13 Questions With: Colleen Morawski

October 29, 2014

Librarian, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School (London, Ont)

A hero who has inspired you in your career?

Part-time librarians used to come in every other day and they inspired me with their fresh ideas for the library. I reach out to them often now that they are off running their own libraries.

The first job you ever held and at what age?

Supermarket cashier at 15 years of age

Your first position in the library and/or information services field?

Library helper in my elementary school library

Coolest thing in your cubicle or office?

A spring origami flower garden. A student ‘planted’ one at a time on our large circ desk and he grew confident with all the compliments. He is making snowmen right now but hopefully they won’t go up for a while!

What is your guilty pleasure?

‘Women’s magazines’ they count as reading right?

Career advice – what’s your top tip?

Top tip would be you must enjoy children-of all ages!

What useless skill(s) do you possess?

I think all my skills are useful…to somebody!

Proudest moment in your professional life?

The first time a struggling student told me ‘I have never finished a whole novel and actually liked it!’

If you had 24 hours all to yourself, how would you best like to spend it?

Reading, of course!

If you didn’t work in the information industry, what would you be doing?

I honestly can’t imagine not working in a library.

Finish this sentence: “In high school, I would have been voted the person most likely to … “

Escape and never return! Now I enjoy the high school environment – probably because I am in charge!

How do you stay current in your field?

My colleagues with the board provide endless support, ideas and enthusiasm.

The field of education and teaching is constantly in flux from curriculum to funding, from technologies to staffing. What opportunities does the frequency of change, for better or for worse, present to the library community and to users?

For better or for worse we are all in it together.

What should every information professional know about school librarianship?

You are there to help them learn but you learn so much from them.

Biggest surprise working in this sector?

Biggest surprise is the lack of funding to such a valuable resource – our children.

What would you like your headstone to read?

Beloved daughter, sister and wife.