I currently am a Children's Librarian at Saratoga Springs Public Library in upstate New York. As a child, I had always been attracted towards the teaching profession, in a large part because it was familiar to me. This was way back when it was the rare elementary school that had a library. When I achieved high school status, I was excited to discover the library and immediately attached myself to the librarian. Partly in self-defense, I imagine, she helped me secure an after school job as a shelver in our local public library.
I was impressed to learn of all the schooling and interning British librarians in-training undergo. Here, all I needed was and undergrad degree and then an MLS. We were just turned loose, to sink or swim with no practical training in how to actually run a library. Rather scary.
Fortunately, the only position available on the military base in Heidelberg, Germany where my husband was stationed was that of school library clerk, where the librarian became my mentor. I shudder to think what would have happened to me without her!
I have held a range of positions, from elementary school librarian in Heidelberg and Weisbaden, to adjunct teacher of Library Science for City Colleges of Chicago, to public librarian in the Marshall Islands.
I am NOT looking forward to moving around anymore and since Saratoga is a large library with plenty of resources, there really is no need. I consider myself fortunate to have found a job I love.
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