How to start a library from scratch! -then do it all again...and again...

With over 25 years experience in Libraries where I chose to work in various institutions including Schools, Special Libraries such as The Royal Blind Society and Westmead Hospital NSW, Academic Libraries working at The University of Western Sydney as a Library Technician and then Council Libraries and finally coming full circle returning to schools. I decided to go back to University and complete my Master Degree. Completing my Masters Degree in Information Technology with a Library Major through QUT in 2015, my library career certainly took off! Now in 2018, I am working in my second College as their Librarian - Manager of library services Prep to Year 12 and helping to reinvigorate their beautiful school library at Victory College in Gympie. Working in Australian Christian College - Moreton for three years, I managed to design, implement their software and manage their resource cataloging as well as set up their school library Literacy enrichment programs for not only their 570 day students Prep to Year 12, they also asked me to design their library for their online students- over 700. I was this schools first Librarian and I certainly felt a lot of pressure to justify my existence. However I know the value school libraries add to a students educational journey, the benefits they will gain from having up to date viable resources on hand readily and having an experienced research Librarian to assist them. Managing over 1,000 students was a privilege and taught me a great deal about the importance of libraries in schools and the need for support staff - you simply cannot do it all by yourself (even though you might think you wear superwoman undies). I loved the staff and students and the interaction between the day school and the online school was wonderful to be part of. If we paraded in costume live in the day school the online students did not miss out, as they were also invited to dress up and send in their photos which saw them put up on the wall and included them in Book Week celebrations. However to do all the cataloguing -over 20,000 resources, lending services and finding of resources and all the Literacy enrichment programs that need to be done in a Prep to Year 12 school- I was totally alone, justified by Management as not a necessity which was frustrating. To ask for assistance to be able fit everything in which unfortunately was ignored, you then had to work all hours seven days a week for lower wages. So it was very exciting when the invitation to work at Victory College came up and this year. I have a very supportive Principal who understands the necessity of a well run library and the value it brings to the College. With only one school to be responsible for and a part - time library assistant I am looking forward to this year. If you are interested in seeing the new years program please have a look at the weebly I designed https://victoryinreading.weebly.com. For all you solo-librarians out there I salute you and wish you the best year possible. We Librarians are a unique group with experience, knowledge and wisdom and who love to support every single child, each parent and each teacher in their need for literacy support in their educational journeys.