IU Libraries Fund Supports Student Employees

The IU Libraries Student Leadership Development Fund supported six student employees this year as they attended conferences and partook in career development experiences helping them head towards their professional goals. The maximum amount that can be allotted towards each student’s request is now $400.

It supported both graduate and undergraduate students in a variety of disciplines, with many students studying Library Science.  

Patrick Sullivan just graduated with a Masters in Library Science (MLS) and used the funds to attend the Association of College and Research Libraries Conference in Minneapolis in April.  

He presented with Discovery and User Experience Librarian James Henry Smith.

“[We] led a poster session about improving accessibility and discoverability of the content management platform LibGuides, which seemed to be of interest to the other attendees. We spent most of our session answering questions, and we received positive feedback from several informational professionals." Sullivan said.  

During the conference, Sullivan connected with professionals who offered expert career advice as well as fellow graduate students.

Not every student used the funds to attend a conference. Cristina Cruz, a rising junior majoring in informatics and minoring in cybersecurity and psychology, is using the funds to pursue a Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate.

“Because my major is informatics, it doesn’t primarily focus on cybersecurity,” Cruz said. “This certificate is a way for me to a lay a strong foundation in it.”

Cruz was thrilled to get support to pursue the online course this summer.

“It was like somebody reaching out to me,” Cruz said. “I just thought it was such a nice support for students.”

Josie Shephard and Sophie Hand, both MLS students, two of this year’s Jay Fellowship for Information Literacy recipients, presented the culmination of their year-long fellowship projects.

Shephard’s poster presentation focused on using modified oral histories as a new tool for outreach in libraries with a focus on library service outreach. Hand’s focused on educational zines about information literacy.

“I was able to see the connection between what I am learning in classes and what I will be doing once I graduate,” Shephard said. “Attending LOEX has shown me how I can apply what I have learned and what I am passionate about in a future career. With this opportunity I can see the path of librarianship that I wish to take.”

Hand felt similarly about the experience preparing her for her future career.

“I hope to become an academic librarian in the future, so I will likely be attending many more conferences throughout my career. I had never been to a conference like this before, so it was really helpful to get a preview of some of the kinds of work I might be doing in the years to come,” Hand said.

Some students will use their funds later in the summer.  

Sarah Helen Carter is a dual degree student in Library Science and Information Science, specializing in Music Librarianship and Archives & Records Management. She will attend the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (IAML) Congress in Salzburg, Austria in July.

“As I continue to work toward a career as a music archivist, having developed relationships within the international music library community will prove invaluable,” Carter said. “Ideally, I would like to pursue research and/or work abroad throughout my career, and attending IAML will allow me to lay the groundwork to achieve that goal.”

And Taylor Burnette, an MLS student, will use the funds to attend the American Library Association Conference in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania with the American Library Association Student Chapter at Indiana University Bloomington, for which she is the Vice President.  

“It means so much that donors not only support IU Libraries, but the students that are the future of libraries,” Burnette said. “I am so excited to network with wonderful library professionals from across the country at ALA. It will help me further pursue a career as an academic librarian.”