Written By: Dek S. at Foster City Library
Libraries are magical places. Don’t you think? It’s where curiosity is sparked and where dreams take root. And sometimes, it’s where life takes an unexpected turn. For some library patrons, what starts as a simple visit to check out a book or attend a community event becomes the beginning of a lifelong love for the library.
For this writer, it surely was. As a new immigrant from a country without public libraries, San Mateo County Libraries was a haven from a strange, isolating new world. With all my family and friends far away and too few job prospects, I was stuck with a feeling of alienation. At the library, I reconnected to my first love—literature—and eventually fell in love with the library itself. I'm now a staff member for San Mateo County Libraries, and this writer is not the only staff member with a library love story.
Here are inspiring interviews with individuals who first walked through the door as patrons, and later found themselves on the other side, working as dedicated library staff.
Greta, Library Assistant at San Carlos Library for 3.5 Years
Greta, a library assistant at San Carlos Library says, “As a kid, I loved going to the Foster City Library. My siblings and I would race through the empty lot and into the library to the desktop computers in the children's room. Then, I would walk through the fiction books and mentally check off all the books I'd read while trying to find a new one.”
“I decided it on a whim. I thought about it in college, but I wasn't sure it was what I wanted to do,” Greta says about applying for a library job. “Once I finished grad school in 2020, I realized I needed a job and remembered always loving the library, so I applied. It felt like fate that I found myself working at such a fun and fast-paced library.”
Greta started as a Library Aide at the Foster City Library, but has fallen head-over-heels in love with the San Carlos Library where she has worked for the last two years. “The San Carlos community is full of so many lovely people. I love getting to know our regular patrons and the students that use the library every day. I love watching babies grow from newborns to running, babbling toddlers and elementary school students. It's so great to build connections with people who come in every day.”
The best thing about working for the library, Greta says, “I love the community. I've made friends with people all over the system, so whenever I'm in a different part of the Peninsula, I like to visit my friends at different branches. I also love being in the know. Working at the library means I know exactly what resources we offer and what new items are being checked out. I'm constantly telling family and friends to check their local library for whatever they might want to borrow. We offer so many niche items and cool services.”
Meiai, Library Aide at Foster City Library for 1 Year
Meiai has been working at Foster City Library for the past 15 months as a library aide. Meiai has long called the library a second home for her family. She adds, “My kid and I are in the library almost every day—reading books, joining programs, doing homework and making friends.” When Foster City Library put up the job posting, without hesitation, she applied for the job.
Meiai says that her lovely co-workers and the harmonious environment are what she loves about being a staff member. When asked what keeps her love for the library burning, she answered, “I don’t know the reason exactly, I love [the] library like home. So that my co-workers and some patrons [are] just like my family members. I feel so warm and happy when I stay at the library.”
Erin, Library Aide at San Carlos Library for 1 Year
Erin started as a volunteer with the Friends of San Carlos Library. In fact, they were her reference when she applied for a library staff position. Even now as a library aide, she volunteers with them in her downtime.
Erin grew up going to both the San Carlos and Belmont libraries. “I'm so grateful for the amount and variety of books I was able to read and how all the libraries worked together to get patrons what they want access to,” she adds, “I have fond memories of using self-checkout with the purple PLS library card and I actually still remember the old card number that I had when I was a kid!” What an impressive memory.
Erin worked in her university library as an undergraduate and loved it, but she wanted to try working in a public library. She says, “Though academic libraries are great, I really value the services and patron diversity at public libraries. I wanted to see if working as an aide would help me decide if I wanted to pursue an MLIS degree. I just started my first semester!” Congratulations, and best of luck in library school!
Erin enjoys making sure that the library and its materials are all available and accessible to patrons. She also likes interacting with the community at large. And of course, she likes all the different things she can try and learn through our services.
Jamie, Library Assistant at Portola Valley Library for 11 Years
Jamie first started as a volunteer at the Woodside Library. His main task? Help set up and then clean up Mike Eppley's very popular musical storytime. From there, he applied to be an aide as soon as there was an opening. He adds to his story, “My supervisor remembered me going to the Menlo Park Library for storytimes as a kid over a decade earlier!”
When asked what made Jamie fall in love with libraries, he points to the amazing staff that has assisted him for decades. And of course the books, more than he can read in a lifetime.
Jamie loves the experience of seeing the kids that attend storytime grow up to be passionate readers and members of the community. As he’s been working for more than a decade in the libraries, his heart must be full to brim.
Apart from his wonderful co-workers and fantastic community, he says he’s also addicted to all the audiobooks he can get for free through our digital services. “I listen to multiple a week and they keep on adding more!” he says.
Jennifer, Library Aide at North Fair Oaks Library for 3 Months
“What made me fall in love with the library has to be the books!” Jennifer says of her start as a library fan. She was introduced to the library at a young age by her mom who wanted to make sure she became an active reader. Since then, she goes to libraries to look for her next favorite book.
