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When did you join Ë®ÏÉÖ±²¥'?

I started as Assistant Librarian in January 2011 and took on the role of Senior Librarian in January 2015. Before this, I spent nearly 20 years as a Young People's Services Librarian in Hertfordshire Libraries, working mainly with pre-school and primary children, but as my own children grew older and public library roles evolved, I decided to take on the challenge of working in a new sector of librarianship.

Tell us about your subject. What excites you about it? How did you get into it?

Contrary to what many people think, being a librarian is about more than just encouraging people to read. It sounds rather cheesy, but what excites me at school is that no two days are the same, just as no two pupils are the same. I am kept busy with the diverse range of authors and subjects our pupils enjoy and want to explore further, and the feeling of helping people discover and pursue interests they perhaps did not even know they had, gives me a real buzz.

I initially wanted to be an information scientist but during a year’s work experience on the frontline in various libraries at UCL, I decided on a library career working with students. After gaining a post-grad diploma in librarianship, I started at the Royal College of Nursing library but an unexpectedly successful interview at a public library nearer to home found me focussing on a slightly younger age group and I have never looked back. Playing my part in the library team helping people gain the skills they need to navigate the ever-changing world of information (and disinformation) and providing them with resources and encouragement to be curious, find themselves, and develop as an interesting, empathetic people is what makes being a librarian such a rewarding career. Our Book Boffz members would also never forgive me if I did not mention how much I enjoy helping to plan and run this book group.

What are you most proud of outside of your work at school?

I am not alone in saying that I am most proud of my children, who have all taken their own but very different paths in life. I am also quite proud of myself for rediscovering the joys of being part of a choir and am an enthusiastic but definitely amateur alto in Watford Philharmonic Society.

What did you study at A-Level?

I studied Maths, Physics and Chemistry. Maths was my best subject, but as Physics involves lots of maths and also gives you the opportunity to spend time in science labs, it was Physics I took to degree level.

What piece of media would you recommend and why?

That's a difficult one. I find it very hard to choose between Radio 4 which covers such an eclectic mix of programmes, things you never knew you would find so engrossing, and reading fiction, because it is another great way to experience so many different lives.