Meet…
21 May 2008
SLIS Student Brett VanBenschoten Awarded Two Scholarships
SLIS student Brett VanBenschoten was recently awarded two scholarships in recognition of his excellent academic record and commitment to the field of librarianship. First, he received one of two Ilene F. Rockman 2008 Conference Scholarships, which enabled him to attend the California Academic & Research Libraries (CARL) conference in Irvine, California.
He was thrilled that "a dear friend and fellow Occidental College graduate, Sarah Lehman", was the other recipient. At the time he applied for the scholarship, VanBenschoten was the Reference Assistant at Occidental College, and wanted to take the opportunity to learn more about issues affecting academic libraries.
The theme of the conference was "Going Global: Academic Libraries in the Age of Globalization." VanBenschoten described it as a hands-on, practical conference, with a fascinating mix of breakout sessions on topics as diverse as chat reference and archives from the Middle Ages. It was also, he points out, a wonderful chance to network with colleagues and meet the president of CARL.
He is also utilizing some of the practical information learned at one of the CARL conference workshops, entitled "Can Libraries be Sold as Soap? Utilizing Social Marketing to Connect Diverse Users with Library Services and Resources." The idea behind it was to target the audience first, then build a message and create an ad that delivers it. By modifying an idea that his group came up with in the workshop, VanBenschoten is working on developing an ad campaign for the hospital library where he currently works: Reading = Life. In addition, he will continue to expand the library’s online holdings, create a simple instructional session for library users, and work on outreach and marketing strategies.
In addition, VanBenschoten was also awarded the Karen Sternheim Memorial Scholarship from the Special Libraries Association Southern California Chapter. He won the honor after submitting an essay about the importance of special librarianship, along with recommendations from a colleague, a supervisor and a SLIS instructor.
Now working as the solo library associate at a hospital library, VanBenschoten is combining his background in health services with his library science education to make a difference in people’s lives. Being in charge of the entire library has been a challenge, he said, but one that he finds very worthwhile. He recently fielded an urgent research request from a doctor who had a patient on the operating table at the time, offering VanBenschoten the chance to provide information that was immediately put to use to literally save someone's life.
"I found it the most exciting thing in the world," he says of that situation. This was the moment he realized that librarianship is "not a behind-the-scenes job," but one where there is an immediate and significant impact. VanBenschoten recently received a wonderful compliment when someone referred to him as "a renaissance man." He feels that this perfectly describes what special librarians are, as the job encompasses many talents and skills and responsibilities, "all for the purpose of helping people improve their lives. There's no greater honor."
previous Meet spotlight | next Meet spotlight
Faculty, students, and alumni are needed for spotlights. Don't be bashful. Were you recently published in a LIS publication? Did you just receive an award from a LIS organization? Are you presenting at a LIS conference? Tell us! Fill out the Share your News form. Follow the links on the Meet... above to see past spotlights. Faculty: see also opportunities for announcements on Happenings pages.
One Washington Square - San José, California USA, 95192-0029
Phone: 408-924-2490
Contact the webmaster
