Her Story
About Yvette
My journey into library services was more of a happenstance than a planned inspiration. I started with an undergraduate degree in economics with a specialization in business management, and while in undergrad, I began working as a page at the New York City Public Library, still thinking I would pursue corporate business. When I graduated during a recession, they offered me a position as a library information specialist. Once I got to that level and delved more into the library work, information literacy, and helping people meet their information needs, I realized this was something I really love and enjoy because I'm passionate about lifelong learning and enabling students to empower themselves to be greater and be successful. I felt like this role would really fulfill that need and continue to inspire me and make me more passionate about helping regular people. After earning my MLIS (Master in Information Library Science) from Pratt Institute in New York City, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, or more specifically Lawrenceville, nearly 30 years ago. I've been at Gwinnett Technical College since 2006 and in my current role as Director of Library Services for about 10 years. In this position, I oversee the entire library with a lot of administrative responsibilities, spearhead our information literacy and library instruction schedule by making contact with faculty and different programs to meet student needs, assist with cataloging and our ILMS system, and engage students beyond the classroom through programs like poetry night and story night. The biggest challenge in my field is showing our value to the rest of the college, but I address this by constantly engaging with faculty, staff, and VPs, always highlighting what the library does and how we contribute to student success.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Yvette
01What do you attribute your success to?
What led to my success is my passion. I'm passionate enough about what I do. Once you're passionate, you're always going to be continuously learning and looking for ways in which you can improve and enhance your job and your workplace community.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received is to pretty much just focus and always find avenues for continuous learning in your field and expanding. We are highly encouraged to do a lot of staff development, so it gives you that exposure to what is new in the field and what can be done to enhance your job in itself.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
They have to love it, because it's not about the money. If it was about the money, I probably wouldn't be here. You have to figure out what your passion is, because coming into this field, there are different ways in which you can contribute. Some people may want to be just a frontline staff because they interact well with the public, while some people may want to be at a higher level administrative level, so you have to find your niche. A lot of people come into the library thinking, oh, I want to work in the library because I like reading, but it is so much more than that. You have to have a really good understanding of what it encompasses when it comes to working in this field. A lot of it is continuous learning and teaching and engaging others so that they can make informed decisions in life. It's about lifelong learning, not only for you, but for the people that you engage with.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is showing your value to the rest of the college. As a librarian and assistant director, sometimes we have to work harder at this because librarians tend to be a little bit more introverted, so we sometimes lack showing the value of how we play a role in the college. However, it's not much of a big challenge for me because I engage a lot with faculty, staff, and VPs however I can, whether it's walking down the hall and having a conversation, always highlighting what the library does and how the library can contribute to student success. There are always challenges with change, and making that change can be hard, but after you're working for the longest, you know that challenges are going to come.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Having a decent character is important to me, along with honesty and giving. I value making people understand perspective and what it means to not only work but contribute in a positive way. I believe in constantly learning and enlightening others in what we can contribute, and helping them realize that they're developing skills that would help them not only be successful in a classroom, but within their workplace and in the workforce. It's about helping people understand what all of this means for their lives.
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