I have been a librarian for about three years and have worked in many
libraries for much longer. I am also dyslexic which I have been since I
have known the meaning of that word's existence. Weird you say but it's
the truth. Dyslexia is a learning disability, which, for me effects my
writing and reading abilities. I don't write letters backwards but I spell
words with the letters switched around. I would refer to it as abstract
spelling or surliest writing. Actually it effects my writing skills much
more than my reading skills. If it wasn't for Microsoft Word and
spell-check, I'd be lost, extremely frustrated. You know the old advice
that if you can't figure out how to spell a word that you should look it up in
the dictionary. In my case, I couldn't even figure out how the word even
looked in order to located it in the dictionary.
As a teenager and before the age of computers, I have thrown many
dictionaries across my bedroom and sometimes cracking windows and denting
walls. The typewriter was and is still my sworn enemy. If it wasn't
for my Mom's who was more than happy to type up my homework assignments, I might
not have graduated high school on time. As for college, I did not start
college until I was 21 years old because I was so afraid of how my learning
disability would affect my academic performance. Actually, I was too
afraid and thoughts I was too stupid too remotely get through college. If
it wasn't for my older sister emotionally blackmailing me to apply to the
College of Staten Island, I might have never gone. I remember crying the
night before my first day of college because I was that terrified.
The first week was terrifying, but after that first week, I began to fell
more and more confidant. The college had an office called Special Students
Office where they provided tutoring and just support. In fact, I meet so
many other college students with so many physical and learning disabilities who
were these academic soldiers. I still admire them. I also learned
how to use the computer, which completely turned everything around for me.
I was getting assume grades in almost every class. I graduated with honors
and oh my God; I could believe the journey I went through from fear to
achievement.
Somewhere along the recent line, I decided to become a librarian. I
loved to read, help people and I always had a thing for putting things in
order. I remember as a baby that I use to classify my stuffed animals in
my crib. Does my learning disability effect my job as a librarian? Yes it
does. It's hard to look up certain words in a database if you can't spell
them. However, that fact as never stopped me at all. There are many
databases that check spelling that I know how to cut and paste from and into
other not so helpful databases. In other words, being a dyslexic librarian
does not mean I cannot do my job. I just adapted different ways to get it
done. I love being a librarian and I am not going to allow dyslexia from
stopping from doing it.
dys·lex·ia – NOUN: A learning disorder marked by impairment of the
ability to recognize and comprehend written words.
li·brar·i·an – NOUN: 1. A
person who is a specialist in library work. 2. A person who is responsible for a
collection of specialized or technical information or materials, such as musical
scores or computer documentation.
con·tra·dic·tion –
1 : act or an instance of contradicting
2 a : a
proposition, statement, or phrase that asserts or implies both the truth and
falsity of something b : a statement or phrase whose parts contradict each other
<a round square is a contradiction in terms>
3 a : logical incongruity
b : a situation in which inherent factors, actions, or propositions are
inconsistent or contrary to one another
Books –
- Everything you need to know about dyslexia by Meish Goldish.
- Adam Zigzag / Barbara Barrie.
- The worst speller in jr. high / by Caroline Janover ; edited by Rosemary
Wallner
- Freak the Mighty / Rodman Philbrick.
- Matthew Pinkowski's special summer / written and illustrated by Patrick
Quinn.
