|
 What is your name?
Lara Harte.
Where are you from?
Dublin.
Where do you work?
I work in the RTÉ Reference Library.
What do you spend most of your day doing?
The Reference Library is a research support service for journalists, so my day can vary a lot depending on demand. If urgent research queries come in, these take priority over my other responsibilities, which are contents-management based. I create and maintain a number of research resources, including a Diary of Anniversaries and a Diary of Events. I’m involved in the RTÉ Libraries and Archives website projects, and do a lot of proof-reading, copy-editing and fact-checking. I also catalogue and classify our book collection.
Did you always want to be a librarian, and if not what did you do before you became one?
I was a full-time novelist for a number of years after leaving college. I became interested in librarianship when I started doing research for historical novels. This involved a lot of research in libraries, and I became interested in how information is organized and in how to access it effectively. So I began to work part-time as a library assistant, and I eventually decided to study for a professional qualification in librarianship and make a career of it.
How many people do you work with?
There are three of us in the Reference Library, so there’s a lot of overlap and flexibility in tasks.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
It’s a very interesting job in so far as we deal with a wide range of queries, and I enjoy doing research. I also am pleased that I can use my writing skills and have the opportunity to develop my interest in online publishing.
What do you avoid doing most?
I don’t ‘avoid’ doing anything that has to be done. However, given a choice, I prefer not to do anything that involves heavy physical work, so, for example, I am happy if one of my colleagues looks after the end-of-month newspaper clearout.
How do you unwind after a hard day at the office?
I like to go for a walk, to clear my head and stretch my legs after a day in front of a computer screen.
Are you a ‘typical’ librarian and if so, how, or does this question make you mad!
I don’t know that there is such a thing as a ‘typical’ librarian; most of those I’ve worked with have come from a wide variety of backgrounds. But I do have definite librarian characteristics: I like seeing books properly classified and arranged in order on the shelves and go mad if I find something out of place. I also love tackling complex research queries and finding the answers within our collections.
|
Post New Event
