Youth Librarian Interview

What kind of programs bring kids/families to the library?

Early childhood education! Storytimes!

SOME SORT OF RANDOM REFERENCE QUESTION

Figure out if they need it by a certain date (explain about our floating collection), explain holds, explain different online databases. always keep open google, and the library's website! databases: world book online for kids, science encylopedia for adults online, quickly to the specific branch location if they need something that day.

The parent/book challenge question. What do you do?

First of all smile! Genuinely listen and keep the conversation positive while communicating that you understand their concern. Staying calm and courteous is the most important. I'd talk about freedom of choice and the library's role in serving all people and the responsibility of parents to supervise their own children's library use. I'd also talk about the library's procedure for collection development and the procedure for registering a complaint. Libraries + librarians do not assume the role of parent.

Describe your experiences with community collaboration.

• While at NPU I worked with student organizations and other departments on campus. • But when I started my job at Lincolnwood I finally go to be a part of regular community collaborations. • While there I grew partnerships with our SD74 (prek-8), I began collaborating for the first time with our high school (astronomy class was going to hold a star viewing party!), chamber of commerce, rotary club, parks and recreation (where we hadn't partnered in YEARS due to old "bad blood"), whole foods, local restaurants, and more! • Currently I work with all of the local elementary schools, and a preschool (woodcliff for our Camp East)

Provide program and project management and/or serve on a team as a leader or member.

Currently I am 1 of 5 representatives on the partners for reading success task force (a committee made up of KDL, GRPL and KISD). We collaborated on creating an incentivized reading program that can be county wide, and be used within K-3 classrooms. The program is called "I Read Today!" and children will have to read for 1,000 days to complete the program and through the sheer volume that will develop the literacy skills like fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary and ultimately comprehension. We all collaborated on diverse booklists and activities for each skill. The program will run similarly to 1,000 Books before kindergarten -- but our theme is food and the prize for each 100 books read is a collectible enamel pin of that specific food. At 500 books the child will receive the 1st title in a series, and at 1,000 books we are hoping to offer kindle fires to students so that they can access the digital resources available (and download at school for use at home). I also serve on the Youth Programming work group at KDL and we develop fall, winter and spring programs for birth to school age children. These programs are mostly staff led (where we create all the elements of the program, they just need to purchase materials) with potentially a few professional performers. Currently we are working to create a Mo Willems party and Awesome Autumn Adventure (a stations passive program) in addition to revamping storytime tubs. Storytime tubs rotate between branches and include fingerplays, rhymes, books and props all based on a theme. We are leaning towards doing away with specific themes like lizards and instead focusing on more open concepts like singing, colors, opposites and diversity. To get input from staff my workgroup created a google form to survey all staff before we start revamping. The survey just went out. At Lincolnwood library I planned, coordinated and evaluated all programs from birth to adult, including collaborating with staff-led programs and contracting outside programmers. Compiled monthly program statistics to showcase community value Managed 17 budget lines for the Community Engagement Department I also helped revamp an online form so that all potential presented could be directed there instead of being transferred to my phone or email. I was a LPLD representative on the Coming Together committee which was made up of school districts, local businesses, community organizations, and multiple libraries and library systems While at Lincolnwood I was assigned committee work to writing a new meeting room policy to be approved by the Library Board -- with edits and feedback from departmental managers the policy I wrote was approved by the board!

What are some of your proudest accomplishments as a librarian?

First! I'd say my ability to genuinely connect with community members no matter where I am is my proudest accomplishment. Whether it's the grandpa coming in to ask about our seed library and offering me a clipping of a plant, or a high schooler during teen zone asking me the name of the musician I just put on, or a wednesday night regular asking me if I've heard about a new video game -- I do my best to genuinely connect with individuals in order to build community relationships. For trans week of visibility, I had a parent ask for books about how to talk to children about being transgender and they were able to walk away with numerous picture books and a brochure from my "Trans Week of Visibility" display. She came back and said her friend was surprised and grateful that these titles even existed. Last spring, I had a storytime mom email our branch to thank me for choosing welcoming and inclusive books. And at our arts and teen craft sale in the summer I ran into a 4th grader I saw for book talks during the school year and when I came over to say hi and check out her comic books her mom was like OMG U MUST BE FANTASTIC! MY DAUGHTER SAW YOU AND SQUEALED WHEN SHE SAID ITS MISS EMILY THE BOOK READER!!! Second! I'd say I developed Offsite programming for "Viva! Coming Together" -- a multicity celebration of Latino cultures. Because my library was under construction I had to create entirely limited, but unique offsite programming: • "Taste of Ecuador" a parent/child cooking class at Whole Foods with an Ecuadorian chef who used her mother's own recipes! • A classical Mexican guitarist at a nursing home during a • Appetizers and Artist talk at a new local Cuban restaurant with artists and activist Alejandro Figueredo Díaz-Perera • A Chef Demo, featuring Latino foods and live music by Gabriel Medina of the Old Town School of Folk Music, at the nursing home Lincolnwood Place

Fun facts about HCL!

#TrailstoLibraries initiative!! Social Worker who works for the library with a focus on homelessness! Auto-renewal if no holds like KDL!! Fantastic at home, correctional facility and senior outreach services --aka collections housed offsite! Like the new one going into Fort Snelling Upper Post, an affordable-housing community for formerly homeless veterans at Fort Snelling. Art in the library!!! The Community Seed Library collaboration with Plant Grow Share (although only at one location?)

Partner with the community to expand the role of the Library;lead local community engagement

"I read Today!" incentive program for K-3, partnering with GRPL and KISD to be implemented county wide in fall 2018 in branches and classrooms. Trans Week of Visibility partnering with Grand Rapids Pride Center and Grand Rapid Trans Foundation -- I created brochures of booklists and TWOV events and we had 3 different displays throughout our two floors. I weed J fiction and offer selected titles to juvenile detention center of kent county I help out at a STEAM day camp for the school system by creating a one hour program for 1st to 5th grade Viva Coming Together -- lincolnwood parks and rec, sd74 and niles north -- as well as 90 miles cuban cafe, whole foods and lincolnwood town center. We hosted an event called appetizers and artist talk at 90 miles cuban cafe. The artist Alejandro Diaz-Perera spoke about their works including 34,000 pillows where each pillow is handmade and represents the congressional mandate that states ICE must maintain a quote of 34,000 detained immigrants per day in 250 centers around the country. YWCA's Stand Against Racism was the yearly end celebration of Coming Together where we stood to raise awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural racism. As a library we stood bearing signs and taking a pledge together to stand against racism with other libraires, school districts, local businesses and a plethora of other community organizations across skokie and niles township and nationwide! Science Night, Family Reading Night and after school craft club for Grades 3-5 (my favorite craft was making bird houses out of recycled materials!) Technology one on one at Lincolnwood Place -- taught how to use databases, place holds, order online groceries, transfer files, organize digital photos and more!

