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Between the Lines: April Member Spotlight

TLA Membership, TLA News, TLA Reading Lists
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Rebecca Ivey, North Branch Manager, Denton Public Library

What inspired you to become a librarian?
I always wanted to be a teacher. I had wonderful teachers growing up and felt teaching would be a natural fit. While student teaching, I quickly realized teaching wasn’t right for me, but that I loved aspects of it, which led me to becoming a librarian. Helping others, exploring literature—especially children’s literature, interacting with the public, researching questions, connecting others to the right book or resource—it was exactly what I wanted as a career.

What is an innovative practice at your library/organization (current or former) that you’d like to share with others?
Assistant Branch Manager and Supervisor of Special Collections, Laura Douglas, created the Legacy Lab at the Emily Fowler Central Library in Denton in 2018. The Legacy Lab is a digital archive makerspace. Customers can come in and preserve their family history by converting photos, home videos, cassette tapes, records, and paper documents to digital formats. This space has been well-received by our community. It is so nice to see history come alive! Customers are amazed that their old slides or films have new life—memories they thought they would never see again. You can find the Legacy Lab here.

If you could have dinner with three authors (living or dead), who would they be and why?
Kwame Alexander, Meg Cabot, and Jen Hatmaker. It was hard to narrow it down to only these three, but these three authors have made an impact on me. I would love the opportunity to sit down with them and talk about books, inspiration, and life!

What are you reading right now?
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown. I recently finished Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, and would highly recommend this book.

What is your most memorable Texas Library Association Experience?
I have had many memorable experiences through TLA, but the one that stands out is my first 2×2 Reading List session, “What’s New with 2×2.” This was my first exposure to the 2×2 Reading List, and I was hooked! I have always loved children’s literature, and it was amazing to see others dedicated to selecting the best children’s literature available. This experience led me to serve on the 2×2 Reading List committee for 5 years (Rebecca is the 2022-2023 Chair of the 2×2 Reading List Committee).

Anything else you would like to share?
Get involved.  It can be as simple as attending unit meetings, to volunteering for a committee, to presenting at conference. Being involved in your professional organization is a rewarding experience.

“I am a TLA member because…” TLA is an important resource for information, networking, brainstorming, and growth. The relationships I have established through TLA have been priceless.