When a library staff member told her about the open library aide position, Jennifer thought it was a great opportunity to get her foot in the door. She started her application right away.
“What I like about being a staff member is that my co-workers have been very helpful,” Jennifer says about her library. She adds, “At this branch, you can feel that we strive to have a connection with the community that comes here to use our resources, which I think is the best feeling.”
With books being her top reason for going to the library, Jennifer tells us, “I believe having the chance to work at a library is any bookworm's dream and I'm super happy that I have the chance to work at North Fair Oaks Library!”
We’re happy to have you in the San Mateo County Libraries community, Jennifer.
Manny, Community Technology Specialist at San Carlos Library for 3 Years
In 2015, Manny applied to be a summer intern as soon as he saw the job posting in his high school newsletter. He adds, “There were three job fairs and one was in Millbrae, it was a week after I saw the posting. I went and waited in a super long line for the interview.” What a dedicated dude.
“I grew up with no internet at my house and I would use the Millbrae Library to do all my research and Google everything that came to mind.” Manny tells us about his childhood memories at the library. “Both my parents worked late so I would walk to the library after school and ask for as many computers passes as I could because I always lost my card, and back then it was $1 to replace a card.”
Manny is a master of many things and rose up the ranks through San Mateo County Libraries in record time. “I love being able to help people, as cliche as that sounds,” he says, “I always want to teach people things, show them my tips and tricks and library patrons seem to love to learn new things.”
As a lifelong learner, Manny loves being surrounded by people that love to learn on their own. He also likes being asked tough questions and learning alongside a patron. If you’re ever in San Carlos and want to learn something new, see if Manny is in and if he could share a few insights about the fabulous technologies we offer.
Lilian, Library Aide at North Fair Oaks for 3 Months
Just like Jennifer, Lilian joined San Mateo County Libraries last November as a library aide at the North Fair Oaks Library.
But unlike Jennifer, Lilian’s love for the library bloomed from math. She tells us, “I went to school in the 80s and 90s in Puerto Rico, and math was taught very differently. Common Core was not taught. It was hard for me to help my son with his homework. The tutor at the library was a huge help to the point that my son is taking 4th-grade math as a 2nd-grader.”
As soon as she saw a library aide position available, Lilian went for it. She loves helping people and the sense of community the library brings. Lilian says that she admires the way all the employees genuinely want to help people and go beyond what is expected of them. To that she says, “I want to follow their example.”
Min-I, Senior Librarian at Brisbane Library for 8 Years
Min-I, pronounced Min-Yee, started as a volunteer at Foster City Library, where she helped with craft programs and shelved materials in various languages.
She says about her experience, “It was a lot of fun! One memory that stands out is participating in a sewing program where we made little dresses out of pillowcases. I never thought I could do something like that, so I was thrilled to learn the skill through my volunteer work!”
Min-I has a long history with libraries. She first fell in love with the library as a high school student in Taiwan. “I was an awkward kid and I spent a lot of time there, just reading and reading. The librarian noticed me and eventually asked if I’d be interested in volunteering,” she says. She became fascinated by the old school card catalog. Even though they already had an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) for patrons to use, their library kept the card catalog for those who prefer it. To her, it may sound a bit old-fashioned, but that’s exactly why she found it charming.
“It was such an organized place full of wonders and knowledge and I wondered how everything came together,” she said. “Later, in college, I worked as a library assistant and the librarians encouraged me to apply to library school. That was when I truly realized how much I loved helping people connect with information. It’s been a rewarding journey ever since!”
When she first moved to California, it took Min-I some time to apply for the volunteer position at the Foster City Library. “At the time, I was a new immigrant housewife with little confidence in speaking English,” she tells us, “I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to understand the instructions or communicate with patrons. But the library staff were so kind and encouraging and they really pushed me to give it a try. Many of them are still working there today, and I’m incredibly grateful for their support. I honestly don’t think I could have stepped out of my comfort zone without them.”
As a volunteer, Min-I participated in English conversation clubs, helped with craft programs and book organizing. She progressed from volunteer to aide to library assistant at Foster City Library. Since then, she has earned her second master’s in library science here in the U.S. and served as a beloved librarian in San Mateo County Libraries.
Min-I says the thing that she loves most about this job is being able to connect people with information and with each other. “I enjoy learning from both patrons and my colleagues. Seeing people smile is the most rewarding part of my work. In my current role as a senior librarian, I also really enjoy helping other staff members grow and expand their knowledge!” This writer sure has learned a lot from Min-I.
Share Your Library Love Story
We hope you enjoyed these library love stories—from seeking knowledge to sharing it. Do you have a library love story of your own? Be sure to share it with us in celebration of Library Lovers Month.
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