Name a couple of books you've read recently (fiction or non-fiction) and describe them to us as if you were recommending them to a patron.

"Be Prepared" ! The main character is a 9 year old Russian girl longing to fit in with popular suburban kids. So what do cool kids do over the summer? They go to camp! All sorts of camps! Well, and the only camp Vera's mom agrees to let her go to is the Russian Orthodox summer camp. Vera is sure she's found the one place she can fit in, but camp is far from what she imagined. And nothing could prepare her for all the "cool girl" drama, outhouses straight out of nightmares, and not to mention still feeling left out. "Be Prepared" is a funny and relatable graphic novel about navigating your own culture, struggling to fit in, and the value of true friendship. Electric Arches is a mesmerizing mix of poetry, magical prose, and fantasy. Eve Ewing takes you on a journey around the streets of Chicago, explores black girlhood and womanhood, and tells us stories of a an imagined future. This is a collection you read in one sitting, and go back and devour it again -- with new insights and understandings. Where's Halmoni? When Joon and Noona go to visit their Halmoni (which is grandmother in Korean), they discover she's not home!!! As they go searching for her, they notice animal tracks covering the floor. They discover a pair of traditional Korean doors, slightly ajar that seem to be new to their grandmother's home. How odd?!? When curiosity gets the best of them, their adventure begins when they crawl through the doors and discover an unfamiliar and magically fantastical world. As they continue to search for their grandmother and solve the mystery of the tracks, they go deeper into the world of Korean folklore and experience their cultural heritage in unexpected ways, meeting a number of Korean-speaking characters along the way. Will they ever find their Halmoni and make their way out?! Tough Guys Have Feelings Too by Keith Negley -- when you think of pirates, you think tough, right? What about race car drivers? Oh yeah, those guys are tough. And ninjas! Yeha they're pretty tough too! But Keith Negley shows the softer side of being a tough guy because even tough guys have feelings too! Ninjas have fights with friends, wrestlers worry about their matches, pirates get frustrated, and superheroes cry. Tough guys are just like everyone else; they have emotions. Currently, this is one of my favorite picture books and with simple sentences it's great for storytime too!

HCL Promises!

Our Promises Engage with our communities Respond to our patrons Support our staff

Describe an experience dealing with a difficult patron and how did you go about resolving it?

Although it's a completely different power dynamic than when dealing with an adult, I recently had to kick a teen out who used a racial slur at another teen. All of the teens involved are regulars, and the one who had to leave has grown up at the library. A teen walked up and said "Sam called Zion and me the n word." So I walked over and started it off by saying the library is a safe space for everyone and we have a zero tolerance policy for racial slurs. I got the scoop and told Sam i"d have to talk to a manager real quick and she agreed that he needed to leave for the day and couldn't come back the whole weekend either. She walked him out while I checked in on the other kids making sure everyone was okay and that they knew that they did the right thing by getting me to facilitate.

Describe your experience contributing to the management and promotion of the library's collection

As LGBT Youth Genre expert I recommend all purchases for birth to middle grade for LGBT titles which is an exciting and growing genre! I also weed for Junior and Junior easy fiction so I'm constantly evaluating titles based on circulation numbers, grubbyness and relevance to our use as a popular collection. I am also constantly recommending purchases for diverse titles -- recently I created an indigenous peoples display for our Junior Nonficiton collection and found that we were sorely lacking in appropriate titles. Using Debbie Reese as my guide I was able to recommend and request purchase to a plethora of new titles. I also included photos highlighting a variety of indigenous authors so that kids have windows and mirrors without believing that native american history is in the past! i also recommended we purchase where's halmoni by julie kim -- since then I've been able to recommend it to a student learning korean and to a korean family looking for bilingual reads!

Describe your experience connecting patrons with information using a wide range of devices, including computers, computer software, mobile devices, and/or E-readers, referencing jobs listed on your application/resume.

At Lincolnwood Library I taught Technology One-on-Ones to 80+ year old patrons who resided at Lincolnwood Place assisted living facility. During the one hour sessions we'd do a variety of tasks from placing holds through the online catalog, to downloading the PeaPod app on an iPad for ordering groceries. I also taught them how to use online resources like Hoopla Digital and how to increase font size on their E-Readers and smartphones. Each resident had different focuses, questions, and ambitions, so our goal was to work together to solve problems, learn together and have them leave feeling accomplished after each session. At Lincolnwood Library in addition to leading Technology One-on-One's at Lincolnwood Place, I also filled reference shifts as needed for our Adult reference desk. While there I would regularly help adult patrons access information through a variety of online resources and databases via computers and mobile devices. I also helped with downloading books to a variety of E-readers. Currently at the East Grand Rapids branch while working the info desk for either Youth or Adult I field all sorts of technology questions about software, E-Readers, online resources and mobile apps. Some of the basic questions I answer are copying/pasting into a document, printing, scanning, creating documents, and navigating the library website and resources including placing holds on MelCat -- Michigan's statewide catalog. I find myself promoting and responding to both Kent District Library and Grand Rapids Public Library eResource questions since there is a lot of overlap in users and eResources. This past week for Spring Break there was a high demand for eAudioBooks and eBooks on multiple types of devices, as well as online read alouds for kids. So, whether it was using data to stream BookFlix and TumbleBooks on a smartphone, or downloading an eAudiobook in advance via Hoopla, I connected patrons with resources they didn't even know they had access too. Kent District Library system also recently switched from OverDrive to CloudLibrary and there have been a lot of questions with CloudLibrary. So I also find myself doing in-depth research through CloudLibrary manuals trying to find an answer to a patron's question. Most recently, I discovered that sadly, increasing narration speed does not work on older android mobile devices. While working desk, I also connect my younger patrons with online resources through Britannica so they can get up-to-date dictionary information on things like reticulated ball pythons since our junior non-fiction titles might only focus on ball pythons in general. When doing reader's advisory I also show patrons who are old enough to use computers how to search in NoveList if they're looking for a read alike for a title I'm unfamiliar with.

3 ways to engage in a toddler time?

Be an example

Promoting collection to elderly readers and promoting community?

Be sure they know about large print collections as well as how to enhance font on eDevices and how to download audiobooks, etc. I don't run it, but I set it up and hand out name cards at our Ethics Book Club. The Ethics Book club is a great example of a way to promote community among elderly reader. It's facilitated by a retired professor, who started with a base of 4-5 retired individuals who discuss the monthly read which is always aabout a current topic or social science topic including feminism, people's history of the united states, new jim crow, etc. Since then they've also been able to make it a multi-generational group with some younger attendees.

