Giving Back to the Library Profession

I have been teaching for a long time. More than two thirds of that time has been as a school librarian. I spent 12 years in an elementary library and the last 10 in a middle and high library. I think that I have honed my skills to the point that I am at the top of my game. I have had several mentors that I looked up to over the years who helped me.through my journey, so now I think that it is important for me to help guide others. Of course, I think that I can learn from those just starting out, too. New librarians always have some new fresh ideas that I never considered. 

On the big screen is a view of the LSU instructor and the students in Baton Rouge

One of the ways that I have given back is to welcome students in library school to visit my library and interview me for class assignments. I have also had students completing a library practicum work in my library. I try to apply and make presentations at local and state conferences. This past Saturday, Charity Cantey, an LSU instructor who is also the librarian at the LSU lab school, invited me to speak to her class on school libraries offered at LSU in Baton Rouge. I didn't have to drive to Baton Rouge. There are several satellite centers at universities around the state where students can attend the class from afar. The University of New Orleans has one of those centers. So I spoke to a room with two students locally, and spoke to students around the state through a computer connection. It was kind of cool actually. 

This is what I saw as I talked: the two students and  a screen with the camera pointing at me

I spoke for about 30 minutes about how I promote reading, use electronic resources and collaborate with teachers in my building. I showed my library website and this blog and explained why I think that it is important to have electronic resources. Then I opened it up to questions. Someone asked who creates the content for my website. The answer is me. Anything coming from the library, I have to do or ask students to help me do. It is very time consuming but so worth it. Another student asked about my degree. I received an MEd from the University of New Orleans in Curriculum and Instruction. I told them that I was envious that they have the opportunity to get an MLIS without having to travel to Baton Rouge. That would have been my only option when I was attending graduate school. I definitely felt that I was prepared to work in a school library with my education, but I still wouldn't mind having a MLIS behind my name.