“I’m always proud to see MBBS students become junior doctors and to see ground-breaking research by the familiar faces of our library users reported in the news.”
I started my career at the age of seven as a student librarian at primary school – clearly it was a formative experience as I’ve been working as a qualified librarian since 2008. I’ve been at Imperial Library Services for eight years. The pay, conditions and technology have vastly improved from that primary school library, but I do miss the special gold “Librarian” badge…
My work is so varied. On any given day I could be teaching a class of students, advising a researcher on search strategies for a Systematic Review, dialling into a Skype meeting for higher education librarians who provide services to NHS Trusts, buying new books for our collections, answering enquiries about Open Access publishing, or dealing with emergencies like a flood in our basement. Thankfully, the last example is fairly rare and the variety is why I like my role.
I really enjoy how the library quietly underpins all the research, teaching, learning at Imperial. Staff and students use our services and resources every day to produce and achieve amazing things. I’m always proud to see MBBS students become junior doctors and to see ground-breaking research by the familiar faces of our library users reported in the news.
A highlight from the last year was the Medicine Liaison Librarians collaborating with the new Global Masters of Public Health in creating a purely online course. We developed three weeks of content for the Research Module. It was challenging work but also a privilege to be so embedded in the curriculum design process and the course overall.
As a New Zealander I miss the beaches and bush, but the UK is beautiful too and I’ve made a resolution this year to visit more of it as well as exploring Europe. I’m planning more rambles and long country walks as well – particularly walks that end at a pub!