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What is your name?
Kate Kelly
Where are you from?
Not sure at this stage – raised in the UK, lived in Ireland for 10 years then went to the USA for 11 years, currently working in Dublin and living in Galway – not recommended!
Where do you work?
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin
What do you spend most of your day doing?
I’m the Chief Librarian at the RCSI so my work is of an administrative/managerial nature. RCSI has two libraries; the Mercer Library is the academic health sciences library and Beaumont Hospital Library. Much of my day is spent in communicating in one way or another. Days are varied but there are usually several meetings a day that may or may not be library related, e.g, today I went to a Medical Faculty Board meeting, followed by a meeting with Finance, followed by a meeting with a student interested in doing a thesis on knowledge management. Currently we are going through strategic planning process so that is occupying much of my thoughts at the moment.
Did you always want to be a librarian, and if not what did you do before you became one?
No. I spent about seven years working in the voluntary sector in Ireland in information/education officer type roles. My first “proper job” was providing information, advice and counselling to people intending to emigrate and this included going out to schools, libraries, community centres and other places to give talks about preparation, what to bring etc. It was while giving a session in Ballymun Public Library that I got into a discussion with the librarian about the information aspect of my job, which I really liked, and she suggested library school – a far out concept to me at the time, but I applied and here I am and that librarian has no idea the effect that casual comment had on my life!
How many people do you work with?
Between the Mercer Library at RCSI and the Beaumont Hospital library we have 15.25 FTE’s which translates to 28 people. I and all RCSI library staff work with people outside the library, both within the RCSI and as active members of various professional associations.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Being in health sciences – the variety and opportunities for librarians are enormous. I have never been bored and have always been stretched and challenged in positive ways.
What do you enjoy least about your work?
Nothing. I really like what I do.
Are you a ‘typical’ librarian and if so, how, or does this question make you mad!
I think the question makes me sigh more than anything and then resist thinking about it! I think we are our own worst enemies in that regard – every profession has an image, often unflattering and untrue – think legal profession, accountants, engineers, scientists, politicians … I could go on - and in that we are no different. Having just seen the “Hollywood Librarian” I think we owe Ann Siedl a debt for giving us a version of ourselves that we can delight in!
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