{"id":19664,"date":"2013-04-25T13:00:20","date_gmt":"2013-04-25T17:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=19664"},"modified":"2019-01-13T19:37:53","modified_gmt":"2019-01-14T01:37:53","slug":"changing-library-career-tracts-after-graduation-britt-foster-solo-librarian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=19664","title":{"rendered":"Changing Library Career Tracks After Graduation, Britt Foster . . . Solo Librarian"},"content":{"rendered":"

This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee\/interviewees’ positions<\/span><\/h2>\n

by Joy Rodriguez, Head Editor, INALJ Delaware<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Changing Library Career Tracks After Graduation, Britt Foster . . . Solo Librarian<\/span><\/h3>\n

When she graduated from library school in 2011, Britt Foster planned on working as a children\u2019s librarian in a public library. Instead, her career took a different turn and she ended up landing a position that she loves, as a solo librarian in a special library located on the campus of Fresno State University in Fresno, California.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"brittf\"<\/a>Joy:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> Tell us about your background and how you came to work at the V.E. Petrucci Library?
\nBritt: \u00a0<\/strong> I grew up in Kerman, California, which is a small agricultural town west of Fresno in California\u2019s Central Valley.\u00a0 After graduating from San Francisco State University as a double major in English Literature and Creative Writing, I attended UCLA\u2019s Graduate School of Education and Information Studies for my Masters of Library and Information Science.\u00a0 My focus was on youth services and public librarianship and after working part-time for Los Angeles Public Library, I returned to the Central Valley in search of a full-time position.\u00a0 When the position of librarian opened at the V.E. Petrucci Library, several friends forwarded me the posting. Even though it wasn\u2019t a position in youth services, I was really intrigued by the outreach and extension component of the job.\u00a0 I started part-time, and went full-time several months later.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been with the library for a little over a year now.<\/p>\n

Joy: \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 How does this library differ from a public library or a large academic library?
\nBritt:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> The V.E. Petrucci Library<\/a> is a really unique institution.\u00a0 We are funded by the Viticulture and Enology Alumni Association, and we are the only stand-alone viticulture and enology library in the United States.\u00a0 Viticulture, or the science of growing grapevines, and enology, or the science of winemaking, are very important disciplines in this part of the United States: Fresno is at the heart of the grape industry, and Fresno State has one of the few Departments of Viticulture and Enology<\/a> in the world.\u00a0 In line with this, the V.E. Petrucci Library serves the students, faculty, and researchers within the Department of Viticulture and Enology, as well as the grape, raisin, and wine industry, and the general public.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re a small library– I\u2019m the only librarian– but we get reference questions from all over the world, as well as from our neighbors.\u00a0 This component of my job looks like public librarianship. I also do a lot of the things academic librarians do, like information literacy instruction for our students and research assistance for faculty.\u00a0 There is a third component to my position that I think could best be described as embedded librarianship.\u00a0 I join project teams that are looking at different issues, like digital learning initiatives or development, and use my skills as a librarian to support the implementation of the project.\u00a0 Sometimes this means using multimedia tools to design and disseminate research conducted in the department– I once stood in the bottom of a six foot hole in a vineyard with an iPad to create a lesson plan on soil analysis.\u00a0 Other times it can look like designing information management tools to bring the components of a project together in an efficient way.<\/p>\n

Joy:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> How did you transition from children\u2019s librarianship in a public library to your current position?
\nBritt:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> One of the great things about preparing to be a children\u2019s librarian is the opportunity to touch on all aspects of librarianship– collection development and management, programming, technology, reference.\u00a0 Having that educational background was great for stepping into a position as a solo librarian.\u00a0 I manage the collection, teach ILI, design and manage the library\u2019s website, make decisions \"IMG_5642\"<\/a>about information technology, plan development campaigns, and my work desk is the reference desk.\u00a0 I don\u2019t get to do much with felt boards, anymore, though, which is unfortunate.<\/p>\n

