The stereotypical librarian is a punitive, introverted, bun-wearing lady who constantly shushes people.

Jane Farmer, the librarian at McCallum High School, definitely doesn’t fit that description.

Ms. Farmer has been the librarian at McCallum Fine Arts Academy for the past eight years. She previously worked at McBee Elementary School for eight years and before that she worked at Summit Elementary School for 10 years. She is of average height with her hair cut short and Ray-Ban glasses framing her face.

She doesn’t look like a traditional librarian. She also didn’t always know that she would be one. “I think I just fell into it,” she says. “I’ve always loved to read.”

Ms. Farmer graduated from the University of Texas as an English major. She enjoys her job and what it entails. “A lot of the things fall into categories, so one of them has to do with the collection,” she says. “I get to order new books and different kinds of materials but also get to decide if things need to go away because they’re older or out of date. And so, I think its an important part of what I do.”

As with most everything in today’s world, technology has changed libraries dramatically in recent years. Libraries have become more advanced, and so have the jobs of librarians. Before computers, librarians had to sort books using card catalogs. Card catalogs, according to dictionary.reference.com, are “a file of cards of uniform size arranged in some definite order and listing the items in the collection of a library or group of libraries, each card typically identifying a single item.”

They took a lot of effort to keep track of. The integration of technology into the library system has helped a great deal. The McCallum library has about 30 computers available for student use, and Ms. Farmer helps library users take full advantage of the computers as a research tool. She doesn’t just help the students, but the teachers as well. She collaborates with teachers on research projects, helping them find the materials they need and figuring out what a project might look like.

Though being a librarian is a huge part of who Ms. Farmer is, she also helps with other activities around school while still having time for herself. Ms. Farmer is a co-sponsor for the National Honors Society, a sponsor for Creative Writing Club, and the sponsor for the Book Club. Outside of school, Ms. Farmer plays hand bells and sings in her church choir.

If it wasn’t for librarians like Ms. Farmer, who is always around to help, it seems many people would be helpless. Ms. Farmer may only be a librarian, but she plays a large role in making McCallum McCallum. Who knows what we would do without her? Here’s to hoping we never find out.