The Book Charmer

My name is Charmaine Ng. I do not claim to be a "book charmer," but I thought it was an appropriate trying-hard-to-be-clever pun. Forgive me.

I'm a senior at the University of Oregon, but I was born and raised in San Francisco. I read about and consume a lot of entertainment, mostly TV and movies. My preferred medium is magazine. My dad raised me on subscriptions as much as weekly trips to the local library. I'm kind of odd and have a tendency to be too blunt. I dream of being capable at photography, designing, and event planning someday. I also would like to own a Scottish Terrier or Corgi.

So why I'm here...

by Gerald Pereira

I love writing and reading and believe very strongly in the power of both. And I am beginning to believe that my post-graduation path (official next June) lies with books. I will be graduating with a degree in journalism, but by no means am I leaving that or my passion for social media behind. I hope to utilize all of these skills and more - just in an often overlooked setting.

You see, I'm still passionate about story. I just want to tell a new one.

But I'm not pursuing a career in books because I love them. In fact, I've barely touched a book in the past four years (I've been catching up!). I see the innovations coming and am completely inspired by the profession as a whole. The future of bookstores and libraries lie in the community. They act as resources, share information, and take the knowledge out of the books. They are the "other space," your second home where you can work, study, and relax. Why wouldn't you want to be part of that?

Honestly, I am flat-out intimidated by librarianship. Handling information and research is not my forte. It is single-handedly holding me back from jumping in (and don't get me started on cataloging!). But I'm hoping that volunteering and job shadowing will help me gather a more informed look at what the job entails.

I tend to have a lot of faith in "dying" industries. See: journalism degree. But people are indeed fighting for change and will lead the way. Librarians are not going to go quietly. And I refuse to let my dreams die.

So here's to a new blog, goal, and adventure! I hope you'll join me.