Librarian - Anne
Graham
Field: Librarian
Job Title: Civil and Environmental Engineering Librarian and GIS Services Coordinator
Place of Employment: Engineering
and Science Libraries at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge,
Massachusetts
What is your current job and what does it entail?
I am currently the Civil and Environmental Engineering Librarian and GIS Services
Coordinator for the Engineering
and Science Libraries at MIT. This entails collecting books, journals and
digital information, and providing reference and instruction services with a
focus on the Civil
and Environmental Engineering Department. I am also studying the GIS needs
of the Engineering and Science Communities at MIT.
In your day-to-day activities, who are the people that you interact with regularly?
Engineers and Scientists, mostly graduate and undergraduate students.
For your position, what skills do you need in geospatial technologies?
I use ArcGIS software
because it is supported by the Information Systems
and Technology (IS&T) Department at MIT. Finding data for users entails
searching the MIT Libraries catalog, the MIT
Geodata Search Tool, which can be accessed with ArcGIS software,
the web, and communicating with the Libraries’ GIS Specialist and the IS&T
Department GIS Specialist.
For your position, what skills outside of geospatial technologies are required?
I use librarianship skills to perform my job. Information-seeking strategies
involve problem solving and perseverance.
What was the key factor in your career decision?
I wanted to work part-time in an academic setting.
What do you like most about your career?
The exposure to science and engineering research in the fields I have studied
and the quest for data are a delight for me. Finding information on a particular
topic is like finding the pieces of a puzzle. When you put the pieces together
you get a new view of the topic.
What do you like least about your career?
I struggle with fitting my job into a 25-hour work week. It is what I want
to do, but it is challenging. Finding the time to prepare for public presentations
is my biggest challenge.
What do you do to relax?
I step outdoors to relax. I love hiking, cross country skiing and kayaking.
Who are your heroes/heroines?
I admire anyone who loves adventure, such as Bob Newton, my geomorphology
and glacial geology professor; Sarah Andrews, who writes forensic geology mysteries;
and my husband and daughters, who are incredibly fun.
What advice would you give a high school student who expressed an interest
in pursuing a career in your field?
Get field experience in your area of study before you get a job indoors. You
will understand how things fit together better when you have seen the way things
work.
Are career opportunities in your field increasing or decreasing and why?
Yes the power of GIS is definitely recognized in libraries. Librarians are
needed to help find, collect, and supply data.
E-mail: grahama@mit.edu
Salary Range: $40-60,000
Degree |
Major |
Institution |
B.A. |
Geology |
Smith College |
M.S. |
Civil Engineering |
Colorado State University |
M.S.L.S. |
Library and Information Science |
Simmons College |
|