Writer Recalls Joys of 'First Job' at Thayer Public Library

My first part-time job was at . I thought I was lucky, then; I know I was lucky, now. During the summer after ninth grade, I started working at the former East Braintree/later branch, doing a little bit of everything. I checked books in, I checked books out, I reshelved books, I replaced missing cards in the catalog file. Thanks to the Dewey Decimal System, the ability to alphabetize quickly from memory became one of my strong suits.

Yet easily my favorite part of this job was being around books, many of which I hadn’t read yet, but couldn’t wait to read once they were returned. And I liked the people, too – the ones who came into the branch, and the nice ladies I worked with, who took very good care of me. They not only helped me develop excellent work habits, but they always made sure I had my break! Every afternoon they would sit me down in the little back room “behind the curtain,” for a small paper cup of slightly warm soda and a homemade treat.

It was such a wonderful experience overall that when I had the opportunity to transfer to the main library on Washington Street, I was thrilled. This became my after-school, Saturday and summer job through graduation from , right up until I left for college. Not only was it exciting to be in a bigger building where I was surrounded by even more books, I also got to work in the children’s room, as it was then called. Even better than that, I got to be the “story lady” during the summer months.

Although I was understandably a bit nervous at first, I called up my reading-aloud skills from babysitting, my performance skills from being in school plays, and my “group management” skills from teaching Sunday school to the littlest ones in our church. And, fortunately, it all worked, and became one of my favorite parts of the job. In all honesty, I don’t recall the titles of any of the books I read to the children who came to story time back then. But I’m willing to guess that Gertrude Chandler Warner’s The Boxcar Children was one of them, because this was one of my all-time favorite books as a child.

The incomparable adventures of Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny Alden still resonate with me today, and may even explain why I like to buy unusual dishes at yard sales and thrift shops. It was also the first book read aloud to me in a group, in my case at the Watson School, and as such was very instrumental in nurturing my love for reading.

Many years and a whole new building later, I decided to visit the Children’s Department at Thayer Public Library to rekindle those happy memories and take in all that has changed. My first stop, of course, was story time, where I met the multi-talented Norma, a longtime library assistant who has been the children’s storyteller for the past 15 years. She was leading eleven preschoolers in one of several songs and poems about books and reading on the day I visited, beginning with “Big books, little books, short books, tall; thin books, fat books – we love them all!”

Norma was accompanied by her special friend Ollie as she read to the children from No Sleep for the Sheep by Karen Beaumont and later, Ten Seeds by Ruth Brown. The first book encouraged the children to imitate barnyard animal noises as the story progressed, while the second book provided the basis for Norma’s craft activity, where everyone got to plant some bean seeds to take home.

About Ollie, Norma said with a twinkle, “I bring her to show how to sit still, because she won’t move a muscle.” Ollie is often dressed in a costume or outfit related to the season, such as a scarecrow in the fall or a snowman in the winter, she added. When asked what she liked best about this part of her job, Norma replied, “I like to see kids enjoying crafts and interacting with the stories. I love working here.”

It was easy to see why, as I went on to take a stroll-about, delighted to discover the original stained glass panels from the former building where I had worked. Beautiful renditions of Tom Sawyer, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Robin Hood and King Arthur adorn the aptly named Stained Glass Story Nook, where parents can sit and relax while their children play nearby.

I was fondly reminded of my dad when I read a corner plaque commemorating late state representative Elizabeth N. Metayer, as they had once served as Braintree Town Meeting members together. What a terrific way for “Bibs” to be remembered, with a special bookshelf in the children’s library of her beloved town.

Children’s Librarian Elisabeth Strachan joined me at that point, and introduced me to the department’s impressive collection, not only of books and magazines, but also CDs, DVDs, MP3 “Playaways,” and online databases for research and learning languages. Needless to say, much of this is completely new since I worked there, along with the universal computerization of library catalogs and procedures we are all now familiar with using whenever we go to a library.

Perhaps one of the best “new” features, remembering my own days of science projects and book reports, is the increased availability of resources tailored to help young students with their homework. Strachan pointed out the private study carrels, and desktop computers available to children 12 and younger for word processing and Internet access (with parental permission) to World Book Online, Infotrac Junior Edition, Kids InfoBits and Learning Express.

In addition to these more formal ways of learning are library activities that teach as they go, such as the recently added Board Game Fun, an after-school drop-in activity for ages 8 - 12. Alongside this is story time, crafts, unique programs such as “Birds: Beaks, Feathers, Nests,” for grades K-5 on May 28 and performances for young children such as “A Musical Imagination Adventure Concert,” with Cheryl Melody on June 1.  

Strachan said that Thayer Public Library “really encourages people to use its children’s room, as it provides a welcoming experience and can help your child become the best learner they can, while helping parents to encourage reading.” She also said she feels incredibly lucky to have a career that combines her love of books and of children, adding “it’s the most wonderful thing when a parent reads to a child – a close time of bonding – reading is tied up with love.”

Library Director Betsy Wolfe expressed the same passion for the value of childhood reading when we sat down to talk after my tour. “Attending story time makes a parent feel that they are doing the best for their children; it’s a great feeling,” she said.

“Our children’s room is the heart of Thayer Public Library,” she added, expressing the hope that children who use the library today will build a foundation for library use that they will continue throughout their lives.

Like myself, Wolfe grew up in a time when children were less scheduled than they are now and had more time for creative play and reading. I remember carefree afternoons spent in my yard, a cherished book in one hand and a snack-size box of raisins in the other! Wolfe recalled how her town library was almost always a daily destination after school, and that she walked there.

Another similar aspect of childhood then, Wolfe noted, was the collective experience we often had around media and reading. “The 7 p.m. Disney Sunday Movie was something that many families used to watch together on TV,” she said, “but now there are so many television channels, electronic games, and other forms of entertainment to choose from that there are no longer as many common experiences.”

In an effort to reverse that trend, Wolfe has endeavored to make Thayer Public Library much more of a community center, “and not just a place to storehouse knowledge and safeguard information,” she explained. “A public library today is more about sharing and making resources freely available to everyone within a community.” Wolfe added that in the library's children’s room, she wants all the children who go there “to understand that this is their space.”

Another big step in this direction is “One Braintree, One Book” a focusing on Herman Melville’s classic, Moby Dick. Thayer Public Library, including the children’s department, will be at the center of activities connected to the book’s theme, designed to promote literacy and bring the community together for a shared experience.

"'One Braintree, One Book' offers a common experience that will create a sense of belonging, unity, and pride in our community,” Wolfe said, “as well as encourage reading along the way.” There are many related events scheduled throughout the summer, including special programs at the library for children with the children’s version of Moby Dick, she said.

As for me, I’m very proud that the library in the town where I grew up is so advanced, and at the same time cares so much about the people who go there. It was great to go back, and I’m looking forward to my next visit.

For more information about programs at Thayer Public Library, go to www.thayerpubliclibrary.org

Sign up for the “Have a Whale of a Summer at Your Library” events for children begins June 17.

The next town-wide event for “One Braintree, One Book” is the Whale Day Program at on Saturday, June 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring a program by the New England Aquarium.