National High Five a Librarian Day
National High Five a Librarian Day is an annual celebration held on November 18 to show appreciation for librarians. It is a day to acknowledge their vital work in providing resources, promoting literacy, and assisting the community with research and information skills.
I enjoyed interviewing Veronica Romanelli, the children’s librarian at the Osterhout Free Library in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, recently where she shared more information about her job and responsibilities, and the history of the library.
Q1: Tell us more about the Osterhout Free Library?
The Osterhout Free Library is a public library, which is open and free for anybody who would like to stop by! Our library opened to the public in 1889, after Isaac Smith Osterhout willed a portion of his estate to start a free public library in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Melvil Dewey, the creator of the Dewey Decimal System was actually the one who recommended that the former First Presbyterian Church be used as a location for the Osterhout. That building is where our library has had its home ever since! The Children’s Wing that we have today was not part of the original building and was added on and opened to the public in 1982.
Q2: Please describe your main responsibilities as a children’s librarian.
My title at the library is Youth Services Program Specialist, which means my primary (and favorite) responsibility at the library is planning programs for children. In the Children’s Wing, we primarily serve patrons from birth to age 12, which is a pretty wide range! We have many activities for all ages, including our Wednesday story times for younger children, Saturday programs and Lego Club for all ages, and Kidz Club and Tween Tuesday for children ages 8-12.
In addition to programming, I also help with collection development or choosing which books we add to our library!
Q3: How many children does the Osterhout Free Library serve?
According to our 2024 Annual Report, the Osterhout Free Library had 7,396 children attend programs in the previous year!
Q4: What children’s programs are offered at your library to keep kids engaged?
We have done everything from STEM activities, to arts and crafts, to featuring special guests, such as authors, bakers, community helpers, and more! It is so important to offer a variety of programming so that everyone can find something they love at the library!
Q5: How many children’s books does your library contain?
While I am uncertain of the exact number of children’s books in our library, according to our 2024 Annual Report, we had 32,224 children’s items circulate in the previous year! We offer a wide variety of materials, including fiction and nonfiction chapter and picture books, biographies, graphic novels, and more! Our newest addition to the Children’s Wing is Wonderbooks, which read aloud to the child as they follow along with the book!
Q6: What do you enjoy most about your job as a children’s librarian?
My favorite part of being a children’s librarian is connecting with people in the community. I have lived in Wilkes-Barre my whole life and grew up going to our South Branch library, so getting to be on the other side now is a full-circle experience. Seeing children find joy in the library, whether they are here to participate in a program, find a book, make a friend, or just have a safe and cozy space to hang out, is so special.
Q7: What value does reading bring to young children?
Reading is so essential for children! We have several programs at the library to promote early literacy, such as weekly story times, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten (a program that rewards children for reading/being read to before they start school), summer and winter reading programs, and community outreach. Reading is not only important for its educational value, but also because it exposes children to a heightened sense of empathy. In books, whether fiction or nonfiction, children can see themselves, they can see others, and they can start to make sense of and appreciate the world and people around them.
Q8: How can parents encourage their children to read on a regular basis?
Parents can encourage their children to read by taking them to the library! I think it is also very important for parents to read with their children and show interest in what their children are reading. The connection between parent and child when reading is just as important as the reading itself!
Q9: How do you decide which books to add to the children’s collection?
We have a couple different strategies when it comes to building our collection. First, we keep a record of every book that is requested by our patrons. If a book or topic is being heavily requested and we do not already have it, we are more likely to add it to the collection. Our patrons’ voices are most important! Beyond that, we also look at highly reviewed and best-selling books and assess where they might fit into our collection.
Q10: How important are libraries to kids?
Libraries are so important to kids, and it’s not just about reading! While reading and books are obviously a huge part of libraries and we want to promote reading and literacy, libraries offer so much more than books! Libraries are a free place where people can come as they are to read, access the internet, ask questions, attend programs, connect with the community and so much more. Signing up for a library card is free at the Osterhout, and I encourage everyone to visit their local library!
Veronica Romanelli is a children’s librarian at the Osterhout Free Library in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Veronica has a B.A. in English from Wilkes University, where she graduated in 2021, and a Master of Library and Information Science from Syracuse University, where she graduated in 2024. In her free time, Veronica loves spending time with her nieces and nephews, Gionni, Evangelina, Sahara, and Alonzo.