MSLIS student Fi Keane found their way to the iSchool after working in the children’s section of a bookstore. For the past academic year, they have served as the graduate assistant for Research on Diversity in Youth Literature, a peer-reviewed, open access, academic journal hosted by the iSchool’s Center for Children’s Books.
Why did you decide to pursue an MSLIS degree?
After I finished my undergrad degree in 2019, I spent three years working in political/community organizing with a focus on progressive causes and candidates. I loved getting to connect with and empower my local community, but I found myself getting pretty burnt out. In 2022, I ended up working as a bookseller after leaving my nonprofit job. I had originally planned to only work there for a few months while I looked for a new organizing job, but I soon realized that I didn’t want to continue my career in organizing. I loved getting to be surrounded by books all day, and moreover, I loved using my role in the children’s books department to build community and help kids find just the right book. I found myself wanting to find a job that would allow me to work with books AND help my community. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that librarianship was the perfect way to marry those two things together. So, in the fall of 2023 I applied for MSLIS programs, and the rest is history!
Why did you choose the iSchool at Illinois?
Honestly, my graduate assistantship for the Research on Diversity in Youth Literature (RDYL) journal was a big part of the reason I chose the iSchool. I was already drawn to the structure of the program; I appreciated how independent it is and how much freedom students get to choose their courses based on what skills they need. Getting the chance to work with RDYL was the cherry on top and helped me choose the U. of I.!
Which LIS topics interest you the most?
I’m training to be a youth services librarian, so I’m drawn to any courses that focus on that topic. This past year, I took Children’s Programming, Children’s Materials, Early Literacy, and Youth Services Librarianship and honestly loved them all. I find materials classes especially interesting, mostly because I’m a big nerd who loves to study how books for youth have changed over time! But I’ve also really enjoyed the classes that let me dig into the societal aspects of youth services librarianship. Teens especially tend to be forgotten in library spaces, so any class that’s aimed at making the library a more approachable and comfortable place for teens interests me.
What do you do outside of class?
Because RDYL is focused on issues of representation and diversity in youth literature, I’ve enjoyed getting to not only learn a whole variety of new skills but also stay informed on the conversations happening around diversity in the field. Some of my GA work includes administrative tasks, like keeping track of article submissions and making sure everything is accessible on our site. I also draft up contracts, social media posts, and press releases, as well as compile data for the annual report. When we’re preparing an issue of the journal, I create the page proofs, which basically means taking the accepted articles and formatting them for publication. We just published issue 6 (2), which is the first issue I’ve gotten to work on, and I’m really proud of how it turned out!
Like most MSLIS students, I love to read, so I always try to make time to read for fun outside of class. I love genre fiction and have been reading a lot of horror and fantasy books lately (I’m on a big vampire kick after seeing Sinners and Nosferatu!). I’m also a bit of a movie nerd and am currently watching every Oscar Best Picture winner with my partner and our friends. I also love to go on bike rides around Champaign.
What career plans or goals do you have?
I’m planning to become a public librarian, preferably in youth services! In the long term, I’d like to work my way up to a managerial position, but right now I’m looking for entry-level roles post-graduation to gain more experience.