Reflections on New England Science Bootcamp 2024

Posted by Margot M on August 30th, 2024 Posted in: Funded Project
Tags: Boot Camp, science librarians

---

Part of a blog post series from New England Science Boot Camp for Librarians scholarship recipients.

Sophia Fiumano (Syracuse University):

I had the opportunity to attend the New England Science Boot Camp for Librarians at UMass Dartmouth. As an aspiring science librarian, this event was amazing for connecting with future colleagues in this field. I started my time at this conference at the Brutalist Architecture Tour. UMass Dartmouth’s campus was captivating, and I found myself fascinated by the history of how this campus came to be. The topic sessions were also incredibly insightful. As a Marine Biologist, I was enamored with the School for Marine Science and Technology. We had lectures about the history of the Fisheries Oceanography field and some cool current research being done. The tour of the facility was exciting, and there were all sorts of fun species on display, such as dogfish, scallops, starfish, and even a mantis shrimp. As a former invertebrate researcher, I was so excited to see these species in this facility. One of my other favorite sessions was community nursing. Before this session, I had no idea about this field. Afterwards, I had a newfound respect for this field and all the hard work they do for the community. This emphasis on community continued into our capstone about Citizen Science. As a student, I work in academic libraries and sometimes wonder if there are ways these institutions can be more incorporated into the surrounding communities rather than isolated. Citizen Science, I learned, is a great way to do this. This session allowed us to brainstorm our own ideas for incorporating these projects into our own institutions. I’m excited to take everything I learned about this topic and create some cool resources for Syracuse University.

Overall, I had a great experience at the New England Science Boot Camp for Librarians. I learned a lot and met some amazing people. This experience made me more excited to enter the job field and become a science librarian like all the lovely people I got a chance to meet. I’m grateful to the NNLM Region 7 for providing me with the opportunity to attend this conference

Logan Arrowood (Bowdoin College):

On Wednesday, June 26^th, a group of attendees from the New England Science Boot Camp for Librarians assembled to tour the grounds of UMass Dartmouth for a better understanding of the university’s architect Paul Rudolph and his vision for modernist, brutalist architecture. Led by retired UMass Dartmouth librarian Bruce Barns, attendees explored campus halls, sprawling lawns, and administrative spaces that highlighted Rudolph’s love for concrete, geometry, and experiential design informed by the natural world. With Rudolph’s choices of material and spatial philosophy, he aimed to create spaces that encouraged community and a sense of oneness with nature. Given the intense collaboration of Massachusetts state government and Rudolph, history illuminates a tension that existed between the two entities. Where Rudolph wanted to expand and continue formidable design, the state sparred over Rudolph’s aesthetics and budget. In the end, after project departures and a fair amount of compromise, Rudolph’s vision came to fruition in the form of UMass Dartmouth, setting the scene for university innovation and the exciting academic careers of countless university students.