by Megan Sherry
Sara Laughlin, retired director of the Monroe County Public Library (MCPL), has generously donated and planned to donate a further legacy gift to the Marian Armstrong Memorial Scholarship. This fund, named after a former librarian and ILS instructor at IU, is intended to support ILS graduate students who are completing internships at tax-supported public and nonprofit organizations.
Marian Armstrong was an inspiring force during Sara’s education and career. While Sara was studying library science, Marian helped her find a position as a TA in the Education Materials Library and periodically checked in with and encouraged her as she pursued her degree. Marian continued to support Sara’s journey after graduation as well, even throwing her a baby shower. Because of the great positive impact, Sara wanted to contribute to a scholarship that would not only support Marian’s values and goals—such as diversity, student teaching, and internship experiences—but also ensure that Marian and her legacy would be remembered.
Sara herself has had an interesting and varied career path. She began her studies in Graphic Design but graduated with a degree in Public History before deciding to attend library school. After graduating with her MLS, she struggled to find a library job for several months due to a recession. Eventually, Sara was hired in Adult Reference for a small branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, where she did everything from weeding to programming. A year or so later, she moved to the art and music department of the Main Library and became a member of the Special Libraries Association.
When her family moved back to Bloomington, she worked in IU Archives for a year before becoming Director of Admissions for the library school. Sara became Director of the Stone Hills Library Network, which connected the resources of many libraries across Indiana. She stayed with this consortium for 17 years. Sara then built her own consulting firm, while also teaching a few library science courses for IU. A decade later, Sara was invited to become director of the MCPL.
When discussing her career, Sara reflects that she had a fulfilling journey with rich experiences because she never “chose” a type of library. From public and school libraries to archives and special libraries to academia, Sara spent time working with each. Even at IU, she had been in almost every imaginable role: student, teacher, administrator, advisory council member, and guest lecturer.
Sara’s experience gave her a unique perspective on how the ILS program specifically prepared her for such a fluid career path. No matter where she worked or the current technology, Sara noted that what she learned in ILS never let her down during her 45-year career:
“The underlying theories don’t change. There are just new ways of carrying them out.”
This, combined with Marian Armstrong’s positive impact on her education and life, was the driving force behind Sara’s decision to give back to ILS and help other library students work toward their goals. Furthermore, she hopes that her gift will inspire others to support impactful organizations in their lives. Sara plans to give to the MCPL and the Indiana Library Federation as well.
Reflecting on the future of the field, Sara believes libraries as a whole—due to the increasing amount of
digital content—are close to achieving victory in terms of access, and the next challenge to overcome is information literacy. Most people do not know how to parse, interpret, or use the wealth of information available to them today.
Sara also offers her advice to students entering the field of library science: “In a rapidly changing environment, being flexible is key.”
The ILS program equips its students with the ideas they need to navigate a changing field, but it is up to them to be open to new experiences and to adapt to what comes down their path. Sara encourages students to do “the fun jobs” and follow their passions, even if it may seem intimidating. The road through a career in libraries has many possibilities and adventures for anyone who is looking for them.
If you’d like to discuss ways you can make an impact for ILS or if you already have IU in your giving plans, please contact:
Ashland Zimmerman
Director of Annual Giving
atheodor@iu.edu
(812) 856-0591