Beyond the Shelf

SIS students have gone on to have a diverse and exciting array of careers. This week, Beyond the Shelf welcomes 2017 grad Rebecca Pothier to talk about her post-graduation experiences.

I have a Bachelor’s of Arts in Public History from Concordia. This program had an internship component and after taking quite a few Irish history and Irish studies courses at Concordia I decided I wanted to go to Ireland for my internship. I ended up working at the Glasnevin Cemetery and Museum in Dublin, where I was introduced to archives and this is what inspired me to do Information Studies. I started in 2013 in the archive stream (this was before the streams were dissolved), then I went on a trip to southeast Asia over the summer, decided I was having too much fun and dropped out to move to Australia for a year. Finally when I came back I re-enrolled and after taking a few library courses realized I was more interested in the library side of the program.

I am currently unemployed and looking for jobs in the library field.

Take me through a regular day at work – what do you get up to on a day-to-day basis?

My previous job was at a non-profit library. I can give you a a run through of my typical day there: I would confirm that I had all my volunteers lined up for the weekly reading activities, reach out to the centres we worked with to make sure everything was running smoothly, research new centres in the area and try to reach out to them and explain our project, oversee the cataloguing process, and meet with my boss to discuss the activity’s progress.

How did you get involved while you were a student, whether with student associations or work experience?

As a student I volunteered with the Jewish Public Library for a couple months doing shelving. I also did the practicum at a public library which was the best experience and I would highly recommend

Do you have any advice for current students or recent graduates?

Advice I have is to try a bunch of different things. I was quite set on being an archivist and after being introduced to some library classes I realized this fit me much better. I am still trying to stay open to things beyond your typical library career. I really enjoyed the ABQLA mentor program, my mentor has been a really helpful resource!