Katie (Mandy) Malone earned her MLIS in 2013. She is currently employed as a technical services specialist at the Williamsburg Regional Library in Williamsburg, Virginia.

What do you do in your current job?
I catalog junior non-fiction books and junior and young adult A/V materials; receive serials and new library materials; and process new A/V materials. I’m also cross-trained to work on the public service desks and I help out with special events at my library. Last summer, I helped with my library’s Anime Con and recently I participated in International Games Day, an all-ages celebration of video and board games.

What’s the most interesting or significant thing you’ve done since graduating?
Two things come to mind: dressing as the children’s character Pete the Cat for a youth services outreach event at a local elementary school and giving a short talk on the films of Alfred Hitchcock for my library’s outreach services division. The talk was particularly memorable because the program room at one location had a bird flying around in a bird cage. It was sheer coincidence, but quite effective when I discussed the film The Birds.

What are you passionate about in your work?
Professionally, I am passionate about cataloging and providing relevant and accurate information for our users in a timely manner. I’m also fascinated by how advances in technology have changed the types of materials and services libraries provide to their communities. On a personal level, I enjoy working with other divisions at my library. Understanding how each division operates enhances my work because I’m attuned to their needs when making decisions in technical services. 

What did you learn while in school at the CIC that still resonates today?
I received a strong foundation in cataloging though my coursework at CIC and internship in my library’s technical services department. My coursework in information networks and information technologies was also pivotal in my decision to pursue a career in technical services.

Do you have a favorite professor or a favorite memory from your time at the CIC?
Librarianship is a second career for me and Dr. Clayton Copeland and Dr. Elise Lewis co-taught my first class at the school. Their support and encouragement made the transition fun and intellectually rewarding.