Since I was little, I've always been classified as a "reader." I would fly through books when I was younger and it even got to the point where I gained enough "points" that my reward was my teacher taking me out to Pizza Hut for lunch, something no other second-grader reached. If you're familiar with Matilda, she was basically my role model.

The summer going into my senior year of high school, I had to do volunteer hours for my summer government class, and from the list of possible places Goshen Public Library was the most appealing. I did my four hours of volunteer work and loved it so much that I asked my current boss, Ann-Margaret, if they were hiring. She told me no, but she wanted me to work there so badly that she offered to open a position and call me as soon as it happened. Eventually she called me and I was offered a job on the spot. My interview consisted of her telling me the rules, the dress code, and a tour of the building.

Needless to say, I love my job. I look forward to going to work and the people I work with are so caring, genuine, and amazing! Everyone at my job has their own personality and I've grown to love the library so much that I've decided to become a librarian.

Becoming a librarian takes a lot of steps, especially since I want to be a children's librarian. I'm currently working on a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education so that I can go to graduate school and get my masters degree in Library Information Science (MLIS). From there, I will get certified as a librarian so I can work at a school or at state level, and then I will ultimately achieve my job of being a librarian. Only recently have I made this decision, and only recently have I realized that people will often look down on this career.

Ultimately, at dinner one night I was catching up with a few friends and filling them in on my life goals and one simply said, "I just have one question... why is that what you want to do with your life?" You can only imagine my reaction, especially since it took me changing my major twice to get to this point in my life.

Obviously, I responded kindly, but it got me thinking - why should I have to justify what I want to do with my life as long as I love it? Librarians are actually extremely helpful, and it's about time that the "be quiet, read a book, I wear glasses and a bun" stereotype should be eliminated.

Society is advancing and obviously books aren't as necessary as they used to be; everything you need is probably accessible through the Internet or a swipe of your credit/debit card. However, this doesn't eliminate the need for libraries or librarians. As stated before, I work at a library and let me just reassure you that it's not quiet...at all. My library consists of a children's, non-fiction, fiction, and audio visual (DVD's and CD's) section and each is intended for multiple uses. I've seen everything from elementary school teachers come in and check out multiple history books for their class to a 70-year-old man come in looking for an ACDC CD. The library really does have it all.

And if for some reason you can't find what you're looking for, here's where the job of a librarian comes into play. Librarians are taught to be able to locate any material in the library - or search the Internet - and be able to bring you the correct and proper material for whatever you happen to be looking for.

Librarians are like real-life search engines, trained to deal with any type of patron looking for any type of material. They bring the best customer service, and even if you're rude to them they will get you the information you need with a smile on their face. Also, as society has clearly advanced, the library doesn't consist of only books. It has multiple computers for patron use for whatever you'd like to research (as long as it's appropriate of course), conference rooms for anything from study sessions to my grandfather's "geneaology club" meeting, and the library even offers GED, ukulele, and Spanish classes. Not to mention that I've definitely found a few hidden gems while working.

The librarian stereotype is wrong, and if you think that I want to be a librarian because I want to spend the rest of my days in a quiet building yelling at patrons, then you have the wrong idea. I want to be a librarian because I love to help others, I love to see children's faces light up when they get excited about a book they just read, and I love the atmosphere that comes with the library.

Next time you think that the library is a place that solely consists of a quiet atmosphere and books, think again. Your library is actually a free (yes, free), public resource intended to help with any sort of task you may face. Granted it's not to be forgotten that a library does consist of books available for rent to the public, it's important to remember that your library can actually help you with other things and it's actually a librarian's job to do so.

Next time you're struggling with an essay or any sort of research, or maybe you just need a break from people, visit your library and stop generalizing librarians! They're here to help you, and I promise they aren't all mean old ladies with glasses constantly telling you to "shh!"