Late Night Musings

I know that other women will understand what I mean when I mention how the mind can wander and roam with no end in the wee hours of the morning. Unfortunately, this seems to be a more common occurrence as of late, but on the up-side I've had a chance to mull over where I am in my program and where I really want to go.

No longer a "noob" in my program, I have gained some knowledge and exposure to the profession to help me become a little more focused in how I want to shape my future. I still have a lot to learn, and after this upcoming semester, all the other classes I choose to take will shape my focus. After becoming more involved with various groups within the profession and reading more comments/blogs/etc from individuals in the profession, I've learned that there is a much broader field of positions available to someone who holds an MLIS than I originally thought. I'm connecting with and reading about "librarians" or "information specialists" in nearly every industry. My options for the future have really opened up.

And yet, even with knowing that I could conceivably end up almost anywhere doing almost anything, I see myself being pulling in two directions. As a children's and youth services librarian, I would be able to work with children (something I would love to do), create and manage programs for all ages and even families, and really promote learning for the youngest generations. As a librarian that specialize in community outreach and library social services, I would be able to help the less-fortunate members of our society and my community by providing services through the library that are specifically targeted for them--as well as building community ties between the library and its local area and helping to make the library a "community place" that its locals are proud of.

So which do I choose? It may come down to doing an unofficial internship at my local library through a children's librarian I connected with there (an official internship would be too demanding and require too many hours). Getting some practical experience in library services for children and youth would be, well, awesome (if I may use the slang term). From what I've gathered in some of my professional groups, internships are excellent gauging tools, can be a lot of fun, and are great for building experience. If I do end up pursuing a position as a children's/youth librarian, I will need the experience to get an edge when I apply for those positions.

This next year--Fall 2011 and Spring 2012--will hopefully bring clarity and better focus for my profession. I hope to have a better, more decisive idea of what kind of librarian I intend to be. In the meantime, I have a lot of academic and professional growth to undergo. I'm anticipating the upcoming semester with a lot of enthusiasm!