A Chapter of the Medical Library Association

Name: Lauren Carter

Institution: University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ)

Title: Library Services Associate

Brief description of what you do at your institution

I provide basic research assistance to students, staff, and faculty from a variety of health science programs at the Phoenix Bioscience Core. However, most of the time I'm working on projects like displays, passive programming activities, and recently, cataloging our new special collection (more on that later!).

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

As a recent MLIS graduate who is actively job hunting, MLGSCA is a great resource to meet other health science library professionals -- and to find out about job openings! :-)

Why did you become a librarian?

My mom, an academic librarian, encouraged me to work in my college library during undergrad, and I loved it. After graduating, I briefly worked in a corporate job (just three months!) before realizing it wasn’t for me. I missed working in the library, so I decided to pursue library work again. I worked in a public library for a while, and eventually landed at the College of Medicine-Phoenix where I decided to pursue my MLIS.

What was your first library job or professional position?

My first library job was as a student worker at Mesa Community College. Later, during my MLIS, I returned as an intern, and after graduating, I was invited back as an Adjunct Faculty Librarian. So I'm hugely thankful to MCC for being the place where I fell in love with library work, and now also being the first place I get to call myself a Librarian. :-)

What has been the most interesting project you have worked on?

As I mentioned before, I’ve been cataloging a large donation of antique and rare medical books from a local pediatric neurologist, with some texts dating back to the 1600s! It’s been fascinating to work with these historic books and to play a role in the planning and curatorial decisions for the new special collection.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

I would love to visit New Orleans! I love jazz and spooky vibes so it's been on my list for a while.

What do you do in your spare time for fun, or to relax?

For fun, I love going to concerts, traveling, and exploring art museums. My best friend works in the local arts, so she always takes me to the coolest new exhibitions! :~) To relax, I’m usually at home reading or watching TV with my partner and our cat.

What is the best thing you have read/watched/listened to recently?

Severance! I'm obsessed.