Connecting, Networking, and Interning: Shaping and Improving a Graduate Student's Perspective of Librarianship

Background In August of 2024, a recent college graduate began a temporary full-time position at a university’s Education Library. They soon began to explore more of the field by meeting with various librarians across campus and forming a strong network of mentors. After completion of their work contract, the student entered the university’s MSLS program and started an internship at the school’s Federal Depository Unit Library. The student continued to meet with individuals across the libraries until eventually ending up as the graduate intern at the university’s Medical Center Library. Objectives To inform staff and faculty librarians how a current library student has navigated through the broad and expansive field of librarianship. To explain the various positions and internships the student has filled and what eventually drew them to medical librarianship. Describe the many professionals they have met and what they learned from them. By discussing how an individual’s view of librarianship has changed overtime, librarians can better understand how they can communicate their role in academia to students and outsiders alike. All if this is done in hopes of better preparing and guiding future library students. Conclusion This lighting talk will cover the journey, experiences, and lessons learned by the graduate student throughout their two years in academic libraries . Topics include the importance of networking, the diverse range of librarianship, the need for mentorship, and how this can be applied to future library students.