Susan Birkenseer

Cal Poly - M.A. English, 1981

Other degrees/certificates:

MLIS Library and Information Sciences, 1996

Current city/state:

Danville, CA

Employer:

Saint Mary's College of California

Professional Website:

http://library.stmarys-ca.edu

Job Title:

Librarian

How Long in Current Position:

13 years

Brief description of position duties/responsibilities:

Reference, Library instruction for college students, collections for specific subject areas, Web development and implementation, committee work with faculty and staff

What specific qualities/abilities, skills are necessary for this position:

Curiosity and a desire to do research, attention to detail, and an ability to work well with others

While at Cal Poly, what resources did you take advantage of that have helped you in your current position:

I learned to express myself through the writing process, and learned to think creatively.  Cal Poly is all about learning by doing, and my employers knew that.

What advice would you give to someone interested in your profession?

This is a growing field, especially with technology booming.  Many "old style" librarians are retiring, leaving the field open for creative and technologically savvy individuals.  Take some programming courses if this interests you.

Is there anything you'd like to personally add about how you found your way to your current career since graduating from Cal Poly as an English major?  Any memorable epiphanies that marked major turning points on which path you chose?

I realized I needed more than a BA in order to get a decent position that interested me—and I've always been interested in helping others and have always had an abiding interest in libraries.

Contact:

sbirkens@stmarys-ca.edu