This semester I have been carrying out a practicum with the International and Area Studies Library (IASL). In my program, a practicum represents 100 hours of unpaid service offered to an institution, organization or company in exchange for 2 credits towards my degree. When Steve Witt, Head of the IASL, came to my International Librarianship course as a guest speaker, I pelted him with questions:
· Who would you like to see come through the door more often?
· Do you feel there are any services or materials that are underused?
· Does your library have a social media presence?
I’d wanted in to the IASL for some time but hadn’t yet gotten my break. It was after my many questions that Steve said, “Hey, you know, we’re open to having students carry out practica with our library.” That was all I needed to hear.
I got the paper work rolling and it was full steam ahead. Since that day I’ve been working closely with South Asian Librarian Mara Thacker to construct the “Chai Wai Series,” a group of gatherings where issues of global importance can be discussed. The first event of the series was called “Migrants, Immigrants and Refugees” and addressed the variety of experiences people from other countries have in approaching the United States and making this country their home. I also created a lib guide around the topic, managed the advertising, assisted in the recruitment of panelists and blogged about the event on Glocal Notes. My duties for our second event were similar in terms of organization and social media, but the topic this time focused on Gender-based Violence.
My experience has been incredibly rich, largely because of Mara Thacker and the freedom she allows me to take initiative and the encouragement and support she offers. I highly recommend a practicum to any advanced library and information science student. You gain a wealth of experience in a short time and can get an insider’s view of a potential future place of employment.
· Who would you like to see come through the door more often?
· Do you feel there are any services or materials that are underused?
· Does your library have a social media presence?
I’d wanted in to the IASL for some time but hadn’t yet gotten my break. It was after my many questions that Steve said, “Hey, you know, we’re open to having students carry out practica with our library.” That was all I needed to hear.
I got the paper work rolling and it was full steam ahead. Since that day I’ve been working closely with South Asian Librarian Mara Thacker to construct the “Chai Wai Series,” a group of gatherings where issues of global importance can be discussed. The first event of the series was called “Migrants, Immigrants and Refugees” and addressed the variety of experiences people from other countries have in approaching the United States and making this country their home. I also created a lib guide around the topic, managed the advertising, assisted in the recruitment of panelists and blogged about the event on Glocal Notes. My duties for our second event were similar in terms of organization and social media, but the topic this time focused on Gender-based Violence.
My experience has been incredibly rich, largely because of Mara Thacker and the freedom she allows me to take initiative and the encouragement and support she offers. I highly recommend a practicum to any advanced library and information science student. You gain a wealth of experience in a short time and can get an insider’s view of a potential future place of employment.
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