My childhood library was the public library in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. That’s how I learned about Carnegie Libraries. I remember in third grade walking from the elementary school to the library to watch the iconic copper tower roof get replaced. I was a voracious reader growing up, and I can still smell the lovely old wood smell of the entryway, still feel the joy of earning summer reading prizes and scouring the stacks for my next read. As an adult, I struggled finding what I wanted to do with my life. I got a bachelor’s in advertising, but my undiagnosed ADHD made it difficult to hold down a desk job. When the pandemic hit, I decided it was time to go to grad school and change my career. That’s how I became a children’s librarian. My first librarian job was at the Tacony Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Imagine my joy when I learned that it also was a Carnegie Library! The two and a half years I spent at that branch validated that I was in the right career. I am so grateful for my time there and hope to work in other Carnegies in the future!
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