On Thursday, February 17, the Mentorship and Leadership Development Committee (MLDC) hosted a remote breakfast for new CALL members. While the conversation included some very serious poll questions such as “Is a hotdog a sandwich?”, group discussion also dug into more career-focused topics.
After quick introductions from CALL members Sally Holterhoff, Heidi Kuehl, and Stacia Stein (Lyo Louis-Jacques was unfortunately unable to attend), CALL President Jamie Sommers provided some brief welcoming remarks (where, among other tidbits, she noted that she had been one of the folks involved with the creation of the MLDC). Recently elected CALL Vice President/President-Elect Mandy Lee also joined and new-ish CALL and MLDC member Brandy Ellis moderated the breakfast discussion. Jamie and Mandy both proved wonderful additions to the ensuing lively discussion.
After a series of planning meetings, the MLDC decided to open the meeting with these brief welcome remarks and introductions, then open the floor to discussion loosely structured around three questions:
- What’s your “Librarian Superpower” (e.g., finding obscure government documents, conducting research interviews, etc.)?
- What’s a career goal that you’d appreciate advice around (e.g., networking advice, how to get on a panel)?
- What do you want from CALL (e.g., librarian social connections in the Chicago area, to be on a committee, to recognize some familiar faces if you go to AALL, etc.)?
New members Kelsey Cox, Robin Linkowski, and Leah Whitesel shared their fresh energy and varied perspectives during the discussion period. If they were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm of the other members to learn about their interests, potential “Librarian Superpowers”, or career or publishing goals, it certainly didn’t show. Such poise in the face of barely restrained excitement for topics like cross-office communication strategies and creative ways of adapting skills across differing professional environments bodes well for their futures in law librarianship.
While the remote breakfast led to a fun and fruitful morning event, the MLDC hopes to host additional in-person events in the future.