The Land of Imagination

Fighting a dragon, toppling a dystopian government, falling in love with the one and learning that standing out is far better than blending in. That was my Monday. Tuesday, I went on a road trip, visited a vampire at a circus and recovered a missing lightning bolt. Oh the excitement! The adventures!

I am forever in the land of imagination. With book upon book on the library’s shelves and story upon story waiting to be told, I step from one world to another. As one book ends the journey through the trapdoor, another book begins with a trip to a museum with a Fury. I step from vampire love to a werewolf’s fight. I step from high school diaries to debutant balls. I step from the Sahara desert to the frozen artic.

And what is the best part? The best part is sharing it with others. I am lucky enough to be in the position to share these wondrous worlds with the most eager of explorers with a limitless amount of imagination. Children. As a school librarian I can inspire a child’s imagination and send them on a journey. I get to share my passion for reading with them every day and it fills me with great joy to see them growing their own passion and reading habit.

I enjoyed reading when I was young, like everybody else. I enjoyed story time with my parents and my brothers but as I grew and entered the dreaded early teenage years, that spark slowly faded. Reading just wasn’t ‘cool’. It became homework. It became a chore. Instead I wanted to go out and play with my friends – as I was finally old enough to do so.

Thankfully, that spark came back with a vengeance in the years that I still consider to be the worst of my life.

High School!

As I hid in the library at lunchtime, my Librarian reintroduced me to the world of Fantasy and Young Adult Fiction and I was up, up and away to other worlds. I escaped to these worlds to dim the loneliness of being on a different lunch slot to my friends. I made new friends in the characters that I was travelling with. Harry, my magical friend; Katniss, the survivor; Lucy, my valiant Queen; Darren, the boy that lived in the shadows; and Percy, the one destined to be a hero.

I quickly spread my interests out through the genres. A bit of romance here, and a bit of crime drama there. I entered worlds completely different to my own and as I learnt the harsh reality of this world I dived ever deeper into the worlds in my books.

As other hobbies and interests began to grow and change, so too did my reading choices. From Fantasy to Sci-Fi. From Romance to Historical. As I began my degree in Modern History, I found stories set during the World Wars. Stories of Privates in the trenches and animals on the front line. I found stories of true courage and bravery. I read the heroic tales of the soldiers and their sacrifices.

Suddenly, the real world didn’t seem as harsh and joy in own life became easier to find. Even as I found my footing in life as an adult, I never lost my passion for reading. I never forgot the endless hours of adventures I shared with my forever youthful friends. I never forgot the worlds of magic and hope.

As I reached the end of my degree and the end of my time at College, my life was once again upended. Where do I go from here? I needed a job. I needed to work. I always knew that I wanted to work in a school, inspiring the young. At first, my aim was to be a teacher but it never seemed to work out. It was never enough.

As I dropped into an unfulfilling role, I fell back into my fantasy worlds. My home away from home. My comforting friends and their wonderful adventures. I yearned for a potions lesson in the dungeons or a game of Capture the Flag.

It was then that I found likeminded people. The Librarian community. Suddenly a new career was realized. I loved my books. I loved my stories. I wanted to share them. I wanted to inspire other readers.

I knew that I wanted to become a Librarian, like Madam Prince of Hogwarts.

Now, I am in the job that I love, sharing my passion with High School pupils. Even though I am now settled in my life and I am happy, I still go back and visit my old friends and each time it is like returning home after a long day of work. I happily introduce my old friends to my pupils and hope that my old friends can help them in the way that they helped me.

Thursday, I will face off, once again, against the demon headmaster, run through the Western Woods up to Cair Paravel, and take the Aptitude test to determine my faction. Friday, I’ll conclude my week with the war to end all wizarding wars, travel through a winkle in time, and volunteer as tribute.

As is the life of a School Librarian.