Sarah LeMire
J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah – Salt Lake City, Utah
Assistant Head of Research and Information Services
A little about Sarah’s job
I’m a reference and instruction librarian at the University of Utah’s Marriott Library, where I serve as the librarian coordinator for the library’s Knowledge Commons. I also teach information literacy classes for a variety of first-year experience courses and for the University’s undergraduate writing requirement course. Lastly, I liaise with the Writing and Rhetoric Studies department and with the campus Veterans Support Center.
1) What are some things you like about your job or about working in libraries in general?
I love that I never quite know how my day is going to go. There’s always a new patron to meet, a new problem to solve, and a new question to answer. It’s never boring!
2) What’s a project or committee you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?
I’ve been working on a project with some colleagues to evaluate our reference statistics and develop a more effective system for recording and reporting statistics in our library. Right now we’re writing up our research findings and getting ready to implement our new system, and it’s exciting to start to see how this long-term project is going to start to have results on our day-to-day activities.
3) What got you interested in libraries?
Like many librarians, I was a voracious reader as a child and I spent a lot of time at my local public library. I started working there as a teenager, and from then on I always knew that I’d find my way back to libraries – it just felt like home.
4) What is one of your favorite things about NMRT?
I really appreciate that NMRT is a place for all types of new librarians – public, academic, school or special, young or old.
5) Do you have any advice for other new librarians?
I think we’ve all probably heard this advice, and I know I didn’t heed it enough, so I’ll say it again: pace yourself. Don’t try to take on too much. It’s really easy, especially as an enthusiastic new librarian, to say yes to everything. It’s important to learn how to say no, how to prioritize your time, and how to strike a good work-life balance.
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