I have a confession: I don’t always love library school.  I know I want to be a librarian, and library school is helping me to achieve that, but the fact is, it isn’t always rainbows and smiles.  Sometimes you have to take classes you don’t enjoy, do assignments that don’t seem relevant, or deal with people you’d just rather avoid.

This summer has been one of those times for me.  I’ve been busy from the get-go, finishing up the fieldwork requirement for my program, taking classes, and working on a very time-intensive project for my graduate assistantship.  While I recognize the value of all of these things, it hasn’t been the most fun or exciting summer.

Now, the fall semester is about to start up again, and I’d really like to get back some of the excitement I felt a year ago, when I was first beginning my library school journey.  So I took to the internet, in search of inspiration, of something that would remind me why I decided to go to library school.

I thought I would share my findings with all of you, just in case anyone else out there is feeling a bit grouchy, exhausted, or unmotivated.  Here are a few reminders of what we aspire to, what we can accomplish, why we chose this path in the first place:

The ‘I Love My Librarian’ Award. This award, sponsored by The Carnegie Corporation of New York and The New York Times, is given to 10 amazing librarians each year. You can read about past winners and watch video interviews with them (and steal some of their great ideas) at this site.

Seattle’s ‘Books on Bikes’ Program. I always love to hear about libraries going out into their communities, and this is a great example of that, for both outreach and advocacy.

What Do You Geek? TEDx Talk. I know the geek the library movement isn’t something new, but Mary Stein is a dynamic and enthusiastic speaker, and I loved listening to her ideas-she made me excited to work in a library.

Abandoned Wal-Mart Turned Library. This is another not-so-new story, but it made a resurgence on social media recently, and was a reminder of the good things libraries bring to communities.

Libraries Changed My Life. This blog features inspirational stories from people who love and depend on libraries, and is a great example of how and why libraries and librarians matter.

Just reminding myself that libraries and librarians like this do exist has helped me get a little more motivated for my classes to start next week, and I hope, if you’ve been feeling like me, that it does the same for you.

Now it’s your turn: what inspired you to go to library school, or what inspiring library-related things have you discovered lately? Let me know in the comments.