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Angela’s Dyslexia Story: The Dyslexic Librarian
Dyslexia was mentioned when Angela was at school, but she was never officially tested and never received any extra help.
Angela was aware that she struggled more than her peers, but being the youngest of three siblings, she was naturally competitive and determined to prove herself.
“There was definitely an element of pride there. Both my siblings were very bright, and they both went to university. I didn’t want to be seen as the stupid younger sibling.”
Despite her suspected dyslexia, Angela was naturally bright, and she managed to get good grades by devising her own little tips and tricks when it came to reading and spelling – the lyrics to an Oasis song becoming her way of remembering the difference between ‘where and were’.
Knowing her left and right was another struggle, and she developed a tactile memory to help her distinguish directions by which hand her watch was on.
“Not many people realise that dyslexia isn’t just about reading and writing. For me it’s also coordination. It’s turning the taps the wrong way and staring at a push sign and not understanding why pulling doesn’t open it. It’s also pronunciation, and words dropping out of my head.”
Testament to her hard work and determination, Angela went on to study Geography at university, thinking she might go into teaching. But it became quickly apparent that teaching wasn’t the career for her.
After her undergrad, Angela had having a crisis of confidence. Her degree had taken it out of her. Reading and writing felt increasingly exhausting, and she was fearful of entering the world of work, convinced she wasn’t bright enough for any of the graduate jobs her friends were going for.
At 23, Angela moved up to Coventry with her boyfriend (now husband) and got chatting to his sister (Angela’s sister in-law) about her role as a librarian. The problem-solving elements of the job fascinated Angela, and she decided this might be the career for her.
After a brief stint of work experience at a local library, Angela enrolled in a Masters in Library and Information Studies at Loughborough University. And it was while writing her Masters thesis that she finally figured out for herself that might be dyslexic.
“It was completely random, actually. I was in a Chinese takeaway, and I picked up an old copy of News of the World. The cover was advertising a quiz called ‘are you dyslexic?’. I took it and answered yes to almost every question.”
Angela was diagnosed just in time to get extra support with writing her dissertation and qualified aged 25, armed and ready to take on the working world.
Now 46, Angela is still enjoying her career as a librarian. Working in a small team, she’s valued as being a key problem solver and loves the fact that her job isn’t limited to just reading and writing.
In her role, Angela has had the chance to learn basic coding and web design, while always being on hand to help solve any problem a customer walks in with.
Of course, there are elements of the job she finds harder than others. Putting things in order can sometimes be a struggle, but Angela isn’t afraid to ask for help anymore, and will proudly tell people she’s dyslexic, knowing that where she might need help with some things, she’s also an incredible asset to the team.
“My brain is like a constant movie. I love the way I think. It means I can solve problems in ways other people can’t. I also see art and movies in a slightly different way. I’m really good at interpreting and finding meaning in visual things. I wouldn’t change being dyslexic now.”
If Angela could give her younger self one piece of advice, it would be to have more confidence. Not every it good at everything. But if you love something enough, you can overcome all sorts of barriers.
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