Kentwood Public Schools

In September, 2019, I returned to my roots – K-12 education. This time, however, I was not returning to the classroom. Rather, I would be working as a media clerk in the Freshman Campus, and later, at the High School. Why would a librarian and teacher, with Master’s Degrees in both areas choose to work as a media clerk? The school district does not currently have a position of “Media Specialist” or “Librarian.” So, with my qualifications, I was able to jump right into a leadership role, providing services to both my building and to the district as a whole.

In January 2021, I was chosen to replace the outgoing media clerk in the high school. With this new position came added responsibilities, including assisting other clerks with Destiny-related needs. I attended a formal online course designed by Follett Destiny to provide advanced training to those with administrative access to the catalog. Almost immediately, I began working on a training manual for new library hires in the district. Among my accomplishments in my time at Kentwood, creating cohesiveness and camaraderie among my media clerk peers is a significant step toward my goal of building a library department, with a presence and voice in the district.