Favorite Music!

Beach house, kendrick lamar, yaeji, princess nokia, and so much more! I love collecting vinyl and cassettes. And i also program my own music on my Nintendo 3DS through the MicroKorg M01 software!

Describe how you have planned and implemented a project.

Currently I'm a part of a countywide collaboration with neighboring library system, Grand Rapids Public Library, and Kent Intermediate School District. This partnership is to provide support to Kent County parents whose children are given an individualized reading improvement plan -- a new requirement through Michigan's 3rd Grade Reading Law. As the "Partners in Reading Success" task force we are creating an incentivized reading plan that is for the public, but can be specifically implemented in K-3 public classrooms and is rewarded at the library called: "I Read Today!" Teachers will point caregivers to the public library systems as a resource for books that address different skill needs like fluency, phonemic awareness, and vocabulary. To assist caregivers, we've also created booklists for each skill, with a variety of diverse titles and reading levels, plus accessible educational activities a caregiver and their child can do at home together. This project is now in the design stage and will be implemented in Fall 2018!

Provide excellent customer service to community members of all ages and abilities and from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

Currently as Youth Librarian at the East Grand Rapids branch of Kent District Library my number one customer experience is with the general public while staffing both Adult and Youth info desks. While on desk I handle customer service in the "KDL Way" -- an internal ongoing training for providing friendly, efficient and relationship-oriented customer service. This means that I first and foremost greet every customer within a certain range of my desk. This also means that I have relationships with a majority of my regular library users. These relationships have allowed me the unique privilege of providing a very tailored customer service experience for users. Whether it's a local college professor who needs book recommendations for an upcoming course syllabus, a middle schooler from Teen Zone who might need a little bit of editing and gathering resources for an assignment, or a second grader who struggles with reading and isn't a huge fan -- individualized and relationship-oriented customer service is my expertise! While on desk I am constantly teaching patrons of all ages about the resources they have available to them online and in-person (whether a Kent District Library cardholder or Grand Rapids Public Library cardholder). I also answer computer questions, which involves teaching that person what I'm doing and how they can replicate it. Because we are so close to the city of Grand Rapids, the East Grand Rapids branch serves a wide range of community members including those from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The city of EGR itself is 95% white and upperclass. Because of having such a white community, through my family book club and through programs we try and incorporate as much diversity as possible. Since libraries should be a place for both windows and mirrors into different experiences. Most recently for our East Grand Rapids Read to the Rhythm community reading program the youth titles we featured for each age group were all #ownvoices authors and included black protagonists, a native american protagonist and a latina protagonist. While working at Lincolnwood Public Library we had an extremely diverse community, and in the surrounding areas as well. Which is why Coming Together has done so well, featuring different cultures and ethnicities to celebrate and educate. At North Park University and during my internship at Chicago Public Library's YOUmedia, the communities were diverse although one was academic and one was public.

If a kid tries to check out shades of grey what do u do

Definitely let them check it out! But I'd also recommend a few more age appropriate titles by finding out what the last few books they read were, or what their favorite books have been.

Describe your experience interacting with children and/or teens in a work or volunteer setting, referencing jobs listed on your application/resume.

During Graduate School I did my practicum at Chicago Public Library's Harold Washington Library Center YOUmedia as their first practicum student. I wanted to volunteer with YOUmedia because of their renowned "HOMAGO" method of creating an environment for "hanging out, messing around and geeking out" at the library. I was also a huge fan of Chance the Rapper's "10 Day" album that was recorded at HWLC's YOUmedia center and saw that as evidence that HOMAGO worked for interest driven teen library programming. During my practicum I was not allowed to do regular "desk work" that librarians did, but instead I helped with whatever grant funded positions could do. So I assisted with passive after school programming where students could learn to build circuits, and earn badges to use different equipment like the recording studio or design stickers. I also helped with YOUmedia's "1st Saturdays: Careers in Focus" -- a monthly career exploration series that features a different industry each month to help students network and build resources. I worked with Engineering and Writing by assisting with check-in for high schoolers, tablers and checking in with different high school attendees. I also helped with the Chicago Teen Lit Think Tank focus group where high schooler's shared their ideas for ChiTeenLitFest 2016. While at Lincolnwood Library I had the pleasure to collaborate with School District 74 and support learning through sponsoring programs like their Science Night and Family Reading Night. I also helped create and lead an after-school STEAM club at the school for Grades 3-5. For the first time in years, the library also partnered with Niles West High School to have an all ages Community Star Party at their observatory that was led by high school astronomy students. In order to fill a need of volunteer hours required by the middle school, I also personally created and ran the Community Service Club for Grades 6-8 where youth completed engaged and compassionate projects. Some of our projects included making coloring books for YWCA's shelter for domestic abuse, making journals for Chicago Books to Women in Prison, as well as making biscuits and dog toys for New Leash on Life. While at Lincolnwood I also led "Safety Break Storytime" during the summers at the local pool, regularly helped with"Everybody Move!" a childhood movement and music class, and helped with a week-long coding camp for Grades 2-4 using Scratch. At East Grand Rapids branch I lead back-to-back weekly Family Storytimes for ages birth to six with a caregiver. For my curriculum I use the same weekly hello song, and feature a weekly seasonal singing book in addition to a second book. I have an action song, an action song with a manipulative, a "letter of the week" guessing game, and the same weekly closing song and then process art and open play for the kids. On average I lead 45-80 children and their caregivers, with a group of regulars and lots of families that attend sporadically. I also co-host a weekly Teen Zone for Grades 6-12 that ranges in activities from perler beads, pancake art, shrinky dinks, movie days and more! With the branches proximity to both middle and high schools we can have as low as 12 teens for an in-depth craft, or 118 for an ice cream social! In the summer I lead an hour long STEAM program for the public school's day camp, Camp East for Grades 1-5. I visit local schools for booktalks and other outreach efforts for Grades K-4. While on desk I help kids log into Minecraft, roam the teen area after school to build relationships and keep behavior in check, as well as recommend resources and answer any/all questions kids and teens ask!

Who are some of your favorite authors? Favorite books?

For kids I'd have to say for kids books I love Grace Lin, Jaqueline Woodson, and Roald Dahl. But honestly I've love love loved all the debut authors like Celia C. Perez's "The First Rule of Punk" - Julie Kim's "Where's Halmoni?" graphic novel and Molly Ostertag's "The Witch Boy" -- and teen, "Long Way Down" by Jason Reynolds and of course I love "The Hate You Give" by Angie Thomas and I saw you guys had her visit!!!! For picture books I love Todd Parr's books! Last week's storytime book was "Festival of Colors" by mother/son duo Surishtha Sehgal and Kabir Sehgal. And recently I brought "Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush's journey" to read aloud to K-2 classes and they LOVED it. For adult books I love Roxanne Gay, Allison Bechdel, and again I've been enjoying a lot of debut authors like Gabby Rivera's "Juliet Takes a Breath" poet Eve. Ewing's "Electric Arches" and really anything social science related like "The War on Kids" about juvenile detention centers in america.

