When I was in the later years of high school and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, I had no clue. I knew I loved books, I loved kids, but I knew I did not want to be a teacher. No offence to teachers out there, it just wasn’t what I wanted for my life. And then one evening my mom turned to me and said, “why don’t you look into becoming a librarian?” and the light bulb turned on.
Ever since that day I have wondered why it took so long, but I haven’t looked back.
Libraries have always been a major part of my life; the buildings full of books and the librarians who work in them had a huge influence on me. It was routine to be at the library every week, sometimes multiple times, and the amount of books that I could take out was only limited by the fact that we walked and I had to carry everything home. I knew the librarians by name and they knew me, recommending books and just being involved in my life.
While in my teenage years my time at the library diminished my love for libraries and books never did, yet with that realization that I wanted to be a librarian my journey back to the library began.
What first surprised me and surprises many of the people that I tell is that librarians need a masters (I know right?!) and specifically a Masters in Library and Information Science (or MLIS for short). The degree before that doesn’t matter however, so I decided to go for things that I loved and I ended up majoring in English and minoring in History for my undergrad.
Now there are very few schools in Canada that offer the MLIS and that is how I ended up at Western, halfway across the country from everything that I had ever known and getting my masters.
I am now 3/4 of the way through my degree and have learned so much. I specifically hope to one day end up as a Children’s Librarian in a Public Library so many of my courses have reflected that taking courses on Children’s and Young Adult Literature, but also on subjects such as Collection Management, Web Design, and Readers’ Advisory. In my final semester I have courses on working with Newcomers to Canada, Records Management, and Public Libraries which I am super excited for.
One reason that I decided to get my masters at Western is because of their Co-op program, a way to gain work experience. I was lucky to get a job doing exactly what I hope to do in the future, working with kids in a Public Library. I was able to plan their summer reading program, lead storytimes, and just get a glimpse into what the life of a children’s librarian is like.
Since that day in high school when I realized I wanted to be a Librarian my goals haven’t changed. I can’t believe that I am only one semester away from looking for real life jobs. I can’t wait to get into the world of librarianship and see where this world takes me.
Feel free to ask any questions you may have about Librarianship, libraries, and my library journey.
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