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Librarian Spotlight: Emily Dezurick-Badran

Emily Dezurick-Badran works with teens as an Enquiry Assistant at Southend Central Library in Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. She recently started the YA Library UK blog, loves her job, and has a penchant for horror. Read on to learn more about Emily!

How long have you been a librarian?
Unfortunately I’m not yet a librarian! I don’t have the qualification, so I’m simply an Enquiry Assistant, which is somewhere between being a Library Assistant and a Librarian. If all goes well, I’ll have start my MA in Library and Information Science in fall 2011.

I’ve been working as an Enquiry Assistant at Southend Central Library in Southend-on-Sea (in Essex, England) for about a year and nine months.

Why did you want to be a teen librarian?
I enjoy the way that young people–who are still outside of and somewhat suppressed by the adult world–question and challenge its artificial order. I have always been very pro-education and pro-information but uncomfortable with the authoritarian nature of the school system, so reaching teens through the library is a happy medium.

During my adolescence I spent a great deal of time lurking in various branches of San Francisco Public Library (I was born and raised in America). I knew a really wonderful teen librarian named Betsy Levine (who still works at SFPL!) who had a talent for bringing shy teens out of their shells and providing varied and exciting programming. I was inspired by my excellent experience both with the library collection itself and with Betsy specifically!

What steps led you to your current position?
I’m very lucky–I was hired as an Enquiry Assistant without any formal library experience except volunteer work. As soon as I completed preliminary training I asked to get involved with our teen reading group, and my role simply expanded from there. I’ve been very persistent in my enthusiasm for YA lit and teen services, and my supervisors are wonderfully supportive, so I’ve been allowed to assist with and sometimes create new teen-related projects.

What has been your favorite teen program?
My favorite event was definitely our Manga Day, a mini-convention that subsumed our library for one glorious Saturday. The whole thing was complete chaos of the best kind. I especially enjoyed watching some of the shyer young people discover other members of the local geek community and make new friends.

Are there any upcoming programs or events you’re looking forward to?
Working with teens has just been officially added to my professional goals for the next year (previously it was an official part of my post!). I’m just beginning to consider a plan for the next year of teen programming, so nothing’s certain at the moment. My two wonderful managers have invited me to collaborate with them on a three-year teen plan, so I’m quite happy and optimistic about that.

What is the best part about your job?
Helping people of all ages is the best aspect of my job, although it can also be the most frustrating part. I also love creating new teen programs and finding new solutions to seemingly impossible problems (lack of funds, staff, et cetera). Getting to know the teens who come to library programs on a regular basis has been a real pleasure, too.

Are you involved with any professional organizations?
I’m a member of the American Library Association, specifically YALSA, who have awarded me a grant to attend this year’s YALSA conference, which I’m tremendously excited about. I frequently read and post to the YA-YAAC list. I’m also in the process of getting my CILIP membership (CILIP is the UK’s professional library association).

Do you have any favorite online resources?
For YA I often look at teenlibrarian.co.uk (run by the fantastic Matt Imrie) and the YALSA blog for advice on teen programs and events. I read Chicklish for YA reviews, and really enjoy the Book Smugglers’ YA Appreciation Month. Personally I use or refer many people to online libraries such as Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive (the latter not least for its fantastic film stock), and encyclopedias like Wolfram Alpha and of course the ubiquitous Wikipedia.

What are some of your favorite books, series, authors or genres?
I hope you know that this is an unreasonable question to ask someone who works in a library! I’ll just direct you to my Goodreads profile.

As for YA: Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (even though I keep typing “Absolutely True Dairy”–rather a different book, I’d imagine. “The cows had all settled in their…” what is it? Pens? Mangers? Cowsheds? Er, corrals? What do cows settle in?), I adore Garth Nix’s Abhorsen trilogy (which I first read when I was a young teen!), and I enjoy anything Robin McKinley writes. As for supernatural YA novels, Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series is my absolute favourite–I love the tough-as-nails heroine and the clever incorporation of folklore and invented theology.

More recently I read Jean Ure’s novel Bad Alice, which I highly recommend to teens and adults alike.

Any other favorite pop culture stuff (movies, TV, music, games)?
Horror films are an obsession, as are comics (I mostly enjoy story lines influenced by but just outside the Marvel/DC superhero tradition–The Maxx, Watchmen, Sandman, Preacher, but also love comics like A Child’s Life and Persepolis and Madison Clell’s Cuckoo). Red Dwarf is probably my favourite TV series. At present I’m obsessed with the idea of gaming as a new type of storytelling, and am especially interested in Alternate Reality Games.

