Today I am sharing my newest feature called Ask the Librarian. I will share new librarian interviews on Saturdays and do authors on Wednesdays.
Now please meet Kristin Ward…
Name: Kristin Ward
Name of Library: San Diego County Library – El Cajon Branch www.sdcl.org
What kind of librarian are you? I am in charge of youth services at my branch. I work with babies, kids, and teens.
How long have you been a librarian? 10 years
What lead you to wanting to be a librarian? I loved working at the library when I was in college and I love to read. I tried many different kinds of libraries, but I discovered that I loved working with children the best!
How do you pick books for your library? I do not pick the books that we buy for the library. We have two librarians whose only job is to choose books, DVD’s and CD’s for our library system. Wouldn’t you love to have that job? When they are choosing books, they are first looking for books that are popular, then they are looking for books that have good reviews. Publishers also send us books before they are published called ARC’s (Advanced Reader Copy). This allows us to read a book and decide if we want to buy it before it goes on sale!
Do you have a favorite author? My favorite children’s author is J.K. Rowling. I have read the Harry Potter series more times than I can count!
How do you decide what book to recommend to a specific kid? I like to sit and talk to kids. I ask them if they like to read and what kinds of books they like. I also ask about other interests they might have. If they like sports, or dogs, or spaceships, or whatever else, I can usually find them a book they might enjoy reading. More than anything, it’s important for me to find them books that they will enjoy reading, especially if they don’t like to read. If they like the books I recommend, they might realize that reading is fun!
(Bridget’s fun note: Kristin and my mom grew up together in Maine. Kristin’s family owns a great doughnut shop everyone should visit called Congdon’s.)
I think Librarians are some of the most important people in the world! Thanks for interviewing them. I’m excited to hear from more of them in the future.