(no subject)
You guys, you guys, you guys!!! I don't know what to do with my life and that is totally okay!!! :D :D :D
I met with my children's literature professor this morning to discuss my term paper and career possibilities, and she is totally brilliant and I love her lots.
See, I have no idea (well, some very vague ideas) what I want to do with my degree when I graduate. I love children's literature (which, if you don't know that, you clearly haven't been paying attention), but I can't be a children's librarian because I simply don't have what it takes to do storytimes and special programs. Horrible experiences with management aside, I did learn that much from my time in the youth services division of my library back home. But I love connecting with kids (and adults!) through books. I think they're brilliant. (Also bloody annoying sometimes. But even then, it filled me with glee whenever I caught one of the computer brats reading a graphic novel.)
I have one specific moment that I cherish from my time as a library assistant (involving the cutest boy ever, his Korean grandmother who spoke only about a dozen words of English, and the magic of a book), that I point to inside my head and tell myself, "That is why I want to be a librarian" and, you know, I'd forgotten that that epiphany moment occurred on the same day I was not-quite-fired. But whatever. That is still my moment, my raison d'etre: to make those connections with people through books, regardless of language or other barriers.
So, you know, I moved on with my life and applied to grad school and waxed poetical about my inspiration and fangirled the [ ICDL ] on my application, which got me accepted and thrown into the children's specialization even though I specified in my application that I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. But I left it, because I still don't know precisely what I want to do and I do love children's literature and this way I got an awesome (though somewhat inaccessible) academic advisor rather than the generic advisor.
But whenever I start a semester and we have those introductory classes where everyone has to go around and introduce themselves and say what they're doing in the program, I always feel weird because I don't know. So while everyone else says with happy conviction, "oh yes, I'm in the school library media track!" or "I'm in the archives track!" or "I want to work in public/academic libraries!" or whatever, I sort of slouch down in my seat and mutter, "Hi, I'm in the general track and I'm still figuring out what I want to be when I grow up".
So I finally said to myself, my children's lit professor is awesome and knowledgeable and I should totally meet with her to discuss career possibilities for someone who loves kids and children's literature but is rubbish at large groups and programs. And I did! We had a lovely hour-long talk over cappuccino/chai, a tiny bit about my term paper (which she thinks sounds great) and a lot about children's literature and the many possibilities besides the obvious ones. And she thinks I'm brilliant (I write well and I'm good at critical analysis of the books we've been reading and I have good insights) and she says it's perfectly okay not to have a specialization and that I shouldn't worry about limiting myself because there are tons of possibilities. And I feel so much better! :D Because of course I can tell myself that I have a kick-ass resume and it's okay to figure it out as I go, but it is so much more reassuring to hear it from someone else who actually knows what she's talking about.
Now I am all bouncy and gleeful and ready to take on the world! Because I will be awesome at whatever I end up doing! I am a hummingbird!
I am totally signing up for the advanced children's lit seminar with her next term! Yays!
Also, OMG, they've recently started a study abroad program for MLS-ers and the one for next summer is in Munich at the [ International Youth Library ]! I am so looking into that! I didn't manage to study abroad for my undergrad (though I visited people who were), so I feel I missed out on a vital experience. Also, it's a giant international children's library! In a castle! :D
I met with my children's literature professor this morning to discuss my term paper and career possibilities, and she is totally brilliant and I love her lots.
See, I have no idea (well, some very vague ideas) what I want to do with my degree when I graduate. I love children's literature (which, if you don't know that, you clearly haven't been paying attention), but I can't be a children's librarian because I simply don't have what it takes to do storytimes and special programs. Horrible experiences with management aside, I did learn that much from my time in the youth services division of my library back home. But I love connecting with kids (and adults!) through books. I think they're brilliant. (Also bloody annoying sometimes. But even then, it filled me with glee whenever I caught one of the computer brats reading a graphic novel.)
I have one specific moment that I cherish from my time as a library assistant (involving the cutest boy ever, his Korean grandmother who spoke only about a dozen words of English, and the magic of a book), that I point to inside my head and tell myself, "That is why I want to be a librarian" and, you know, I'd forgotten that that epiphany moment occurred on the same day I was not-quite-fired. But whatever. That is still my moment, my raison d'etre: to make those connections with people through books, regardless of language or other barriers.
So, you know, I moved on with my life and applied to grad school and waxed poetical about my inspiration and fangirled the [ ICDL ] on my application, which got me accepted and thrown into the children's specialization even though I specified in my application that I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. But I left it, because I still don't know precisely what I want to do and I do love children's literature and this way I got an awesome (though somewhat inaccessible) academic advisor rather than the generic advisor.
But whenever I start a semester and we have those introductory classes where everyone has to go around and introduce themselves and say what they're doing in the program, I always feel weird because I don't know. So while everyone else says with happy conviction, "oh yes, I'm in the school library media track!" or "I'm in the archives track!" or "I want to work in public/academic libraries!" or whatever, I sort of slouch down in my seat and mutter, "Hi, I'm in the general track and I'm still figuring out what I want to be when I grow up".
So I finally said to myself, my children's lit professor is awesome and knowledgeable and I should totally meet with her to discuss career possibilities for someone who loves kids and children's literature but is rubbish at large groups and programs. And I did! We had a lovely hour-long talk over cappuccino/chai, a tiny bit about my term paper (which she thinks sounds great) and a lot about children's literature and the many possibilities besides the obvious ones. And she thinks I'm brilliant (I write well and I'm good at critical analysis of the books we've been reading and I have good insights) and she says it's perfectly okay not to have a specialization and that I shouldn't worry about limiting myself because there are tons of possibilities. And I feel so much better! :D Because of course I can tell myself that I have a kick-ass resume and it's okay to figure it out as I go, but it is so much more reassuring to hear it from someone else who actually knows what she's talking about.
Now I am all bouncy and gleeful and ready to take on the world! Because I will be awesome at whatever I end up doing! I am a hummingbird!
I am totally signing up for the advanced children's lit seminar with her next term! Yays!
Also, OMG, they've recently started a study abroad program for MLS-ers and the one for next summer is in Munich at the [ International Youth Library ]! I am so looking into that! I didn't manage to study abroad for my undergrad (though I visited people who were), so I feel I missed out on a vital experience. Also, it's a giant international children's library! In a castle! :D