As a librarian at Kiplinger Research Library, Alex Aspiazu (MSLIS '22) loves solving historical mysteries and serving as a welcoming guide for patrons who are new to special collection libraries. When not providing a friendly presence at Kiplinger, Washington, DC residents can catch Aspiazu performing in plays at area theaters.
Where do you work, and what is your role?
I am the librarian at the Kiplinger Research Library, which is connected to the DC History Center. The DC History Center has been collecting papers and artifacts relevant to the lives and times of residents of the District of Columbia since 1894. The Kiplinger Library is the conduit through which the public can access items in the collection.
What do you like best about your job?
What I love the most about my job is solving historical mysteries through remote reference. No two questions are ever the same, and I get so much enjoyment out of coming up with creative ways to put a puzzle together. I don't always succeed, but when I do, I feel an incredible sense of accomplishment. Some of the most interesting questions I have been asked have revolved around little day-to-day details of life in this city during a different era, and it is a lot of fun to dig deep and learn something new.
What do you see as the most important impact of your work?
The biggest impact of my work comes from the most repetitive thing I do: every day, I help patrons learn how to navigate and feel comfortable in a research library setting. I walk people through the process of finding and requesting items, getting an appointment, and licensing images. Special collections libraries can be extremely intimidating and feel inaccessible to people who are not in that world, and I provide a friendly, warm, guiding presence that is aimed at welcoming everyone who is curious into our space. Accessibility is such an important part of my librarianship ethics, and I put a lot of thought into how we can continue to bring down barriers to entry.
How did the iSchool at Illinois help you get to where you are today?
Librarianship is my second career, and I would absolutely never have been able to pursue it had it not been for the generosity of this institution. I am an ALA Spectrum Scholar, which for most library schools means a certificate and a stipend of about $5,000. The iSchool at Illinois, in addition to being a prestigious institution, provides a full tuition waiver to students with a Spectrum Scholarship. I literally could not have afforded to become a librarian anywhere else.
What advice would you like to share with iSchool students?
Go out and get as many experiences as you can. Work part-time. Volunteer. Intern. Your educational achievements are admirable and necessary, but they are not what will allow you to confidently say, Yes! I can do that! Having worked in a library setting will get you those skills. Also, you build resilience, problem-solving abilities, patience, empathy—there is only so much you can learn in a classroom. And don't feel tethered to only working in the type of librarianship you're most interested in. I have been able to parlay all types of learned skills into the job I have now. Having experience is what matters most.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
One of the great benefits of working in a special collection is that the hours are more traditional than in a public library setting, so I have had the time and space to dedicate myself to the other passion in my life, stage performance. I became a professional actor two years ago with the support of my family and my coworkers, and I've never looked back! That said, work and rehearsal don't leave too much spare time to do much of anything else, so I try to find time to make art and hang out with my people, and occasionally to bed rot with a book.