Home › Programs › Field Experience ›

Field Experience: Testimonials

Welcome to the Field Experience Testimonials page!  Please check out what our students, past and present, have to say about the program.  If you would like to share an experience of your own, please contact the Field Experience Coordinator.

Frances McVay
MSLS 2011

I decided to do a Field Experience during the summer session when I would also be taking one class. To fulfill the required number of hours within the five weeks of the summer session meant that I would be working almost full-time, and my Faculty Supervisor and I felt that I would learn more about being employed in that type of organization with the condensed experience. Linda Jacobson at the North Carolina Collection Gallery agreed to host me even though she had two undergraduate summer assistants. What I liked most about my Field Experience at the Gallery is that Linda treated me as a colleague rather than as a student assistant or an intern. The Field Experience gave me the opportunity to temporarily step into a job and discover if it fit me, and now I feel more informed about what type of job I want after SILS.   

Sue Erickson
MSLS 2000
Interim Director, Peabody Library
Vanderbilt University

I graduated in 2000, so my experience is over ten years old, but the field experience I had working at the reference desk at Davis Library was excellent preparation for taking a reference/bibliographer position here at Vanderbilt University.  The training I received from numerous people in the department was helpful, but even more so was the opportunity to work alongside the professional librarians to observe how they conducted reference interviews and which resources they matched to each question. 

Now that I am in the position of being contacted regarding field experiences for students in various distance ed programs, I can appreciate the challenges on the supervisor's side of it.  My advice to students looking for sites--be prepared to describe what you would like to learn through such an experience.  Librarians and supervisors are very busy and you may need to convince them that taking time out to offer you the opportunity will really be worth the time invested.  What skills and knowledge do you have to offer the site?  What will you take away from the experience to contribute to the profession?  Library work is changing rapidly and what sites may have to offer may not be what you would expect so be flexible, but also be clear about what you hope to achieve.  My experience with some of these students from other programs has certainly given me a greater appreciation for the solid guidance and strong foundations I had in the SILS program.

Maureen Barry
MSLS 2005
Librarian for First-Year and Distance Learning Services
Wright State University Libraries

I am convinced that my field experience was one of the main contributors in landing a job before graduating from SILS.  I gained experience in library instruction at the Undergraduate Library, which is something I couldn't get from any of my coursework. 

In fact, I'm all for making it a requirement for graduation, if they haven't done so already!

Kate McLean
MSLS 1997

My experience is atypical perhaps, but I will share it with you.  To start with I had an excellent experience with New Hope Elementary School in Hillsborough (Orange County schools).  At the time it was a model school for NC.  I had a previous relationship with New Hope because I had done my student-teaching there 2 years earlier.  During my student teaching experience I had decided that teaching wasn't for me and my supervising teacher allowed me to spend every Friday with the school media specialist.  When I needed a school media field ed later I asked for New Hope school again.  I learned tons in their fantastic facility.  New Hope was designed to have the media center in the center of the school.  It had an open schedule which was and still is rare in an elementary school.  It was automated and had catalog computers for the kids to use which was sort of cutting edge at the time.  After getting my MLS I worked for 10+ years in public libraries (mostly because of my location after graduation and also I had worked summers and holidays at my local public library since I was in high school).  I went back to being a school media specialist 2 years ago and used many of the things I learned at my field ed!

Katrina Vernon
MSLS 2008
Adult Services Librarian, North Regional Library
Wake County Public Library System, Raleigh, NC

I had no real experience working in a public library and knew that I would need to gain some to even be considered for post-graduation employment, so I contacted the manager of the Adult Readers' Services department for Cameron Village Regional Public Library, a large branch in the Wake County system. Over the course of the field experience I got to delve into all aspects of public libraries; from reference to readers' advisory, from programming to outreach to local senior centers, from weeding the collection to dealing with "problem patrons," I got first-hand knowledge of what I would be doing every day in a public library. The experience was fantastic, and once a job opened up they asked me to apply for it. The work I did and the people I met during my field experience were what eventually landed me my first professional librarian position!

