We Need You Badly, Badly, Madam Librarian—Miss Shannon!

That phrase doesn’t scan as well as “Marion the Librarian” in The Music Man, but Louisville’s Portland library does indeed need its Miss Shannon. 

Here to get Miss Shannon’s take on the fun, power, and yes, quiet, of working in a library is my after-school reading class. 

 Aneesha: What do you do most of the time?

Miss Shannon: I help people when they’re working on the computers.  I also answer questions like, “Who was the forty-first president?”

Malcolm: Do you have to be quiet to be a librarian?

Miss Shannon: No.  That’s an idea from a long time ago.  Twenty-five years ago, this job was just about libraries.  Now, it’s about helping people find information, and it’s important to be able to give information back and forth. 

Phillip: Is it fun to be a librarian?

Miss Shannon: My job is just wonderful.  I love best to read, and I love stories and crafts.  I love finding information for people and learning new things.  And I like meeting new kids, too.  You know, my dog died on a Sunday, and first thing on Monday morning, I went in to read to kindergartners because I knew it would make me feel better. 

Daryl: When I went to my dad’s house one day, a dog got ran over.

Miss Shannon: Do you have a question about libraries? 

Phillip: If somebody wants to check out a book, can you help them with that?

Miss Shannon: I can do everything. 

p.s. Miss Shannon would also like you to know that she is not, technically, a librarian.  She does not have her Master’s of Library Science and is therefore a Children’s Library Assistant.  I say, we are just glad you are here for us!