Meet the Team: Ms. Darlene Fisher

Ms. Darlene Fisher joined the GNS team in 2012 and is our Middle School Library Technician.

What made you want to be part of the GNS community?

When I first moved to Victoria, I wasn’t really thrilled with my job. I had a neighbour who worked in the finance department here and said, “Why don’t you try GNS?” I was down at the Beach for a year as an Educational Assistant, and then came up to Middle School. 

When this job as a Library Technician opened up, I was really happy to get back to libraries, my first love. Don’t tell people, I have the best job in the school!

How did you choose this career as the right path for you?

I loved libraries myself as a kid. I was a library tech in a public library when I was in university. Then I worked a bit in schools and libraries, but then I took time off and did other things while my kids were little. When my youngest started school, I wanted to go back into school libraries, but funding had been cut. They needed people in special education though, so I worked there for a while.

I love to travel, and one of the things I always do when I travel is visit a local library. I find you get a good sense of what’s important in that place and who the people are by visiting their library. I sort of use that model here, in terms of what we want, along with Ms. Stephanie Owen (Middle School Teacher-Librarian). We’re really happy working together and it’s the heart of the Middle School. We’re really happy to find things we can do to make this a welcoming place and a happy place for the kids. 

What is your favourite part of your job?

The kids. I like spending time with them, and they love being here. It’s a good spot, especially for kids who maybe are a little timid or a little shy. It’s a really good spot to kind of figure out who you are. I’m also a bit of a library nerd. I actually like finding books and researching books. If someone asks for a book, can I find it right away?

What are some of your interests outside of school?

Always reading! Outside of school, I’m part of a couple of different book clubs. I garden and belong to a community garden in Cadboro Bay. I do aqua fit and play pickleball. I tell my friends that because I have summers and school breaks off, I play at being retired now and again to see what I think of it, but I’m always ready to come back to school when vacation is over.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I’m quite an involved member of the Anglican Church in Victoria. I am a liturgical assistant, where we wear the robes and we give communion.

What do you like about living and working in Victoria? 

The weather! We moved here from Halifax because my husband had a job. We were meant to be here for only three years, but then we just decided we really liked it here, and decided to stay. In the meantime, our children have all moved west, and my husband’s family has moved west, and we’re pretty happy to be on this coast now.