Tanya Cothran

Name: Tanya Cothran
Location: New Haven, CT
Current Status: Executive Administrator at Spirit in Action (Full-time/permanent)

In my senior year of high school I took the opportunity to study abroad in Chile for a semester. This global experience firmly planted a dream in my mind of working for a nonprofit organization after college. I went off to college at UC Berkeley and after graduating with a B.A. in Geography found that I could not get the job I wanted without some more experience or additional schooling. Relying on my love of knowledge, service, and (of course) reading, I started the MLIS program at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

As you can see by my current status I, like Ricardo, am not currently using my Library and Information Science degree in a traditional way. Yet, I am a non-library information professional. I started out my Master’s degree program unsure of the specific type of library work I wanted to do. Like many others, I shifted back and forth between public and academic, children’s, youth and student services. However, one passion remained the same throughout all my classes – I enjoyed business design and management.

When I was half way through the program I was recruited to work for Spirit in Action, an international grant-making foundation. The position was a dream-come-true and in the fall of 2007 I began working as Executive Administrator. One of the main functions of Spirit in Action is to provide small grassroots organization leaders in Africa with start-up capital and business skills so that they can improve their lives, send their children to school, and pay for medical care.

Since 1996 we have supported the conception of over 400 micro-businesses, each of which is required to “Share the Gift” by passing on a portion of their profit to another individual in their community so that they have the opportunity to also start a small business. Additionally, we work with local leaders in various African countries to start sustainable agriculture projects in their communities. Each day I am blessed to see the hope that people gain by beginning the road to economic empowerment through opening a small business.

After starting this position with Spirit in Action I quickly understood that libraries are, in fact, nonprofit organizations and that many of the management and communication techniques that I was learning in school were directly applicable to my nonprofit work.


Now, I like to tell people that my degree is in Library and Information Science and that I am in the business of information services. Being the single employee for the organization my duties are diverse, which is very similar to the work of many librarians. Like a traditional librarian, I conduct research, answer questions, and work on donor and public relations. Yet, for me the questions are about how to set up a chicken co-operative in Malawi and how to do leather tanning in Zimbabwe.

I graduated with my MLIS in December 2009 and today I continue to expand my work with Spirit in Action, utilizing my new knowledge in information organization, website development, and strategic planning to make the world a better place. Even though I am not in a library, I use my MLIS skills everyday as I fulfill my dream of working for an international nonprofit and using my leadership abilities for good.

If you would like to read more about or contribute to Spirit in Action’s inspiring international work, please find us on Facebook or read our blog.

Introduction

Are you a librarian, but not a Librarian? Are you working in a position in which your library degree is not required? Did you graduate from library school and end up going in a totally different direction--either voluntarily or otherwise? You are not a Librarian III, II, or I. You, my friend, are a Librarian Zero. Here, for the insight and edification of your current and future colleagues, I present your story. Before we get to yours, however, I should present my own.

Name: Ricardo Laskaris
Location: Toronto, Canada
Current status: Reference Assistant, Steacie Science & Engineering Library, York University (Full-time/permanent)

When I entered library school at the University of Toronto, it was with the intention of becoming a librarian. I had researched the profession, interviewed graduates of the program, completed career interest inventories, and participated in job shadowing programs, and all of these supported the decision. Shortly after beginning my studies, I landed a part-time position working as an assistant library technician at several U of T libraries. I didn't know at first what type of librarian I wanted to be, but I enjoyed providing reference service, and so seriously considered reference librarianship.

Upon graduation, however, I decided to limit my job applications to Toronto, since, like many others, I had many ties to the city: work, school, family, friends. It wasn't surprising that I had little luck finding anything. I worked a few temporary contracts in data entry and records management, then went unemployed for a few months. I still wanted to stay in the city, but couldn't afford to wait for the perfect position, so I accepted a full-time, permanent, low-level position doing something else: data entry for one of the major banks.

The position paid the bills (barely) and introduced me to some great friends, but provided little of the intellectual satisfaction I had enjoyed working in academic libraries. My applications to libraries became less frequent as I became more miserable, so my prospects got pretty grim, and they stayed that way for over two years.

I took three weeks off work to change my approach and get my career back on track. I did more research, attended career fairs and workshops, and read books about networking. Towards the end of the three weeks, I felt like I was making real progress, but still had not gotten any interviews. Finally, a friend of mine helped me rewrite my cover letter, and I began getting called back.

One interview was for a full-time, permanent position at York University's science library. The position sounded identical to the one I enjoyed so much at U of T--including the fact that it was a non-professional position. Although I was technically overqualified, I was less overqualified for it than I was for my position at the bank, so applying to it made sense. Plus, it was in the city, which was a huge requirement for me. I got the position, and am still enjoying it almost two-and-a-half years later.

I do still occasionally apply to academic librarian positions, but more out of concern for my career than out of a desire to perform different duties. One of the things I like most about my current "non-professional" position is that it provides many opportunities for professional development and gaining work experience, but does not demand any of them from me in the same way a professional position would. I can contribute to the profession as much as I desire, and still make time to pursue other interests. Last year, for example, I completed another undergraduate degree, in psychology. I hope to continue on and complete at least a masters degree in either counselling or clinical psychology. Besides my academic interests, I also do a lot of volunteer work. I have a great many interests, and I suspect success in a more professional position would require me to compromise and sacrifice some of them.

To make a long story less long, I think there are pros and cons to both professional and non-professional positions, and your satisfaction with either will depend on what you're looking for out of work and out of life.

How about you? Contact me to tell your story.