What are some of the books you've read in the past few months?

For my family book club I just read "Yours, Sincerely Giraffe" an adorable book translated from Japanese about a Giraffe who is bored so he asks the pelican to fly a letter to the edge of the horizon where the pelican then gives it to a delivery seal, who then gives it to Penguin. And then they become pen pals. I also just read a book by Chicago comic artist Alex Nall called "Let Some Word of Yours Be Heard" that has comics about his experience teaching in chicago public schools coupled with researched stories about Fred Rogers -- it's a non-fiction title. Currently I'm trying to nail down my 3rd and 4th grade summer reading lists so I just read "Be Prepared" the graphic novel by Vera Brosgol and I'm just about to start The Parker Inheritance on audio and Aru Shah and the End of Time!

Can you give me an example of how you have worked with a group outside of the library? (e.g., student organization, local businesses, etc...)

Most recently me and a colleague worked with a 7th grade English teacher to get an author visit by First Rule of Punk author Celia C. Perez for our EGR Read to the Rhythm community reads program. After contacting Celia to get her prices and workshop info, w eset up the date to visit the 7th grade. We chose that specific 7th grade class since my co-worker knew she had used zines in her curriculum, and was reading the title out loud to her class. This same teacher is interested in collaborating with the EGR branch for a zine fest that would be all ages and allow teens and tweens to table as well.

Scenario: A patron complains that another person in the library "smells." What do you do?

I don't officially know hennepin 's policies -- but I'd suggest the patron moves to another location within the library if possible.

Can you describe how you schedule your time on particularly hectic day? Can you give a specific example?

I make sure I'm on time! I open my email immediately and then I make a bullet list of to dos for the day on one sheet of paper, and a sticky note of my desk time and lunch break. I keep a paper calendar, and post it notes for planning and prioritizing. My most chaotic days currently are Thursdays because I lead back-to-back family storytimes -- i normally have to tear down a parks and rec program, set-up my storytime and then I quick go through emails before it starts. I have a half hour in between storytimes, but usually I use the first 15 minutes to go around and talk to individuals kids and families as they play and work on the open process art project. Then I use the second half to start cleaning up, and refilling any art supplies I need. After storytime is all cleaned up it is about 12:15pm and I take a lunch, and then come back to set-up for Teen Zone that runs from about 3-4:30pm. Things get really busy when I start adding in my Summer Reading Visits outreach. I usually multitask with sticky notes/to-do lists/ and am constantly thinking of ways I can "kill two birds with one stone."

If you were in a one on one with your supervisor what would be your goals for the future?

My goals for the future? I'd say currently I'm heavily focused on the day-to-day of operations and a public facing job where a lot of my time is on desk or in programs. I'd love to have some areas for professional development like local conferences or meet-ups for fellow librarians so I can stay on top of new trends, make connections and get new ideas.

what is your favorite online resource/database? Tell us about your experiences using library databases? (Either helping patrons with, or your own experiences.)

I noticed Hennepin County doesn't have it, but Hoopla Digital is my favorite! I use it personally for eAudioBooks and eMusic. We had a mishap where our branch never got the DVD for a kid's drive-in movie event themed around Mo Willems pigeon and I was able to use shorts from Hoopla for the program. And I even had a mom thank me since her autistic son couldn't attend but she was so happy she could take home the snacks and watch the movie online with her library card. I also was able to show a teen how to download it on their phone since they wanted the latest backstagers comic, but we didn't have the physical copies yet! But hoopla had digital copies! Since KDL has switched from OverDrive to CloudLibrary I've also promoted Hoopla letting people know that KDL offers multiple places to for eBooks and eAudiobooks and with Hoopla although there is a monthly limit to titles, but no wait time!

Describe your experience providing customer service, instruction, or outreach to customers of all ages and backgrounds, referencing jobs listed on your application/resume.

