Email Amy at: sase@cebridge.net
Authors Among Us - Children's Writers Who Are or Who Have Been Librarians
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Amy
Houts Email Amy at: sase@cebridge.net |
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Authors Among Us - Children's Writers Who Are or Who Have Been Librarians |
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Featured Titles from Missouri Author Amy Houts
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Dora the Explorer: Safety (A wipe-off workbook.) |
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Cooking Around the Calendar With Kids Recipes and more information available at: |
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Winifred
Witch and her Very Own Cat
Dalmatian Press, 2001 |
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| Amy is also the author
of: Dora the Explorer Preschool Adventure, Learning Horizons, 2006. Dora the Explorer Addition. Learning Horizons, 2005. Dora the Explorer Subtraction. Learning Horizons, 2005. Dora the Explorer Safety. Learning Horizons, 2004. Dora the Explorer Trace & Draw. Learning Horizons, 2004. Winifred Witch and her Very Own Cat. Dalmatian Press, 2001. Cooking Around the Calendar with Kids. Images Unlimited, 2001. On the Farm. Dalmatian Press, 2000. The Princess and the Pea. Dalmatian Press, 1999. An A*B*C Christmas. Standard Publishing, 1993. Learning Through Cooking Activities. Preschool Publications, 1993 Forthcoming books: |
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| What influenced you to become a
librarian?
I have always loved books, and was brought up in a household of wonderful books. My mother and father are both book lovers and readers. We always had great libraries near us, too. The book mobile was a favorite of mine, in Levittown, New York, where I lived until I was ten years old. Originally, when I was 18 years old, I majored in Home Economics, but only attended 2 years before getting married. Ten years later, when I got divorced and needed to finish my degree, my father, who has great insight, recommended I try library science. I had thought about journalism, too, but didn't want a high pressure job with deadlines. Being a librarian, I thought, would marry my love for books with my writing life. Do you have a library/information science degree? Yes, I have a B.S. degree with a library science major, from Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, Missouri. At that time, (1990) they were still giving B.S. degrees with library science. Now, NWMSU doesn't have a library science major. I would have to go to MU in Columbia, MO to get a masters. What kinds of library positions have you held and where? Children's librarian/clerk at the Maryville Public Library, Maryville, MO. Librarian at the First United Methodist Church, Maryville, MO (volunteer). How long were you a librarian? Just under two years at the Maryville Public Library. About three years at the Methodist Church. Are you currently working as a librarian? No. Do you plan to continue in the profession? Not at this time. Why did you leave it? I worked part-time, (so I would have time to do my other writing) and asked if I could work another day, besides Saturdays, as I was missing my daughter's sports games. The director said I had to work Saturdays. Which came first in your life, your work as a librarian, or writing for children? Writing for children has always come first. Did your library work have anything to do with becoming a children’s writer? No, I was already writing for children. Did your library work directly influence your work as an author? Yes -- I could see the new books coming in. But it was a small sampling of what is published. We have a small library here: only 35,000 books, only10,000 juvenile. Sometimes a patron would ask about a certain type of book we didn't have, and I would make a mental note of it. Did librarianship increase your knowledge of children’s literature and influence the kinds of things you chose to write? It influenced my knowledge, and the more I read, the more I was influenced about what to write. Did incidents from your library work ever make it into your books? I've thought quite a lot about this, and have written down a few stories. (Not published.) What were the greatest benefits of being a librarian to you as a writer? Doing story hour was the greatest benefit. I was able to research a theme, read books on that theme, plan activities to go with the theme, and read to young children. It was a favorite of mine, plus it gave me ideas to write about. Were there any drawbacks to being a librarian and also a writer? Time. Having enough time to do both. If you wrote while working as as librarian, how did you manage the time-juggling act? Working part-time was ideal. I had time to do both. The more I work outside the home, the less I write. It has a direct impact. Did you find any conflicts or job-related difficulties in being both a writer and a librarian? I often wished I was at home, writing. How did your library administration
and colleagues view your authorship? I don't think the director cared. The patrons who knew seemed to like it, especially teachers. Do you feel that librarianship had specific benefits to you as a writer? Being more aware of what is out there, and what people are reading. Amy Houts' publications include:
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Last Updated April 8, 2007