by Zach Miller
Quick Summary
In every Minnesota community, there's a library. And in every library, you will find workers dedicated to the betterment of their neighbor's lives. That's why the most important resource in a library is not its books, but the people who work there. Mercer Gilchrist, already employed at a library, is pursuing her MLIS degree at St. Catherine University.
Tell us one thing you've learned at St. Kate's about libraries that surprised you.
Learning about the diversity of ideas within our program. Library school isn't just about cataloging and reference questions. St. Kate's MLIS students come from such varied backgrounds and have so many motivations for why we are pursuing this path. There are those with a background in IT who are interested in the back-end features of the library, but then there are others who see the library as a space for grassroots organizing and fulfilling the mission of social justice in our communities.
What made you want to become a librarian?
Initially, I wanted to understand the ways in which we organize information. I found metadata management appealing from a philosophical perspective, and wanted to better understand the granular nature of ideas and information.
Can you share a story about how the library had a positive impact on your life or the life of someone you know?
At the specific branch where I work, there has been a push to extend library hours in the morning. A lot of our patrons are unhoused and dependent upon our building for safety and warmth. It is never just one person who reaps the positive benefits of the library. It's communities overlapping with one another and finding common ground in the shared space which ultimately creates a more empathic community. It's hard to see that as anything other than positivity, every day.
