Switching

I found myself at the crossroads, and I am switching. For...???

A librarian program at the University of Fraser Valley, I am still trying to get in. And here is why. I am currently enrolled in CISY at Kwantlen polytechnic U. But I am not doing well. I just basically cannot compete with the 18 year olds who have been programming videogames for 10+ years. I am having a hard time and Im barely passing (with good grades though I might add) But I am not enjoying it. Few years ago, when I was deciding, the librarian was on the map and so were the computers. But my work paid for the latter and I thought with the computers I can work in the library, but not other way. I have wanted to take that program for very long time, even inquired several times when I was already in CISY. And now I have made the desicion. I am not quitting, I am still finishing CISY, so I will have that degree. But I will not continue at the KPU.

The courses I am doing are hard. Thankfully I have great friends (well, most of them) who are very supportive and try to help me when I ask. I wouldn't be able to do it without them, sometimes I even miss the simplest things and it doesn't make sense until I ask. My friends don't judge and don't laugh (well again, most of them) Even people who don't know me, but I am referred to, are helping beyond what I could hope for. Also, mind you, I just had a baby and she's taking lots of my time and I am suffering from what's known as "mommy's brain". So hence the struggle.

Now for the librarian. I must write a letter of motivation to meet the eligibility (among few other things) And I suck with those. So I am going to practice a bit and write down my reasons. First and most important, I love to read. If I could, I would cancel TV (or at least the cable) and just read and read. Books just allow me to imagine stories and people in my own way and I love that (in TV, you see what someone else imagined for you, but there is no room for your own ideas) I dream about books I read, and I cry over lots of them. I even blogged about several books that touched me lately.

I would love for baby Moesha to read a lot, both in Czech and English. She has lots of books and we are going to start going to the library a lot when she is a bit older (she right now shows no interest in books except for eating them and no interest for TV except eating the remote control) Books will give her something TV cannot. Books gave me things TV didn't. I read books cause my dad lead me to it. I read about the adventures and I read lots of books boys do, but girls dont. Im proud of it.

Another big reason is that library is a community place. I want to be involved in our community. I want to be in the middle of the events, know everything first hand, perhaps influence some of them and make sure others know. I have good abilities to make new friends quickly, using my Czech (exotic) accent so I know how to get people talking and asking and I enjoy that.

Then there is information. As a librarian you are working with lots of information, researching, sorting, investigating. At this point I am not sure about the extent but I suspect there is lots of it. I am very good at information research, if you know me, you know that I can look up and find pretty much everything. Basically, in certain ways, that was always part of my job. Plus I learn that way too. Sometimes, out of boredome, I just look up the most unusual things, for example, on Wikipedia, I was recently researching Fubu (not sure if that's the right spelling, the poisonous fish), the language of Nunavut, Moroccan cuisine, and things like that, that you would not think of looking it up. Fun, huh !!!

And of course, there are other benefits. The pay is good, as its a government job, although that's not what Im going to use as a reason. I also like that the libraries are all over the place (as opposed to the hitech companies, that are mostly in downtown, or Richmond 60k away and I just dont want to commute) The library system is pretty much similar everywhere so if I end up moving, I can just apply in a local library. I like the opening hours that are long so I can spend lots of time with the bebe and work around my husbands schedule (of course, if the need for me allows) I like that you can study completely online. Thats a huge benefit cause I dont have to go to the campus. I though plan to take some in class courses, to finish faster. I also like that you can work partime which in computers is quite rare.

And last, but not least, my idea of the best spent November afternoon is in the library with a blizzard outside and a old sweet librarian lady reading books to the kids and giving out a hot chocolate. Or perhaps it is December, and just before Christmas...?

So I am very excited to finally get on track to what I really want to do. Now, I just have to write that motivation letter and be accepted.