This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions
by Kiersten Bryant, former Head Editor, INALJ California
Silvia K. Spiva – Senior Manager of Customer Service and Social Media and Success Story
Kiersten: How did you find your current job?
Silvia: As part of my studies at SJSU SLIS, I’ve been attending and participating in webinars and conferences focused on the future of libraries. It was through these online conversations that Boopsie for Libraries started following me on Twitter. About a month later, I was able to connect with Boopsie’s CEO on LinkedIn. That’s when I was invited to interview for my current role as Senior Manager of Customer Service and Social Media.
Kiersten: Favorite library you have been to?
Silvia: My favorite library was my elementary school’s at Merritt Trace in San Jose. Sadly, it was destroyed a few years ago as a result of arson. It was shortly thereafter that I decided to become a librarian. http://sjusd.org/trace/
Kiersten: Favorite book?
Silvia: I love anything by Agatha Christie, especially her books including Hercule Poirot. To this day, though, I haven’t read Curtain because I don’t want to know how Poirot dies. So, if you’ve read it, don’t tell me.
Kiersten: Any websites or blogs we should be following?
Silvia: I subscribe to In Plain English http://myblog-inplainenglish.blogspot.it by Pasqua Allegrini @PasquaAllegrini She is a teacher of English in Italy. Reading her posts reminds me to look at the news of the day with a world view.
Kiersten: Favorite thing about libraries/library technology?
Silvia: The future is all about libraries, and you can’t separate technology from them. Facebook, iTunes, Google…they are all libraries. I don’t view my official library studies as optional, they are a logical evolution in my high-tech marketing career.
Kiersten: If you could take any of your hobbies and create a job out of it, or integrate it into your job, what would it be?
Silvia: I still have fantasies of being a good old-fashioned children’s librarian. I could never think of storytime as a chore. Ideally, I’ll be able to find a way to work with technology and children. Kids are the best teachers!
Kiersten: Do you have any job hunting/career advice for our readers?
Silvia: Be genuine. Don’t maintain separate accounts for work and personal updates. Give people the chance to like you for who you really are. Your conversations will be more valuable.
Silvia K. Spiva is a practical marketer, who has spent most of her career building digital libraries for sales in high-tech companies such as Sybase, Cisco, and Apple. She is currently fully immersed in the library world as a student at San Jose State University’s School of Library and Information Science, and a manager at Boopsie for Libraries. (Boopsie.com)
Follow her on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/silviakspiva
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