An Interview with Library Tech Vickie Jacobson

Vickie Jacobson is a library technician on an air station in Texas and has been for about sixteen years. In addition to being an awesome librarian she also works with A.R.K. the animal rescue and adoption agency in out town dedicated to improving the welfare of unfortunate animals. Please give a warm welcome to Vickie, as she was kind enough to answer these questions.

BR: Why did you decide to become a librarian?

No choice, it was between going to NAS Meridian or being unemployed. Actually, I was going to go to library school out of high school but joined the U.S. Navy instead. Funny I am back where I started after 40 years.

BR:What’s your favorite part of being a librarian? Your least favorite?

Ordering and receiving books is my favorite, it’s like Christmas. My least favorite chore is weeding out books. I don’t like getting rid of books, but studies have shown that book circulation goes up when there are more new books.

BR:What do you find patrons are looking for in books these days? Is it different, because patrons here are military?

Most patrons go for thrillers, adventure and military type novels. Also, mysteries are popular. Because of being on a military base, our catalog does contain quite a bit of military history books.

BR:What’s something you think libraries will be doing in 20 years?

I hope there will always be libraries as they are usually an important part of the communitiy they’re in, but with change in times libraries will also change.

BR:What has been the weirdest thing ever asked?

Someone asked about a book about a wardrobe with lots of coats from a fashion conscious girl. She wanted “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

BR:What was your first experiences with a book or library?

A big, dark brick library in Northeast Minneapolis, MN (Central Avenue Branch). I kept asking my mother about the word “island” in a book. I kept pronouncing it “is land” and she told me how to pronounce it.I think I was four years of age.

*On a side note, Vickie researched and found out that Andrew Carnegie donated most of his money to establishing libraries here in the States, the UK and Canada. According to this site, Carnegie’s donations of more than $40 million dollars paid for 1,679 new library buildings. Isn’t that cool? This dark brick library from her memory was one of them↓

BR:What’s a typical day for you?

Check books in and out for patrons, shelve books, return answers to emails, repair books. Help patrons with computer problems and research topics for school. There is always something to do in the library.

 

BR:Biggest misconception about the job?

It is not a boring job and librarians are not boring either.

BR:What is something that not a lot of people know about the library that you wish more people could know?

That there are good books that are not in the newer book section. Just because a book is old, doesn’t mean it isn’t good. I would also like to see more people read the classics.

Just for fun…

BR:List three favorite books.

Katherine by Anya Seton, the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries by Lindsey Davis, and the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters

BR:If someone forced you to sing a song at karaoke, what would you sing?

“Hard Candy Christmas” by Dolly Parton (Actually, nobody has to force me to sing karaoke.)

Dolly

Woot! Thanks Vickie for your time and insight into your job as a library tech. Take time today to love on a librarian, because they help foster intellectual freedom and where would we be without that? 🙂

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