It's not a job. It's not a living. It's not a nine-to-five. It's a beautiful, dynamic beating heart of culture and communication. It's a mirror of all the good in us we can do through gathering information and ideas together from the greatest minds of all times, and sharing them. A place where entertainment, research, the arts and high culture, public services, social activities, technology, family and fraternity meet. Dedicated to giving the community any possible information or accommodation possible. There's simply no place like a public library. And I get to be a part of that.
I've done a lot of growing up in libraries. The library was my favorite playground as a young child, and I went on long non-fiction binges in grade school [usually to the exclusion of homework]. I was later one of those latchkey tween patrons who was just old enough to be allowed to flit around the stacks unsupervised, but not old enough to be home alone all day. In highschool the library was still a favorite hang-out, though I'm sure I portrayed the time I spent there as somehow ironic to friends. In college it was the first place to ever give me gainful employment, and of course a second home due to the demands of my studies. Outside of my literal home, I can't think of anywhere I've felt more comfortable and happy than in the many libraries that have fostered me. So I never left.
Now I'm a Childrens and Young Adult librarian. I provide materials and programs for young people and try to encourage the love for libraries that I felt when I was their age. I strive to provide what I most wanted when I was in their shoes and to help build up my community with caring, capable folks however possible. I admit that some of my motivation is selfish, though. Every time I am able to provide exactly the information, the resource, or just the laughs that a patron wanted, I feel a little like I'm giving something also to my past self. Encouragement that people care and want to help you. I can't imagine doing anything else.