Pat Brown is the head librarian of Annandale High School, and most of her time is dedicated to managing the library and the students who visit it.
She states that “being a librarian is an extremely busy occupation, and it requires a great amount of focus, organization skills, and patience.” Her job is a lot more demanding than most think, many of her duties including but are not limited to doing inventory, keeping the room in order, finding books to purchase, etc., and she is often diligently working on task after task.
Even with how busy she is, her schedule still allows for her to enjoy her favorite leisurely activities, which are mainly needlework and, of course, reading. She enjoys listening to audiobooks while doing her needlework, though she would definitely prefer to read physical books if she had the time to.
Horror and true crime are her favorite genres by far, as she loves the gore and thrill of it.
“It’s like a vacation for me somehow…Not sure why, but it takes me away from everything else, and maybe because it ignites my imagination,” she states, recommending her favorite book, “The Stand” By Stephen King. She read it when it first came out, and she was able to enjoy it the same way when she reread it a couple years ago.
Another book she would recommend is titled “The Immortality Key” by Brian C. Muraresku, which is a fascinating story focused on the origins of religion.
Though a librarian now, Brown originally wanted to be a news broadcaster, but she later realized that it was not the ideal occupation for her. After helping out in a library in the past and discovering that she enjoys working with children, she became a librarian following the training she had to go through.
The best part of her job, in her opinion, is watching kids grow and develop as people within the safe space of the library. “And that to me is exciting…It’s seeing a young person start to know and understand who they are and how they fit in the world, in a real way,” she stated. The library is a very productive and resourceful place where anyone with a purpose can spend their time, and Brown has enjoyed watching kids frequent the space and develop who they are as people.
There are often many kids who want to begin reading but do not know where to start, and Brown would advise them to find books on a topic of interest to them as well as their level. She also says that reading requires much practice, mentioning “you have to build stamina to read a book.”
Brown is still thinking about what she wants to pursue in the future, though she still loves her position as the head librarian very much. Even with its rigorous schedule, there are many rewarding aspects about the job, and she truly enjoy being able to provide a learning space for students where they are able to grow as people.
