Ambassador Visit to SLIS

This week, I was fortunate to convene an ambassador visit organized by CACUL's Re:Generations committee (thanks Christina and Dale!) at the University of Alberta's School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS). Our thanks go out to LISSA (SLIS's Library and Information Studies Student Association) for providing bagels and other snacks which were greatly appreciated over the course of the lunch hour!

On the panel, we were fortunate to have two librarians representing the University of Alberta Libraries, as well as a librarian from MacEwan University and King's University College. The strength of the panel was the breadth of the experience, from new librarian to experienced librarian to library director. Also, the diverse natures of the academic libraries the panel represented, including large research university, medium size and small college environments, gave the students present a wide range of opinions to consider. 

Our hour long session was structured as an informal Question & Answer session. The students were eager to ask questions, and the range of questions differed as much as the range of experience on the panel!

A popular topic was current academic library trends, and the panel discussed issues such as the:

• state of the post-recession job market 
• increasing emphasis placed on user experience
• shift from library as a place for books to a place of social gathering
• increasing importance of information literacy instruction
• delivery of library services and programs to students who are already technically savvy

The panel also discussed doing research and obtaining tenue - the extend of which differently greatly depending on the institution. All librarians stressed the importance of marketing the library to and nurturing relationships with faculty. Also mentioned were possible conferences to attend (don't forget about ALA!), professional development opportunities and training provided to new-hires. 

The two newest librarians on the panel talked about their job interviews, which again differed greatly: one librarian was asked to present a short lesson to the interview panel, whereas the other was only required to answer questions about instructional methods. All the panelists stressed the need to consider non-traditional library jobs, such as working for a research institute or creating contract opportunities via networks.

While holding this informal Question & Answer panel meant this ambassador visit differed slightly than previous visits, I got the impression the students learned a lot about academic librarianship. I expected more interest in job hunting, so was surprised by the student's desire to learn more about many diverse areas of the profession. If you are interested in specific job hunting tips, you can read more about Re:Generations past ambassador visits to McGill (2009) and SLAIS (2008).

Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity for library students to meet and hear from librarians currently working in the field, an opportunity I for one greatly appreciated!