferable skills, you just have to know how to market and connect them to your desired field of interest. And finally, there are a lot of people out there, especially in the LIS field, who honestly want to help you and watch you grow. You just have to take the hand they extend to you.
This post was written by Assistant Programing Director Jonathan Christensen. To read more about Jonathan (and the rest of the SJSU SLASC Executive Committee) click here.
