January
16,
2004
Mount
Holyoke Hosts Simmons College Library Science Program
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Photo: Todd LeMieux
The reading room in Mount
Holyoke's Williston Library was built to resemble
the Great Hall at London's Westminster Hall with
its famous hammer-beam roof. Simmons library science students
take classes in the library and in Skinner Hall. |
Libraries
are quiet places, so it may be news to some on campus that
one of the best library science schools in the country offers
a degree program right here at Mount Holyoke. Simmons Graduate
School of Library and Information Science, based in Boston,
decided in 2001 to open a branch in western Massachusetts and,
after canvasing the area, it clinched a deal with Mount Holyoke.
So far, it's been a perfect match.
According to Terry Plum, professor and director of the program, approximately
80 students are enrolled in the program, earning a Masters of Science in Library
Science. Although a majority of students are working and attending Simmons on
the side, the program has several recent college graduates who are studying full-time,
including some from Mount Holyoke. Forty percent of the students are already
working in the library field; 60 percent are career changers.
The Simmons program offers eight to ten courses each semester, on Saturdays.
While it started out as a generalist program, preparing graduates for work in
public and academic libraries, it has branched out to include a concentration
in archives and a teacher certification for librarians in public schools K-12.
Plum said there is likely to be "booming demand for librarians in the next
decade" because of the aging population of present librarians. Simmons
graduates generally find a wealth of employment opportunities awaiting them at
the end of the program, particularly if they are willing to leave this area.
Despite cutbacks in public libraries, jobs for librarians are plentiful, especially
in schools.
Plum and his Simmons colleagues have been thoroughly satisfied with the facilities
at MHC. "It's a stunning library," Plum said. "And a
lot of great changes have been made in the past two years, including the Information
Commons and the coffee shop. The place is really hopping." Plum has been
particularly impressed by the helpfulness and generosity of the library staff. "It's
a partnership, and
I hope we're helping them, too,"
he said.
The arrangement has indeed been beneficial to Mount Holyoke, according to MHC's
Gail Scanlon, librarian and director of access and technical services. Three
MHC staffers are currently in the program and several have been enrolled previously. "It's
been great for them because they don't have to commute to New Haven or
Boston," Scanlon said. In addition, she has found that the Simmons presence
on campus has "created new energy in the library. We have people coming
in to discuss future trends and new technology. They ask good questions, and
they make us think, too." The Simmons program has also provided the library
with well-trained and eager interns in various departments, including archives
and special collections and reference. "It's been wonderful for us," Scanlon
said.
Local Residents Learn Library Science
The arrival of the Simmons library program at Mount Holyoke
has been serendipitous for several South Hadley residents, including
Emily Alling and Susan Crowther, who were members of the first
matriculating class in the fall of 2001. The South Hadley location
was a critical factor in both women's decision to enroll
in the program. Alling, who had been planning to do the Simmons
program in Boston, was thrilled when the Mount Holyoke branch
opened. "I could literally walk to school," she said. "I
have always liked books," said Crowther, who has worked
at South Hadley's Odyssey Bookshop, "and I've
always been interested in being a librarian. I knew about Simmons
in Boston, but with two kids I couldn't handle that commute.
So when the program opened at Mount Holyoke, it all came together."
Graduating from the program in spring of 2003, Crowther took the position of
librarian at the E. N. White Elementary School in Holyoke. "I like the
kids and introducing them to literature," Crowther said. "But computer
technology is new to Holyoke, so it's a bit of a challenge." Alling
is pleased to have landed a job as a reference librarian at Springfield College,
where she can put to use her skills in reference services and technology.
Crowther and Alling speak highly of the program. "The professors were great,
and you couldn't ask for a better place to study than the Mount Holyoke
library," Crowther said. "It's absolutely beautiful." She
found Professor Terry Plum's course in computer networking and telecommunication
particularly inspiring. "It was an eye-opener to the future of what libraries
should and will be," she said.
Above all, both women appreciated the camaraderie that quickly developed among
the students. "There were a lot of great people—from Vermont, Connecticut,
and even New York State," Crowther said. "Everyone was so excited
to have the program in western Massachusetts." Alling agreed. "My
fellow students were wonderful, from all different backgrounds," she said. "They
were not only tremendously supportive, but a really fun-loving group. Not your
stereotypical librarians."
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