Dr. Mikki Smith: Traveling without a Map: A Peculiar Career in Medical, Museum, Academic, and Public Libraries

Dr. Mikki Smith: Traveling without a Map: A Peculiar Career in Medical, Museum, Academic, and Public Libraries  promotional image

You’ve heard of the EGOT (Emmy/Grammy/Oscar/Tony)? Well, Mikki Smith (MLS, PhD, AHIP-S) jokes that she has earned an MMAP (Medical/Museum/Academic/Public). It’s not an award or culmination of awards, but it’s definitely something. While Dr. Smith’s career has not followed a traditional trajectory, it has allowed her to engage fully as a lifelong and continuous learner across domains while continuing to use and sharpen the skills she gained through a combination of library school and experience. From launching a teen summer reading program in a rural Iowa public library to working as the person in charge in the evenings at a small academic library to supporting authors in their research on Pyrex and Icelandic glass art at a museum research library to supporting physicians and nurses in locating the evidence they need for patient care, education, and research, Dr. Smith has a relatively rare vantage point from which to discuss libraries and librarianship. Librarians sometimes find it difficult to move from one library type to another. Dr. Smith will share some insights on what has helped her make these leaps and what she’s learned along the way.

Tuesday, February 10, 2026 7:00pm to 8:00pm
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Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Katie McCullough in advance at 319-384-1538 or katie-mccullough@uiowa.edu.