SLIS alumnus Mark Robison (MLS'12) started a new job in Summer 2012 as an Information and Instructional Services Librarian at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He is also the liaison to the College of Communication and Information Sciences, and other units. In a recent email he noted:

• "The position is extremely rewarding, as I spend most of my days helping students research. It is perhaps the most fun anyone can have while receiving a paycheck."

We asked him more questions in an email interview. His responses are included here:

Main Job Duties:

• Provide library instruction to the College of Communication and Information Sciences, to the German Program, and to the Honors College.
• Provide one-on-one research consultations to students, serve at the Information Desk, and help monitor our Ask-a-Librarian virtual reference service.
• Perform collection development for Communications and German.

Favorite Aspect of Your Job:

• Working one-on-one with students and their research.

Special Project:

• I have been pioneering outreach programs to the residence halls, including providing on-site evening reference and designing informative bulletin board kits for the Resident Assistants.

Tips for SLIS Students:

• While in SLIS, try to gain instructional experience and knowledge of metadata and programming languages. This expertise will be inestimably valuable as you enter the profession. Also, learn how to think about libraries in terms of the value they add: to universities, to communities, and to the lives of patrons.

Posted November 13, 2012