By Christen Robichaud
Like most other librarians, librarianship wasn’t my original career choice, but I am very happy that I ended up working in libraries. From a very young age I knew I wanted to be an archaeologist and after completing general education classes at my local community college I transferred to university, majoring in anthropology. During my junior year, I was finally able to delve into my field of study and found that it was very difficult to narrow down my focus. I’d assumed my specialty would be ancient Egypt, but soon discovered that I was also interested in almost every topic my professors taught. After an internship with an archaeological firm in Tuscaloosa I decided that while I loved archaeology, it may not be the right choice for me. I enjoyed learning about ancient history, but I didn’t love scrubbing and washing potsherds from excavated midden heaps. I discovered that I was most happy in the library researching a broad range of topics.
Two years after graduating with my anthropology degree, I enrolled at The University of Alabama’s Library and Information Studies program. During graduate school, I was able to intern at an art museum library and special collections library, working with rare books and organizing a team to create digital content for various artifacts. During my last semester, I was also able to do a short study abroad to Britain with the University of Southern Mississippi. I visited amazing libraries and archives in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin. I’ve seen the Book of Kells, the Magna Carta, Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top Home, and more. After graduating, I wanted to relocate to Chattanooga and was happy to find a job at Chattanooga State. I love my job because every day is different. I get questions about every imaginable topic and learn something new every day which is exactly what I wanted for my career.
Christen's Campus and Community Service and Selected Presentations:
BEST Team - Chattanooga State
Graphics Committee Co-Chair - Kolwyck Library & Information Commons
Social Media Team - Kolwyck Library & Information Commons
Member - Tennessee Library Association
Member - Chattanooga Area Library Association
Member - American Library Association
Warren, L., D. Hunter, and C. Robichaud. "Campus Collaboration through Marketing and Outreach" ROCC Summer Academy 2014.
Robichaud, C. "Museum Studies and Archaeological Theory" University of Alabama at Birmingham 2013.
Preston, T. and C. Robichaud "Librarians Getting GLAMorous" Alabama Library Association Conference 2012.
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