It was probably mid-October of my first semester of law school when early signs appeared that I was a likely candidate for designation as Potential Law Librarian. As the reality of the law school workload set in and autumn leaves began to fall, the law library became my home away from home. Blessed with curiosity and never one to hesitate to ask questions, I soon became fascinated with the law librarians who seemed to know everything about the law, research, legal writing, and more.
Some of my early questions included the following: What’s the difference between AmJur and C.J.S.? How are Lexis and Westlaw different? Is one better under some circumstances than the other? If so, what are those circumstances? Are there specific things I can, do aside from gaining experience over time, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of my research skills? Will you teach me how to Shepardize in the books even though I’ll always have the opportunity to do it electronically because it just seems like something I should know?
These sound like the questions of a budding law librarian to me. By spring, I inquired about requirements to become a law librarian. At the time, the idea of another degree program stopped that career plan in its tracks. And I went on about being a law student—all the while still fascinated with research and the law library, which I soon began to call the heart of the law school.
Time went on, and my interests in librarianship grew. By the middle of my third year, I knew I wanted to work in a law school library for the entirety of my career. I was fortunate enough to remain employed in the same law clerk job from my second summer of law school until one year following the summer of the bar exam.
Students ask me now whether I think taking the bar exam or working after law school is important for becoming a law librarian. There are at least two schools of thought on this topic. Of course it’s not required, but I would not change the path I took. Personally, the bar exam provided a sense of closure and completion of the law school process that graduation didn’t provide - even though graduation day retains its designation as the happiest day of my life thus far. Professionally, I think it certainly does not hurt in the job seeking process and may help with credibility in the eyes of students.
The real world work experience similarly may help with credibility with students. More importantly, it provided over two years of experience conducting research and applying it in real legal situations. Not a day goes by when I’m on the reference desk in my current position that I don’t have the opportunity to utilize something that I learned while working.
I also learned the importance of the right fit among a group of co-workers. The General Counsel’s Office in which I was so fortunate to work ran so smoothly because everyone fit together so well and held the organization in such high esteem. It makes all the difference in the world when the right group of people, with complementary skills and personalities, work together. The collective mindset regarding work ethic and the best interest of the organization allow the entire unit to function optimally. I was fortunate to work in this type environment and hoped to find that as a working librarian. Fortunately, I now work in a similar environment.
The transition to library school was a bit more difficult than I anticipated. At times, I felt slightly overwhelmed by the number of deadlines. In law school, I had few deadlines, few assignments, and simply had to read and study for hours at a time. The high volume of work and the struggle to balance sometimes seven assignments due in one week across my four library school classes was surprising. Let no one state that library school doesn’t keep its students busy.
The most important and enjoyable learning experience during library school was the opportunity to work on the reference desk in the law school for seven months. It was there that I knew for sure I had made the right career choice. It was heartwarming and incredibly satisfying to assist law students and public patrons alike to locate and use the legal materials I had come to love during law school and clerking. I also learned a great deal from the librarians, who further demonstrated my initial impression that law librarians are a good lot—helpful, enthusiastic, and willing to go the extra mile in order to strive for excellence.
Theoretically, I knew balancing deadlines and priorities in library school mirrored what would come in the working world of librarianship. Practically, I was in for another set of challenges when I started working in my current position as a Catalog & Reference Librarian.
Unlike in law school and library school, my work suddenly became on-going. It may ebb and flow a bit as semesters begin and end, but it isn’t complete at the end of a few months as the semester ends. My life has operated on an academic calendar since pre-school, so it’s been a big adjustment. In many ways, I’m still adjusting. I think we all have to assess and readjust our sails periodically to make sure we’re moving in the right direction.
Balancing deadlines, managing priorities, and coping with an on-going workflow are challenges, but the good far outweighs the less than good. I’m beaming as I write of my love for my work. I knew when in law school I wanted to do this, and words fail to express the great relief I felt when I started working and loved it as much as I had hoped. The student interaction is rewarding, as cliché as it may sound. It feels so good to help them improve their research skills. The public patron interaction often is humbling. Not a reference shift goes by when I don’t leave the desk grateful for the opportunities in my life. Finally, collaboration among colleagues both within my library and with librarians outside my library is one of the most exciting, energizing parts of the work.
I’ve learned many lessons throughout my journey from law student to law librarian. And I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve learned that procrastination never helps and that hard work always pays off in one way or another. I’ve learned that learning to prioritize is half the battle in coping with deadlines and volumes of work. I’ve also learned that flexibility and willingness to do whatever needs to get done not only helps things run more smoothly but also makes me feel more at peace. Finally, I’ve learned that just as I suspected during my first year of law school, law librarianship is my life work. I believe in it, I’m excited about it, and I want to work to the best of my abilities on any given day.
There are few things I know now that I wish I knew while deciding whether this was the right career choice for me. The law students who might be Potential Law Librarians are easy to spot. They’re the ones asking questions with a small sparkle of fascination in their eyes. They’re the ones who’ll listen intently as you regale them with the publishing history of the U.S. Code or the differences between Lexis and Westlaw headnotes (this one captivates me). I would implore librarians to pull these students aside and encourage them to at least consider a career as a law librarian. Although still in the infancy of my career, I know I made the right decision. It wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance and patience from the law librarians in my law school with my endless stream of questions. We owe it to the individuals and we owe it to the profession to recruit people who will carry on the traditional foundations of the profession and lead the way into the future with passionate dedication.