Student Focus: Jessica King
Jessica King.
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Thank you Jessica for volunteering your time to be our featured Student Profile for this edition of Library Life! We really enjoy highlighting students who are on their way to completing their qualification in Library Sciences and Information, and also connecting them to the community they’ll be joining after school!
Can you tell us a bit about your journey so far? Kia ora, I’m Jess. I was born and raised near Atlanta, Georgia in the U.S. I went to the University of Georgia and studied a combination of linguistics and education, initially intending to be a Spanish teacher. Even if it wasn’t strictly related, I think those studies prepared me well for the field, especially when teaching technology skills! I moved to New Zealand with my kiwi partner in January 2019 and have fallen completely in love with this country. When I was young, the public library was definitely my happy place. I also had quite the passion for spelling and made it to the Georgia State Championship spelling bee when I was 13, but I was booted out at 10th place for virgule (a fancy word for the / symbol). I’d love to run a spelling bee as a library programme one day! Can you describe your library journey up until this point? I realised during university that I wanted to work in a library, but I honestly had a hard time breaking into the field back in the U.S. I volunteered in public and school libraries, and I worked in hospitality and retail roles which were great for building customer service experience. One summer, I was able to get a private teaching job focused on reading and literacy skills, where I achieved that magical position of actually getting paid to read books! When I moved to New Zealand, I had the opportunity to volunteer at Te Aka Mauri Rotorua Public Library as a shelver, and eventually a position for a library assistant opened up, and I’ve been here ever since. How long have you been studying and what qualification are you currently studying towards? I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in 2016. In February of this year, I started my postgraduate programme in Information Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, where I have just wrapped up my first trimester. I took an introductory paper about the information professions and one about information access and information-seeking behaviour. I am unsure exactly how far I will go with it- maybe all the way to a PhD in the future. |
What made you decide to study for a LIS qualification?
Once I became a resident here, it seemed like the perfect timing. I knew it would help my career development to gain a library-related qualification since I didn’t have one yet, and I chose the postgraduate programme at VUW because I already had a bachelor’s degree. With LIS being such a broad field, I knew there would be lots of variety in the coursework, so I was excited to jump in. I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to study, so I want to make the most of it!
Can you tell our readers about your experience so far and what you have found most enjoyable about the programme?
The best part of the programme is hands down the opportunity to meet, learn from, and collaborate with my library and information peers- not just here in New Zealand but around the world. My lecturers have been fantastic, and we have also had several guest speakers from other universities and organisations. I enjoy the flexibility of choosing from different qualification options (certificate, diploma, and master’s) as well as lots of elective courses to choose from, such as Indigenous Information Perspectives which is coming up soon. I am able to bring a lot of the conversations and experiences back into my everyday work.
Adapting to doing everything on Zoom was challenging at first, but now I love it. We use breakout rooms to have in-depth discussions, and screen sharing makes it easy to present our own work or do collaborative tasks. It’s very handy to have a video recording for days that I missed a session or if I need to go back for reference. And you can always turn your camera off when you need a bit of a break!
Once I became a resident here, it seemed like the perfect timing. I knew it would help my career development to gain a library-related qualification since I didn’t have one yet, and I chose the postgraduate programme at VUW because I already had a bachelor’s degree. With LIS being such a broad field, I knew there would be lots of variety in the coursework, so I was excited to jump in. I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to study, so I want to make the most of it!
Can you tell our readers about your experience so far and what you have found most enjoyable about the programme?
The best part of the programme is hands down the opportunity to meet, learn from, and collaborate with my library and information peers- not just here in New Zealand but around the world. My lecturers have been fantastic, and we have also had several guest speakers from other universities and organisations. I enjoy the flexibility of choosing from different qualification options (certificate, diploma, and master’s) as well as lots of elective courses to choose from, such as Indigenous Information Perspectives which is coming up soon. I am able to bring a lot of the conversations and experiences back into my everyday work.
Adapting to doing everything on Zoom was challenging at first, but now I love it. We use breakout rooms to have in-depth discussions, and screen sharing makes it easy to present our own work or do collaborative tasks. It’s very handy to have a video recording for days that I missed a session or if I need to go back for reference. And you can always turn your camera off when you need a bit of a break!
