For Mark Christensen, Student Coordinator at the Koerner Library Research Commons, working at UBC Library provides an excellent opportunity to participate in the research process with many graduate students who have vastly differing areas of study.
“Being able to see first-hand the types of research that is taking place at UBC is inspiring to say the least,” says Christensen, a student in the UBC SLAIS program. “Working in the Research Commons allows me to provide information and tools to others that will help them through their academic careers, and gives me opportunities to collaborate with both peers and professionals.”
Christensen delivers workshops and consultations on citations management software, and provides instruction on thesis formatting tips and tricks. Having spent most of his adult life in leadership positions, he thrives on working with people to leverage their skills and talents to find high satisfaction in their jobs. “I would like to be an academic librarian where I would be able to use those same skills with the people I teach, and who seek my help at the reference desk.”
The Research Commons has an exciting year ahead, with new qualitative data analysis workshops being added that will vastly improve researchers’ experience in coding and collecting data. Christensen, along with the Research Commons team, is developing workshops that can be delivered live online to students who cannot attend in-person on campus.
As Christensen considers modern librarianship and looks forward to the future of the profession, he notes the significant competition that librarians face. Whereas librarians of the past were sole providers and keepers of information, today’s knowledge management is in everyone’s hands. Along with staying current with the most prevalent forms of technology, librarians need to also consider their brand.
“Will making the librarian brand more current and visible increase the usage of the librarian?” he asks. “Librarians themselves need to take the lead on this and create our own brand in the public eye. If librarians combine our passion with action I believe that we can go back to being seen as preeminent information professionals, even in the 21st century.”