Our May event was on the experience of Cambridge Library Graduate Trainees. The speakers were two current trainees, Elizabeth White (Trinity College) and Grace Hogan (Pembroke), and Lily Swain, last year’s trainee at Anglia Ruskin, currently doing her M.A. in Librarianship at University College London.
While I am far closer to the end of my career than the beginning, I was really impressed by their enthusiasm for their chosen profession. Elizabeth spoke on all the different aspects of the job which the college was allowing her to experience. Grace concentrated on the project which she has been undertaking, on a special collection of Alfred Wainwright’s works, which will culminate in an exhibition curated by her. The cohort of seven trainees in different libraries also have visits arranged for them to give them a wide-ranging picture of the jobs which being a librarian can encompass.
Lily talked about how her traineeship year prepared her for her current role, working as a Library Services Adviser while studying part-time in London for her M.A. She recently was a speaker at a major conference about an area in which she worked during her traineeship.
Although other institutions offer traineeships, the Cambridge Libraries take the training aspect of the job seriously and work hard to give the trainees as much experience and encouragement as possible.
Both Elizabeth and Grace have already been accepted by library schools for the next stage of their careers. I’m sure that all three will be credits to their training, and with young people of such ability and enthusiasm joining it, the future of a constantly changing profession looks bright.
Post contributed by Sarah Preston, Treasurer and Assistant Librarian at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
