In this position, I was responsible for a retrospective conversion project. This entailed converting all materials in the academic library that were classified in the Dewey Decimal Classification system to the Library of Congress Classification system and to include the library’s cataloging records and holdings in the OCLC online system. In five years, approximately 40% of the collection had been converted to LCC. I was hired to streamline and complete the process. Under my direction, we completed the retrospective conversion project within one year. I was asked by the university administration to enroll in a graduate library and information science (LIS) program to earn my MLIS and to return to the university as head of the department. I accepted this offer, attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, during summers and academic holidays. I earned my MLIS and returned to the university as head of the technical services department. While in this position, I worked closely with the faculty senate and represented the library during the various program and university accreditation cycles. I then was approached by the university administration and asked to pursue a doctoral degree to bring new ideas and innovation to the university.

Of course, I accepted this opportunity and earned a doctorate in library and information science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After earning this degree, I accepted a position as an Assistant Professor in the School of Library and Informational Science at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I then accepted a position as the director of a newly formed graduate LIS program at the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado. While at the University of Denver, I was invited to be on the Advisory Board of an ebook start-up in Boulder, Colorado, called netLibrary. While working with the company, I was offered a position as the Vice-President of Research and Library Services and accepted the offer.

This transition from academia to a for-profit company was one of the best career moves I ever made. I was scared to leave an academic position but wanted a change and believed in the company’s mission. I loved my position and worked extremely hard. Everyone at the company worked long hours and into the night to develop a successful product. It was exciting and interesting work. Since netLibrary was one of the first ebook providers, I conducted usability studies and met with practicing information professionals and publishers to identify their needs and expectations for an ebook product.

Although the company had garnered the most venture capital of all start-ups in Colorado, the development of a completely new use of technology and information was expensive. When netLibrary encountered financial difficulty, OCLC, Inc. acquired the company. I interviewed for a position and was retained by OCLC. I then was asked to transition to the Office of Research as a research scientist.

I have remained at OCLC in different roles with Research for twenty-four years. It has been a very fulfilling and exciting opportunity that enables me to conduct and lead research that produces both theories and frameworks for practical applications for the information and technology fields. I have had the best of both worlds – theoretical research with practical applications. I believe I have had such a diverse and interesting career because I have not been afraid to take risks and always have been interested in people. I love hearing their stories and making connections. These connections have led me on various interesting career paths.

I believe that to be effective as an information professional, one must have a desire to learn and to adapt to an ever-changing environment and to be a risk taker. But most of all, to be able to relate to people. Without high-level interpersonal skills, it is very difficult to connect with users and prospective users in our communities. It is critical for an information professional to be able to listen, engage, interact, and connect with people as well as technology and knowledge. This is called relationship building.

Information careers require quick thinking and the ability “to read the room.” Information professionals must be agile and flexible. They must have the desire and ability to negotiate and compromise. It also is critical to be able to tell a story about the resources, products, programs, and technology offered and to tell this story to diverse audiences in different situations and for different intended outcomes.

I advise new information professionals to develop their relationship-building skills and to build their professional networks. Some suggestions follow.

1. Become active in professional associations and communities. Volunteer to serve on committees as members or interns and submit proposals for presenting papers.
2. Participate in virtual and in-person conferences and meetings. Again, volunteer to help develop the program and to review submissions and submit proposals for presentations.
3. Reach out to more experienced information professionals and ask for feedback on your work or professional goals. You will be surprised how willing information professionals are to mentor and guide others in the information professions!

The above-listed experiences will open many doors for you as an early career professional.

You should have a career plan but be open to different types of work in different environments. Sometimes it is advantageous to take career opportunities when they become. This will enable you to discover aspects of an information career that are most important and interesting to you. Don’t be afraid of change when opportunities arise!