This week, I'm introducing you to the Children's Librarian at the Sewickley Township Public Library: Jennifer Worley! "Miss Jen," as she is affectionately known, has worked at the Sewickley Township Public Library since September 2015 and has been the Children's Librarian since the fall of 2016. Read on to learn more about Miss Jen!
Why did you decide to become a librarian?
I was seeking part-time employment when a Library Assistant position opened up at STPL. The hours worked well with my schedule, since I homeschool my children, and I was delighted at the prospect of working in a library. I simply love books! The following year, I agreed to visit local daycares and preschools to present our monthly Traveling Story Time Outreach Program. Our Director noted how much I enjoyed working with the kids and planning the outreach programs. That fall, when our Children’s Librarian was in the process of leaving our library, I was given the opportunity to step into that role. It was a perfect fit for me, because I’ve always loved working with children! It’s been a great place to work, with wonderful people!
Tell us a little bit about your background.
I actually grew up in Sewickley Township, got my first library card at STPL, and was a Story Time Volunteer at the Library during High School. I studied Animal Science through International Correspondence Schools, and later studied Creative Writing, especially writing for children and teenagers, through The Institute of Children’s Literature. I love writing and art! I especially enjoy writing non-fiction and had my first sale a few years back with an article in Reunions Magazine. I’ve assisted and led art classes for kids as well as led many writing clubs. I was a SAHM for many years and have thoroughly enjoyed the creativity and flexibility of homeschooling my own kids! My husband and I lived away from the area for about 12 years. We moved back 9 years ago and started attending various library programs at STPL. Both of our daughters (Emma, 17, and Katelyn, 13) have volunteered extensively at STPL as well.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is spending time with kids and families and planning programs that make learning fun! It’s awesome to come full circle and give back to the community in that way!
What are a few of your all-time favorite children's stories?
I would have to say my all-time favorite children’s stories are "The Little House" by Virginia Lee Burton, "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown, "If You Give a Pig a Pancake" and other books by Laura Joffe Numeroff, "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen, "The Thanksgiving Treasure" by Gail Rock, and the "Dear America" historical fiction series.
What new(er) children's books are you most excited about?
For newer books I like anything by Kevin Henkes; Brad Meltzer’s biography series for young readers, "Ordinary People Change the World"; and the new fiction book "Saving Winslow" by Sharon Creech for middle graders.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
People might be surprised to know that I was homeschooled from 1stthrough 12thgrade, and I graduated High School through PHAA (Pennsylvania Homeschoolers Accreditation Agency). It was a positive experience for me, and I’m glad to be able to plan programs through the library for homeschoolers in our community!
I also co-write a healthy cooking blog, momsnaturally.blogspot.com, along with my sister, who incidentally is also a Children’s Librarian! We both love to cook! Eleven years ago we began compiling our favorite family recipes, invented some new ones, and adapted them to accommodate restricted diets, such as Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, etc. We began as a website, and have been transferring our recipes to a blog format. We’ve recently taken Moms Naturally on the road! We created “Cooking with Kids” programs and have presented them in several libraries, including STPL. We hope to one day write a cookbook!
What would people be surprised to learn about the library in general?
Libraries are SO much more than books! (And don’t get me wrong, we LOVE books!) Libraries adapt and grow to meet the ever changing needs of their patrons. We’re an information hub, we offer resources and family-friendly activities, and we’re often a place to make noise! There is something for everyone! Last year Sewickley Township Public Library offered 138 different programs for adults, children and teens!
What are a few upcoming events you'd like to share with our readers?
We offer a weekly Story Time, every Wednesday at 1PM, for children ages 0 to 5 years.
During the school year, we’ve also started a monthly Homeschool STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Club, for homeschool and cyberschool students of all ages. We meet at the library from 1-3PM on the last Monday of each month through May. (Because of Memorial Day, the date in May changes to a week before the holiday.)
And also during the school year, through May, we’re continuing to offer a Young Writer’s Club on the first Tuesday of each month, from 7-8PM. This season, we’re excited to be working together with local YA Author, B.D. Messick (author of the Sojourn series), to create a book of short stories to be published and available for purchase on Amazon.com. There is still time for Middle School and High School aged students to join the club and be included in the book! And I’m already preparing for this year’s Summer Reading Program! The theme is A Universe of Stories. Last year we offered day-camp style programming during our kick-off week, and we hope to do something similar this year as well! Registrations for our SRP begin at the end of May, with lots of fun (and FREE) programs running from June 10thuntil July 24th!
Thank you for the opportunity to share STPL with Macaroni Kid!
For more information about the Sewickley Township Public Library, visit: http://www.sewickleytownshippubliclibrary.org or follow the library on Facebook.
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