Library Service Learners - Making A Difference

Thanks to a generous grant from the California State Library Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Glendale Public Library introduced nine local teens to the library as a career option. The teens, hired as Library Service Learners, also helped provide public and behind the scenes assistance, assisted elementary school students with their homework, and learned what libraries offer the community.

The Library Service Learners came from each high school in the City and worked at the Central Library and four Neighborhood Libraries. The grant paid for them to attend training workshops, to each work about twelve hours a week, and to attend the California Library Association Conference. At the end of the grant period they were each asked to write an essay about their experience.

These are some of their comments:

"(Being) a Library Service Learner has changed my opinion on libraries. I was able to see different aspects about the library like reference, answering phone calls, checking in and out books, and helping the patron. Through time I was familiar with the library website which has helped me on different projects at school. The library has taught me so many things I never thought that the library could offer."

"Getting to know the staff I can now see that they are passionate, spirited people who really love what they do."

"I loved working with the staff because they all made me feel right at home from the beginning. I also loved spending time with the other Library Service Learners because we all could relate to each other. We had fun and learned a lot about the library all at the same time."

"Libraries now seem more interesting than before because I know almost every aspect of the library, what people who work there do and that many people use the library as a hang out place, or ask for all kinds of information."

"The branches have a good way of making the patrons happy. They will go deep into the blue to find what they need."

"The library is something I'll never erase from my mind because the Glendale Public Library is like my second home, literally."

"I think that I will be coming to the library more often now since I know where everything is and what libraries offer."

"We had a nice group that met occasionally and we'd do something out of the ordinary but still fun and relating to the job."

"I feel a little more confident as I go to interviews because I have a better idea of what is going to happen and what to expect from a job. "

"I leaned a great deal of information not only about jobs and my specific job, but also about how to use the library as a patron."

"I would consider working in the library again because it is nice to be an environment where you are able to help someone in need of something."

"I am very sad to be leaving the library. I have made so many new friends, both staff and kids. I will always remember them and my experiences here. I don't know if I got picked out of hundreds of candidates or by default, I'm just grateful that I got picked."

"The one thing I liked doing most was helping people. At the end of the day I had that feeling that you would get when you just step out of the Gym and know that whatever you did made a difference and was well worth the time."

"As a homework helper I felt really happy because I was helping out students with their homework needs. It is good to know that I was the one that helped them to learn a new lesson in an easier way."

"I loved helping the children because I enjoyed working with them and I saw them as my friends."

"This job has really forced me to become mature. I was responsible for maybe hundreds of kids' grades. That's a lot of pressure. I couldn't joke around all the time either."