Published: May 9, 2019 by Havilah Steinman

Welcome to the next installment of our Day in the Life of an iSchool student series! This week’s post provides an inside look into the scholastic and professional achievements of the Student Research Journal (SRJ) Managing Editor Rachel Greggs.

Greggs has been working toward her MLIS degree since 2017 with plans to graduate in fall 2019. She seamlessly handles her responsibilities at the SRJ, two internships and a full course load. In addition, she recently was offered positions at both her internships sites! I’ve had the pleasure of working with her at the SRJ since the beginning of the year, and her leadership abilities are unmatched. 

Greggs mentioned several favorite classes, including INFO 240 Information Technology Tools and Applications with Raymond Dean. She commented, “Building my own website was so satisfying and Professor Dean made the course really fun.” One class Greggs is currently taking and really enjoys is INFO 259 Preservation Management with Dr. Katherine Skinner. When queried about her involvement in student life, Greggs listed the Student Research Journal, “I started as a copy editor and was promoted to managing editor in December, which has been a fantastic experience overall.”

Greggs started at the iSchool without following a specific Career Pathway, but found a passion for archives. She said, “I’ve had such a positive experience at the iSchool; the instructors have been diverse and engaging and my peers have been inspiring. I’ve recommended SJSU to countless people who are considering a career somewhere in the LIS field.” Her favorite projects, so far, include a database for pizzerias in INFO 202 Information Retrieval System Design and using desktop cataloging programs for INFO 248 Beginning Cataloging and Classification assignments.

When I queried Greggs about how she keeps track of everything, she commented, “It’s not particularly glamorous, but I have a running to do list on Apple’s built in Notes app that I can access on my computer and iPhone. That way, I can easily jot down something as I’m thinking of it. I also heavily rely on my Apple calendar. I am old school and really love my Moleskine agenda as well, but I usually forget to carry it with me!”

Rachel Gregg’s Typical Day as an iSchool Student

Below, Greggs takes us through a typical day as an iSchool student. 

6:30 am: I wake up and read a book with my coffee. Though I’m not normally a huge fantasy fan, I’m really into Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. I answer pressing emails and double check any assignments that are due on Canvas before I get ready for the day. If I’m feeling peppy (not usually), I’ll go for a run on the Cliff Walk here in Newport.

9:00 am: I head to my first internship at the Redwood Library & Athenaeum. Lately, I’ve been doing collection assessment on duplicate books and manuscripts down in the vault. A few weeks ago I found a signed first edition Edith Wharton novel! It’s basically a treasure hunt.

11 am-1:30 pm: I have a part-time job as a classroom assistant at a small, local elementary school. Luckily, the school, my home and the Redwood Library are all within a few blocks of one another. I ride my bike when the New England weather allows. I work with 4 and 5 year olds and, though it’s tough, they say the funniest things all day long.

2:30-5 pm: After eating lunch I drive up to Massachusetts, where I have a second internship at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in their research library. I’m processing a massive collection of the former museum curator’s papers. It’s 100 percent archival work, which I find incredibly satisfying.

6-11 pm: After driving home, I eat dinner with my husband and hang out with him and our two cats. I do any pressing school assignments or work for SRJ, and we try to watch some TV before bed. Lately, it’s been Seinfeld reruns.

Please see below for other entries in our Day in the Life series!