Become a Librarian!
Make a difference

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Kallie Hartman Library Director Black Earth Public Library Black Earth, WI "Perhaps the most rewarding part of my job is going home at the end of the day with a hundred thanks..."

   I am the Library Director at the Black Earth Public Library, which is located in Black Earth, Wisconsin, a small village just outside of Madison. The library serves a village of about 1300 residents, with additional usage coming from the surrounding townships as well as circulation to the entire seven county South Central Library System.

   I received my undergraduate degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. After graduating with a liberal arts degree, I had to seriously consider what I was going to do in the "real world," since jobs for English majors seem to be far and few between. The only place I could picture working was in a library, so I got a part time job at a public library and started the MLS program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which I finished in December of 2002.

   I am young for the profession but I love what I do; from reference and instruction to story times to board meetings, the tasks and challenges are always changing and evolving. Perhaps the most rewarding part of my job is going home at the end of the day with a hundred thanks from people that you have helped in some way. I am pleased to know I am part of such a wonderful profession.

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Maureen Knapp Reference Librarian Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Library New Orleans, LA "Be prepared to learn a ton of medical lingo, and pronounce it correctly so the doctors don't look at you funny.."

   Like many in our field, I fell into this profession after completing my bachelor's degree in English. My first 'real' job was a library technical assistant in Technical Services at the University of Florida, where I had the responsibility of buying the books the Collection Development librarians selected. The opportunity to get my Master's degree in library science for free was one of the benefits. I enjoyed my job, and thought, why not? They need more librarians anyway. Eventually I moved closer to my school and took a Graduate Assistantship in USF Library's Reference Department. The constant hunt for information, the interesting patrons and the warm smiles and words of thanks when the hunt was successful intrigued me. I had found my niche in Reference.

   I graduated with my MA in library and information science from the University of South Florida in 2002. Now I live in New Orleans, and work as a Reference Librarian at the LSU Health Sciences Center Library. Though we may be small, the opportunities and experience I'm gaining in my first professional job will stay with me forever. Whether it's teaching medical students information retrieval skills, developing the web page for a local health-science library association, or tabling a conference with the National Library of Medicine, you couldn't ask for better on-the-job training.

   Medical librarianship is a specialized and varied field. As a medical librarian you may find yourself at a academic institution teaching the next generation of health-care providers how to search MEDLINE, making patient rounds with the doctors to support their research, or single-handedly managing a small hospital library. Be prepared to learn a ton of medical lingo, and pronounce it correctly so the doctors don't look at you funny. Familiarize yourself with the mechanisms of health related professions so you know what you're talking about. Investigate Evidence Based Medicine and its implications for medical libraries because that's all the rage right now. But don't just take my word for it; take a look at the Medical Library Association's website and find out why they say medical librarianship is a "Career on the Cutting Edge".

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Stacey Knight-Davis Reference Librarian and Instructor Booth Library, Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL "Every day I have the opportunity to learn something new."

   I grew up in a town of 1,500 people in Illinois. My small town was fortunate enough to have a great public library, and I volunteered there while in grade school. At 16, I took a job as a part-time clerk. When I went to college, I found a student job at the University of Illinois Main Library. I was enrolled in the general curriculum, which means I had no idea what degree I wanted to pursue. The library science graduate students that I worked with convinced me that I should think about librarianship as a career. So, after completing my Bachelor's degree in Biology, I entered the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at age 21.

   Today, I am a reference librarian at Booth Library on the Eastern Illinois University campus. I also lead library instruction classes and I am the subject bibliographer for Health Studies, Geology/Geography, and Physics. I enjoy having new projects to work on, working with students and solving problems. Every day I have the opportunity to learn something new.

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   I've worked in libraries since I was 16 years old. When I was a page on Long Island, I was bitten by the librarian bug and apprenticed myself to the YA librarian.

   After graduating from SUNY Geneseo in 1997, I received my M.L.S. from SUNY Albany in 1998. I worked a variety of part time jobs in local public libraries doing both children's and adult reference until landing a full time gig doing what I love to do -- YA Librarian.

   The best part of my job is working with teens -- there's no pretending with teens, either you can do the job or you can't! I've eaten pizza and watched movies, hosted a rock band, and sung karaoke -- all in the name of good YA service!

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Trevor J. Oakley Young Adult Librarian Guilderland Public Library Guilderland, NY "I think having many interests lays the groundwork to becoming a good librarian."

   I was raised in the nearby small town of Burnt Hills and graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a BS in English Literature. I received my Master's in Library Science from the University at Buffalo. The decision to become a librarian was an easy one. My interests always have been eclectic, which has allowed me to learn a little bit about a lot! I think having many interests lays the groundwork to becoming a good librarian.

   When I'm not working with young people, I enjoy working on (and hopefully driving in) race cars, going fishing, playing the cello, reading (young adult literature is the BEST!), and listening to music (rock!).

   Previously, I worked in Buffalo as a corporate librarian, aiding in research and development for a company that makes health food supplements. It was an interesting position, but I went into librarianship with the idea that I was going to help everyday people enrich their lives. So, I packed up and moved back to Burnt Hills, and began working in youth services at the Burnt Hills-Town of Ballston Community Library. There, I found my love for working with young people, especially the teens, and they became the biggest reason why I loved going to work.

   I found that I had so much in common with so many teens, from the music, to my love of comic books, and remembering the feeling of having a paper due, like, tomorrow. I have been given a wonderful opportunity to work with this population and I look forward to meeting all of you out there. Come by and say "hi"!

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Become a Librarian! information compiled by
Central Jersey Regional Library Cooperative
2001-08
CJRLC Executive Director: Connie Paul
Web design: Karen Ellis

This web site is partially funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services