Vampires, werewolves, or zombies?
I believe in equal opportunities for all monsters! My favourite horror novel is definitely Let the Right One In, (although I also love Shirley Jackson’s spooky stories), but I also love the Romero and post-Romero zombie. I could go on forever about monsters.

August 19th, 2010  ♥  Librarian Spotlight  ♥  No Comments »

Librarian Spotlight: Library Media Teacher Richard Winters

Today’s librarian spotlight features Richard Winters, the library media teacher at Wasco Union High School Library in Wasco, CA.

How long have you been a librarian?
Five years

Why did you want to be a high school librarian?
The love of the research process and teaching it, the love of books, and the chance to work with all students instead of the limited population you encounter in the classroom.

What steps led you to your current position?
I taught English and ELD (English Language Development) in high school and my department head early on was also the librarian. I used to keep the library open after school for my students to do research. I enjoyed teaching the process, helping them find things, and, of course, books. My department head sent me to a fair for potential library students and wanted me to enter because of my love for what the library entails. So, all of that combined with the chance to work with “toys” (technology) is what drove me to this position.

What has been your favorite library program or activity?
My assistant and I host a podcast every school month where we (along with other students and teachers) review books, movies, video games, talk about school activities (like the international economic summit, Link Crew,
etc.).

Are there any upcoming programs or events you’re looking forward to?
The next big event is the end of the WWE Reading Challenge, which I love as a big wrestling fan.

What is the best part about your job?
Working with students and technology, because they have such great ideas to expand what we do such
as the podcast, blogs, websites, etc.

Do you have any favorite online resources?
The Unquiet Librarian is brilliant and provides great resources for librarians. For students I like Facts on File.

What are some of your favorite books, series, authors or genres?
Pendergrast series, Stephen King, Agatha Christie and I recently found I really like Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Any other favorite pop culture stuff (movies, TV, music, games)?
I LOVE video games, 360 rules, I even do video walkthroughs (tigerwalkthrough.com) that i started recently. We are not really into TV in my family, but I enjoy movies (Star Wars, Pump Up the Volume and anything Bruce Campbell does).

Vampires, werewolves, or zombies?
Vampires! Werewolves slobber too much and zombies are so slow (yes, Zombies are slow! I do not know where they get this moving quickly stuff from!)

December 1st, 2009  ♥  Librarian Spotlight  ♥  No Comments »

Librarian Spotlight: Teen Services Librarian Andrea Graham

Today’s librarian spotlight features Andrea Graham, the Head of Teen Services for South Country Library in Bellport, New York. She also runs 4YA, a blog for youth advocates that features all kinds of fun program ideas, information about video games, and other great content.

How long have you been a librarian?
It will be three wild years in March.

Why did you want to be a teen librarian?
When I was younger I wanted to be a youth culture anthropologist and a educational documentary filmmaker. I went to Brunel University in London, and received a master’s in the Cross Cultural Studies of Childhood and Youth. When I returned home, I began to volunteer at my local library’s teen department with an amazing librarian named Katherine Welch. She suggested that I pursue a career in youth librarianship, I resisted the idea for about five minutes and then went back to school. It was the best decision I ever made. I enrolled at Queens College and had the chance to take a bunch of classes with the YALSA founder, Mary K. Chelton, she has been a fantastic mentor and a constant inspiration.

What steps led you to your current position?
I was hired as a full-time librarian trainee and still work for my original employer.

What has been your favorite teen program?
There are so many, but the one my teens say they loved the best was our zombie horror makeup workshop. It was monstrously messy but totally worth it.

Are there any upcoming programs or events you’re looking forward to?
I have my annual goblin gourd workshop tomorrow, they are these little gourds that my teens turn into goblins using paint and clay. They are pretty awesome and funny.

What is the best part about your job?
The teens. For every headache they bring a thousand laughs.

Are you involved with any local or national professional organizations?
Yes, I am a member of the Suffolk County YASD, and YALSA. I have learned so much from these organizations. I really think being a member of professional organizations is a must.

Do you have any favorite online resources?
My new fave is Just So You Know. It’s a blog for teens and features all the new movies, celebrities, music and games that teens love. It really helps me keep track with what’s cool.

