Meet your library workers

“We host a family literacy program in the evening called ‘multi-generational game night.’ This program welcomes all members of the community to come to the library and enjoy a family atmosphere. We set up board games and puzzles in the reading area, craft and snack stations in the children’s area and the Xbox Kinect in our meeting room. Patrons of all ages can move through the library and participate in the game playing or just enjoy watching the others; the library becomes the community’s living room.”

“Joey is three years old—or, as he frequently tells you, almost four…next year. His mom started bringing him to the library when he was just six weeks old, faithfully coming to our weekly baby times. Today is story time at the library.  Joey struts through the doors, shouting his usual ‘Hello everybody, I’m here!’  He eagerly runs to the picture book area, anxious to pick out his books for the week and be the first one through the door of the story time room. But today is not just a normal day for Joey: it will be his last visit to our library. Joey and his family are moving.  As he comes to check out his books and tell me about the story he heard at story time today, Joey asks: ‘Do you think they have story time at the library in Nelson?  And do they do crafts and puppet shows and stuff like we do here?’’

“My favorite part of my job is engaging ‘the reluctant reader’- it’s not an easy task. Studies show that, as students get older, they describe themselves as non-readers. So I target them. I ask them, ‘What do you like to do—read, play or watch?’ Whatever their interest is, my answer is always: ‘We’ve got a book on that’ or ‘I’ll get one’.  I love the challenge as well as the reward when the student brings back one book and asks ‘What’s next?’ My job is to keep ahead of those readers, finding them the newest titles or showing them some of the classics. The self described ‘non-reader’ becomes a valuable source for what’s new and current and the learning works both ways.”

“As a high school library clerk, you get very familiar with the popular teen books. Some students read through books very quickly and it helps to have choices of similar books to keep them reading.  By looking up book reviews and reading many of the new titles, I’m able to stay current and help the students find that ‘next’ book.”

“Some older adults may be bewildered by computers, gadgets and video games. Tech Buddies is a program that partners teen volunteers and older adults in a safe learning environment.  The teens answer questions and demonstrate how to use the Internet, e-mail, various social media sites, smart phones or video games—whatever interests their partner. While demonstrating a game of Wii Bowling, one of the participants blurted out, ‘Now I know what my grandkids are doing in the basement when they are Wii-ing!’”