On Dan's Presentation last week
Oh man, I'm so bummed I missed this presentation. Meredith, I have really enjoyed all the speakers that you found for our class. I am really interested in possibly working in a special or corporate library because I know I would love the challenge of providing reference and research in a specialized setting.
It seems like the ads for jobs I've seen looking for librarians in special settings really want their applicants to have a background in the subject. Here in San Diego, that usually means health or technology, and since I was a humanities major, I have shied away from even thinking about applying for these kinds of jobs. But as we know, skills in information really are transferrable to many other subjects. It is a great degree for people who love learning (like me!). It was great to hear some encouragement from the pros to have some "chutzpah" and apply anyway. This was a very relevant point for me as I have begun to search for jobs (and I can write this because I've actually talked to my director about it already).
I also enjoyed listening to the conversation about access versus privacy. I think that would be a very challenging issue to deal with. I think trying to track compliancy issues would also be difficult.
My question to Dan about working in a corporate would have been, "Do you think the requirements for specialized knowledge have changed since you have been working in your position?" I'm curious because it seems that with the explosion of people having degrees, and the job market being so competative these days, that corporations really can be more picky about who they hire.
BTW, I AM presenting at a conference this summer. Meredith is giving a pre-conference talk at the same conference, so I'm hoping we can say "hi" :) Being involved really HAS been a good networking experience, and actually, that's where Facebook has really become a powerful tool for me. Many of the people in the association that I'm a part of have Facebook accounts and a group set up. This has been a great way to get to know people that I only see once a year. My first conference was so awkward, I didn't know anyone. That was weird. But as I got more involved, I got to know more people.
I AM looking forward to seeing you all around the blogosphere and probably at some of the same conferences in the future. So here's to social networking, both online and off!
