Group Shot
We had a fun time last night at our first ALA Student Chapter dinner of the semester at Mellow Mushroom at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham! Our group was 18 strong, and there was a lot of good conversation and laughter all around!
Here are more photos from our evening out!
We plan to have another dinner out in March, and another in April. Look for more information soon, and come join us!
Terrence Martin
1) What is your current position, and what are your duties?
I am currently the O’K Scholars Coordinator/Social Science Librarian at Winston-Salem State University. I am responsible for coordinating the information literacy institute twice a year, supervise media and marketing services in the library, and provide all library instruction and reference assistance for the Social Science department. I partner and serve on the General Education Committee for Information Literacy (IL) to ensure the library is doing its part to embed IL into General Ed. Courses.
2) How did studying at NCCU SLIS help you prepare for your current work?
Let me preface my next couple of statements by saying I completed my degree completely online. This program was a great fit for me because as a social worker I was always organizing information to be given to someone else. The NCCU SLIS program helped me to refocus those skills into librarianship.
3) What are your career goals?
I want to be an Associate or Library Director in the next 5 years, if not sooner.
4) What advice would you give to students going through library school right now?
Start networking now! If you currently do not work in the library field, it is going to be imperative that you connect with individuals that are currently in the area (i.e. academic, public or special libraries) where you want to work.
Present and publish – If you are going to be in the academy it is important that you are able to see trends, evaluate information and articulate deficiencies when needed. Don’t wait!
5) What advice would you give library students about job hunting in the library field?
Stay focused! If you are in North Carolina keep your options open. Get the experience you need to be a good candidate.
6) What advice would you give to people considering applying to library school?
Talk with as many people as possible that are currently in the field. I’ve learned that it is important to speak with the Dean of the library school and faculty before applying. Don’t go in this field misinformed.
7) What are you currently reading?
Several blogs and library journals to stay abreast of current and researched perspectives in the field.
I’m back to being a student. I’m currently in the PhD program at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. For my research assistantship I work with Dr. Jon Gant and the Center for Digital Inclusion.
2. How did studying at NCCU SLIS help you prepare for your current work?
I was lucky enough to get to know some of the faculty and administrators pretty well. They helped me not only during school but after. They really remained a positive network of people I could count on for advice, introductions to others in the field, references, etc. I also took classes that gave me both a practical knowledge base, i.e. how to actually perform the work of a librarian, and a theoretical one, conceptualizations of library as place and the role of library and information science in society and knowledge creation.
3. What are your career goals?
I feel like I have to experience things before I can really answer that. I know that where ever I end up I want to have an administrative role. Despite its inequalities, I LOVE academia so I know I want to end up in an academic library or teaching. I have not experience teaching yet so I’m looking forward to teaching while here at UIUC GSLIS.
5. What advice would you give library students about jobhunting in the library field?
Some of the same as above, like I said my professors and Dean Owens provided references. Also remember when applying for jobs to make it clear in your cover letters that you want THAT job, not just a job. You are a librarian, an information specialist, so they will expect you to have looked them up and have information about their organizational culture, mission, and goals. Your cover letter should not be about regurgitating in paragraph form everything that’s on your resume. It is your opportunity to explain how what is on your resume and who you are as a person can help them achieve their organizational goals. And, side tip, look for someone to address your cover letter to. You may not find them but look, the contact name on the job announcement, HR manager, someone, search committees don’t like “To whom it may concern”.
6. What advice would you give to people considering applying to library school?
Just do it. Seriously though, it can lead to a myriad of other careers beside just working in a library. We have people from Google, Yahoo, and the museum world in my cohort. I love libraries, but the field is not limited to them. Corporations need information specialists to so you can also make a good living, if that is a concern or deterrent.
7. What book(s) are you currently reading?
That’s a funny one. Remember I’m in school so nothing new and exciting. Some of the more interesting class requirements are:
Marx and Engels Reader
Daulatzai, Sohail. 2012. Black Star, Crescent Moon : The Muslim International and Black Freedom beyond America.
Holland, Sharon Patricia. 2012. The erotic life of racism.
Ferguson, Roderick A. 2012 The reorder of things : the university and its pedagogies of minority difference (Difference incorporated)