Duane Hicks
Ever since Meagan Berry first worked as a student at the Fort Frances Public Library 10 years ago, she knew she wanted to be a librarian.
And after years of hard work and study, the 26-year-old has begun a new chapter in her life doing her dream job.
As of three weeks ago, Berry works for the Oxford County Library, a 14-branch library system in Oxford County in southern Ontario.
She works primarily at the Tillsonburg Public Library branch as a library assistant, but also fills in at other branches as a librarian/supervisor.
“I worked for many years as a student for the Town of Fort Frances, but I got my start at the Fort Frances Public Library when I was 16,” Berry recalled.
“I was a big library user and reader as a kid, and was interested in librarianship before I started,” she noted.
“But working at the library really solidified that I wanted to pursue a career in this field.
“I absolutely loved my time working there,” Berry added. “Everything from recommending books and helping patrons with questions to running children’s programs.
“I still love to stop by the library when I am home to see the staff and catch up with everyone,” she remarked.
Berry started her post-secondary education at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, where she completed an Honours BA in history in 2011.
After graduating, she did some travelling, and lived and worked in Ireland for a time, but then came back to Canada to pursue a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Western Ontario in London.
She graduated this past June.
Berry said former chief librarian and CEO Margaret Sedgwick, Andrea Avis, and current library CEO Alicia Subnaik Kilgour were “incredibly supportive” while she was in school.
“[They] were only a quick e-mail away when I had questions or needed to bounce an idea off of someone,” she noted.
“I would definitely encourage anyone that has an interest in library work to get experience first, whether it might be through volunteering or working, and find out if it’s the right thing for you,” Berry added.
“There are so many different jobs librarians can do so it’s great to test out different areas,” she reasoned.
After graduating from her program last June, Berry came back to Fort Frances to work while she applied to jobs in her field.
“I started applying to jobs while I was still in school, so it ultimately took me a year to start in my field,” she explained.
Berry said she is ecstatic to be working as a librarian at a public library.
“I enjoy that much of my job is working with the public, talking to people, and answering reference questions,” she enthused.
“It can be difficult to get a job in the library field, but I don’t think the difficulties are exclusive to this market,” she added.
“What’s interesting about librarianship is that there are so many different areas we can work in and we are not limited to public libraries, like many people think.
“I have friends currently working for the government, non-profit organizations, and many in the corporate world,” Berry said.
“I didn’t want to limit myself during my own job hunt, and I did apply to all kinds of library jobs, but I was thrilled to be offered a position in a public library, which is what I had my heart set on.”
Berry said while we live in a digital age, librarians continue to play a vital role in society.
“People would often ask me when I was in school if I thought I was pursuing a ‘dead field’ but, in fact, it couldn’t be more opposite,” she stressed.
“Librarians are incredibly vital because we help make sense of the mass amounts of information out there, and libraries are important for helping everyone have equal access to it,” Berry argued.
“Librarians are thriving in the digital age because we are working to help people get comfortable with new technologies and learn how to find, share, and create information that was traditionally found only in books.”
While it was a big move getting from Fort Frances to Tillsonburg, Berry’s parents, Dave and Shana, were “a tremendous help.”
And she’s settling in just fine.
“I’ve only been here a few weeks but it has been a fantastic experience so far,” Berry said.
“Everyone has been very welcoming, both staff and the community, so it’s been an easy transition.
“My initial thoughts of my new community are only positive, and I have met some of the friendliest people—outside of Fort Frances, of course,” added Berry.
“I’m looking forward to getting settled, exploring, and learning more about Tillsonburg.”
Tillsonburg, which has a population of about 15,000 people, is about 50 km southeast of London.
