Library Ireland Week 8-13 March 2010: @ Your Library

What is your name?
Gillian Kerins

 
Where are you from?
Dublin

Where do you work?
The Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT Dublin)

 

Did you always want to be a librarian and if not what did you do before you became one?

I did my primary degree in Social Science and at the time this “new course” on Information Studies was an option but I didn’t take it! However one of my friends did and I think this along with the fact that I worked for a summer in Dublin Public Libraries planted the seed. When I graduated from Social Science I worked for a year in a bookshop and then applied for the library course in UCD and haven’t looked back.

What do you spend most of your day doing?

It varies a lot on the time of year and the Academic calendar. Being in an Academic environment you work to two year ends (June and December) so you find the year goes very quickly! This time of the year (January) I spend a lot of time finalising budgets and planning projects for the year.

 
As Institute Librarian, my job is mainly a management role and involves a lot of interaction with people.  I am involved in a number of committees such as Academic Council, Management Quality Review Group and I’m currently the Secretary of LIR.

 

I also act as the library subject liaison for the School of Engineering. This involves liaising with the academic staff with regards to the selection and cataloguing of library resources, research queries and provision of information skills sessions.
 
How many people do you work with?

14 of us work in the library (6 of which work part-time), however we have a lot of interaction with students and staff in the Institute.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The variety of the work, also the Institute is a very dynamic organisation and there are always lots of new developments and opportunities to get involved with.

 

Are you a ‘typical’ librarian and if so, how, or does this question make you mad!

Yes in that I like to be organised and do tend to wear my hair up a lot!