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April is known for many things...touted as the cruelest month (oh how true this year!), National Poetry Month, and most importantly, the return of America's pastime. Outside of the library world, however, it is hardly known that April is also School Library Month. I've never made a big deal out of it in the past,...

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#WhyLib: Sharing My Story

In honor of School Library Month, many of my school librarian colleagues have been posting about how they became school librarians. Read Sherry Gick's blog posting for the background.

Here's my story ...

I did my undergraduate work at Stanford University. I chose to be an English major primarily, I think, because I loved reading novels and thought it was a great deal getting credit for doing that. I wasn't quite as keen about writing the papers, but considered it a small price to pay for getting to read so many great books for credit. I also became fascinated by Old English and the history of the English language during the course of my studies.

While I believe I got an excellent education at Stanford, no career guidance was provided. I really didn't know what I wanted to do after I graduated, although continuing my English studies definitely appealed to me. Fortunately, one of my English professors was supportive and helpful. He suggested that I might want to consider library studies and that I speak to the university literature librarian. After I met with the librarian, I immediately decided to earn a Masters Degree in English and follow that with a Library Degree. I had grown up loving my regular visits to the public library and all the wonderful reading recommendations I got from the librarian there, but I thought my own talents were more academic, and my plan was to become a rare books or literature librarian.

I spent a year studying English Language at the University of Edinburgh and then went on to the two Masters degrees at the University of Toronto. While in Library School, I was obliged during my first year to take a class in computer programming (IBM Assembler!). At first, I was quite annoyed; a "technical" class wasn't in my plans. To my surprise, I found that I really enjoyed it. I was so proud learning how to create punched cards that, once run through the huge computer, successfully pumped out catalog cards! In fact, I enjoyed learning about computers and automation so much that I followed it with a second year elective course in programming, along, of course, with the rare books and archives elective.

After I completed my M.L.S., I started looking for jobs. I couldn't find a university position, but I ended up in the Theatre Department at the Metropolitan Toronto Library. It really was a dream job. Reference queries ran the gamut from serious researchers working on Masters and PhD's in Drama to people with TV trivia questions. As one of three librarians in my department, and the only one young enough to have taken computer classes, I had the opportunity to participate in a library-wide committee working on the logistics of automating our library catalog. I also got to lead a project having our rich collection of local theatre bills and newspaper clippings preserved in microfiche. We were very "advanced" at the time!

Two years later, I left my dream job only because it seemed like time to move back "home" to California. I started looking for jobs in libraries, but the position that came along was one with SDC Search Service, a company that marketed research databases to libraries. I thought that it would be good to get experience in this area, and then return to a library position. After a short term on the "help desk," I became the main documentation writer, drafting manuals and newsletters for customers. And, somehow, I ended up making an accidental career change to technical writing in the software industry, a field I stayed in for many years. I enjoyed the challenge of taking somewhat technical information and organizing and simplifying it for users. I also enjoyed some opportunities to design user-friendly interfaces and early websites. And, as a late mother, technical writing proved a good field in which to freelance and have a flexible schedule. I often thought about how I missed working as a librarian, but continued with my technical writing.

When my daughter was in middle school, the librarian retired mid-year. I learned about the opening from the school principal when I contacted him to volunteer to update the school's website. I thought, "I really want to do that!" I didn't have the credentials required to work as a teacher librarian in a school library in California, but I learned that if there were no satisfactory applicants, I could be hired on the condition that I enroll in two credential programs. (I would need to earn both a teaching credential and a library media teacher credential.) And, that is just what happened.

I loved my new job from the moment I walked in the library. I was comfortable with the technology from my experience in the software industry, I was fairly up on the books since I had been reading with my daughter since she was born, and I loved working with the students and teachers. I know now that I was completely unprepared on the teaching side, but I learned about that as fast as I could through my credential classes, but mostly through attending conferences, reading publications like School Library Journal, and following school library gurus' blogs and other online communications.

I feel extremely grateful that I found a field that is a true passion for me and in which I can share that passion with students and make a difference. Since I came to school libraries so late, I have felt from the beginning that I don't have a minute to waste learning and trying everything I can to improve my practice. I am also constantly overwhelmed by the wonderful, incredibly generous librarians in my PLN who challenge me to do more to be better each day. When I was an English major in college, I was overwhelmed by all the "must read" books and the frustration of never being able to get to all of them. With school librarianship, I know that I will never keep up with the new ideas I learn about from the exemplary representatives of my field, but it's the challenge of trying that keeps me going!

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In honor of School Library Month, many of my school librarian colleagues have been posting about how they became school librarians. Read Sherry Gick's blog posting for the background. Here's my story ... I did my undergraduate work at Stanford University.

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@librariandee My #WhyLib story

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A conversation was started on Twitter to share the stories of how librarians found their way to being in a library. Our paths are diverse, but we share a common thread. Hear our stories. #WhyLib
(from the Why We Became Librarians padlet shared HERE)

My children's lit professor at the University of Houston, Dr. Kylene Beers told us the one regret she had was not getting her Masters in Library Science so she could become a school librarian. I made a mental note to look into that degree after I had been teaching a while.

Once I started teaching 6th grade Language Arts I fell in love with reading to my kids first thing every class period, but I wanted more. So I continued teaching and worked on my masters degree in library science. Thank goodness for Sam Houston State University's Saturday classes!

This year I read aloud to my students more than any year as a librarian. A beginning of the year staff development on reading aloud by our district Language Arts coordinators motivated me to do this. So all these years later I'm still learning about the power of reading aloud and sharing it with kids. And all these years later, Dr. Beers is still influencing my teaching and learning. Next up on my professional "to read" list is Notice and Note. I can't wait to read it and start applying it during my library lessons.

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A conversation was started on Twitter to share the stories of how librarians found their way to being in a library. Our paths are diverse, but we share a common thread. Hear our stories.

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A few months ago, a movement spread across the Twittersphere for teacher-librarians to share their personal stories about why they became librarians. In celebration of School Library Month and National Library Week, TLs posted their stories using the hashtag #whylib. You can find many of the #whylib stories on this padlet. I may be a little late to the party, but better late than never!

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. When I was in kindergarten, I played teacher, lining up my dolls and stuffed animals and "teaching" them their letters and numbers. My baby sister was my first real student-I taught her to read. I have always enjoyed learning and helping others learn, so my path was clear.

It's funny how sometimes you figure out what you want by seeing what you don't want. I never knew I wanted to be a librarian until I decided to become one. During my first years as a teacher, I had a wonderful librarian on my campus, Kelly Vaughan. She was a great collaborator, a technology leader on campus, and an advocate for students. I loved working with her on projects. She was always helpful to students and teachers, providing us with exactly what we needed often before we even knew we needed it. I just thought all librarians were like that.

Then I moved to another school. I began to hear horror stories about the "Librarian from the Black Lagoon." "Don't worry about scheduling a library time. You don't want to take your kids down there," I would hear from other teachers. The students were scared of her. The teachers didn't like her. She was not nice, had a chip on her shoulder, and avoided doing her job well in order to make a point. No one wanted to visit the library, but I took my students anyway because it was the library. I had no idea that librarians could be like that! That is when I decided to be a librarian. No one should have a library experience like that. Libraries should be warm, inviting, caring places, that students and teachers look forward to visiting. It is a place to get excited about reading and learning, not a place to avoid. I knew that I could provide a place like that for my students. I didn't want any child to have to go through that, so I decided to be the kind of librarian I wanted for my students.

About that same time, my mother began working in a public library. As she talked about how much fun she was having at her new job, I got more excited about the prospect of being in that role. She encouraged me to get my Master's degree and make that shift into the library. It was the best professional decision I ever made. I am so happy now! I am still a teacher, so I am fulfilling my life-long dream of helping others learn. But I am more than that. I am a Teacher-Librarian. I get to help others to learn how to learn. I get to teach others how to access and use information, how to create content, how to be good digital citizens. I get to help kids find THE BOOK that gets them hooked on reading. It is one of the most rewarding feelings, knowing that I helped make a reader out of a non-reader.

My library is an inviting place. It is a fun, exciting, noisy, messy, creative, loving place. Hearing my students describe my library has let me know that I made the right decision, that this is the place I wanted to create for them, that I AM the librarian that I want to be for my students. I feel blessed to be in this role, and I am so thankful for the unnamed librarian who showed me exactly what not to be. If it weren't for her, I might not be here now!

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A few months ago, a movement spread across the Twittersphere for teacher-librarians to share their personal stories about why they became librarians. In celebration of School Library Month and National Library Week, TLs posted their stories using the hashtag #whylib. You can find many of the #whylib stories on this padlet.

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#WhyLib: My Teacher Librarian Story @NancyJoLambert

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So I am a little late to the #WhyLib party, but I am here!

A conversation was started on Twitter to share the stories of how librarians found their way to being in a library. Our paths are diverse, but we share a common thread. Hear our stories. #WhyLib
(from the Why We Became Librarians padlet shared HERE)

For me, being an educator is a calling. The reason I am an educator is that I am absolutely passionate about making sure every child has positive experiences with learning. As a librarian, I also add that I want them to have positive experiences with reading.

My reading life had a rocky start. In 2nd grade, we moved from Oklahoma to Kansas City, and it was discovered that I couldn't read. I spent a lot of time then in special reading classes. I also spent a great deal of time in elementary school knowing full well that I was not a good reader. I struggled and felt bad because I was always in the lowest reading group.

My librarian at the time refused to let me check out the book The Secret Garden because she knew I was having trouble reading. Then one day she was gone and I checked out that book. I struggled with it, BUT it was the first book that I distinctly remember seeing the movie in my mind. I read that book again and again.

As I progressed through school, I became a better reader. By the time I left middle school I was reading on a college level.

Fast forward to my leaving the corporate world to pursue an alternative certification to become a teacher. Initially I went into teaching for less than honorable reasons, but during my first year of teaching I fell in love with this profession. Providing kids with the best learning environment possible became my passion.

I pursued many different professional development opportunities. One of those was participating in the North Star Writing Project. I spent an intensive 4 weeks with an amazing group of educators learning about teaching writing and reading. After that experience I gained 6 hours of graduate credit. I looked at about every education and English related masters program at UNT. Ultimately, I found that I the Masters of Library and Information Sciences was the most appealing to me for what I was passionate about.

I found that I wanted to be able to teach and work with every child in my school as opposed to just the kids in my class. I wanted to help kids navigate online activity and learn how to find information. I also wanted to address digital citizenship and help kids understand appropriate online activity. Also though, I wanted to make sure kids had positive experiences with reading and so the role of librarian was a perfect fit for me.

Since becoming a librarian, I have also discovered that I need to publicize what I am doing to shine a positive light on my profession. I am very proud of the fact that I am a school librarian serving in a school along side teachers. I want everyone to know I am a teacher librarian. I teach kids every day, and I engage them in reader's advisory. I will shout it from the rooftops the integral role I play in our curriculum and in student achievement.

My passion is learning and teaching. That is my #WhyLib story.

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So I am a little late to the #WhyLib party, but I am here! A conversation was started on Twitter to share the stories of how librarians found their way to being in a library. Our paths are diverse, but we share a common thread. Hear our stories.

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Jenny Takeda/Why I Became a Teacher-Librarian

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To celebrate School Library Month, teacher-librarians have been sharing their stories of why they went into the profession. These stories have resonated with me, so as April draws to a close, I'm taking advantage of a window of rare quiet time at home to share my story. To read other #whylib stories, check out this Why We Became Librarians Padlet.

I've always loved children's books. After graduating from Willamette University, I moved up to the Portland area and worked for several years at a local independent bookstore. I soon began working in the children's area of the store. My work ranged from ordering books, supervising other children's area staff, helping coordinate children's author visits and even dressing up as Sister Bear from the Berenstain Bears. After three years, supervisory positions were downsized and I chose to leave my position and work as a library assistant in a local elementary school.

While working as a library assistant, I was able to take evening courses at Portland State University in their library media program. The next year, I entered their Graduate Teacher Education Program full-time. This involved student teaching in the classroom and library and resulted in a teaching license and library media endorsement. That spring I landed my first job as an elementary teacher-librarian. I worked with K-5 students for 5 years before moving to a district librarian position. I've continued to work at the district level since 2003, except for my leave of absence last year during which I substituted K-12 in 32 out of 50 schools in my school district.

So, what compelled me to become a teacher-librarian beyond my love of children's books? I strongly believe that libraries are wonderful equalizers. School libraries provide students from all backgrounds with access to books, technology and other resources. In addition, teacher-librarians develop an environment in which students explore their interests and curiosities, developing success as readers and learners. Teacher-librarians have an opportunity to impact every student in the school and see them grow as they transition from grade to grade.

I smiled when I read on NPR's breaking news blog, , recently about a study from the UK showing that going to the library made people feel as good as receiving a small pay raise. I know this is true in my family, not only for myself, but for my two sons who often ask if we can go to the library and then check out a large bag full of books each time. Their development as readers is largely supported by having access to lots of books and being read aloud to daily.

Sharing my story has triggered more thoughts about the value of staffing schools with teacher-librarians. Stay tuned for a follow-up post with more ideas and information to consider.

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Why I Became a Teacher-Librarian #whylib

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To celebrate School Library Month, teacher-librarians have been sharing their stories of why they went into the profession. These stories have resonated with me, so as April draws to a close, I'm taking advantage of a window of rare quiet time at home to share my story.

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I just came across the #WhyLib campaign. In honor of School Library Month, school librarians are sharing their stories on why they became school librarians through the hashtag #WhyLib. Neat.

I think I am getting in on this Twitter chat (or conversation, discussion, what have you) a little late, considering today is April 28th and School Library Month is almost over. Whatever. I never give up an opportunity to support school libraries and I want to try out Padlet.com by sharing my story there.

So, why did I become a school librarian?

Well, for starters, my mother is a retired school librarian. She had a wonderful career. It was never just a job for her. She was always learning new stuff, teaching it to colleagues, writing articles, getting grants, classes, attending or speaking at conferences, helping kids beyond the scope of a school librarian (i.e. collecting winter coats for kids in her school), etc. Growing up, I always thought this was the standard of any one's life work: To be successful in a career you enjoy.

