Mentor-Dylane White
What should I know about you before I start working there?
I am pretty relaxed and low key. I try to make the library a place students like being not somewhere they are frustrated or bored with every week. As someone who worked as an assistant in a different school I have heard my fair share of moans and groans when it was time to come to library and that stuck with me. No one should be unhappy coming to library and that is my goal, for everyone to get something out of library, maybe not a love of reading but an escape into a book/fantasy world for a moment or a laugh at something silly I did. A genuinely happy part of their day.
What are your main duties and responsibilities?
I run the school library plain and simple:
• Maintain collection of books (check in,
out, repair, put away)
• Provide lessons
and activities to about 1,000 students each week
• Encourage reading and meaningful library experiences
• Order materials that satisfy current curricular needs
• Tailor library sessions to the needs of the student population
• Act as a reference source for staff and
students
• Occasional tech support
• Create displays and information about library happenings
Why did you choose to work here?
Finding a job in California was extremely difficult so this was the first job I finally
got an interview for and was offered. Prior to this I held a similar position in
Maryland so a school library job was what I was looking for and found.
How did you end up doing the job that you do?
The same way anyone does what they do, I just fell into it and
realized I liked and I was good at it. I was a library page in high school (I
put away books and worked at the circulation counter at a public library) and
while working there everyone teased that “one day you will be back to run this
place.” I always thought, nope, no way am I going to be a librarian. Fast forward a few years and few majors and I got another job working in an
elementary school library. After some time I realized the actual career
potential of the school library and began to seriously consider changing my
major once again to library science. Fast forward again and I now hold a
Bachelor’s of Science and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Sciences.
I am strongly considering going back to for a Master’s in Education or a PhD in
Library studies.
Questions about the school
What is a typical
work day like?
My days vary greatly depending on the schedule and
if there have been changes. Some days are very hectic seeing more than 300
students (k-5th) and offering before and after school library time. Other days
are slower and allow me time to catch up on general library tasks, cleaning,
planning, ordering books, etc. However not a day goes by where I don’t have
students. No day is ever quite the same especially when you work with children.
What does it take to be successful in this
school?
Well I have only been here since November so my time here
has been short and much of it spent being brand new. What I have found is that I
have had to go out of my way to get some information, there was a lot I didn’t
know when I was dropped into this job because there was a large gap between
librarians so there had been no time to get to know the schedule or how things
were done. It was a start immediately situation and while in the end that has
made me a stronger person it was really frustrating and nerve wracking at the
beginning.
So…really to be successful you need to be outgoing and ask
questions because no one is coming around with answers if they don’t know what
you are wondering. Knowing Spanish would also be a big plus in this particular
school community.
How important is getting along with other people in
your career?
School librarians are sort of in a funny place. While
I rarely see the teachers as the students transition themselves to library it is
important to maintain communication and a relationship with them. They are the
best link to the students and families and also serve as the best connection to
the curriculum, student needs and current educational themes. So while being in
the library can be very isolating and leaves me alone most days it is important
to have positive relationships with everyone in the school.
What should I know about you before I start working there?
I am pretty relaxed and low key. I try to make the library a place students like being not somewhere they are frustrated or bored with every week. As someone who worked as an assistant in a different school I have heard my fair share of moans and groans when it was time to come to library and that stuck with me. No one should be unhappy coming to library and that is my goal, for everyone to get something out of library, maybe not a love of reading but an escape into a book/fantasy world for a moment or a laugh at something silly I did. A genuinely happy part of their day.
What are your main duties and responsibilities?
I run the school library plain and simple:
• Maintain collection of books (check in,
out, repair, put away)
• Provide lessons
and activities to about 1,000 students each week
• Encourage reading and meaningful library experiences
• Order materials that satisfy current curricular needs
• Tailor library sessions to the needs of the student population
• Act as a reference source for staff and
students
• Occasional tech support
• Create displays and information about library happenings
Why did you choose to work here?
Finding a job in California was extremely difficult so this was the first job I finally
got an interview for and was offered. Prior to this I held a similar position in
Maryland so a school library job was what I was looking for and found.
How did you end up doing the job that you do?
The same way anyone does what they do, I just fell into it and
realized I liked and I was good at it. I was a library page in high school (I
put away books and worked at the circulation counter at a public library) and
while working there everyone teased that “one day you will be back to run this
place.” I always thought, nope, no way am I going to be a librarian. Fast forward a few years and few majors and I got another job working in an
elementary school library. After some time I realized the actual career
potential of the school library and began to seriously consider changing my
major once again to library science. Fast forward again and I now hold a
Bachelor’s of Science and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Sciences.
I am strongly considering going back to for a Master’s in Education or a PhD in
Library studies.
Questions about the school
What is a typical
work day like?
My days vary greatly depending on the schedule and
if there have been changes. Some days are very hectic seeing more than 300
students (k-5th) and offering before and after school library time. Other days
are slower and allow me time to catch up on general library tasks, cleaning,
planning, ordering books, etc. However not a day goes by where I don’t have
students. No day is ever quite the same especially when you work with children.
What does it take to be successful in this
school?
Well I have only been here since November so my time here
has been short and much of it spent being brand new. What I have found is that I
have had to go out of my way to get some information, there was a lot I didn’t
know when I was dropped into this job because there was a large gap between
librarians so there had been no time to get to know the schedule or how things
were done. It was a start immediately situation and while in the end that has
made me a stronger person it was really frustrating and nerve wracking at the
beginning.
So…really to be successful you need to be outgoing and ask
questions because no one is coming around with answers if they don’t know what
you are wondering. Knowing Spanish would also be a big plus in this particular
school community.
How important is getting along with other people in
your career?
School librarians are sort of in a funny place. While
I rarely see the teachers as the students transition themselves to library it is
important to maintain communication and a relationship with them. They are the
best link to the students and families and also serve as the best connection to
the curriculum, student needs and current educational themes. So while being in
the library can be very isolating and leaves me alone most days it is important
to have positive relationships with everyone in the school.