Rudai 23: Thing 2

Write about how or why you became a librarian.

There's a scene in the first (and still the best) Rocky movie where a heavily bruised and beaten Sly Stallone is asked why on earth he ever became a boxer? Rocky's joking reply to this has often been the same  response that I've given to my mates whenever they've asked me why I wanted to become a librarian. 'Because I can't sing or dance!'.

I think the symptoms had been there from an early age. I remember taking tremendous pleasure in ensuring that my Horrible History book collection was always kept in strict chronological order. I even went as far as to buy covers for them to keep them in mint condition! I'm sure that such behaviour would be viewed as slightly odd outside of the profession- but I'm willing to bet that it will be a common theme amongst us library bloggers! In addition to this it could also be said that librarianship is sort of the family business as my Aunt is also a librarian.

It was my Aunt who first brought to my attention to a vacancy at the new Swansea Central Library in 2007. At the time I was a poor history student in my second year at Swansea University and the chance to earn some extra money in the evenings to fund my student social life seemed like a good opportunity.

To my shame I hadn't had an awful lot of dealings with public libraries for quite some time. But until about the age of 12 I'd been a regular visitor to my local library with my grandparents and this had given me a passion for reading that had never gone away. Without sounding too philosophical, I believed (and still do) that people who read regularly and have a love of reading in many ways enjoy a better quality of life that people who don't. So when I stopped to think about it, those early visits to the public library had made a bigger impression on me than I'd first thought!

Anyway, I was fortunate enough to receive an interview for the position of library assistant at Swansea Libraries and I remember that despite being extremely nervous at my first ever interview I was some how offered the job. Looking back now I realise what a great introduction to libraries those first few years spent at Swansea Central library were.

It was certainly a baptism of fire. The visitor figures were incredibly high with people keen to see the new library and its fantastic new facilities. I remember this pressure forged something of 'blitz spirit' amongst our team of library assistants. There was a good mix of newbies like myself, still learning the ropes, and those who had transferred from the old Swansea Central Library. Certainly any illusions I might have had at that time of libraries being quiet places with shelves of dusty old books was well and truly altered. We held some fantastic events at the library ranging from film nights to book signings. One particular event that still stands out for me was a question and answer session with Cerys Matthews from the band Catatonia and the late Stuart Cable from the Stereophonics- I certainly never thought that a career in librarianship would give me the opportunity to hang out with rock stars!

Overall, my time spent at Swansea Central Library had a positive impact on me and really made me consider the possibility librarianship as a profession. I loved working with the public and the variety that ensured that two days were never the same. I went on to study for a Masters in library and information studies at Aberystwyth University which I have recently completed. I now continue to work in libraries within the NHS in Wales at a health library.

I completely agree with another Rudai23 blogger who commented that as librarians what makes us really lucky is that we can fit our interests around our jobs. This definitely helps to explain the diverse range of people I've been fortunate enough to meet in my short career and what really makes the profession quite unique.