Re: Where Do Librarians Come From?

["Barbara R. Herbert" <bherb@JUNO.COM>]

Like Virginia, I feel I was fated to become a librarian.

I learned to read at an early age (3) and was just thrilled when we began
our weekly trips to the library in second grade.  Our school librarian
always picked two children from each class to assist her as the "class
librarians," and I was one of them right through 8th grade.  She trained
us to check our classmates' books in and out (the cards were kept by
class) and to shelve books.  Funny, I never remember having to learn DDC;
I just somehow knew it!

This routine continued through eighth grade.  Any time I had finished all
the class work and had "spare time," I was permitted to go to the library
to help.  I shelved books, covered and processed new books, did whatever
the librarian needed to have done.  When I got to high school, I started
working as a page in the local branch of our county library.  I was "in
charge" of the juvenile section maintenance, but was always pulled to
help out with the adult section, and occasionally covered the circulation
desk when the staff (a small one) went on break.  I think the branch
librarian had a lot to do with the decision I would make years later.

At the county college, my campus job was in the library - first in
periodicals, then periodicals/media (the two departments merged and were
served by the same service desk), then to technical processing.   I
graduated from college with a BA in History and certified to teach social
studies 7-12.  At that time (1976) English and History teachers were in
great supply, but very low demand, so I substituted in the school system
from which I had graduated.  My fondest dream at that point was to return
to my old high school and teach history (and help with the Drama Club, of
which I had also been a part). Toward the end of that first year, one of
my former professors at Georgian Court College called me.  One of her
duties was to run the K-12 curriculum lab for the Education Dept.   She
was planning to go on sabbatical the following year and wanted to get
someone to "cover the room" in her absence, and knew that I had worked in
libraries.   Right after I accepted this job, my former high school
called - there was an opening in the social studies department, and they
wanted me for an interview!  I really didn't know what to do!  I sat for
days weighing the pros and cons of each job, and finally decided that I
didn't want to spend my evenings and weekends marking papers and doing
grades.  I called the high school back to thank them but decline, hoping
I had made the right decision.

The college was not inclined to authorize a salary for a position unless
they were convinced it was absolutely necessary, so for two years, my
salary (at $3/hr!) was paid by the old government training program, CETA.
 The department chairman was thrilled with my work - and there was a lot
of it!  The sister who ran the curriculum lab knew absolutely nothing
about library organization and procedures, so it was a real mess!   When
the college decided the position was necessary, I was given a contract -
with the provision that I had to get a Master's in order to keep the job.
 Which Master's was up to me.  I decided that since this was, in reality,
a library, I would go to library school; until that decision had to be
made, I had never thought about going back to school and another field
never entered my mind.   In 1982, after working full time and attending
Rutgers part time for three years, I graduated with my MLS (from the
educational media track) and had my state certificate as an Associate
Educational Media Specialist. (I had to get this one since I had no
teaching experience.  I recieved my EMS certificate the following year.)
 In 1988, the curriculum lab and I were transferred to the library, where
I assumed the additional duties of reference, bibliographic instruction,
and selection for Education and AV materials (in addition to the K-12
textbooks and juvenile/YA literature).  A three year stint as head of
circulation was replaced by College Archives and the NASA ERC in addition
to the other duties.  I work closely with the Education faculty and
students from the undergrad and graduate programs, and you can be sure I
advise every student teacher to find the school librarian and work with
them!

Being on LM_NET and following your discussions really helps me in my work
with the student teachers and faculty!  Thanks for everything!

Barbara

Barbara R. Herbert                           home:  <bherb@juno.com>
Georgian Court College         work:  <herbert@georgian.edu>
Lakewood, NJ  08701-2697           NASA ERC:  <NASA_ERC@georgian.edu>