Master's student Elisandro Cabada has his sights set on academic librarianship. As a 2015-2017 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Diversity Scholar, and with experience working at two University of Illinois libraries, he is well on his way to achieving his goal.
Why did you decide to pursue an LIS degree?
I have been working or volunteering in libraries since I was a freshman in high school. Over the years, I have tried to become more involved and develop professionally during my time as a student assistant at the Newspaper Library (now the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library) and currently as a library operations associate at the Grainger Engineering Library at Illinois. I am pursuing my LIS degree to learn the skills and theoretical framework to pursue a career as a professional librarian.
Why did you choose GSLIS?
To be honest, it was one of the easier decisions I had to make when I was considering pursuing my master’s degree. The iSchool at Illinois is the preeminent information school in the world. The faculty, facilities, and resources available to students here are unmatched in the field of library and information science.
What particular LIS topics interest you most?
I am interested in knowledge management, user services, library assessment, and library administration. I am also interested in the issue of diversity in librarianship, specifically in leadership roles.
What do you do outside of class?
Along with working full time at the Grainger Engineering Library, I enjoy participating in student groups and attending lectures and workshops for professional development.
What career plans or goals do you have?
I hope to one day become a university librarian at an ARL library, but more specifically, I am interested in being an academic librarian in a STEM program at a major research library.