My background is in the industry of marketing and advertising but my heart has always belonged to the written word. I spent most of my summers biking three miles each way to the nearest library. The first place I drove alone after I got my license was to check out a book at the library. There’s something about being surrounded by books that resonates deep within me. As an introvert, I've constantly found comfort in being able to retreat into stories and dive into different worlds. I may not have traveled physically to many locations in my life, but my mind has been around the world and back a hundred times, in a hundred lives based on the books I've consumed.
Since graduating from college, I haven’t felt like I belonged anywhere in the corporate and business world. I know now that’s because I was in the wrong field. As Albert Einstein once said, “everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” I naturally thought there was something wrong with me because I never felt fully at home in my chosen profession. It wasn't until I went to the Wayne State orientation for the LIS program that I felt that sense of homecoming. I have big things planned for my career and future. I’m buzzing with excitement at beginning it now.
Assumptions, assertions, or beliefs that I hold about the LIS profession
1. To be a great librarian, you have to be passionate about reading
I grew up watching my mom read all the time. I remember feeling frustrated because the letters on the page made no sense to me. All I wanted to do at school was learn to read, and once I could, I haven’t stopped. I find it frustrating that a majority of my peers right now do not take the time to read. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have at least three books with me at all time. It warms my heart when I can recommend a book to someone and they enjoy it enough that they pick up another one. Reading expands your mind and influences your thoughts.
2. Librarians have an important role in the community they serve
You are there to help serve the ever-changing needs of the community. Whether that be teaching classes to help people learn to use e-readers or helping young students with research papers. I was at the library once and a lady went up to one of the ladies behind the circulation desk and asked for a book recommendation. The librarian said “I can’t recommend you anything, I haven’t read a book in years.” It blew my mind that someone who worked in a library (the greatest place on earth) didn't take full advantage of her job. To this day, that librarian’s comment still bothers me. But then again, I can’t shut up about books I love. To each their own I suppose.
3. There must not be any need for programs for 20-somethings
Whenever I get my local library’s monthly newsletter or stop in, all I see are programs geared for senior citizens, high school kids, or little toddlers. Rarely are there classes set for the population that are just getting out in the real world and trying to navigate the adult world. I would love to have a class on how to budget, how to stay mentally strong while you get rejected a hundred times over for a job, marriage can wait until you know who you are, and acting professional while feeling like a kid. Luckily there are books that cover these topics, but it would have been nice to have some program at the library that reached out to this influential and scared crowd.
4. Libraries need to grow with the technological times or they will be forgotten
The world is geared toward technology right now. With e-readers being more popular now and most Americans choosing to get their news and information online, the library needs to make sure that they are serving that need. If people can’t have their needs met with the resources at their local library, they will find the service otherwise. We need to make sure that we are accommodating the wants of the community so we stay valuable and important in their eyes.
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