This is the latest in a monthly series about the library. Love of Reading Week starts Monday.
As a librarian for the Pima County Public Library, I feel very passionate about my work. However, I didn’t come to this career by way of a literature or history degree and a zest for reading, the way many librarians of my generation did. In fact, I didn’t grow up with a lot of books in my house or with the public library as a part of my childhood. And I don’t have memories of a parent, auntie, or that special adult in my life sharing “The Secret Garden”— or any other classic book — with me.
I had all my basic needs met. There just wasn’t the time during my childhood for such pursuits deemed to be frivolous; and my parents did not have exposure to or permission to explore these ideas during their young lives.
After graduating with honors and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, I earned a master’s degree in library science, held a variety of jobs, and had more than one career. As the fourth child of a busy, hard-working farm family in Iowa, it wasn’t until later in life that I experienced what our library strives to provide for our community: a culture of literacy and a love of reading and learning.
It’s what I find great pleasure in providing as a part of my job here. Being a librarian enables me to engage in meaningful work providing this desirable culture of literacy to our community members and helping people of all ages to develop a love of reading and learning.
My job involves coordinating many of the literacy programs for the library system, in collaboration with partners such as Literacy Connects, Pima Community College Adult Education and others. In addition to providing books, community programs, and computers and Internet access, the library is also a great place to find help for literacy and other education-related activities.
I coordinate the classes for people who want to earn their High School Equivalency/GED certificate, as well as the English language classes, and our reading help program called ReadStrong. All of these classes are free and hosted at many of our libraries throughout the community. I also make sure that library staff is trained to help customers use the great online resources we have for reading comprehension, skill-building, and test preparation for K-12 students and adults.
Of all that I do at the Library, I am especially devoted to helping struggling readers find their own meaning in what they read, showing them that their voice and their experiences are the key to their learning how to read and comprehend what they read. Helping these readers find worth in their life experiences — no matter what those experiences have been — also contributes to increasing their confidence and capacity in many types of literacies, including financial, health and informational.
In addition to being passionate about helping our community develop a strong culture of literacy, I have been especially cognizant of giving my two daughters what I did not receive as a young child. Our house is full of bookcases — home to all the worn-out children’s picture books that I read over and over to my girls when they were young, as well as the variety of books, magazines and journals that I have grown to love over the years. I read many stories and sang many lullabies to my girls at each and every bedtime, and we read books and sang silly songs throughout the day as well. They attended Himmel Park Library Storytimes and visited local museums frequently.
They also saw their parents joyfully and eagerly reading every day.
The library supports literacy year-round, and one special way that we contribute to the community’s culture of literacy is through Love of Reading Month (loveofreadingtucson.com). Every February, several organizations come together to raise awareness of literacy in our community, recruit volunteers, read to classes, and donate books to children.
Starting Monday through Feb. 16, Pima County Public Library is giving a free new book to pre-schoolers, kids, and teens who visit any of our 27 locations while supplies last. Thanks to the Friends of the Pima County Public Library for providing the funding to purchase these books, and to parents, grandparents, teachers and other adults in our community for helping us bring more books into our children’s lives.
