"Why are you a librarian?" 

I have answered this question countless times, in one form or another, since I decided to get my Master's in Library & Information Science.  Like many librarians, it was never my intention to become a librarian.  As the child of two teachers, I grew up with an understanding of an academic atmosphere, but was wary of the challenges of the K-12 school system.  I was notorious for telling my parents, "I will never be a teacher!"

As an undergraduate student at Millikin University, I got the opportunity to explore a lot areas of personal interest.  I graduated with a degree in Religion and was uncertain what my next step would be.  During my time as a student, I worked in Staley Library.  I thoroughly enjoyed library work, but never considered the possibility of making it a career.  A few months after graduation, I became aware of a position at Staley Library in the Archives.  I have a deep appreciation of history (thanks to my Dad, a former history teacher), so I jumped at the opportunity.  After a few major projects, my supervisor started encouraging me to look into a master's program.  While I loved the job, I was still uncertain, but promised her I would think about it.

It took me another six years to complete my degree and a job outside of the field before I finally "got it."  Facilitating the information-seeking process and helping people use that information to improve their lives in one way or another--that is my passion.  It's exciting, it's rewarding, and it (hopefully) makes the world a better place.  

Prior to starting my degree, I became the Director of Beardstown Houston Memorial Library in Beardstown, Illinois.  An amazing little community on the Illinois River, Beardstown is my hometown and the place where I truly discovered the impact a library can make on its residents.  With a large immigrant population and not a lot of money, it was a challenge to meet the needs of the entire community.  Together, with the help of an amazing staff and library champions in the community, we accomplished a lot.