When I graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree in English and a strong desire to travel and see the world, I landed into a career in sales and marketing. Within a five year time span my college boyfriend (now husband) and I lived in San Francisco, Portland, Oregon and New York City, mostly to follow each other's careers and seek a new adventure. Each time I moved to a new city, I was quickly able to find a sales job of some kind - usually selling advertising. I enjoyed it and at times I did very well, but it always felt like a "job" and not something I could see myself doing for my entire life. During my 5 year sales "career" I was able to learn a little more about myself: I like to help people. I like to learn new things. I am a good learner. I tend to take on leadership roles. I like to volunteer. I am interested in technology and not afraid of it. I like computers. I like change and innovation. I like to read, especially on airplanes, trains and subways, where I spent a lot of time.

One day I was job searching in NYC when I came across an ad to work at New York Public Library. I thought it looked like a cool job - something in Public Relations - and it required a Masters of Library and Information Science (or MLIS). I knew my mother had an MLS from Pratt Institute, so I checked out the website. I was surprised to find out how many opportunities there are for MLIS grads. Obviously there is school and public librarianship, but there was also so much more - special libraries, law libraries, medical libraries, digital libraries, art librarianship, archiving, and more. It sounded really interesting so I applied and got accepted. I started library school the next semester.

I always joke around that during my three years of graduate (library) school, I was either pregnant or nursing. It's true. I had my two children during graduate school. By day I was a stay at home mom: volunteering by leading a story-time sing along at Brooklyn Public Library, taking the mommy and me swim lessons, and hanging out in playgrounds with other mommies and play-dates in Brooklyn. By night, I was graduate student extraordinaire: President of the Student Association, working as a grad assistant for the Dean Emeritus and the head of my department, eventually graduating with honors with a 3.9 GPA. While in grad school and as a new young mother, I quickly learned something else about myself: I love working with young people and I like to teach.

I decided to get the MLIS with Library Media Certification. Fast-forward a few years and here I am, a school librarian in Northern Virginia. I love it.

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I just came across the #WhyLib campaign. In honor of School Library Month, school librarians are sharing their stories on why they became school librarians through the hashtag #WhyLib. Neat. I think I am getting in on this Twitter chat (or conversation, discussion, what have you) a little late, considering today is April 28th and School Library Month is almost over.

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Klaudia Janek/ How I Became a School Librarian

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Klaudia Janek/ How I Became a School Librarian

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I think in a way my profession chose me. I think about my choice of career every once in a while, but I don't really reflect on it. I was inspired by the twitter conversation #whylib and then read some stories by other school librarians posted here. So, I thought I would write down my own path and I guess, share with the Internet.

Going to the public library is one of my first memories. I remember selecting large of piles of books to take home with me and watching my mom hand write the check out forms. She never said "no" to the amount of books I wanted to take home. Once I learned how to write, I was excited to fill out my own slips. Then the wand scanners came, with the laser red tip, and barcodes. Talk about libraries being on the cutting edge; even the grocery stores did not have scanners yet. This was the old West Bloomfield Public Library I remember:

The building is still there today...but it houses another organization. The best part of summer was the Summer Reading Program at the library. I remember the satisfaction of stamping each line for every book that I read. I'm not sure I remember the prizes, but I remember that I had many sheets of paper logging each book that I read. ( Some things never change as this is my current book log.) There were days that I spent reading from the moment I woke up until I couldn't keep my eyes open. It's possible that my mom was a little concerned that I was not outside playing but choosing to read my piles of books. I think I remember there being a prize for the child that read the most books. I was always disappointed that I never got it because I was sure I read more books than anyone at the library ;)

I remember being one of the few kindergartners who could read and the beginning of the school year. My kindergarten teacher let me do a few read alouds to the rest of the class during storytime. I have vague memories of sitting on the teacher chair reading to my friends from a book with a yellow bird flying around the pages. I am surprised I didn't get beat up for this! I was super excited to give up recess to be a library helper. I even roped my best friends, Jenny and Rhonda, into being library helpers with me. It was thrilling to know that I was trusted to put the books back on the shelves. At this point, I was supremely proud of myself for being able to help a librarian.

I was also one of the first students to try out the school's first computer - an Apple IIe.

I got to draw the name of students out of a hat to be the "Twin Beach Elementary Student of the Week" and then make a flyer for them in the original PrintShop program. The school had a dot matrix color printer, which took about 20 minutes to print 1 flyer. I would stand there and watch it. Then a year or two after the first Apple IIe, the school library got a 6 computer lab. I learned to play Oregon Trail:

I also spent a lot of time playing "school" with my brother and sister. I came up with lessons, worksheets and grades(!) for them. I'd love to know what they were thinking when they sat in my "classroom".

I learned how to find articles on micro-film and the old ProQuest research database where you had to put the right CD in to find your article. I was actually taught how to do that in my high school library. I thought it was the best thing ever to find old articles! I was always worried that I would not get the research spot in the library because the ProQuest computer might be too busy (I never saw anyone use it) and it cost 10¢ a page to print. This still required a physical dime to be dropped into a coin box connected to the printer!

By my senior year of high school, I had all the credits I needed so I signed up for a independent reading contemporary fiction class. I basically read books in the library for a class period my 2nd semester. It was awesome! We had a beautiful media center, but unfortunately, I do not remember ever interacting with the school librarian. The book suggestions all came from my English teacher. But I was still reading a lot and useing the public library for school research.

When I went off to college, I still did not have a career path picked out for myself. I definitely did not have a clear plan, although I sort of envisioned myself as a foreign diplomat and decided to get a BA in International Studies. I loved all my classes, all my professors and the academic world in general. I had a library connection from Day 1 at Saint Joseph's College. For my freshman orientation class, I was put in a section with Cathy Salyers, who was one of the librarians there. We met once a week that first semester to make sure we were doing ok with our new college life. Because I met her that first year, I was not afraid to ask for research help. I participated in research symposiums, Model UN and became the editor-in-chief of my college newspaper. I spent HOURS reading (for class only) and studying in the Robinson Memorial Library at SJC. I hid in the study carrels in the basement because no one could ever find me there :) It was quiet and warm and I made myself do all of my assigned reading down there before I did anything else. I became pretty familiar with the microfilm and microfiche machines, which were somewhere in the back of the library. As I was getting closer to graduation, I realized that the reality of the political world was a crushing disappointment to my idealistic self. I didn't want to leave the academic world, but it still hadn't occurred to me that being a librarian was my path.

I worked for about 3 years after college in totally random jobs. Managing a Sunglass Hut, Kaplan test prep center, summarizing depositions at a engineering firm, being a customer care specialist at a reiki center and working part-time in a pharmacy. It was a state of unfulfilled flux. My mother-in-law would talk about her job as an elementary media specialist and I was desperate for a new job. I started considering the possibility of working in a school library. She made a phone call and I got an interview the next day for a Media Tech position. I was quickly hired to assist with the technology needs in a school and right away started researching the Library and Information Science Program at Wayne State University. I realized that I liked working in a high school. So, I submitted my grad school application, was accepted and enrolled in classes within about a 2 month span. Working full time and going to school full time was not the easiest commitment I have ever made, but I survived. In 2002, I received my Masters in Library and Information Science. Unfortunately, I was still short a degree in order to be a high school librarian. I slowly worked towards a degree in Education to get my teacher certification and finally in 2009 I was officially a Teacher-Librarian. (In addition to being a librarian, I can be a history teacher too). Mr. DeZwaan let me be his student teacher for a whole semester.

I've never left that one school I started at. I have been fortunate to work as a librarian in a amazing school with the best students and staff. I'm in an academic setting, where I knew I belonged. I teach others how to research and share my love of reading. I'm thankful that Mr. Okma hired me after Mrs. Miner interviewed me. I'm pretty sure they know my story, but I would not be at the IA if it wasn't for them. Because of my school library background I have had the opportunity to travel around the Americas for the IB to teach other teachers about the Extended Essay. I get to review books for publishers. Every day is different, sometimes a bit crazy, which makes for good storytelling. It's all the little things that come together during the journey.

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I think in a way my profession chose me. I think about my choice of career every once in a while, but I don't really reflect on it. I was inspired by the twitter conversation #whylib and then read some stories by other school librarians posted here.

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Naomi Bates/My Journey Into Librarianship

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Naomi Bates/My Journey Into Librarianship

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my story starts before kindergarten all the way to today..and what a journey it's been!!

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Andy Plemmons started a campaign for School Library Month and asked librarians to share their story of why they become a librarian, which is a great idea!I've read so many and all are not only inspiring, but gives a personal glimpse into the lives of some people I only know online.I wanted to share my story as well.

There were two factors that made me love books, reading and libraries.The first factor was that I lived in the middle of nowhere near the small town of Fredericksburg Texas.Nowhere was named Morris Ranch and although I had fun playing in the creeks, old buildings and open spaces, there were many times when I stayed at home reading.The second factor was that I grew up in a large family with strained finances.Reading was one of those things considered both a recreation and better than that, it was FREE.

To say I've known since I was a child I was going to be a librarian is an understatement.While my sisters played with Barbies I would beg them to play library with me.I would set up a table, and grab as many books in the house as I could (to make displays) and my sisters would check out books, "read" them, and bring them back.And guess who was behind the circulation desk?Yep....me.The library was definitely embedded in my life.During the week when my sisters and I had piano lessons, we would walk from the elementary school to the public library to wait until it was our turn.

But it was the summers when I sought out the library the most.I grew up without air conditioning, and the Fredericksburg Public Library was the only place I knew that was cool, quiet and filled with books.I loved the smell of the building, looking up things in the card catalog, the children's room, and getting my first library card with a metal embossed number on it. I even pretended it was my house, finding all the secret nooks and crannies and building my dream home in my mind.

As I grew older, I still sought out the library as a safe haven not only in town but at school too.Today, I am proud to admit I am a nerd, but back then as a teen, that wasn't the case.I was quiet, didn't have many friends and was picked on.So when I discovered how to live vicariously through a book, I tore through as many as I could.In an age ( mid 1980's) when there was very little YA fiction, I read Terry Brooks, Stephen King, Anne Rice, James Michener and anything non-fiction...the bigger the better.This also helped in my English classes as well as the SAT, where my score was so high, I didn't have to take freshmen English in college (I consider myself a living statistic of how libraries with certified librarians directly influence academics and test scores).

After high school, I went on to college where I had the chance to discover my extroverted side.I didn't have time to visit the library anymore, and the passion subsided. I graduated with a double major in English and history and became a certified teacher, never knowing there was such a thing as a masters in library science.So I felt like I found my niche in teaching English at the high school level, and with that, I found my reading passion again.I also now had an audience of 14-18 year olds that I had the potential to make readers out of as well.We read the classics and short stories out of the textbook, and I tried my hardest to make the pages come alive. I knew I hit the mark when most of the freshmen class went to see Luhrmann's Romeo+Juliet together and could quote most of the movie. Then research time rolled around, and an epiphany happened....

I was gearing up to go to the library to teach students how to use the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (if you don't remember those, you missed out!) when the librarian told me I couldn't use the library because I wasn't signed up for it.This was in a junior high/high school situation located in a small town where I was the only high school English teacher.Well, I used the library anyway.Little to none of the students ever used the library because of the negative connotation associated with it, which both angered and saddened me. Then BOOM!!! My passion for libraries came back with a vengeance and I decided I could be a librarian and make a difference!So off I trotted to Sam Houston State University, where I received a masters in library science in 2000.

I became the librarian at that school and made some major changes.When bond money came through, the district built two new libraries (one elementary, the other at the JH/HS) and I cut my librarian's teeth through many experiences from opening and moving a new library to learning how to work with elementary aged children as their librarian.I got to work with other districts who didn't have a librarian on record and continued to create relationships with the students.Out came the cobwebs and in came couches, technology, YA books, and open doors.

I chose a great time to become a librarian too.The year 2000 ushered in a lot of technology, including social media and web tools I had never heard of before.It was also a time when computers were constantly changing, along with the cell phone (anyone ever own a bag phone?).Not only did I embrace the changes, but it embraced me back.And as they say, the rest is history....

I still go back to where it all started - my hometown library - and see that while it has changed throughout time on the inside, it continues to be nostalgic and safe. Now, as part of the
profession, I find myself looking into the future and cannot WAIT to see the changes, with the reassurance of a constant - relationships. Change is scary but having a constant helps ease that fear. SO glad I grew up the way I did and had those influences! Now I get to go work at my passion every day and make the library and librarianship just as important as the classrooms on campus.

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#whylib - My journey into librarianship...

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Andy Plemmons started a campaign for School Library Month and asked librarians to share their story of why they become a librarian, which is a great idea!I've read so many and all are not only inspiring, but gives a personal glimpse into the lives of some people I only know online.I wanted to share my story as well.

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David Bilmes/Why I Became a School Librarian

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David Bilmes/Why I Became a School Librarian

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#whylib

I was in my first career as a sportswriter, which meant I was working nights and weekends. It's a terrible schedule for a family life, but it mean that once my son started school, I was free to volunteer. I decided to volunteer in his elementary school library once a week. The librarian and her aide were wonderful. One of the jobs they trusted me with was to put cards in the proper order in their card catalog. After volunteering for several years in the school library, in the back of my mind I told myself that if I ever decided to make a career change, this would be a possibility.

A few years later, I was at a crossroads in my career, where a job change I made hadn't gone as planned and I had to decide whether to remain in journalism or try something else. With the support of my family, I decided to go back to school and get certified as a school librarian. Due to a shortage of school librarians in CT at the time, I was hired for a job after taking just 12 credits of courses and doing no student teaching. Needless to say, it was a rocky beginning to my career. But 15 years later, I love what I'm doing and have no regrets. And after working for a daily newspaper which published 7 days a week, it's nice to have a job where I have snow days and get the summers off!

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April is known for many things...touted as the cruelest month (oh how true this year!), National Poetry Month, and most importantly, the return of America's pastime. Outside of the library world, however, it is hardly known that April is also School Library Month. I've never made a big deal out of it in the past,...

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Jane Lofton on #whylib

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#WhyLib: Sharing My Story

In honor of School Library Month, many of my school librarian colleagues have been posting about how they became school librarians. Read Sherry Gick's blog posting for the background.

Here's my story ...

I did my undergraduate work at Stanford University. I chose to be an English major primarily, I think, because I loved reading novels and thought it was a great deal getting credit for doing that. I wasn't quite as keen about writing the papers, but considered it a small price to pay for getting to read so many great books for credit. I also became fascinated by Old English and the history of the English language during the course of my studies.

