Previous: Teaching Responsibilities
To be an effective teacher I believe that one needs to be able to also learn from the students and to be adaptable to their needs. I became a librarian because of my passion for education and information. I understand librarianship and education to be inextricably linked. The library is essential to the college and without the library it cannot function. I chose to teach because as a first-generation college student I see the value in education but also understand the obstacles that new students face and thus am also uniquely positioned to know from experience the things that I wish had known and had access to as I was starting out on my journey in higher education as a student. I really think there is great importance in teaching a student how to research or how to find a resource for themselves, so that they are able to learn, take better advantage of the resources the library has to offer and to have a greater hand in their learning.
Librarians are often forward-thinking in both technologies and methodologies. Because of intimate knowledge of information systems, librarians are uniquely poised to consider how to integrate new technologies without forsaking tried and true methods. My functional work in the areas of Information Technology and Interlibrary Loan is greatly informed by librariansā forward-thinking orientation as I strive to meet our studentsā evolving needs.
Next: Teaching Methodologies
