This is the third edition of JTPL Stories: a series of interviews with library patrons, staff, and partners. Continue below to meet the faces of JTPL with our Marketing Coordinator, Aliya!
When visiting the Clarksville library, you can’t leave without first seeing Monica. Her energy is infectious, and her enthusiasm for her patrons and her books is inspiring. April 1st is Monica’s one-year anniversary as Clarksville’s children’s librarian, and it’s a great time to get to know her better. I went to social media so she could answer your questions!
Aliya: Our first question is from a Facebook follower, Megan Rust. She asked: “What made you choose to be a Children’s Librarian?”
Monica: I’ve always wanted to be a librarian; even in high school I thought that was what I was gonna do.
I decided on children’s librarian after I worked in a middle school library for a while. I just loved that feeling when you get kids who come in who are like, “oh, I don’t like to read,” or “I don’t want to read,” and you find them a book and they love it. There’s just something really great about that feeling.
So I especially really love working with teens and tweens because they’re becoming little adults, and you can really have a good conversation about what they’ve read and why they liked it.
I even enjoy the tiny little ones. My Toddler Storytime brings me a lot of joy on those mornings where I really don’t want to go to work. I get in there, and it’s just joy.
“My Toddler Storytime brings me a lot of joy on those mornings where I really don’t want to go to work. I get in there, and it’s just joy.”
Aliya: Have you gotten to know regulars and the community through Toddler Storytime?
Monica: Yeah! You start to watch them grow up. We’ve got a few who are getting ready to become big brothers and big sisters. Though they don’t really know what’s going on. They just know there’s a baby in mommy’s belly. Getting to watch the regulars as they come and start to grow up a little bit is really fun.
Aliya: You grew up in Clarksville, right? Did you come to the library? What drew you here?
Monica: I did! I started going to the Jeff Library before they had anything big here, and then they opened up the Clarksville Library in the mall where the post-office is now. That’s where I went to Storytime with Ms. Lorie! And I was a summer reading volunteer because in those days you had to hand write everything for summer reading club. I think I was 10 or 12 when I started doing that.
Then I thought, where else do I get my first job if I’m already at the library? I was here for 10 years, think? I was a page and then I was a clerical assistant for a while.
Then, I got a job as activities director at a nursing home, so that took me away for a while. And after I got my MLS I saw the job posting for the Children’s Librarian here, and I was like, “oh I have to apply for this.”
Aliya: In another question from Instagram, liminal.librarian asked: “What are some of your recent favorite children’s or YA titles?
Monica: That’s a good question! I just got a new one in called the Bakery Dragon (Devin Elle Kurtz). It has some of the best art work. The story is about a little dragon who is too afraid to steal gold from people, but he finds a bakery and ends up taking the “gold” from the bakery back to his little cave. And all the other dragons love the bread he brings. It has just glorious art work, and I love good art in a book.
I just finished a YA title too called Red in Tooth and Claw (Lish McBride), it’s kind of a magic fantasy and horror blend set in the old west. It was very cool.
Aliya: Our last question is from transient_path on Instagram: “What’s something you wish more people knew about being a librarian?
Monica: Some people will come to me and say: “your job must be so quiet and peaceful!” That’s just not the library anymore. They’ve come a long way from the days of little old ladies shushing you behind the desk.
We’ve got kids playing in the play area having a good time. It might get a little noisier than people are used too. There’s always people coming in needing help with computer stuff. We’ve got a couple of regular patrons who come in and talk about what books they’re reading and what’s good.
That’s one of my favorite parts of the job. Ask us what we’re reading! Ask us for book recommendations!
The library has shifted into more of a community hub where people are coming and going. We [librarians] are up and moving. A lot more is happening in the library, which is good.
You can meet Monica at the Clarksville library throughout the day or at one of her programs and bi-monthly Toddler Storytimes. Come by to say, hello!
