By Courtney C.
Growing up, I spent a good chunk of my summers at our public library since it was impossible to be bored there. My summer ritual was going to the library at least once a week and taking out a bag full of books to occupy my time until I could return them again. It was comforting to have a place to call my second home.
When I graduated high school and entered my first year of college I commuted daily and, although I loved my campus, I felt disconnected and lost in a sea of students. However, the following year the library was hiring students to work the circulation desk and I made the cut. As soon as I sat down to my first shift, it was like being back home again. Over the next three years, I not only learned how to better use the services my library had to offer, but I also received training on the different library departments so that I could better assist library staff and patrons. One of the best resources I encountered were the Gale databases because I could always rely on them to find what I needed for both my own interests and my fellow students. It was during this time that my love for the library grew beyond the enjoyment of books to the enjoyment of helping patrons find what they needed.
As I move forward with my career, I have taken my love of learning and helping people and channeled it into my current job. I’ve also completed my first year of graduate work towards my Master in Library and Information Science because I want to learn all I can about developing library services that can better serve the needs of patrons. Although I’m not currently in a library setting, I intend on taking what I learned from my lifetime usage of library services and applying it to every aspect of my professional life. I never would have gotten this far without the support of both my public and college library; by finding my second homes, I found myself.palace indoor adidas 2018 black dress