BENJAMIN SHARES HOW HE BECAME INTERESTED IN LIBRARIANSHIP AND HIS FAVORITE AALL BENEFIT
Benjamin Almoite is the technical services librarian at McGuireWoods LLP in Richmond, Virginia.
HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN LAW LIBRARIANSHIP?
I first discovered librarianship as a possible career while an undergrad in college. After graduating, I looked for any library job I could get, wanting to get practical experience before applying to library school. I eventually found a job working as an assistant at a library in a county courthouse. It was a great introduction to law librarianship.
WHY DID YOU JOIN AALL?
When I was in library school I learned about all the different professional library associations I could get involved in, and join at a student membership rate. Since I was working at a law school library at the time and was already aware of AALL, I felt that joining AALL was a no-brainer.
WHAT ONE MEMBER BENEFIT IS MOST VALUABLE TO YOU?
As a member of AALL, I am grateful that I can register to attend their educational webinars for free. In addition, I like that I can access previously recorded webinars and educational events on-demand. Having so much knowledge and elearning available to me at no extra cost make this benefit the most valuable.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY ASSOCIATED WITH AALL?
Attending CONELL at my very first AALL Annual Meeting was a wonderful memory. It was great meeting a group of fellow new members and first-time attendees there. We were all so wide-eyed and excited about attending the Annual Meeting, and learning more about AALL back then.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I love trivia: watching it (Jeopardy!, The Chase) and playing it (LearnedLeague). I also enjoy singing with the Richmond Symphony Chorus, and being a Little League coach on my son’s team.
WHAT BOOK(S) ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
The Right Sort of Man, a mystery by Allison Montclair, as well as Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments by Joe Posnanski.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL/VACATION DESTINATION?
I loved Paris! My wife and I visited the museums (Musée d’Orsay, Musée de l’Orangerie), and saw the historic sites (Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chapelle). The highlight was going on a wonderful and yummy food tour, run by Paris by Mouth. I will never forget tasting a French triple-cream cheese for the first time—Mmmm! I would really love to return there someday.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY LISTENING TO? (MUSIC OR PODCAST)
I regularly listen to a number of podcasts, including SmartLess, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour, and The PosCast with (the aforementioned) Joe Posnanski and Michael Schur.