While I believe I got an excellent education at Stanford, no career guidance was provided. I really didn't know what I wanted to do after I graduated, although continuing my English studies definitely appealed to me. Fortunately, one of my English professors was supportive and helpful. He suggested that I might want to consider library studies and that I speak to the university literature librarian. After I met with the librarian, I immediately decided to earn a Masters Degree in English and follow that with a Library Degree. I had grown up loving my regular visits to the public library and all the wonderful reading recommendations I got from the librarian there, but I thought my own talents were more academic, and my plan was to become a rare books or literature librarian.

I spent a year studying English Language at the University of Edinburgh and then went on to the two Masters degrees at the University of Toronto. While in Library School, I was obliged during my first year to take a class in computer programming (IBM Assembler!). At first, I was quite annoyed; a "technical" class wasn't in my plans. To my surprise, I found that I really enjoyed it. I was so proud learning how to create punched cards that, once run through the huge computer, successfully pumped out catalog cards! In fact, I enjoyed learning about computers and automation so much that I followed it with a second year elective course in programming, along, of course, with the rare books and archives elective.

After I completed my M.L.S., I started looking for jobs. I couldn't find a university position, but I ended up in the Theatre Department at the Metropolitan Toronto Library. It really was a dream job. Reference queries ran the gamut from serious researchers working on Masters and PhD's in Drama to people with TV trivia questions. As one of three librarians in my department, and the only one young enough to have taken computer classes, I had the opportunity to participate in a library-wide committee working on the logistics of automating our library catalog. I also got to lead a project having our rich collection of local theatre bills and newspaper clippings preserved in microfiche. We were very "advanced" at the time!

Two years later, I left my dream job only because it seemed like time to move back "home" to California. I started looking for jobs in libraries, but the position that came along was one with SDC Search Service, a company that marketed research databases to libraries. I thought that it would be good to get experience in this area, and then return to a library position. After a short term on the "help desk," I became the main documentation writer, drafting manuals and newsletters for customers. And, somehow, I ended up making an accidental career change to technical writing in the software industry, a field I stayed in for many years. I enjoyed the challenge of taking somewhat technical information and organizing and simplifying it for users. I also enjoyed some opportunities to design user-friendly interfaces and early websites. And, as a late mother, technical writing proved a good field in which to freelance and have a flexible schedule. I often thought about how I missed working as a librarian, but continued with my technical writing.

When my daughter was in middle school, the librarian retired mid-year. I learned about the opening from the school principal when I contacted him to volunteer to update the school's website. I thought, "I really want to do that!" I didn't have the credentials required to work as a teacher librarian in a school library in California, but I learned that if there were no satisfactory applicants, I could be hired on the condition that I enroll in two credential programs. (I would need to earn both a teaching credential and a library media teacher credential.) And, that is just what happened.

I loved my new job from the moment I walked in the library. I was comfortable with the technology from my experience in the software industry, I was fairly up on the books since I had been reading with my daughter since she was born, and I loved working with the students and teachers. I know now that I was completely unprepared on the teaching side, but I learned about that as fast as I could through my credential classes, but mostly through attending conferences, reading publications like School Library Journal, and following school library gurus' blogs and other online communications.

I feel extremely grateful that I found a field that is a true passion for me and in which I can share that passion with students and make a difference. Since I came to school libraries so late, I have felt from the beginning that I don't have a minute to waste learning and trying everything I can to improve my practice. I am also constantly overwhelmed by the wonderful, incredibly generous librarians in my PLN who challenge me to do more to be better each day. When I was an English major in college, I was overwhelmed by all the "must read" books and the frustration of never being able to get to all of them. With school librarianship, I know that I will never keep up with the new ideas I learn about from the exemplary representatives of my field, but it's the challenge of trying that keeps me going!

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In honor of School Library Month, many of my school librarian colleagues have been posting about how they became school librarians. Read Sherry Gick's blog posting for the background. Here's my story ... I did my undergraduate work at Stanford University.

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If you follow lots of school librarians on Twitter like I do, than you've been seeing a lot of #WhyLib blog posts lately...I'm loving it! So, in honor of School Library Media Month, here's my story! Check out more #whylib stories (and add your own) at this Padlet!

I went to college with really no idea about what I wanted to do as a grown up. I liked to read, so I was an English major. I liked to watch movies, so I was a Film Studies minor. These choices were based solely on what I liked to do for "fun." I was not giving much thought to the future at that point. I lived at home and I wasn't too worried. I don't think my parents were worried??? Maybe? Looking back, I think I would have been nervous for my child if I were the parent! Anyways, when I was in college, a Barnes & Noble opened near my house. I applied for a job there because it seemed like fun to work at a bookstore and THE DISCOUNT! At the time, I was taking a Children's Literature class as part of my undergrad degree. This was the first time I was rereading kidlit as an adult and I was LOVING it. It was by far my favorite class in all of my English major program. I got the job at B&N, and I was spending a lot of time working in the Children's Area, since I was falling back in love with those books. The Supervisor of the Children's Area (Molly) was in library school. At first, I was totally surprised to learn that there was a "library school." I had been going to the public library my whole life and never really thought about the people who worked there. I certainly never thought about the librarians in my public schools. Molly inspired me to learn more about library school and the various occupations you can have as a librarian. That's when the seed was planted. I continued working at B&N (and Walden Books) through college. When I graduated with my BA, I applied for a job as a full time library clerk at the Richland Library. That's when I really started to learn more about libraries and what sorts of jobs were available (reference, children's, branch librarians, etc.) I was also working with someone who connected me with some school librarians. I was still really loving children's literature and I guess I seemed like a pretty good teacher, so various people were telling me I should look into school libraries. I started volunteering at a couple of schools in the school library. I would tutor, shelve books, watch, and learn. I LOVED all of this public library experience and school library volunteering - so, I applied to library school. Here's the rub - I was NOT a good high school student or a very good undergrad student, to tell you the truth. Basically, my grades stunk. I was not sure I would even get into library school once I applied, however, I guess at that point, I would have been perfectly happy keeping the job I had. Good benefits, decent pay - I would have been fine. LUCKILY, the library school was nice enough to interview me and not just go with what was on paper about me. They gave me a chance. And, I'm so glad they did...I LOVED every class I had in library school (except maybe Statistics) and I was a star student. After struggling in school since middle school, I was finally getting good grades and staying focused. Clearly, I was meant to do this! I ended up going through library school on the school media track. That way, I have my teacher certification, but if I ever wanted to, I could get a job in any sort of library - public, academic, special, etc. This degree ROCKS and I can't imagine doing anything else...what is your story?

VBF

About Valerie Byrd Fort

I live in South Carolina. I am passionate about libraries, books, and reading. I am also a mom. This is my blog about those things.

This entry was posted in This and that and tagged whylib. Bookmark the permalink.

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#WhyLib - My Teacher Librarian Origin Story

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If you follow lots of school librarians on Twitter like I do, than you've been seeing a lot of #WhyLib blog posts lately...I'm loving it! So, in honor of School Library Media Month, here's my story! Check out more #whylib stories (and add your own) at this Padlet!

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A few weeks ago, right as I was leaving for Spring Break, I noticed a few of the fantastic school librarians that I follow on Twitter discussing their reasons for becoming librarians. From their conversations a new Twitter hashtag was born - #whylib, with librarians around the nation telling their stories! Great timing - April is School Library Month and this year's theme is "Lives Change @ Your Library!! I went on Spring Break and took a hiatus from most of my social media. When I returned I found that a padlet wall had begun and I had to catch up on my reading!!! I was fascinated to read the stories of my librarian peers!! My story doesn't have any real surprises, but it ends well! I am a school librarian (aka Media Specialist) at Oak Hills Elementary in Lakeville Minnesota!! Hooray!

When I was a preschooler in Athens, Georgia, I vividly remember playing librarian! (I know...kind of a sad excuse for playtime fun...how many kids can say they played librarian!!) I was clearly a little confused about what a librarian did because I would pass the "library" books through one of our low living room windows like a bank teller, but no matter, loaning books to imaginary patrons and stamping cards gave my young heart a thrill!

I demonstrated impeccable taste very early on! My first book memory was of the 1942 Caldecott Award winning book The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton! Just to be clear, I was looking at the book in 1969, not 1942!!! I loved the book so much that I took scissors and cut out one of my favorite pictures until I was stopped by my very unhappy mother!!

Fast forwarding a year or two, I didn't actually grow into a book lover in spite of the generous collection of books in our home, avid "reader" parents and frequent visits to the public library. I was an above average reader, a proud member of the 1 st grade Bluebird reading group (shhhh - we weren't supposed to know that we were being ability grouped!) As the books advanced and had fewer and fewer pictures, my interest in reading for pleasure diminished. I have often reflected that my reluctance to read for pleasure in late elementary school/middle school has been a critical factor in making me a better librarian today! I understand why some of my students don't enjoy reading. For some students like me, it isn't that they struggle reading, it is that they haven't found their reading niche! Often these students have yet to discover a genre that really ignites their imagination! This is what makes a tenacious librarian's job so very important!! Book promotion keeps reminding students to consider their options! Happily I did eventually find my reading niche!

Despite the fact that there was some early foreshadowing of my future career as librarian, I really side stepped my way into the field. I went to college to be a teacher. I took my first job teaching 5th grade at Timothy Road Elementary School in Athens, Georgia. Athens is the home of the University of Georgia which is why my soon-to-be Minnesota husband was in town completing his Physics PhD. Two years after beginning teaching, we married and we moved to Minnesota where I was offered a 4th grade teaching position at Orchard Lake Elementary School in Lakeville, Minnesota! Still a relatively new teacher, I got my first Master's degree in Elementary Education, fully planning to remain in the classroom for the rest of my career! As I began to plan further academic credits, I began to look around at other possibilities. At the time, a media specialist degree piqued my interest. I wouldn't be completely honest if I didn't mention that it was the technology as well as great children's literature that interested me in the field of library science. There really weren't any technology integrationist yet, and the only people really getting their hands on technology in most schools were the librarians!! I mean REALLY! - Is there anything better than a field that combines great books, the latest technology and teaching!! So in 1995, when my oldest daughter was born, I took a year leave of absence and got my media specialist certification. As luck would have it, when I returned to Orchard Lake Elementary a year later, there was an opening for a media specialist! In 1998, when the district began building a new building, Oak Hills Elementary, I volunteered to open the building. After a year of intense researching, selecting

and ordering of a core library collection, AV and technology, I helped open the Oak Hills Elementary library in 1999, and here I am in 2014! Though the field is constantly changing and evolving, and some are even questioning the future for libraries all together, my initial enthusiasm has not wained and my impressions of what it means to be a librarian remain unchanged. Fantastic books (no matter the format), technology (served best when chilled over learning and integrated with literature!) and children...it is a magical combination!!

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#whylib - April Is School Library Month And Librarians Are Telling Their Stories!!

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A few weeks ago, right as I was leaving for Spring Break, I noticed a few of the fantastic school librarians that I follow on Twitter discussing their reasons for becoming librarians. From their conversations a new Twitter hashtag was born - #whylib, with librarians around the nation telling their stories!

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Brenda McPherson-Fry @brendamcfry

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As a 4 th generation educator, it was no surprise that I chose education as my major in college.My great grandfather had been an English teacher in Aultsville, Ontario (that side of the family picked the Loyalist side of the American Revolution), my grandmother was a college educated woman and teacher (until she married in 1913) in western Pennsylvania, and my father was a high school math teacher and administrator in my home town in northern New York. Two of my older sisters also received undergraduate degrees in education with the line of educators in our family continuing.

My interest in the library began in my junior year of college when I received a phone call from my best friend in my hometown.She worked at our local town library and they were seeking a college student for an acting Children's Librarian for the summer.The Library Director wanted time to search for a qualified librarian and thought it would be a great opportunity to employ a college student for the summer.I was selected for this opportunity and thus began my library career in 1979.

I had been a patron of this town library since I could remember and it was so exciting to be included in this team that I admired and "looked up to" in so many respectful ways.I had no background knowledge of the responsibilities of a Children's Librarian and learned much from the staff in those few summer months.

Welcome to the Real World

Upon graduating with a BS in education in 1980 from SUNY Plattsburgh the big adult world seemed intimidating so I set-up an interview at SUNY Albany in hopes to apply and attend their Library Science graduate program.In the meantime, plan B was to actively seek a teaching job.When visiting my brother in Houston, Texas I interviewed with the Houston ISD and was offered a position as a 4 th grade teacher. As I began my first teaching position I didn't stopped thinking about my desire for graduate studies in Library Science.

I took advantage of the "free" graduate courses offered through the district for almost 5 years with a variety of hours in classroom management, math, and improving my teaching skills. With enough math classes to teach secondary math I then took a 7 th grade math position in Aldine ISD.It was at this point in 1986 that I actively perused my passion and I began the library science program at Sam Houston State University.

I want everyone to understand that I did not spend countless hours in the school library as a student.My elementary librarian only spent 2-3 days at our school and the library was dark, dull, and closed most of the time.My junior high school librarian never came out from behind the desk and spent the entire time shushing us.I was too busy socializing in high school to enter the library and unfortunately I only remember one teacher (9 th grade History) taking us to the library for research.My vague memory didn't include us actively seeking resources.It was my public library experience that drove my desire to become a school librarian.

After graduating with a MLS in 1989 my principal offered me the position as the new school librarian at Aldine Junior High School.Excited but nervous, my two awesome paraprofessionals trained me the entire year.Since that first year I have had the privilege to work as a secondary school librarian in both Texas and South Carolina for the past 25 years.It has been an awesome experience filled with learning, teaching, and collaborating in one of the most exciting positions in education.One may ask why I chose to be a librarian and my answer is simple.When you look at my library program you see daily celebrations of books, technology, learning, teaching and more.The past 25 years has zipped by so quickly but time flies when you are having FUN.

I have had an awesome opportunity to work with associates such as SCASL (South Carolina Association of School Librarians - small but mighty), and TLA (Texas Library Association - everything is bigger in Texas). My PLN includes some of the most incredible people in the library from around the world. That one little summer job changed my life forever. Thank you Martha Burkhalter for that one short phone call in the summer of 1978.

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As a 4 th generation educator, it was no surprise that I chose education as my major in college.My great grandfather had been an English teacher in Aultsville, Ontario (that side of the family picked the Loyalist side of the American Revolution), my grandmother was a college educated woman and teacher (until she married in 1913) in western Pennsylvania, and my father was a high school math teacher and administrator in my home town in northern New York.

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One of the ways school librarians are celebrating School Library Month is by sharing our stories of the path/s that led us to this amazingly fun, creative, challenging and always changing profession. Because many of us are very active learning and sharing on twitter, a hashtag, #whylib, was created. I've loved reading many of these posts and I thought I would share mine.

