Jessica Schneider graduated from the Pratt Institute in 2012 with a Masters degree in Library and Information Science.  She has been the Head of Youth Services at the Fort Lee Public Library since 2020.

Strangely enough, despite her love for libraries and reading, it took her some time to realize her passion for library services and her desire to be a librarian.

Before beginning graduate school Jessica worked a number of odd jobs in different fields including promotional products. She quickly realized the things that she loved the most about these jobs were; the research involved in the many different projects, the planning, social media and promotion that came with each project, and the excellent customer service she was able to provide.

This led her to think about a career in library services.  She was lucky enough to gain insight into the world of libraries before beginning her studies with a summer internship as Volunteer Coordinator at the American Libraries Association in Washington D.C.  It was there that Jessica discovered her passion for library advocacy and outreach.

Jessica believes that outreach and advocacy are the library’s biggest strength when it comes to gaining the support of their local communities. From the start of her studies and career in library science, Jessica has looked for ways to create more community tailored programming for libraries.  Jessica believes that through programming and outreach, the library can become a center for the community that is vitally important to its growth.

Much of her career has been a series of happy accidents. Jessica never planned on being a youth services librarian, in graduate school she thought she’d like to work with government documents! She has really enjoyed connecting with the community in every position she has held though and can’t imagine any other career.

When not at the library, Jessica can usually be found watching obscene amounts of reality and British television, reading an eclectic variety of books, hanging out with her dog, and dreaming about where she wants to travel next.

Check out this site to learn more about her previous work, current projects, and interests.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions here.