1. Why would someone with a
background in science go into an
LIS Program?
Joseph Kraus
Science & Engineering Librarian
Penrose Library, University of Denver
2/15/2012

2. First, I am going to address these
questions
• Who
• Where
• What
• When and then
• Why

3. You!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/g‐mikee/3311833067/in/photostream/

4. Morgridge @ DU
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uofdenver/5531734269/in/set‐72157626279409144/

5. LIS degree
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nypl/3110132126/in/photostream/

6. Soon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cornelluniv
ersitylibrary/4359960688/in/photostream/

7. Why?
• This will take more time to discuss
– Understand terminology, scientific concepts and
technology
– Good with numbers and data or computers
– Can communicate with researchers and laypeople
– Desire to help people find the right information in a
cost effective way. (Google isn’t always the best tool.)
– The more information there is, the harder it gets to
find the needle in the haystack
– Understand some of the STM publishing business

8. Here are some places you could work
• Science, engineering and technology librarians
are needed in
– Government and non‐profits
– Corporate libraries
– Medical centers
– Academic libraries
– Consulting
– Public Libraries

9. Governments and non‐profits
• USGS, EPA, NASA, DOE, Government Labs,
Military, etc.
• GIS databases and mapping software
• NREL ‐ renewable energy
• NCAR ‐ atmospheric sciences
• EPA ‐ environmental resources
• Museums & aquariums
– Smithsonian, DMNS, Botanic Gardens

10. Corporate Libraries
• Small engineering firm researching patents,
manage internal documents
• Computer or telecommunications company
working on databases
• Pharmaceutical firm doing chemical searching
• Ball Aerospace/Lockheed Martin
• Law firms

11. Medical Libraries
• Hospitals working with doctors and nurses
• Medical centers working with patients
• Academic environmental helping students
understand medical and nursing research

12. Academic
• There are many opportunities to work in
academic libraries
– Colorado School of Mines
– Regis University
– CU‐Denver/Boulder/Colorado Springs/HSC
• Subject specialists
• Computer & DB Systems librarians

13. The End
• Joseph.kraus@du.edu
• @jokrausdu
• http://scitech.sla.org/
• http://scitech.sla.org/beyond‐the‐core‐duties/
• http://pam.sla.org/
• http://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryof
leadership/sections/sts/stswebsite
• This presentation is here online.