I had written a bit about how this very topic in a blog post I wrote for the WRAD14 Blogging Challenge:

What is your earliest or fondest memory in which someone read aloud to you?

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One of the ways school librarians are celebrating School Library Month is by sharing our stories of the path/s that led us to this amazingly fun, creative, challenging and always changing profession. Because many of us are very active learning and sharing on twitter, a hashtag, #whylib, was created.

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In '91 or so when I was finishing my first Master's Degree in elementary Education (University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC), I was scrambling for hours that could satisfy the last course requirements. I wound up taking an elementary education math methods course of all things, and driving all the way from the lower part of Orangeburg, SC some 60 miles southwest to Aiken, SC so I could wrap it up in a three week Maymester course and get the degree (and the much coveted step up in pay due to a higher degree.) My goal at the time was to just FINISH. This was pre distance-ed days, and even pre distance-ed via video tape. I know, that is hard to fathom. Every class had to be physically attended. I was teaching 7th grade ELA at time.

Teaching License Renewal
South Carolina at this time required teachers to maintain/renew teaching licensure every five years with graduate level courses. One could take 2 course (6 hours), submit them to the state department of ed, and be deemed renewed with teaching licensure for an additional five years. As a member of a family of educators, I understood well what having additional degrees could do for my pay. When it became time to renew, I applied to graduate school and initially declared my major as unknown. I explored administration first. I hated the two classes I took. I then looked at a Reading Specialist degree. It was okay but I was bored. I hated the thought that I would limit what I taught to just reading. I then explored guidance and counseling. I liked the classes, but the theory I was studying, and the actual practice I saw day in and day out in my teaching did not match. Even way back then (early 90s) I saw the heavy emphasis that testing played in the role of guidance. Finally I just opted for the same major, elementary education.

Because I had Dr. Whiten
The class met at USC Aiken and we had plenty of school visits to the Aiken schools. The instructor was Dr. David Whiten, a professor I've lost track of now, but he believed in authentic engagement, project based learning, and that the librarian could be a classroom teacher's best friend. He made me realize I could touch every student, teacher, and curriculum area if I were in the library. Even better, we spent a day in USC's education building exploring computer games that could impact student learning. This was a day of true revelation for me. I realized the LIBRARY was where I could have have major impact and really enjoy my contribution in a k12 environment. And Dr. Whiten opened my eyes to how I could become an integral part of the paradigm shift coming to education with technology and digital resources, through the hub of every school known as the library.

Finished and already wanting to start over!
I finished that degree, and I had just had my second son who wasn't even a year old yet. With the completion of that class (and the degree) I came home raving to my husband that I knew I couldn't do it right away (financially nor with a young second child in the mix), but even if I had to wait five years because I needed to renew my teaching license, I fully planned to enroll in library school somewhere, some how.

Fast forward, 1995
I enrolled in USC-Columbia's College of Library and Information Science's program for media specialist certification. The only way I could obtain it was to enroll in the Master's Degree program. I think I misunderstood somewhere along the way, because I already had a Master's Degree, and the next logical step was a Specialist Degree. But USC either didn't have a specialist program at the time, or I just did not understand that to get my certification I had to take the same course work as the Master's Degree seeking library school candidates. It did not matter then, as my goal was to become a certified school librarian, and that 2nd Master's Degree was going to be the fastest route. So I applied.
"I just looooove reading!"

I had to sit through an interview with a professor from the (formally known as) USC CLIS Program, and I can remember being asked why I wanted to be in the program. Thankfully I never uttered the words, "Because I love books and I love to read." I simply shared my story-same as above. Later in my library school classes with (now retired) Dr. Dan Barron, I heard him NUMEROUS times talk about the number of prospective students in their interviews declare their love of reading, and how loving reading was NOT enough! In my earliest courses I had Barron several times, and I must say he lit a fire in me for the profession like no other. I joined our state organization, as well as AASL and ALA due to him, joined LM_Net and our own SCASL listserv due to him, and discovered the power of a PLN and connected learning EARLY, way before it became the cool thing for educators to do, all thanks to him. I learned so much in my two year program, becoming instantly a tech savvy teacher and having a much better understanding of the school and community, which I can attribute to my days as a student of USC's School of Library and Information Science.
USC-SLIS - still impacting me
It is now called USC's School of Library and Information Science, housed under Mass Communications, and is still generating some of the most dynamic school librarians there are. I reflect at some of those professors and graduates who have impacted me as a working school librarian, including professors like Dr. Dan Barron, Dr. Donna Shannon, Elizabeth Miller (and by spring the last one I had classes under will retire-Dr. Shannon). I also am friends with USC graduates such as past SCASL Presidents and/or leadership members like Heather Loy, Valerie Byrd-Fort, and Martha Taylor. I've had previous USC library interns who have helped shape me and make me a better librarian as well, like Kim Isiminger, and recent interns Lori Willis-Richards and Elizabeth Graham. I have interacted with plenty of librarians in my state too, who amaze me with their stellar representation of school librarianship, including folks like Tamara Cox, Karen Meharg, Wendy Rollins, , Kelly Knight, Fran Bullington, Susan Myers, and so many more. Even my own co-librarian Melanie Dillard, a USC library school alumni, amazes me pretty regularly. (I tell her all the time how she "completes" me in the library!)

Still a long way to go
My path to becoming a librarian took me along many different paths along the way to certification and to where I am as a librarian today. I just saw this video shared by my friend Sara Kelly Johns, and it seems like a fitting close. You see Ive had wonderful principals along the way too, all who have supported each and every turn I took along my career path. After 28 years behind me in education (yikes I sound OLD) I'm still not done. And I can't wait to make more of an impact at my local level, as well as county, state, and even beyond to national and international levels. THAT is why I'm a librarian. And I love it as much today as I did day one.

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In '91 or so when I was finishing my first Master's Degree in elementary Education (University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC), I was scrambling for hours that could satisfy the last course requirements.

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After I finished a Bachelors degree in English, the very last thing I wanted to do was teach so I worked my way through the private sector as a secretary, an assistant to an assistant, to eventually a career in human resources who I loved.

About a year after my youngest was born I started having a crisis of conscience. I was getting signs that I needed to make a change so I left my job to be a mother full time. At that time I knew I was leaving HR forever. A couple of months after leaving work, my baby was stricken with a life-threatening illness and needed my constant care and attention for two years. (She survived - happy ending).

During that time we went to the town library a lot and I started a children's story hour program there. When the time came for her to attend school full time I asked my husband what he thought I should do next and he said, "Why don't you become a school librarian?" Before he could change his mind, I enrolled in the MLIS program at URI. My first year as a certified school librarian I opened a brand new high school library - but that's a story for another time. It has been a joy and an unbelievable experience for me, finally figuring out what I want to be when I grew up.

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Margaux DelGuidice @metadatachick - #WhyLib 

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Margaux DelGuidice @metadatachick - #WhyLib 

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This is my story, what a great journey it has been!

I am a total geek and am so proud of it! Growing up I spent every free moment of my weekends and summers at the library. In college I used to cut the classes that I did not enjoy to hole up in the library and read for hours on end. The library has always been a comforting place for me and continues to welcome and nurture me like the supportive arms of a best friend. Upon graduation from college (with a useless degree in Politics and Communications) I was scared and unsure of where to go or what to do with my life. My mom gently dropped hints that I should pursue a career in libraries, but back then I dismissed her wisdom as meddling; I had to figure it out on my own. After following my friends down a career path into the business world I realized that Corporate America was not the place for me. I needed a job that had substance and soul, where my work would really help others and make a difference. As I reached the decision on my own to pursue my M.L.S., I also came to the realization that moms are usually right! Speaking of mothers, my mom and my sister are my educational idols. They are both stellar teachers that over the years have put so much of themselves into the profession of providing a meaningful education to the students in their care. There was no question that I wanted to pursue a degree as a school librarian so I could follow in their educational footsteps. After applying to various library schools in the tri-state area I was selected for a prestigious Graduate Assistantship at St. John’s University and two years later I landed my first school library job where I worked with Rose Luna. Working simultaneously in a public library began as a way for me to gain experience within the community while I finished my school library certification and worked towards my degree. I never thought I would love it as much as I do; ten years later I am still here, fulfilling both of my dream jobs.

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Sarah Staudt / PreK-4 Teacher-Librarian

Harding Elementary, Mason City, Iowa

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April is the perfect month to share our stories about why we became teacher-librarians, because it's School Library Month! It means even more to share our stories on School Librarian Day (April 4, 2014)!

Here is my story about how I became a teacher-librarian...

This is my tenth year as an educator. My first year I served as a Title I Reading Associate at Clarion-Goldfield Elementary. While I would have loved a job right out of college, I am actually grateful and appreciative that I started out in this particular position! I learned so much that year! The summer between my first and second year of teaching, I earned my K-12 reading endorsement. It was completely meaningful and beneficial to have one year's experience as a teacher to apply to what I was learning that summer, and then be able to implement it that following year, my second year of teaching. My second year I was honored to be hired as a one-year long term substitute Title I Reading Teacher. That was my first official year as a teacher, and I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED that year! After the year was up, it was time to start interviewing for another teaching job, as the Title I Reading Associate position was cut and the long term position was up. I was lucky, fortunate, and blessed to be hired as a K-12 At-Risk Teacher at CAL CSD in Latimer, Iowa for m y third year and fourth year. In addition to K-12 At-Risk Teacher, I also taught 7th-12th 2nd Chance Reading and 7th-8th junior high school exploratory Careers. During my 4th year, I got married and moved from Clarion to Rockwell. While I learned a lot and enjoyed my experience at CAL, I wanted to find a job that was closer to my new home. More importantly, I was seeking a job that served students in at the elementary grade level, as my bachelor of arts degree from University of Northern Iowa is elementary education, and elementary students are more "my style." A friend of my husband's family, who is a teacher in Mason City, informed me (spring of my 4th teaching year) that there were a few teacher openings at the kindergarten and first grade levels. So, I interviewed for those kindergarten and first grade teacher positions. When I received a phone call from Martin Gordon, (retired head of human resources for the school district) indicating that others were hired for the open teaching positions, I admit I was completely devastated . At that time, I wondered if I would ever have a classroom position, or even something solely at the elementary level. However, during that phone call, Mr. Gordon immediately offered me an interview the following week for the open elementary teacher-librarian position. I wasn't sure I had heard him correctly, so I asked him again to repeat what he just asked about the elementary teacher-librarian position. He once again offered an interview for that particular job position. I was shocked. I can still remember gently telling him that I wasn't properly endorsed and not sure if I would be fully qualified. He reassured me that the district is looking for the right fit and a willingness for someone to work to earn the proper certification. So, I interviewed. I will also never forget, during the interview, admitting that my only technology experience was working with a computer on a limited basis and an overhead projector. I made sure to quickly add that I am a eager, passionate learner, and, more importantly , I embrace technology. Currently, in my sixth year as a teacher-librarian, I can't help but take a moment to reflect every now and then, especially when I write my yearly reflection for my individual professional growth plan. I still can't believe how much I have grown from my original limited technology knowledge and experience to currently being beyond eager and driven to learn about the newest, latest, greatest, hottest, etc. tech tools and resources. My friends and colleagues like to tease me about becoming such a "tech geek."

I was beyond ecstatic when Dr. Humphrey (retired Jefferson Elementary principal) called to inform me I was hired as the elementary teacher-librarian! I remember joking with him that I am no longer a "Little Cyclone." You see, I am a 2000 high school graduate from Ames High, which is a rival of Mason City. I went on to inform him that "I am now proud to be a "Mohawk." I will always remember Dr. Humphrey laughing and saying, "Welcome to the Mohawk family!" So, that is how I became a teacher-librarian. Little did I know, at that time, how much I would LOVE this job and how much I would grow a teacher-librarian, educator, and person. I LOVE how my role as a teacher-librarian allows me to create, connect, collaborate, inspire, share, encourage, etc. both staff and students. I believe I have the best job in the world. Now I can never imagine being anywhere but in the library as a teacher-librarian.

In the meantime, one may be asking what about being properly certified for the teacher-librarian position. I am proud to inform, after this spring semester, I will officially earn my K-12 school library media education endorsement. I plan on completing two more classes (research methods class and thesis paper class) this summer to earn the master's degree in library media education. I am completing my coursework through Minnesota State University Mankato, and have had the honor and of completing all but two of my courses under Dr. Deborah Jesseman. Her classes have helped shape me into the teacher-librarian I have become. I appreciate her guidance and leadership, and am grateful for all she has done.

As I wrap up this blog post, I am searching for the perfect ending to this post, and I can't seem to come up with it. So, I read other teacher-librarians' blog posts on #whylib. Perhaps, the perfect ending to this post is to reinterate what Andy Plemmons wrote in his blog post .

There are so many librarians and educators who push me to stretch and grow as a librarian. The librarian community is particularly inspiring. There are so many educators within our profession doing amazing work. "Each year, I add layers onto my own role as librarian and new layers onto our library program because of these great people." "Each year I understand more about using technology to consume and create, and how digital literacy weaves together with so many other kinds of literacy" (Plemmons, March 29 2014, blog post). There's no way I could name them all, but just to start, I give so much thanks to the following all-star teacher-librarians who inspire me! A special thank you shout-out to Shannon McClintock Miller, Kathy Kaldenberg, Christine Sturgeon, Ernie Cox, Sandi Ellis, Melissa White, Arin Anderson (my sister-in-law and a teacher-librarian), Chelsea Sims, Kate Lechtenberg, Kelly Reinhold, Kenya Arrants, Alyssa Calhoun, Miranda Kral, Bob Follmuth, Cheryl Carruthers , Jane Frizzell, Jean Donham, Dr. Deborah Jesseman, John Schu, Buffy Hamilton Jennifer LaGarde, Matthew Winner, Sherry Gick, Shawna Ford, Jennifer Reed, Jenny Lussier, Okle Miller, ....the list goes on and on. Each day, I connect with someone new and my understanding of library grows. About a month ago, I tweeted out the following, which I completely believe with my heart, and so it I will end it with this...

How/why did you become a librarian? What path or winding road did you travel before you arrived in the library world? Blog about it and post with the hashtag #whylib on Twitter, Facebook, or wherever you connect! I can't wait to learn more about all my librarian friends in my PLN.

