My path to getting my MLIS is a winding one.  Growing up my mother was a school librarian, so I quite literally grew up in a library.  I graduated high school thinking I was going to go into education and eventually be a school librarian as well.  I got to college and changed my major ending up with a degree in Recreation and Park Administration, with an emphasis in Programming (programming activities, not computers) in 2000.  I worked for a State Park seasonally for five years then went back to school to get my master’s in education, middle school science and social studies, graduating in 2007.  The plan was to teach two years then get my MLIS to be a school librarian.  Due to many reasons I could not find a job and would frequently go back to working at the State Park in the summers.

In the year 2013 I saw an opening for a Circulation Assistant at our local public library.  I applied and got an interview.  I remember them bringing out a cart of books and asked me to arrange them.  I thought this was a trick because it was so easy, but they were very impressed and hired me. I worked there part time for three years.  I moved to Florida in 2022 and got a job as a library assistant at the Marathon Branch of the Monroe County Library System.  I have worked here nearly three years now and worked my way up to library associate.  I realized when there was a children’s librarian position open that to move up in the system, I would need an MLIS, so I decided to apply.  I love working in the library and can’t wait to see what the future holds.