In celebration of School Library Month, I was interviewed by Round Rock Independent School District. The interview was originally published April 9 on the district website.
In celebration of School Library Month, Round Rock ISD will highlight district librarians all week, showcasing the essential role libraries play in transforming learning.
Learn more about Round Rock High School Co-Librarian Christina Taylor:
Why did you decide to become a librarian?
I’ve know since age 17 that I wanted to be an educator. At the time, I envisioned myself as a teacher of both Advanced Placement English and French. However, by the time I graduated from college, I realized that while I loved French, I had absolutely no desire to teach it. Throughout the course of 14 years in the classroom, my definition of what it meant to me to be a teacher evolved and took flight. Although I loved teaching students to deconstruct literature, I also loved developing curriculum, integrating technology, and making connections across disciplines. I even started to suspect that, with sufficient preparation, I could teach any subject that I attempted. In short, I came to understand that what I truly loved was teaching students how to think far more than teaching English.
So when my efforts in English began to feel lackluster, I sought to further expand how I defined myself as a teacher and looked to reinvent myself within that context. Because the modern library must be more than just a warehouse of books or a cybercafé and must, instead, be a workshop where users acquire and hone vital skills, it seemed like a perfect fit.
What is your favorite part of working in a school library?
There are so many things that I enjoy about working in a school library; however, there is one thing that speaks to me the most. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with all departments and integrate technology that enhances learning.
What are you reading right now?
I just finished Heather Dixon’s “Illusionarium” and “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie. I’m also reading Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes’ collaboration “Secret Coders: Paths & Portals” for the Texas Library Association’s Maverick Reading List Committee.
What is your favorite childhood book?
As a child, my favorite books were Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories and Agatha Christie’s By the Pricking of My Thumbs.
What is one thing you want people to know about your campus library?
I revel in introducing users to the concept of the modern library — a place where new technology is lauded and embraced; graphic novels are celebrated; students can connect their own devices to the wi-fi or borrow ones for in-library use; and users can assemble puzzles, play board games, color, and tinker. The Dragon Library is the riotous Neverland that the gatekeepers of the musty libraries of old feared. And, I love that!
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