Tag Archives: i love the library

All You Ever Wanted to Know About "The Tie Guy!"

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Dave “The Tie Guy”

As anyone can tell, I like working at the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library. I have worked here for years, starting off as a page in high school and becoming a full time employee in 2004. When I started, the library had just been completely remodeled. Move forward a couple of years and once again, another remodel took place on the first floor. Yeah, the library has two levels to it; an upstairs and main floor.

The library has had some challenges: from a water leak, (which damaged our VHS tapes), to our old computer system malfunctioning during our Summer Reading Program (we could still check out items, but could not check in). Books began to pile up on unused shelves, in closets, on tables and even on the floor. It was a mess. When we eventually got our system up and running we had every department checking in the stacks. We provide the best service and resources for the community.

Our former director moved co-workers around and eventually merged departments. Circulation, Reference and Technical Services began to all help out at the customer service desk. This greatly improved our morale and friendship toward each other.

During the most recent remodel I worked crazy hours. The clock on my phone read 3:30 a.m., and the maintenance man and I were ready to call it a day after moving desks, checking to see that floor plugs were turned off, and breaking down desks. When the library opened up after being closed for two weeks the result was spectacular. Beautiful and stunning, the public greeted our new look with all-around excitement.

Sometimes people know me as “Dave, The Tie Guy”, because I collect unique neckties and wear them throughout the winter months. I have enough ties that I can go a couple of months without wearing the same necktie! A couple of years ago Donna, a co-worker, made a display of my ties and the name stuck.

I have to go for now, but I will be back with more news from the front line of the library!

Sincerely,

Dave “The Tie Guy” Brinker

My Life, My Library

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Me & My Mother

My relationship with the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library began before I was born. My mother, Susan Miller Carter, began working at the library in the 1970s. When I was born in 1985, my baby shower was attended by library staff, including the then library director, Mary McMillan. I grew up coming to the library on a more than regular basis – checking out books and videos, wandering in the staff only areas, and visiting with my favorite library employee, Jan Owens. As I entered middle school I came to the library after school with my friends and did “homework”. We mostly giggled and ate snacks, really. The library was a wonderful place for us to relax and socialize with a reasonable amount of freedom and independence.

I began working at the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library on May 23, 2001. I was sixteen and a sophomore in high school. After school I would trek up Hobb’s hill to the library where I would begin my shift at 3:00 pm in the Children’s Room. Being a library page meant sorting and shelving returned materials, as well as tidying up the shelves. I loved my job and continued to work part-time throughout my high school and college career.

After graduating from Marian College in 2007 I began working full time in the Youth Services Department. I did programming for children of all ages – my favorite being my Bookie Boogie Woogie, a program series for toddlers. We read books, sang songs and danced along to lots of fun music – it was a blast!

In 2009 I moved to the Community Central Department, which focuses on adult programming, community outreach, advocacy and marketing for the library. This move was a big change, moving from the Children’s Room to Community Central, but I felt right at home right away. Now I get to go out into the community and let people know what their library has to offer beyond “just books”. It is a wonderful job and I love it!

~Joanna

Tales of a Library-aholic

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Michelle Peltier

Hello all. I’m Michelle, and I’m a Library-aholic. 

I have loved coming to the library since I was young. I remember walking into the old children’s room and seeing Paula Gilmour’s smiling face at the desk. I remember the yellow and orange paint. I remember picking out Mary Poppins to watch with my grandma. The library was always a fun place when I was little.

Fast forward to 2007…I just moved back to Plainfield after an out-of-state move. I was a new mom, new wife, and moving home after being away for six years was a little scary. I began stopping by the library as often as I could because it felt familiar, even though the building, staff, and I had changed. I took comfort in knowing that I could learn something new every time I checked out a book: from trying to figure out how to raise a kid, to learning about how to deal with financial stress, to figuring out how to cook dinner without making something from a box every night.

I have been jealous of my friend Laura Brack, the PPL Tech Goddess, because of her library gig she started over 10 years ago. In October 2010, Laura informed me of a 12 hour per week job opening in Youth Services, so I jumped at the chance to interview even though I was already working 40 to 50 hours per week. I scored the position, started in November 2010, and continued to work my full time job and part time at the library until the day before I gave birth to my youngest son. After I came back to work from maternity leave, I left my full time job and took the Librarian’s Assistant position in area T. I now work primarily with the YA fiction collection.

Even though I work at the library, I still bring my kids in on my days off. I feel like it’s important to instill a respect and admiration for libraries, learning, and play. I love reading to my oldest son at bedtime, and I hope to add my youngest to our book club when he’s old enough to not chew on the books when he sees them.

And even though I’m busy with two kids under the age of four, a husband, a dog, a job, a garden, I could go on…I still make myself read every day. I think if one stops reading, one stops learning, and that’s important enough to me to keep on.

~Michelle