Thomas Pettitt, class of 2020, started his library journey at age 14, a passion that was later supplemented through working at the Ithaca College Library’s multimedia desk during his undergraduate years. Alongside Pettitt’s B.A. in Writing, he pursued minors in Deaf studies and linguistics, both complementing his enthusiasm towards the intricacies of language.
After obtaining his master’s from SUNY Buffalo in May 2022, Pettitt began working part time as an adult services librarian at the Northern Onondaga Public Library (Brewerton, New York). A few months later, he started working at Marcellus Free Library (Marcellus, New York), where he’s now a full-time librarian. His day-to-day duties include forming partnerships with businesses in the community, purchasing materials, and writing library policies.
“My advice to any writer concerned about staying motivated in school and in the real world is to find friends who will hold you accountable,” Pettitt said. “I found peers who were equally as passionate about writing as me, and that was incredibly motivating.”
For those interested in pursuing library careers after their undergraduate years, Pettitt advises, “A big-name, expensive graduate school won’t get you that library job you apply for. Your experience and professional accomplishments will.”
Pettitt has found his undergraduate degree has boosted him most in the workplace. He says employers are looking for people who can string together coherent, grammatically correct sentences, and those who graduate from writing departments like IC’s are valuable.
Pettitt remains close to his roots in writing as an avid member of the Long Island Romance Writers. He’s currently in the process of writing a queer, adult romantic comedy.