You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.
1. What inspired you to become a librarian?
About 4 years into my teaching career, I remember taking my class to the library and thinking, “You know, this would be a cool job.” I’ve always loved books and libraries, and my favorite part of being a classroom teacher was reading to kids. So, I went for it!
2. What is an innovative practice at your library/organization (current or former) that you would like to share with others?
Our Library Services team makes concerted, intentional advocacy efforts. One of my favorite things that we do is schedule a meeting with the new school administration to talk about the role of the library in the school environment and the impact of the librarian on student learning. We schedule a 25-minute meeting with them, and by the end, many of them say to us how thankful they are that we shared this information. Libraries are rarely, if ever, addressed in school administrator training and education, so getting some facetime with them when they are first on the job makes a big impact. Big props to our former director, Lisa Kulka, for this wonderful idea!
3. If you could have dinner with three authors (living or dead), who would they be and why?
Stephen King – I’ve been a constant reader since I was 11 and my uncle handed me a copy of the unabridged The Stand. It took me about a month, and some of it went over my head, but I read that 1,100-page book all the way through, and remember, weeks later, wondering what the characters were up to and missing them. I’ve been reading his books for more than 30 years.
Gary Paulsen – Hatchet made a huge impact on me when I was a kid, and I think his approach to weaving a love and respect for nature with becoming emotionally mature is so important for kids to read. Plus, he had such an interesting life! I saw him speak at TLA years ago, and he accidentally cursed several times, and it was just so delightfully apropos that I know having dinner with him would just be a riot.
Ariel Lawhon – I love how she plucks obscure female figures from history and showcases their incredible stories. She always has really detailed author notes at the end about why she chose to write about that person and how she went about researching them. I love that minutia and would enjoy picking her brain about it! My favorite book of hers is The Frozen River.
4. What are you reading right now?
Until the last few years, I was always a one-book-at-a-time person, but now I usually have a physical book, an eBook, and an audiobook going. I’ve been on a big fantasy/romance kick for about a year, which you’ll notice when you see the 3 books I’m reading at the moment. When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker, Heat of the Everflame by Penn Cole, and How to Be A Renaissance Woman by Jill Burke.
5. What is your most memorable Texas Library Association Experience?
Carme Agra Deedy’s keynote speech in 2017. It was just perfect, and I was bawling by the end of it. I would love to hear it again. That moment sticks out, but I have great experiences every year that I go!
6. Advice to new librarians?
Don’t try to do every great idea you hear about – be picky and add things each year that support your goals. Meet with your administrators and create a shared vision/mission for the library program at your school. Make friends with your bookkeeper, custodian, and your teachers! Chocolate and tacos really help these efforts.
7. Share your hobbies, hidden talents, or anything people might not know about you.
Mostly my hobby is reading, and I do it literally anywhere I can, often while walking, which is a hidden talent of mine.
8. Please finish this sentence. “I am a TLA member because…”
Of the robust community I just mentioned. Learning from and working with librarians of all types from all over the state is invaluable.
Every year in the fall, each of TLA’s 10 Districts holds a day-long meeting for local members, which is a fantastic opportunity for networking and learning.