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What advice would you give to someone considering studying towards library qualification? I would definitely say to take advantage of all the resources and benefits offered by your school or university, even as a distance student. You can access so much amazing content through the library and databases, career centre services, and so much more. Don’t forget that nice LIANZA student membership rate! Another thing I’ve discovered throughout my work experience and shadowing opportunities is that you can come into this field from such a wide range of backgrounds and education. Not every role will necessarily require a library qualification, at least not right away. See if you can shadow, volunteer, or hold informational interviews and explore what different paths are out there. More broadly speaking, take your time, practise self-care, and make sure you relax whenever possible. Take one paper at a time if you need to. Have fun with it! |
Jessica King.
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What is your dream job after your education is over?
As a child I would have said zoo veterinarian, but I realised I'm a bit too squeamish for that. I love my current role and would ideally love to expand on my work in digital inclusion or go into technical services. I’m also an avid Wikipedia user and occasional editor who loves open access, and I’m fascinated by the evolution of the internet and digital media. A future dream job might be something like a digital archivist or preservation specialist for the Internet Archive.
If you could recommend only one book to someone, what would it be?
In one of my previous jobs I was given a book called The Lifetime Reading List, which was full of lists and summaries of over 1,000 amazing books throughout history. I love it, even if I’ll never get through them all. If that’s cheating, like wishing for more wishes, then I would have to recommend The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. This is the book that rekindled my love of reading fiction after my university years. It’s more accessible than the Lord of the Rings series, in my opinion, with all the same beautiful prose, important themes, and world-building. It appeals to people of all ages.
Why are libraries and information organizations (archives, museums, galleries), important to a country?
The GLAMR organisations are essential. They make so many other types of work possible and support people at every stage of life, whether it’s the Parliamentary Library, Archives New Zealand, school libraries, or smaller regional museums. I know in our public library, I am helping people find information and solve problems every day, whether it’s connecting to the Internet, making and printing CVs, creating a poster for their missing cat, or finding resources to learn English. No task is too small; it all makes a difference in someone’s life. These institutions tell our stories and safeguard our taonga, and we get to do our part to support democracy itself and promote the equity and inclusion of every New Zealander. There is no other field I would rather be in!
As a child I would have said zoo veterinarian, but I realised I'm a bit too squeamish for that. I love my current role and would ideally love to expand on my work in digital inclusion or go into technical services. I’m also an avid Wikipedia user and occasional editor who loves open access, and I’m fascinated by the evolution of the internet and digital media. A future dream job might be something like a digital archivist or preservation specialist for the Internet Archive.
If you could recommend only one book to someone, what would it be?
In one of my previous jobs I was given a book called The Lifetime Reading List, which was full of lists and summaries of over 1,000 amazing books throughout history. I love it, even if I’ll never get through them all. If that’s cheating, like wishing for more wishes, then I would have to recommend The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. This is the book that rekindled my love of reading fiction after my university years. It’s more accessible than the Lord of the Rings series, in my opinion, with all the same beautiful prose, important themes, and world-building. It appeals to people of all ages.
Why are libraries and information organizations (archives, museums, galleries), important to a country?
The GLAMR organisations are essential. They make so many other types of work possible and support people at every stage of life, whether it’s the Parliamentary Library, Archives New Zealand, school libraries, or smaller regional museums. I know in our public library, I am helping people find information and solve problems every day, whether it’s connecting to the Internet, making and printing CVs, creating a poster for their missing cat, or finding resources to learn English. No task is too small; it all makes a difference in someone’s life. These institutions tell our stories and safeguard our taonga, and we get to do our part to support democracy itself and promote the equity and inclusion of every New Zealander. There is no other field I would rather be in!
Did you know recent graduates automatically qualify to apply for RLIANZA?
Victoria University of Wellington Master of Library and Information Studies and Open Polytechnic qualifications are recognised by the LIANZA Professional Registration Board as meeting the LIANZA Professional Registration Bodies of Knowledge (BoKs). Graduates who are LIANZA members just need to pay the initial application fee of $57.50 and submit an application form with a copy of their qualification to become professionally registered. You then start collecting professional evidence over the next three years in order to revalidate. RLIANZA shows your peers and employers that you have demonstrated a commitment to professional standards, and to developing and enhancing competence.
READ MORE >
Victoria University of Wellington Master of Library and Information Studies and Open Polytechnic qualifications are recognised by the LIANZA Professional Registration Board as meeting the LIANZA Professional Registration Bodies of Knowledge (BoKs). Graduates who are LIANZA members just need to pay the initial application fee of $57.50 and submit an application form with a copy of their qualification to become professionally registered. You then start collecting professional evidence over the next three years in order to revalidate. RLIANZA shows your peers and employers that you have demonstrated a commitment to professional standards, and to developing and enhancing competence.
READ MORE >