Amy Dickinson – 25/75 Featured alumni
Branch Manager, St. Mary’s County Public Library
| Name | Amy Dickinson |
|---|---|
| Degree(s)/Year(s) received at FSU | MSI - 2017 |
| Please list awards, recognitions, other degrees/certificates earned, and leadership roles in professional organizations during your professional career. | Awards: 2017 FSU Academic Leadership Award Committees: 2019 SEFLIN Library Advocacy Standing Committee, 2019 SEFLIN Privacy and Security Learning, 2018 SEFLIN Adult Programming Discussion Group, 2018 SEFLIN Digital Youth Discussion Group, 2018 SEFLIN Training Liaisons Standing Committee Degrees: Bachelor of Music Performance - Stetson University, Master of Music Performance - Florida International University, MBA HR and Finance - CUNY Baruch |
| Current City | Lexington Park |
| Job position and company | Branch Manager, St. Mary's County Public Library - Leonardtown Branch |
| Tell us about your job. What does a typical day look like? | A typical day involves preparing the library for opening, working alongside my staff of 22 for operational and programming needs. We are in a new dual use facility, shared with a Senior Center, and though it is a new facility it can have its operational challenges. Each day is different, but there is almost always a building issue, a staff concern, a training matter, some form of outreach or community group communication, customer service needs and administrative concerns/issues. |
| What is your favorite thing about your job? | I love my staff and my boss. |
| How did you become interested in this career and how did your education prepare you for it? | I was looking to leave the finance industry and on a whim took an interview at a library. I worked in libraries previously, but they were all private and dealt with music publishing so it was a very different field. I left the interview knowing I had found my purpose and started applying to library schools the next day. I would say my education in music performance helped me to deal with a very diversified group of individuals which is a necessary skill set when working in a public library. I generally lived in large populated areas, so this helped in navigating that arena as well. Lastly, I learned in my education the need for time management. This was/is not multi-tasking, but just the need to compartmentalize varying responsibilities so that each can get its due time. |
| What does the future look like for you? What’s next? | I'm not really certain. I somewhat go where I'm needed. I moved here to take an Assistant Branch Manager position and shortly thereafter was promoted to Branch Manager and I was really happy with that choice. I really enjoy the system I am in now but am always open to the potential of change. |
| How long have you been working in the information profession? | In the public sector, since 2017. In the private sector from 2003-2013. |
| What did you learn that has been the most applicable/useful/vital to your current position? | Be grateful for the challenges you receive now. If you have the capability of appreciating the information you will learn as a result of them, the coming challenges have less potency. |
| What led you to choose to seek a graduate degree from the FSU School of Information? | It was highly rated, it was in state and I was approached and accepted into the IDEA program which allowed me to get the degree in one year and not two. |