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Naomi House’s interview with success story Erin.
Naomi: How did you find your current job?
Erin: It was listed on one of the many, many listservs I follow as an early-career professional.
Naomi: Favorite library you have been to?
Erin: I have to say it would be the State Library’s Rare Books Department in Stuttgart Germany. They have a copy of Shakespeare’s first folio there, which I personally got to thumb through while there on a tour in the Spring of 2011. They also had a Gutenberg Bible, though they didn’t let us touch that one!
Naomi: Favorite book?
Erin: Oh, there are so many! I’ll say anything by Jodi Picoult, or Chris Bohjalian.
Naomi: Favorite thing about libraries/ library technology?
Erin: Since I’ve recently switched back to the public library, I can again say that my favorite thing about libraries is the impact they can have on a community. They are so much more than just a place to get books – and, they’re something different to each person who walks through the door.
Naomi: Any websites or feeds or blogs we should be following?
Erin: I absolutely love poking around on Library as Incubator Project for inspiration and a reminder of just how awesome libraries are! When I need a pick-me-up, I’ll read Unshelved or Shelf Check. And, for myself, I (infrequently) blog here: http://libraryerin.blogspot.com/
Naomi: Best piece of job hunting advice?
Erin: Don’t give up! It’s taken me a long time to get into a job I can honestly say I love. I always knew I wanted to work in a public library, but finding full-time employment in one was very hard for me. With this move, I not only got back into the area of the profession I really wanted to be in, I am in a position that will allow me to grow both personally and professionally – and that’s a great place to be!
I am a 2011 graduate of UW-Milwaukee SOIS, where I also served as the Distance Education Representative for the SOIS Student Organization. While completing graduate school, I worked full time at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; first with the Google Initiative (also known as the Google Book Project), and then in the Interlibrary Loan Department. Throughout my time working in the academic library, my true interest kept calling me back. As an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I had worked at the Verona Public Library and very much enjoyed my experience there. So, when the position of Assistant Director at the New Glarus Public Library became available – I was excited to again have the chance to make my mark on a public library and the community it serves.