“Love what you do and do what you love”, a quote by Ray Bradbury.

I do, I do!

I’m a Librarian! I love my job.

It took me a long time to know what my dream job was and it comes as no surprise to realize it may be based on  my early childhood experiences with the Library and Librarians.

Reflections of the past include the great weekly adventure as a child, to go “downtown” to Portland’s Multnomah County Library. There were five of us and we would pile in the station wagon and Mom would drive.

Beautiful tree lined streets, plug the parking meter and enter the hallowed grounds to marble floors and a wonderful grand staircase. Mom would lead me to the children’s room telling me she could could be found in the reading room and my brothers would be off tending to various homework and research assignments.

We would all line up with our precious collection and wait to have them stamped. I do miss that part, but am ever so grateful that now I simply wand a barcode.

As I grew older and was able to take the bus. I remember my very first research paper. The librarian showed me how to use the card catalogue and find my books helping to carry them to a study table. This was bliss and I love all libraries and visit new ones whenever I travel. In fact I should have a bumper sticker that says “I brake for Libraries”, but the historic Multnomah County Library was my first home library and will always be special to me.

I now have all the fancy degrees to show I know the ropes, but they just help me be a better Librarian.

• MLIS, Library and Information Sciences; University of Pittsburgh; 2012
• BA in Culture Literature and Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies; University of Washington; 2009
• AA/AS in Communications/ASL Interpreter; Portland Community College; 1982

A Librarian – a perfect title.  I love working with people and finding ways to help them love the library, love learning, find anything they want and feel the adventure of learning.

And, yes, you can find lots of material on the Internet, and I will help you do just that as it is a wonderful research tool, but I still love picking up a book. It’s real!