Thank you to the library staff, the library board, and the community for their warm welcome. I am honoured and excited to work with everyone to support community learning. As I write this article, I am looking out at a busy library, with twenty-eight participants for drop-in storytime. Public libraries are bustling community hubs that encourage lifelong learning and support a range of skill and literacy development. I love working in a public library! The perks of working in a library include access to the newest books (I love shiny new covers), the most credible information in a variety of intriguing topics, building meaningful connections with members of the community, the satisfaction that comes from serving others, and mainly, I learn something new every single day! Please stop by and say ‘hi’ the next time you are in the library. I look forward to meeting you.
April is poetry month. One of my favourite poems for children is “Homework! Oh, Homework! – A poem by Jack Prelutsky. I am currently working toward my Master of Arts Degree in Leadership from Royal Roads University, and I often sit at my desk at home and recite some of the lines from this poem. Particularly, “I’d rather take baths with a man-eating shark, or wrestle a lion alone in the dark, eat spinach and liver, pet ten porcupines, than tackle the homework, my teacher assigns. Homework! Oh, homework! You're last on my list.” At that point, I laugh and then keep working.
In addition to encouraging you to check out a book of children’s poetry, I would like to present some of my favourite storytime books. The Madeline book series by Ludwig Bemelmans is an absolute classic. Madeline has many adventures, is a little bit mischievous, while tremendously brave. The very funny Bark, George by Jules Fieffer challenges preschoolers to find out why a dog suddenly meows, oinks like a pig, and quacks like a duck. Get ready for a surprise ending!
I am obsessed with reading anything by Eric Carle. My top pick would be The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The caterpillar eats a variety of interesting foods and then turns into a beautiful butterfly. David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon will become a family favourite for families with young children. Adorable David is continually up to no good, but he will win you over with his innocence and charm. Our library staff loves to recommend books, stop by the library for more of our staff picks.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my love of libraries, learning, and stories with you over the next year, while Rachel is on leave. I attended university with the specific intent of becoming a public librarian, and I have had a fantastic career thus far. How lucky am I!
Director's Picks - April
