[Ed. note: This reply was received in June but was delayed in being
posted. Our apologies]
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 03:24:03 +0000
From: Mary O'Dea (Newberry Library) <snyderme_at_attbi.com>
Subject: RE: Experience needed to be an Acquisitions Librarian
I've been the Acquisitions Librarian at The Newberry
Library in Chicago for just over a year and a half. I
was not dead certain that I wanted the job until I showed
up for the interview and met my boss and the library. I
was hired a little more than a semester prior to
finishing my library degree in May 2001, and I love my
job.
Obviously, I had no acquisitions experience when I
started. I'm not sure, but I believe that some of the
things which were in my favor when I was applying for the
position were: a second master's degree; competence in
two languages other than English; a lot of computer
experience -- heavy database (searching *for sure*, but
also an understanding of table structuring and relational
database function), and spreadsheet, particularly,
word-processing of course, etc. etc.; and the weird fact
that I walked in the door with accounts payable
experience, and a heap of experience in customer service.
The language and master's things are sort of important
in my particular work-setting, on account of the nature
of our vendors and collections, and I use my foreign
language skills all the time. But the accounts payable,
and customer service experience are what gave me the
confidence to muscle through my learning curve with an
overall sense that I wasn't going to mess up horribly.
And in my first professional position -- it helped.
One thing I did prior to my interview, was read the tiny
bit about library acquisitions I could find on short
notice, and reflect upon acquisitions and how it
serves/affects the library collections, staff, and
end-users. (After all, I still wasn't sure I really
wanted the job!) It turned out that it was rather
important to my boss to hire someone who had at least a
rudimentary understanding of the position; so it was good
that I went through the mental exercise. I am under the
impression that it is no secret to anyone that
acquisitions is not generally addressed in library
science programs in any great detail. In other words,
anyone with a sense of why the job exists, why it's
important, whom it serves, and what it might entail, can
probably learn the real nuts and bolts on the job.
Obviously, what I've found particularly useful for my own
early acquisitions career is totally personal, and might
not be so important to other acquisitions librarians who
are very experienced, and most brilliant at what they do.
And some of my impressions are very much connected to my
experience within my specific institution. Still, I hope
that some of this is a little helpful.
Now. About *enjoying* the work.
Some parts of the job (well, mine, anyway) are kind of
repetitious and clerical, so it truly helps to be
something of a 'book/resource-weirdo'. I push an
ENORMOUS amount of paper. But it's all to get books in
the door! I get to buy books all day long! It totally
flips my switch that I get to see everything first. I
never read any incoming materials at all while at work,
because I have *no* time for that. As in, *zero*. I
have SO much to do. Which makes me happy. But even
though I don't have time to sit around savoring every
book that comes in, I still get truly excited when new
books arrive, or when an antiquarian copy of something
shows up in better condition than I expected. Right now
I'm waiting for the arrival of a self-published 4-volume
genealogy work which is the author's *last copy*. Stuff
like that makes me kind of giddy. I feel like with the
arrival of every order a gap in the collection is filled,
which down the road will flip some scholar's switch and
enable him or her to do amazing work. As a grad student
I was always unbelievably psyched when I could find
everything I needed, and now as a librarian I get to play
a role in making other scholars' dreams come true. Even
if an item doesn't get used for a hundred years, I will
have served my purpose. This is immensely satisfying.
In acquisitions I can hear the library breathe.
I don't know whether I will remain in acquisitions for
the duration of my career (do any of us?). But I've got
to say, it sure makes it easy to scrape myself out of bed
in the morning, and I think it will for the foreseeable
future.
Sorry you asked?
(For comments on attributes of the 'ideal' acquisitions
librarian, perhaps some more bosses of acquisitions
librarians can reply to the list.)
Mary O'Dea
Acquisitions Librarian
The Newberry Library
60 West Walton Place
Chicago IL 60610
odeam_at_newberry.org
www.newberry.org
**not writing from work**
Received on Thu Jul 18 2002 - 09:30:49 EDT