Name: Karen O'Grady
Institution: University of San Diego, San Diego, CA
Title: Nursing Librarian
Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.
I am an embedded librarian at the Hahn School of Nursing, meaning my office is in the nursing building and not in the campus library. USD only has graduate nursing students, so I mostly help students and faculty with their research.
Why is MLGSCA important to you?
MLGSCA is important to me for friendship and networking.
Why did you become a librarian?
I had previously worked in publishing, and I worked with a lot of librarians. The more I learned about the profession, the more I saw it was a perfect fit for me.
What has been the most interesting project you have worked on?
My future dream project is to connect my nursing students with the hospital librarians at their clinical sites to help bridge the classroom-to-bedside gap. Many nursing students stop reading the nursing literature once they graduate. Oh, how this frustrates me.
What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?
Find your niche. Unlike public librarianship, medical librarianship positions vary widely in day-to-day duties. If you don't love what you are doing, look around and make a change. The perfect job awaits you!
What do you consider to be the most pressing issues or trends in librarianship?
I think the profession would benefit greatly if library students jumped into participating in professional organizations. Beyond that, I think AI has many people in academia worried.
What is the best thing you have read/watched/listened to recently?
I am listening to John Green books. I finished Looking for Alaska, and now I am listening to Turtles All the Way Down. That guy can really write!
Is there anything about you that others would be surprised to know?
I have a Secret government clearance because of my previous position at a submarine base.
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of completing the Alcatraz swim in San Francisco.
Is there anything about you that others would be surprised to know?
I have a Secret government clearance because of my previous position at a submarine base.
A Chapter of the Medical Library Association