University Libraries
Margaret McAleese '15
By Maureen Schlangen
Two months before her 2015 graduation, a marketing, sales and international business student came into the Knowledge Hub looking for some information on North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes.
At the suggestion of marketing professor Rebecca Wells, senior Maggie McAleese had undertaken the special assignment to hone her market research skills in her selected area —mining wear.
“My roommates and I are regulars on the fifth floor, but all the time I’ve been here, I’d never really asked for help with research,” she said. “I walk in the Knowledge Hub, not knowing where to start, and before I even had to ask, someone came right up to me to offer help.”
She sent McAleese to librarian Heidi Gauder, associate professor and coordinator of research and instruction, who started McAleese off with the Reference USA database.
“When I started the project, that was all I was looking for, but then Heidi connected me to two more databases I didn’t even know existed,” McAleese said. “The Business Source Complete database went into much greater depth about each company, and I also used IBISWorld.”
When the project was finished, McAleese started to consider business research as a career option. She saw a posting with an industry-leading firm, applied, got an interview, shared her experiences from her independent project … and had an offer two days later.
“It’s a great opportunity,” she said, “and the project in the library is what made me realize how much I’d enjoy research.”