Protégé Perspective
I came to librarianship after a career in academic publishing, a field where I felt incredibly isolated. The demographics of both fields are similar, but I had no connections to other BIPOC folks in academic publishing. When I started researching a career change to librarianship, I quickly found organizations like APALA—the kind of community that I wished I had before. I felt like I could survive in LIS because of networks like this, and I knew I wanted to get more involved with APALA.
Last year, I signed up for the APALA Mentorship Program, and I am so grateful that I was paired up with Jaena. The program aligned with my last year of library school, and Jaena was a huge source of guidance and support as I navigated grad school and completed my master’s capstone project. Job searching has also been a big focus for me this year. Jaena and I discussed everything from resumes and cover letters, to civil service hiring processes, to the transferable skills from my previous career. Our conversations have helped me feel much more confident as I enter the field and apply for my first public librarian role.
Jaena and I also discussed the many ways to engage with the field and build community with other library professionals. I admire the way Jaena embraces so many projects that she is passionate about, including serving organizations like APALA and WOC+Lib, as well as participating in programs like Emerging California Library Leaders and a certificate in Philippine Studies. Jaena and I share what I like to call “doing all the things” energy, and it was so valuable to connect over the ways we pursue our interests and sometimes fold those interests into our professional lives. This year, I balanced library school, two jobs, conducting my first research study, and pursuing a certificate in Asian American Studies. Jaena encouraged all my projects and interests, and she helped me make connections between them and my library work.
I am still very much in a transition period of finishing library school and making this career change, and I am grateful to have Jaena in my corner. She is a trusted advisor as I find my footing, explore my interests, and grow into this new profession.
Kim Nguyen is a recent graduate from the UCLA MLIS program. Combining her specializations in public librarianship and Asian American Studies, she is interested in library service to immigrant and refugee communities, oral history, and youth services. She serves on the APALA Membership Committee and is a 2021 Spectrum Scholar.
Mentor Perspective
I started my library career with APALA, way back in grad school at Syracuse University. APALA was the perfect community for a fledgling librarian to participate in, and I threw myself into committees and the mentorship program in order to network with other BIPOC library staff. I participated in the mentorship program twice, first as a brand new librarian, and then as a first-time manager. I made valuable connections and learned a lot from my mentors.
This was my first time on the mentor side of this program, and I couldn’t have wished for a better experience than I had with Kim. From the first Zoom session, I felt a flood of excitement and enthusiasm. I saw a lot of myself in her from the start; we are both ambitious, curious and passionate about librarianship, and community is a driving force for us both. Kim and
I typically met via Zoom every two weeks. We’d update each other on classes, work/life balance, and professional opportunities that arose for each of us.
I tried my best to guide and encourage her in a way that wasn’t heavy-handed, but we did discuss a huge variety of things, from the job search to the day-to-day operations of a public library. I truly valued our easy connection and look forward to watching her flourish in this field.
One of the high points was meeting Kim in-person over dinner back in March 2022. I happened to be down in the LA area for a California Library Association leadership program. It was refreshing to experience Kim’s energy face-to-face. Librarians like Kim are our profession’s future and I’m excited to know it is in good hands.
Jaena Rae Cabrera is the manager of the San Francisco Public Library, Ocean View Branch. Currently, she is the APALA treasurer and will transition to vice president/president-elect in the 2022-2023 fiscal year. She is also the editor-in-chief of WOC+Lib, and an editor for In The Library With The Lead Pipe.