Meet the SPL Children's Department!

It's been a while since we've added a Meet the Staff installment to the blog, and we wanted to fix that! This time, we thought it would be great to not only let you meet one staff member, but our whole Children's Department! The Children's Department has seen a few changes over the last year or so, meaning we have plenty to share. Between the Central Library and the East and West Branch, we've got one of the best teams of Children's Librarians around! 

We asked each of them a few questions about their time at and memories of the SPL, plus a couple other fun questions. Below are their responses!

Ann 

• What’s your role at the Somerville Public Library? Supervisor of Children’s Services
• What's your first memory of the Somerville Public Library? Reading in a corner at the East Branch when I was very young.
• How long have you worked at the Somerville Public Library and have you had any other jobs here? I’ve never had another job. I’ve been here at the Somerville Library for over 40 years.
• What has surprised you most about working at the Somerville Public Library? When I first started here everyone was very formal and very quiet. That has changed a lot.
• What is your favorite memory from the Somerville Public Library? I think one of my favorite memories was when we were packing the books to get ready for the renovations to this building in the early 70’s. We then moved to 2 trailers in the adjacent parking lot, and then eventually to a room in the basement of City Hall. I was just a teenager so that to me was a lot of fun.
• What do you wish people knew about the Somerville Public Library? I’d love people to know how committed the staff is to the residents of Somerville.
• Tell us about someone who has influenced your decision to work in libraries. I was actually drafted because my sister was such a good worker. They asked if there was anyone else at home like her that might want a job. I had no clue that it would become my home.
• What types of books do you enjoy reading most? I like non-fiction stories.
• What might someone be surprised to know about you? I’ve been dancing ballet since I was three years old.
• If you weren't working at the library, what would you be doing instead? I probably would have been a professional dancer but I have terrible stage fright.
• What do you do when you aren't working? I spend my summer weekends at the beach with my family and in winter I try to hibernate.

Annamarie

• What’s your role at the Somerville Public Library? First Assistant / Children’s Librarian
• What's your first memory of the Somerville Public Library? My first memory was going to the Union Square Library. But…..another memory that I have to mention is when I came to the library after school with friends to apply for a new library card. Ann was the librarian that gave me my new card. She asked me if I had my old card and I said “no”. When I got home I found my old card (a paper version), I tore it up into tiny pieces, and worried I would get in trouble for lying to a librarian.
• How long have you worked at the Somerville Public Library and have you had any other jobs here? I started in high school as a shelver, then part-time at Circulation Desk. I followed that with a full time position at Circulation, moved to Cataloging, then Children’s Librarian at the East Branch, transferred to the West Branch where I stayed for 27 years. Now I’m back at the Central Library in the Children’s Room where I’ve been since January.
• What types of books do you enjoy reading most? Children’s chapter books and Young Adult books with strong female characters, and Historical Fiction.
• What might someone be surprised to know about you? I went to art school.
• If you weren't working at the library, what would you be doing instead? Painting (pictures not houses)
• What do you do when you aren't working? I make my own greeting cards. I also travel! I divide my time between Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Love the beach!

Meghan

• What’s your role at the Somerville Public Library?  Youth Services Librarian at the East Branch, serving children and teens…and anyone who enters our cozy 1-room branch!
• How long have you worked at the Somerville Public Library and have you had any other jobs here? 10 ½ years already!?!?!
• What do you wish people knew about the Somerville Public Library?  Just how many more services we provide besides “typical” library offerings such as storytimes and borrowing books: the Museum Pass Program, Somerville Reads, Online Databases, ESL Classes, our annual Summer Reading Program which is fast approaching, and how you can find out about many of our services by checking out the library on social media (website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram)!
• What types of books do you enjoy reading most? The kind with pages, rather than an e-book/ something read on a screen ;)
• What might someone be surprised to know about you? I have a BFA and still love to draw!
• If you weren't working at the library, what would you be doing instead? Maybe illustrating a children’s book!?
• What do you do when you aren't working?  I like to read, knit, draw/make collages (thanks for the inspiration Ezra Jack Keats), go for walks (outside or in museums) and take photographs. I love spending time with my nieces and nephews and always try to bring them books from the library. Sometimes they even read to me!

Alison

• What’s your role at the Somerville Public Library? Children’s Librarian, West Branch
• What's your first memory of the Somerville Public Library? I was a patron for many years before becoming a librarian here!  I remember checking out a lot of cookbooks and travel books from Central in my 20s. 
• How long have you worked at the Somerville Public Library and have you had any other jobs here? I was a sub for several years before getting my dream job in January 2017!
• What is your favorite memory from the Somerville Public Library? I love seeing kids of all ages playing together at West, which happens almost every day!
• What do you wish people knew about the Somerville Public Library? That we can get almost anything for them, and that we’re happy to help!
• What types of books do you enjoy reading most?  I read a lot and will happily read almost anything.  Right now I’m reading a lot of middle-grade fiction so I can make recommendations to kids, and I just read “Hidden Figures” for my book club (I’ve been in the same book club for 17 years!).
• What might someone be surprised to know about you? I love jellybeans.
• If you weren't working at the library, what would you be doing instead?  In my fantasy world, I would be a musician in a pit orchestra for musical theater.
• What do you do when you aren't working?  Drive my kids (Katherine and Sophie, library regulars) to gymnastics practice.

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Thanks for reading and getting to know us better. We hope you'll stop by and visit us, but in the meantime, let us know what surprised you the most in the comments below!