My interview with success story, Scott
Naomi: How did you find your current job?
Scott: I found my East St. Louis Community College Center Library Director position through a professional contact on LinkedIn and my Learning Resource Center Manager job at Sanford-Brown College – Collinsville through an old college roommate. Yes, I work a full-time position and a part-time evening one too! I enjoy my library jobs immensely and still find time to run 30+ miles a week to maintain a balanced healthy life. Simply, it helps to know the right people and keep in contact with them, not only through social media, but also in a deeply personal manner.
Naomi: Favorite library you have been to?
Scott: I truly loved my time spent in the Carnegie Library in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It has such a rich historic story and is a must see if you are ever in the area.
Naomi: Favorite book?
Scott: The moment I opened Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett I had to read it out loud. It is one of my favorite books to read for storytime and I highly recommend it whether you have children or are a child at heart!
Naomi: Favorite thing about libraries/ library technology?
Scott: I still enjoy all of the people that visit my libraries. To me libraries are more than just buildings with a collection of information and resources. Libraries are time machines for viewing the world through the acquisition, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge. A library is also a means for a community to connect with its past, stay in tune with its present, and plot the course for its future.
Naomi: Any websites or feeds or blogs we should be following?
Scott: Personally, I just don’t follow any one source of information. Since I’m a new transplant to St. Louis, I rely on Alive Magazine and Explore St. Louis. They are both wonderfully helpful resources for someone seeking entertainment or local information.
Naomi: Best piece of job hunting advice?
Scott: My best advice is that you have to put yourself in a situation to be mobile. It is also quite helpful to think outside of the box, be strategic, and apply for jobs that are at a level to push you to succeed!
I come from a long line of Wisconsin mink ranchers, but at the age of eleven, I vividly remember my Uncle Kurt telling me, “Don’t ever grow up to be a mink rancher!” Over the past decade I have worked in various education settings and taught 1st, 7th, and 8th Grades. More recently, because the field of librarianship has been an unwavering source of intellectual interest, I shifted my employment to public and academic libraries. No matter the question, I’m determined to provide library users with a credible and speedy answer. Join me in transforming libraries into welcoming spaces, information commons, and places where academic creativity blossoms.