The (Updated) Tale of a (More) Reformed Networker

Posted September 30, 2013 by Sarah Barton

I had my first networking revelation a little over a year ago, and my second one happened last Friday at the Special Libraries Association New England Fall conference (which conveniently took place at Simmons). I spent the day listening to presentations, pondering the meaning of special libraries, and, well, networking. For some reason there was a ridiculously long 90-minute lunch break, so I figured I would mill around for a few minutes, grab some food, then sit outside and read a magazine. Well, it turned out that instead of embracing my inner introvert, I found myself breaking bread with three complete strangers (gasp!). Ok, so they were fellow special librarians and conference attendees (calling them strangers is a bit dramatic), but still, this was a major deviation from my plan.

It seems absurd that this lunch conversation was such a big deal for me, but I am pretty proud of myself for being sociable on Friday. My first networking revelation made me realize that networking truly is important, and this one made me realize that hey, I can do this. I will not claim to be an all-star networker, but I’m working on it. GSLIS has provided the classroom and practical experience that have given me the confidence to be a better networker. When I started the program I had no library experience, so I felt not necessarily intimidated, but definitely out of place, when talking about library-related stuff. Boy have I come a long way since then.

Networking begins with shared experiences, and Friday was the first time that I felt that I had enough special library experience to banter with the other attendees. Bantering is absolutely not one of my strengths, which is why this seemingly insignificant lunch conversation was revolutionary for me. Perhaps someday I will come to fully embrace the idea of networking, but until that happens I will continue aspiring toward all-star networking status.