I was born and raised in a mid-sized, mid-western town in Iowa on
the banks of the mghty Mississippi. The first school I attended was Wilson
Elementary just three blocks from my house. My first grade teacher, Miss Ball,
taught me how to read, but the person I remember reading with was my
grandmother. I can still feel myself sitting on her lap reading Raggedy Ann and
Andy holding the matching dolls she had hand-sewn for me.

The first book I remember owning was, a copy of Dr. Seuss’ Hop On Pop, a gift from my oldest
brother, Tom. My father was a voracious reader. There were always books and
magazines in the house. I would read and reread stories in the set of Childcraft
Encyclopedias we owned. In those books was a world of fairy tales, Mother
Goose, poetry and adventure. Now, forty years later, I still have my three favorite
volumes from that set. In elementary school my favorite library was the
bookmobile. I would climb up the steps past the driver where I was surrounded
by books. There I was introduced to Ellen Tebbits, The Boxcar Children and Fire
Cat.

As I grew so did my love of books. In middle school I volunteered at the public
library. In high school I started my first job working in a bookstore at the mall the
summer I turned 17. I would grow up to name my daughter after a character in a
book I read during high school. I attended Arizona State University and received
my bachelor’s degree in Communication. I returned to ASU and pursued my
teaching certificate through their Post-Bac program. I didn’t know then that one day I would
find myself right back among the bookshelves.

I went to work at Madison Camelview School and found a home. By my second
year I was the school librarian and earned an endorsement as a library media
specialist. It is the most wonderful job I could imagine. I am currently enrolled in
the Master’s program at ASU West, and will be earning a MEd In Education
Technology.