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American Chemical Society AMA: Hi Reddit! I’m Michael Qiu, Library Relations Manager with ACS Publications. Ask me anything about being a science librarian.
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Hi Reddit! My name is Michael Qiu and I’m the Library Relations Manager with ACS Publications. In my current job, I am responsible for developing our marketing, outreach, and engagement programs with librarians across the globe. Before coming to ACS in 2015, I was a Science & Engineering Librarian at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, CA. I was the librarian for chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, and petroleum engineering. Even though I no longer work in a library, I stay actively involved within the library community. I received my Master in Library and Information Science (MLIS) from UCLA (Go Bruins!) and my BS in Chemistry from Iowa State University. I’m a native of Iowa, but have bounced between Los Angeles and Washington, DC, and now have finally settled in Milwaukee. When I was an undergraduate I learned quickly the importance of the library and the librarians that help make everything that much easier. The library is a central hub of information and can be easily overlooked. Without the library and the science librarians at Iowa State, I would not have had someone to teach me how to search, retrieve, and properly use resources or had access to journals, ebooks, and databases like SciFinder. It really was this connection that helped me make the leap from chemistry to library and information science. As a science undergraduate, library school does pose its challenges (there are no lab experiments and lots of writing), but I encourage everyone to not overlook this career path. There is a huge need for librarians with a science background. My time at ACS has also given me a chance to interact with PhD students through our ACS on Campus program and librarianship is an alternative career path many are unaware of. Working as a librarian and in my current job, I have had the opportunity to interact with so many different people and learn so much. I hope this AMA gives you the opportunity to ask me a question that you think I can help answer, or even better, ask a question you don’t know who to turn to, after all, all librarians love a challenge. I’m excited to answer any of your questions. Since I won’t be able to answer everyone’s questions, if I don’t answer have an opportunity to answer your question here, do not hesitate to reach out to me on Twitter @MichaelatACS or on LinkedIn. I’ll be back at 12 noon ET (9am PT, 5pm UTC) to answer your questions. -ACS edit formatting Edit: Good morning (or afternoon) Reddit! It’s just about 11 am here in Milwaukee, so it’s time to get answering questions. I’ll be answering questions for the next hour, so keep the questions and comments coming in. Edit: My hour has come and gone, but it doesn’t mean the questions should stop. I’ve enjoyed this so much that I’ll try and come back this afternoon to answer a few more questions. Otherwise, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via Twitter or Linkedin (see above). Thanks again to everyone!