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Freshly Minted: Robyn Edge

Freshly Minted: Robyn Edge

June 2, 2019

MLIS Candidate, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, Western University

Robyn Edge's LinkedIn profile

Which information studies program are you attending?

I am currently in my third term of the MLIS program at Western University.

What are your current classes like? Which is your favorite so far, and why?

My favourite class right now is “Accessibility and Information Environments.” It’s the first time this course has been offered. I enjoy the discussion-based format of the class as well as the teaching style of the professor. It’s eye opening learning from a cultural and societal perspective about disability and how as citizens we can try to make the world more accessible for everyone.

Is there one aspect of the profession that surprises you that you were not expecting when you started the program? What is it?

Entering my current program, I was not too surprised. Prior to entering the MLIS program I graduated from the Library and Information Technician program at Algonquin College, so I came in with eyes wide open. I think in general what has surprised me about the profession is how widely applicable the skills of librarianship can be to other fields and in daily life.

What was it that initially drove you to librarianship?

Entering the program at Algonquin was a bit of a fluke if I’m completely honest. I needed a change halfway through my undergraduate degree and looked at what Algonquin had to offer. In that program I ended up really enjoying my cataloguing, organization of information, and reference classes and fell in love with the field. I knew that I wanted to have higher earning potential and more room for career growth so immediately after finishing the program I went back to Carleton University and completed my B.A. Honours in Psychology, with a Concentration in Forensic Psychology (I should mention that people were always surprised about my career goals while I was finishing up my degree). I then applied and was accepted into the MLIS program at Western! I haven’t had a semester off of school since 2015.

If you could work anywhere, and do anything with information, what would your dream job look like?

I think my dream job would be working in a position that is in a highly specialized library or organization that allows me to use my research and reference skills frequently. I enjoy looking for information and synthesizing it and diving deep into topics that I’m curious about. For that reason, I think special libraries, or the corporate world is where I would excel, but I’m open-minded about where I end up.

If someone were considering going to library school, what would you advise them about?

I would advise them to be prepared for a lot of work and collaboration, but that it is also incredibly rewarding. Don’t let it stop you from applying or attending a program if you haven’t worked in libraries before or if you don’t know what aspect of librarianship you’d enjoy. The field is much broader than you are expecting, and at the same time it is much more specific, so there is something here for everyone, no matter your educational background.

What do you think is the most important aspect of being an information professional today?

I think the most important aspect of being an information professional today is the need to sift through and evaluate sources and information, as well as teaching others how to do this. There is a quote by Neil Gaiman that I think perfectly summarizes the need for librarians and information professionals: “Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one.”

I think that advocacy from within and from outside of the field is crucial to ensuring that librarians and information professionals continue to help society navigate the inundation of information every day.

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