Editor’s Note: For the month of January, we’re profiling student members of ACRL. For a limited time, ACRL membership dues for students are just $5.
Savannah L. Sessions is an MLIS student at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Savannah first joined ACRL in 2017 and is your ACRL member of the week for January 9, 2018.
1. Describe yourself in three words: Traveller, idealist, curious.
2. What are you reading (or listening to on your mobile device)? I’m about 5 pages into American Street by Ibi Zoboi, I recently devoured Ozge Samanci’s Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey in an afternoon, and, of course, all of my assigned MLIS coursework readings!
3. Describe ACRL in three words: Helpful, forward-thinking, resource.
4. What prompted you as a student to join ACRL? I took a course on academic librarianship in my first term at UW with the fabulous Helene Williams. I’m now a pretty big fangirl of academic library folks like Chris Bourg and Amy Kautzman. Hoping to someday realize the dream of listening to one of them speak in person (or work with someone like them), but until then, being professionally associated with people who are thinking about and doing critical work for this profession is a great place to start.
5. What are your career goals? How might ACRL help you achieve those goals? My career goals are mostly to stretch myself, never stop learning or caring about this profession (and how I can make it better), and at the same time to always be a do-er. You know what they say about goals without action. I will look to ACRL to help me network with folks who are also working hard for this profession and for justice and equity in the world. Aside from networking, I am excited about all of the professional development opportunities ACRL offers. Obviously conferences are key, but I live in a rural place, so being able to access all of the webinars, recordings, publications, etc. online is important to me too.
6. In your own words: As an academic library hopeful, I know my curiosity and optimism will be crucial to my success. I am an extrovert for sure, so being able to get to know students and faculty in an academic setting gets me charged up. I am grateful that I have had the chance to work in a library for the past three years, decide that this really was the vocation for me, and then start my MLIS program last year. Everything I’ve done so far feels like the right trajectory, so I trust that wherever I land will also be the right place.
Editor’s Note: Are you an ACRL member? Would you like to be featured as ACRL Member of the Week? Nominate a colleague? Contact Mary Jane Petrowski at mpetrowski@ala.org for more information.
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