August marks the transition to a new school year. And the Feast of St. Dominic on Aug. 8 led me to think about the education I got at Dominican University in librarianship and how I have put it into action and shared it with others.
A few months ago, I had a great opportunity to share my librarian work as a presenter at District 97’s Career Day. After presenting for two years at Julian Middle School, I was eager to sign up for both Julian and Brooks this year.
I have always found it enriching to share with others significant parts of my life and so Career Day was a wonderful opportunity for me to connect with the middle-schoolers and tell them about what I do as a library cataloger. I gave them an inside look at my work and then I gave them an activity so they could think like a cataloger does in organizing and categorizing books.
I enjoyed seeing how the students engaged with the content of my presentation, offering good thoughts in response to the activity prompt, and asking good questions. A sign in the classroom where I presented at Julian said, “Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card.” At Brooks, I was delighted to see a student wearing an article of clothing that said, “Reading is my favorite sport.”
I’m grateful for all those who organized this wonderful event, and those who were on hand when I arrived, particularly the Brooks seventh-grade student ambassadors who escorted me.
My time as a Julian student impacted and defined me in so many ways, and it was a joyful experience to go back to middle school and offer something to the current students.
Paul Rubio
Oak Park