What kind of library work do you want?

I do not currently work at a library. I recently completed an application for a Stacks Technician job at the Library of Virginia. This job would fall under the category of circulation and access services. I am pursuing a School Media Specialist certification in the Commonwealth of Virginia to add-on to my Art, Biology K-12 teacher certification. I would like to have the opportunity to work in a school library as one of my options. School librarians provide reference and user services, circulation and access services, audiovisual services, special or outreach services, technical services, and support functions such as administration and IT infrastructure support. In short, school librarians do almost every function that is available in a public library although schools are unlikely to have extensive archives or rare materials. I am interested in BibFrame and the transition from MARC21. For a public library, I think I could provide value by performing cataloging functions in addition to reference and circulation services.

My dream job would be to become a youth services librarian. I would like to provide programming for children in grades Pre-K-12. I have the most professional experience as a teacher working with high school students, and I think I would enjoy working with young adults. I would rather work in a library than in a school or public school because of the work schedule required of public school teachers. I also do not want to perform instructional functions as these require a lot of planning and you have to manage student behavior in most school environments. I am not interested in my job performance being evaluated based on how well I control general and special education students. I currently work as an Art Teacher at YMCA, providing art education enrichment in the afternoon for students who are taking online classes in the public schools and also need in-person instruction. I am curious about remote online library positions where you are not tied to a particular geographic area.

There is a current crisis in education, in which teachers prefer to teach online rather than in person. This is because many students are violent, disruptive, actively disengaged from instruction, suffering from mental illness and learning disabilities. Because I do not want to work with these troubled populations, unless they are also gifted, I have completed an M.A.Ed. in Gifted Education and if I accept a full-time teaching assignment, it will be with gifted-identified students or talented art students. I need to complete a School Media practicum in VA to get the School Media Endorsement. While I do not currently hold Gifted licensure, it is not an insurmountable obstacle because a school employer can submit the appropriate paperwork for me and the license will be conferred based on my M.A.Ed. I am curious if I could work with a group of gifted identified students from my M.L.I.S. school practicum or work at a school for gifted students such as Maggie L. Walker Governor's School in Richmond, VA.