About moi:

Hi! I’m Jenna Lynn. Before library school, I completed my BA Hons. in Art History at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada and like all of you, I am currently in the messy midst of building a career in (art) librarianship.

My first library job came to me at 16 years old when I was hired as a circulation page in a downtown public library branch in Windsor, Ontario. The smell of old books, the quiet moments of re-shelving them and being surrounded by a constant stimulation of reading and knowledge are only a few reasons why I love libraries.  There’s an extremely comforting and stimulating sense of fulfillment I feel when I work in a library, and I can’t see myself doing anything otherwise(!)

Upon graduating from Carleton in June of 2013, I took a solo travel trip to explore bits and pieces of Iceland, England and Europe and made libraries a central theme to my travels. I explored public libraries in Reykjavik, art libraries in Amsterdam, some of the oldest and most charming Oxford libraries, and specialist libraries like the Glasgow Womens’ Library in Scotland. When I returned to Canada, I moved from Ottawa to Banff to work for 6 months in a dreamy national park in the most beautiful library.  Currently, I am completing my last long stretch of the MLIS program at UBC and working 2 jobs that I love: one at Vancouver Public Library, the other at UBC’s Music, Art and Architecture Library.

Why I’m in this course?

When I worked at the Banff Centre, I was responsible for posting on the library’s Facebook page to promote programming, update patrons on any changes to the hours of the library and to create a wider access to some of the beautiful collections the library has. I thought it would be the easiest part of the job but it often became quite tiresome to come up with something original, creative and captivating on a daily basis. So! I am taking this course because I am particularly interested to learn more about how social media effects libraries, enhances the services and programs they offer, and also to discuss some of the barriers that larger libraries may face in institutions  when they want to use social media (i.e., not all libraries have the permission to post what they want and when – communication departments often hold that power).