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 What is your name?
Jane Shee
Where are you from?
I grew up in Limerick and I’ve been living in Dublin for seven years.
Where do you work?
I work as a school librarian in Mount Carmel Secondary School, King’s Inns Street, Dublin 1. There are 30 teachers, a principal (Gerard Cullen) and around 270 girls. I am employed by the CDVEC as part of the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) library project.
What is the JCSP library project?
JCSP is a national Department of Education and Science Programme within the Junior Certificate, aimed at students who may leave school early. The Programme is based on the concept that all young people are capable of real success in school and that they can have a positive experience of school if the conditions are favourable. It is not an alternative to the Junior Certificate but a support framework to it. As part of this initiative, my role is to provide JCSP students with a professional library service and to help to improve reading levels by encouraging reading. I also provide a library service to all the students and staff in the school.
What do you spend most of your day doing?
I manage a very busy timetable for the library. There are classes scheduled throughout the day. Classes come in with their teachers for quiet reading, one-to-one reading, research and project work. At the moment, the JCSP teacher and I are running a reading challenge competition for first, second and third year students and a make-a-book project for second years. I provide a library service before school, after school, and during break and lunchtime for all the students and teachers. I also organize fun events in the library for the students such as storytellers, drama work shops and magicians.
Did you always want to be a librarian, and if not what did you do before you became one?
I didn’t always know I wanted to be a librarian but I’ve always adored reading! After doing an arts degree and a post grad in Technical Communication, I worked as a Technical Writer for four years. I then became interested in becoming a librarian so I went to UCD to do a higher diploma in Librarian and Information Studies. Before working as a school librarian, I also worked in Trinity College Library and a corporate library in AIB.
How many people do you work with?
I am the only librarian in the library. I work closely with the principal and the teachers to organize classes and events in the library. I also have regular meetings with the other librarians and co-ordinators of the JCSP library project.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The nicest part of my job is seeing a reluctant reader discover that they can enjoy reading! Students often come into the library and say that they hate reading but after a while they discover that there is a book for everyone. I’m lucky to have a generous budget and the freedom to purchase a huge range of reading material for all tastes and abilities such as teen fiction, general fiction, fashion, art, sport, music, biographies, graphic novels, pop-up books, history, science and curriculum-based material. I also have a good selection of books aimed at teenagers and adults with lower reading ages that are very popular. I have yet to find a student who couldn’t find something they liked in the library!
What do you avoid doing most?
I must confess that the novelty of stamping the books has worn off a long time ago. Luckily, this is only a tiny part of my job :-)
How do you unwind after a hard day at the office?
I like to go to the gym, watch films and of course, I love to read!
Are you a ‘typical’ librarian and if so, how, or does this question make you mad!
I think this question is hilarious and for some weird reason, it’s always men who ask me that! Well, to answer that, I’m not cross, I don’t wear my hear in a bun or wear glasses but I must admit that I do sometimes say “shhh” :-)
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