Don’t Let School Get in the Way of Your Education

Posted November 14, 2017 by Giuliana Gilbert-Igelsrud

One of the greatest benefits of library graduate school that nobody tells you about is the breadth of experiences people come from. Some students are straight out of college, others have been working as librarians for years, and many (like me) are in between. I highly recommend just chatting with the people around you; it can sometimes be more useful than readings and prescribed discussion.

Just from chatting with classmates, I’ve learned about the many, many different ways to set up children’s storytime, the radically different administrative structures of rural and big city libraries, the pushback against “controversial” projects from supervisors and the public, and much, much more. I often wish there was a space designated specifically for swapping stories, tips, and resources with classmates and colleagues. We grow so much more as a profession when we share information (I mean, that is kind of our whole deal, right?).

Give feedback to your professors related to this. In my experience, they will usually respond graciously. If you find certain assignments unhelpful, tell them. If you have a certain topic you’d really like covered, tell them. As students we can often forget that the school is (ostensibly) there for us. The faculty are there for us. This is especially true in a professional graduate program at a non-research focused institution like Simmons.

Be vocal about what and how you want to learn. Share with each other. This is your education.