Connie Rogers - Introduction

Me!  Connie Rogers

The summer after after my father died I decided to become a school librarian.

I had spent many years working in various fields, staying home to raise my children and working at various part time positions. My father had spent 45 years in his chosen profession — and loved his work and the positive impact that work had made on countless individuals.  I wanted the same — to work in an honorable professional and have a real impact.

I went back to school and earned a Masters in Library Information Science from Dominican.

In addition to library science, education classes, lots of observations and two clinicals (student teaching) were required to become a School Library Media Specialist.  School librarians are teachers!

As the School Library Media Specialist I go to our mission daily: provide a student centered library; support the curriculum; see that our students develop the skills to independently select and locate materials; teach students to effectively research; ensure that students can evaluate resources; and foster a love of reading.  All of this can only be accomplished by integrating teaching with the classroom teachers.

Learn more about the Roosevelt Library Learning Center!

Last year I was talking with some co-workers who were asking me about my recent college graduate son.  

“What type of job is your son looking for?” one of them asked.

“He is looking to go into sales,” I answered.

Jaws dropped all around.  

“Sales? Who graduates from college and works in sales?” they all wanted to know.

“Only everyone on my block except me and Dr. Gapinski,” I replied.

That encounter is a great example of why people from other walks of life should consider entering the education field.

Rogers Family, 2014

I have been married to my salesman husband Jim for 30 years.  Our daughter Katie is a Physical Therapist and will be married next year.  George did a year of marketing and is now trying sales.  Marty is a senior in college and Grace is a freshman.  The six of us are together far too seldom — thanks goodness for texting and Instagram!  My lifelong interest/hobby is my love of old movies. Can anyone identify the film I took by blog title from?