My Job in 5: Jennifer Bone

Jennifer Bone, Librarian at Southwestern Illinois College.

1.       Describe your role.

I am a community college librarian located near St. Louis, Missouri.   My role is to provide academic support services to students and teaching faculty members through instruction sessions and the management of an outstanding library facility.

2.       What do you like best about your role?

Introducing students, faculty, staff and community users to library resources - whether it’s in a classroom or one-on-one.  My heart explodes with joy when I get to make the “A-HA” moments happen.

3.       Which new projects or titles are you working on at the moment?

Currently, we’ve acquired the product Libguides and we’re creating library resources pages for specific college courses.  We’re also moving to a new library catalog in June 2020.  Migrating data and training for a new computer software is a priority.

4.       What skills do you need for your role?

Flexibility and kindness.  A community college librarian must know a little bit about a lot.  We teach, manage staff, manage our technology, budget planning, committee work, etc.  Our list is never-ending and our skills are always changing.  But a smile of encouragement and flexibility goes a long way with everyone.

5.       What advice would you give to those looking to work in the industry?

Work in a library before you get a library degree.  Learn about the different types of libraries and their environments.   Meet with a librarian to see if the career would be a good fit for you.