Making the jump: Translating your skills between library types

In a perfect world, you started your MLIS with dreams of becoming a children’s librarian with the best storytime in town, or perhaps an academic subject librarian who publishes in the top journals. You found a steady job that checked all of your boxes, and off you went to have a great career. We aren’t living in a perfect world, however, and many of us end up changing our minds about the type of librarian we want to be. Whether it’s because the job wasn’t what we thought, our ambitions changed, or we just want to try something new, some of us decide to make the jump from public to academic, or vice versa. 

When I decided to make the switch from my public librarian position into the academic librarian world, I was surprised how much push back and questioning I got. Did I think I was ready for the rigours of academic life? Did I have the skills and knowledge to be on the tenure track? Wouldn’t I miss the kids at the public library? (Spoiler: yes, I do!) The questions made me wonder why some librarians think academic and public libraries require such different knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to be successful. We all know that academic and public libraries can differ significantly in their mission, collections, and services. Should that stop us from making the jump? Now that I’ve been an academic librarian for nearly two years, I wanted to share my thoughts for those who may be considering the switch, but are worried they won’t make the cut. Since I made the switch from public to academic, that’s what I’ll be focusing on, but you can take the advice the other direction as well!

  1. Collaboration

Public libraries cannot be siloed from their communities. They can’t afford to be. As a public librarian, I worked with members of our community, businesses, and the city government on everything from summer reading giveaways to having the animal shelter bring cats to an adoption party. Public librarians are great at selling the value of their library and convincing the community to work with them on a variety of projects. Academic librarians have to collaborate as well, just in different ways. I’ve reached across campus to different departments to try and pool efforts on initiatives, expand knowledge of the library’s resources, and create innovative programs to support student success. Can you convince a company to give you gift cards for door prizes? Use that ability to create a cross-campus collaboration! 

  1. ‘Soft’ Skills

Yes, these days I spend far more time in an office than on a reference desk. Patrons make appointments for consults, and I guest lecture about 10-15 times a semester. Even with the reduced facetime, the people skills I learned at the public library have been beyond helpful. Although libraries vary, at my previous job, I was on the reference desk nearly 40 hours a week. I had to be ‘on’ that entire time; helpful, cheerful, and patient. How does that help at the academic library? Do you know how many committee meetings I go to a week? Service is a major tenet of academic librarianship, and to be honest, I’m one of those who actually loves it, but chairing teams and herding cats can test even the most patient of librarians.

  1. Subject Knowledge

As a subject librarian, I am expected to be an expert in helping students locate and use business databases and other resources. If you look at job postings for subject librarians, they will usually ask for some coursework, a degree, or experience in that specific subject. If you’re  a public librarian, even if you don’t have access to the ‘big’ databases or journals, you probably still have subject-specific ones that you can become familiar with. The great thing about being a public librarian is you get to help with all kinds of questions, which means you have experience helping in so many different areas. Your experience runs the gamut from helping a patron find books on business plans to helping high school students find scholarly articles for a research paper. All of these knowledge transactions add up to a rich, varied experience you can point to as examples of your flexibility and wide range of knowledge 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of ways in which you can translate your skills from one type of library to another. My hope is that if you do want to make a move, this list might help lessen your fears, and you can gather together all the amazing and crazy experiences you’ve had into a stellar application.

Jennifer Wilhelm (NMRT Board Member) has been a Business Librarian at Texas A&M University since 2018. She previously worked as an Adult Reference Librarian at the Bryan + College Station Public library system and continues to work collaboratively with the public library on programs and projects. Her research topics center on informal STEM in libraries and collaborating with university career centers to improve students’ job search capabilities.

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NMRT Mentoring Committee – Call for Mentors!

Want to be a mentor? Support the future of librarianship? Of course, you do! Applications are still being taken!
“Do you have over 5 years of library experience and are looking for new ways to engage with other librarians? Use your wealth of knowledge to connect new librarians to their career path by applying to be a mentor!

Membership in ALA is required, and NMRT membership is encouraged. We are looking to pair up mentees with mentors by November.

You can fill out the application form here:
https://goo.gl/forms/COBCMdPskH0ylVvo1

Thank you for your consideration!
On behalf of The NMRT Mentoring Committee

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NMRT Alternative Voices

The Alternative Voices Feature is meant to give a platform to the voices of librarians from underrepresented communities in the library field. The format of the feature is a journalistic question and answer format. It provides information that the librarian wants people to know about them, plus their thoughts on the current state of the field of librarianship.

Name – Amanpreet “Aman” Kaur, CFCS, MLIS
Contact Information – amankaur@upenn.edu
City & State – Philadelphia, PA
Position Title – Community Health & Engineering Librarian
Length of time in the library field – 6 years for paid work (As K-12 student, I spent a decade of my life volunteering in school and public libraries. As an undergraduate student, I held many jobs. None were in the academic library. I had no idea that I would return to libraries as an employee after graduating college.)

