A blog set up by the trainees at the libraries of the School of Advanced Studies and other London libraries.
Library Safari
I know this is out of London - but thought some people may be interested in the Library Safaris from CILIP....could be fun! best wishes, Alex
Trainee profiles 2013-2014
The Courtauld Institute of Art
Bobbie Winter-Burke
Hello, I’m Bobbie, one of two new graduate trainees at The Courtauld Institute of Art. Before starting the traineeship in September I was a library
assistant at Middlesex University’s busy Hendon campus, while also working
one day a week cataloguing the curatorial collection of art books at the Whitechapel
Gallery. I graduated from Sussex University in 2009 with a degree in
English Literature, and like many others, did not give much thought to what I
would do next. Since graduating I have worked in a fairly odd array of places,
including setting up and running a small art bookshop, working in a gallery, a
theatre and a museum, and also for a gynaecology journal, a human rights
organisation and an archive. Not all of it seems that relevant now, but all of
my previous experience has somehow fed into my decision to become a librarian.
So far I am really enjoying my year as a trainee and can’t believe that
I am nearly half way through. After four weeks of thorough training, Cait (the
other Courtauld trainee) and I are now overseeing a range of daily tasks. A typical
day consists of answering enquiries from students and visitors, accessioning
new books (of which we’ve had over 2000 since we started), manning the issue
desk, and dealing with short loans and reading list items. I also manage the
internal side of our inter-library loans service, which means taking requests
from students and staff. This has involved a fair bit of research, locating
books and journals from around the world, and definitely tests the limits of my
language skills from time to time. It has taken quite a while to settle in and
get to grips with new library systems, collections, and students, but I am definitely
starting to feel like a ‘real’ librarian.
Before starting my traineeship I attended lots of library visits and
courses, meeting many librarians and new professionals along the way. These events
were a really useful way for me to make sure that I really wanted to be a
librarian and essentially that I could commit myself to the huge expense of a
postgraduate degree in the subject. Last April I attended the ARLIS
event, Taking the Plunge: Art Librarianship as a Career Option, which I
would definitely recommend to anyone even vaguely thinking about following this
path. What was most interesting about the
programme of talks was hearing the different routes people had taken on their
way to becoming art librarians. It was reassuring to be told that many librarians
working in arts organisations don’t actually come from an art history or fine
art background, which made me realise I might stand a chance of getting the job
I had applied for at The Courtauld.
What is so great about the traineeship is that as well as receiving a great
deal of support and training internally, we are also encouraged to attend
courses and visits throughout the year. It is also a huge comfort being part of
a group of trainees in London, as not only do we get to visit other libraries across
London and beyond, but we can discuss issues that come up along the way… which
most recently has been the drama of library school applications. I’m still not
sure if I want to study full- or part-time next year, but now that I have
applied to a few places, I feel I can relax and enjoy the traineeship and begin
to look ahead at what might follow.
Ever heard of "libricide"?
Ever heard of "libricide"? It's not pretty... let's be vigilant! http://m.thetyee.ca/News/2013/12/23/Canadian-Science-Libraries/
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