Student Spotlight

I was chosen to be one of the students featured in the student spotlight for the NEMO library program. Here's what I said:

What is your education/library/professional background?
I am a graduate of Midland Lutheran college in Fremont, NE with a bachelors in English. I currently work part time at Midland Lutheran college's Luther library as a rereference librarian, part time at Keene Memorial Library in Fremont, NE as a children's librarian and grant coordinator, part time as a preschool aide for Trinity Early Childcare Center in Fremont, and as a movie clerk for Family Video.

What is on your reading list? What are your favorites/your recommended/your want to read lists?
Right now I'm getting ready to read Born Digital: The First Generation of Digital Natives by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser. It's a study into the generation of students who were brought up with technology wired into the everyday life. I'm also reading Blackest Night comic book run from DC and Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 from Dark Horse.These are the first two series of comic book that have gotten me to buy the new issue every month. I recommend them both.

What professional journal or article have you read and would recommend? Why?
I have been reading School Library Journal an awful lot lately, especially their article "When Harry [Potter] Met Bella [Swan]," talking about the legality of fanfiction and if it is plagiarism or not. Another article that I've read recently deals with self censorship in the library. It was a fascinating look at how librarians will censor their own collection because they do not want to invest the time into fighting a challenge later. I like them because both articles tackle issues that librarians are dealing with all the time. How does a librarian support his student patrons who want to become writers without breaking copyright? Stuff like that would never cross my mind until after the movie studio and J.K. Rowling's lawyers and Stephanie Meyer's lawyers all rolled into the library to put me through the ringer.

What do you do in your “down time”? Your hobbies/recreation, how do you relax?
I'm what I like to call a rainy day knitter. I have a hat and a scarf started on needles at my house, but I only do about twenty minutes of work on it at a time. My hobby coming up in January will be the final season of LOST. You cannot even fathom how excited I am for that to come out. I'm also a fan of well written TV shows, cooking with cheap ingredients, and not cleaing my dishes.

What deep dark secret would you like to share?
I'm a librarian who blogs. I'm blogging about my library school experience. And another blog is about my day to day life stuff. and another blog with a friend of mine about our Midwestern perspectives on pop culture. I'm also terribly addicted to Entertainment Weekly. They are so smart. They are the reason I want a Masters in Popular Culture once I'm done with my MLS.

Name one of your personal or professional qualities that make you, or will make you, a leader in 21st century library and information centers.

Personal Quality: I'm super cheerful most of the time. If you saw me at NLA, you'd know me as the guy playing the "try and greet everyone" game. Howdy was my greeting of choice. And I can organize a fantastic potluck party when needed
Professional Quality: I have a passion for collection development. I came from a library that was diligent about having materials for everyone and ensuring that the newest, best materials were available to patrons. I make it my goal to whip collections into shape whenever I can.

What advice do you have for current Graduate Students?

When you're sitting in class, it's easy to just focus in on what you're learning and then go home. Don't do that. Stay after class. Talk to your professors. Talk to the students sitting next to you. Make a study group or a book club or a "hey you've got homework due Friday" buddy. Librarians in the 21st century need to make more connections, not less. Start now, when you're all still learning the ins and outs of the profession. Friendships in Library school can make lasting partnerships in the real world that can benefit you as a professional and your community of patrons.

What do you see as key future trends and challenges in LIS?

I think the challenge right now for the field is coming up with ways of providing the same service as usual while administrations, city budgets and state funding are pulling your funding first and fastest in order to balance a budget. Libraries are trending toward a more open access approach to information as a means to curb this decline in funds. More libraries have a Facebook or Twitter presence and some libraries are leading the charge for digitization. It's a pretty great time to be in the library field. We're the ones playing with new technology and making it work for our profession. You kinda can't wait to see what someones going to come up with next.

What do you think will be your legacy in this profession?

I really want to be the librarian that people remember as being helpful and informed. I would love to say I plan to be the head librarian at some land grant institution or a City Library director with 15 branches serving a million people, but I'm content for now to be the guy that can find you the book or the article you're looking for and do it with a smile and a whistle in my step.

Any Last Words?
Get a Google account. Seriously. You'll need it more times than you think during the program. and it's awesome to have otherwise. Google Reader for RSSing all the library blogs. It's pretty much the coolest thing they do.