Date: June 15, 2026
This September marks my eight-year anniversary of working in libraries. I started my career in libraries in 2018 at a tiny, rural library in St. Clair County, AL, as a Library Clerk. I loved that job. While giving directions to the bathroom, instructing people on how to use the printer, and counting down the cash (late fees are such a thing of the past!) at the end of the day would bore most people, I found it ALL very thrilling.
So, in 2020, I decided to pursue my Master of Library Science and Information Studies from the University of Alabama. Due to COVID-19, I had to get my degree online. I remember my class being nicknamed the “Covhort” because we were the first class to come through the program during the pandemic. That always made everyone chuckle. I also remember coining the phrase “chariots of knowledge” when, in my first class of my MLIS program, I was singled out by my professor and asked to define a ‘librarian’.
Since my first library job as a Clerk, I have gone on to be a Children’s Librarian at the DC Public Library, the Law Librarian at the Federal Communications Commission, and now I am the Technical Services Librarian here at VTS. And to this day, I still believe librarians are chariots of knowledge. Regardless of our specific role or library, we librarians disseminate information, provide access to resources, and are open to our patrons free of charge. Chariots of knowledge, indeed!
Jenna Patterson
Discovery and Technology Services Librarian