Published: June 30, 2008 02:06 pm         

Making reading fun

Librarian helps young readers make crafts and play games

WALTON — Many people think of the library as a quiet place, but Sharon Ogle might tell you a different story.

As the children’s librarian and youth director, Ogle sits at a desk in the lower level of the Walton library.

At any given time, she can hear the sounds of children running above her.

“You get used to it,” she said. “You should hear it when there’s more.”

She said the nosiest times are before lunch and again in the evening, after she has left for the day.

Ogle works 20 hours a week. She says her days are crammed full of many different tasks.

“You wear a lot of hats when you work in a small library,” she said.

The librarian’s day starts at 10:30 a.m. and wraps up by 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Her days are filled with processing new books. She stamps each one in three places, places numbers on each book, puts a pocket in the back cover, labels it and puts bar-codes on it.

She is also in charge of ordering the books and DVDs. While at her desk, she helps children find the books they are looking for by using her computer. She also checks the books out, and she checks them back in when they’re returned.

When she first started her job, Ogle said she mainly used a typewriter. With the changes in technology, the librarian had to adjust to using a computer.

The library also has a summer book program, which the students get prizes for reading. Ogle passes those prizes out when the children come to the library to return a book.

In addition, she must help with the children’s library club. The club lasts for about an hour Tuesday through Thursday for different age groups.

The children in the club usually make crafts, which Ogle said she must color and cut before the group meets. They also play games and either read a story or listen to Ogle read one to them, depending on the age group.

Ogle said she couldn’t do the book club alone. That is why she has help from the other children’s librarian, Beth Sullivan.

“We have fun,” Sullivan said with a smile. “I think we work well together. I enjoy working with Sharon.”

Ogle says she is the one who decides on the project, but she says Sullivan is the crafty one of the two.

The biggest factor in being a librarian is fitting everything into one day.

“When I first started I didn’t realize how much time was involved,” said Sullivan.

Sullivan helps Ogle when she can with processing the new books, but must also collect donated books, decorate the bulletin boards and answer the phone.

Ogle said her journey to become a librarian started when she took three years of college classes for elementary education, which has helped her out in the long run. The job became open in 1993 when her daughter, who previously ran the summer program, left.

She said the library had enough money to hire a librarian, so she applied. Before that, she had been baby-sitting.

“I knew most of the kids,” she said.

Keeping up is the most challenging aspect of her job, Ogle said. With the number of workers in the library, she feels as if she is constantly moving to get something done.

“I look at my list and I have four more things to do,” she said. “I ask, should I go home or spend the night?”

Despite the hectic schedule and short time period, both librarians say the job is worth it.

“Being with the kids, hopefully you make a difference” said Ogle.

Sullivan enjoys the hugs she gets when she’s stopped in the store by an excited child saying “Ms. Beth!”

The main point for the job, though, is to encourage children to read.

“During the summer, I think that is the time they need the most help,” said Ogle. “If they don’t read during the summer, they might get behind during school.”

Denise Massie can be reached at (574) 732-5151 or via e-mail at denise.massie@pharostribune.com