by Amanda Viana, Head Editor, INALJ Massachusetts
Reflecting on my first year as a Head Editor
As the end of the year approaches I, like most people, have found myself reflecting on the past year. It hasn’t quite been a year since I started as the Head Editor of the INALJ MA page, but a lot has changed. I first started volunteering with INALJ as an assistant for the CA page. Two or three times a week I’d check my assigned websites and submit jobs to editors. I liked contributing, as INALJ had been an invaluable resource when I was looking for a professional position. When Naomi announced her intention to start state pages I jumped at the chance. I was excited about the changes and the opportunity to help others in my home state.
Becoming Head Editor meant checking multiple sites for jobs five days a week, blogging monthly, and eventually managing Assistant Editors—without whom INALJ MA would not be what it is today. Thank you Grace, Amelia, Karen & Theo for all your hard work! There have been a lot of adjustments and learning experiences, but being a Head Editor has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. Recently I had to make the decision whether to stay on as a Head Editor. I didn’t want to make a snap decision; as much as I love being a part of INALJ, it is a commitment that requires a lot of time and responsibility and I wanted to be sure before I committed to another year.
Ultimately I decided to stay on as Head Editor. I didn’t want to give up the chance to spend another year helping the information professionals from my state. Through daily job postings, monthly blogs and posts on social media (follow us! @INALJ_MA) I feel as though I’m contributing to the success of others in my field and that is an incredible opportunity to be given. INALJ had some technical difficulties this month, and I was unable to update the INALJ MA page for a solid week. The frustration and helplessness I felt when I was unable to perform my duties and had to update the Twitter account with apologies rather than excitement just reinforced my decision to stay.
In addition to sharing the pride I take in the work of INALJ, I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone in the organization, from Naomi, to editors, assistants, and site users, for creating a positive, supportive environment for information professionals. To support each other through difficulty, to give and receive help with school and career advice, to celebrate each others successes and help each other through troubles—this is what INALJ means to me. I am a proud and happy member of this community and I look forward to contributing more to its success. I can’t wait to see what 2014 will bring!