Introduction

My name is Katie Werner, or as they call me at the library "Ms. Kat".  I am the Head of Teen Services at the Benton Harbor Public Library in Benton Harbor, MI.  Some of my job tasks include: ordering and processing books and DVDs for the collection, planning and running teen programs, watching the circulation desk, helping teens and children on the computers, and more.

I joke that I was meant to be a librarian because when I was younger I organized my baseball card collection by American and National League, then in alphabetical order by team within each league, then alphabetical by player within each team.  As a teenager I sorted my CDs into three genres (classic rock, soundtracks, and current music), then alphabetical by artist within genre.  If I had more than one album by an artist I put them in order by release date.  I've continued to organize collections as an adult including my comic books, and recently our DVD and video game collections at home.

As a librarian I hold many beliefs about my profession.  I believe that each patron has the chance to become a life-long library lover, he or she just needs the right catalyst.  By offering an assortment of media that covers multiple topics any person can find something he or she is interested in at the library.  Once that person starts coming to the library regularly, he or she may be willing to try new items that he or she would not have been willing to look at before.  One year I had a teen boy who refused to read anything except a few select manga series.  I kept suggesting novels to him, but he'd always turn me down.  Finally, I gave him a copy of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  That teen loved the book so much he read it twice, and then was willing to try new and different books.

I also believe that the heart of librarianship (at least public librarianship) lies with the librarian who loves working with the public.  No matter how strong of a collection is held within the library, no patrons are going to access it if they have to go through a grouchy, snobby, or other-wise unpleasant librarian.  If a librarian loves what he or she does it will show.  We get patrons that come to our library from other cities just because our librarians are so nice and knowledgeable about our collection.  Being a librarian takes commitment.  It's one thing to read reviews of books in journals, but it's a different level of familiarity to have read the book itself.  When working in a public library a librarian must spend a good amount of his or her own time reading books  If a librarian doesn't love his or her job, then he or she will not excel.

Last, I believe librarians and libraries must be flexible.  A library is a place for learning.  The idea of learning is constantly evolving.  There is a lot of learning that can come from books, but we should not limit ourselves to thinking that reading is the only way that someone can learn.  As a place of learning and as facilitators of knowledge we need to realize that someone may learn through audio book, or using the computer, or even taking a class at the library.  Librarians need to be flexible with how we see learning, and in what forms we insist knowledge be dispensed.