Beginning in March 2021, I had the immense pleasure of working as a bookseller for the non-profit Books & Books @ the Studios of Key West. In this role, I gained an abundance of experience in receiving frontlist and backlist books; aiding in culling and weeding subject sections; returning remainders to publishers and distributors; establishing and strengthening my readers’ advisory skills; developing a wider berth of genre and subject knowledge outwith my preferred reading topics; and extending my interpersonal skills with colleagues and customers. During this time, I met the Assistant Director of Public Services for the Monroe County Public Library system, as he volunteered at Books & Books. I was also working as a bartender at several local establishments in Key West. I contemplated my current piecemeal existence, spent cobbling together several service industry roles alongside my time at the bookstore. I was spread too thin; but I was determined to make a greater impact within my community. I had debated opening an independent bookstore, yet I struggled to finally take the risk of opening my own business. Ultimately, I was primarily concerned with advocating for the freedom to read, promoting access to information, and combating book challenges and bans.

                  With this in mind, I applied for a Library Associate position at the Key West branch of the Monroe County Public Library. The hiring process was an elongated timeframe; as I waited, I applied to the University of South Florida for my master’s in library and information science. Even if I was not offered the role, I wanted to pursue my MLIS and enthusiastically return to academia. In November 2023, I began working in the Youth Services Department at the Key West Library. This felt like such a full-circle moment, as I grew up attending Story Time and other children’s programming at the Islamorada Library branch. I vividly remember having such a rich inner life as a child, replete with grandiose daydreams and crisp memories. I was excited to meet young patrons where they were, by demonstrating that reading is truly, undeniably fun (and not a chore!). It has been so rewarding matching readers, of any age, with the right book at the right time.

                  I was quickly promoted to a Senior Library Associate, leading Story Times and programs, ordering both physical and digital items for the collection, and participating in the system-wide Youth Services Committee. I continued to bartend, which surprisingly acted as a fantastic anchor within my community. Many fellow service industry colleagues were avid readers or had young families, and were unaware of Libby, varied online library resources, or in-person programming on offer for younger patrons. Regulars brought their visiting grandchildren to the library to meet me and attend Summer Reading events; friends stopped by the library to get their first library card and set up Libby; best pals texted to request titles be added to the library’s collection.

                  Amidst all this, I was diagnosed with lupus. This answered my rapidly waning energy, internal frustration, and general inability to maintain the breakneck pace of existence I was deeply accustomed to. Determined not to lose steam, I opted to take only one graduate class per semester in order to conserve my stamina while still delivering the highest-quality academic outputs possible.

                  I am incredibly grateful to my mentors at the Monroe County Public Library. I was selected to be the Acting Branch Manager for the Big Pine Public Library in September 2025. It has been a tremendously rewarding adventure, especially as I work alongside such vibrant, imaginative, and dedicated colleagues. With this appointment, I have been able to forge and expand community connections throughout the Florida Keys. I am devoted to fostering a deep, rewarding partnership between the unique, passionate community members and the library. Reading is for everyone.

                  In my studies, I built upon my academic specialties cultivated throughout my undergraduate and graduate degrees; many of my classes concentrated on special libraries and cultural heritage institutions. These courses amplified and complemented my firsthand experience working at a public library as well as interning at both special libraries and art institutions.

                  In LIS 6409 Introduction to Library Administration, I was drawn to wellness and vocational awe. As I researched more into this topic and the struggles faced by this marvelous yet intense profession, I felt better prepared to articulate needs, boundaries, and potential resolutions to frustrating or exhausting situations. This course expanded my perceptions of management, administrative roles, and pillars of leadership. Equipped with more expansive vocabulary and relevant studies, I now feel confident in advocating for colleagues, presenting to upper management or governing institutions, as well as justifying protective policies and updates.

                  In LIS 6472 Seminar in Special Libraries, I was able to complete several assignments relating to grant applications and budgeting. Coupled with my experience in applying for and receiving local grants for annual art events, I feel more confident in expressing financial and intangible needs to upper management and parent organizations. This is an essential skill; it must be finely tuned and honed to precision, especially with the renewed focus on financial constraints, budgetary allotments, and petitioning for on-going funding. Libraries as a whole must continuously justify their existence and need for requisite funding. Completing these assignments has provided additional familiarity with grant application requirements as well as refining my ability to adequately describe essential needs to stakeholders. I know this will serve me well throughout my career.

                  LIS 6603 Basic Information Sources and Services, LIS 6511 Collection Development and Maintenance, and LIS 6514 Digital Libraries have all expounded upon the importance of the freedom to read and protecting unimpeded access to information and resources. Libraries and cultural heritage institutions must connect with, consult, expand, and reflect their unique and diverse communities. This goes beyond regular or intermittent users and patrons and must extend to non-users in the community as well. By engaging in this manner, libraries can better serve their communities, cultivating relevancy and engagement beyond mere institutional survival. In addition to expansive collections, thorough and robust collection development policies protect not only the user population but also library professionals. With the multifaceted view provided by each of these courses, I am determined to ensure uninhibited access to information, deliver accessible methods of acquiring information, and defend available, comprehensive, and expansive collections and resources.

                  LIS 6110 History of Libraries and LIS 5120 Cultural Heritage Institutions and Libraries further illuminated the enduring connection between libraries and their communities, while also illustrating the myriad forms information institutions can inhabit. Through these classes, I feel empowered to be a vocal and enthusiastic proponent for libraries, drawing upon their storied legacy. These classes have provided me with extensive and exciting examples to reference when discussing libraries with other professionals as well as those outwith the vocation. This is a vital, indispensable resource; I feel invigorated at the prospect of conveying the necessity of libraries and describing their longstanding, profound impact. I have encountered many situations and discussions that have questioned the importance of cultural and literary organizations; I now feel secure in my ability to promote the enduring existence of library and information institutions. It is essential to be able to communicate the need for support to those outside of our profession, using historical and contemporary examples to vividly underscore our accomplishments and goals.

                  Although I currently work at a public library, I want to grow into an information professional involved with art or special libraries, advocating for the importance of fine art, rare books, and special collections. I dream of continuing my education by pursuing a doctoral degree concentrating on archiving and records management, digital cultural heritage and digital museology, or digital humanities and arts. I believe that how we access and display collections can unfurl and satisfy community needs and desires. I think often about how the Florida Keys relies heavily on a robust literary tradition as well as historical items chronicling early life in the archipelago, such as photographs, artwork, handwritten letters, and other relevant items. Investing in cultural heritage institutions, such as growing digital collections or meticulously curating publicly accessible exhibitions, could foster and grow tourism alongside community pride. I want to examine the inherent, intrinsic connection between preserving, displaying, and promoting cultural heritage with long-term community development, proliferation, and triumph.