Cheyenne Hohman (MSLS, 2011), currently the publications resource curator for the Kentucky Geological Survey at the University of Kentucky, is a solid example of how the College of Communication and Information shapes passions into professions.
During Hohman’s time at UK, she was part of the first Alternative Spring Break program for the School of Information Science. Hohman collaborated with a digital reference specialist at the Library of Congress, which was a “fairly new venture” for the time. Because of the overwhelming number of requests that the Library of Congress received, Hohman assisted in creating a FAQ/guide about the LOC’s e-book offerings and where to find other materials. The guide has been revamped a few times, but can still be found here: https://guides.loc.gov/e-books.
“My degree has served me well in my everyday life in terms of problem-solving, organizing things and probably most important in our fake-news age: information literacy,” Hohman said.
Her extensive background in library science also helped her get the job at KGS. She has found that the opportunity to get to work with different types of media for record keeping has been her favorite part of working at KGS.
“I've been learning a lot about geology as I go, and how their records need their own special care,” she said.
Hohman said library science is often misunderstood as a job where you sit around and read books all day. Hohman mentioned that many library science professionals work with the public or specific, patron populations, but the field also gives graduates the option of specializing in archives or technical services if they’re more of an introvert.
Certainly, many students seek to work in libraries with an LIS degree, but Hohman emphasized that the skills you develop in the program are versatile and applicable in a wide variety of industries, and graduates are definitely not limited to only working in libraries.