On Monday, November 5, 2018, a tweet from the Fred Rogers Center sparked me to take pause and reflect on my work at the library over the years.
Happy #medialiteracyweek! This week, we’re going to explore the positive potential of media to support our youngest learners. Here’s a great example of young children getting to know members of their community @shimirawms https://t.co/8VveWg69Uh #dml #digitalmedia #sel
— Fred Rogers Center (@FredRogersCtr) November 5, 2018
I’m grateful that the library has been a recurring scene for my story. In my early days as a child care provider, we frequently visited the library to participate in their programming. Our walks to the library were a great way to positively explore our community and support the learning happening at our facility. When the librarian at the time went on sabbatical, and we used technology to send her messages to stay connected while she was gone.
A few years later when the library announced the branch was getting a new Children’s and Teen Librarian, I was eager to welcome her to the community. I had come to understand how critical a relationship with your local librarian is for child care providers. This relationship has been pivotal in my professional journey, and I have found joy in working with the library.
When TEKStart, piloted our Lunch and Learn with community members series we used the library meeting room to conduct our interviews. Then when I launched The Beauty of S.T.E.M., the library was able to offer us space for a fashion show. Last year, the WOOSH interactive table was unveiled there. As a contributing member to the artist team, I frequently play with the table when I visit the library.
This year in my role as Project On Call at WQED in their Education Department I was able to do weekly programming with youth this summer through the Design. Make. Share, and a Teen Time. Additionally, WQED hosted our Slaying the Future event at the library.
In 2019, I want to make more of an effort to visit the library to learn something new.