Tell us a little bit about your background. Where did you attend college? What degrees do you have? What programs (undergraduate or graduate) prepared you for your current position? Tell us about your position and what you do? What is your definition of diversity, or equity or inclusion?

I was born and raised in Morris County, New Jersey to working-class immigrant parents who stressed the importance of formal education as a means to succeed in life. I am currently the most formally educated member of my immediate family. I obtained my BS in Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Studies with a minor in Engineering Studies from Iowa State University and an MLIS from Rutgers University. Today, I utilize all of my undergraduate and graduate coursework in my work as the University of Pennsylvania’s inaugural Community Health & Engineering Librarian, in which I serve as a traditional liaison librarian for the School of Engineering and Applied Science and assist Penn’s ever-growing health sciences community on health literacy, interprofessional education, and other outreach initiatives. I am also an Associate Fellow at the Center for Public Health Initiatives, with whom I am currently rolling out Weekly Themed Wellness Walks, a university-wide initiative in which on-campus wellness walks are transformed into informal networking and learning opportunities for students, staff, and faculty.

To me, diversity is the measure of variety or assortment of demographic identifiers such as gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, status, ability, etc. Greater diversity in classrooms, workplaces, and communities leads to exposure to more perspectives, which ultimately leads to better ideas and innovations in the long run.

Before you became a librarian, what were you thinking about doing professionally or academically?

Before I enrolled in my MLIS program, I wanted to be a Family and Consumer Sciences educator and a robotics club advisor in a public secondary school. You might think this is oddly specific, but this almost was my reality. Days before the MLIS program orientation at Rutgers, I turned down a full-time teaching job in my hometown district, so I could be a full-time MLIS student instead. While this was a risky move, it worked out for me. However, sometimes, I do wonder if what it would have been like to work in my hometown school district, which laid the foundation for my career in education.

What are some of your hobbies and are you still finding time for these activities with your busy schedule?

During my precious spare time, I am at the gym in a group exercise class or lifting weights. I make the effort to exercise multiple times per week. Since I go to the gym on campus, there are students, staff, and faculty who recognize me from the library system. I don’t mind that interacting with them as the unofficial librarian at the gym.

What do you know now that you wished you’d known when you were just beginning your job hunt?

I did not know how expensive it was to interview for jobs. I wish I knew that I needed to spend my own money on travel and wait for reimbursements, so my advice is to try to save money as much money as you can as you begin your job search.

When you were growing up, did you feel that the libraries accurately reflected the community you lived in?

I had started using my hometown public library system as a Pre-K student. I volunteered at the public library from 5th through 12th grades. My family couldn’t afford for me to be involved in expensive extracurricular activities like sports or band, so I found the library to be the place, where I can participate in summer reading challenges, arts & crafts activities, science experiments, and more. I served on the inaugural Teen Advisory Board, while I was in middle school, so I got the opportunity to shape the then-new Teen Room into a place I needed and wanted. While I was growing up, my hometown transitioned into an increasingly diverse community, and I believe that the library did a good job of reflecting that in its offerings of origami workshops, dance lessons, English classes, etc.

What trends are most impacting the field right now?

Over the past few years, I have noticed that there are many more conversations about diversity, inclusion, and equity going on at conferences that typically attract LIS students and professionals. I hope that these conversations are not just trendy and would like to see outcomes that increase the diversity of the profession.

What surprises you the most about your job/field?

I was a Community (Residential) Advisor for most of my undergraduate years. In my current job, I am drawing from this experience far more than I am drawing from library-related experiences.

Do you have a blog/website?

Yes, please visit tinyurl.com/amankaur for more about me. You’re also, welcome to follow or message me on Twitter at @akaur0.

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Meet the 2019-2020 NMRT President!

My name is Nicole LaMoreaux and I am the 2019-2020 President of the New Members Round Table. I am the Assistant Director of Research and Instructional Services at The New School in New York, NY. I am proud to announce that we have over 1,500 members representing every aspect of librarianship, from nearly every state and even some foreign countries. We are a round table for those who have been members of ALA for fewer than ten years and are looking to augment their involvement in ALA. In addition to providing you with the means to develop as a new professional through committee work, conference programs, and other year-round services, NMRT provides numerous venues for you to make connections with colleagues, learn from mentors, and even form lifelong friendships.

NMRT can help jump-start your library career like few other groups can. As my presidential theme “Building Future Leaders of Tomorrow” implies, NMRT seeks to welcome you and help you find your niche in ALA. We hope to see you online and in-person at one of our many events this year. In the meantime, should you have any questions about what we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at lamorean@newschool.edu

Nicole LaMoreaux, 2019-2020 NMRT President
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NMRT Board 2019-2020 Nominations

Are you interested in becoming more involved in New Members Round Table?  We are currently recruiting candidates for the 2020 NMRT Board.

NMRT offers training, opportunities, and a wide variety of programs on the national, state and local levels to assist, encourage, and educate those new to the association and the profession.

Now is the opportunity for you to take a leadership role in that mission!

