On Curiosity: How a History Degree Prepared me for Starting a Library Career

By Beth Houlis
Reading Lists Assistant, Northumbria University,
CILIP NE Treasurer

View of George Square from the library in winter

I could spend hours sharing the lessons I learned at university and how those experiences helped me secure my first library position, but it was the sense of curiosity that the course helped nurture which I deem most valuable. Studying societies and events so far removed from contemporary experiences requires a degree of inquisitiveness, a quality I think is important to any branch of librarianship. A sense of wonder lends itself well to a sector which is largely centred on aiding and facilitating the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. That is not to say that studying history is the only option for curious minds, absolutely not, it just happened to be the backdrop against which I could begin to question the world around me, what I thought about it and where I would like to go. 

Truthfully, one of the main reasons that I applied for the course was because I enjoyed A-Level history and it seemed like the most attractive option at the time. Luckily it worked out well and I made the right decision! But I entered university apathetic and largely detached from what I was studying. It was the information in a textbook which was interesting but essentially something to be passively digested, typed up in an essay and forgotten about. At other times, I viewed it almost as entertainment: fascinating, shocking, peculiar and often harrowing entertainment. I liked to learn about the past and studying how and why things happened, but I didn’t take it much further than that. 

But as the course progressed, I learned to engage with what I was learning. I was encouraged to question everything I read and compare arguments and continuously ask ‘why’? Essay feedback urged me to expand on points, avoid reductionist theories and highlighted avenues for further reading. Nothing was to be taken at face value and I learned to approach studying with curiosity. I was drawn to modules on medieval and early modern women. Due to the nature of historical sources, the female voice is difficult to get to in these eras and any examples are likely to have been filtered through the elite male lens. Yet the logistical constraints which obscured an accurate reading of how these women considered and interacted with the world around them only fuelled my own curiosity. 

The University of Edinburgh's Old College

In my current role as a Reading Lists Assistant at Northumbria University, I try to remain as curious as I was when exploring the lives of these women. My degree has provided me with a wider appreciation for collection curation and the benefit of staying inspired. Just like there are multiple ways of considering the past, there are various angles to approach work. I am trying to remain open to the ways my colleagues carry out processes and absorb the lessons they teach me. There is a lot I do not know, and I see that prospect as exciting rather than disheartening. I am at the very start of my career and am excited to see where I will end up. Whatever I end up doing, I hope I stay curious!