I started out my library career as the sole Interlibrary Loan Technician at Crowell Library, a small not-for-profit academic library in Chicago. A majority of my customer service and outreach experience was with a variety of grad and undergrad students as well as professors. I also provided support for two smaller satellite campuses in Michigan and Washington state, as well as libraries across the country through lending. Most of my instruction came in the form of promotional bookmarks and brochures that showcased how to use ILL through the library. During my time at Crowell Library I also provided customer service and outreach to students with disabilities as the library's temporary ADA Coordinator. I was put in contact with students through Admissions, and would purchase and digitize their textbooks using a software called Kurzweil. As Circulation and Outreach Coordinator at North Park University's Brandel Library, I once again provided customer service and outreach to a variety of grad and undergrad students as well as professors. Brandel Library also allowed the public access to the library during certain hours. As a member of the Outreach and Marketing committee I planned a number of student programs and outreach events. One of my favorites was a partnership with Student Activities where we created a PacMan themed progressive lunch for commuter students that consisted of a tour of library spaces, library resources, introduced them to staff members, and then we provided a box lunch. I also helped create a winter break reading program called Season's Readings where students engaged on social media sharing what they read (for fun!) over break. Once school started again we had a well attended cookie and hot cocoa reception in the library to announce raffle winners. As the direct manager of 23 circulation student workers, most of my instruction was focused on training them to provide excellent customer service while working the Circulation Desk. To continue that ongoing training, as a part-time worker myself, I created weekly google quizzes that were required for student workers to take. These quizzes were multiple-choice and would hit on 3-5 questions about procedures, policies and customer service. When I was a Programming Librarian (formally Program Coordinator) I was part of the Community Engagement department at Lincolnwood Public Library, just outside the city of Chicago. My entire job revolved around customer service and outreach to all ages. I also focused on establishing and maintaining community partnerships for outreach purposes. One of my favorite outreach programs that I helped start and lead was Technology One-on-Ones at Lincolnwood Place, an assisted living facility. Through this unique outreach program we were able to serve an underserved population. While at Lincolnwood, my department also re-established relations with the Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation department as well as with School District 74 and Niles North High School. As part of ¡Viva! Coming Together, an annual collaboration for Skokie and Niles Townships that celebrated a specific culture, I was able to reach new members of the community through partnering with places like 90 Miles Cuban Cafe, Lincolnwood Place, Whole Foods and Lincolnwood Town Center. We provided a variety of free programming that was hosted by different Latinos in the community. I also regularly hosted and assisted with programs for all ages, and handled a majority of customer service interaction for programs and events as a member of the Community Engagement Department. Currently as Youth Librarian at the East Grand Rapids branch of Kent District Library my number one customer experience is with the general public while staffing both Adult and Youth info desks. While on desk I handle customer service in the "KDL Way" -- an internal ongoing training for providing friendly, efficient and relationship-oriented customer service. This means that I first and foremost greet every customer within a certain range of my desk. This also means that I have relationships with a majority of my regular library users. These relationships have allowed me the unique privilege of providing a very tailored customer service experience for users. Whether it's a local college professor who needs book recommendations for an upcoming course syllabus, a middle schooler from Teen Zone who might need a little bit of editing and gathering resources for an assignment, or a second grader who struggles with reading, but only reads non-fiction books about animals -- individualized and relationship-oriented customer service is my expertise! While on desk I am constantly teaching patrons of all ages about the resources they have available to them online and in-person (whether a Kent District Library cardholder or Grand Rapids Public Library cardholder). I also answer computer questions, which involves teaching that person what I'm doing and how they can replicate it. Most of my current outreach efforts as a Youth Librarian are in relation to local schools providing guest readings, booktalks on new materials, and promotions for Summer Reading. I also lead two weekly Family Storytimes where registration is not required and I get between 45-80 caregivers and children. With attendees, I am constantly teaching children early literacy skills while simultaneously teaching the parents how to replicate these early literacy practices. I am also providing a form of outreach introducing myself to caregivers as they enter the classroom and getting to know their questions/needs about being a library user. During the summer I also provide an hour of weekly STEAM programming at Camp East, a public school day camp for Grades 1-5. The week of March 23-31 KDL also partnered with Grand Rapids Pride Center and Grand Rapids Trans foundation to create the first ever displays for Trans Week of Visibility. I created displays and brochures for youth, adult and teen that showcased our materials that feature trans and gender non-conforming individuals! And through my weeding efforts at the East Grand Rapids branch, I select diverse and gently used hardbacks from the junior fiction section to be sent to our local Juvenile Detention Center's library. Through KDL, I also have the opportunity to embark on a completely new form of outreach -- a countywide collaboration with neighboring library system, Grand Rapids Public Library, and Kent Intermediate School District. This partnership is to provide support to Kent County parents whose children are given an individualized reading improvement plan -- a new requirement through Michigan's 3rd Grade Reading Law. As the "Partners in Reading Success" task force we are creating an incentivized reading plan that can be implemented in the classroom, and at home, and then rewarded at the library: "I Read Today!: 1,000 Days of Reading." Classrooms will also point caregivers to the public library systems as a resource for books that address different skill needs like fluency, phonemic awareness, and vocabulary. To assist caregivers, we're also creating booklists for each skill, with a variety of diverse titles and reading levels, plus accessible educational activities a caregiver and their child can do at home together.

Tell us about your experiences supervising or training staff (or students, etc..).

I supervised a student work with my ILL work. I also directly supervised 23 student workers as Circulation and Outreach Coordinator. Basically what circ mangers do at a branch level I did for an academic library! I also had to train reference librarians on circulation procedures, so I created video tutorials. I also used google form quizzes that were multiple choice and mandatory for student workers. Because I was assigned workers, and I really needed students to be detail oriented and familiar with policy/procedure -- short quizzes helped me keep up with the workflow and communication with staff.

Are there things about your current job you find difficult or frustrating to do?

I would say the most difficult thing has been only working 24 hours a week! I have great project management skills and the ability to prioritize, but knowing that most weeks when I leave Friday I won't be back until Wednesday definitely takes some time to get used to! I just know how to search my emails and make mass clear outs of "shelf checks" and "sub shifts" to make a dent in my 200+ emails. The slight learning curve, has also allowed me to learn that putting in the back-end work, makes the front-end work run smoothly. For instance, last year scheduling summer reading visits to 6 elementary school's 3rd and 4th grade classrooms was an absolute nightmare (especially because I only had 20 hours at that time). But this year, instead of emailing grades of teachers -- I blind carbon copied every single 3rd and 4th grade teacher and sent them a doodle poll of all of my available hours for the end of May/early June and allowed each participant to only choose one time. Although it took me about an hour to input and re-read and triple check everything -- once the teachers start filling out my doodle poll I just have to email them to confirm their time slot and then email my manager so I have off-desk time.

Is there Anything I wouldn't recommend for content to a kid?

I wouldn't stop a child from checking anything out! And in fact I see kids trying to read above their level all the time and I never stop them! But! I do sneak in some age-appropriate recommendations if I can --- or convince them that YES Jake the Fake is HILARIOUS!

Teen recommendation: book, movie and CD

I'd obviously want it to be interest driven so I could figure out what they've been reading, watching listening to and playing! But without the specifics I'd have to say -- Long Way Down by jason reynolds was a PAGE TURNER and a quick read. I'm still in love with Kendrick's latest album and I'd assume they'd already listened to Lizzo because she's from Minneapolis! And for a movie I recently watched Kedi and it's great for a light hearted documentary -- it's about street cats in Istanbul!

Rate yourself on Technology --

I'd say I'm excellent! I've staffed a technology reference desk for a grad course, I also taught technology one-on-ones at a retirement home in Lincolnwood. Regularly, I field questions for both kids and adults about technology issues and something I've learned is, even if I don't know the answer initially I can normally do some research to figure it out. And if not I can take down someon'es information and contact them when it gets figured out. I had someone come in and ask why can't they couldn't adjust the narration speed on CloudLibrary? So I checked my app and there was a dial for increasing narration speed, but not on their phone! I brought up their manual online, did control f, and found out that there's only a way to increase narration on newer android phones. I've also helped a minecraft player figure out how to enchant an item in creative mode through research, and through intentional use, I've taught students how to use HUE animation.

Describe a situation where you demonstrated particularly good resourcefulness or flexibility.

I'd say most recently with my outreach work with Grades 1-5 at Camp East -- a day local day camp. I've had to adapt on the spot for lesson plans, and quickly assess a situation in order for improvements.

Name five adjectives that describe yourself.

Innovative, Determined, Flexible, Versatile, and Collaborative!

Describe a failure you have experienced. What did you learn from it?

It isn't specifically a failure, but last year I did a horrible job of scheduling my offsite summer reading visits to all the 3rd and 4th grade class visits. I had taken the month of may off from storytime to give me time to prepare a presentation and then to get into classrooms. I had gotten the wrong impression that I was at the will of whenever the teachers could have me. So when they asked for me on days when I didn't work, I still would schedule if it didn't interefere with my second job. It worked out in the end and my boss was extremely gracious, but this year I wasn't going to let that happen again! Hence my idea for a doodle poll that allowed me to visually show my available time slots, and then had the teachers communicating together (without emailing me back and forth). It has been so successful my boss is having me teach my other youth co-workers how to use doodle poll for scheduling massive outreach visits.