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Why I Became a Teacher-Librarian! #WhyLib

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April is the perfect month to share our stories about why we became teacher-librarians, because it's School Library Month! It means even more to share our stories on School Librarian Day (April 4, 2014)! Here is my story about how I became a teacher-librarian... This is my tenth year as an educator.

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Marie Evans: tales of an INTJ school librarian

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Marie Evans: tales of an INTJ school librarian

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Here it is:

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I have no idea how long this post will take me to write. In fact, I have every intention of freewriting and editing later - if I feel inspired to try to sound 'well-written'. The thing is, I haven't blogged since...oh. Since my first week of full employment as a #tlelem.

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This is my story and I'm sticking to it...

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April 4, 2014 I wish I could say it started with a burning desire or a lifelong passion or a journey that started in my childhood. But I can't. Here's my story: I went to college a year after graduating high school to study Musical Theater.

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Back in High School, before I developed an attachment to the Jewish Religion, Frank Zappa was my rabbi. I searched his song lyrics, album liner notes and read his book looking for pearls of wisdom by which to live my life. I even moved to Montana for a little while during my college years. One particular quote I repeated more than once was from the liner notes of Zappa's record Freak Out! It read:

"Drop out of school before your mind rots from exposure to our mediocre educational system. Forget about the Senior Prom and go to the library and educate yourself if you've got any guts."

My parents wouldn't let me drop out of course, so I did the next best thing and tuned out classes when I felt like it, went to the library as often as I could. School wasn't challenging. I got tracked into non-honors classes and I liked to ask questions. My questions annoyed many teachers, who often could not answer them, but fortunately the school librarian, Mrs. Friedman, understood me. I was the kind of crazy kid that checked out books that had sat for decades unread. That must have endeared me to her.

During my Senior year, I found Economics class especially stultifying. I slept during the endless documentary films. I actually found Economics the subject interesting, and important, just not the class.. I remember the thrill of finding books by John Kenneth Galbraith, Thorstein Veblen and other surprising wise and humorous econ authors in the library. At some point I was probably failing the Econ class, I decided to show off my knowledge gained from my library escapades by asking the teacher questions. When I got an admission that he didn't even know who these people were or even the first thing about their ideas, I realized that Frank Zappa was 100% right, that real education came from pursuing knowledge via books and libraries.

I found myself adrift in my career after graduating college, trying out numerous jobs, ranging from bicycle messenger, to environmental educator and customer service representative. In spite of my view of school, I decided to go back and earn a teaching credential. Of course I was determined not to become one of "those teachers" who were boring and uncreative. Rather, I was going to be a revolutionary teacher that helped kids to think for themselves. For 5 years I taught science, which was rewarding at times, but I eventually came to the conclusion that the role of classroom teacher wasn't truly suitable for my personality. I wanted to stay in education, but do something different, something that would make sense for me. After only a little deliberation I decided that a school library was the most logical place.

Now I have the privilege of paying forward what Mrs. Friedman did for me back in the 1980s. I've been in the library for 13 years now, and I have no regrets.

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Why I Became Librarian-For National Library Month

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Back in High School, before I developed an attachment to the Jewish Religion, Frank Zappa was my rabbi. I searched his song lyrics, album liner notes and read his book looking for pearls of wisdom by which to live my life. I even moved to Montana for a little while during my college years.

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I stumbled across a discussion on Twitter on how librarians found their way into libraries through a multitude of different routes. You can find more stories at the "Why We Became Librarians" padlet or by searching Twitter for #whylib. This is my story.

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Over the weekend, a conversation started on Twitter that led to the creation of the hashtag #whylib. Funny how a tweet has the power to become a hashtag and part of an ongoing conversation. Since April is School Library Month, librarians across the country are now sharing stories of the paths that have led them into the school library using #whylib. I must say, I've enjoyed learning a little bit more about the fabulous school librarians who are a part of my PLN, the majority of whom I have yet to meet in person. I think it's so great how such a variety of experiences have drawn us together into the TL tribe.

Here is my story...

I've always associated positive memories with libraries. Going to our public library each week was always fun. I remember carrying stacks and bags of books home and devouring them each week. I started drawing tiny purple stars on the back pockets of the books to keep track of what I'd read. Soon every book in the children's section had a purple star.

Not surprisingly, at 16 I started working after school as a page at that library and others in the township. I stayed on as a part-time staff member for the next 7 years, and still cover the occasional evening or weekend shifts. I quickly outgrew the task of just shelving those purple starred books. Over time, I became involved with children's programming, collection development, and processing. I later added circulation, reference, and technology skills into the mix. Yet it didn't occur to me that this "library thing" was something I might want to consider as a career.

At that same time, I was working on an undergraduate degree in education at Rosemont College. I started out as an elementary education major, adding history and psychology into the mix when all was said and done. Looking back, I think the choice to study education came from my love of learning, not necessarily school; a distinction I would soon realize. My student teaching experience helped me see that the endless worksheets, individual assessments, and bubble sheets weren't my style. I wanted students engaging with each other as well as with content; to be able to create, collaborate, and discover. At this point that I decided I needed to explore these ideas of education policy and creativity/innovation. After I graduated, I immediately entered a master's program in education policy at the University of Pennsylvania. The plan was to become a researcher or perhaps an education historian.

It wasn't until I had immersed myself with literature on educational technology, federal policies, digital literacies, connected learning, and participatory cultures that the library came back into the picture. I realized that the space in the education landscape where policy and innovation collided was libraries.

I finished my program at Penn this past July and started in my current role as an elementary teacher/librarian in August. I absolutely love the physical, curricular, and digital spaces this role allows me to inhabit. Spending time creating a culture where we read, create, and connect in our library has been great. (The kiddos are also adorable). I am so grateful for this community of TLs who have shared so much with me this first year. I hope to be able to share more with you as my journey into the TL tribe continues.

If you are a librarian, or thinking about becoming one, please consider sharing your story with #whylib. I know that the rest of the TLs out there and I would love to learn along with you!

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Over the weekend, a conversation started on Twitter that led to the creation of the hashtag #whylib. Funny how a tweet has the power to become a hashtag and part of an ongoing conversation. Since April is School Library Month, librarians across the country are now sharing stories of the paths that have led them into...

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I didn't choose this profession. It chose me.

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#whylib

"With one of the most amazing Elementary School Libraries in the world on my radar, I set my sights on becoming a librarian because I love telling stories, and recognise the joy people of all ages, not just children, experience when they are drawn in to a great book."

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This CampusPress site is unavailable. Please contact the CampusPress team for more information.

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I grew up in the library. My mother would take me there weekly and I would fill up my long, skinny arms with books. In school, I would beg the librarian to let me help stamp the due dates or file cards back into the card catalog (remember those?). Looking back, it was predestined that I would spend my life in a library.

I created this blog because I am a huge proponent of sharing ideas. While I know that my experience in library school was valuable, I feel like a huge part of my real-world education has been talking to other librarians and sharing. I love conversing with colleagues and gleaning new ideas because it always rekindles my enthusiasm for the field.

Please note the standard disclaimer that the views and opinions in this blog are my own and do not reflect those of my employer.

Happy reading!

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I grew up in the library. My mother would take me there weekly and I would fill up my long, skinny arms with books. In school, I would beg the librarian to let me help stamp the due dates or file cards back into the card catalog (remember those?).

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I have been the librarian at Tibbott School for 11 years and the week before Winter Break I finally had an ah-ha moment about my library carts. I have seen many carts labeled in my years as a librarian but I couldn't figure out how to adapt them to work for me....

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Another Personal Reflection Post

Sometimes it amazes me that it took so long for me to figure out that I could make my living working in libraries.

My mom loves to tell the story of when I was little and I proclaimed that when I grew up I wanted to live in a library. From my earliest memories, my concept of heaven has been a giant library. I went through a phase in junior high were I tried to sketch out my ideal home and the centerpiece of the house was a multistory library (also, a huge terrarium for a pet three-toed tree sloth... I was a strange young man.) During the years I lived in Chicago, I always said that if the apocalypse came, I'd barricade myself in Harold Washington Library and protect the books.

I've always felt at home in a library. Some of my fondest memories from childhood are when my mom worked in the history library on the local campus and I'd get to spend time wandering around in the stacks.

During the years I spent working in theatre, a handful of my co-workers and friends left that industry to become librarians (theatre tech-to-librarian is actually a remarkably common path)-and still, it didn't strike me right away that I could do that myself. It wasn't until I'd left theatre and bounced around doing random office work, and had reached a point where I needed to reassess my career options, that it hit me like a bolt out of the blue-I could be a librarian!

As soon as the idea entered my mind, I knew it was right. There's nothing about librarianship that I don't love.

My whole life, I've found pleasure in arranging the books in my home: successful subject organization is deeply satisfying to me. I've long had a vision that someday I'll find a way to lay out my shelves such that each subject flows intuitively into the next, and the last will transition perfectly back into the first... I even thought that I could devote some of my professional life to create a subject cataloging system for fiction that's as robust as Dewey and LC are for non-fiction (this was before I learned that BISAC already does this really well).

I have a vision for a subject cataloging system that takes its structure from biological taxonomy. Dewey and LC are based on assigning books to categories so as to differentiate them. But I've always been struck by how different subjects relate to, inform, and expand on one another. I'd like to see a system of subject cataloging that better incorporates these similarities and overlaps. Whereas library cataloging traditions are based on defining the differences between things, biological taxonomy starts by recognizing the similarities of things-branches of the tree only separate when species become different enough to warrant it. The genus/species naming convention conveys information about the relationship that each species has to others implicit in the species name. I think it would be wonderful if the label of any given subject in a library carried information within it that elucidated the relationship of that subject to others, to inform a curious information seeker how books in other subjects could help to satisfy their curiosity.

I've always believed that the written record of humankind is the most important legacy we leave, and that the preservation and transmission of this legacy is amongst the most important work we have. I actually entered my MLIS program with the intent of becoming an archivist and about half of my classes were related to that goal. It was through my archives classes that I developed an interest in digital preservation and began exploring digital information environments in earnest.

My interest in digital preservation began my interest in digital librarianship. I also noticed a telling trend in my class work: most of my papers and essays, and my ideas and debates in classroom discussions, were formulated using public libraries as examples-my default conceptual position was to approach issues from the perspective of the public library sphere. I thought at first that it was simply because the issues facing libraries and the underlying theories of librarianship are heightened and more urgent for public libraries, that public libraries provide the best proving grounds for our ideas, the purest examples of the challenges we face. It took me some time to realize that, in fact, I default to a public library perspective because the sense of mission in public libraries appeals to me-serving that mission is something that's very important to me. So I switched my focus from archives to public libraries as my chosen professional milieu. I realized that what I wanted most was to be a digital librarian for a public library system.

Since I began at the Kansas City Public Library, I've had quite a lot of interaction with our Director of Readers' Services and I've become deeply fascinated with readers' advisory. R.A. isn't something that I'm particularly good at-but I find the art and science of it incredible! I love seeing the work done by librarians who have the knack for it. R.A., along with other reference and readers' services, is one of the most direct forms of service to patrons that we offer. For someone like me, for whom service is the heart and soul of why I do this for a living, there's something very powerful and important in these sorts of front-line library offerings.

As readers of this blog may have noticed, I'm rather obsessed with the idea of serendipitous discovery in digital library environments.

Basically, I have yet to encounter any aspect of library service that doesn't interest me on some level. I see no end to the myriad aspects of librarianship that compel me. This is definitely where I belong.

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Another Personal Reflection Post Sometimes it amazes me that it took so long for me to figure out that I could make my living working in libraries. My mom loves to tell the story of when I was little and I proclaimed that when I grew up I wanted to live in a library.

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A few days ago Andy Plemmons, AKA @plemmonsa put out his story of how he became a school librarian as a way to kick off School Library Month. He created the #whylib hashtag for other school librarians to do the same. So, here is my #whylib story.

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#WhyLib

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Saturday, as I was heading off to deliver a presentation on Twitter as a Personal Learning Network (PLN), I got involved in a Twitter conversation where we were sharing how we had found our way to becoming Teacher Librarians. Within minutes an initiative was born, replete with its own hashtag, Andy Plemmons, over at Barrow Elementary, has captured the interaction and explains the initiative We are all adding our stories to this . Sherry Gick, over at Rossville Middle and High School, did a great job of getting us going Please check both of these resources out and share your #whylib story. with her post.
As you can imagine, I was excited to have this hot-off-the-presses example of twitter as a PLN to bring to the presentation, but even more, I was excited about this new vehicle for growing our PLN. I believe that stories change us and help us grow,the stories that get printed in the books we share with students, the stories that live on our blogs, and the stories we tell each other. It is now twenty-four hours later and I have already read a few of my colleagues #whylib stories. The work these colleagues do every day is inspiring, but so are their journeys. I feel closer to these friends having read about how they found their way to teaching in a school library. I look forward to reading more #whylib stories in the coming weeks.

