Mackenzie Nies

Describe the steps you took to obtain your internship.

Over the summer, I applied for and worked as a front desk worker at the music library at FSU. I had mentioned in my interview that I had an interest in preservation, and as I worked I quickly realized that I was extremely interested in how the library was run and how I could help it to continue to run in more ways than just sitting at the desk. A week before the internship deadline, the Personnel Manager met with me and (in no uncertain terms) told me to apply for the position. As I would later find out, they had been looking for a preservation intern for a while, and I was the perfect fit.

How far in advance did you prepare and begin applying for your experiential learning opportunity?

I knew very little about preserving music and the general workings of a library before I began working at the Allen Music Library. As soon as I applied, I began doing research on repair techniques. I started communicating with the Binding Assistant (now my supervisor) and the Personnel Manager about what steps I would need to take to prepare for the internship, and during the interview process I emphasized that I knew and understood the philosophy and ethics of preservation, even if I did not know the particular techniques.

If you used any Career Center services, resources, or events to obtain your internship/research opportunity/fellowship, what were they? How did they support your application process?

I used NoleNetwork to apply for this internship. After making a profile, they have excellent job listings and search features, and if you opt in, employers can reach out to you.

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your experiential learning opportunity.

As the Allen Music Library's Preservation Intern, I learn and conduct the simple repairs required to keep scores in a condition to circulate. In simple terms, I fix scores and books as best I can, forward the items I cannot repair to my supervisor, change those books' statuses in our database, and ensure that those items are both given the care they deserve, and quickly re-enter circulation so that our patrons can use them. I assess each score that ends up on my table, noting what kinds of repairs it could use, then I make the best decision I can for each score depending on its age, whether or not it is still in print, how often it is checked out, and how extensive the damages are.

What was a typical day like "on the job?"

At the start of each shift, I always go to my supervisor to discuss what tasks need to be done that day, how I am progressing, what questions I have about repair types, and any notes she has from the other full time staff. I then check the repair cart we have behind the front desk, take any new items on that cart, change their status in our library to "in-process," and sort them by most intrusive repair type on the shelves by my workstation. Sometimes this is the point where my supervisor will teach me a new repair or monitor how my techniques are developing on a repair type I already know. After all of these tasks are done and I have learned a new lesson for the day, I get to work repairing books as well as I can. If I cannot figure out the best solution for a score or manuscript, my supervisor is right around the corner ready to answer a question, and each of the librarians are chatty and friendly enough so that there is never a boring moment.

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation?

My two biggest takeaways are that enthusiasm begets success and acts as a better motivator for hard work than pressure, and that there are workplace environments out there that are very positive, patient, and fun. If I had been serious, brooding, and bitingly academic in my approach to preserving these books, I feel that I would not have been able to learn as much as I have or adapt to the library's needs as well. Because I am more enthusiastic, I have more fun at work, too. I find myself extremely lucky to be able to work at the Allen Music Library; all of my coworkers are lovely and fun, our patrons are largely respectful and considerate, and I have been given the opportunity to grow and attempt to change the library in ways that could help myself, the full time staff, and our patrons. There are good, healthy jobs out there, and though they may be few and far between, I have managed to be lucky enough to find one. For the future, I hope to either find a similar job environment, or to create one like this myself.

Did this experience help clarify your career path? If yes, how so?

Before working at the Allen Music Library, I had a general idea that I did not want to be a violin performer full time. I had a strange idea in my head that I would go into Library Science, but I thought this was more of a weird fantasy. After working at the AML, I know this is what I should do with my life. It has motivated me to apply for my Masters' in Library Science, with an emphasis in music, and I have a much stronger direction for my career than I ever have before.