Degree/Year: American Studies, 2009
Company: New York Public Library
Position: Acquisitions Coordinator of E-Resources and Serials
City/State: New York, New York

I manage a staff of 10 people that order and pay for the library’s electronic resources (databases, digital collections, e-books, etc.), serials, and periodicals. We collaborate across multiple departments within the library to ensure we have access to the materials that support the library’s programs and mission. 

This major challenged me to be a prolific writer, and I am constantly writing quarterly reports, statistical reports, and summaries for the library leadership and administration. I gained the confidence I needed to write well in my role because I graduated from the College of Arts & Letters. American Studies was an interdisciplinary major. I think the flexibility of taking courses from multiple departments prepared me to be flexible while collaborating with different departments within the library too. It is just as important to know what you do not want to do as to what you do want to do.

My advice for any Spartan that may want to work in a library is to say yes to new experiences, even if you do not think it’s something you’re extremely interested in. I interned and worked in multiple library departments before I found my place in acquisitions. I would not have known that is where I wanted to be if I had not said yes to other opportunities too. Through that experience, I learned the valuable lesson that it is just as important to know what you do not want to do as to what you do want to do.