I'll start my story in the middle and, with some trepidation, share the Judy Watkins put into my hands Statement of Career Objectives that I submitted with my application for the School Library Teacher Program in the Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science.
"One of the best aspects of growing up in the South End of Boston was the proximity to everything. One favorite haunts was the Prudential Center, where I would go to get a raspberry-lime rickey from Brigham's Ice Cream Parlour along with a view of my world. I would head up the elevators to the Skywalk, where I could see: the YWCA, the Cyclorama, Copley Square, the Bancroft Elementary School, the park, friends' houses, and the place that still is my favorite, the South End Branch of the Boston Public Library. It is two blocks from my parents' house. Getting there for some years involved crossing through an abandoned block, which only made the trip more magical. There it was -- an inviting oasis. Judy Watkins was there to greet me with a warm smile and genuine interest in what I was reading. She knew me and knew what I liked to read. She was always happy to help find books or steer me in the right direction. I was an avid reader and she played a significant role in that aspect of my life.
I never stopped reading. I still love to read, but when I had children I realized how much I loved to read with others and to share books. Reading for my own pleasure is different for me than reading for someone else's pleasure. I enjoy the books I read with my children, but I especially love their reaction to the books and the discussions that ensue.
When thinking about the next phase of my life and what would make me happy, I keep coming back to books. It is what I love most. I want to be a school librarian. I want to be the person to help a child find the book that opens the door for them and starts them on their journey through literature. There are many books that have moved me or changed the way I think, how gratifying to think of helping a child find the book that moves them or changes the way they think. Having spent a year teaching reading, I am fully aware that reading does not come easily to all children. It is hard to find a "just right book" in a subject area or genre that interests a child, but there are many good books available and I look forward to the challenge.
I would like to start my career as an elementary school librarian. First, I think there is a personal knowledge of and relationship with the students. I have spent a significant amount of time in my children's school library and have witnessed the relationship between the student population and the librarian. Second, I think a school library is the core of a school. It is an essential resource for students and faculty alike. It is the gateway to information. Third, I like the range of reading ability, from emerging readers to independent readers. I enjoyed my time working in classrooms assisting with reading activities. Finally, I would enjoy being part of a team of educators. Mostly though, I want to be like Judy Watkins and support children on their literary journey."
Eeep. It sounds pretentious, but at its core, is the reason I found my way to becoming a teacher librarian. I love books. I love to share all things book-ish.
What I didn't anticipate, when I wrote that essay, is how much my understanding of a school library program would change during my time at Simmons and every day since. I also didn't realize how skills gathered and honed during my earlier careers would feed into this one. My path has been a funny one - restaurant owner-Bread&Circus manager -community development consultant- readings specialist-teacher librarian. It might look as if these occupations are not connected, but they are.
A few of my beliefs and how my occupations influenced them:
A Smile Goes a Long Way
I owned and operated restaurants with my husband (during college and for a short time after). I had started waiting on tables at fourteen and grew up understanding the value and impact of good service. Knowing what will make a person happy and being willing to find a way to make it happen can make any business better and any interactions better. This may seem like a stretch, but greeting people with a smile, being a problem solver, and understanding the impact of a person walking away feeling good about an interaction are just part of my being. A part of my being that serves me well in my school setting.
My Experience is Not Your Experience
My childhood was wonderful and unique, but it would not have been for everyone. The experiences I had growing up helped cement the idea that we are all individuals and cannot represent any other individual or group of people. I left the restaurant business and entered the field that I felt drawn to and that fulfilled my college studies. (I was a political science major with an economics minor.) I joined a community development consulting firm, where I worked in low- and moderate-income communities across the country developing loan consortia and programs to support minority economic development and affordable housing. During my time working for the firm, I acted as a mediator, I helped bring the banks to the table, I led many meetings, and I wrote a lot. I spent a good deal of time listening to people's stories, each of our stories is unique. We are who we are because of the experiences we have had. Each student is an individual.
Technology is a Powerful Tool
In the restaurant, I was in charge of handling the accounts payable and the accounts receivable on a 1982 IBM computer (oh, this things was so new and so cool). The flashing green lines held a mystery that I wanted to unravel. I went on to work on Lotus 123 spreadsheets and I was hooked. By the time I got to the consulting firm we were writing our own code at the command prompt. I remember liking Microsoft Word over word perfect, but then getting so angry when Microsoft Word became all knowing and started to take the fun out of coding one's writing. The modem that we used to send files down to the office in Florida was an external box that required some serious set up. Technology has always been a tool for me, the fun now is seeing how the students can use technology as a tool to consume and produce content, express themselves, and share their understanding.

I have earned a degree in each of my last three decades (20's, 30's and 40's). I hope I never stop wanting to learn new things. I love being a student, working hard and puzzling out assignments. Unfortunately, I can't afford to be a student all the time, but I can be a learner all the time. Each day in my school library, I am learning beside the students and I am puzzling out lessons, units, activities.
Stories Connect Us

There you have it, more or less, I became a teacher librarian because I love books and because I (somewhat egotistically) wanted to be the person who would put that one special book in another person's hand. But I have grown (thankfully), and become wiser (a process that i hope has not stopped!). I am not sure that being the person to put the book in a person's hand is really my goal anymore. I think I just like being part of the bigger reader and story picture.
We are All Learners I really just love going to work every day. I love going into a space filled with books and technology; a space where I get to explore and learn about the power of technology with the students; a space where I am able to a part of the magic that happens when reader and story connect, and, if I'm lucky, I get to see where the journey goes from there.

The Dark is Rising and for that simple gesture, I will never forget her. This act planted a seed, a seed that sat dormant for twenty five years. During my time as a reading specialist, I found myself down in the library looking for books that would teach what the basal readers or other boring (I am sorry!) and didactic books that went along with the program were meant to be teaching. Daniel Pinkwater's The Big Orange Splot was a much more fun way to learn about blending, the same goes for learning about digraphs and trigraphs, inferring and sequencing. I think that good stories resonate within us and the things that we are learning during that process are more easily assimilated because of this. Stories connect us to learning in many ways. I come from a bookish family (my parents were avid readers), but the relationship that Judy Watkins had with me was different. She wasn't related to me, yet she knew me and she knew what I liked to read. I didn't have libraries in my schools until I reached 7th grade and even then, I don't think we went to the school library more than three times over the next six years. I wanted to be Judy, but I wanted to be that person in a school setting that I never had.

a perfect time to share your #WhyLib story.

We are all adding our stories to this

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Saturday, as I was heading off to deliver a presentation on Twitter as a Personal Learning Network (PLN), I got involved in a Twitter conversation where we were sharing how we had found our way to becoming Teacher Librarians.

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#whylib

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In honor of School Library Month (April) and the #whylib hashtag, I'm going to take a few moments to share why I became a librarian. When I graduated from college, I got the chance to go overseas...

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#whylib

I taught 4th grade for 9 years, and I was awesome according to my TAKS test scores. However, I felt I was cheating my students by teaching to the test, which is what we were instructed to do. I toyed with the idea of counseling, but I have always had a passion for reading, so I decided to become a librarian. I had never really had a desire to go back to school, but when I learned I had to have a master's degree to be a librarian, I took the plunge. I was so scared to go back to school after being out so long, but I absolutely loved it, and I knew I was doing the right thing! TWU online program was the perfect fit for me while working full time as a teacher. I owe my awesome professors a huge thank you for everything! When I interviewed at my present school for the librarian position, I knew it was the perfect fit! And the rest is history... Best job ever!!!

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April is National School Library Month. With the new hashtag #whylib created over the weekend by some of my favorite librarian bloggers, this seems like the time to share how I came to be in the library. (For more stories, visit the #whylib Padlet!) Growing up in the Deep South, I was an early reader.

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I am not a librarian ...technically. So that begs the question from most people: Why did you get your library science degree if you aren't going to work as a librarian? In their voices is always the implication that getting my MLIS was pointless or at least something I may have regrets about.

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Lisa Milstead- Why Library

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So much has been happening, that's what! I am seeing the (HUGE) light at the end of the tunnel on my MLS! December 13, baby! OK, but back up a bit...

early September-- The school system website crashes, leaving schools with NO webpage!! It was going to be changed to a new host anyway, but this sped up the process, and I had to attend an emergency training on the new one. Of course, I had no files from the previous page, so I have to build it 100% from scratch. It is still a work in progress, however.

I was also able to attend a FREE, conference. How many good things in life are free? Well, this was! It was a local, regional conference for media specialists, complete with vendors and breakout sessions. So much to absorb, and I wanted to attend more sessions then I was able.

In early October, I attended my first NCSLMA conference! Very cool indeed. I met some of my classmates in my degree program (it's 100% online, so this was a great chance to meet), along with a few professors (see previous parenthesis). Terrific keynotes, and breakout sessions. Again, having to choose which ones to attend was difficult, so I did a bit of session hopping! I got to meet some library rock stars and some book rock stars! But did I get my pictures made with any of them? Of course not. Since I have taught in the high school area, and now am in an elementary school as a librarian, I did not know Pete the Cat was a rock star! And yes, I met James Dean!Sweet! I did score a free ARC, and spent plenty of my hard earned cash on books, but who can blame me there? And now that grad school is almost officially over, I will have time to read again.

In mid October, I suffered through easily handled my first ever book fair! I was pretty happy with our results, but learned next time not to take all the proceeds in book fair bucks. Just saying'.... Anyhow, I wrapped that up, and turned around to take my 100 year grandmother on a cruise to celebrate her 100th birthday! I KNOW, not library related, but important! She had a blast, and was treated like a celebrity because they announced her birthday at dinner, sang to her, and generally made a fuss over her! SO many people the next few days came up to her and wished her happy birthday and requested a picture! (have I mentioned that I love using exclamation points? and parenthesis?) I do!!

Back to reality as November hit. Tons of grad school work to complete, and at school: kids, books, lessons, and teachers! Luckily, they're all good! November was a short month, only one of the weeks we had school for a whole five day week. The rest were 'short' weeks, and off THE WHOLE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING!!!! I have never had that before! Excellent!
Oh, and on a teacher workday in November, we had a media meeting and one of our presenters was one of my blog rockstars- The Candid Librarian!

So, that is a brief recap of how my first few months as a librarian has been. What I have to do now, is remember all the funnies kids (and adults) have said. That will be another blog.

Til then,

Peace!

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So much has been happening, that's what! I am seeing the (HUGE) light at the end of the tunnel on my MLS! December 13, baby! OK, but back up a bit... early September-- The school system website crashes, leaving schools with NO webpage!!

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My story started early

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Note/update: the #whylib origin stories are now being collected on this Padlet. See the embed below.This weekend a new hashtag meme emerged as a result of a little Twitter conversation.
Sherry Gick wrote to explain It happened during a casual Saturday morning Twitter convo, but I think it's amazing! #WhyLib is the new hashtag to use for TLs to tell their story...their journey to becoming a librarian.
The hashtag is quite active on twitter and we're encouraging librarians to tell their stories this month as part of our School Library Month long celebration. Our stories are unique. Our paths are different. But we are all part of one big community/tribe that is strengthened by our journeys to arrive here.
It just so happened that this week I also faced one of those birthdays that kinda forces you to reflect. So I was already thinking back to my origin story when the meme called to me.

There was never a moment in my life that I did not love libraries. Our regular evening family trips to BPL for stacks of books for me and my brothers were the highlight of my week.

No surprise. When I was 16, I got my first job after school as a page at that local branch of Brooklyn Public Library.

I can't say that I loved shelving all that much, but I can tell you that I was seriously inspired by a young (and cute) library intern who fed me one book after another. They weren't the books that my high school friends were reading. Kobo Abe's The Woman in the Dunes transported me out of that insular Brooklyn neighborhood. This young librarian's trust that I could not only grasp, but fall for Japanese existential literature thrilled me. I not only wanted to date him, I wanted to be him.

I was pre-med when I entered Brooklyn College. This was expected of me as a first child in a lower middle class Jewish family with aspirations. My grades were fine, but the competition drove me crazy. My bio classmates hid books in the library so others would not get to them. Ben, my boyfriend at the time, was a math major who helped me with my calculus homework. (It panicked me that I was getting Bs on exams.)

During one particular extreme calculus meltdown, Ben asked, "Why the hell are you doing this, Joyce? You hate math and science." At the same time, to test if my interest in medicine was true, I volunteered at a local hospital where I helped change sheets. I kinda hated that too.

My first Manhattan job during those two years at Brooklyn College was as a clerk in the Newspaper Advertising Bureau library, where I clipped trade publications as a current awareness service. I'd cut out articles, paste them on yellow paper and hand write subject categories on the top right of the page to distribute to the advertising men. (Yep, they were all men, if I remember correctly.) I'd later file and retrieve those yellow pages as needed when an advertising emergency struck. (Picture a library on Mad Men!) I loved feeling that I could make a contribution to the team. I admired the librarian who ran the little library with such energy and devotion.

Those two early library positions created a pattern of happy library job memories.

After I graduated, as an English lit major from SUNY Binghamton, I did not pass go. I went directly to library school, with the intention of becoming an academic librarian.

Jobs were tight when I completed the Queens College MLIS program. But after a couple of brief gigs as a proofreader and a freelance book indexer (manual, with a long box of index cards) for the University of Pennsylvania Press, I landed my first official professional job at the Franklin Institute. My task was to lead the staff scientists in building the first pre-internet online bibliography on carcinogens, a project funded by Stanford University. We developed a controlled vocabulary. We read and indexed articles. Assistants entered the data. The work was designed to speed access to time-sensitive information for doctors and researchers who previously had to wait for news and research updates through the peer review and publishing process and then through the wait for quarterly and annual publications of the scientific and medical citation indexes. That is when I discovered that information access is serious business. And that technology could make a life and death difference.

That job was followed by a couple of dream jobs. As the Readers' Services librarian at the Franklin Institute, I guided patent searchers and explorations of our special collections and serious science journal research. After that followed a series of other dream jobs as a children's librarian and then an adult librarian/young adult librarian and branch head with the Free Library of Philadelphia. I loved working in those communities. I love planning just the right program. I loved my storytelling and puppetry training and being on the film selection committee for a major public library. I loved pajama story hour and preschool story hour and vacation reading club and those awkward early automation projects. I loved kibbutzing with the senior citizens. I loved building our Friends group. I loved building community and making a difference in the lives of our community members.

When we moved out of the city, I had to leave the public library job I loved. Largely because my kids were little, because Dennis traveled, because I needed hours to do after school activities and weekends with my kids. So I returned to library school at Villanova University where I was forced to do my library degree from scratch again to get school certification. (That's right. I have two library master's degrees. And supervisory cert too.)

I NEVER expected to fall in love with school library work in the same way I loved public work. I enjoyed working with little ones for a couple of years, but my background in research better prepared me to help and teach older kiddos in a deeper, richer way. When I landed in a high school library, I knew I was home. You know the rest of that 25 year story.

The fabulous UNT IMLS-funded program allowed me to get my Ph.D. And now, I am honored to be on the Rutgers faculty and able to help others begin their own origins stories.

Why not tell about your own journey to becoming a librarian and share it with #whylib?

Check out:

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Note/update: the #whylib origin stories are now being collected on this Padlet. See the embed below.This weekend a new hashtag meme emerged as a result of a little Twitter conversation. Sherry Gick wrote to explain It happened during a casual Saturday morning Twitter convo, but I think it's amazing!

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The amazing librarian Andy Plemmons started a hashtag #whylib as a way to hear stories about why people became a librarian. I am loving reading all the different stories, and thought I would share mine.

I guess I should have known all along that one day I would be a librarian. Both of my parents were English teachers and our house was always filled with books. My bedroom as a kindergartener was the local neighborhood library. I made check out cards and due date slips that I put in each book in my "library". My home life was not as pretty on the inside as it looked on the outside and I used books as my safe place. My mother worked at the high school across the street from my elementary school. In those days the high school started an hour earlier than the elementary school. I spent my mornings in the high school library everyday over the span of my entire school career.

