Milton Career Changer Finds Ideal Job as Librarian at Boston Latin School

Finally, as a mid-career changer, Milton resident Diane Rodriguez found her ideal job, as the Head Librarian/Library Teacher at the Boston Latin School. 

“I was hired at Boston Latin in August 2011, and this is without a doubt the best job of my life. Gorgeous, spacious library at a prestigious exam school, generously funded by alums; new books and technology every year. The students are motivated to learn, and the other teachers treat me with respect,” says Rodriguez.   

As a high school librarian, Rodriguez is charged with offering support to the students and teachers on reading and research projects; and providing assistance in the use of all print, online and digital resources in the library.

Rodriguez made a career change into the field of school librarian after a career in financial services. Rodriguez was hired by the Bank of Boston as a financial adviser in the public finance department, right after graduating with  a bachelor’s degree in government and economics from Wheaton College. She continued working in the field for several different financial services companies, including one in Dallas, Texas.

After her children were born,  Rodriguez worked part-time. “Working three days per week at financial marketing jobs was the perfect balance for a mother of three. But after 20 years in financial services, I didn’t feel the passion anymore.  I was comfortable and happy at my job, but the ‘zing’ was gone. As my kids started school, I started to look around and think about what else I’d like to do,” says Rodriguez.

While volunteering at her children’s school library and serving as the PTO president at the , Rodriquez realized that the job of school librarian would be the perfect fit for her: She herself loves to read – and always has a book or two going; enjoys helping young people; is creative and energetic; is a whiz at internet research; and – last but not least – her schedule would match her children’s public school calendar.   

"I heard through the grapevine that there were going to be layoffs at Putnam. I was secretly planning my return to school, and attended a Simmons Open House for the Graduate School of Information Science,” says Rodriguez. “And then I was happily laid off.”

Taking advantage of the lay-off, her severance package and unemployment compensation, Rodriguez enrolled in the Library and Information Science master’s degree program at Simmons.

As an older student, Rodriguez applied the discipline she had learned from working to her studies: “I went to school every day, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., just like a job, to attend classes, study and complete assignments.  In that way, I rarely had to study when the kids were home or on weekends,” says Rodriguez.

After graduating in 2003, Rodriguez landed a job as a middle school library teacher with the Quincy Public Schools. She was assigned to different middle and elementary schools in Quincy, as positions were cut and not replaced. In 2009, Rodriguez was laid off again- this time not happily - when Quincy totally eliminated all K-8 library positions in the schools.

In 2010, Rodriguez was hired by the Boston Public School system as a library teacher at the McCormack Middle School. Over the summer, Rodriguez did some more soul-searching, and decided that the school library position with the best job security is one in a high school. Rodriguez applied for several high school openings in the Boston Public School system, and was hired in late August for the position at Boston Latin.

Rodriguez credits her success to her strong school library work experience, including working part-time in several college libraries; her excellent written letters of recommendation; her certifications in library teaching and English Language Learning; her up-to-date technology skills (she took continuing education classes in how to create websites and set up blogs; use RSS feeds,   Google Docs and Calendar) and her own strong determination. 

“Say your goals out loud to a friend, or write them down.  Someone once told me, ‘without goals, you have nowhere to go,’” says Rodriguez. “Never feel like you’re too old.”

And be patient – sometimes it takes awhile until you find the perfect job. “Every morning that I turn the key in the lock to my office, I am grateful, and I start the day determined to give the students a great learning and research experience,” says Rodriguez.