Tell us about something innovative you've done in your current job (or coursework, etc.).

It's something small, but I actually suggested the cataloging change for classifying items not just LGBT, but LGBT-Adult LGBT-Kids. I was searching for StoryCompass and just trying to see what we've already tagged in our catalog for LGBT to see if I could add some items for youth and I found that when I searched for the board book "Daddy, Papa and Me" and then clicked "LGBT" tag it brought me to some adult romance and I thought mhmmm this isn't very user friendly! If we have clickable LOC headings they should work better. So I emailed Tammy Schneider who oversees collection development, who then suggested the change to cataloging and now the rest is history! I also used doodle to schedule my summer reading visits -- my boss loved how efficient it was she asked me to train other youth staff on how to use doodle for scheduling massive outreach visits with multiple teachers/sites.

What do you do when a child is disruptive during storytime?

Kids will be kids! I've added some tactics to make "distractions" less noticeable. I stand the entire time I do storytime -- that way if kiddos are walking around it's not as much of an impact if I'm also walking around. Typically if a child is crying loudly a grown up will take them out. However, I'd say kids are less of the distraction and normally it's the parents! Who like to chat with their neighbors. So now I start every storytime with a gentle "Just a reminder that you are your child's best teacher so if you can help your kiddo sing the songs, listen to the stories and engage with me they'll get the most out of today's time!" If things are getting extra out of hand I'd I'd switch up my schedule from either doing a second book to leading another song, or instead bust out my rhyme cube. It all depends on the age, the engagement of the caregiver and where I'm at during storytime. Flexibility and Adapting is key though!

likes/dislikes + experience working with kids and teens

Likes -- so much variety! On any given Thursday I can go from back to back family storytimes to doing teen zone for grades 6-12. I also like that I have a very organic relationship with the kids and teens. They do not have to come to the library, they don't have to do any assignments to use the library, they can bring their xbox controllers and play Fort Nite until the library closes. And I don't have all th emotional labor that teachers have. Yet! I can still help them edit papers, choose their book report book, print reports off and be there for them in a unique community-centric way. There's only been one day that was just pure chaos after school. And I found out the next day that it'd been a full moon! So I guess it wasn't their fault, haha.

HCL Mission and Vision!

Mission and vision Our mission is to nourish minds, transform lives and build community together. We envision a Hennepin County where library services ensure every person has the opportunity and resources to read, graduate, engage, work and learn.

Tell us about a time you were a regular participant in a workgroup.

Partners in Reading success KDL Youth Programming SRP committee Coming Together Skokie Even though it wasn't an actual project we went through with -- I created a succinct outline of why we shouldn't do a "Super Mario Maker" tourney and then also outlined what we'd need to do if we decided to continue with it. So I guess my most recent contribution was helping our quarterly meeting move on a bit quicker and come to a decision about it haha. However, with my last position as Programming Librarian -- all I did was create and collaborate on programming with the Adult and Youth departments. I helped oversee the Summer Reading committee -- including all programs, as well as initiating a registration free program and a way to track statistics. BUT! One of my favorite committees/workgroups was called "Coming together Skokie" which was an entire community wide celebration of a different culture every year. The only thing to compare it to here is like a one book one read -- but that was just a single element of the program. With an opening ceremony held at the local high school, an author visit in conclusion, AND a multi-city "Stand Against Racism" in partnership with YWCA-- there were so many local representatives! Being a part of that workgroup was an absolute honor, and the year I planned the most for was 2016 -- the year my previous library was completely under construction! So I had to figure out how to celebrate Latino culture offsite! THankfully through a multitude of partnerships it was a complete success!

2017 stats!

READ: Almost 800,000 residents have a library card. In 2017, our physical collection contains 4.6 million books, DVDs and CDs as well as hard-copy newspapers and magazines, in 10 languages, at our 41 neighborhood locations, and 311,269 books, DVDs and CDs that are available at a touch from your phone or tablet. GRADUATE: At Hennepin County Library, literacy starts at birth. Our new and renovated libraries include STEM-inspired play and learn areas and designated computers for children and families. In 2016, K-12 students signed in for more than 14,300 sessions for Homework Help, and adult learners studying for their GED, a GRE or citizenship test used quiet and collaborative workspaces to study. All 7,246 students in the Hopkins School District received a library card. Engage Inside and outside our walls, Hennepin County libraries work to serve and reflect our communities. That means 85 onsite community meeting spaces, as well as public computers and Wi-Fi. We convene community conversations, about books, and about issues that define our times. We also offer 9,284 literacy, arts, business and other programs to bring people into the libraries, and we take library programs out into neighborhoods. Work Your success is our success. In 2016, Hennepin County Library offered 2,138 computers for public use, and small-group technology coaching to help patrons learn to type and use email. We offered more than 100 sessions of small business consultations, plus patent help for inventors, and business coaching for artists. The Hennepin County Anne W. Grande Law Library provides a wealth of materials for legal professionals and others. Our library Tech Centers provide equipment, software and studio space to help emerging musicians and filmmakers to thrive in our communities. Learn It's easy to research your investment or business idea, your health or your community, using the 200 databases available at www.hclib.org. With your library card, you also have access to more 56,000 online newspapers and magazines, to feed your curiosity and make you better informed about the world. Online manuals and tutorials make anything possible, from fixing your car to project management and passing professional exams. Visit 41 libraries are open to serve you more than 2,000 hours each week.

Support youth in their developmental and learning needs which may include leading storytimes, school visits, and group programs. Reach out to community organizations; develop and maintain relationships and collaborate to create services and programs that fit local needs and interests and that reflect the mission of HCL

Recently, we collaborated with the public school system, by bringing in author Celia C. Perez to do zine workshops in the classroom since the teacher was already using zines in curriculum, but for nonfiction and research purpose. This was overwhelmingly successful and we reached 190 7th grade students. I also set up a doodle poll so that I can visit all the public school 3rd and 4th grades for summer reading. I also work with area private schools as well. I regularly visit each classroom in the Fall and before Summer. A handful of classes request library tours and visits, and I also visit classes to do book talks. I also lead a weekly program for the school's summer day camp for Grades 1-5.

Tell us about what you feel are your biggest strengths and your biggest weaknesses.

STRENGTHS: • Innovation/Creativity -- I'm always looking for ways to adapt, improve and fulfill community needs • Communication/People skills -- From storytimes, to school outreach, to teaching technology one on ones: relationship-oriented service is a priority for me! • Enthusiasm! I am very passionate about being a librarian, and I am passionate about access, equity, inclusion and diversity because libraries are for everyone! WEAKNESSES: •I'm not a fast reader! So I've found myself listening to lots of audiobooks in order to play catch up and reading lots of reviews to stay on top of youth literature! I always read before, but at my own leisure! Now I'm trying to read titles to promote, and then also to make sure I know what's going on!

