Naomi House’s interivew with Patrica Finnerty, Outreach Librarian for the Pioneer Library System in Canandaigua, NY.

Naomi:  How did you find your current job?
Pat:  On the local regional library council website. It was also listed on INALJ as well. Thanks Naomi!

Naomi:  Favorite library you have been to?
Pat:  My college library at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, NY. It is classic and beautiful with lots of fond memories.

Naomi:  Favorite book?
Pat:  How to pick one? I’ll go with the book that inspired my love of reading, Little Women.

Naomi:  Favorite thing about libraries/ library technology?
Pat:  The field of library science is ever changing. It’s not a stagnant field, but a very dynamic one in every sense of the word.

Naomi:  Any websites or feeds or blogs we should be following?
Pat:  I follow David Lee King and Lizz Zitron who writes the Outreach Librarian blog.

Naomi: Best piece of job hunting advice?
Pat: After my fifth rejection, I so wanted to quit and began feeling down about myself. But I kept plugging along and was able to get the perfect job that matched my skills and personality. Although it’s a terrible job market, hang in there. Persistence does pay off.

Library Science is actually a third career for me. After majoring in communications in college, I worked in the advertising/PR/marketing fields for almost 20 years in the profit and not for profit arenas. When I felt like I just could not write another press release, I began my second career and taught High School Theology and English for five years. As much as I liked teaching, I had this urge to explore the library field and thought before I got any older, I would go back to school and get my MLS. While it wasn’t easy going back to school in my 40’s, I’m very glad I did.