Nichelle Denoon Success Story - Division of Education, Research and Technology

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SUCCESS STORY

Nichelle Denoon

Librarian IV

Bachelor of Arts (B. A.) – Library and Information Studies (Major), Economics (Minor)

What is your name?

Nichelle Denoon

What is your career?

Librarianship

What was your area of study?

B.A. in Library and Information Studies (Major), Economics (Minor) from University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica (2005-2008) and Master of Science (M. Sc.) in International Business Administration from Arthur Lok Jack, Global School of Business (2011-2013).

What qualifications are needed for your career path?

Library and Information Studies: At least five CXC passes and two A’ Level passes in any area.

What motivated your choice of study and career path?

I joined the field in September 2000 as a Library Assistant I. After working as a Library Assistant for five years I decided it was time to do something more with my life. Originally, I wanted to travel abroad to study Economics as this was my passion, but as that wasn’t working out, in 2005 I considered a career in librarianship. I did some serious introspection and pondered: “I have five years of experience, there is a shortage of professionally trained librarians in Tobago and employment after completion of my studies is guaranteed.” With encouragement from colleagues, and family members, I applied, and the university accepted me.

How has DATAS Scholarship, Grant, or Bursary impacted your experience?

I always knew that my family did not have the wherewithal to put me through university and the savings I had accumulated over the five years of working, would not take me very far. When I received my acceptance letter, I applied to the Department of Advanced Training and Advisory Services (DATAS) for financial assistance which was not readily available. In order to cover tuition, books, travelling and living expenses, I applied for the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP) through Scotia Bank. My savings allowed me to survive the first year thereabout. Fortunately, in January 2006, the government announced a new initiative to assist students with funding their studies. This was GATE. It allowed my funds to stretch further. Eventually, I received the loan from Scotia Bank. However, my funds were low at the end of 2006, so I remained in Jamaica for Christmas. In 2007, DATAS started disbursing funds to me. I received the funds in three tranches. This allowed me to return home at the end of the academic year in 2007 and again at Christmas of 2007. I completed my studies in 2008 and graduated later that year with first-class honours in Library and Information Studies (Major) and Economics (Minor). After completing my studies, I repaid the loan to Scotia Bank in short order. This allowed me to begin a new chapter of my life debt free.

Describe your journey and the efforts made to be where you are now.

I left Tobago to study in Jamaica in 2005 with the intention of returning to Tobago with qualifications in Librarianship. However, as I approached my second year at University, I recognized that my passion for economics remained unabated and added it as a minor. Because I was doing well in economics, I was encouraged by classmates to switch majors. I was resolute in what I wanted, it was simple, get the qualification to be a Librarian, return to Tobago and give back to my country. I completed my studies in May 2008 and returned to Tobago thereafter.

I later assumed duties at Roxborough Branch Library which was without a Librarian for a long time. I worked as a Librarian for one year before being reverted to a Library Assistant. 2009 to 2013 were some of the most frustrating years of my life, as despite being qualified as a Librarian, I was back to where I started thirteen years before. In 2013, I accepted the Librarian II post offered by the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) and later moved to Scarborough Library to manage the Technical Services Unit and support the library’s efforts to catalogue the entire collection of the libraries, as the department prepared for the opening of the new Scarborough Library. Two years later, I moved to the School Library Unit to manage the delivery of school library and information services to nine Secondary Schools and some Primary Schools in Tobago. After two years, NALIS promoted me to the post of Librarian III and head of Tobago Library Services. I served in the position of head of Tobago Library Services from 2018 to 2020 and again from 2022 to the present. I am now acting as Librarian IV. I am proud of my accomplishment. Despite not being successful in the Common Entrance Examination, I was able to beat the odds and go on to attain first-class honours at the undergraduate level and distinction at the graduate level. I am eternally grateful to God for his enabling power and to my parents for recognizing the value of a sound education and sacrificing much to support me on this journey.

What do you like best about your job?

Library and Information Studies encompass all fields of knowledge, so libraries are havens for lifelong learners. As a Librarian, I can design services for people based on their information needs and manage the delivery of these services. I can also create and transform inviting spaces and allow persons from even the lowest strata of society to enter and enjoy. Libraries promote reading, and literacy and are the foundation for functional, productive, and successful citizens. Libraries are the gateway to information and, through partnerships, allow the public access to various information and services for free. They are social institutions that bring people together to learn, grow, and establish a sense of belonging. Libraries allow the underprivileged access to free resources and services and provide opportunities for them to rise to a level of success similar to their wealthy counterparts. The library is a technology hub. It is one of the few places with a high level of technological integration on the island, as all of its processes rely on technology.

Staff in the library are highly competent in technology because their job depends on it.

If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? If not, what would you change?

The journey that brought me to where I am today was a difficult one, punctuated by moments of disappointment, despondency, and despair. However, there have been a few wonderful experiences. Among them is the opportunity to travel to Italy in 2009 to attend the IFLA 75th Library Conference. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for which I will be eternally grateful. My experience working in the library taught me to be patient, disciplined, and resilient. It allowed me to grow and mature fast very early in my career and to be accountable as reporting is a huge part of what is required of the job.

What are some tips to give to persons wanting to follow your career path?

Anyone who wishes to pursue education at any level must be disciplined, committed, and prepared to work hard.

Anyone who wants to pursue a career in Library and Information Studies must understand; –

Library work is service oriented.
A Librarian must be prepared to interact with people in a way that allows him/her to satisfy their needs.
A Librarian must be able to assess the community the library serves to determine its leisure and information needs in order to be relevant. Being a lifelong learner is an added asset, as a librarian must view him/herself as a Chief Information Officer wherever he/she finds him/herself because a librarian must know where and how to access information that is accurate, credible, current, and relevant. The more you read, the more you know and the more empowered you are to help those who require your help.

The University of the West Indies Mona Campus, Jamaica, COSTAATT, Trinidad and Tobago and Aberystwyth University, London are a few institutions offering Library and Information Studies programmes.

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