Reflecting back, my journey to become a school librarian, or a Library Media Specialist, to be more accurate, was not a direct route. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, from the time I was in elementary school. I went to college to be an English teacher. I started my career as a Middle School English teacher, and I fell in love with the middle grades. After a couple of years, I wanted more. In 2004 Education was changing. I could see how technology was becoming more and more of a disruptive element in education. I enrolled in a program for an Educational Technology Masters degree. Once I enrolled, though, the program was cut and there was no cohort of fellow students with whom I would complete the coursework. Instead, I filled my courses with many from the Library Media program, as well as some from admin leadership and other education masters courses. When I finished, I was only two courses and an internship away from my Library Media license! My only regret now is that I didn’t complete that second paper to get a full Masters in Library Media. I spent four years as a Technology Integration Specialist starting in 2008. This was a relatively new role in education. When I was teaching, I had the only SMARTboard in the building. During my time as a TIS, every classroom in the district was outfitted with a projector and most with a SMARTboard. Engaging learners by connecting them with the world through the internet, creating powerful visual presentations, and using interactive tools became more of the norm. And, I was one of the individuals to guide educators into learning these new skills. Early in my time as a Tech Integration Specialist, I was handed an iPod Touch. I was told, “Here is the future of education. Learn how to use it.” I could not have imagined that the 99.9% PC district in which I worked would go 1:1 iPads within my four years as a TIS. Wanting to move closer to family, I took a job in the partner district of the 1:1 iPad rollout. There I took on the role of a Tech Coach for the high school and the high school library media specialist. While I had the license, this was my first time running a library. Many, many a librarian will call their paraprofessional irreplaceable. I will say that I learned a lot from the building library para on how to be a good librarian. At the time, I was the only licensed Library Media Specialist in the district. I helped to close an English elementary library, combine collections, and leave enough books to support a new Spanish Immersion elementary. During this time, I found myself drawn to the library half of the job. Being a Tech Integrationist during a 1:1 rollout in a large high school while also running a library is a lot to handle. I was always juggling work and reprioritizing tasks. Two years into this overwhelming role, I was given a new opportunity. I was invited to join a school district where Libraries are honored and a focus. I attended my first district Library Media meeting to a full room of librarians, techs, and others. I knew that I had found my people and my home. I spent eight years building a library that was truly the heart of the school. This story begins on another journey, a new library, and new reflections on my work, the world of education and more.
Reflecting Forward with Jen Legatt 
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