My career goal in high school was to become an attorney with an eye on a Supreme Court seat (LOL! I have always had lofty dreams.) Reality, however, found me single, pregnant with twins and on welfare with just a high school diploma. Entering the teaching field allowed me to have a common calendar with my children, a blessing for a single mom. I loved everything about teaching but hated all the administrative BS that gets in the way of actual teaching. Frustration was settling in. A friend encouraged me to go after my Master's Degree. Library Media seemed like a place where I could teach, be creative, self directed, and help everyone in the school rather than just the kids in my classroom. I have loved everyday in the library. The worst day in the library still beats my best day as a classroom teacher.

What I love more than anything about the library are the amazingly creative librarians around the nation that are willing to step out of the stacks and share their genius with the rest of us. I love that my insatiable desire for learning and my love of technology neatly folds into the job of librarian. I love that I can be helpful and giving everyday to those in need. I love the library because it encompasses my passions and joy as an educator.

Tell your story and let us know using the hashtag #whylib. Thanks Andy Plemmons for getting this great hashtag started for School Libraries Month 2014.

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The amazing librarian Andy Plemmons started a hashtag #whylib as a way to hear stories about why people became a librarian. I am loving reading all the different stories, and thought I would share mine. I guess I should have known all along that one day I would be a librarian.

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I found the #whylib thread on Twitter and I am inspired by the myriad of stories I am reading. I decided to share my own.

My mother has been saying since I was a young girl that I would grow up to be a librarian because "my head was always stuck in a book" and it was; but I refused to believe her. I just liked to read. I wanted to be a teacher. So when I graduated high school, I enrolled in a teacher education program studying elementary education. While I completed my Bachelor's degree, I worked at the local college music library. I enjoyed my work and loved exploring and hanging out in my workplace off the clock. I was thinking about what I wanted to do for a masters program. I wasn't interested in getting a higher degree in the same education discipline so I decided to broaden my horizons and apply to library schools.

I was accepted to all three state library schools I applied to and I was excited to attend library school the following fall. However, I questioned whether or not I wanted to be a teacher after a difficult student teaching experience. I loved working with students and teaching but I had some setbacks. I didn't want to be an elementary teacher and I wasn't even sure I wanted to stay in the education field. I was lucky enough to found a great mentor who put me back on track and renewed my zeal for the teaching profession.

Originally, I had my heart set on Albany but I visited Syracuse University and it changed my life. I met Dave Lankes and was inspired by his views on new librarianship. I began an amazing journey studying school librarianship under amazing professors/mentors and with some equally amazing, aspiring librarians in the summer of 2011. I easily kept up with the latest and greatest reads and learned more about technology than I ever knew. (I didn't even know what Twitter was before grad school!) I graduated in May 2013 and crossed the stage with a diploma and job lined up for the following school year.

I am now a middle school/ high school librarian of a small town in rural Vermont en route to finish my first year and officially signed my contract to return next year. I love my career. Lesson learned: Mom knows best. I couldn't be happier.

Happy School Library Month!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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I found the #whylib thread on Twitter and I am inspired by the myriad of stories I am reading. I decided to share my own. My mother has been saying since I was a young girl that I would grow up to be a librarian because "my head was always stuck in a book" and it was; but I refused to believe her.

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Becoming a teacher-librarian launched me on one of the most exciting, engaging and satisfying adventures I've ever known. Preceded by a dec...

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The amazing librarian Andy Plemmons started a hashtag #whylib as a way to hear stories about why people became a librarian. I am loving reading all the different stories, and thought I would share mine.

Throughout my life I love history and current events. I loved listening to the stories of our past and trying to figure out why things happened that way. To me a good history teacher is really a good storyteller, and in school I had some outstanding teachers and professors like Dr. Quinn whose World History class was like listening to the most amazing stories every class. I also loved working with students so to me being a Social Studies teacher was a natural transition.

Here is the problem, I was not a great teacher. I loved the student and connected with them but it is very hard to teach all of World History in the span of a year. I believe that students learn better in project based learning but because of constricts with time and curriculum, I ended up lecturing and giving worksheets way to much.

I was not passionate about what I was doing but wanted to stay in the education field. I loved technology and was always interested on ways to incorporate it into the classroom. But over ten years ago the internet was a new thing and computers were not really used much in the classroom. Things were quickly changing and if I became a librarian I knew I could be the technology leader in the school.

Becoming a librarian has allowed me to share my passion for technology and to share the joy of reading with my students. I followed my passion and am so happy I did. I have never looked back and love my job.

I do have to say that I have learned more in the last few years about being a librarian then in all my other years thanks to my PLN. Social Media like Twitter has allowed me to connect with other librarians from around the world. I has allowed me to learn so much from so many people and grow in my field. I would not be half the person I was today if it was not for my PLN.

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The amazing librarian Andy Plemmons started a hashtag #whylib as a way to hear stories about why people became a librarian. I am loving reading all the different stories, and thought I would share mine. Throughout my life I love history and current events.

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APRIL is SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH

Here's my story on why I became a librarian...

I took a strange path to being a middle school librarian. Everyone in my family took a book to the dinner table. Or a magazine or a newspaper, but everyone had just enough room for the book. And I married someone from a similar book-at-the-table household.

I started (adult) life as an electrical engineer from Georgia Tech. I was working full time at Turner Broadcast as a Project Manager when child #3 made working 60+ hours a week too much. With lots of family decisions, I decided to "quit" and stay home. I'm sure that lasted a week before I was working by putting in small networks, running a small office and doing basic bookkeeping for a couple of very small businesses. But I made time to spend with my kids and their schools. As my eldest was entering the Spring of her Kindergarten year, I was asked to help with FIELD DAY. [For those of you without kids and no real memory of Field Day, let me say that letting children outside to run around for half a day is a good thing. From the volunteers' perspective, it is slightly cooler than the desert, but carries just as much sand or clay into your mouth as the desert.] I walked off the field and into the school saying that surely there was another job I could do to help out the school from INSIDE.

The library was open and I walked in willing to put up books. I've never met a librarian unwilling to grab a volunteer and shove her at the books. This librarian was young, wore skirts and sat on the floor with the kids and read books. It was probably exactly as I always imagined an elementary school librarian would be. She left a couple of years later and they hired someone new.

Linda looked different. She wore pants, solid dark shirt of almost the same color every day. She laughed loudly. When she read aloud, she stopped talking and asked questions. She yelled across the room and worked with kids tirelessly to try different books. She moved furniture. As I came to understand, she didn't believe in a static library. Furniture, pictures, book locations moved.

I took over the book fairs and ran them twice a year at that school. When child #2 went to another school, I did four book fairs that year. I scheduled regular volunteer time at the library so the librarians would know in their scheduling when I'd be available to help. Finally, I turned to Linda one day and said maybe I should be a para and get paid to work in the library. She didn't bat an eye, she just said "Don't waste my time, get the Master's degree".

It wasn't fast - I took 3 years to complete my online Master's from Florida State University. I continued to volunteer at school libraries adding middle and high school libraries so I could get the best experiences.

I am a middle school librarian. (I prefer the title "Teacher-Librarian".) I teach research skills and a few other jobs too. I wear many hats: school photographer, morning news sponsor, tech/newspaper/photography club sponsor, school communications officer, grant writer, 3D printing expert and controller, Striving Reader team member, school continuous slide show producer, testing team member, web goddess, twitter account manager, educational instructor of teachers and students and library manager. Or, to put it simply, I am a Teacher-Librarian.

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APRIL is SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH Here's my story on why I became a librarian... I took a strange path to being a middle school librarian. Everyone in my family took a book to the dinner table. Or a magazine or a newspaper, but everyone had just enough room for the book.

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As you can see, April is School Library Month, and so I am joining other librarians in my Twitter Professional Learning Network (PLN) to share stories on how we ended up as librarians. Funny how a tweet can quickly turn into a hashtag. You can read Andy Plemmon's story HERE and Sherry Gick's story HERE, and follow #whylib on Twitter to read more stories.
Here is my story...
I have loved to read as long as I can remember, but I honestly never thought I would be a librarian. When I was young, I really wanted to go to law school and become a lawyer and then a judge. When I went to college, I studied criminal justice and received a degree in Criminology & Corrections. I toyed with the idea of going into law enforcement, but ended up as a parole officer in Houston, Texas during a time when the state prison system was letting out inmates by the hundreds each day. I had over 300 parolees on my caseload, with home visits being required for most of them. For those who haven't seen me in person, I am about 5'3"... you can probably guess that this was probably not the best fit job for me. I lasted a year, and fortunately we were moving out of Houston, so a new job was needed. I decided maybe criminal justice wasn't the right field for me, but I also knew I definitely wanted to make a difference in the world.
For about 2 years, I worked in the business world, and then had the opportunity to begin a Alternative Teacher Certification program that our local education service center was beginning. With criminal justice, I felt like I was getting to people too late to make a difference, but surely as a teacher, I could have a positive impact. The program required you to attend four weeks of training during the summer, eight hours a day. Nervous about leaving a job without having another one, I started interviewing for teaching positions. Luckily, I was hired before I started the program, so although I would go a couple of months without a paycheck, there was a teaching job in my near future. Let me say, I LOVED teaching. I began teaching 3rd grade in 1992, when my oldest child was a little over one. It was a perfect fit- I felt like I could make a difference and I had time to spend with my young daughter. I continued to teach at this school for the next six years, changing grades from time to time, even looping up with a class from 4th to 5th grade. Then there were a few relocations that required new positions, all still in 4th.

In Texas, 4th grade is kind of a stressful year because the students take three state exams, writing, math, & reading. The standardized testing system had changed a lot since I first began teaching, and I was getting frustrated and feeling ineffective as a teacher. I signed up and began the program, even convincing my friend I am also thankful for the inspiration and encouragement I get from my PLN on Twitter. When I was in grad school, one of the professors had us create a Twitter account. This was probably one of the best things that happened to me as a library student. I discovered two awe-inspiring librarians named
During all of this time, I knew I wanted to go back to school to get my master's degree, but could not decide what I wanted to study. Some days, I wanted to be a counselor, other times I thought maybe I would try for diagnostician, but I was never 100% certain on anything. Part of it was that I was always looking at what degree would increase my salary, not what degree would increase my satisfaction. Thankfully, there is always someone else watching over me. I waited, and doors opened.
By the time I thought about a library science degree, my oldest was 20 years old. It just so happened that I was still teaching 4th grade, just in a different school. I had always said that when teaching stopped being fun, I would do something else because the kiddos don't care how long you've been teaching. It is, hopefully their only year in that grade. The joy of teaching was definitely dwindling by this time. One day, I got a phone call from a librarian friend at my previous school. She asked if I had heard about our Education Service Center's meeting for a MLS cohort in the area. No, I hadn't, but I looked it up and went to the meeting. Ironically, the same university, Sam Houston State University, where I had received my BS degree, was offering the MLS program and it was mostly an online program.

Nitza Campos to join me. That was in January of 2011. Fortunately, the librarian job on my campus became available for the next school year- doors opening.... I started in that position while completing my degree and within 18 months, I graduated with my MLS. That was just three short years ago, and every single day that I walk into the library, I am thankful for the opportunity to be there and to make a difference.
So from parole officer to teacher to librarian... not exactly the route I would have guessed, but maybe you have to travel the path to wind up exactly where you are meant to be...Being a teacher-librarian is rewarding and the PERFECT job for me! Books & kiddos, with some technology mixed in... what's not to love?? And the icing on the cake- receiving emails like this from a student just this past Friday night. John Schumacher and Shannon Miller and began following them. Then I checked out who they followed and found others who equally inspired me. Eventually, there would be many, many people I would add to my PLN, like Andy & Sherry, Matthew Winner, Jennifer Reed, Margie (aka: @loveofxena), authors, illustrators, technology tools, and I would even find my #TLBFF's (Nancy Jo Lambert, Cynthia Alaniz & Tina Berumen) who encourage & inspire me a little closer to home (they are also in Texas!) There are truly so many inspiring librarians!

That's #whylib! :) Happy School Library Month! Lives Change @ Your Library!

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As you can see, April is School Library Month, and so I am joining other librarians in my Twitter Professional Learning Network (PLN) to share stories on how we ended up as librarians. Funny how a tweet can quickly turn into a hashtag.

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I'm pretty hooked on Twitter, y'all. I mean, seriously---some of the BEST PD I get, I get from my tweeps. I love the sharing, the collaborating, and really, just the awesome people I "meet" there, in general.

This morning before the kids woke up I was perusing my Twitter feed and came across Andy Plemmon's #whylib tweet. I followed the link and read his story and was immediately inspired. Back to Twitter, with my mug of coffee in hand, I began to see more and more of this #whylib hashtag. Of course, anything that comes from the gurus involved in thinking up this cool idea is fabulous, so I just had to join in!
(seriously--I mean @MrSchuReads, @plemmonsa, @dmcordell, @libraryreeder, @actinginthelib, and @LibraryFanatic---who WOULDN'T want to be associated with anything they are creating, right?)

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's story--we librarians sure are a diverse and amazing group, aren't we?

Time to add mine to the mix!

I come from a family of readers and story-tellers; from a family of preachers and teachers and folks who loved the rhythm of both language and music. I cannot remember there ever being a time when my home was not filled with the magic of words and story---from listening to Wicked Wilson Picket on my parent's vinyl records, to my uncle reciting Poe at family get-togethers; from the sermons my Papaw wrote and preached to my mother reading aloud to me from the beginning of my life (Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb-dum-ditty-dum-ditty-dum, dum, dum!); from the gentle cadence of my grandfather telling me about that 'ole lion that was in his den just waiting for Daniel to be thrown in to the sound of my grandmother's laughter as she told me funny stories from her childhood, the power and magic of words has always been a constant in my life.

As my brothers and I got older we looked forward to our every-Saturday trips to the public library in town. How I loved reading fairy tales from all around the world and when I was a bit older I loved reading biographies from the glamour days of Hollywood. I was the kid that fell asleep reading nearly every night.

With that being said it may seem rather strange that it never occured to me that I should consider becoming a librarian.

I was an elementary ed major in college (Interdisciplinary Studies, they called it then). I graduated early and became a kindergarten teacher, eventually teaching every grade at some point or another in elementary schools. I adored my work until testing started to rise in importance. The day my sweet 3rd grader, Nathaniel, came to me in tears over his test anxiety is a day I will carry with me forever. Here was this beautiful little soul--this smart, quiet, hard-working kiddo with tears in his eyes telling me he wasn't good enough because of some stupid numbers on a stupid test that reflected nothing of who HE WAS, but rather how well he tested that day---and something within me realized that I could not be a part of that . (Let me be sure to say here that I realize there are many great teachers out there fighting the good fight every day despite these exact circumstances--I am in no way saying I have anything over you, and I am SO grateful that you are out there---what I AM saying is---that this is when I realized that despite my love for kids, for teaching, and for making the world a better place--that the regular classroom was not meant to be my niche any longer.