What are some of your favorite books, series, authors or genres?
My favorite YA book is Feed by M.T. Anderson. I think it should be passed out every Teen Tech Week. I love technology and the Internet, but I think Anderson’s story is a true cautionary tale for today’s youth. We need to develop a greater value for our unplugged time. When it comes to adult fiction, I really enjoy reading Nick Hornby.

Any other favorite pop culture stuff (movies, TV, music, games)?
I have been spending my fleeting free time playing LittleBigPlanet. It’s cute, clever, wildly creative and has a killer soundtrack.

Vampires, werewolves, or zombies?
Goblins. They need love too.

October 15th, 2009  ♥  Librarian Spotlight  ♥  No Comments »

Librarian Spotlight: Young Adult Librarian Camille Thompson

Today’s librarian spotlight features Camille Thompson, a Young Adult Librarian at the New Brunswick Free Public Library in New Jersey.

How long have you been a librarian?
I’ve been an official librarian for two years, but have worked in libraries in some capacity for about five years.

Why did you want to be a teen librarian?
Teens are so enthusiastic, emotional, and open to new things. They are just much more fun and much less scary than adults.

What steps led you to your current position?
In college I worked in the university library and volunteered at the local public library. I went to library school as soon as I graduated from college and worked at the university library there for a while before being hired as a part-time librarian trainee where I now work. When I graduated I was hired as a full-time librarian focusing on adult programming. Our YA librarian left about 8 months after that and I happily took over her position.

What has been your favorite teen program?
I had a “Breaking Dawn” release party where I gave away copies of the book, had a trivia contest and scavenger hunt and appropriately themed foods. It was a big hit.

Are there any upcoming programs or events you’re looking forward to?
I’m having “Project Recycled Runway” this summer (an idea I borrowed from Princeton Public Library). Teens will be provided thrift store clothes and embellishments and will make awesome outfits from those. They will be evaluated by a panel of judges and the winner will get a $25 gift card to a local store.

What is the best part about your job?
One of my favorite moments was when I did some book talking at the high school and an 11th grade boy came in to the library after school asking me for “Dr. Franklin’s Island.” Eleventh grade boys in an area like New Brunswick will generally not admit to anyone that they would even consider reading a book, so to me it was pretty amazing. Small things like that make me feel like I might be igniting a passion for reading in teens who might not be told in any other setting that it’s OK to like books.

Are you involved with any local or national professional organizations?
I am a member of ALA and YALSA and the New Jersey Library Association. I’ve served on the NJLA Summer Reading Committee and Honors and Awards Committee.

Do you have any favorite online resources?
TeenReads.com is good. I also subscribe to YALSA-BK, read YA authors’ blogs and follow YA book-related people on Twitter.

What are some of your favorite books, series, authors or genres?
I find myself loving the post-apocalyptic lately. “Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, “Life As We Knew It” by Susan Beth Pfeffer and “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy are my current favorites in that genre. On the lighter side, I really like “I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have To Kill You” by Ally Carter and “The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks” by E. Lockhart.

Any other favorite pop culture stuff (movies, TV, music, games)?
I just saw “Up” and loved it. Right now I’m Netflixing (is that a verb?) “The Wire,” “True Blood,” “Weeds,” and “Doctor Who.” I want to re-watch all of “Battlestar Galactica” soon too.

Vampires, werewolves, or zombies?
Vampires if we’re choosing romantic involvement, zombies if we’re choosing a creature of the apocalypse

June 22nd, 2009  ♥  Librarian Spotlight  ♥  No Comments »

Librarian Spotlight: Young Adult Librarian Candice Mack

Librarian Spotlight is a recurring feature that highlights fun and interesting youth services librarians. If you know someone who should be featured, please send me their contact information.

Today’s featured librarian is Candice Mack, a Young Adult Librarian at the Encino-Tarzana Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A LIBRARIAN?
1 year & 5 months (But I’ve worked in libraries since 1995 as a student worker and then a library clerk)

WHY DID YOU WANT TO BE A TEEN LIBRARIAN?
Teens have so much energy and creativity! Unfortunately, I think their needs have largely been ignored or read by adults as negative. It’s definitely getting better now and I wanted to help address this lack. My undergraduate degree was in Psychology with a focus on Youth and Adolescent Development, so I’ve always wanted to work with kids and teens. Young adult librarianship has just tied together two of my passions — helping teens and sharing my love of information.

