Meet Amy Fellows, a Youth Librarian.
In a few sentences, describe your post-Biola work/life journey.
When I graduated from Biola, I knew I needed a career. I had worked in libraries since I was a high school student and always enjoyed how it felt being surrounded by books. I am also not immune to the charms of pencil skirts and social justice, and becoming a librarian felt exciting. I went on to earn my master’s degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University and was lucky enough to land my first job at Los Angeles Public Library. I worked there for a few years until I was hired by Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon. My husband and I moved here three years ago, where we’ve been ever since.
What is your specific position at the library? And how did getting an English degree prepare you for the job?
I’m a Youth Librarian at Multnomah County Library, one of the busiest public libraries in the country. Part of my job is reader’s advisory (sussing out what a reader’s in the mood for and suggesting titles), as well as writing reviews and book lists. At Biola, I learned to be a careful reader, and that serves me well today. My background in Western Lit is also a foundation I use for the new books I read and recommend, and while most people aren’t asking for Chaucer or Ovid, being familiar with them does earn me occasional street cred at the information desk.
I think the most value my English major brought is learning to craft messages for specific audiences. I wear many hats, sometimes moving from a preschool storytime to a meeting with a project partner and then back to helping the general public. As an English major, I learned to consider who my reader is and how to get my message across to them, and I use that each day.
What was a favorite class or experience you had while a Biola English major?
It’s tied: reading (and holding! in my very own hands!) a first edition copy of Dubliners inside the Bodleian Library, while I spent a semester abroad studying at Oxford University; and teaching poetry to teenage boys at a juvenile detention center, through a self-study project another student and I led. If you can find a way to study abroad or work on a real-world project that has an impact, I highly recommend it.
What about life after college was most surprising to you?
I studied English because I loved words, and I found so much joy and satisfaction in studying them. I feel amazed that I’ve found a career where I get to surround myself with stories and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Our public libraries are unique spaces where everyone in the community is welcome, so I also provide support to people with adverse life challenges, like folks who live outside; I bring storytimes to children who are immigrants and refugees at local Head Start chapters; and I mentor young people through our summer reading volunteer program. Not every day is exciting, but on the whole, I enjoy my work and believe I am making a difference -- I had no idea I would be lucky enough to end up here. I paid my way through college with student aid and many, many loans. As a student, I had a vague idea that once I was earning a decent salary, I would be able to pay my student loans off in a few short years. Today I have the salary, but those loan amounts are still very high -- mostly due to interest. If you’re in a similar situation, apply for as many scholarships as you can, every semester -- not just your first. It takes some time, but you’ll thank yourself later.
What advice would you give to a current Biolan majoring in English? Or what’s something you did in college that later helped you professionally?
Employers will want to see your degree, but they’ll also want to see how you work outside of a classroom. Having projects that I could speak to -- like the poetry project I mentioned, and others in grad school -- helped me land my first job. It shows employers your interests and abilities and often adds a good reference to your resume. My advice is to take as many meaningful internships as your advisers will allow.
Are you reading lately, and if so, what?
Always, so many books! I love a good ghost story this time of year, and right now it’s The Haunting of Maddy Clare, by Simone St. James. I try to read omnivorously so that I can make recommendations in a wide variety of genres. My personal shelf is usually a mix of home and style books, popular novels, a few intentional reads on spirituality or meditation, and what feels like a thousand books for kids and teens that I am reviewing. Because I read so much, I’ve learned not to stress about not finishing a book. I relish putting it down because it means I’ll have time for another.
Anything else for us?
Fun book nerd/LA tip: Inside Los Angeles Public Library’s Literature and Fiction room, downtown, you will find a card catalog. It’s filled with vintage cards containing past librarians’ sharp critiques of books they did not add to the library’s collection, and exactly why, handwritten in library-hand. Those ladies did not mince words, and it’s worth an afternoon spent at Central Library just to take a look.