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Trainee Introductions – Colleges & Union

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Millie Krantz (All Souls College)

Hi, I’m Millie, and I’m the graduate trainee at All Souls College Library. Compared to some of the other trainees, I’ve had a fairly straightforward route to this position: I studied Classics at Oxford, then worked in a sixth form college library in London for a year before applying to the traineeship.

Working in a school library was a really fascinating experience. Like a lot of school libraries, there weren’t many staff members and there wasn’t much oversight, so I got to do virtually everything – I helped students, acquired new books, catalogued (badly), weeded, classified and reclassified, and did endless amounts of shelf-checking. I loved the wide range of tasks I got to do and the level of independence I had, but I wanted more training and a better idea of how other libraries work, which made me more interested in traineeships at smaller institutions with more of a jack-of-all-trades attitude to librarianship.

It’s been wonderful and exciting working at All Souls so far, and much more glamorous than working at a state school! The library is a bit unusual for a college library – we’re open to readers from the rest of the university, but we only lend books to our small population of Fellows, which means we see very little circulation. We primarily have books on European history and law, though we end up collecting a little bit of everything based on the needs of the Fellows. As the trainee (and only library assistant) I’ve been able to get involved with quite a lot: I do a lot of acquisitions and journals processing, book fetching, scanning, and shelving, with a generous amount of coffee cup policing and shooing tourists away. A real highlight has been getting to look at and handle some of our manuscripts, especially the Amesbury Psalter!

Ash Lammers (Jesus College)

Hi folks! My name is Ash (they/them) and I’m this year’s trainee at Jesus College. I’m originally from Germany, but have lived in the UK for the last five years doing both my BA and MA up in the North East of England. My academic background is History (although I did also study English Lit for my Joint Honours BA) and my MA research focused on modern European Jewish and Queer History. To distract from my sometimes emotionally heavy research and indulge in my love for working with books, data and solving problems, I started volunteering with the book-tracking app The StoryGraph as a librarian! I spent afternoons with such fun activities as solving user-added ISBN messes and sorting out series sequences. While I loved the idea of working in a physical library, I thought it was kind of unattainable and applied to the trainee programme sort of impulsively one evening in June. Apparently, following the dopamine does pay off…

Edgar Allan Croak and Sssssylvia Plath

I’m enjoying library work immensely, especially as I do a rotating variety of different things every day. I process books, help lost readers, compare reading lists with our collection or carry lost property to the JCR. I also have excellent company during the day – namely my manager, Owen, and two crocheted desk pets. I also poke about in the Fellows’ Library, which is always eerily quiet and wouldn’t be out of place in a mystery novel. The majority of the college’s rare books are kept there, and while I don’t work there a lot – my daily checks on whether rain has come through the walls not included – sometimes books need to be set out for classes, or we check specific texts for minute details upon request. An unanticipated side effect of this job is that when reshelving or processing, I find so many interesting books and subjects that my TBR is growing steadily – much to the dismay of my bank account…

Jess Pascal (New College)

I’m Jess (they/them) and I’m the trainee at New College Library. New College is one of Oxford’s older colleges, which means it has an excellent collection of medieval manuscripts and rare books, and I’m lucky enough to get to work with these as a part of my role! This involves fetching items from secure storage elsewhere in the college, invigilating readers who want to consult them, and working on exhibitions. When I’m not doing that, I’m helping with the day-to-day running of the library: since it’s the start of term, this means a lot of unpacking new books and getting them ready to go out on the library shelves while trying to resist the temptation to read them when I ought to be stamping them…

Before this, I was studying French and Spanish at the University of Leicester, where I volunteered in the library and archives. This gave me some experience of working in a library, and it was my first taste of working with special collections, which inspired me to apply for this job. I’m looking forward to sharing more about my work here and the many things I’m sure I’ll be learning throughout the trainee scheme.

Gareth Smith (Oxford Union Library)

Hello everyone, my name is Gareth and I am Graduate Trainee Library Assistant at the Oxford Union Society Library.

The Members’ Library (Image provided by the Oxford Union Society Library)

The Oxford Union is Oxford University’s famous affiliated debating society, known for its debates and interviews on current affairs, occasional controversies, and interminable student politicking. In many ways it is quite a strange place: though nominally run by an elected Standing Committee of Oxford students who decide on the termly programme of speakers and events, we also have a core body of around twenty professional staff including four librarians and an archivist, who, as employees of an organisation separate to the University, are not formally part of the Bodleian Libraries but use the same information management system. We look after a members’ library of around sixty thousand books (housed mostly in a beautiful Victorian building decorated by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, pictured) and play perhaps the most important and visible part in the day-to-day running of the Union.

