A relocation to Portland, Maine required Elizabeth Pope (MS ’09) to get creative with her job search, but the skills she gained at GSLIS allowed her to find her current position at a nonprofit research company.
Where do you work and what is your role?[image1-right]
I'm the director of research and operations at Idealware, a nonprofit based out of beautiful Portland, Maine. Our mission is to help other nonprofits make smart software and technology decisions. We publish impartial, thoroughly researched, and easy-to-understand reports and articles for the nonprofit community, the vast majority of which we give out online for free! As head of the research team, I get to do first-hand research into the software and technology sector by conducting interviews, focus groups, and product demos, which I write up and also share with the community through trainings.
What do you like best about your job?
I love being able to work with a diverse array of nonprofits doing incredible work across the country and help them be more effective and tech-literate. I also share Idealware's commitment to the free and open dissemination of information—it makes my librarian heart sing.
How did GSLIS help you get to where you are today?
GSLIS was an amazing investment in my career. My classes helped shaped my understanding of technology's power to transform our culture. I also had a half-time [graduate assistant] position in the University Archives, which was an incredible opportunity. Thanks to my GSLIS training, I was able to get a job in my last semester of grad school as a federal government archivist at the National Archives branch in New York City, even in the middle of the Great Recession. I also served as the assistant director of the oral history office of the Columbia University Libraries before my now-husband and I decided to move to Maine last summer to be closer to both our families. Maine has a much smaller pool of libraries and archives at which to work, so I needed to get creative about my job search. Happily, the skills I learned at GLSIS were super transferable to my second act as a nonprofit tech researcher!
What advice would you like to share with GSLIS students?
Don't be afraid of technology. I took a lot of great classes at GSLIS, but I wish I'd also taken some of the ones that intimidated me back then, like Data Mining. Do Alternative Spring Break—I had a blast working at a few different art libraries in DC. Take advantage of the wealth of opportunities offered to GSLIS and Illinois students—drink it all in!
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I'm having a great time exploring the natural beauty of my new home in Maine. I also love to travel—my husband and I went on our honeymoon in South Africa this year, and next year, we're planning trips to Montreal, Mexico, and Portugal. I just started taking pottery classes and am churning out a number of really ugly bowls, and as a member of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, I go on fun adventures with my Little Sister.
What’s next for you?
I'm excited to serve as Idealware's liaison to the library community—I think there are a lot of libraries out there with strapped technology budgets who could benefit from our resources. While I love my job, I do miss archives sometimes, and I'm hoping to fit in a volunteer position at a local historical society to scratch that archival processing itch!