MLIS 2011
Librarian
City of Mountain View Public Library
Mountain View, CA USA

What I am doing now.

I am an Adult and Virtual Services librarian at Mountain View Public Library. Mountain View is a progressive library with many interesting projects. My day-to-day work in includes staffing the reference desk, managing the 200s, 300s, and 600s, and running the seed library and ESL Conversation club. I’ve also been able to work on a number of special programs, such as our Library Bike Stop grant, a cheese tasting with Gordon Edgar, a crop swap, a plant exchange, and a program on starting your own cottage food business.  

I am very proud of my work in founding the blog Hiring Librarians (https://hiringlibrarians.com/), which presents short, mostly anonymous interviews with people who hire librarians, and other LIS career material. I’ve collaborated with bloggers at Hack Library School, I Need a Library Job, and Librarian Hire Fashion. I’ve interviewed two ALA presidents, Barbara Stripling and Courtney Young. I’ve also been able to present guest posts that are informal accounts of careers-focused library research.

What are the most valuable skills I use in my job?

SLIS really honed my online communication skills – how to build community virtually, and to collaborate with others via email and other asynchronous methods. It also gave me a strong foundation in library theory – particularly the organization of information, and reference work.

Contact Permission

It is OK to contact this alum.

Send email to: Emily Weak