Final Post

It’s hard to believe that my last semester at Gettysburg College is almost over. My senior year has gone by so quickly! Yesterday, I helped with the Finals Study Break. We served almost 12 gallons on ice cream to students working in the library. I also managed to win my first game of Uno with Clint, Mallory, Meghan, and Chelsea.

I have learned so much from my internship. Our library is a complex organism with various moving parts, and it takes coordination and hard work to keep things running. I am glad that I was about to focus on one aspect of librarianship to see how it connects with the other parts of the library.

My stint in collection development showed me how to evaluate information. There are so many different variables that go into choosing materials for our library, and I learned some considerations that are specific to our library. But I also learned how to think about the needs of the others, which is an important skill to have in any line of work.

At the Reference Desk, I have learned a lot the resources available to find information in academic libraries, but I have also learned important skills like how to effectively communicate and how to help people articulate their questions better. I also learned when to ask for help when I didn't have a clear idea about what to do.

In my work with The Cupola, I learned about academic publishing and open-access, but I also learned about connecting different groups of people (librarians, faculty and students, publishers) to each other to make things happen. I also realized how open-ended much ‘real-life’ work can be. In the working world, sometimes projects don’t have clear cut end points. So much depends on other people.

I truly appreciate the opportunities that the Fortenbaugh internship has provided for me. Looking back on the semester has made me realize how much I’ve done. I’m excited to take what I’ve learned and apply it in the coming months, wherever I end up, and whatever I’m doing.