Emily Jack
MSLS 2007

Nothing helped shape my ideas about what I wanted (and didn’t want) in a career more than my two field experiences while at SILS.  One was in a large public library system in a nearby city and the other was in a small combined library and archives at a local historical society.  While it wasn’t by design, having two experiences that were opposites in nearly every way allowed me to contrast the two, point by point, and I emerged with a much clearer picture of the range of career opportunities and work environments available to SILS graduates. 

If you’re considering a field experience, there’s more to think about beyond the type of librarianship you’re interested in.  A list of some of those points follows:

  • Time of year.  The public library experience took place during the summer, which allowed me to spend two full days at the site each week.  By contrast, I worked with the historical society during the school year, so I had to arrange my hours there around classes, schoolwork, and my “real” job.   Points to consider:  The timing of each experience had its benefits.  The summer experience not only facilitated a longer commute, but also allowed for an immersive experience:  For that summer, I really felt like a part of the public library.  The fall experience, on the other hand, seemed more integrated into my class work, which enabled me to consider my work in light of what I was learning that semester.
  • Type of work.  My work at the public library was fast-paced and required a lot of thinking on my feet and interacting with the public.  My experience at the historical society couldn’t have differed more:  The work was methodical and I was isolated for much of the day.  Points to consider:  Obviously, you’ll want to pursue an experience that’s suited to your personality type and career aspiration.  But don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and try something you’re unfamiliar with.  This may be your last opportunity to experience some aspect of the field without making a long commitment to it.  My goal was to work in public libraries, but at the historical society I found myself writing abstracts of journal articles – a task for which I discovered an interest and a talent.
  • Staff size.  At the public library system, I floated from branch to branch, working with the administration to develop library programming, sitting in with the reference staff at the central branch to learn the tricks of their trade, and shadowing librarians at a couple of the smaller branches to see what it’s like to wear a variety of hats in one day.  All told, I worked with at least a dozen staff members, which represented only a fraction of the entire staff.  By contrast, the entire staff at the historical society numbered about seven, with just two staff members in the library and archives.  Points to consider:  The size of the staff can make the difference between feeling like a part of the family and getting to the end of the experience with some staff members still wondering who on earth you are.  Also, at a smaller site, you may be more likely to experience more aspects of an organization – although that’s not always the case.  On the other hand, working with a smaller staff may feel stifling to extraverted people.  It also may prevent you from experiencing the range of personality types you’re likely to encounter in the working world.
  • Paid vs. unpaid.  One of my field experiences was paid by a grant; the other was unpaid.  Points to consider:  On the face of it, it’s a no-brainer – obviously it’s better to get paid than to not get paid, right?  It’s important to consider, though, that a site supervisor may have more rigid expectations of a paid field experience student.  Particularly if the experience is grant-funded, a paid student may be less free to shape her experience, which may affect what she gains from it.
  • Distance.  My summer field experience entailed making a 45-minute commute twice a day.  The commute for my fall experience was less than half that.  Points to consider:  Even if you find the perfect site, be realistic about geographical and transportation constraints, as well as how it will fit into your schedule.  No matter how gung-ho you are at the beginning of the semester, by mid-term, when you have seven assignments due, getting to your field site can be one more burden on your time.  Still, if you do find the perfect site, don’t be afraid to make a commitment just because it’s far away – but do consider arranging your experience during the summer when you may have less to juggle.

Of course, these aren’t the only factors to consider when searching for a field experience site, but they offer a starting place.  A few more pieces of advice for those seeking field experiences:

  • Look beyond what’s listed on the official list to find a field site that interests you.  Some sites may simply be unaware of the field experience program.  I approached the historical society primarily because I was interested in their collections.  They were not only pleased to take me on, but also happened to have money available to pay me.
  • When approaching a potential field site, even if it’s on the official list, sell yourself.  What interests you about that particular site?  What do you have to offer in terms of skills, talents, work experience?  Most sites are more willing to take on a student who shows a genuine interest or who can make a unique contribution to the organization.

Although I ended up working in a position and at an organization that’s worlds away from both of my field experience sites, having had those two experiences helped me to learn about the work environment and role that best suited me.