Subject Librarianship Beyond the Humanities: Exploring Science Librarianship through the MLIS Field Study

Abstract

As part of the requirements to complete the Master of Library Science program at the University of Maryland, students must complete a field study/internship or a thesis. For my educational experience, I decided to pursue the field study option. I am currently a Research & Teaching Fellow in the Teaching and Learning Services Office of McKeldin Library; in this position, I work as a team member to lead one-shot library instruction sessions for first-year students enrolled in English 101. For my field study, I was given the opportunity to combine my Spring 2026 fellowship duties with supporting a current UMD librarian’s project. I eagerly jumped on this opportunity, as it would allow me to further my understanding of librarianship outside of instruction. After discussing with my supervisor, Lexi Kadis, what projects were available and what librarians were willing and able to support a field study, we decided that I would work with Isabella Baxter, the Agriculture and Natural Resources Librarian.