Conclusion

I have always had trouble answering ‘who am I’ questions since my life has not had the linear trajectory often needed for a simple answer. I have moved over 13 times in my adult life and lived internationally for five years. These moves, along with the addition of four children, has required that I shift and morph to fit the current needs, and more often, limitations of my situation. The way that I have managed to do this is through reading. I have used reading to not only explore my current experience but to give me the skills I needed to thrive. When we moved overseas and I found myself living in a tiny French village, I read any book, memoir or fiction, about expats living abroad. I taught myself about the French culture so I could function in French society. Throughout my life, reading has been how I have been able to adapt to any new situation. 

As I started my journey in the MLIS program I had thought I wanted to bring my considerable organization and research skills to the corporate environment and started pursuing special libraries. I soon found myself pulled in a different direction and realized that I wanted to share the incredible power of reading with others. I wanted to connect others to information. I shifted my attention to becoming a librarian in the public library system. As always, life has thrown yet another fork in my road. Last year, the part time librarian/site tech position opened up at my children’s elementary school. This position focuses on technology implementation and maintenance on the school campus with library maintenance as a side task with absolutely no curriculum implementation at all. As a MLIS student I understand that the library should never have been relegated to this minor position within the school environment. But I jumped at the chance to breathe life back into the school library and to also bring the library the level of professional attention that it deserves. I want to bring the library back into the center of the student experience and advocate for information literacy instruction. 

My long and windy road to school librarianship may not be typical but I feel that I am in the perfect position to marry the many interests in my life into one defining purpose.

Last updated October 17, 2021 9:34 AM