It’s funny where life takes you. I’d never thought about working in libraries until I saw a job posting for a position at the Norman Public Library in 2013. It was in the Computer Training Center and at the time I was desperately looking for a way out of the call center industry. We were big time library users, taking our kids to different branches across both the Metropolitan and Pioneer Library Systems on a weekly basis, but as a guy pushing 40 with only an Associate’s degree in Broadcast Journalism and almost 20 years customer service experience (mostly in the aforementioned purgatory that is call centers), working in a library didn’t seem like an option. I mean, if I learned anything from the movie Party Girl it’s that you needed a Master’s degree to work in a library. But then I saw that job posting and decided to apply.
Fast forward to 2018. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to advance in the Pioneer Library System (PLS), I was told “get a degree.” So, I signed up for OU’s Multidisciplinary Program and in 2021 earned my Bachelor’s degree. It was 28 years in the making but it felt good to finally have it done. In my last semester as an undergrad, I started toying with the idea of pursuing the MLIS degree. I was already in the habit of going to school, so why not?
Transitioning to graduate school took a while and admittedly there’s a part of me that never really felt like I fit in in the world of academia, even though I love learning. My folks both went to college, in fact Mom got a PhD in Anthropology from OU, so it's safe to say that I grew up in a middle to upper-middle class family. After initially flaming out of college, I entered the workforce, got married, and became a father at 24. By 25, we had two wonderful kids and my priorities shifted to being a dad and taking care of my family. Throughout all of this we struggled financially and were firmly members of the working class. But I never gave up hope that one day I would finish college.
I was 43 in 2018 when I returned to school. It was pretty wild to sit in a classroom and realize that I was not only older than all of my classmates but also older than my professor and old enough to be the other students’ father. The whole thing was weird and at times uncomfortable, but it also gave me a bit of an advantage. For one thing, I had a lifetime of experience to draw from. For another, I was too old to be anything other than myself. All of that made its way into my classwork and if nothing else, it gave my professors something different to read.
Moving up to the 5000 level classes was a whole new ballgame. There was a seriousness in many of these courses that was different, more intense. My first semester in the program could best be summed up as OMG WHAT AM I DOING HERE?!? I felt like Ryan Reynolds’ character in Definitely, Maybe in his first post-college job, stumbling while restocking the restrooms’ toilet paper. The second semester was much like the first, but, to continue with the Definitely, Maybe metaphor, I’d graduated to stapling signs. Slowly but surely, I found my groove going from class to class, semester to semester. The entire time, I was learning new skills and gaining a better understanding of the world of libraries and information studies.
Now as I reach the end of the program, I know that I am better prepared to tackle my current job as a Library Associate at the Noble Public Library and any other opportunities and adversities that come my way. Looking back I think it is safe to say that I have come much closer to achieving my goals of Goal 1: To learn and understand the core values and principles of the library and information professions, Goal 2: Develop deeper understanding of information resources and information organization, Goal 3: Increase reference and user services skills, and Goal 4: To gain the knowledge and skills to be a successful librarian and public servant. Hey, I’m not dead yet so there’s always a chance to learn more.