Dori Graham
Children's Librarian
Allen County Public Library
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I graduated from high school with an Academic Honors degree and a clear plan to go to Ball State University to become a Criminal Profiler. (Those plans changed almost immediately.)
I attended Huntington University and within one year had changed my major from Elementary Ed to History to Psychology to Undecided (which I recommend as a starting point). Then, I took a semester off.
I transferred to IPFW and studied English Lit. because my best friend's dad said to study what made me happy because he had changed his career five times in 35 years, and never even used his degree.
I finished college and continued working at the daycare I'd been working at while still in school. Then I nannied, substitute taught, and eventually started working as a librarian's assistant.
I worked as an assistant for three years before becoming a children's librarian.
While working as a children's librarian, I did a low residency graduate program where I studied creative writing for children and young adults.
I finished my graduate degree, and now I write in my free time. I am working on a middle grade novel, a young adult novel, and just finished a picture book series.
One of my picture books was recently picked up by a small publishing imprint, and will be out sometime in 2020.
Education
High School
South Side High School
South Side High School
Bachelor
English Literature (British and Commonwealth)
Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne
English Literature (British and Commonwealth)
Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne
Graduate
Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults
Hamline University
Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults
Hamline University
Career
Children's Librarian
I help kids (ages 0-18) gain and increase literacy skills through reading, writing, singing, talking, and playing.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Non-Profit Organizations
Helping People
Day to Day
Being a children's librarian is a bit like being a teacher, a book seller, an artist, a parent, a writer, a dancer, a performer, a puppeteer, a zoo keeper, and Mr. Rogers all in one. On any given day, I might provide a storytime, a program, a puppet show, or a tour for dozens of kids of various ages. I help kiddos find the perfect book...or, at the very least, something that they can read without completely hating their lives. I take care of our book collection. And, I have an all around BLAST!
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
Pay attention to the Kid's Lit industry. What are kids reading? What types of books are being published? Pay attention to kids. What are they interested in? What are they doing / playing / watching / talking about? Know your clients and know their interests. Also, when you're in the interview, speak with confidence. There is a difference between being proud of your abilities and being conceited about them. Share your knowledge and your skills--you are selling yourself to the interviewer.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Bachelor
Elementary Education or Early Childhood Development
Elementary Education or Early Childhood Development
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
""Don't get a degree in English Literature. What are you going to do with that? It's a useless degree.""
Challenges I Overcame
LGBT
