In the poem Harlem, Langston Hughes asks, “What happens to a dream deferred?” As someone who delayed finishing their undergraduate education for 30 years, I understand this question all too well. One of the driving forces in finishing my undergraduate degree was my career change in my 40s into library services, and my desire to become a “real” librarian. I knew that to do this, I would have to earn my Master’s, and thus began my journey to completing my education.
My name is Kristi Mosac, and I am currently halfway through my MSI program. After graduating with my undergraduate degree in English and Writing from Eastern Oregon University in 2024, 30 years after my high school graduation, I applied and was accepted into the program here at FSU. I moved to Spring Hill, Florida, from the Atlanta area in 2020, after my father’s passing, to help care for my mother, which afforded me the opportunity to restart my educational career. I transitioned from retail management into library services in 2017, and am now working in the Hernando County Public Library System as a Library Information Specialist II, which is just another way of saying I am the assistant supervisor of my branch. One of my roles in supporting my supervisor and the library system has been to create a range of marketing materials, including brochures and social media posts. Our system has been working to increase social media engagement, and our branch has been a driving force behind it. My hopes and goals for this class are to become more adept at creating engaging content for our patrons and to remain the driving force behind our small system’s growing online community.
Libraries really are a special interest for me, with readers’ advisory being a key element in that arena. This allows me to connect with my patrons about my other favorite hobby, reading, while simultaneously using my skills with Canva to create engaging graphics and printables that can both entice and encourage them to read, either more of what they enjoy or, even better, outside of their comfort zone.
