Blog #1

Hello all! My name is Amy Clare and this is my blog for 6010. I am currently a Library Associate for Siouxland Libraries, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. For those of you wondering, South Dakota is the state with the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore, , I live 350 miles east of there, in other words, on the other side of the state. Oh and South Dakota is not where Fargo is, that is North Dakota. There now that we have that straight, moving on...  

I was an undergrad when I gained my passion for wanting to work in the library sciences. I worked as a shelver, but it always felt like I was doing more than just shelving because I would get questions from students about where to find things. We shelved according to the Dewey Decimal System, and I loved it. When I graduated with a degree in Journalism, I had to leave the library and it was a sad, sad day.

    
I eventually got a job with Siouxland Libraries, and have been there ever since, except for a brief year in Houston, TX, and a year off to have my son. I got hired back at the library in November 2010, and have steadily been rising in the ranks ever since. At my current position, I work in the Information Services department. Basically, what used to be known as the reference desk. We answer any and all questions about books, and any and all questions about everything else in the world. We are the "go to" people for the rest of the library staff who have questions, and we answer computer and ebook questions. And I love it. But, I can not be promoted anymore without a Master's Degree. So here I am, getting my Masters, after being out of school for 10 years.

    
I feel I should at least briefly mention my family. I have been married to Jason for what will be 9 years this October, and I have a rambunctious 3 year old son named Sam, who to my disbelief, has started preschool this year. They both enjoy reading, but probably not as much as me.

 

    
Now that you know part of my fascinating life story, on to other things such as the assumptions, assertions, and beliefs that I hold about the LIS professions...

1. I believe a library should have knowledgeable staff who are approachable and friendly.
• We had a branch that was known as being the "mean" branch. We worked hard to instill the belief the workers of that branch that it should be a friendly place for people to feel welcome. All people should feel welcome in the library; feel comfortable in the library. It should be filled with knowledgeable staff who are willing to help everyone. We did get that point across, and now that branch is "warm and inviting."
2. I believe a library should be a place for people to gather.
• Whether that gathering is because of a meeting, or a book club, or just to "people watch", the library should be inviting.
3. I believe the library should keep up with technology.
• We all know technology is always changing, and I think the library should continue to evolve with it. We need to keep up with the latest version of the iPhone, or Mac so we can help our customers to the best of our abilities. At my library, we are constantly doing updates to computers to keep up. We are also always sending out information updates to employees so we know what to expect in the updates. It's a battle, but if we stay on top of it, it is not impossible.

So that's me and my beliefs. Stay tuned for the next installment of the "Ramblings of a Future Librarian."