BRASS 2025 Student Travel Award Winner
Hilary Turner is the recipient of the 2025 BRASS Student Travel Award sponsored by SimplyAnalytics and here is what this award means to her in her own words.
Perhaps it goes without saying that, absent the 2025 BRASS Student Travel Award, I could not have attended ALA Annual Conference in Philadelphia this summer. As is the case for many graduate students, finances can be a real constraint as I work my way through the University of North Texas’s Master of Science in Library Science (MSLS) program.
This phenomenal experience, sponsored by SimplyAnalytics, built upon my academic studies and the knowledge I gained at a spring internship with Natasha Arguello, former business librarian and current Head of Head of Research Engagement and Scholarly Communication at UT San Antonio. I’m deeply appreciative of the support of SimpleAnalytics and the BRASS community for making my trip possible.
One throughline of my ALA Conference experience was the many opportunities to connect with BRASS leaders and members. Less than two hours after I stepped off my flight from Austin, I was entering the BRASS Friday evening reception at McGillin’s. Almost immediately, I ran into two of my mentors, Jennifer Boettcher and Zac Grisham. It was such a pleasure to finally link up in person. This was just the start of the welcoming BRASS networking at the conference: I also attended the BRASS All-Member Meeting and the Discussion Group, as well as the New Business Librarians Group gathering, where I felt encouraged by the other participants and the outgoing co-presidents, Jennifer Horne and Alison Messier.
A second theme involved bolstering my business librarianship toolkit. One thread running through the educational sessions I attended was the intersection of artificial intelligence and reference innovation. I watched demonstrations or heard descriptions of business databases including FactSet, Bloomberg, and Statista. The Libraries in Action session discussed practical examples of AI use cases throughout the lifecycle of research projects and provided salient takeaways on AI transparency and ethics. A third, related meeting I attended summoned librarians to take the lead in AI literacy efforts.
Another informative thread I followed focused on corporate finance and competitive intelligence. The Beyond the Ledger panel familiarized me with the deep value of corporate archives for purposes including teaching, historical context, and research. Lastly, I investigated data literacy and the library workforce, attending a session that expanded my understanding of the role of librarians in helping to eliminate disparities in data skills.
I also received practical advice that I hope will soon be applicable to me on navigating salary negotiations in the world of librarianship. Co-presented by my mentor Zac, this session looked at real-world tools like ONET, PSEO Explorer, and cost-of-living calculators, all available online. I came out of this session feeling more comfortable with strategies on how to evaluate library job offers and to advocate for myself.
Philadelphia itself was a wonderful location for the conference. I enjoyed lunch breaks at Reading Terminal Market and could not get enough of the city’s walkability, public art installations, and historical architecture. I dined with a friend at mid-century modern inspired Continental Midtown restaurant in Rittenhouse and took a plethora of pictures. I even snuck back to the SimplyAnalytics booth in the vast exhibition hall for a final photo with the team. Having returned from a jam-packed 2025 ALA Annual Conference experience and contemplating what is ahead, I find much to be excited about. I’m starting the final year of my MSLS program, building on my MBA by taking a business reference course next spring. In this fall’s practicum, I will continue to develop experience in this field with supervision at Georgetown University’s library. I have signed up to volunteer on the BRASS Conference Committee for the 2026 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, and on RUSA’s Awards Committee. I am even more passionate after my experience at this year’s conference about continuing to boost my business reference and instruction skills. This is just the beginning. Thank you so much for extending this opportunity to me.