Two VIP’s for library and archival students

I’m talking about Very Important Positions. There were two VIPs that stand out for me since I began my studies at University of British Columbia’s SLAIS programme. One was working on the website for the m-Libraries 2009 International Conference. The other VIP was digitizing a poster collection for the Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) branch at UBC. Both of these obviously vary in tasks, but these projects provided experiences that all library and archival students should try to obtain if the opportunity comes up.

M-libraries 2009 International Conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada, June 23-24, 2009
http://m-libraries2009.ubc.ca/

It was the third website I produced and I admit I need to learn more, but with the assistance of amazingly patient senior librarians and a goal, the web site was accomplished. It should not go unstated that this wouldn’t have happened without the tutorials from SLAIS faculty and my unyielding need to learn how to use Dreamweaver without somehow taking a mallet to my PC.

I was lucky enough to work with people that dealt with marketing, advertising, and had a vision. With the assistance from the m-Libraries 2009 International committee I’ve learned that marketing and advertising are essential for any institution’s “voice” to be heard. The production of advertising the event on Listservs, word of mouth, and smaller publications, such as pamphlets etc. were beneficial not only for the event, but also for UBC, Koerner Library, IKBLC and the First Nations Long House (FNLH).

RBSC, Berkeley Poster Collection, 1969-1973
http://angel.library.ubc.ca/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=exact&CISOBOX1=berkeley&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=all

The RBSC digitization project was also an amazing experience. Have you ever digitized and catalogued an item that is actually bigger than you? As I was drowning underneath a large poster and praying to the archival gods that I would not provoke further deterioration, the projects strategic plan returned to my memory—digitize, catalogue, and upload.

With the help of three wonderful senior professionals I learned how to digitize these grandiose items in a larger scanner, digitally archive images, appropriately preserve larger items, migrate digital images, and catalogue. Plus, the collection is just simply enjoyable to work with and is socially and historically imperative, eclectic, and especially unique for Vancouver, BC.

Final Thoughts

As students, we learn the methodology and theory behind library and archival applications and processes. But, it is with practice and apprenticeships plus the theories and methodologies that really produce a foundation for library and archival professionals.

Thus, if project opportunities come up for you as a library and archival student, I urge you to take them. All of the tasks, goals and projects we undertake as part of our professional degree are not intended to contribute to bouts of madness. Rather, they provide more opportunities for us to realize that the challenges we will face in our near future will be easier because we have already acquired the necessary tools to meet them head on, and that all of the work we excel at to provide better outcomes for all library users will not go unnoticed.

Jennifer Kniesch is SLA executive at SLA SLAIS.

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