Meet…
9 July 2008
Jennifer Teitelbaum Finds Success as Youth Services Librarian
Jennifer Teitelbaum was mentioned recently in an article
about an enormously successful teen program at the Spring Valley branch of the San Diego County Library. Teitelbaum, who plans to graduate from SLIS in December, spent two and a half years as a library tech at another branch, and has been at Spring Valley for the past year. Although she has no children of her own, she loves working with kids and finding ways to make visiting the library a fun and vibrant experience for them.
Teitelbaum credits her strong sales background and "out of the box thinking" with helping her create programs that are appealing to kids and teens. The branch serves snacks every day, offers tutoring and free homework help, presents author readings that appeal to children and teens, and provides an array of special programs such as WWE Wrestlers and Deering Banjos. She points out that the branch has a great community room that offers a perfect setting for activities.
Teitelbaum adds that the kids are not showing up just for the snacks. Many of the kids stay for hours and visit the library on a regular basis. Some do not have library cards, but Teitelbaum encourages them to read by using books as giveaway prizes.
There are 33 branches in the county-wide system, and Spring Valley consistently sees more kids than any other. According to Teitelbaum, during the months of April and May the number of kids who visited the Spring Valley branch was approximately double that of the branch with the next highest attendance. The branch serves as something of a hub for kids, as it is adjacent to an elementary school, a middle school and a teen center.
One of Teitelbaum's favorite classes at SLIS has been Connie Rockman’s seminar on Storytelling. "It was awesome," she says. "I learned a lot, and I try to incorporate storytelling with craft times at the library." In addition to her work with young adults and kids, Teitelbaum has also been given the responsibility of helping coordinate the adult summer reading program for all branches in the system. "I really like programming services," she states. "I feel grateful for the opportunity to work for the San Diego County Library System."
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