Raina Newsome, BA '22

BA in Anthropology

Second Major/ Minor: Arabic; Music & Culture; International Development and Conflict Management

Current Position: Public Librarian

How has your undergraduate ANTH degree has impacted your career?

My anthropology degree expanded my worldview and gave me lots of valuable experience in research and writing. I loved reading ethnographic research, and was particularly interested in the ways applied anthropology could help solve problems and contribute to social justice work. After graduating (and a couple of years in a medical customer service role), I decided I wanted to work in a public institution that works to serve everyone in my community. Public librarianship gives me opportunities to work with all kinds of information, while also promoting equitable access and lifelong learning for people of all ages and backgrounds. Research is a particularly valuable skill in this field, and thanks to my undergraduate experiences with writing and research, I felt more prepared to teach other people how to use search tools when they come to the library looking for a book, a community resource, or any other type of information.

What are your future goals? 

Right now, I'm a children's outreach librarian, and I'm also currently pursuing my Master of Library and Information Science. In the future, I aim to find a role where I can help strengthen public library services for marginalized children and families. In particular, I am interested in supporting those impacted by the prison system, such as incarcerated youth and parents. If I ever have the chance to pursue a second master's degree, I would love to take more anthropology classes and find creative ways to integrate anthropology into to my library career!

Do you have any advice for current ANTH undergrads?

Be curious! Take the opportunity to try electives from different areas of the field, and take some courses outside of the department if you have a chance. Anthropology can be used to study and make connections between all kinds of fascinating topics, and bringing an anthropological perspective into different fields can bring new insights.