Highly Textured Librarian: Carla

high•ly tex•tured li•brar•i•an: A person who is a specialist in library work and has curly or kinky hair.

Welcome Carla to Librarian Dreams.

1. What is your signature hair style and how do you achieve it?

When I don’t wear my hair straight, I rod set it using setting lotion and Olive Oil spray that I found at the Dollar Tree. Last month, I tried a straw set for the first time ever and I really liked it. It seemed to hold my curls longer and better than the perm rods did. I’ve also twisted my hair and worn it in the twist out style. I am a frequent user of olive oil, setting lotion, Jamaica Black Castor Oil, and shea butter.

2. Which books could give insight on you as a person? Why?

I think all books have a message. It’s up to the reader to discern the message that is there for them. So many books that I have read in my life that have spoke to me and gave me insight into life, my life, and what life is really all about.

I initially purchased Open Wide the Freedom Gates: A Memoir by Dorothy I. Height because Height and I are members of the same sorority, but I learned so much about her life reading this book. She was a mover and shaker from a young age, served the community, and gave her life for equality for minorities and women. Friend me on Goodreads to see the other books that have been a 5 star read for me.

What is your role at the library?

Since December 2011, I volunteered as an intern with the Government and Heritage Library of the State Library of North Carolina which is a special library. I helped the Reference and Outreach Librarian with library programming, including the library’s open house, family history fair, and 1940 Census Release Celebration. I have written blogs for the library and recently I started a Pinterest account for the library which has been a lot of fun and is part of an assignment for my Special Library Course. I also perform reference duties in the Genealogy and Government and History Research Rooms.

On October 1^st, I began working as a librarian at the African American Cultural Center at North Carolina State University which is a special collections library in an academic setting. It’s a new position for me and I know that I am going to learn a lot in the role and use what I learned interning at the State Library and in the classroom at North Carolina Central University to make the library shine and serve as a vital resource to the campus community. I have some great ideas up my sleeve and look forward to bringing them to fruition.

4. Which highly textured authors do you recommend we read?

Ernessa T. Carter, Martha Southgate, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Eleanora Tate, Rita Williams Garcia, Sherri L. Smith, Beverly Jenkins, Bernice McFadden, and Carleen Brice.

Want to know more about Carla? You can find her on her Twitter page and on Goodreads.

Are you a highly textured librarian too? If you would like to be featured, send an email to highlytexturedlibrarian AT gmail.com.

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