A timeline of myself starts with understanding the plight of an island girl, from Trinidad and Tobago, as she acclimated to the American culture. From a flight to Miami, leaving behind my original homeland to venture into a new culture. I found myself and understood this challenge, as well as how change is directly important for my parents and the future me. The dynamic American system of education felt different, but I pressed on. Matriculating through middle and high school, as a private person understanding the daunting task of processing who I was, who I will be, and now who I am.
From Interior Design to History Refined
Fast forward, after a degree in Interior Design, a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, and many years working both sides of the experience a patron might encounter (visitor and employee), I finally feel connected to my calling as a librarian. With the help of my amazing husband, of now 19 years, and my supportive sons (11 and 14), as well as my husband’s family, this pursuit of a Master’s degree has been not only an experience that has uplifted my values but also an opportunity that has improved my fit with the county library system, in Coconut Creek, Florida, or the Butterfly Capital of the World. My parents taught me to strive for the best, my immediate family encouraged me to branch out, and my library family has brought my creative side out through the offerings, programs, displays, and activities that are composed by yours truly.
As a special interest, especially one that I dive deeper into, thematic displays have fostered my creative application skills and have sparked the interest of many of our library’s patrons. Some are simply related to holidays, some are related to a national focus of a concept like Autism Awareness, but all displays are designed to bring to life the impact that literature and content can have for young readers, which are my area of focus at the library I work at. These are important features of my work life, but not the only part of who I am.
Natural Born Investigator
In fact, my home life, my interests in crime and forensics has guided some of the reading for pleasure, as well as some of the content I have looked over for the requirements of FSU’s Master’s in Library Science Program. However, this is not the only part of me that makes me unique, as I am the mother of two boys, who are just as amazing. Both are active learners, both are vigorously thorough, and both are the apples of my eye, alongside my husband. Now that you have gotten to know a little about me, it is important to know that lifelong learning will continue to guide my decisions.
Kelly John-Strate, a person who has continued to discover more about herself because of those finite moments of directionality and dedication. Thus, an avid and altruistic persona, but represented by my spirit cat, Luna who is an all-black British Short hair with both sass and grace. You will find me where information, inquisitiveness, and ingenuity are central to an experience worthwhile. Though I am not a digital media person, this course will afford me the opportunity to dive deep into my own ability to engage with social media, support digital resource use for patrons, and hopefully feel more confident as I continue to evolve as a librarian.
Hi Kelly! Wow I really enjoyed seeing your library displays! Your design talents shine through your work. The bright, colorful photos you chose for this post are also lovely. The flag and bird of Trinidad and Tobago are absolutely gorgeous. One constructive comment I would make is that when talking about yourself, you might maintain first person tense instead of lapsing into third person, for continuity. I loved your alliteration in the phrase “information, inquisitiveness and ingenuity” and found it very effective. It must have been quite interesting moving to a new country as a child! I’m impressed with your English vocabulary and as a mom myself, I’m familiar with the challenges and joys of raising active learners who love to read (good job)! I look forward to getting to know you better, maybe hearing more about your crime and forensics interests too, and seeing more of your work. Thank you for sharing so much detail about your fascinating life.
Hey Kelly! I’ve got to start off by applauding that amazing library display for Alice in Wonderland there, that is top notch! I really like the other two you shared as well. Just by the look of your artistry, I know your program activities must be off the charts! Your library is very lucky to have you onboard.
Thank you for sharing a little about your experience moving into the states. Growing up, I remember thinking back to when my family moved to Miami from out of the country and the feelings of isolation, loss and responsibility that came with that. I’m glad we’re both finding/have found our footing here, and ended up in the library world here!
Hi Kelly, I loved seeing your display, including the ones you linked! It is amazing to see others in the path toward librarianship. It always amazes me to see our similarities, but mostly our differences. I also am strengthened by those around me, including my parents, my immediate family, and my library family. And like you and Jorge, I also come from a family of immigrants. It is great to see the diversity that it brings to our communities, including our FSU community! I hope you are able to gain a lot from this class and become more media-savvy, for yourself and for your members. That is also what I hope for myself. Overall, all your photos looked amazing, your links worked well, your post was tagged correctly, and I loved that you captioned your photos. Wish I had thought of that, haha.
Hi Kelly, first of all, I want to apologize for any inconvenience I caused with the peer review—I was out of town and completely missed the timing. I truly admire your courage in coming all the way from your home country to the States. As someone originally from Hong Kong, I understand how challenging that transition can be. Seriously, way to go. Now you’ve inspired me to plan a trip to Coconut Creek, the Butterfly Capital of the World. I’ve always loved butterflies, and my girlfriends and I have even talked about getting matching butterfly tattoos. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be there. The displays look incredible. I wish I were as crafty as you.