The Path to SLIS
A couple people, in posting the 8 Things Meme on their own journals, asked me how and why I got into library science. I figured I'd just fill everyone in at once! After I graduated from Ball State in 1999, I really didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I had gotten a Bachelor of Science, with majors in both history and religious studies, but they had been taken on as classes I enjoyed without a goal or ultimate purpose in mind. Upon graduating, I moved back to Fort Wayne and worked as a "sales associate" (aka "teller") at Three Rivers Federal Credit Union. While it was a nice enough place, I swore to myself that I would work there two years at the absolute maximum. One month before my two-year anniversary on the job, I turned in my notice!
So, here I was in Ft Wayne with the clock running out on my employment and wondering what to do next. I think most people know that my dad is a Lutheran pastor, he's been in the ministry for about 35 years now. His father was a Lutheran minister, as was his father. So, it seems reasonable to think it "might be in the blood!" As it just so happens, one of the two LCMS seminaries is here in Fort Wayne (with the other being in St. Louis). After quitting 3RFCU, I decided to attend a few classes at Concordia Theological Seminary. Eventually, I decided it wasn't for me (at least not right now). It was interesting, but it didn't really feel like a calling -- I certainly did not want to make a halfhearted or half-assed commitment to the ministry! I felt like I need more life experience and to figure out what God has planned for me before I jump into something bigger. However, I am convinced that it was all part of His plan. While I was there, I started working part-time in the campus library. As it so happened, the Access Services Coordinator was finishing up her Master's program that semester and she would tell me about her commutes to Indianapolis. I started talking to the other librarians and finding out why they got into the field. So, it got stuck in my head as a possibility.
After I dropped out of CTS, I started suffering my first bout with depression (though I've only recognized that in hindsight). My friend Troy was the store manager at a local Target, so he invited me to come work for him when he heard I had quit classes. The job sucked, quite frankly (though I liked most of the people and appreciated Troy's generosity), and I realized I needed to do something more with my life. The idea of library science resurfaced, and my parents encouraged me to look into it further. In fact, my dad even drove down to IUPUI with me for a campus visit! I decided this is something I could do and which I would enjoy, I like working with people and have always had a certain knack for teaching. I liked the combination of books and magazines alongside computers and scanners. I've always enjoyed the enviroment, whether public or academic, so why not make money being there?
So, I applied to the SLIS and started classes in Jan 2002. Unfortunately, some of those depression issues and developing fatigue problems set me back a bit. I graduated with the Master of Library Science in August 2004, but went without a job for several months. After trying to stick it out in Indy, I finally moved back in with my folks in July 2005. The good news is that I soon got a gig at Parkview Hospital's health science library, which gave me work experience and a really good professional reference. This eventually led to the full-time position here at USF, which I hope will in turn lead to a fully recognized MLS position. It's been slower and more muddled than I would like, but I feel like I'm on the right track overall. What a long and strange trip it's been, huh?
Anybody else have stories about how they got interested in their fields and/or started their jobs?