Why I do what I do

Almost invariably, whenever I tell people what I do for a living, I get one of four responses:

1. "Libraries still exist?"
2. "So, you get paid to read all day?"
3. "But you're not an old lady!"
4. "That's cool. I like libraries."

90% of the time, it's option 1, 2, or 3. My acquaintances are generally even more shocked to find out that, yes, I did just complete my MLIS. I've come across very, very few people who realize that there IS a Master's in library science. Even fewer have any idea of what the program entails, or why it might be necessary.

Yes, it gets frustrating to constantly defend my career choice. Still, I wouldn't give it up for the world. There are many reasons why I do what I do.

Working with children has to be one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. Admittedly, I'm not much of a people person; kids, however, are a different story. They're not jaded, and their excitement when they find a new book they like or tackle that craft they didn't think they could do is contagious. When you work with kids, I cannot stress enough that every day is different. I'm sure any teacher could vouch for this as well; kids are unpredictable. They have good days and bad days. Fortunately, the good days far outnumber the bad, and there is always, always at least one good story to laugh about at the end of the day.

I'm also a sucker for technology. Some people may think this contradicts the very premise of a library, but I disagree. Today, public libraries are community centers. We are the main place for people to go for free computer and Internet use. If your printer's broken, you can print at the library. Need help setting up your ereader? We can do that too. Many libraries even have fancy makerspaces where you can play with cutting-edge technologies like 3D printing, audio and video production, and more. We teach people how to use their devices and the social networks they love. I couldn't be happier that IT was a big part of my MLIS program, and I eventually plan to go back and further my education in this field because I know it will serve me in my career.

I get to deal with a little bit of everything at work. As a youth services librarian and one of two managers at my library, I don't just recommend books, read stories, and make crafts all day (even though I love doing each of those things). I maintain our website. I update and manage our social media accounts. I help create and balance a budget. I do extensive PR, marketing, and event planning. I'm planning a major renovation of my department, down to drawing a schematic of our Children's Room. Sometimes I even use the skills I picked up working in a sales office. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

The bottom line is, working in a library is unlike anything you would expect, unless you've been involved in this industry. Sure, there are bad days, and I constantly worry about things like the availability of government funding, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. This is what I love to do, and my mission is to educate the public on the value of libraries.