Moving with an MLS

There’s a photo collage hanging in my front hallway. It doesn’t consist of family pictures or vacation spots or even our grandchildren. There on the wall are pictures of the 6 homes we have lived in …. not counting this one, number 7. Except for the 12 years we stayed in one place so our kids could grow up in one school district, we’ve averaged 4 years per house. Thankfully we never moved very far from our home base in southern New England, but just about any move means a new start. Through the years my friends have expressed their wonder at how I survived so many changes and sometimes I wondered too. The truth is that had we not moved, I would have remained an elementary school librarian, a job I loved, but I also would have missed out on so many other enriching experiences. I never would have competed for and won the job of creating a school library from scratch with a $100,000 budget. Nor would I have tried my hand in the public library field and discovered my talent for storytelling. If we’d stayed put, I wouldn’t have worked as a school collection development specialist for Baker & Taylor and found myself training the school sales reps in various parts of the country. And I wouldn’t now be spending a part of each week exploring the world of Victorian children’s literature in the billiard room of an 1870’s mansion. I marvel at the varied career an MLS degree can provide. From children’s literature to telling stories, from research to computer/media expertise my degree has served me well.