Susan Redmond
MLIS 2007
For Susan Redmond, an MLIS graduate of SLAIS program, the benefits from the Co-op program manifested almost immediately after her graduation: “The Co-op program allowed me to get a full time job 3 months after graduation – the timing could not have been better.”
After a challenging work term at the Department of Justice, Susan found everything she was looking for during her work term at the North Vancouver District Public Library. Her work term was a great blend of working the Adults and Children’s reference desks, organizing and conducting story time sessions with children and their families, and pursuing important and unique projects for the library.
One exciting project saw success because of Susan’s initiative. NextReads, an e-newsletter that provides reading suggestions for all readers of all ages, did not contain any Canadian Literature and did not contain images. Susan took the initiative and contacted publishers across Canada for permissions, and got a great response from dozens of publishers across the country, including some of the big names in the industry! This project and Susan’s other roles at the North Vancouver District Public Library “set me up with some really good skills,” she says. “My work term helped me develop reference skills, allowed me to continue using my teaching skills, and helped me develop the critical skills needed to conduct engaging story and baby times.” Although the latter may not sound daunting, imagine an average of 150 parents and children showing up at every story time session – “If you don’t have the public speaking skills or have no idea how to engage the audience”, Susan mused, “ it’s going to be a very long half hour.”
The incredible variety in her co-op position resulted in a great work term experience, complete with some lasting memories. For Susan, the most memorable was being able to teach courses at the library. With a background as a college instructor for Early Childhood Education at Douglas College and North Shore Continuing Education, Susan stepped effortlessly into the role, “I loved teaching the Computer and Internet Basics course. Teaching these classes was the most enjoyable aspect of my work term.”
As her studies were directed and skills based, it was easy to see the connection between her classes and her professional experience. “It was nice to see what I was learning in classes like collection development and website management applied practically.” Making these connections allowed Susan to excel in her work term, and gave her the confidence and skills to land a job with the Richmond Public Library.
“If you haven’t thought about joining the Co-op program, seriously consider it,” Susan says to prospective SLAIS Co-op students. “Almost everybody I have talked to who knows about the program sings praises of Co-op. It gave me a chance to step ahead of the pack and the opportunity to ask myself what kind of librarian I wanted to be.”
Susan Redmond
MLIS 2007
For Susan Redmond, an MLIS graduate of SLAIS program, the benefits from the Co-op program manifested almost immediately after her graduation: “The Co-op program allowed me to get a full time job 3 months after graduation – the timing could not have been better.”
After a challenging work term at the Department of Justice, Susan found everything she was looking for during her work term at the North Vancouver District Public Library. Her work term was a great blend of working the Adults and Children’s reference desks, organizing and conducting story time sessions with children and their families, and pursuing important and unique projects for the library.
One exciting project saw success because of Susan’s initiative. NextReads, an e-newsletter that provides reading suggestions for all readers of all ages, did not contain any Canadian Literature and did not contain images. Susan took the initiative and contacted publishers across Canada for permissions, and got a great response from dozens of publishers across the country, including some of the big names in the industry! This project and Susan’s other roles at the North Vancouver District Public Library “set me up with some really good skills,” she says. “My work term helped me develop reference skills, allowed me to continue using my teaching skills, and helped me develop the critical skills needed to conduct engaging story and baby times.” Although the latter may not sound daunting, imagine an average of 150 parents and children showing up at every story time session – “If you don’t have the public speaking skills or have no idea how to engage the audience”, Susan mused, “ it’s going to be a very long half hour.”
The incredible variety in her co-op position resulted in a great work term experience, complete with some lasting memories. For Susan, the most memorable was being able to teach courses at the library. With a background as a college instructor for Early Childhood Education at Douglas College and North Shore Continuing Education, Susan stepped effortlessly into the role, “I loved teaching the Computer and Internet Basics course. Teaching these classes was the most enjoyable aspect of my work term.”
As her studies were directed and skills based, it was easy to see the connection between her classes and her professional experience. “It was nice to see what I was learning in classes like collection development and website management applied practically.” Making these connections allowed Susan to excel in her work term, and gave her the confidence and skills to land a job with the Richmond Public Library.
“If you haven’t thought about joining the Co-op program, seriously consider it,” Susan says to prospective SLAIS Co-op students. “Almost everybody I have talked to who knows about the program sings praises of Co-op. It gave me a chance to step ahead of the pack and the opportunity to ask myself what kind of librarian I wanted to be.”