Job description for HCL

Seeking enthusiastic, engaged individuals to fill current and future Librarian openings in youth services and adult services. Librarians play a key role in providing services in libraries, online, and in the community. Librarians lead and support staff in delivering a variety of library programs and services with a strong emphasis on facilitating community engagement. Librarians are project managers and program designers who create, deliver, and evaluate programs to meet community needs. They contribute to system-wide projects, including leading or serving on committees and teams to solve problems, improve service, or promote innovation. Librarians are essential members of teams that enable us to accomplish our mission to nourish minds, transform lives, and build communities together. HCL is seeking individuals interested in shaping the future and being responsive to changes in our cities and neighborhoods. HCL serves more than one million residents of the city of Minneapolis and suburban Hennepin County. The 41 library systems offers more than 5 million books, CDs, and DVDs, materials in more than 40 languages, 1600 public computers, and an extensive website.

What is your philosophy to librarianship?

with out a doubt! user/relationship-oriented services, community engagement and dynamic/diverse programming and collections

Describe your experience working in, or collaborating with, schools, community groups, or nonprofit organizations, referencing jobs listed on your application/resume.

Since I've already described my collaboration and outreach with a variety of schools, community groups and nonprofit organizations through my library positions I'd like to touch on one aspect of my volunteer work. Although my title shifted over the 3 years I spent at Comfort Station Logan Square, a neighborhood multi-disciplinary art space, I ended my time there as Administrative Director. Comfort Station Logan Square started out as a neighborhood art gallery in a building that was historically preserved by the Logan Square Preservation. After a time of only art, the current Director started curating and programming free all ages concerts at the space and then someone else came on board and began weekly film screenings. When I was working as an Interlibrary Loan Coordinator who loved the arts and loved my neighborhood I began volunteering with them. I recruited and maintained an entirely volunteer staff for gallery hours, the ever-expanding free programming we offered, and I helped maintain the website and social media. Overall, I contributed my organizational skills and created processes and workflows so that Comfort Station would be an organized, yet entirely volunteer run non-profit. Comfort Station Logan Square is where I learned about collaboration and partnerships since we were an entirely volunteer staff who just had use of a historical preserved building. We were always collaborating with someone else, whether it was a workshop by the Poetry Foundation, hosting the Logan Square Friends of the Library book sale, being a site for "Make Music Day," hosting Logan Square Neighborhood Association's "Fiesta in the Square," or being a site for the First Nations Film and Video Festival. Collaborating and working with other organizations was key since Comfort Station's mission was to present challenging and stimulating programming that is open and accessible to everyone. Throughout my entire grad school career I continued volunteering at Comfort Station and was able to develop a program called "Community Conversations" for my Community Engagement class. In this program we invited both the public and key stakeholders to a facilitated dialogue about changes in the neighborhood and what the community would like to see and how we could achieve it. In attendance, upon their own accord, was Will Guzzardi (an IL state representative), the head of the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce, the current 32nd Ward Alderman, and a representative from Logan Square Neighborhood association among other local organizations. To help facilitate and lead the "Community Conversation" I reached out to the non-profit "Dialogue & Deliberation for Civic Engagement in Chicago." After the event we heard great feedback from residents and attendees that they felt heard and empowered. With the help of graduate school, I found myself correlating a lot of the programming Comfort Station was doing to something that a public library could and should mimic. Comfort Station's events were community-centric and existed to promote connections between diverse groups of communities -- like a public library should do. Throughout my time at Brandel Library and Lincolnwood Public Library I continued volunteering for Comfort Station. And I always sought to have library collaborations that were as community-centric as the work I did with Comfort Station was.

Explain your approach to customer service at the library

Since being at KDL they've created a "KDL Way" initiative. And I was so excited to see an emphasis on empathy and relationship-oriented service because my customer service approach has always been called "user-oriented" -- but i think the combination of user and relationship oriented really reflects my customer service ideology.

Tell us about your work experience in libraries.

• Academic Library, PT Interlibrary Loan Technician and Temporary ADA Coordinator • Academic Library, PT Circulation and Outreach Coordinator -- I directly managed 23 circulation student workers and created programming for students/campus outreach • Public Library, FT Programming Librarian -- planned, coordinated and evaluated all Adult to Preschool programs for a single library. Managed 17 budget lines for the Community Engagement Department. Developed and maintained partnerships/relationships with a variety of organizations, businesses and community members. • EGR, PT Youth Librarian -- most of my time is spent between staffing the adult and youth info desks, local outreach at elementary schools, branch programming, weekly family storytimes, creating a monthly self-led family book club, finding new titles for LGBT Youth in our online reader's advisory tool Story Compass, and doing committee work for partners in reading success task force and youth programming work group.

Conflict with co-worker how do you handle it?

So far I really haven't had any conflicts with a co-worker that isn't necessarily about work stuff. There's definitely been tensions, but nothing that is taken personally or considered a true conflict. KDL is a big system with almost 400 employees. The closest thing I've come to conflict is my frustration with the subjectivity of our cataloging. Currently there is a divide between who our J fiction area is geared towards -- 3rd to 6th or 3rd to 8th? Our youth specialists are divided, and even the age range of main characters shows discrepancies between cataloging. As LGBT youth genre these frustrations came as I'd recommend purchases for this specific age group of middle grade and they'd get cataloged in teen like Felix YZ did. I was able to start an initial conversation with cataloging via email and it didn't really seem to go anywhere. So, I've kept an eye on the age of protagonists who get cataloged in J fiction vs. Teen fiction and I especially keep an eye on where my recommendations get cataloged because how can I add LGBT youth titles to our online reader's advisory StoryCompass if they keep getting cataloged in Teen? Also, recentlymy coworkers and I really wanted to start having tampons and pads available in addition to diapers. We can't have them out in bathrooms because the city doesn't want dispensers. So we said we could house them at the desk. We then asked if it was okay to place signs in the male and female bathrooms within the library that state tampons, sanitary pads and diapers were available at the information desks. There was some tension since we wanted to place the same signs in both of our male and female bathrooms because we stated that periods are gender neutral, but our bathrooms are not. Because there were 3 coworkers who agreed that signs should go in both bathrooms, there wasn't an official tension -- just some slight eye rolls, but our manager agreed! I made the sign, and we just need to buy the supplies and then we can hang up our gender neutral signs in our gendered bathrooms!

