Hi! My name is Tracey Evans, and I live in Newberry, Florida, a little town just outside of Gainesville, with my husband and my two furbabies.Ā I’m currently working to obtain my MS in Information to become a Librarian, and I’m working toward earning the certificate for School Librarian Leadership. I have undergrad degrees in History (AA) and Classical Studies (BA) from Santa Fe College and the University of Florida, respectively. This course and Instructional Role of the Information Professional constitute my final two classes, and I’m scheduled to graduate in May 2024.
While I spent almost 14 years working with the Alachua County Library District, I’m currently working as an Administrative Assistant at Santa Fe College. During my time at the library, I was a Library Specialist with a focus on children and teens, where I monitored the collection and built programs tailored to our population.
My goal after graduation is to return to the library in some capacity, and Iām always on the lookout for a position that speaks to me. My overall aspiration is to become a school librarian. Many of the Librarians in the public school system (at least in Alachua County) also serve as yearbook facilitator and teach media (like school news, etc). While I’ve taken many different types of computer classes throughout my time in school and even studied graphic design in high school, I’ve never taken a class that focused on digital media production, and I look forward to learning about this aspect and how it could tie into a future position as a Librarian. Specifically, I would like to gain a better knowledge of editing and what software we’ll be using to do so.
When I’m not in school or working, I love to read and craft. As a Library Specialist, I was able to spend a lot of time crafting, but I now enjoy finding other outlets for that creativity. My favorite books to cuddle up with my pups and read are contemporary and paranormal romance.
Small world – I’m also taking Instructional Role of the Information Professional and planning on graduating this semester! As someone who is also looking for what comes next in their career, I appreciate the narrative structure of your post – after reading it I had a clear picture of where you’ve been, where you see yourself going, and the steps you’ve taken to explore those options. The cute dog pics are also a nice touch! š
Hey Tracey! First off: CONGRATS on your final semester! It’s my last semester too!! Second: I am also in the Instructional Role of the Information Professional! So as Linnea said, small world! I have a very fond appreciation for school librarians! Going to my school’s library when I was younger was one of my favorite things to do before class started. Three words: Scholastic. Book. Fair. Literally the best thing ever! How fun would it be to partner with them and get it all set up.
I love a good contemporary romance! I recently read The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston and enjoyed it! It’s a good blend of contemporary and paranormal. Also, your dogs are so precious! š
Hi Tracey! Your dogs are beautiful! I love history and almost majored in it myself but I couldn’t decide between that or political science, and went with Liberal Arts to have all of it. I love the crafts part of working in a library too! And I love that you could have the option of teaching yearbook and media. That is a cool aspect that makes me want to consider looking into that where I live.
I see that you are a contemporary and paranormal romance fan like myself! Well, I have a couple of recs for you that I hope you haven’t read-
“Seven Days in June,”- Tia Williams, and “Shadows of Fire,”-Brenda K. Davies.
Congratulations on being at the finish line! That is exciting. I hope that you are able to get the position you desire in the schools.