Subject: [Publib] Re: Why public librarianship?

[Catharine Cook]

I didn't really choose public librarianship --- it chose me.   Circumstances
led me to accept a public library position based solely on my need to live
in that town at a time when the public library director's position was
available.  

 

So ask me why I stayed.   Recently I helped a child find a book of Edgar
Allen Poe stories.  I asked him if he had read any before and he said "no".
I welcomed him to the worldwide community of Poe fans and told him that he
would never forget these stories.   I developed a budget that allowed the
Library to introduce self-playing audio books to our community.  A guy came
in and said that his new garage door was lying in the driveway --- I helped
him find the instructions for attaching it to the garage.  I serve on a
local committee that is planning our town's program for the State of
Oklahoma's Centennial Celebration.   I located a tutor for a 15 year old
foster child who had never been in one school long enough to learn to read.
I hired a former teacher who thought she might like to be a librarian and
mentored her through library school.   I helped the Library Board rewrite
the circulation policy so that it does not discriminate against homeless
people.  Right now I am developing a PowerPoint  that incorporates ideas
from The Experience Economy and Good to Great so that stakeholders won't be
surprised when we redesign the interior of the library.  

 

Now I ask you ...  where else would I get to do so many exciting and
rewarding things every day?   I am very grateful that fate led me to this
area of librarianship.

 

 

 

 

Catharine Cook

Director

Chickasha Public Library

 

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