We all have stories of entering a library with endless questions, and because of a helpful library worker, we discovered our answers. Every library worker has their own story about the job — the joys, the satisfaction and advice for the future. Throughout the month, we’re going to be highlighting some fantastic HCPL library workers to hear their stories and aspirations for the future.
Suzy Wallett Vogtman
Library Associate ll Teen Services
Whiteford Branch
Years working for HCPL: 23 years
What drew you to want to do this work? It came as a surprise for me! I was a stay at home mom for a while and decided to get a part time job in the the evenings. I was approached by a former co worker of mine from the Board of Elections, he knew I didn’t want to work full time so he asked if I wanted to clean the Whiteford Library 2 nights a week. I cleaned the branch for 5 years when a librarian suggested I apply for the part time librarian-15 hours, she thought I would be great at it, here I am 17 years later a full time LA. Little did I know it would turn out to be the job I was meant to do.
What is/are some of the most rewarding moment(s) of your work? There have been so many rewarding moments, especially early on. I was fortunate enough to work with all ages-not just teens, I was on a regular rotation to do storytimes with very young children. Doing that every few weeks was amazing, fun and so rewarding-I was just a big kid entertaining little ones and their parents! Working with teenagers over the years has been so fulfilling, many of them I knew from when they were in elementary school, they kind of grew up with me. I loved coming up with fun programs over the years. One extremely popular program the teen librarians and I came up with was the annual Teen-Lock in! We would have upwards of 30 teens spending the night in one of the branches. Kids came from all over Harford county for it, we would plan a lot of activities to keep them busy. I still to this day get told how much fun they were-by kids that are now married and have children of their own. One of the most rewarding things about my job over the years has been the amazing people I have worked with, they have lifted me up, helped me out and made work fun.
What are some things about your work you wish people knew (this is about misconceptions or what people don’t know about the work, not internal issues)?One of the funniest things a patron said to me was “you get paid to do this job” for once in my life I was speechless. Some people think that we just sit around and read books all day at work, they don’t realize all the things we do from collection work to program planning to providing an amazing customer service. Librarians don’t have all the answers but we do where to look and find the information the patrons needs from finding a book that “has a blue cover” or information on any subject and how to download books, music, movies or other digital materials and provide readers advisory. The feeling that you have helped someone who walks through the doors is beyond measure.
What do you think the future holds for library workers? Some people think that libraries won’t be around for long, I beg to differ, libraries will be providing services for all ages for a very long time, they are a safe haven for some, a quiet place to study or read, a place to introduce your children to books or a place to learn about a myriad of subjects.
What advice would you give to a younger person looking to enter library work? Anything else you’d like people to know about your work or your relationship with the community? If you pursue a job in the public library it would be a good idea to like people and like helping people, its not necessary to be an expert on any one subject you just have to know how to find where to go to answer their inquiries. You have to be a team player, help your workmates out and be willing to pivot. In the last 17 years as an LAll I have helped out many people of all ages, I have formed great friendships with many of the patrons. I believe that we at the library have an amazing relationship with the people in our community and I know that they can count on us to be there to help we have a special bond with the people in our neighborhood.
Name: Bethany
Years working for HCPL: 15 years
What drew you to want to do this work? Working for the library was a change I needed 15 years ago. I was coming off being laid off from a retail management position when Hecht’s merged with Macy’s. I wanted to change careers but also wanted to maintain working with the public. It turns out the library was exactly where I was meant to be.
What is/are some of the most rewarding moment(s) of your work? I love creating innovative programs for the children and families of Harford County. The joy I have when developing a new program or finding the perfect activity is rewarding. Seeing the children interact with each other or their loved ones and participating in the activities I created is such a fantastic feeling.
What are some things about your work you wish people knew (this is about misconceptions or what people don’t know about the work, not internal issues). How much time and thought goes into a 30 minute storytime! I make sure each book I select to read is something I love and want to share. This goes also for all the finger plays, rhymes and songs shared during the storytime. I want to make sure I am providing the best for the families in attendance and they have a positive, loving experience when leaving storytime. You can’t do that by just pulling books off a shelf!
What do you think the future holds for library workers? I feel libraries will always be needed in a community and the best resource of any library system are the employees. The public will continue to come to the library for the dedication and expertise that the library staff provides.
What advice would you give to a younger person looking to enter library work? A wise coworker once told me programming is a marathon not a sprint. You do not need to do everything all at once. Pace yourself!
Anything else you’d like people to know about your work or your relationship with the community? The Bel Air Library has been a constant in my life since I was a baby. I remember the moment I received my first library card and the joy of volunteering as a teen for Summer Reading. Working at this branch is more than a job, it is a commitment to make my community a better place.
Name: Nancy
Years working for HCPL: 20 ½ years
What drew you to want to do this work? I have always loved libraries, books, information, working and helping people.
What is/are some of the most rewarding moment(s) of your work? Helping a customer find a great book to read because they need a distraction from one of life’s sorrows; helping a customer learn how to use their mobile device to access library services and seeing their face light up when they understand what to do; helping a customer to either find information or do something on the computer that they couldn’t do on their own and seeing how relieved they are when I can help them; connecting with a group when doing a presentation or book discussion and having them leave at the end excited about what they learned or discussed.
What are some things about your work you wish people knew (this is about misconceptions or what people don’t know about the work, not internal issues). Every day is a different experience. Librarians have to really know what resources their library system has in order to share that particular resource when a customer needs it. Librarians today need to be tech-savvy. Every day I wake up and wonder who I will help and how that may make a difference in that person’s life. People are coming to librarians more and more for help as the world becomes more difficult to navigate but organizations don’t make finding help easy.
What do you think the future holds for library workers? Library workers will certainly continue to be looked to for technical help as businesses continue to expect customers to access their services online more and more. However, I hope that people will also continue to come to libraries to experience personal interactions with librarians and with other library users.
What advice would you give to a younger person looking to enter library work? I hope you like technology! And you need to be very patient; you need to be a good listener; you need to care about people and be willing to work with them in the way that works for that individual. More than anything, you need to care about people.
Anything else you’d like people to know about your work or your relationship with the community? I have learned over the years that people come to libraries for all sorts of reasons. Each day offers new challenges and opportunities to make a difference in someone else’s life. I truly care about our customers!