I recently returned to Oxford, a city that I’d previously called home for many years. My arrival overlapped with many of the restrictions of the last year and a half being (cautiously) rolled back. I am the new Graduate Trainee at the Taylor Institution Library (known colloquially as the ‘Taylorian’).
Hi! I’m Georgie, and I am the Graduate Trainee at St John’s College Library and Study Centre (LSC). Founded in 1555, St John’s is now one of the biggest colleges, with stunning old quads, a beautiful garden where I eat my lunch, and a brand-new Library which opened in 2019.
When I was applying for the trainee role, I was working on my MPhil in Modern British History, and before that I did my undergraduate degree in History too. Given my love of history, it’s probably unsurprising that my favourite afternoon so far was an exploration of our Special Collections with the College Librarian. At St John’s, we hold everything from an illustrated second edition of Caxton’s Canterbury Tales to the first Bible (1661) published in what would become the USA, written in the North American indigenous language, Algonquian. I’m really excited to work more with these Collections throughout the year.
During Sixth Form and in the pre-pandemic University holidays, I was a Casual Library Assistant in my local public library, but it wasn’t until the final years of my University experience that I started thinking seriously about a career in Librarianship. When I began to research the Trainee Scheme, it seemed like the perfect way to learn more about the academic Library sector and confirm whether this is the right path for me.
Prior library is by no means essential if you want to apply for a Graduate Traineeship, and I’ve found myself drawing on skills from other jobs as much as those gained as a Library Assistant. Creating social media content, for example, is something I had previously done as an adventure holiday Tour Representative, and not in the library setting. Customer service skills are always handy; my experience from working in call centres has already proved helpful. Whatever your voluntary or work background, you will most likely have relevant experience to call upon!
Hello! I’m Ben, the graduate trainee librarian at Pembroke.
Before Pembroke, I studied English Literature and History of Art at York. Deciding that staring at art and calling it “studying” was for me, I then completed a master’s in History of Art, also at York. Making the southerly trek from North Yorkshire and the beautiful city of York – a place I was lucky to call my home for 4 years – to Pembroke, I felt strangely at ease. Pembroke’s 1970s library building is scarily similar to York’s stunning, and monolithic concrete-acropolis of a campus (which I loved). This is not to say Pembroke is a 1970s creation. Its foundation in 1624 makes for some beautiful quads and buildings whilst being the stage for J.R.R. Tolkien putting pen to paper writing The Hobbit and seeing Samuel Johnson explore the English language.
In my spare time, I like to sketch. One of my recent sketches, see below, is of Pembroke’s Fellows Staircase:
Throughout university, I volunteered and interned with museums, galleries, archives and country houses discovering that collections work and education are what I found to be most interesting, enjoyable and fulfilling. So, for me, working in an academic library was a brilliant opportunity to explore these fascinations further. I look forward to delving into the bizarre world of college libraries exploring their endlessly unique special collections, and in Pembroke’s case, its art collection!
Hello! My name is Sophie Lay, and I’m the graduate trainee for the English Faculty Library this year – which is a delight for my literary and Tolkien-adoring tendencies.
Before joining the trainee scheme I was working in public libraries, and prior to that I studied a BA and MSc in Creative Writing from the Universities of Gloucestershire and Edinburgh. I knew from my student days that I wanted a career that revolved around books, but was never too keen on working in publishing or book-selling. Libraries seemed like an ideal fit. When the chance came up to progress my career and work in Oxford – a city I knew and loved from growing up in Oxfordshire – the opportunity was too good to miss.
Our new 2021/22 trainees joined us on the 1st September and we have 13 trainees this year in total. We have 8 trainees based in our Bodleian Libraries, and 5 trainees based in our colleges. Last year was very different for our trainees due to the pandemic and so we are hoping normality will return for this year’s trainees. We held the Welcome session in person, albeit socially distanced and in masks, but it was great to meet everyone. We may still have to occasionally do sessions and work online, but the plan is for our trainees to be in our libraries helping our readers.
Our trainees will be introducing themselves on the trainee blog over the next week or two, so do follow their progress throughout the year. We wish them a happy and successful year with us in Oxford!
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