Joe Stoner

Alameda County Library

Newark, CA USA

"Today, libraries are all about enabling and inspiring people to achieve their goals."

Career Roadmap

Joe's work combines: Education, Music, and Communicating / Sharing Stories

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Library Manager

I manage a public library with about 20 staff.

Bachelor's Degree: Sociology

Graduate Degree: Library and Information Science

My path in life took a while to figure out

1.
Two summers with a touring music group. I played lead trombone in a big band and then orchestra. We rode a bus and stayed with host families giving a concert every day.
2.
Resident intern in a half-way house. Lived with a dozen men and women of all ages recently paroled from prison.
3.
Truck Driver. After college, feeling trapped by expectations. I needed a big change so I drove 18-wheelers cross-country for 15 months, sleeping in the cab. Proud I could "float the gears."
4.
Caregiver for disabled adults. While I got my master's degree I worked from 10 pm Friday to 3 pm Sunday, caring for men with physical and mental disabilities. Yes, I got paid to sleep.
5.
Librarian. First librarian job in Las Vegas NV. I loved meeting a wide range of people and hearing their life stories.
6.
Library Outreach Dept Supervisor. Told I was hired because they could tell I cared and wasn't just in it for the next promotion. Teased for years for being shy, learned I enjoyed public speaking.
7.
Job hunting for 15 months, 14 interviews. Following my partner to CA, I learned that competition for jobs varies widely. Similar jobs in the same region can have far more applicants.
8.
Library Manager, San Francisco Bay Area. Get to meet and work with many fascinating people from all over the world.

Keep following my journey

THE NOISE
Messages from Friends:
But librarians don't make money. It's boring. Does anyone even use the library anymore?
How I responded:
Libraries are thriving because we keep reinventing and adapting our work to meet community needs. There is so much freedom in our work. For example, I am a musician and have found many ways to incorporate music into my work. I tell people I became a librarian because I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. Library work has let me dabble in many different areas. As for pay, average librarian salaries are above the median for all jobs with some positions paying much more.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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Growing up and into my first years of college, I was a perfectionist. One of the best things I ever did was fail a class in my 3rd year and end up on Academic Probation. I learned I could accomplish much more by not worrying about perfection.

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