Past Featured Library Employee Archives

Meet this issue’s Featured Library Employees for the Missouri Library Association, Olivia Kays and Peyton Consani!  

What is your name, your library, and your role at the library?

OK: My name is Olivia Kays (left in picture), and I am an Academic Library Fellow in the Teaching & Learning Department of UMKC Libraries.

PC: My name is Peyton Consani and I am an Academic Library Fellow at UMKC Libraries.

What originally got you interested in working at a library?

OK: I had always been an avid reader and then worked in a library reshelving books in middle school with an excellent librarian (shoutout to Katie Berger!), which planted the seed of librarianship as a potential career. Since then, I have grown to admire the vital ways in which libraries serve their communities, connecting them with information and resources to help them flourish.

PC: During my undergraduate, I was working as a Student Worker at the library and grew to really love working in libraries from there! It was a great blend of working with people and research at the same time.

What keeps you coming back every day?

OK: The joy I find in helping students explore their topics and locate resources to support their research, the variety of projects I get to work on, and the incredibly supportive collegial environment.

PC: My colleagues and mentors have made my first official library job a dream! As a current MLS student, being able to directly apply what I am learning into my work and having supportive colleagues and mentors to assist me along the way has cemented my desire to work with students and fellow scholars in the library.

What's challenging about your work?

OK: Public speaking for my instruction sessions has really challenged me to learn how to handle my nerves and anxiety leading up to a class. Raising awareness of resources and services can also be a challenge, as we want our users to be able to take full advantage of our offerings but reaching them where they’re at is quite a task.

PC: Copyright and licensing, working in the UMSystem there are a lot of different campuses and schools that have access to different items and resources, so it can get confusing for students, staff and visitors. Many times someone will come to the reference desk or chat with questions on how to view an item, only to not be able to do so.

Has your work made you either curious, or passionate, or awestruck about something?

OK: My work makes me all of these things! I’m always curious about what students are researching, and love getting to dip my toes into/learn about various fields to help them locate materials for their research. It has made me more passionate about information literacy, freedom of information, and outreach to underserved populations. I am constantly awed by the sheer breadth of knowledge my colleagues hold, and how kind and supportive they are of one another.

PC: I have recently been delving into the world of data! I have been exploring different visualization tools and assessment methods in different areas of the library.

Who is one of your mentors? Tell us about them.

OK: The head of Teaching & Learning and the main supervisor of the fellows, Mardi Mahaffy, has provided us with everything we need to grow and thrive as aspiring librarians. She provides us opportunities to work on projects outside of our primary duties to explore various areas of librarianship and expand our expertise, and she holds regular professional development sessions with us addressing areas like job hunting, cover letters and CVs, and interviewing. I wouldn’t have felt nearly as prepared to enter the field after graduation without the experience this position has afforded me.

PC: My mentor Mardi Mahaffy, the Head of Teaching and Learning! Mardi has been instrumental in my time at UMKC as a fellow and as a student. She is patient and encouraging with me with projects and exploring different aspects of the library.

What have you read or watched lately that you enjoyed?

OK: I’m currently re-reading The Passage by Justin Cronin, a pre- and post-apocalyptic sci-fi, and watching the new season of Severance as it premieres.

PC: I recently finished Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid, a retelling of Macbeth. Even though I work in an academic library, I still love diving into fiction!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

OK: I have two sweet black cats I am trying to rehome, and I would trust no one more than the library community to give them good homes so if you are interested, let me know! They are the kittens of a stray I took in and are almost 2 years old (rehoming cats is harder than I thought!).

PC: Libraries are essential community pillars, providing trust and stability, especially in times of crisis. Beyond offering books and educational resources, they serve as hubs of cultural diversity, inclusivity, and safe spaces for community connection. As library professionals, we must stand strong together to protect each other and the communities we serve.