About
Welcome to my site! I’m Vivi Hoang, pronounced “Vee-vee Hwong.”
I like to follow my curiosity where it leads me. It’s taken me to Washington State, West Michigan, West Texas, Houston, Nashville and Japan. I’ve shifted course numerous times and while it’s always hard being a beginner again, each new role has been an adventure and enabled me to further add to my toolset and connect with customers and the community in different ways.
But the throughline has always been my passion for connecting people and information.
Lifelong student
After several years of working with library software vendors to provide services to my community, I decided to take some coding classes to better understand the software side which, until this point, had been a black box to me. That’s what led me to eventually enroll in the master’s program for applied computer science at Grand Valley State University, which I finished in December 2021.
Webmaster
I most recently worked as a webmaster for a county public library system, managing its website and other online services. I looked at my role as primarily that of a facilitator: helping my colleagues better serve patrons via training, optimizing and problem-solving.
Librarian
A public librarian wears many hats: My duties ranged from teaching information literacy to managing the online resources. I helped patrons accomplish their goals — whether it was applying for a job online, looking for their next read or learning how to use an e-reader.
Journalist
I started out working the cops beat and general assignments, meaning I covered crime, courts and basically anything thrown my way. I worked up the ladder and eventually got my favorite beat of all, general assignments features, which gave me the time and space to really play.
Assistant Language Teacher
My Japanese elementary and middle-school students were always so confused when I was introduced as the American assistant language teacher: When they pictured an American it wasn’t someone who looked like me. But the cliche is true: I learned far more more from them than they did from me.
Outside of work
When I’m not working, I try to do things that keep me offline since so much of my time is spent on a computer. I am an avid reader, a casual fountain pen nerd (currently I’ve got a Twisbi 580ALR inked up with Diamine Lilac Satin) and a quilter.
My favorite quilt thus far