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03
Posted by kimberlycarlo on November 3rd, 2025
Posted in: Blog
I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Vitelli, who is the Science and Engineering Librarian at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This interview is based on her experience attending the 2025 New England Science Boot Camp for Librarians for the first time. This event will be hosted again in 2026, so be on the lookout for upcoming news on their website.
Could you tell me about yourself and what you are doing in your current position at work?
My name is Sarah Vitelli, and I’m a Science and Engineering Librarian at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This is my second year in the position. I’m a liaison librarian, and I work with three departments: Psychological and Brain Sciences; Veterinary and Animal Sciences; and Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences. The work that I do involves information literacy instruction, research consultations with faculty, staff, and students, library committee work, outreach, and collection development and management.
How did you hear about the New England Science Boot Camp for Librarians 2025 event? Why did you choose to attend this event?
I heard about the New England Science Boot Camp for Librarians 2025 from my colleagues at the Science and Engineering Library at UMass Amherst. I chose to attend based on their recommendation and to network with colleagues at other institutions.
How have you applied what you learned at the event to your work?
I think most of what I have applied from the event relates to the networking aspect of the event. I now have folks to connect with across institutions who are doing similar work to what I’m doing. I look forward to collaborating with the folks I met at the New England Science Bootcamp! I have also applied it through my professional development activities, such as reading books and articles recommended by my colleagues at the meeting. I’m currently reading the title Empire of AI by Karen Hao, which I learned about at the event.
Did you find the event to be useful for networking with others?
Yes, I absolutely found this event to be helpful for networking! I was able to meet and chat with many others doing similar work as mine, mostly in New England but also from institutions across the country. I loved being able to hear about how other folks approach science librarianship at different places, and how they handled the opportunities and challenges at their institutions.
The capstone was on AI in Science Librarianship. Did you learn anything new about AI in particular?
I don’t know that I learned anything new necessarily from the AI capstone, but lots of what I already knew and thought about AI was reinforced. I did learn about resources that other institutions are working on in the libraries related to supporting responsible use of generative AI, which was helpful to know.
What were some noteworthy moments during the event for you?
I thought that the Astronomy presentations were particularly noteworthy. The professors presenting on these topics were very engaging, and the material was really interesting. I also really enjoyed the speaker during dinner on the second evening; it was a super impactful talk, and the dinner was a lovely networking opportunity. Finally, I really enjoyed exploring Bowdoin College’s campus and the town of Brunswick, Maine. It was such a beautiful place, with lots of fun little locations to explore downtown. The Curtis Memorial Public Library was particularly wonderful!
Do you have any advice for those who are considering attending the next New England Science Boot Camp for Librarians event?
I would recommend taking the time to explore the campus/town where NE Science Boot Camp will be held. Also, be curious! The topics are varied and so interesting, so definitely ask questions and engage with the speakers and your colleagues.
Additional comments about the event or topics covered:
None! It was a really great event, and I look forward to attending it in the future.
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