Meet Maria

 

4-5-2024

Last week’s article was for our smartphone using patrons. This week’s article introduces our new non-smartphone sympathizing children’s librarian Maria Hinners.

Maria doesn’t object to technology. Smartphones simply don’t fit into her life or, more specifically, her pocket. Harking back to her days of hiking with the Boys Scouts, Maria has preferred a more practical option. While those days are over, flips phones still work better for biking.

Touring the library on her first day was really a trip down memory lane. Once upon a time, she was Maria Kehoe. When she was a student at ETHS, the district ran a late bus for students with after school activities. Maria would come to the library after her band lessons to wait for the bus. She became Maria Hinners later when she married David, the boy not next door but across the street.

College took Maria to Milwaukee afterward David’s job took them disturbingly close to becoming Illinois residents. (Summer residents shouldn’t be offended. After all, you have the good sense to have a home in Wisconsin too.) Stubbornness kept their home on this side of the boarder however. Family ties brought them back to the area.

Maria’s library career began as an elementary school library aide volunteer for the Mukwonago Area School District. From there she moved to Waukesha Public Library before landing at Alice Baker Memorial Public Library in Eagle where she worked for just over seventeen years. At Alice Baker, Maria began as bookkeeper but moved on to be Head of Youth Services.

In 2021 Maria left Alice Baker to care for family members. Her commitment to libraries continued. Today she is a board member of FABLE (Friends of Alice Baker Library, Eagle) and leader of their Teen Library Council. Now ETLPL will be benefitting from all those years of experience with the added benefit of a hometown girl returning home.

Maria’s first official Preschool Storytime was the day this article was published. She will also be taking over the Tuesday morning Preschool Play Group and providing it a bit more structure. Program schedules will remain the same while Maria learns the ropes of this library. However, once summer begins, we will be making some changes to most and adding a few for summer. Storytime is the one program likely to remain firmly rooted in its current day/time slot so look for further information in May. It will also be posted in the East Troy Park & Recreations Summer Activity Guide.

Reading Now: The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom (April Adult Book Club), Lie Beside Me by Gytha Lodge (Book 3 of the Jonah Sheen series), On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US by James LaRue

Listening to Now: Hunted by Kevin Hearne (Book 6 in the Iron Druid series)

The Bitter With the Sweet - Children's Librarian

 

2-9-2024

I have bittersweet news this week. We have posted the Children’s Librarian opening.

The bitter. Nobody can replace Miss Nancy. We continue working diligently creating her memorials. The bronze bench purchased with a large portion of the community’s donations has been tucked away in our meeting room for months waiting for fine weather to be installed under the flag pole. Children’s books have been moved from that locked meeting room into the storytime area of the lower level. Memorial plaques have been ordered and paint colors to refresh the look have been selected. While the Lower Level will be even more inviting when all is done, it won’t be the same.

The sweet. Our staff will once again be large enough to allow for illness and vacation time without spreading us too thin. There will be another friendly face to greet and assist patrons. That will be a consistent face for our youngest visitors.

For months I’ve been saying my dream candidate would be a former elementary school teacher, whether a retiree or someone who wants to work part time. Either way, one who doesn’t want to lose that connection to children. For that reason, the posting states that candidates with significant early childhood experience rather than a library background will be considered. The posting with a link to the required Village of East Troy application is available from the ETLPL and Village websites. Our link is actually a link to the Village.

Feel free to pass the word. Children’s programming is the position’s primary responsibility with the possibility of cataloging being an additional task. The cataloging can be taught. In all likelihood even an experienced cataloger will go through some training on our system. There are several places related to libraries I was able to post. Getting the word to candidates with an education background is a little more difficult.

The new librarian will be taking over preschool storytime and out new Tuesday morning play group. Early Childhood Education students from the high school have been helping out, but their class and February end together. So far, the students haven’t needed their planned activities as the little ones enjoy exploring the toys. Free play also works as a better ice breaker. That said, everyone seems to enjoy the time. The high school students are here 10:00-10:45. Once they leave, we serve a snack and welcome families to stay until 12:00.