There is no doubt that here at Macaroni Kid we LOVE our local libraries! They provide a free place for families to connect, learn and play right within our community. They are warm, inviting, and full of life thanks largely to our fabulous children's librarians. So, we thought it would be fun to learn a little more about the people who keep the children's departments at our local libraries humming with a new column called "Meet Your Librarian". First up is Ms. Erin Puleio the Children's Librarian at Rockland Memorial Library located on the corner of Union and Belmont in Rockland Center. Here's a little more about Ms. Erin in her own words ...
What inspired/encouraged you to become a librarian? Is there one specific moment when you knew this was what you wanted to do?
When I was in college, I had worked full-time at my local library in California as a Page in the Children's Room and I realized how much I really really enjoyed children's books. I was getting my Bachelor's Degree in Child Development at the time and knew I wanted to work with children but I wasn't sure in what capacity. It finally clicked when I was putting away children's books in the stacks when I finally realized why don't I become a librarian? I've loved being one ever since I got my Master's Degree and started working in the field. I'm very fortunate to have discovered at so young an age what it is I really wanted to do and still love doing it!
How did your childhood experience with books or libraries affect becoming a librarian?
I was a bookworm, the minute I discovered I could read and I ate up books! Literally, I would have a pile of books right by my bed (and still do to this day!) and just stay up late with a flashlight under the covers and just read. As a child, I moved around a lot as my father was in the Navy so libraries were very important to me. With libraries, my old friends were still there on the bookshelves, no matter where we traveled.
What was your favorite book as a child?
'Fantastic Mr. Fox' by Roald Dahl is still one of my favorites from when I was a child.
What is your favorite children's book, or series, now?
That's such a hard question as I now have so many favorites! Since I read YA (Young Adult) and Children's books now, my current favorites vary. For the Young Adult collection, my current favorite series is the 'Court of Roses and Thorns' by Sarah J. Maas. My current favorite Children's book is this year's Newbery winner, 'The Girl Who Drank the Moon' by Kelly Barnhill.
Do you have a favorite children's author and why?
Again, another hard question but a favorite of mine. Some of my favorite authors are classics like Judy Blume (she was really great for me to read as I grew up like, 'Superfudge' and 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret'). Her books were great for me as the eldest of three kids and the second book I found to be helpful during my teen years. Roald Dahl is another favorite of mine with 'James and the Giant Peach' and 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'. His books were wonderful for me to see how thinking outside the box is so important and coming up with creative solutions to complex problems.
What is your favorite program at the Rockland Memorial Library?
One of my favorite programs is the Toddler Story Time and the Preschool Story Time. I love reading to the kids and singing with them and sharing our flannel board stories or just doing a craft! I love seeing their surprised faces when they see what they're going to make for the program that day. Another fairly newish program is our Candy Bar Bingo program! The kids and families are so QUIET! I just laugh when I hear them whispering about what numbers they need to make a bingo and it's so much fun. And of course, I love our Manga Drawing program for the teens. They're such a great group of kids and I love to see their confidence grow and have them display their artwork in the rotunda.
What is the one program you would love to start if you had the resources for it?
One program I'd like to see and think we really need would be a series of workshops for the Teens. Programs like Home Economics, ie. learning how to balance a checkbook and pay bills, learn how to sew a button or a small tear, learn to cook, etc...
Is there anything else we should know about you or the Rockland Memorial Library?
We love getting new ideas about programs that kids and teens would like to see here. Some of our programs happened because they were just a suggestion. So if you have a great idea and would like to share it with us, we'd love to hear about it!
Meet the Other South Shore Children's Librarians
Macaroni Kid South Shore Boston is a free weekly newsletter and website focused on fun family events and information in 13 towns on Boston's South Shore. We gather together all kinds of local family events and activities each week and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, book and product reviews, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more. We proudly serve families in Hanover, Norwell, Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate, Hull, Marshfield, Duxbury, Pembroke, Whitman, Hanson, Rockland, and Abington!
Want to be the first to know about great local events for families? Subscribe today - ssboston.macaronikid.com/subscribe/
