Meet Calla Jarvie of Luverne

Today we’d like to introduce you to Calla Jarvie.

Hi Calla, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Calla Bjorklund Jarvie, and I am the library director at the Rock County Community Library in Luverne, Minnesota. I am also a jewelry designer. I have loved libraries for my entire life – I grew up going to the library 30 miles from me, which was paradise. I began working in a library at age 24 and have been in a library ever since. I became a library director in 2018 and received my Masters’s Degree in 2019. I have been making jewelry since I was a child, but I opened my Etsy store in 2016. I began making jewelry from beach glass found at Lake Poinsett, South Dakota. Since then, I have expanded my jewelry designs. They are always rooted in nature and found items.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a smooth road?
As to my career as a librarian, we must constantly change to stay relevant and interesting to our communities. There have certainly been challenges along the way. One of the biggest challenges was earning my Masters’s Degree while I was working full-time. Becoming a jewelry designer had its challenges, as well. It has a big learning curve, and I have worked for the past six years to improve my designs and my Etsy shop all the time.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the library director at the Rock County Community Library in Luverne, Minnesota. I do a lot of everything related to library operations: I create the budget, select books, check books in and out, plan and run programs, and more. I am proud of two things in my library directorship: eliminating late fees and starting a monthly Trivia Night. I think I am most known for Trivia Night – the library hosts it at the local brewery each month, and we consistently have an attendance of over 90. What sets me apart from others is a willingness to try new things and not be afraid of failure. Everything is a learning experience.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting.
My advice to those just starting in the library world is to come in with an open mind. Working in a library is much different than many expect, but it is wonderful. You will meet the most wonderful people and have the best connections. You will also be faced with professional challenges you would never have imagined. My recommendation is if you think you want to go to graduate school for library science, work in a library first. The experience is worth everything and will make graduate school much more relatable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/midwestcharmbycalla/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwestcharmbycalla

Image Credits
Calla Bjorklund Jarvie