Each month, an ALSC member is profiled and we learn a little about their professional life and a bit about their not-so-serious side. Using just a few questions, we try to keep the profiles fun while highlighting the variety of members in our organization. So, without further ado, welcome to our ALSC profile, ten questions with ALSC member, Alison O’Reilly Poage.
1. What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?
In February I finished up my role as the Director of the Cutchogue New Suffolk Free Library in NY and moved back to Austin, TX to marry my sweetheart. Since then, I’ve been adjusting to my new life as a wife and step mom. I’ve also been writing reviews for School Library Journal and Booklist, working on the Publicity Committee for USBBY and, most recently, working as a call-in librarian at the beautiful Georgetown Public Library in Georgetown, TX.
2. What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?
I think the first sentence above covers that pretty well! Making a big life change (or in my case, a handful of them at once) is frightening, but it’s also rewarding when it’s the right move.
3. What motivates you?
I love igniting potential in others. I enjoy connecting people to resources that fuel their inner fires. When I’m able to do that I feel fired up, too!
4. What are you proudest of having accomplished in your professional career?
I’m proud to have served on the Newbery Award and the Odyssey Award committees. I learned a lot about the importance of process serving on award committees, that there is no “right” book or recording for these awards, only a carefully developed process to which each committee member devotes herself.
5. What book are you currently reading?
I’m reading a few things, but for the past few months I’ve been returning again and again to Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. I finally bought my own copy. If you are not familiar with it, I urge you to check it out, especially if you want to write. That reminds me, don’t miss that book either: If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit by Brenda Ueland.
6. Do you have any advice for a new children’s librarian?
Pay attention to the little things. In my experience it’s the little things that make the biggest difference in a person’s day. When BIG things happen, people usually band together and help one another, right? When little things happen to us, we are often on our own. A savvy librarian can make a difference with the smallest of gestures: sending a thank you note to the mayor for mentioning the library in her speech, forwarding a job announcement to a library school grad, or calling a parent for feedback on the library’s new tablets. We need partners to learn how we can do things better, so forging new relationships will benefit our communities in the long run. If a children’s librarian pays attention to the little things, he will soon have allies everywhere he turns!
7. Why did you join ALSC? Do you belong to any other ALA divisions or roundtables?
I joined ALSC because my supervisor at the time, Doris Gebel, told me it was a good idea. Boy, was she right! So much of what I know about librarianship I’ve learned from ALSC members. I am also a member of YALSA and ACRL.
8. What’s the best thing you’ve learned this year?
I think the most important lesson for me this year has to do with communication. I’ve learned that asking clarifying questions is the best way to have a productive dialogue. In the past I’ve made the mistake of responding before I’ve fully understood what the other person was communicating. But if I’m truly honest it often requires saying, “I don’t understand what you mean, please tell me more.
9. Have you ever participated in a Flash Mob?
No, but I’ve performed with a bookcart drill team called the Bibliofiles. We made quite a splash in the City of Austin’s First Night Parade a few years back. As I was walking home in my costume a little boy shouted, “Look, Mom, it’s a LIBRARIAN!” I stopped and posed for a picture. That was a good moment.
10. Are you lucky?
Here’s a secret: if you believe that everything that is happening to you right now is unfolding exactly as it’s supposed to, then you will always feel lucky, even when the chips are down.
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Thanks, Alison! What a fun continuation to our monthly profile feature!
Do you know someone who would be a good candidate for our ALSC Monthly Profile? Are YOU brave enough to answer our ten questions? Send your name and email address to alscblog@gmail.com; we’ll see what we can do.