School of Information Management

Faculty of Management

Kara Thompson

Campus Librarian, Nova Scotia Community College (Marconi Campus)

Favourite aspect of your job? Most exciting part of your job?  Most rewarding part of your job? Proudest moment so far? I find the work I do at NSCC especially rewarding – as an access college we have a variety of students with differing experiences from college graduates to individuals who are coming into our Adult Learning Program to get their high school diploma.  All of them bring unique and interesting life experiences to the college and make every day of my job unique and different – no two days are ever the same.  The most rewarding part of my job is graduation – seeing students that have worked so hard over the year(s) finally reach their goals and cross the stage is the best feeling ever.

Has serendipity played a role in your career? I think I’ve had quite a bit of serendipity in my career – I found my initial position in Wisconsin through a tip from one of my cohorts at SLIS and then the position at NN/LM fell into my lap and gave me the chance to work in a large city.  When I decided to move back to Canada I was really lucky that the position in New Brunswick became available and I was able to come back to the East Coast.

What skill is most in-demand for people entering the field today? I think the most important skill for any information professional is the ability to be flexible within your workplace, especially since our jobs are ever changing and organizational requirements for us are expanding at an exceptional rate.

Words of advice for MLIS students? Is there anything you wish you had known when you entered your professional that would be helpful to someone entering it today? I wish I had had more practical management experience – I had a theoretical understanding of management but not necessarily a practical understanding of how I would need to manage people in the workplace.

Career tips for emerging professionals? Be flexible, be open to change and constantly push yourself beyond your self-imposed barriers.