 

Before working at my current job, I completed my BA in Classics (Literae Humaniores) and my MPhil in Ancient History at The Queen’s College, Oxford. Outside my degrees, I also volunteered on several seasons of archaeological fieldwork in Greece and on archive and object digitisation projects at Blenheim Palace and the Ashmolean Museum. My prior library experience includes a quick stint in a public library when I was a teenager and a paid job as Summer Library Assistant at University College Library immediately after my Masters. As Graduate Trainee, I participate in the training programme organised by the Bodleian Libraries alongside the other trainees.

As you might imagine, this background has made me a very organised and versatile person, and I’m enjoying having my skillset constantly stretched through working at such an idiosyncratic library! As well as all the usual jobs expected of a library assistant, my role has also included working closely with our archivist to produce displays for Union events and publicity as well as archival research and digitisation; I occasionally give tours of the Old Library and the famous Debate Chamber, which are the main attractions for visitors to the Union, and I’m also particularly focused on bringing our social media presence into the 2020s. I am also secretary to the Library Committee, a member-run body which decides on acquisitions and withdrawals: the Union library is the only in Oxford where every book has been suggested by a reader, and we stock a large amount of fiction, travel guides and magazines alongside our academic books.

Jake Banyard (St. Edmund Hall)

A study area inside the library

Despite the wonderful benefit of college lunch as a college library trainee, a free meal was not the reason I decided to embark upon a career in librarianship. In fact, after graduating from the University of Reading with a BA in French and History I wasn’t sure of any reasons to embark on any careers! I found myself working in hospitality, and despite enjoying some aspects of customer service, there are only so many 2am finishes and stressful shifts before change is needed. After some soul-searching I came to the conclusion that a

career in libraries might combine the good parts of customer service with my desire to work in an educational environment. I found a job in a

public library and took great satisfaction in helping readers and contributing to a sense of community in the local area. The allure of academic libraries was too strong though, and I applied for the traineeship here at St Edmund Hall.

Having some experience of a library environment has been a real help in these first couple of months at Teddy Hall, and while not a pre-requisite for the traineeship, the familiarity of books and barcodes has helped to combat the unfamiliarity of the Oxford system – full of terms like cuppers, blades and battels! Working in a college environment means that the library is host to a range of events at Teddy Hall, from Compline in the crypt (did I mention the library is housed in the 10th century church of St-Peter-in-the-East!) to wellbeing sessions like an ‘Hour in the Tower’. The Librarians here work hard to integrate the library into college life, and we are currently running a ‘Blind date with a book’ event, offering readers a chance to read something they might not otherwise pick up. My role also has the exciting benefit of being a three-year position and, after this first year of the traineeship, Teddy Hall will fund the tuition fees for Library School and allow me to study alongside my work – so I will be sticking around for a while!

Trainee Introductions – Arts and Humanities

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Welcome to part three of our trainee introductions; this week it’s all about the humanities! Below, you’ll hear from five trainees, each one stationed at a library within the Humanities division at Oxford University: the Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library; the Bodleian Old Library; the English Faculty Library; the History Faculty Library; and the Taylor Institution Library. So, without further ado, make yourself a hot drink and enjoy a gentle read about our respective libraries.

 

Emma Brand – Art, Archaeology, and Ancient World Library

Emma outside the Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library

Hello! I am Emma, the trainee at the Art, Archaeology, and Ancient World Library (Art Library for short). Being under Section 3 also means that I get to do a few shifts a week at the Taylor Institution Library (and possibly the Nizami Ganjavi Library later this year). Each library has their quirks and I have been having a load of fun getting lost. In Art, that often means going round and round and round the rotunda until you think you are where you started… but maybe not. The Taylor is a magical place where rooms seem to appear. The best discovery so far has been the ‘secret door’ that leads from the ground floor women’s bathroom into the basement. I have also just moved over from Australia to start this traineeship, so, I am also on a crash course of learning English slang, tasting a variety of new sweets, and learning the art of layers – especially when it’s wet outside!

