By Sandy H.
As a child, I participated in our town library’s summer reading program.
As an incentive to read, the librarian created a bulletin board filled with bookworms. The board was marked off at 10 book intervals, ending with 100. Children were allowed to move “their” worm forward based on the number of books read. After giving my weekly oral book reports to a library volunteer, I was allowed to move the worm with my name on it up the chart. I liked that.
By Kristen R. The Marist Academic Resource Center (ARC) launched three new reading initiatives this school year with huge success. Circulation continues to increase, the school added a second book club to accommodate all the student interest in books, and the annual book budget was increased in order to offer additional reading materials. The ARC … Read more
By Margaux D.
This is my story, what a great journey it has been!
I am a total geek and am so proud of it! Growing up I spent every free moment of my weekends and summers at the library. In college I used to cut the classes that I did not enjoy to hole up in the library and read for hours on end. The library has always been a comforting place for me and continues to welcome and nurture me like the supportive arms of a best friend.
By Marie P. During high school and college, I was fortunate to work in the Children’s Department of my local library. As an Economics major, I was going to Wall Street after college and going to make “real money”. That never happened because I became a US Navy wife and my career became whatever job … Read more
By Jennifer M.
Growing up in a small town in La. in the late’60’s-early ’70’s, I spent a lot of time in our local library. It was air-conditioned in that brutal heat, and I could stay as long as I wanted, reading. The librarian, Mrs. Reynolds, was awesome! She would let me “help” her shelve books and straighten magazines, or clean shelves. She would hold the newest Nancy Drew or Donna Parker books for me. When I grew out of those, she guided me to more mature reading like Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart. Her recommendations were always right on the mark!
By Joanne K. I was 12 years old when my father was hospitalized from June through August, and the library in the city of the hospitalization was within a few blocks of the hospital. My rural community did not have a public library. My mother arranged for me to get a library card as a … Read more
By Jennifer K. A man who had lost his job and had been semi-homeless for several months came to the Newport Public Library to use the public access computers. He had been offered a good steady job, but in order to take it he needed a copy of his birth certificate, which he’d lost when … Read more
By Kelly B. Recently, a fun answer came from a freshman during our Library Orientation survey. The question was “Are there any books that you think our library needs to have?” Most students answered with a simple yes or no or gave their favorite title. One student wrote a very thoughtful response to the question. … Read more
By Lynette M.
All during my life, I was destined to be a librarian. I grew up in a tumultuous home. My parents were divorced and while I lived with my alcoholic mother most of the time, I was often in foster homes while she was trying to “dry out”.
I found that no matter which school I was in, what neighborhood I lived in or which family I lived with, I could visit the library and they were all the same. Different walls, different people maybe but the library itself was my friend. I could read a book and be lost in the movie that plays in my head with each book I read. It was escapism at its finest.
By Kathy S.
Having a love for reading my whole life, and two years experience as an elementary school language arts teacher, I was excited to return to my Alma mater as the new K-12 librarian. My first year, there, I was assigned a junior as a student aide.
She was a quiet, well-mannered young lady who was a conscientious worker and a great typist. We were still typing cards for the catalog by hand back then, so I showed her how to type the cards and assigned her to accession the new library books. She did such a good job, that the following summer, I paid her out of my own pocket to help me get the library ready for the fall.