WHAT STEPS LED YOU TO YOUR CURRENT POSITION?
I had worked in academic and medical libraries before attending library school, so at first I thought I was going to go into medical librarianship. I was working full-time at the same time I was attending library school, though, so my schedule was limited. Because of my tight schedule, I decided to take Storytelling one quarter because it was the only night class being offered. I ended up LOVING the class and meeting some really great folks in the program who helped me reexamine my interest in working with teens and public librarianship.

After that, I did some informational interviews with awesome teen librarians like Brigid Fennell (Glendale Public Library) and Georgette Todd (Los Angeles Public Library). Through Brigid and Georgette’s encouragement, I was able to do an internship in the Children’s Room at the Glendale Public Library – Main Library and then an internship at Teen’Scape, the teen department at Los Angeles Public Library’s Central Library. My internships were wonderful experiences and really sold me on the idea of becoming a youth services librarian.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE TEEN PROGRAM?
A toss-up between Holiday Candy Making, where 30 odd teens and tweens and I made mass amounts of chocolate candies, Books with Bite for Teen Read Week, where guest speakers Dean Lorey (author of the “Nightmare Academy” series) and Del Howison (author, editor and owner of the horror bookstore “Dark Delicacies”) discussed the writing process with about 30 teens and tweens, and our Free Comic Book Day comics workshop featuring Kenny Keil (author and illustrator of “Tales to Suffice.”) Kenny went through the steps of how to create a comic and all of the teens who attended the Free Comic Book Day workshop created mini-comics. Some of the comics made that day are up online.

ARE THERE ANY UPCOMING PROGRAMS OR EVENTS YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO?
I’m really looking forward to the Teen Summer Reading Program! Last year, we had a great comics discussion club and this year, we’re going to have a general book discussion club. The theme this year is “Teen LA” and I’m looking forward to hearing what the teens and tweens think is the best and brightest in our community.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I really enjoy helping patrons of all ages, but I have to admit that I like helping teens and tweens best. It’s a volatile time for them and they’ve got a lot going on so I’m glad that the library can offer them an escape as well as assistance with everything that is going on with their lives.

ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH ANY LOCAL OR NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS?
I am active in the American Library Association (ALA), California Library Association (CLA), Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), and Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Currently, I’m a member of CLA’s Edna Yelland Scholarship Committee, APALA’s Asian Pacific Award for Literature Committee, the ALA’s Spectrum Student Interest Group, YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens Committee and YALSA’s Division and Membership Promotion Committee.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE ONLINE RESOURCES?
I heart listservs! My favorites are YALSA-BK and GN-LIB. I also make use of the YALSA website and subscribe to a lot of Twitter feeds by librarians and book publishers. That way, I have interesting library and book news delivered right to my inbox and Twitter feed. My Twitter feed is at: http://twitter.com/tinylibrarian.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS, SERIES, AUTHORS OR GENRES?
My favorite author (and who I discovered as a teen) is Neil Gaiman! I was so happy that he won the Newbery Award this year for the Graveyard Book!

I’m also a big fan of Sarah Dessen, Maureen Johnson, Brian Michael Bendis, Barry Lyga, and Cecil Castellucci.

In terms of series, I’ve really enjoyed the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, the Blue Bloods series by Melissa De La Cruz, the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen, the Georgia Nicholson books by Louise Rennison. I also like fantasy like the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman, the Harry Potter series by Rowling, Lord of the Rings by Tolkien and the Dark Angel series by Meredith Ann Pierce. Recently, I’ve been reading a lot of manga series like Naruto, Death Note, Kitchen Princess, Mixed Vegetables, High School Debut, Bizenghast, Me & My Brothers and Otomen.

ANY OTHER FAVORITE POP CULTURE STUFF (MOVIES, TV, MUSIC, GAMES)?
My new favorite video game is “Cooking Mama,” which you can now play on the iPhone! You use the touch screen and movement sensors in the phone to chop vegetables, melt butter and knead dough! I also recently got hooked on the Korean live action version of the Japanese manga “Boys Over Flowers.” A band that I love seeing live is Gogol Bordello! Almost all of the band members are immigrants or children of immigrants so they have a strong commitment to musical diversity and fuse punk, gypsy, ska, rap, and salsa rhythms in their songs.

VAMPIRES, WEREWOLVES, OR ZOMBIES?
Vampires, definitely! I started reading Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles when I was a teen and am thrilled at the resurgence of vampire lit.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
This is just my first year and a half as a teen librarian and I can’t wait for what adventures the future may bring.

June 10th, 2009  ♥  Librarian Spotlight  ♥  No Comments »