I have a BA from the University of Western Australia (UWA) in Art History and Media Communications. I had planned on starting a master’s in Conservation Practice at Cardiff University in 2020, however, due to the pandemic, I have been trying several different things these past few years. I have worked in marketing, at a local history museum and at a digitisation centre, and also completed an honour’s year in the History of Art. Feeling a bit lost at the end of last year, I found I was still wanting to go to the UK despite the master’s no longer being viable. So, at the start of this year, I began looking for roles that would combine my strengths and aspects of my various jobs that I enjoyed, whilst also developing new skills. For example, I knew that I enjoyed a mix of front facing and backend roles, database work, and also a healthy dose of digital communication. I had honestly not thought of working in a library but when I saw the traineeship, it ticked everything I was looking for! So far, it’s been a wonderful start and I am looking forward to the many months ahead.

 

Elena Brearley – Bodleian Old Library (Bodleian Reader Services)

Hello there, my name is Elena, also known as Len. I am the current Reader Services Trainee at the Bodleian Old Library.

Sunshine in the staff area of the Old Bodleian Upper Reading Room

I’ve pursued a variety of interests and had an assortment of jobs that have led me on the path towards being here in Oxford on the Graduate Traineeship. I started off studying Drama at The University of Manchester, during which time I became interested in the use of theatre and arts in community contexts. After graduating in 2020, my interest in community spaces drew me to apply for a job working as a Library Assistant with Stockport Public Libraries. I was in this role for three years, helping readers with all kinds of enquires, organising events and activities, and doing all those lovely jobs like shelving and straightening that ensure a library keeps running smoothly.  

Alongside my role in libraries, I worked as a freelance artist and creative facilitator, delivering arts and drama sessions in settings such as schools, theatres, libraries, prisons, and probation centres. My favourite of these experiences was spending one month living in Barrow-in-Furness working as an Artist-in-Residence where I ran writing, zine-making, and drama workshops with different community groups. Just before moving to Oxford I was working as a gardener, a bartender, and a wedding registrar.

 

I am new to working in academic libraries and am really enjoying being back in a university environment. Although my traineeship is based at the ‘Old Bod’, myself and Zac get to work across both the beautiful buildings that are the Bodleian Old Library and the Radcliffe Camera. A unique part of my traineeship is having the opportunity to work on the Main Enquiry Desk. Here, we deal with questions from across the world about The Bodleian’s collections and provide support for readers accessing library services and resources. For me, the best part of the job is the people I come across in all aspects of the work. I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of the year unfolds and what adventures are in store!

 

Harry Whattoff – English Faculty Library (EFL) 

Dear reader,

Thanks for tuning in! My name is Harry and I’m the Graduate Trainee at the English Faculty Library this year. I think I’ll start by mentioning that this will sadly be the final introductory post you read from an EFL trainee. Next summer, our library is due to make a long-awaited move into the Schwarzman Centre, a new Humanities building that is currently under construction. I went back in time on the trainee blog, and found references to this move in previous entries dating back to 2009 – it’s all very exciting!

My academic background, rather fittingly, lies in English Literature. I undertook both a BA and an MA in the subject, for the latter of which I examined queer rural representations in British literature and film. Upon graduating, I began teaching English at a school. Here, alongside my usual teaching responsibilities, I was able to interact with the school’s library which gave me a small insight into what it might be like to work in one. Following this position, I undertook a range of volunteering and work experience at various museums, archives, and libraries, all of which played their part in leading me to apply for the Bodleian Library Graduate Training Scheme.

At the EFL, my role is very varied (which I love). I handle all the incoming and outgoing deliveries to our offsite storage facility in Swindon, as well as the majority of the book processing for the library. In addition to this, most staff members will have a daily two-hour shift at the Enquiry Desk, and we are collectively responsible for scanning and email enquiries on a rotation basis. I particularly enjoy helping with the circulation of our rare books and special collections; in my first week someone requested a first edition of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist which was, predictably for an ex-English student, pretty mind-blowing. I’m currently working on a display for the second half of Michaelmas term; I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to get creative with our collections and consider what our readers might like to see!

I’ll leave it here for now, but I hope this small introduction has given you an insight into what I was up to before my traineeship, and a little about my day-to-day tasks at the EFL!