The universe was telling me it was time to make a change.

A little voice in my head kept whispering... what about the library? but I kept squashing it down. After all, I was loud, for Pete's sake. Even my laughter is loud--and I do so love to laugh. I was a theatre person. Yes, I loved books, I loved reading and recommending books to everyone I knew---but a librarian? Naaaaa.

I've read with a bit of jealous longing about those that became librarians because they had such amazing experiences with their librarians growing up. I wish that was my history, too. But sometimes the truth isn't that pretty---and folks, I had some scary school librarians during my growing up years.

My elementary school librarian struck fear in the hearts of all who knew her. My biggest memory of going to the library in 3rd grade was being yelled out for getting the wrong copy of the book she was making me read. How was I supposed to know there were 2 different books titled Big Red? Clearly, I came back with the wrong one. Properly shamed in front of my entire class, I finally found the right copy and checked it out, fighting back my desire for both tears and foot-stomping. I never even bothered opening that book. (I remember what I was wearing that day, y'all, if that tells you anything about the depth of this experience. A red and blue dress with white polka-dots, in case you were wondering.)

My middle school librarian was frightening enough to me that I read all of Dicken's by the time I was in 7th grade (these were shelved fairly close to the library doors and to the circ desk, which made for the quickest trip to the library possible--the good news? I loved Dickens. )

I never felt welcomed. I never felt wanted. I never felt important.

I'm not sure exactly what made me begin to listen to that little voice---maybe it was the sheer persistence of that little seed of an idea. What about the library? I do know that when it finally dawned on me that I could take everything my students and I loved about my classroom and apply it to the library as the librarian that I became truly excited about signing up for library school. My ultimate library goal? EVERYONE that walks through the library doors will feel welcomed and wanted and important. Readers will feel that way. Non-readers will feel that way. Students, parents, faculty and staff, community members and guests will ALL feel that my library is their library, because the truth is...it IS our library. It is both a haven and a hive of learning. Whether my kids come in because they need a book they already have in mind, or want a recommendation for a great read that suits them, or they need to work on a project or print something for a class, or they want to play a quick game of checkers after school, or they need a bit of a respite from the loud cafeteria, or they need a hug in the midst of a no-good-very-bad-day, I want the library to be that place for them.

This year is my 14th year as a school librarian. I can truly tell you I am joyful about my work because it is my passion and my calling. I continue to seek to learn and grow, to be mentored and to mentor. I received my Master of Instructional Technology in 2009 because I have a strong desire to stay on top of all that libraries and librarians can be and do for our patrons. I follow amazing folks on Twitter and other social media for the same reason.

Why did I become a school librarian? Because it encompasses EVERYTHING magical and wonderful about the power of words and story that I loved growing up and combines that with my love for working with and helping others grow in every form of literacy.

What's your story? #whylib?

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I'm pretty hooked on Twitter, y'all. I mean, seriously---some of the BEST PD I get, I get from my tweeps. I love the sharing, the collaborating, and really, just the awesome people I "meet" there, in general. This morning before the kids woke up I was perusing my Twitter feed and came across Andy Plemmon's #whylib tweet.

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Once upon a time there was a little kid who loved libraries and books and was an avid library user.

When, as a preschooler, she asked if she could run the cool ka-chunking check-out machine, her branch librarian said, "When you grow up and work in a library, then you can!" Hmmm.

As an elementary school-ager, she walked the mile to the branch library weekly - which actually was as good as the penny candy store she stopped at on the way back - both were full of good stuff but the library was free! Surrounded by thousands of books, she imagined that working in a place like that would have to be heaven. Hmmm.

When she was old enough, she started taking the bus to the giant Main Library. She was perhaps a little young to be using the adult section where the really interesting books were. She knew it because when she asked for help, the reference librarians turned a cool eye on her and always inquired, "Have you checked the catalog first?" (You Meanies, of course I checked!!) It struck that now pre-teen ager that perhaps she could make libraries a little more fun, a little less quiet and a lot less intimidating. Hmmm.

At college in the lovely '70s, she found the intermediate courses without prerequisites the best: Astronomy; Physics for Poets, Metallurgy (engineering), Old English, Old Norse, Medieval Lit, - well any lit for that matter, Scandinavian Mythology (not influenced by Tolkien, was she?), Theater, Art History, and the Development of Language and Writing. Nearing her graduation, she thought, "What all can I do with this disparate knowledge?" She looked at UW-Madison SLIS and thought, "Hey I could organize myself AND libraries!" Hmmm.

Once in graduate school, with an excellent children's services program, many future children's, teen and school librarians in her cohort , the CCBC just down the hall and more excellent courses to take on campus like Child Development and Creative Dramatics, she knew that work with children and families in libraries was exactly where she was heading. Hmmm.

When she got her first job as a children's librarian in La Crosse, she was encouraged by wonderful mentors like Avis Jobrack, Jane Botham, Nancy Elsmo, Pat Bakula, & Ginny Moore Kruse who taught her "Give yourself permission to be creative." You had to believe them! Plus working with kids and in libraries was as good as she imagined. Hmmm.

From there she got active in state and national library association work, met tons of colleagues IRL and continues to meet and work with them virtually. She began storytelling and giving workshops and presentations and met even more people and saw where they all worked - at libraries very small to large.Each interaction with library folks has enriched her practice. Hmmm.

Throughout the years, the librarian learned something new every day from the kids and families who came through the doors of the libraries she worked at. They taught her that connecting the right book to the right child can have life changing implications. Hmmm.

And now, 57 years after trying to use the checkout machine and 38 years into my career, I look back at

all of these "aha" moments that led me on the path of librarianship. Reading the tweets and posts tells me the story I'm telling isn't unique to me. You all live it each and every day as you work with your communities. We are all awesome for the fundamentally important work we do in bringing information and literacy to our patrons. Despite tough economic times, our libraries and our work with the kids is vital and more important then ever. Yes!

Our happily ever after IS the work we do. And that is all the why I need!

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Once upon a time there was a little kid who loved libraries and books and was an avid library user. When, as a preschooler, she asked if she could run the cool ka-chunking check-out machine, her branch librarian said, "When you grow up and work in a library, then you can!"

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A conversation began on Twitter and blossomed into the Twitter hashtag #whylib, so I thought it would be fun to join the conversation and share my story.

I never thought I would be a librarian; it never even crossed my mind. I'm not sure why since all my life I have been surrounded by books and reading. I remember going to the public library with my mom when I was little, but my dad loved to browse through bookstores instead of libraries. I remember using my middle school library but I rarely visited the high school library and *eek* my college library as well.

My first love growing up was art, and so I ended up graduating with an art degree from Rollins College during the 80's recession. Struggling to find a job after graduating I ended up in the business world in Boston, eventually working at the Museum of Fine Arts, which was a dream come true. Fast forward a few years and after getting laid off from the Museum when they made drastic cuts to get the museum back on track financially, I struggled to find a direction.

My husband and I moved to Maine and I ended up working in a high school where fortuitously my principal was hired to be the principal at a school that my husband was hired as a math teacher, AND the librarian was retiring. The principal asked if that was something I would be interested in and after a brief pause, I said "Yes, I could do that!" The rest is history. I worked on getting certified and earned my MLIS from the University of South Carolina and haven't looked back.

While I never imagined myself as librarian, now I can't imagine anything else. I think what I love most about being a librarian is helping people. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than teaching a student or staff member how to do something, sharing the perfect book or resource and organizing information. What makes it even better... the librarian community is amazingly supportive and positive. Have a question? Ask a librarian!

April is School Library Month and the theme this year is "Lives Change @ Your Library." Share your story on Twitter on why you became a librarian and make sure to include the hashtag #whylib.

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A conversation began on Twitter and blossomed into the Twitter hashtag #whylib, so I thought it would be fun to join the conversation and share my story. I never thought I would be a librarian; it never even crossed my mind. I'm not sure why since all my life I have been surrounded by books and reading.

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Some good friends just started the twitter thread #whylib, telling stories of why they became a librarian. I became a librarian partly because of a printer and an LMNet post.

I loved the public library growing up, but have to admit I don't have that many memories of the school library-- because I didn't go there much. In my first elementary school, we got a grade for returning our books on time and selecting "proper" books. One grading period I got a 'B' because I forgot my book once, and I selected a book that was deemed inappropriate for a third grader. It was a 5th grade neighbor who led me astray by suggesting I check out a book called Trouble after School. In it, some characters dared to play hooky!

Fast forward a long time to the beginning of my career, when I started teaching science. I don't recall ever taking a class to the library at my first school (two years). A few years into my second school, I was talking about an upcoming project at the lunch table when the librarian said, "Why don't you bring your classes to the media center?" My response: "I can do that?" I don't think collaborating with the media specialist was ever mentioned in my education classes, undergrad or first masters, and I don't recall one of my own teachers doing it.

As a member of a fabulous interdisciplinary teaching team, I assisted every other week when students created a team newsletter. At the time, the best printer was in the media center. I spent some time there finishing the newsletter, and found myself looking around and thinking, "I like what they're doing in here. This looks like fun; I could do that". A few years later, the media specialist and her hilarious assistant announced their upcoming retirements, and a principal earned my eternal gratitude by allowing me to have the position if I agreed to work toward certification.

As I contemplated the move, I lurked on LMNet. Someone (I'd like to know who it was) posted, "One thing I like about being a librarian is that 90% of my interactions with students are positive". Then I discovered that IU's library school was one of the top-ranked in the country, AND that AASL was coming to Indianapolis in the fall. I took those as serious signs I needed to do this!

I thoroughly enjoyed most of my classes at SLIS, and met some great future librarians as well. I have found that my 23 years of teaching science have served me well in assisting students with research and navigating a lot of the accompanying vocabulary and concepts. There are many times when I miss teaching science, but I have never regretted my move to the media center. It's a great time to be a librarian!

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Some good friends just started the twitter thread #whylib, telling stories of why they became a librarian. I became a librarian partly because of a printer and an LMNet post. I loved the public library growing up, but have to admit I don't have that many memories of the school library-- because I didn't go there much.

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I've lived in Georgia all of my life. I spent the first 18 years growing up in the mountains of Blue Ridge, GA. Our family didn't have a lot of financial wealth, but what we did have was a wealth of love, story, and education. My family made sure that my life was enriched with...

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It started, as so many interesting projects do, with a conversation on Twitter...

John Schumacher (@MrSchuReads) started it off by commenting:

and, of course, add my own piece to the story:

plus additional background:

By this time, others had joined in the conversation, including Andy Plemmons (@plemmonsa), Jennifer Reed (@libraryreeder), Heather Moorefield (@actinginthelib), and Sherry Gick (@LibraryFanatic). Andy proposed that librarians Tell Your #whylib Story for School Library Month (April). Jennifer provided the #whylib hashtag.

My path to the profession was, unsurprisingly, if you know me, not exactly a straight line. Although I grew up loving reading, books, and libraries, my first choice of a college major was Mathematics. A fascination with Algebra, solving puzzles (and devouring mysteries) did not survive advanced levels of Calculus; halfway through Freshman year, I switched to English. After thoroughly enjoying the syllabus, I graduated with a B.A. and no clear career course.

I spent two years as a social caseworker in New Rochelle, NY, then reverted to my true love and applied to C.W. Post, for admission to their MLS program. As a graduate assistant, I got to work in the university library and assist professors with research projects. It was a wonderful opportunity to sample the profession, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. After graduating, I worked in one public library as a Junior Librarian in the Children's Room, and in another covering the Reference Desk (in pre-Internet days) on holidays and weekends.

More turns in the path: my husband and I moved back upstate (Adirondack area of New York) to manage a campground. Eventually, Tim accepted a position as a graphic artist, and I successively clerked in a bookstore, worked in a child care facility, served as a special education assistant, and put in evening hours at the local community college library. When offered an opportunity to sub as a school librarian, I started the process that eventually led to my certification as a New York State teacher librarian, a position I subsequently filled until my "retirement." All of my prior experience, varied as it was, helped prepare me for the diverse demands of a K-12 school library. Although I'm not in a classroom any longer, I work part-time for CyberSmart Education Company, do some free-lance writing, and enjoy presenting at a variety of professional conferences.

The threads that tie all this together are a love of literature, a pleasure in learning, and the desire to share both of these enthusiasms with others.

#whylib? Why ever NOT!

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It started, as so many interesting projects do, with a conversation on Twitter... John Schumacher (@MrSchuReads) started it off by commenting: and, of course, add my own piece to the story: plus additional background: By this time, others had joined in the conversation, including Andy Plemmons (@plemmonsa), Jennifer Reed (@libraryreeder), Heather Moorefield (@actinginthelib), and Sherry Gick (@LibraryFanatic).

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April is School Library Month, and this year's theme is "Lives Change @ Your Library". This theme connects with Barbara Stripling's campaign to sign the Declaration for the Right to School Libraries to show that school libraries really do change our lives.

Yesterday on Twitter, John Schu shared a thought about going to library school, and he had no idea the conversation that his tweet would open up.

I responded by sharing a brief glimpse at how I didn't get in to library school on my first attempt. The conversation continued with more of our Twitter professional learning network sharing stories of perseverance, stories about professional background, and stories of how becoming a librarian changed their lives.

When I woke up this morning, the list of tweets had grown and more people had commented on how much they were enjoying the conversation about individual people's journeys to becoming a librarian. I love this about Twitter. I love how one little comment can spark a conversation among colleagues across the country because they find a connection with the comment. This morning, we decided that a new hashtag had been born. After some discussion, the talented Jennifer Reed suggested #whylib as our hashtag.

Even author, Deborah Freedman, jumped in on the conversation with her love of the librarians.

We invite you to share your story in any way that you are moved: a poem, a video, a blog post, a series of tweets, a picture collection, a song, etc. Be sure to tag your story with #whylib and post on Twitter and other social media outlets. Let's share our journey to becoming a librarian and share how libraries have changed our lives.

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Tell Your #whylib Story for School Library Month

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April is School Library Month, and this year's theme is "Lives Change @ Your Library". This theme connects with Barbara Stripling's campaign to sign the Declaration for the Right to School Libraries to show that school libraries really do change our lives. Yesterday on Twitter, John Schu shared a thought about going to library...