Susie McClure Library
Location Description
The Susie McClure Library (SMC) of American Baptist College in Nashville, TN is a small repository that was established in 1953 and originally named after T.L. Holcomb. The library once served theology students but now serves a small population of 55 FTE at a Historically Black Christian College with an emphasis on Liberal Arts and African American Religion. The SMCL resides in a historic building with three floors and has a small area designated for Special Collections in Archives. The archives contains pictures, audio, and visual that have not been inventoried or preserved and resides in critical condition. However, there are projects underway to inventory, preserve, and digitize this fragile collection with opportunities for LIS Students to perform outreach, programming, grant writing, and other academic activities to help save the collection. The SMC Library under the direction of the new Director or Library Services, Angel Pridgen M.L.S., M.Ed., also has opportunities for LIS students to teach information literacy, perform original cataloging, acquisitions, weeding/deselection, fundraising, website building, library systems services, and reference services! A truly unique hands on experience, that will be invaluable to those LIS students interested in working in academic libraries, public or special libraries!
Practicum Work Mode
On site
Semesters or Time Period Available
Ongoing, not limited to a specific semester
Location
1800 Baptist World Center Drive
Nashville, Tennessee 37207
https://abcnash.libguides.com/SusieMcClureLibrary
Contact
Angel Pridgen
Director of Library Services
apridgen@abcnash.edu
615-687-6946
Student Tasks
Providing/Staffing Reference Services.
Cataloging and processing books and donations.
Inventorying and preserving Special Collections.
Acquisition Duties (Purchasing and selecting electronic and print titles).
Updating Library Website and adding applicable information.
Performing light systems librarian duties.
Perform programing and outreach (Library Open House, Library Orientation etc.).
Weeding/Deselecting books from the collection.
Processing book titles for recycling.
Assisting with identifying and writing grants.
Assisting with and identifying fundraising opportunities.
Supervising student workers when applicable.
Assisting with updating Library policies and procedures.
Type of Mentoring Provided to the Student
Here are some key aspects of the type of mentoring provided to student practicum workers:
Goal Setting: Establish clear goals and expectations for the practicum experience. Work closely with students to identify their specific learning objectives and define achievable outcomes.
Individualized Guidance: Provide individualized guidance to each student, taking into account their unique strengths, interests, and career aspirations. Offer personalized advice and direction to help students make the most of their practicum experience.
Skill Development: Identify areas where students need improvement and provide resources, training, and opportunities to enhance their knowledge and abilities.
Job Shadowing: Opportunity to observe and shadow Director as they carry out their daily tasks and responsibilities. This allows them to gain insights into various aspects of library work, such as reference services, collection development, outreach activities, or instructional support.
Feedback and Evaluation: Provide regular feedback and evaluation to student practicum workers. Feedback sessions may be conducted formally or informally, fostering a continuous learning and growth mindset.
Support and Encouragement: Provide a supportive and encouraging environment for student practicum workers. Serve as a sounding board for questions and concerns, offering empathy, motivation, and reassurance throughout the practicum experience.
Professional Networking Opportunities: Introduce them to colleagues and professionals within the library field. Encourage participation in professional associations, conferences, or events.
Student Interaction With Others at the Location
Students will have low to moderate interaction with students and faculty who utilize the library space to do homework and attend classes. May come into frequent contact with the Dean of Chapel whose office is located within the library and the IT Specialist who maintains the technology in the library. Overall population of Faculty, Staff and Students is less than 100 and the highest patronage of the library at one given time is no more than 10 persons on average.