PHONE INTERVIEW TIPS:

Speaker phone -- I know it's a 30 minute interview, and because I'm a conversationalist I'd love to keep things efficient and I don't want to run out of time, approximately how many questions will we be covering? Good morning, This is Emily speaking! Listen first, then talk and Repeat every question before responding so they know what you think you're responding to Ask did that answer your question after answering a question SMILE! A LOT! Have your notes handy and nearby Create a positive ending -- thank you so much for this opportunity! Avoid being overly talkative! "That sums it up!" for end of questions if need be

Teen zone for grades 6-12 -- tell me more about it

Teen zones are so much fun! And Thursdays are my busiest program days with back to back family storytimes and teen zones after school. My co-worker plans most of the events with some input from me, but whether she's there or not I'm the main staffer! We have 1 movie a month, 1 food event per month and the rest are a variety of arts and crafts like shrinky dinks, collage notebooks, or mini terrariums. For arts and crafts we have anywhere between 10-45 kids who stay for an hour plus. For food events like our ice cream sundaes which was literally a gallon of vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup we had 120 kids come through. We're located right by the middle and high school and it's a walkable community so we see a lot of regular teens who hang out at the library waiting for rides, or just to be with friends.

Describe a workplace conflict you encountered and how did you go about resolving it.

• Had to eliminate Baby Lapsit • Knew this was the brain child of the storytime leader • Explained the director needed us to free up some staff time by eliminating some programs. • Baby lapsit over 8 weeks had an attendance of 2. • Although the staffer was upset, I encouraged her to work on some of her other programming ideas for the fall since Baby lapsit would be eliminated and she could have time re-evaluate and create something new.

What made you decide to become a librarian?

• I wanted to work in a field that is relationship-oriented, and heavily involved with serving all members of the community! • I also wanted a job where life-long learning was always going to be part of the job! Everyday I learn something new!

HCL PROMISE: To our staff

To our staff We promise to support you in meeting community and patron needs by: Encouraging learning and development and leveraging existing expertise Valuing diversity and inclusion Supporting an environment of creativity and innovation Prioritizing customer service Embracing new technologies, programs and services Demonstrating the value of library services to residents and other stakeholders Optimizing funding of library services with private and public dollars

How do you stay current with trends and developments in the profession?

Twitter! Public libraries online weekly emails! lots of blogs like waking brain cells for book reviews, library juice press for a wider perspective, and lots of my friends whether it's co-workers, grad school classmates, and librarian/archivists are constantly providing great discussions online, telling me about the latest news, creating innovative programs, and presenting research!

HCL PROMISE: To our communities

We promise to engage with you, building strength and health by: Providing library services that reflect and respond to community diversity Using research-based information when developing library services Quickly recognizing and responding to changing communities and demographics Deepening community engagement and collaborations Partnering with schools, businesses and nonprofits in our communities Creating library environments that are welcoming, safe and secure Configuring library spaces and places to reflect new and broader purposes

HCL PROMISE: To our patrons

We promise to see the whole person and respond to you by: Delivering relevant, innovative and inclusive library services Engaging readers and learners of all ages Developing physical and virtual library services that support patron access Removing barriers to information and content Building and maintaining our collections Preserving historical collections Soliciting and acting on patron feedback Building confident library users

Why are you interested in leaving your current position?

When I moved back home to Michigan it was predominately due to a lack of housing in Chicago. I knew with my experience I could eventually get a job back in Grand Rapids where I had a housing situation available. I've really enjoyed my time working for KDL, but after visiting family in Minneapolis last summer I started keeping an eye on full time positions with Hennepin County Library and was so excited when I saw applications open up for Librarian positions.

What management style do you prefer working with?

While at Lincolnwood I worked in the Community Engagement department in a small room with my boss and two colleagues. And since at EGR i work the desk regularly, have a backroom space in our youth work room, and have to be very intentional about my offsite outreach. Because of both experiences I find myself gravitating towards collaboration with management for major projects, but I like the ability to manage my own projects as well (while remaining in communication with my boss about what I'm doing, how it's going and what kind of support I need).

Describe a situation where you had to meet a very tight deadline. What other things were you juggling? Did you meet the deadline?

While at Lincolnwood, I had all programs offsite for construction preparation, and entirely offsite summer reading program (including all our events which we partnered with Parks and Rec on), I had a meeting room policy to finish. Offsite programming is one of the hardest things to juggle -- especially when ALL your programs are offsite at places like the pool, the mall, the parks, and whole foods. Lots of preparation in advance since it's not in our setting!

Hardest part about working with teens?

With relationship-oriented service, comes vulnerability -- which also includes hearing some emotionally traumatic things including parents who are unaccepting of their trans child, a kid who wants to run away due to home life or a divorce has recently taken place and the kid is pitted in the middle. I know my boundaries, and I give life examples/advice on social services available, but I will never over step my limit. If I ever hear directly from a teen about a more serious situation that involves sexual or physical abuse I will need to consult a manager on the library's policies on being mandated reporter -- but I will also get the teen the resources they need through connecting and referring them to community organizations.

Describe your technology experience (computers, web design, e-resources, web 2.0)? Or more specifically: How does the library incorporate social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter into its services?

• Taught technology one-on-ones at Lincolnwood. • Regularly assist and instruct patrons while staffing the Adult info desk at EGR. • Managed EventKeeper software at Lincolnwood for the website • Managed website/calendar for Comfort Station • Created weekly quizzes through google forms for my circulation staff • Manged social media for Lincolnwood and Comfort Station

w Questions You are by yourself at the service desk and one of your coworkers is on dinner break and the other one is working on a project, at once you have the following occur: 1) An adult with about 10 kids all want to get library cards. 2) A father and his son are looking for books on a specific topic (forgot what this was) 3) The president of the Friends group is calling about a procedure question. How do you handle this situation?

Wow! That is one busy moment! So! I'd start by waving at everyone in front of me assuming I'm on the phone when they approach. I tell the president of the friends that I will need to pull up a handbook to research, and potentially contact my supervisor, so I ask for their information in order to call or email them back. Once I hang up, I thank the groups for their patience and start with the adult with the ten kids. I ask if if they've ever had library cards before. If not, then I'd ask the grown up if they have a state ID with their current address on it. Assuming they do! I hand over 10 library card applications and pens and walk them through the process quickly and efficiently. Now, I get to the dad and son and thank them for their patience. I ask if they want facts or stories (depending on genre) and go from there and either walk directly to the stacks or take a quick look at the online catalog first.

QUESTIONS TO ASK!

• The position listed is for a general Librarian, for the current opening at Franklin what age group is it geared towards? • I see the library has some awesome partnerships like the UofM Teen Urban 4H Club and WellShare International's weekly Somali meetup -- what other sorts of partnerships does the library already have with the schools and other neighborhood organizations? • How many staff work for the Hennepin County Library System?