Until next time,

Harry 😊

 

Zac Draysey – History Faculty Library (HFL)

Hi, I’m Zac, the new trainee at the History Faculty Library (HFL) in the Radcliffe Camera. My own academic background isn’t in history, but in philosophy, and I finished an MPhil at Cambridge this summer, focusing mostly on ordinary language philosophy in Oxford after the second world war. Before I started here in September, my only experience with libraries has been as a reader, so it’s been an eye-opening experience to see things from the other side. The Bodleian central site libraries aren’t, of course, typical academic libraries, and I’ve been amazed by the complexity of the system here.

A misty day outside the Radcliffe Camera

We have a range of different shelf-marks in the Camera, both lending and reference collections, as well as shelves to house books brought in for readers from off-site storage. This maybe goes without saying, but it’s been a real joy to work in such a beautiful and historic building. The Camera feels very much like the focal point of the university, and especially it’s library system.

The Old Bod and the Camera are slowly becoming a more integrated system, with the teams from both libraries being joined together. This larger team is then being split into reader services and collections groups. I’ve been placed in the latter group, so I’ve been learning about how the HFL develops its collections to best suit the needs of students. It’s been really interesting to gain a greater insight into how reading lists inform purchases, the process of actually acquiring books, and also the classification of new books. Preparing new books for placing on the open shelves once they’ve been classified has been my favourite task so far.

 

 

Lindsey Evans – Taylor Institution Library

The Main Reading Room of the Taylor Institution Library

Hi, I’m Lindsey and I’m based at the Taylor Institution Library, whose collections cover Western and Eastern European Languages, as well as Linguistics, Film Studies and Women’s Studies. The historic, slightly maze-like, Taylor building is located at one end of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum (perk of the job: free entry to exhibitions!). It also houses lecture rooms for the university’s language courses. Once a week I walk to the other end of the Ashmolean to work at the lovely Art, Archaeology and Ancient World library as well. I feel lucky to be working in these unique places in the heart of the city and I’m really enjoying the opportunity to get to know more than one library team and library environment during my trainee year.

I applied for the Bodleian Library Graduate Training Scheme because I was keen to explore a second career in the library and information field. Prior to this, I was working in educational publishing as an editor of language-learning resources, so a move into libraries represents ‘switching sides’ from producing books and online materials to helping people access them. I have been curious about library work because I enjoy being able to combine the management of complex information with delivering a service. I’m also interested in doing work that involves handling physical items, as well as desk-based tasks, in a physical space with its own community. My experience of libraries up to now has been from the student/reader side and I hadn’t worked in a conventional library before. However, interestingly, I have volunteered in a ‘Library of Things’, lending out diverse useful items to the public – from hedge trimmers to camping equipment to disco balls!

So far, I’m finding my new job and the library field in general very varied and interesting, and I am really looking forward to deepening my understanding as the year goes on.

 

Trainee Introductions- Law and Social Sciences

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Hannah Richmond – Law Library (Academic Services)

Hi everyone! I’m Hannah, one of the two Law Library trainees this year. Although there is definitely some overlap between our roles, we are split into two different teams. I am sitting on the Academic Services side of things this year. This involves helping with the compulsory Legal Research and Mooting Skills module for undergraduate students, which is actually taught and delivered by the library rather than the faculty.

My background is (rather fittingly) in Law, which I studied at undergraduate level. Post-graduation, I then headed back home to Northern Ireland to work in a firm for a year. Perhaps surprisingly, that is not the case for most of the former Law Library trainees. In fact, most have come from a range of different subject backgrounds from History to Maths so any prior understanding of Law is most definitely not required, but admittedly can sometimes prove helpful.

I ended up here after finding out about the trainee programme two days before the application cut-off date. After going back and forward in my head, I decided to apply an hour before the closing time, successfully submitting with one minute to spare(!) Despite having never worked in a library in any capacity, I had toyed with the idea of working with books for a while. The traineeship seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to gain the experience I needed to know whether librarianship was something for me. As for the answer to that, I will keep you updated…

Charlotte Edwards – Sainsbury Library

Autumn sun making an appearance
Autumn sun making an appearance

Hello! I’m Charlotte, the new Graduate Trainee at the Sainsbury Library in Saïd Business School. Unlike a lot of the Bodleian libraries, the Sainsbury library is relatively new, but it doesn’t take away from the cosy facilities it has to offer; I’ve noticed students like the soft seating we have, and the indoor plants make it a calming place to study (it’s also where I am currently writing this post!).

