I'm compiling a list of "ah-ha! moments" for librarians. In other words, when did
you first know that you COULD be a librarian? What was the inspiration or the
situation that inspired you to investigate (or begin your education to become) a
librarian?
Was it the love of books? Was it your creativity with books, puppets and children
during a summer program that inspired you? Was it someone's comments?
My example:
I spent the summer of my sophomore year in college as a "summer missionary" for my
church. During that unique summer, two friends and I spent time in Missouri
working to literally build a new church and create programs for the neighborhood
children. We offered daily programs that included reading aloud, singing, games,
and puppet shows ---and were invited to even perform at a lake resort that offered
children's program doing three shows a day for a week (in 95+ degrees and a small
theater box with furry puppets on our arms)...the kids loved it and we were a hit!
One day our troupe had the day off and we were shopping in a nearby mall. One of
the members stopped by a sports store that was offering a pair of season tickets
(for some sporting event) to anyone who could correctly answer 5 questions about
sports history. Everyone was standing around filling out the forms and my friend
said that he wished he knew the answers to the questions because he really wanted
the tickets for his father ---immediately, I asked what the rules were and the
store manager said we had to complete the questionnaire within 15 minutes (they
date / time stamped the forms to determine who answered first---this was LONG
before the Internet and computers).
I took the form and my friend, and walked to the book store next door. We went
straight to the sports books and I found a reference book that contained all of the
answers to the questions. We filled out the form and returned within the 15 minute
time limit. My friend won the tickets! He was elated! The store manager was a
bit annoyed and asked how we answered these "really tough" questions within the
time limit without insider information. I told him we used the reference books in
the book store next door. He replied, "What are you? Some sort of librarian?"
What was supposed to be an insult to me was considered "smart thinking" by all my
friends who knew that I had done something that no one else thought about--- using
the books in the book store. But with the whole summer-filled experience of
working with children, creating learning programs, working with parents, other
teachers, and providing "reference services", I finally knew what my major should
be!
How about you?
~Shonda
Shonda Brisco, MLIS
US / Technology Librarian
4200 Country Day Lane
Fort Worth Country Day School
Fort Worth, TX
817.732.7718 ext. 339
"We can't wait for somebody outside of ourselves to rescue us, because nobody is
coming to the rescue..."
~ Ross Todd, Professor
School of Communications, Information, and Library Studies, Rutgers University
sbrisco@fwcds.org
http://www.fwcds.org/campus/libraries/default.asp
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