Rock you like a…gentle breeze?
Hello, all 🙂 Welcome to my INFO287 Blogspace.
I’ve just completed my first two semesters in the MLIS program, and am excited about my two summer classes. I’m currently working part-time as a library assistant in a local public library and co-project managing Reading Nation Waterfall, and I anticipate graduating in Spring 2025.
I’m coming to librarianship after a career (primarily) in Montessori teaching – preschool (3-6), lower elementary (6-9), and upper elementary (9-12). Most recently, I had my own home-based Montessori preschool, which I loved and sadly had to close when the home I was renting had to be sold. Read-aloud time was always my favorite part of the school day, whether reading picture books during circle time, or reading chapter books in the early afternoon – I love sharing my own love of reading.
For me, librarianship (especially public librarianship) sits at the crossroads of the areas of life that drive me the most – learning & growing, social justice, and community building. While I may not necessarily be quite ready to close the chapter on teaching, I’m grateful that I’ll be ready to transition into librarianship when the time comes (though, once a teacher, always a teacher).
I’m a NYT games aficionado (WORDLE, Connections, the Crossword, and Spelling Bee, mostly), home baker/cook, the favorite auntie, a ready traveler, a delinquent Masters swimmer, a fruit fanatic (eating and picking), a mender, a quilter (although my current project is mainly slowly appliquéing), a happy camper, a beginning ukulele player, and I’m eager for a good laugh. Happy to connect!
Hi Caroline! You will definitely have the opportunity to continue teaching in public libraries! I know it won’t be quite the same as running your own school, but with your background in education I am sure that any public library would be thrilled to have you. Between daily programs, literacy classes, computer tutoring, storytimes, citizenship clinics and more, teaching and learning are ever-present in public librarianship, so I bet you’ll feel right at home. Do you want to continue to work with children and tweens in the library world, or are you hoping to transition to a different type of library role?
I am also a novice ukulele player! Do you have any songs you are currently learning, or any good favorites you come back to?
Thanks for your comment, Rachel, and for the reassurance that there will still be plenty of teaching to be done in libraries 🙂 I am very much looking forward to leading storytimes (soon!), and have just started joining in with our teen advisory group (what a fun group of young adults!). I came in to the MLIS program with the goal of becoming a children’s librarian in public libraries, thought I can also say that I went into teaching with the goal of teaching preschool and ended up loving elementary (lower and upper) students just as much as the preschool kiddos. I’m keeping an open mind!
As for ukulele, I can’t say I’ve quite made it to novice status yet – I’m still very much a beginner. I’m learning chords and have so far mainly tackled ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat’ 😉 I love that you play as well! Do you play your ukulele at storytime? I got into the instrument originally with the hopes of being able to play songs for my preschoolers, and am excited to be proficient enough to play for more than just myself in my lessons.
Hi again Caroline! I actually have never played my ukulele as part of storytime, but some of my coworkers do! Musical instruments are a big hit with most of our patrons (of all ages). We are actually going to be adding some ukuleles to our “library of things” collection soon, so I’ll likely be in charge of tuning and restringing them when they come back from checkouts. I have always enjoyed that there is space in the library profession to use your personal talents/interests to inform and enrich our work!
@rcsyme I love that you’ll be adding ukuleles to your library of things. (I am a HUGE fan of libraries of things.) So fun that you’ll get to be in charge of taking good care of them. I also love when you get to shine your personal light in your occupational role.
I do those NYT times puzzles (and Spelling Bee) everyday!
@crain How fun! It’s such good brain exercise 🙂
@caroline I so appreciate your thoughts on librarianship, and the idea that once a teacher always a teacher. 😀
Thank you for sharing your background. Welcome to #hyperlib!
@michael Thank you! I’m excited to be part of this class 🙂
NYT crossword everyday for like 20 years. I simply cannot start my day without it.
My mother, a couple of aunts, my brother and several cousins and I have a group chat of our Wordle scores. The older group (my mother and her sisters) claim it is so they can keep up with us daily, but we know it is so they can brag about their score since they always beat us.
@carlys How funny – my WORDLE circle has diminished as some friends have moved on to other games, but I have one friend who’ll occasionally ask for hints, which I find to be a delightful creative challenge 🙂 You must be an excellent crossworder! Have you seen the documentary Wordplay (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0492506/)?
I wouldn’t say I am a excellent crossworder. lol I still struggle with the Friday/Saturday puzzles. I think I do then just as a way to escape. I have not see the documentary, I will definitely have to check it out.