Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 08/02) - No two days at work are ever quite the same for library technician Susan Huebert.

She began working at the Inuvik Centennial Library last August, and explained she performs a wide range of duties.

Susan Huebert checks in an item at the Inuvik Centennial Library, where she is a library technician. - Malcolm Gorrill/NNSL photo

"I do some cataloguing and also linking the books to the records in the library catalogue," Huebert said.

She explained cataloguing involves getting data on items from another source, or manually inputting information such as author and publisher into their system.

Linking is identifying whether certain items are located in Inuvik, or are in other locations across the NWT and Nunvavut.

"It's kind of surprised me but I've discovered I enjoy cataloguing. It's kind of the hated subject at library school, but I kind of think it's fun," Huebert said.

She also works the front desk, especially weekdays around 3:30 p.m., after school gets out and many youngsters drop by.

"Another major duty I have is inter-library loans. I request books or videos from other libraries and they request (items) from our library."

Huebert likes to assist patrons. Just recently, for example, she helped someone set up a Hotmail Internet e-mail account.

"If there's a really interesting reference question, I kind of enjoy that."

She said it can be challenging to find a certain book, or figure out what book would have certain information. She gave an example.

"If someone wants information on Sweden, finding out exactly what they want on Sweden, and at what level, and things like that. It's kind of an interesting puzzle to find what's available and what's best for what they need."

Just last May Huebert graduated with a master of library and information studies degree from the University of British Columbia. She also has two undergraduate degrees, a bachelor of arts with a major in English, and a religious studies degree.

Huebert worked for about two years in a library in Cairo, Egypt. With a laugh, she noted the climate is quite different here.