I had the pleasure of attending ALA Annual in San Diego as a Spectrum Scholar. This was an inspiring and pivotal point in my journey as an early career librarian. The Spectrum Institute provided a sense of community and a gateway to joining the NALCos. It was a chance to be with other librarians of color, create connections and celebrate our existence.
As someone who has come to librarianship as a second career, I knew I would not be able to do it alone. My first library gig was as an Assistant Librarian at a busy branch with 28 employees. I was the only person of color. Although I ended up transferring to another location with staff of color, I knew I needed to create connections outside of my immediate library if I was to survive, let alone thrive in the field.
I am extremely privileged and honored to be a Spectrum Scholar, but it would not have been possible without the APALA community. A former Spectrum Scholar and current APALA member, Jody Mohrbacher, encouraged me to apply. It was at Spectrum that I had that “Aha” moment: the recognition that while there’s still much work to be done, there is a vibrant community of librarians of color.
At Spectrum and ALA Annual I had conversations that encouraged me to make the jump from public libraries to academic libraries. Seeing how active APALA members were in panels, leading sessions, and hosting APALA events helped me see that there was a community that represented me, of which I could be a part of. This realization led me to join APALA, sign up for the mentorship program and write this article.
I am incredibly thankful for the community that has welcomed me as an early career librarian. I succeeded in making the switch and just started a position as the Dental Liaison Librarian at the University of Minnesota (thank you to everyone for the thoughtful career advice and encouragement!). I look forward to extending that same hand and welcoming the others to the APALA and Spectrum communities.
Written by Melissa Ernst with editing support from Amanda Cheung