Celia Gurevitch Jewish Community Library

Having joined the library a year ago, it is time to take stock of my experiences. They include so many positive areas it is hard to know where to start.

First of all, I enjoyed being surrounded by books, many of which I am interested in, some I actually read. The process of getting to know the collection will take many years, but I dove into the process head first. What can I say? I love books, learning from them, being entertained by them, touching the textures of the pages, admiring the illustrations. I also love to spread the word when I find a good one.

I take pleasure in writing, as you might have noticed if you read any of the 300 hundred blog entries I wrote. The purpose of my posts is to let you know about the offerings we have, whether they are new or old books, events we put on or anniversaries worthy of remembering. If you haven’t checked it out, maybe it’s time. (The address is at the top of this article)

My thirst for technology is also met because I can play with software I was not familiar with. By the time you read this we should have our new catalog up and running, with several new exciting features for patrons. I also happened to slip in the role of maintaining Beth Ami’s website, yet another task I am having fun with.

Our collection grew with over 300 books and DVDs in 2008. Thank you, dear readers, for donating them or giving money to the library’s dedicated fund so we could purchase them. Organizing information is another passion of mine. Thus cataloging all these new items was a rewarding task.

I admit I watch a lot of movies. Working at the library gave me the opportunity to share my enthusiasm via running last summer’s film club, when we watched 10 movies. I plan to restart the series in February. Recommendations for what movies to include in the series are welcome.

But none of this can be compared to the most thrilling part of my job: interacting with visitors and patrons. Seeing the joy of a child when I ask how she liked the book she just returned, finding the most suitable book when somebody asks a reference question, watching people as they browse our shelves to pick something to read, hearing the children’s laughter when I read stories to them, listening to people’s stories on how they relate to a certain book – these are the best of times in the life of a librarian.

Thank you for your ongoing support that allowed me to work in my dream job. Now, you can join in the fun as well. The beginning of the New Year is the perfect opportunity to start volunteering at the library. I need to take a short vacation for personal reasons, starting January 22. We need more people while I am away to cover shifts if we are to keep our usual opening hours. If any of the above appeals to you, I urge to inquire how you can be more involved.