Elizabeth Brooks ‘12MLS is motivated by a
passion for analysis and innovative problem solving. Her enthusiasm
for organization drove her to pursue a Masters in Library Science
at St. John’s University. She says that the program “seemed like a
natural fit for my strongest personality traits. Originally, I had
wanted to be an archivist. The allure of working with rare
materials intrigued me. It wasn’t until my second semester that I
discovered the world of Competitive Intelligence and Knowledge
Management. To me, these areas are the most complex and awe
inspiring. I feel like librarians can make the greatest impact on
problems that society faces today by applying techniques found
within these areas of research.”
In the Spring of 2012, she interned as a
Business Reference Librarian at Baruch College and lead the
development of an adaptable recruiting plan as a Graduate Research
Assistant with St. John’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
As a GA, Elizabeth had the opportunity to design recruiting plans
and activities; develop strategic priorities, articulate strategy,
identify best recruiting practices, benchmarks and performance
metrics to align with current policies and existing market
research. This position gave her the ability to showcase what
librarians can really do to other members of the University.
“Unfortunately, there’s still a strong stereotype about the typical
librarian. As a recent graduate, I’m looking forward to capitalize
on other opportunities to suppress the stereotype” she said.
Elizabeth believes that these opportunities wouldn’t have been
possible without the support of her professors. “Getting an A is
different than getting the most you can out of each course. The
professors at St. John’s are flexible and really allow you to take
the curriculum as far as you want to go with it. Although they hold
their students to the highest standards, they are always available
with advice and support along the way.”
Elizabeth is now the Client Services Supervisor
for the Advanced Reference Services department at Infotrieve. The
global company, which got its start in document delivery, has
transformed information services and content management technology.
They facilitate and manage corporate information centers, R&D
facilities, legal business affairs and product professionals in
more than half the Fortune 500 with a broad array of outsourcing
services and software solutions. Elizabeth says “I’m really excited
to be working for a company like Infotrieve. Not only do they value
their employees and put significant resources into hiring quality
people, but they understand the value that librarians specifically
bring to the table. My position didn’t exist before I was hired so
I have the unique chance to develop and implement original
solutions to their workflow and measurement challenges. It’s an
amazing opportunity!”
Elizabeth began her career in Media at a well
known advertising agency. A New York native, she earned a BS in
Business/Marketing and a BA in Psychology from the University at
Albany in 2008. She didn’t realize it at the time, but believes
that every stepping stone has led her to a career as an information
professional. “I truly believe that a MLS is one of the most
applicable degrees you can obtain. The curriculum takes a holisitic
approach instead of focusing on just one aspect or viewpoint (i.e.
business). The program at St. John’s opened my eyes to the endless
possibilities for a librarian in today’s job market. There is no
simple answer to managing the abundance of information society has
amassed. Although Google has made great advancements, the
for-profit company is anything but the solution. We as librarians
need to focus on abductive reasoning to question the questions that
we’ve been asking for all these years. Technology has
revolutionized the world as we know it. It’s our job to
revolutionize the way people think about, search for and access all
the information that technology has put at our fingertips. ”
For more information, please contact
Rosann Kelly , Assistant Director Library and
Information Science, by calling (718) 990-1457, or by e-mail kellyr1@stjohns.edu.
Or visit our DLIS
alumni site.