Thanks to Rachelle M. McLain, Collection Development Librarian and Assistant Professor at Montana State University Library and member of IOP Publishing’s Library Advisory Board, for agreeing to take part in our Librarian Spotlight interview series.

“It’s cliché, but I love that libraries exist – places where everyone is welcome and it doesn’t matter your income, the type of car you drive, where you work, how old you are; it’s a place for everyone and offers something for everyone.”

• What made you decide to become a librarian?

I grew up in a small college town in Washington State. We had one small public library that I spent many hours at from childhood through high school. I loved reading, I loved their summer reading program, I must have felt safe and included there. I am so grateful for my parents bringing me to the library! I remember leaving for college knowing that I would eventually be getting an MLIS, assuming I would one day work in a public library, which I did, but only for a short time as a page while in college.

• What’s the best thing about being a librarian?

Helping and interacting with people. I love it, I love how appreciative people are when you can track down something they need. And even if you are not successful, they are still appreciative! Librarians are amazing at being present and listening to their patrons. Finding any sort of information can be tricky and it is only getting trickier! Amazing librarians are kind, patient, good listeners and make a difference.

• Tell us about your favourite book?

Oooh, I’m not sure I have a favorite! As a busy adult, I don’t read near as much as I would like to. I love memoirs and popular fiction. I’m very character driven, I love reading about a person’s experiences in life, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction.

• After a hard day, what do you do to relax?

Depends on the season! Montana in the summer means hiking after work and on the weekends. We have many trailheads close to town that offer easy to challenging hikes. Once December comes and the snow really starts to pile up, Bridger Bowl, the local ski hill opens. In just 30 minutes, we can be up on the hill skiing or snowboarding. I also love watching good TV, watching sports, spending time with my dogs and cats. I have three kids – sometimes hanging out with them is relaxing!

• In your opinion, what are the most important skills to have when working as a librarian?

Being a good listener and not making assumptions; really digging into what a patron is asking, what they need, why they need it, etc. I learned early on in my librarian career working in a private law firm library to not be afraid to ask a lot of questions in return. If I didn’t understand what the patron was asking, I asked questions in different ways to leave the interaction with confidence that I could help.

• What’s your favourite place in your library?

I love my office or visiting my work friend in their office for lunch together. We also love taking walks around our campus – our favorite time to walk to the duck pond on campus is May/June when the ducklings are born!

• In your opinion, what is the importance of the library?

It’s cliché, but I love that libraries exist – places where everyone is welcome and it doesn’t matter your income, the type of car you drive, where you work, how old you are; it’s a place for everyone and offers something for everyone. If the library is open, you can come inside. If you need free access to the internet, a book or a newspaper to read, a place to just sit and while away time, and more, the library is the only place that provides those things without judgment.

• Tell us about your chill-out area/library nook in your library (if you have one)?

The library partnered with the university’s culinary services department to bring a coffee shop to the library, Brewed Awakening. Brewed is across from the library’s popular reading collection, “Bobcat Browse,” and next to another sitting area where current newspapers are available and New Books are on display. The 3rd floor of the library is another popular spot – it’s considered a Quiet Floor and features a fountain.

• Tell us what a typical day looks like for you as a librarian.

As the Collection Development Librarian, I spend most of my time emailing with vendor and publisher reps. I manage the library’s $6 million dollar collections budget, so I also spend a fair amount of time wading through invoices. I often receive purchase requests for e-resources that require investigation. I work closely with the library’s Electronic Resources & Discovery Services Librarian. We enjoy working on new initiatives together, right now there is of course lots of OA and AI discussions.

• Could you tell us the most interesting/funniest story that happened to you working as a librarian?

I was hired as a very part time reference librarian here at the MSU Library before moving over to collection development. At the time we had a reference desk and we all had shifts to work at it. A young man approached and was obviously very stressed about an upcoming presentation or a paper due, like the next day. He was struggling with housing issues and finding the time and place to work on his paper, coming up with resources, etc. While I don’t remember exactly what I said, I do remember taking the approach of providing a calming response and suggesting tools to get him started. He came back the next week to thank me and said that everything worked out well and that he was appreciative of what I had done to help.

• What is your favorite part of the day at work?

I love volunteering for outreach events on campus that the library is invited to participate in. My favorite is the three summer orientations sessions for new students in the summer. The library hosts a “root beer float” break. The students and their parents are always so happy, and it’s great getting them into the library!

• Could you give us one book recommendation that everyone should read?

If you love short stories, I recommend Curtis Sittenfelds’ You Think It, I’ll Say It: Stories.

• If you had to describe a library in one word what would it be?

Abundant.