This past Sunday was a very big day for my dad and the snipe. The boat was out on the water for the first time in who knows how long. And a zippy boat it is! Dad seemed to have a blast and the boat did superbly. See below for its first moments of wind.

To wrap up the series I’ll leave you with a set of numbers: Throughout the month of November you’ve heard from 8 public librarians, 7 academic librarians, 7 reference librarians, 2 library school professors, 2 web specialists, 1 cataloger, 1 systems librarian, 1 special librarian, 1 technical services librarian, 1 teen librarian, 1 curator of rare books, 1 administrator and 1 PhD student.

The series has drawn 190 visitors from 2 countries and 15 states (including D.C.)

Thanks contributors and thanks readers.

Happy December!

Describe your job in two sentences.

I am a library assistant in the Access & Organization department of the Boston College Law Library where I share Circulation/Information Desk duties and some technical services duties with other library assistants. I am also responsible for document delivery and borrowing & lending interlibrary loan operations.

What do you like most about being a librarian?

I like that the role of a librarian is to find ways to expand or specialize a library’s services and resources to meet the needs of a particular population (or group of populations.) In the case of an academic law library the collection and services are designed specifically to aid in the education of future legal practitioners and the professional development of faculty.

What’s an exciting project you are working on at the moment?

My most exciting project is this blog series! It has been profoundly fun and interesting to hear what other librarians have to say about our profession. I’m also approaching the end of the ‘project’ of library school; in one week I will be 2/3 finished with degree requirements.

Any words of advice for an aspiring librarian?

If you want to be a librarian don’t let anyone talk you out of it: not parents, not friends, not professors. They’ll come around.

Describe your job in two sentences.

I manage a unit at the Boston College Law Library called Access and Organization, a non-traditional department composed of a wonderful group of individuals who handle acquisitions, cataloging, serials, government documents, circulation, interlibrary loan, document delivery, course reserves, web editing, basic legal reference, computer lab monitoring, faculty scholarship, our institutional repository –and more. And they all multi-task — talk about a versatile staff!!

What do you like most about being a librarian?

That there is always something new to learn. These are exciting times for librarians. We’re busy reinventing ourselves and our profession. We’re immersed in new challenges and we’re finding ways to use technology to meet those challenges. It’s really a stimulating environment. One thing about working in libraries seems to remain constant, however, and that’s that people who work in libraries are among the very finest folks there are — smart, talented, funny, kind, thoughtful.

What’s an exciting project you are working on at the moment?

Exciting? Well, I don’t know about exciting…but I just set up a wiki for our department as a training and communication enhancement, and it was fun to get that off the ground.

Any words of advice for an aspiring librarian?

Oh, just the usual – be flexible, be positive, be enthusiastic, be creative, embrace change and keep an eye on the big picture. Pay attention to your users – whoever they may be – and find ways to meet their needs. Don’t try to make them behave the way you think they should behave. It’s not about you – it’s about them.

Describe your job in two sentences.

I’m the Applications Manager for the Boston Public Library, which means that I am responsible for the team that implements, maintains, and supports all the library automation software for the BPL and its branches. The most important of these is the integrated library system for the Metro Boston Library Network, but we also are responsible for the maintenance of vendor-supplied electronic resources, downloadable media, resource sharing tools, and some web services.

What do you like most about being a librarian?

I really enjoy solving the complex problem of getting information to people in a painless, seamless, and – if all goes well – an apparently-magical way. I really like hearing from patrons, “Wow! That was really easy and I got exactly what I wanted. I don’t know how you did it!”

What’s an exciting project you are working on at the moment?

At the BPL, we’ve begun a massive effort to develop a digital strategy that will focus and align all our web-delivered services that should elevate our web presence from a confusing and sometimes unhelpful set of static pages to a vibrant, robust tool for information seekers. We’re working with a couple of brilliant consultants from both the private and non-profit sectors who are encouraging us to rethink everything from the ground up. It’s really inspiring and energizing to think we will end up with a “virtual branch” where our web site used to be.

Any words of advice for an aspiring librarian?

1) Don’t stop learning. Even librarians, oddly, fall into this trap and sometimes are reluctant to give up established tools in favor of more efficient technology.

2) Don’t let “perfect” stand in the way of the “possible.” Begin new services that you know still have minor flaws because the feedback you get from patrons will be unexpected and invaluable when you continue to improve them. And *do* continue to improve constantly.

3) Remember that you have a job description, but your patrons do not. Make sure that your service procedures are in place to make things easier on patrons, not staff.

Describe your job in two sentences.

As a PhD student and Adjunct Lecturer, I conduct research and teach classes in the areas of Reference and User Instruction. I have published several papers, mostly in the area of information literacy, developed syllabi and assignments, and presented at conferences, all as part of my program work.

What do you like most about being a librarian?

I think the thing I like most about being a librarian is that it is so multi-disciplinary, especially in reference and instruction. You never know what kinds of questions you’ll be asked, so you are always learning new things in new subject areas. Since I can’t limit myself to just one favorite thing, I would also have to say that I love the overall culture of this profession- most librarians are just very passionate about their work, supportive of each other, and interested in helping our patrons.

What’s an exciting project you are working on at the moment?

I am currently conducting a Delphi Study on the future of information literacy in academia. I am surveying 15 experts in the field to try and form a consensus as to what information literacy could look like in ten years.

Any words of advice for an aspiring librarian?

My best advice to aspiring librarians is to get involved in whatever ways you can- join professional and student associations, read the literature, volunteer and/ or get work experience. The more active you are in the field, the more you learn and the more contacts you make. Also, as I mentioned above, most librarians are very supportive, so don’t be afraid to meet people and ask questions or get their perspectives on aspects of the field.

Describe your job in two sentences.

My job is everything I ever hoped it could be – it is a learning experience and it is one that never invites me to be bored. I never know what to expect, and I get as much from my job as I put in.

What do you like most about being a librarian?

I like that I am able to build off of my passions and hobbies. I get to be an advocate for books that I love, and buy materials for the kids that they will like. I get to meet amazing kids, and (hopefully) help them become who they aspire to be. I also love how much I am always learning on the job. I love the wealth of information that surrounds me, the people, my co-workers…and I love that my fines are waived.

What’s an exciting project you are working on at the moment?

I am working on a couple of exciting projects. One is that I am building a children’s graphic novel collection from the ground up. With the help of the teen librarians, I have about 300 titles in the collection and it is quickly growing. The collection is front and center, where the kids who might be interested in the books will actually find them. The other exciting project that I’ve been working on is a youth advisory club for tweens (there’s got to be a better label for them!) The kids I work with are absolutely amazing and I feel so lucky to know them. In two weeks, we’re having an “Apples to Apples” tournament. I can’t wait.

Any words of advice for an aspiring librarian?

Make your skills and hobbies well known to your coworkers. You’ll be amazed at the great projects that people seek you out for because they know that you will have fun with them.