She may not be a news librarian, but Jan Combopiano, head of the information center at Catalyst, still has much to say in a new podcast on the SLA website that applies to our work and organizations.

Catalyst is a nonprofit “membership organization expanding opportunities for women and business.”  It has a focus on research and service, so one could say it has a lot in common with a news organization.

Combopiano discusses how her staff wears lots of hats and has been instrumental in encouraging social media use at the organization. As she says: “there is never enough staff, so you always have to do your job, but there is always a possibility for to do another job as well. You could create the job you want to have.” News librarians know all about having a variety of responsibilities.

She says Catalyst advises women to “say what you want,”  which she applied to her own career there. Many of us could use the same advice. How will management know what we need and want if we don’t tell them. They don’t read minds.  She pushes librarians to let people know why what we know is important to the organization. Again with the indispensible thing…

Combopiano also stresses that “constantly challenging the stereotype about what the profession is is a responsibility for all of us.”

Amen.

I suggest you take a few moments to listen to the podcast.