Introduction to Me

Dear Friends,
Here is an introduction to me- enjoy!

I was born in July 1975 in the small midwest town of Hutchinson, Kansas, and I am one of three children. My older bro, Jeff, is a jazz musician in the DC area and younger bro, Danny is a wildlife biologist in CO. My parents, now divorced, still live in KS. I grew up in Newton, KS and attended the University of KS from 1993-1998 studying music (piano and clarinet) and social work. I earned a degree in social work in 1998. I lived in Ft.Collins, CO from 1998-2002, working at a bookstore and then as a housing counselor for low income single moms. I adopted two cats, Aslan (from Chronicles of Narnia, a favorite book series) and Sabine (a German name I liked). They are quite a pair- very affectionate and entertaining.

In 2002, my boyfriend Mark and I and our cats moved to Portland, OR to pursue work and a dream of living on the West Coast near the ocean. Mark is a civil engineer in water resources and I do social work, specifically Information and Referral service for a small nonprofit in downtown PDX that helps low income seniors. In August, 2003 we got married on the beach in the small coastal town of Oceanside. It was an amazing experience. I love Portland, living in the SE area, walking to cafes, shops, the grocery store, movies, and my favorite browsing place, Powell's Books! Some other favorites of mine include reading novels, making jewelry and cards, hiking, listening to jazz, traveling, writing, and yoga. Words that describe me include: funny, sensitive, compassionate, introspective, idealistic, clumsy, impulsive, and creative.

I am a first year distance student in the Masters of Library and Information Science (dMLIS) program. I do most of my graduate work online, and also work 30 hours/wk at my job. I am interested in public librarianship, including children/youth and reference, and I plan on doing research regarding digital reference services. I am very interested in social/cultural issues in Amsterdam. I have a good friend Trish, who lives in Amsterdam and can offer a more "up close and personal" perspective on the culture there. I look forward to getting to know everyone, and will try to come to Seattle when I can.