I also benefitted from a great community of librarians who, true to our profession, were excellent resources and open to all of my (many!) questions.\u00a0 Micah Vandegrift at Florida State University was awesome– I emailed him in a panic about scholarly communications right after being hired and he gave me a crash course with resources I still use today.\u00a0 The librarians at our campus library, Henry Madden Library, have also been incredibly generous with their time and advice. Great colleagues have been key.<\/p>\n

To be honest, the transition was challenging, but I think a librarian\u2019s heart is a librarian\u2019s heart.\u00a0 I became a librarian because I\u2019m in love with service, I\u2019m in love with teaching and with elevating the pursuit of knowledge.\u00a0 Connecting, 2 or 22 or 62 patrons with resources and honoring their information needs just makes my heart pound.\u00a0 Seriously– isn\u2019t our profession the best?<\/p>\n

Joy:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> What do you like about being a solo librarian? What are the challenges?
\nBritt:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> The hardest thing about being a solo librarian for me is not working with other librarians.\u00a0 I love librarians!\u00a0 I think we are such a diverse and fascinating community.\u00a0 When I get to work with the librarians at Henry Madden Library, it\u2019s amazing.\u00a0 I\u2019m like an eager sponge, if sponges can be eager.<\/p>\n

On the flip side, I also really enjoy working with professionals in disciplines outside of librarianship.\u00a0 Working with scientists in particular has been great– there are really interesting things happening in science communication and scholarship right now, and I love to discuss this with my colleagues.<\/p>\n

Joy:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> Which courses, internships, or previous positions gave you the skill set to thrive in your current job?
\nBritt:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> I can\u2019t emphasize enough the value of my courses in the psychology of learning, or my youth services courses that touched on pedagogy, instructional design, and developmental psychology.\u00a0 Rebecca Halpern posted this excellent piece<\/a> on ACRLog on how essentially all librarians are educators, and I couldn\u2019t agree more.\u00a0 I think a firm grounding in educational theory gives you a great tool box to design innovative and engaging lessons and resources.\u00a0 In the same vein, I was an enrichment and special education instructor before becoming a librarian, and these positions really taught me to be aware of and honor everyone\u2019s learning process.\u00a0 I draw on lessons those students taught me all the time in thinking about how to best serve my patrons.<\/p>\n

In grad school, I also interned with the Santa Monica Public Library and the Los Angeles Public Library– busy, busy reference desks, high traffic.\u00a0 These internships were excellent training for how to provide great reference with great customer service to a diversity of patrons.<\/p>\n

Joy:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> Favorite website\/blog?
\nBritt:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> Well, I think Hack Library School<\/a> and In the Library with the Lead Pipe<\/a> are doing fascinating things for the conversations we have about LIS.\u00a0 I love ACRLog<\/a>, Academic Librarian (Wayne Bivens-Tatum)<\/a>, Librarian Squared (Elizabeth Jardine)<\/a>, and The ‘M’ Word- Marketing Libraries<\/a> for keeping me thoughtful and imaginative with the ways I do my job.\u00a0 I also enjoy Inside Higher Ed<\/a> and the Chronicle of Higher Education<\/a> for being tuned in to trends and innovations in higher education.<\/p>\n

Joy:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> Favorite thing about libraries\/library technologies?
\nBritt:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> I love that libraries are empowering.\u00a0 Libraries empower their patrons, they empower their communities.\u00a0 Knowledge is so beautiful, but it can seem remote: privileged and inaccessible.\u00a0 Libraries have this wonderful mission of taking it off the pedestal, giving it to the people, and letting everyone hack and chip away at it, making knowledge and learning very real and organic.<\/p>\n

Joy:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> Best piece of job hunting\/career advice?
\nBritt:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> This may sound corny, but be you!\u00a0 Be honest and open.\u00a0 I think there is a lot of pressure to be an expert– a lot of it self-inflicted– and that\u2019s such an unrealistic expectation.\u00a0 I have found that in admitting \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d instead of being judged I\u2019m given tools and resources to figure it out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee\/interviewees’ positions by Joy Rodriguez, Head Editor, INALJ Delaware Changing Library Career Tracks After Graduation, Britt Foster . . . Solo Librarian When she graduated from library school in 2011, Britt Foster planned on working as a…<\/p>\n

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