About Sara

Quick Facts:

Age: 23

Location: Jersey Shore

Favorite Color: Green

Favorite Genre: Young Adult Dystopias

Favorite Book: Sloppy Firsts, Megan McCafferty

Email: sarasimonsays@gmail.com

Whatever you are, be a good one. -Abraham Lincoln

Well, hi. I'm Sara, and I'm almost a librarian. Currently I work as a Librarian-in-Training for the Ocean County Library system in Ocean County, New Jersey. I work part-time, three days a week. The other four days of the week find me trying not to be useless and depressed that I don't have a full time job. In other words, the other days of the week are spent running errands, baking cookies, playing with my cat and doing graduate school work. I am in my last semester as a student at Texas Woman's University, class of 2012.

Outside of working in the library, daydreaming about being a librarian and reading every YA book I can get my hands on, I do some other stuff. I've been an equestrian for over 15 years, I compete in dressage during the summer and take weekly lessons throughout the year. I don't own a horse, though I used to when I was younger. My trainer is about an hour away, so it's hard to get there more than once a week, but riding is one of my greatest joys.

So is my cat, Mr. Bear. He's a purebred Siberian cat who is a retired show cat and breeding stud. Which means he's a total boss. I got him when I had a roommate who was highly allergic to cats and I just couldn't live without a cat. (I trust my cats to keep a lookout for ghosts and whatnot when I'm alone in the house.) He is the best thing I ever did for myself. He has a larger than life personality (and belly!) and he is a stealer of hearts. Look for blog posts about him tagged "Mr. Bear" and get to know him better!

 That's Mr. Bear, he's the best!

Most of the time, though, I am preparing to be a librarian, whether it be mentally (getting quizzed on Dewey numbers..thank goodness I was a shelver!) or emotionally (I can do this! I can do this! I can do this!) The trainee position is a wonderful one, even with its part-time limitation, and you can read more about it here (coming soon). Basically, each semester, I move to a new department in a new branch of our 21 branch system. Sometimes it goes well with what I'm studying, sometimes it doesn't. I have been in teen, youth and information service departments. I've also been able to spend time in our collections department which was the most fun I have ever had.

Before I became a trainee, I started as a page/shelver/student assistant in our main branch in high school. During my summers home from college, I was temporary circulation help at a branch on the island, located about 3 minutes from Seaside Heights, the town made famous by Jersey Shore. (Whether we locals like it or not!) While at college, I was a student assistant in the campus library. I also helped develop some children's programs for faculty, staff and local families. Basically, I have never had a job outside a library system.

I received my undergraduate degree, a BA, in Environmental Studies at Ursinus College, in Collegeville, PA. My original career choice was zoo education, but after spending some time in internships, I realized that career and I were not such a great match. That was my junior year - and boy did I feel lost and terrified. College until then, and after this crisis as well, was wonderful. Ursinus was a great experience and I have lifelong friends through my sorority, Kappa Delta Kappa. My biggest regret? Getting done and leaving a semester early! I walked with the class of 2010, but finished coursework in December of 2009.

Junior year of college, almost done, and I wanted to change careers already? I considered other work in Environmental Studies, but nothing moved me. So there I was, the summer of my junior year...lost and hopeless. But I was also working at a library. And I thought for a moment and realized: a librarian. I could be a librarian. I loved my summer job working at the circulation desk. I would love being a librarian even more. I grew up in the library, a love of reading instilled in me by my mom from an early age. My parents are both in education, as are my grandparents and my aunt and uncle. I should have known I wasn't going to get very far from it!

I love every department. I don't know where I will land when I am ready for a job. I am in the six month range, so I am eligible for positions, but there is no specific place I would like to be. I have strengths and weaknesses in each department, and I love different things about all of them. I am an avid reader of YA fiction, especially dystopia, and I started out thinking teen services was the place for me. But I love it all! I guess an ideal place would be a small branch, where I get to do a bit of everything. It's so exciting to think about where I might end up!

I went right from undergraduate to graduate school without a break (I knew I'd never go back if I had a break!), and I wish I'd had the time and energy to start a blog when I began my journey. I never expected to go to grad school, never expected I would have a Masters! I am thrilled to be where I am. The library system I work in is ranked as one of the best in New Jersey, and even in the country. It is filled with wonderful, amazing librarians who have taught me so much and absolutely love what they do.

This blog is dedicated to them, and the lessons they have taught me. They will forever be teaching me many more, and helping me up when I fall down. I am so grateful to have found myself exactly where I never knew I wanted to be.