Published: October 9, 2024 by Aryn Prestia 

Project Management is one of many job skills that librarians will find themselves using in the workplace. Though there are courses that students can take to understand a bit more about the project management process, ultimately the best way to learn project management is through practice.

As a student, it may seem difficult to find the opportunities to put these skills into action. In a workplace, librarians may be responsible for organizing programs for patrons, ordering supplies for the library, or even something as simple as tracking employee birthdays. The skills needed to manage these activities can translate into student life – coordinating events as a member of a student organization, tracking weekly homework responsibilities, or even ensuring you have completed all competencies required for graduation.

Fortunately, we no longer have to rely on paper or spreadsheets to manage all of these details. Airtable, a cloud-based information organizing application is a wonderful tool for gaining an entry point to the world of project management software. 

Though not exclusively a project management tool, Airtable can be used to analyze data, manage resources, and collaborate with other team members (or students) to help move projects forward.

For those new to Airtable, the application can be thought of as a database creator with an interactive interface. Users can create “tables” or individual spreadsheets with customizable data choices (text, tags, drop-down menus, check boxes, images, etc.) Examples of different templates can be found here and more ideas below.

Using Airtable for Daily Library Tasks 

Specialty Book Displays 

An Airtable base can be generated to track book display ideas with input from team members. Specialty tags can be applied that highlight the library’s priorities for the display. For example, if the team were sourcing ideas for Hispanic Heritage month, tags relating to the book’s language, genre, and format would likely be useful to ensure a balanced representation. 

Collection Development

Circulation data can be uploaded into the platform to allow for easier visualization of important statistics related to popular titles, patron feedback, and more.

Using Airtable for Daily Student Tasks 

Track Job Applications

Creating a career-dedicated database in Airtable can help you track submitted applications, deadlines, recommendations, and more. Airtable has a pre-existing template just for students to help quickly set up this job-tracking capability. See Airtable’s example here. 

Work Collaboratively on a Group Assignment

The interactive nature of Airtable allows groups to contribute ideas, images, and source links to one central location. See the project management template here. 

It’s helpful to keep an eye out for resources, like Airtable, that were not specifically developed for library use but can be adapted by students and librarians to boost productivity! In the mean time, create a free Airtable account today to streamline your workflow and improve organization.

Two More Things…

Here are a few job opportunities that might be of interest!

• Research & Instruction Librarian – Towson, MD – Towson University
• Clinical Librarian – Louisville, KY – University of Louisville 

Remember that internships can be an especially valuable part of your learning experience at the iSchool while also helping you when it comes time to look for jobs. Learn more about the iSchool’s internship program here, where you can check out the INFO 294 Student Handbook as well as the Internship Sites database.