My experience in libraries began like many people’s when I was a child, and I read every Nancy Drew book the public library had on its shelves. In college, I worked in the university library, but didn't consider becoming a librarian until a professor of mine suggested it just before I graduated. She knew I loved working in the library, and I usually ran into her at the end of each semester as I returned stacks of library books from my dorm room, but it never occured to me to actually find a career in libraries — I had no idea how anyone even got a “real” job in a library. After she described how helpful reference librarians had been while she worked on her Ph. D. dissertation, it seemed like a natural fit. I'd always loved the research aspect of term papers — it was the writing that was more difficult. If I could get paid to do research all day for people ...
I kept the idea half-buried in my mind, and spent the next year working for a non-profit agency. By the next spring, I knew I wanted a different career and applied to the University of Tennessee’s library school. The program was a distance education program, because my husband’s job kept me from being able to relocate, but the classes met for lecture and discussion once a week like a normal class would, except the meetings were online webinars instead of physical meetings. Not being able to stop by a professor’s office for help after class, and not being immersed intellectual atmosphere of a university, where studying is a natural part of everyday life, forced me to develop self discipline and time management skills.
While in school, I have worked in an academic special collections department and in a public library. I love both environments, as long as I am interacting with people. Reference work ensures no two days are alike, and I am always learning. I hope to grow as a teacher, and one day be a mentor for students and coworkers. Right now, I hope to find a great mentor and absorb all he or she offers, and develop my teaching skills.
