Look around – your classmates will be your peers, colleagues, competition and advisors. They will be part of what is good and not so good in the program and this bond is one of the best things that you will experience over the next two years.

SIM is especially good at encouraging and promoting alumni engagement so make sure that you continue to be part of this community. One of the best examples of networking can be observed by the actions of Norman Horrocks – he is a consummate networker and promoter of the SIM program. I can say without reservation that he is known worldwide as a leader in the profession and he effectively promotes SIM graduates at every opportunity.

The CLA Student Chapter Professional Mentoring Program is a wonderful opportunity to meet colleagues who are working in the field, who can provide candid advice on what working in an academic, special or public library is like and help introduce you to those already working in areas in which you have an interest. Take the time to be involved in the Program, if nothing else it provides you with the context to explore where you will enter the profession.

What has stayed with me the longest, as I reflect on my graduating class of 1980, is not the specifics of what I learned but those individuals who have been part of my professional and personal life for these past 30 years. Who else could I call when I got a job in a law library and did not have a clue what the Canadian Abridgment was, let alone how to use it! These people have been part of the good and bad, laughter and outrage of all my positions. Taking classes and working on projects is one part of forging these relationships, but don’t forget the fun times over beer and wine that balance the long hours of course work and part-time jobs.

Be bold and courageous over the next two years. Challenge what you hear, engage in discussion with your classmates and professors and be willing to acknowledge that your learning curve has only just begun. Lifelong learning is fundamental to our profession. The best foundation for lifelong learning is by forging those relationships and ultimately friendships with your classmates.