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Naomi House’s interview with success story Susan.
Naomi: How did you find your current job?
Susan: Right now I am transitioning between jobs, both of which I found through INALJ!
Naomi: Favorite library you have been to?
Susan: When I did a summer internship in Paris I was able to visit many amazing libraries. My favorite was the Bibliothèque Mazarine. It has hidden doors and secret passages.
Naomi: Favorite book?
Susan: Pride and Prejudice. I enjoy Jane Austen’s sassiness.
Naomi: Favorite thing about libraries/ library technology?
Susan: I love that libraries connect people with knowledge, and that our vast array of resources and services are free to use. Where else can you get that?
Naomi: Any websites or feeds or blogs we should be following?
Susan: The ‘M’ Word – Marketing for Libraries is great, especially if your job involves marketing and outreach. I also like tracking the books I read and seeing what other people are reading on Goodreads.
Naomi: Best piece of job hunting advice?
Susan: Get feedback on your application materials! Over the years I have had multiple people look at my resume and cover letters. They have changed drastically and improved greatly because of it. My boss also gave me a great piece of advice: make sure you address every requirement listed for a job in your cover letter. After writing a cover letter I now make it a practice to review the position description again and make sure I have discussed my skills in each
of the areas listed.
Susan Gilman is currently transitioning between two awesome library jobs. For the past year and a half she has been the Access Services and Outreach Librarian for the University of Oregon Portland Library and Learning Commons, a library that serves the diverse research needs of architecture and design students. She is moving on from this role to a Research Librarian position at the Harvard College Library. Susan earned her MLIS in 2011 from the University of Washington Information School, and completed her B.A.in 2009 from the University of Oregon in History, Women’s and Gender Studies, with a minor in Art History. In her free time she enjoys cooking, reading, pilates, and spending quality time with her cat, Dickens.