About Me

Hello!

My name is Sarah and I am an aspiring children's librarian. I graduated from James Madison University (Go Dukes!) in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts and a minor in Elementary Education. Half way through my junior year, I decided that I no longer wanted to be a teacher, but I didn't know what else I wanted to do. So I stuck with education and began volunteering at the local library in Harrisonburg, Virginia and quickly realized that I wanted to be a children's librarian. After graduating from college, I returned home to look for a job in a library.

Currently I am a Library Assistant I at my local public library in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia and I have been here since September 2011. I am able to be a storyteller in the library and at daycares, help readers and parents choose appropriate books, create displays and crafts, and assist with programming ideas. I also am trained to work in other areas of the library to assist when needed. I like my job and especially the people I work with, but I want more responsibilities and I want to make a bigger impact in children's lives. I believe the best way to do that is to go graduate school and become a children's librarian.

I am about to embark on the journey of applying to graduate school. I have already completed the first step of taking the GREs. It was not a pleasant experience, but I got exactly what I needed. I'm thrilled that I don't have to take the test again. The options for MLS programs is very limited, but I have narrowed my choices down to three or four. Since there are no programs in Virginia I have to look out of state. I'm still doing research, updating my resume, thinking of essay topics, and putting off asking for recommendation letters.
For now, I am learning all I can from coworkers on how to be the best storyteller and librarian!

I want to use this blog is to present and manage storytimes that I do, discuss books that I've read, suggest appropriate books for different ages, and display crafts and bulletin boards. Ultimately I want this blog to be an organizational tool that will show my accomplishments (and failures) and keep myself prepared and motivated to reach my goal of becoming a children's librarian.