December 2006 - Illinois Library Association

ANNOUNCEMENTS
ILA Reporter – December 2006
44
to my grandparents, explains my yearning to learn
about different people and their stories.
“During my undergraduate years I lived in Long Beach,
California, one of the most ethnically diverse large cities
in the United States, and absolutely loved it. While
working as a college aide at Washington Intensive Learning
Center, every day I learned so much from the students
I worked with. There I was inspired by the school’s literacy
coach, Virginia May, to pursue a career in librarianship.
My fascination with public space was sparked in the summer
of 2004, when I spent eight weeks in Los Angeles as
an “urban ethnographer” conducting independent fieldwork
in public settings. My experiences will make me an
effective librarian wherever I go, although I know that
urban public libraries is where my heart is. I am confident
in my abilities to meet the needs of diverse populations and
I look forward to the challenges I will undoubtedly face.”
Veronika Seidl
University of Illinois at Urbana
Champaign, Graduate School of Library
and Information Science
“I have known since I was a child that
I would someday become a librarian.
I have always had a passion for
learning and sharing the power of books.
“I would like to work in a public elementary school library,
ideally, within a Hispanic community. I am bilingual,
Spanish/English, and coming from a Hispanic family,
I am acutely aware of the lack of bilingual educators and
professionals in public schools. I would like to use my
position as a librarian to improve the quality of life within
my community and I can think of no better way to do this
than through promoting literacy. The power associated
with language skills and literacy is fundamental to success.
A difference in language cannot be allowed to become
a barrier to literacy among children.
“In 2004 I volunteered for a year with Americorps
*VISTA. Although I had a variety of responsibilities,
the most rewarding work I did was with the New Orleans
Public School District. I taught a series of classes to very
poor, African American elementary students. I really loved
my time with the students and discovered how gratifying
it is to work with children in public schools.
“I am grateful to be considered for a scholarship from
the ALA. I have passion for this profession and I know
it will show in my work. I have confidence that as
a librarian, I will be a committed advocate for multi-ethnic
communities and will make positive contributions to the
field of library and information science.”
Victoria Vanlandingham
Dominican University,
Graduate School of Library
and Information Science
“Librarianship has to do with two
key parts of my character: my love for learning and my
desire to help others in whatever way I can. I have had a
great deal of life, work, and educational experience that will
help me to be a truly effective librarian in such a diverse
society. To explain, my mother is Puerto Rican and
Spanish, while my father is Caucasian. I often confuse
people with my appearance because they cannot figure
out my ethnicity right away. When I let them know that
I am half-Hispanic, they often assume that I am a certain
way based on societal stereotypes. All of them could not be
further from the truth: I am very much a unique individual
who does not fit into a mold. Due to this common
incident, I can empathize with those of a multi-ethnic
background like myself while I am on the job.
“Additionally, I have been working in a university library
for more than two years, which has given me a great deal
of “real world” experience in learning various operations
(i.e., circulation, reference, interlibrary loan). Since I have
worked in the circulation department all of this time,
I have quite a bit of experience in dealing with the public,
especially with the large international student population
and the language barriers that come along with it. Finally,
my undergraduate degree is in Sociology-Human Services
and has provided me a solid foundation in understanding
the inner workings of our society.”