by Tiana
Schweim
Some people need no introduction…others do. That being said, I’d like to take a brief
moment to introduce my new role as teen librarian at the Litchfield Public
Library. For the past eight years I have
enjoyed supervising and acting as librarian in the Litchfield High School Media
Center. My involvement with teenagers
became a comfortable niche for me; the “daily grind” wasn’t as gritty as many
of you would imagine. Teenagers are
delightful! I smile when I think of the
young man who couldn’t find the map of railroads from North America to Europe—I
encouraged him to share his project with me upon completion! Reference questions at this library range a
broader spectrum when dealing with patrons from age birth to “antique”…but the
immediate gratification that swells inside of me is the same no matter what the
outcome. Just the other day I enjoyed a
delightful conversation with a man about his quest to discover his
heritage. An hour later one of our
frequent and favorite little guys was zipping around to find me so he could
give my legs a squeeze and tell me he loved me.
Now THAT is gratifying!
I remember the young
ladies who would slip into my office to discuss grades, parents, boys, and maybe a book they were reading. I was never too much of a lady myself to
discuss topics with the guys either. Boy,
have I heard about building a house and tweaking the engine of your truck! I was greeted with hugs, and would cry every
year at commencement. I do not intend
for any of that to change. I have
gleaned more from building relationships with teens in the last eight years
than I could have ever imagined! I hope
to see familiar faces joining in on the events I’ve planned for this
summer. Take a look and pleeeeeeease
join us!
·
On June 17th at 6:00 we will kick off
our Monday night Teen Gaming Night. We
will introduce Settlers of Catan and Quirkle—two very different games that both
offer hours of fun for all players!
Players can join us ANY Monday night for the rest of the summer. Why bother?
Game play encourages community and creates teambuilding. It promotes creative and critical thinking
and leads to research. Plus, it’s FUN!
·
Are you ready for this? July 31st-August 1st we
are hosting a LOCK-IN! Do you understand
what I’m saying? Think “Night at the
Museum” meets “The Hunger Games”. We have been awarded a SAMMIE (Southwest Area
Multicounty Multitype Interlibrary Exchange) grant, which will partially fund
our food and fun for this event. Space is
limited so pick up your parent permission slip soon! When the library locks its doors on the 31st
, will you be inside?
·
Teen Tea with Tiana will be a special morning
just for us. Register ahead of time at
the library and I will treat you to a FREE scone or muffin. Youth ages 13-17 are encouraged to meet on
Tuesday morning, August 13th, 10:00 AM at Cricket Meadow. We will be discussing life and our favorite
reads.
“Books themselves need no defense.
Their spokesmen come and go, their readers
live and die, they remain constant.”
–Lawrence Clark Powell
One thing that will remain constant is our Monthly Book
Club. Please join us on the following
dates at 3:00 to discuss titles and topics for future book clubs: June 17th,
July 15th, and August 19th. We plan to split into separate Middle and
High School sections in September.
Being invited to join the team of wonderful people at
Pioneerland in Litchfield was an easy choice, and one that leaves me
flourishing under familiar circumstances.
Books come in, books go out. An
inquiry, a reference question, a phone call…
Rest assured, I have my backpack stocked full of high school resources
including book report requirements! Stop
on over to the public library today—I can’t wait to see you!
