ALA UCLA Student Chapter
Panel Event
Thursday, February 13, 1-2:30pm
Minutes

Panel Title: Beyond the Reference Desk: Professional Variety in Academic Libraries

Panelists: Alice Grigsby
Robert Labaree
Robert Marshall
John Riemer

Board Members Present: Teresa Bocanegro, Web Designer
Loren Frant, Secretary
Greg Padilla, Co-President
Ajit Pyati, Vice President
Chisa Uyeki, Treasurer

Introduction:
• Greg introduced the panelists and the topic of the panel

Robert Labaree, Head of the VonKleinSmid Center Library (applied social sciences), USC:
• His background
BA in history
MLS from LSU
Simultaneous positions at University of Denver library and a local public library
At USC since 1995
• Began as a business library (no business training)
• Performs Collection Development, Reference & Instruction tasks
All tasks are interlinked, performing each of them makes you better at the others
Ability to wear many hats is important
Ability to listen is important (to students, faculty & staff)
• Professional Organizations
Very helpful for your career
• Exposes you to other people
• Networking & exchanging ideas
• Helps publishing efforts
• Encouraged the group to join CARL
• Pros of his job
Satisfaction of helping people
Stimulating work environment (part of other people’s intellectual travels)
Constant changes in higher education
• Challenges of his job
Institutionally specific challenges
Growing corporate ethos in higher education
Libraries are viewed as expenditure centers rather than as central to the academic mission of the university
Difficult to quantify service
Difficult to figure out how to serve the growing numbers of adjunct faculty
• Suggestions for students
Prepare for politics
Seek professional development activities
Seek out strong mentors
Embrace variety

Robert Marshall, Head Archivist, Urban Archives Center, University Archives, CSUN:
• His background
History degrees from Wayne State University
• 2 masters degrees, one in history and one in archival administration
• Specialization in labor history (first U.S. labor archives at Wayne State)
Speaks Russian & Japanese
Came to CSUN to build California’s first labor archives
Teaches archives courses in CSUN History department
• His tasks
Paper conservation
Exhibit programming
Grant writing
Donor relations
• Challenges of having an archive within an academic library
Libraries do not understand the dynamics of donor relations in an archive
• Long-term relationships
Reference services in an archive are much more time consuming than in a library
Library doesn’t fully understand the costs of having an archive
• $525.00 per cubic foot
Library doesn’t fully understand the space required to have an archive
Most positions are based on soft money right now (problem in higher education in general)
• Many libraries require MLS degrees but many archives don’t think an MLS is as necessary as history training
• Challenge of cataloging manuscript collections
Original cataloging
• Pros of his job
Lots of variety
• Advice to students
Network
• SCA, SAA, local societies

John Riemer, Head of Cataloging, Young Research Library, UCLA:
• His Background
BA in Linguistics, worked as a circulation assistant as an undergraduate
MLS from UCLA in 1981
University of Georgia, Head of Serials Cataloging and moved up the ranks to supervisory and leadership positions
• His Junior Catalogers have gone on to become supervisors themselves
Incoming editor of the Journal of Electronic Cataloging
• Advantages of working in a large research university
Higher likelihood of performing original cataloging
Selectors are building a world class collection with many unique materials from abroad
Collaboration with the Library of Congress
• Ability to change the national cataloging record
• Pros about his job
Able to practice dynamic management
Work with faculty
Satisfying to create high quality cataloging records & leverage large quantities of work
• “killing the problem with cleverness”
• Challenges
Cataloging e-resources
• Wide open field right now
• YRL gets to experiment & participate in the process of shaping standards
Staff shortages
• Helpful skills to be a cataloger
Theoretical knowledge
Analytical ability
Teamwork
Understanding of user needs
Foreign language skills
Flexible outlook
• Advice to students
Participate in ALA
Engage in continuing education
Develop leadership skills
Form networks of peers
Get involved in developing new standards

Alice Grigsby, Acting Dean, Instructional Services Division, Schauerman Library, El Camino College:
• Her Background
High school social sciences teacher
Loved to read
Her mom was a librarian
MLS from LSU
Young Adult Librarian at a public library in Fresno
Business School Librarian at USC
Librarian at a community college in Santa Ana for 14 years
El Camino College
• Advantages of her job
You get to utilize all of your skills
Interaction with users (at the Reference Desk) leads to continual growth
Community colleges attract all segments of the population
• You get a variety of questions
Full faculty status
Not obligated to publish
Possible to have a 10 month work year
Lots of variety
Microcosm of the academic world
Service is the most important part of her work
• Advice to students
Mesh your skills with the specific needs/management of the library
Be open to new learning experiences
Be prepared to take on a teaching role
Networking is very important
• Local organizations, state organizations
Participate in continuing education activities
Be creative in the types of courses that you take during MLS
Unfortunately, there is very little turnover among community college librarians

Questions from the Group