Before this, I had just completed my BA in English Language and Literature at LMH, focussing a lot on Old Norse literature – so something that couldn’t be further from business! Since starting, I have been learning an abundance of new things about business and market research (with much more still to learn), and I currently have the mysterious Market Research Challenge to look forward to tackling.

Other than studying in libraries, I had no experience working in them before this position. I instead volunteered on a Saturday during my final year of undergrad at the Oxfam bookshop on Turl Street to gain some experience, so I have handled books in varying degrees of disrepair…we even encountered a book from the 17th century. I highly recommend going, and it’s a bonus that a Missing Bean café is right next door!

Since beginning the traineeship last month, I have enjoyed creating book displays and blog posts on the Sainsbury Library Blog for Green Libraries Week and World Mental Health Day 2024. Alongside book and journal processing and sitting at the enquiry desk, I also tested my own knowledge of the library at the MBA (Master of Business Administration) Information Fair welcoming new students.

Sainsbury Library branded M&M’s at the MBA
Sainsbury Library branded M&M’s at the MBA information fair

I’m interested in how libraries, alongside being a source of information, have recently been involved in student welfare (the wellbeing room at the Radcliffe Science Library – the RSL – is particularly good). I especially like that the Sainsbury Library has incorporated student wellbeing into its facilities with a colouring and puzzle station; you’ll also find me doing the puzzle during my breaks. Over the coming months, I am hoping to explore the intersection of libraries and wellbeing, and other facets of librarianship, including improving the accessibility of resources. I’m also looking forward to our conservation and special collections training session at the Weston Library since it is so different to my day-to-day work. Hopefully you’ll hear more from me over the coming year!

James Lawson – Law Library (Information Resources)

Hey everybody! I’m James (they/them), this year’s Information Resources Trainee over at the Bodleian Law Library! I’m originally from Scotland (though despite my best efforts, I unfortunately don’t sound like it) and did my undergraduate degree in Ancient History and Classical Archaeology at Edinburgh! After graduating, I came to do an MSt here at Oxford, also in Classics, before deciding I wanted a break from academia and applying to the Bodleian traineeship programme.

I had a wee bit of experience in libraries but that mostly consisted of me volunteering at one of the Edinburgh Uni libraries. And by volunteering, I mostly just mean sitting at a desk making sure people don’t bring coffee cups into the library. That, and writing really stupid book reviews on their blog (I’m sure one of our two readers liked it!).

To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure what I thought the traineeship was going to look like but, thus far, I really love it. My days mostly involve processing books, updating Oxford reading lists, updating more Oxford reading lists and lurking at the front desk scaring freshers. Otherwise, I spend a lot of time re-shelving books, making scans of books and doing my favourite thing of all time: stamping books. And sometimes I get to update Oxford reading lists as well.

I think the Law Library is a really great place to work. Probably my favourite thing (aside from the people who, obviously, are lovely to work with) is the building itself. The inside of the library is very bright and airy with lots of shelves that have very satisfyingly bound books on them. The outside looks a bit like a giant brick mound grew out of the earth one day and the university turned it into a library hoping we wouldn’t notice and, to be honest, I love it.

Gia Simmons – Social Science Library

Hello! My name is Gia, and I am the Graduate Trainee at the Bodleian Social Science Library. The SSL is based on the ground floor of the Manor Road Building. It is one of the busiest lending libraries in the Bodleian, so I am always kept really busy, which I love! I am originally from Wexford in the south-east of Ireland and recently moved to Oxford to take up this role.

I hold a BA (International) in French and English from University College Dublin (UCD), graduating in 2023. I was recently awarded my MA in Languages and Image Studies, also from UCD. I have a passion for languages, as I studied French, Italian and Spanish during my time at university. So, I am always really excited to see a book in one of those languages come across my desk for processing!

I had a variety of jobs while at university before joining the Bodleian, such as a retail assistant, an administration assistant, as well as working in a peer-to-peer support role in my university residences for two years. I have been interested in working in academic libraries since I started university. However, this is my first experience working in this environment. I am glad to report that I am loving every minute of it!

In the SSL, I get to do a mixture of reader services and technical services tasks such as working on the issue desk, book processing, and reviewing reading lists (just to name a few!) In my first few months here, I have gained a great deal of knowledge about how academic libraries work and my eyes have been opened to the variety of roles that make up a library staff. I am very excited for the rest of my year here at the SSL.