The NMRT Board is seeking nominations for the six open positions: 

  • Secretary (1 year)
  • Vice-President/President-Elect (3 year)
  • Assistant Treasurer (2 year)
  • Networking Director (2 year)
  • Outreach Director (2 year)
  • Member Services Director (1 year)

The terms-of-office, attendance obligations, and responsibilities vary between the positions. Read more about the officer positions that will be available for 2020 here: 

If you are indeed interested in serving and if one of these positions feels like a good fit for you, please email Nicole Spoor, NMRT Past President (nicolespoor@gmail.com) or Nicole LaMoreaux, NMRT President (lamorean@newschool.edu) by September 20, 2019. If you have questions about these positions, please feel free to email us.

Thank you for your involvement with NMRT!

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NMRT President’s Program at ALA Annual

Sunday, June 23 from 1:00-2:30pm in the Washington Convention Center, 159A-B.

The NMRT President’s Program: Building Tomorrow Together will focus on exploring unique mentorship programs. If you’ve ever been curious about formal mentorships or are looking for ways to innovate your library’s mentorship program, this is your opportunity to learn more!

Panelists will be speaking about the LLAMA Mentoring Committee, the Public Library Association’s mentoring programs, as well as discussing research on mentoring. Kaitlyn Hodges from ALA’s Emerging Leaders Program will also be in attendance to discuss the NMRT Emerging Leaders team project, a Mentoring Clearinghouse.

Ashley J. Brown has been a librarian at the Auburn Public Library since 2005 and is the current Engagement and Outreach Librarian.  In 2017, Ashley was selected as a Public Library Association Leadership Academy Fellow and served as a mentor of the Inclusive Internship Initiative.

Mandi Goodsett is the Performing Arts and Humanities Librarian at Cleveland State University.  She is the co-author of “Building a Strong Foundation: Mentoring Programs for Novice Tenure-Track Librarians in Academic Libraries, ” published inCollege and Research Libraries and the New Members Round Table Past-President.

Richard Guajardo is Head of Resource Discovery Systems at the University of Houston.  He is currently the Chair of the LLAMA Mentoring Committee and is the incoming co-chair of the ALCTS Program Committee.

The NMRT President’s Program is an annual event open to all registered conference attendees.

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NMRT Needs Your Opinion!

The NMRT Online Program Committee is surveying to solicit information from NMRT/ALA members on future potential online programming, webinar promotion, and gain perspective on how users interact with webinar materials. We hope that with the constructive feedback and responses NMRT/ALA members provide, it will help guide future committee iterations develop programs that meet the informational needs of our members.

We strongly implore your participation, as it will be invaluable in helping to shape the direction and material produced by the Online Program Committee.

On behalf of the Online Program Committee, we thank you for your consideration and look forward to your responses.

NMRT Online Program Planning Survey

Best Regards,

NMRT Online Program Committee

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NMRT Annual Conference Field Trip

You’re invited!

Are you new to ALA? Meet new people and socialize in a fun and different environment by attending the NMRT Field Trip, hosted by the NMRT Annual Conference Local Information Committee. We will meet for brunch on Sunday, June 23 at 10 am at The Smith (901 F St NW) followed by a tour of the National Portrait Gallery at 11:30 am (8th & F Streets NW).

When: Sunday, June 23 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: The Smith, 901 F St NW

Add this event to your ALA schedule here! http://bit.ly/NMRTFieldTrip

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May 2019 NMRT Online Discussion

The topic for May’s Online Discussion focused around Services to Special Populations. It is important to think not only of the customers we see every day but those we may not see due to barriers, which may be unknown to us, that prevent customers from benefiting from our services.

A few such populations brought up in the course of the discussion were international students in university and college settings, migrant workers, and people returning from incarceration, though there are many other populations that could be identified depending on your service area.

As far as special programming, outreach, or other activities to support these identified populations and connect them with library services, it was noted that at the college or university as a whole there may be extra support offered for international students, even if it is not offered directly through the library. Well stocked collections in languages other than English was one other point, though something else to keep in mind is the literacy level of individuals in their primary language. Another suggested program was transforming a meeting room into a play area for the children of area migrant workers. It was noted that the program numbers began dwindling and the program no longer exists. One potential reason for this is possible deportation of migrant workers. It is also possible that there is a fear of certain spaces, such as the library, where it is perceived immigration status may be questioned and reported.

No new ideas or innovations to reach special populations were discussed but many libraries are executing creative programs and initiatives to reach greater audiences so maybe we’ll get some ideas in the comments!

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Reminder: NMRT Volunteer Applications Due July 1!

New Members Round Table (NMRT) is looking for volunteers for committee chairs and members for the 2019-2020 year. Committees are the lifeline of NMRT. The list of these committees reflect the work of some of these committees and their dedicated members.

New Members Round Table 2019-2020 committee volunteer applications are now open! Fill out the committee volunteer form.

While applications will be accepted through July 1, 2019, please apply by May 30, 2019, for best consideration. Please contact Nicole LaMoreaux, NMRT Vice-President with any questions about committee appointments.

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