My name is Martika Allen, and I believe that the librarian must be aware of patrons' needs and how they change over time. It is important to create and maintain a welcoming environment so that people are willing to work with you and to seek your assistance--in short, if they don't feel welcome in your library, you won't have a library. The library was my second home growing up. At my library, your wealth didn’t matter. I couldn’t afford to buy all my favorite authors’, or even all my textbooks, but between my high school, public, and university libraries, I was well-supplied in both areas. At the library, my disability didn’t matter, either. I have a hard time making small talk with others, but my high school librarian and even my public librarians would take note of the books I checked out and draw me out of my shell by talking to me about those. They see the people, not just the library card.

I strive to be like these librarians. I keep an open mind, and I want to help others. I am patient, and I can think of different ways to teach and help others. Once, a patron had a problem with her computer. I tried to explain the issue, but she didn’t understand. Instead of getting frustrated, I walked to the computer with her to show her what I was talking about. She understood it this way. I was able to stay patient and keep an open mind to think of a different way to explain the problem to her instead of repeating the same thing over and over. Other examples of my work can be found at myotherhomeisthelibrary.wordpress.com.

I love to help people in anyway possible. The library allows me to do this while using my strengths to the best of my abilities; though my people skills are weaker, I excel at research and will not stop until I find an answer. I can use this ability to find the answer to a patron’s problem. For example, one of our regular patrons had trouble finding healthy recipes her daughter would like. I researched various kid-friendly, healthy recipes and mentioned them to her the next time I saw her. She was surprised that I remembered and pleased at my suggestions. Above all, I try to keep in mind my previous experiences with libraries as a refuge; like the librarians who helped me, I try to be patient and see the person, not the card, I am assisting.