Poteet says that she and her husband have recently bought a house in Big Stone Gap; she was previously living and teaching in Grundy. I asked how long it takes her to get work everyday and she answered with a simple 40 minutes, and implied that she did not mind the drive. I personally felt like this drive would seem a little too lengthy.
Mrs. Poteet said that she never really planned on using her library degree, but when she went to Grundy for a position in their school, they told her they didn't have an opening in the area she wanted. She claims to love this job and says that the students here have really impressed her. When asked what she thought about her coworkers, her eyes brightened and she gave a couple of teachers' names that she really enjoyed conversing with. She said she is trying to get everything done soon, not only is she trying to organize, order, and clean books, but she is also going to as many school events as possible. She loves the atmosphere of a small school and knowing the names of every student. She says, "Being in a small school, I think, you end up wearing a lot of hats that make you want to be more involved."
She says the only dilemma she had was the scary feeling of not having the same relationship with the students here, at JIB, as she did with her previous students. However, she is extremely happy with the response she got when she arrived. When asked about her first week of school, she replied with, "It was good, but I was also trying to fight with the image that this library had last year and even the image that it may have had the year before. I wanted to make it very active, student oriented, and a -- I hate to say this, but not just a dumping ground for students with no where else to go. This is not a detention, this is not a holding place. This is a place where I want you guys to come and feel safe and sound enough to read - or even hang out. I have opened it up to even use during lunch."
I got to ask what advice she would give to a future librarian and she stated that the biggest thing she could think of was to not get overwhelmed because working with that many books and students can get very worrisome. Poteet continued on to say, "Sort of remaining calm and knowing that the ultimate focus is on the students; and also knowing that ultimately, I am here to make sure and push you to reconnect to reading."
She still has many plans to make the library a fun and active place for JIB students. She was very delighted to find out that I have heard many good words about her as a librarian and a person. In my opinion, every student should meet and even have a conversation with Mrs. Poteet, even if it is just between classes. She has a very fun-loving and sweet personality, and I think all of our students will be able to form a positive relationship with her.
