By Charles Ratliff
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The increasing need for information retention is opening up new fields for library science students, prompting the first library science career day event.
"Library students need to get background experience in computers and networking," said Patricia Auflick, a member of the Graduate Library School advisory committee of the Arizona State Library Association.
Auflick said the use of computers is almost essential in public libraries, or even in her specialty, the medical field. Networking and management information systems is one of the five areas represented at the event, which begins this afternoon.
"This is the first time it has been tried at the graduate level or in Arizona," Auflick said. "We have no idea what is going to happen."
"There will be institutional representation from the five different areas of the field," said Wanda Poindexter, the student program coordinator for the student library organization.
The other four areas represented at the career day are academic, public, school and special libraries.
Poindexter said there will be no special speakers or presentations at the career day. Instead, tables from the different areas will be set up for students to browse. Once students have the information they need they do not have to stick around, he said.
Auflick said representatives would be on hand, not only to provide information about careers, but to identify students for possible internships within organizations.
"Bring questions and an area of interest you would like to network in," Poindexter said.
The success of career day, Auflick said, depends on how well future librarians can sell themselves to prospective employers. The event will give students an insight into what companies are looking for.
"We'll be bringing a list of potential job openings for students," Auflick said.
Career day is from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in the courtyard of the Graduate Library School at 1515 E. First Street.