Member Profile: Jane Whittingham

Hi everyone! I’m Jane, one of the two Co-Convenors of the BLCA LGBTQ Interest Group. Though I’m fairly new to this group, I’m thrilled to be here, and I’m  looking forward to connecting with library staff and students across the province.

I have had a bit of a colourful career path that has included, among others things, stints as a bank teller, a student services coordinator for an international school, a legal assistant, an ESL teacher, a McDonalds cashier and a costumed museum interpreter! In 2014 I graduated with my MLIS from the University of British Columbia, and can now add “librarian” to that diverse list of titles.

I’m an auxiliary children’s librarian with the Vancouver Public Library, and I’m currently working primarily with school-age children. I thrive on being busy, so I wear a number of different hats – when I’m not working on the BCLA LGBTQ blog or twitter account, I’m co-editor of the BCLA YAACS newsletter YAACING, a BCLA YAACS Continuing Education Committee Member, the Social Media Coordinator for the Red Cedar and Stellar Youth Choice Book Awards, a casual book blogger, and an all-around busy person. The more the merrier, I always say!

Like most librarians I am passionate about social justice. I know that I can’t change the world by myself, but hopefully by being open to new perspectives and ideas I can help make a difference in the lives of the people around me in my community. An instructor once told me that being a librarian isn’t about knowing everything, it’s about knowing how to look for everything. We all have so much to learn from each other, regardless of our age, job title, experience level, or place on the gender/sexuality spectrum. I sincerely hope that this group will provide another opportunity for us to share our knowledge, skills and talents so that we can provide the best possible service wherever we might find ourselves.

You can connect with me by email at janekwhittingham@gmail.com, on my blog, on twitter or on Instagram. I look forward to meeting you!