What does a Librarian do?

I've got four main jobs to do

1. make sure everyone has all the information they need, whether it's books or internet links or posters or whatever
2. develop information literacy - that means teaching everyone how to find and use information
3. use ICT to help teaching and learning - finding all the best websites, running the school website, blogs and Glow
4. encourage reading - buying the best books for reading, and making sure people know about them!

But every period of every day is different. I never know what I'll get asked about. That's what makes the job so interesting.

And every school is different, so every school library is different.

For example, I also run the Photography Club with Ms Steinert from the Art Department on Thursdays and the Creative Writing Club with Mrs Millar from the English Department on Wednesdays.

Have you read ALL those books?

Of course not. Well, not all the way through. Everybody likes reading different books, so there are some that I wouldn't like, same as you. On the other hand, people ask me for good books all the time, so I need to know what every book is about.

Do you LIKE being a Librarian?

Absolutely. I don't know why people think it's boring. It's busy and it's exciting and you never know what you'll be asked yet (or what you'll be told!)

One of my favourite parts of the job is teaching pupils how to find information for themselves, and then seeing them use their own imaginations to share it with their class and teachers.

And another is when someone returns a book you recommended and tells you it was BRILLIANT!

If you need to contact me, here are the details.

Mrs J L Macfadyen
Library Resource Centre
Our Lady's High School
Motherwell
ML1 2DG

Tel: 01698 274925

e-mail: jennifer.macfadyen@ourladyshigh.n-lanark.sch.uk